the same verses we read this morning beginning at verse eight of chapter six and Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people then there arose certain of the synagogue which is called the synagogue of the libertines and serenians and Alexandrians and the them of Cilicia and of Asia disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought him to the council. and set up false witnesses which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us. The law that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as have been the face of an angel. Verse fifty-one of the next chapter. Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised and heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did, so do ye, which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them, which showed before the coming of the just one, of whom ye have been now the prayers and murderers, who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not checked it. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and then gnashed on him with their teeth, with he being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus, standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one horse, cast them out into the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned, Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord, Jesus, receive my Spirit. They kneeled down and cried with a loud voice. Lord, lay not this sin for their charge. When he had said this, he fell asleep. This will conclude our studies on chapter seven of Acts. Next week, Lord willing, we'll get into chapter eight. This is a beautiful chapter beginning as it does in the middle of chapter six, running through the end of chapter seven. This morning we're speaking on Stephen and his defense before the Sanhedrin. I was thinking this afternoon how those who seek to take a lead among the Lord's people are often the ones who come under real attack. They take the brunt of opposition. All you have to do is to go to a courtroom and witness a court scene. And they're rightly one witness who outshines the other. His witness is devastating to the man whose case is being tried, whether it be the prosecuting attorney or whether it be the defense attorney. He's going to try his best to break down the testimony of that strong witness. He'll do his best to tear his testimony apart because his witness was so strong. But if that be so in the legal field, so much more in the spiritual realm. And down the age of those who have stood for God and have gone ahead to try and leave God people, they bear the brunt of the battle and say who will do his utmost to ruin their testimony. And those who are strong in their witness for Christ will be the object of Satan's constant attack. And you find that time and time again in the Scripture, these men who had a wonderful testimony, and they were the head of God's people. They were ready to fight for God's people, ready to offend God's people. You have the case of Joseph and how he suffered at the hands of his brethren, and the case of Moses. how he suffered. And also we think of Peter and Paul in the Acts, and here we have Stephen, a demon. And yet he is singled out by Satan. One wonders why he has to stand alone. I was thinking of this yesterday afternoon and hadn't dawned on me before. Why is Stephen standing alone? On previous occasions there was James, Peter, and John, and always other disciples around when Peter stood up, the twelve stood up with him. But here you find Stephen, a teacher, not an apostle. Here he is standing alone. And he's a remarkable character. You see, yes, fearlessness. on this occasion he didn't fear man he had no fear of men his courage is quite evident courage in his deep conviction he believed what he believed and he did so with all his heart was willing to pay for with his life's blood if necessary he was free from any jewish prejudice and also You see his amazing knowledge of stricter and reporting out this morning. How he summarizes the history of Israel in something like forty-five verses. Touching all the mountain peaks of God's healing to that people. This was his challenge to what they accuse him of, of being against Moses, against the law, against the temple. And Stephen, he there, there. charging all the people, as he quotes the scriptury of the wonderful grasp of the Word of God, and is still in ardent. They could not withstand the distance by which he spake. Rhetoric power, yes, she had power of rhetorics, no doubt about that. That way, he was able to preach and became the holy attention of the Godhead. furthermore you see his power the power of the Holy Spirit and his spiritual insight into the things and ways of God another thing noticeable about Stephen is his subsequent story after their accusation their bitter outburst against Stephen of what they call They called on me. They said he was a blasphemy. And when they looked at his face, as though they saw the face of an angel, Stephen unperturbed him. He had control of himself. He had committed the situation into the hands of his brother. A little bit of heaven, heavens glowed about his cousin. and it is those who are the priests of an angel. So we have Stephen's wonderful disposition and characteristic for us in this passage. You notice this morning the things that he was accused of and is very significant. He was accused of blasphemy. He also was accused of downgrading or defaming the temple and predicting its destruction. For he said, This man says that this building will be destroyed and built again in three days, because, so you see, they accused him of speaking against the law and preaching Jesus of Nazareth, and how he'd go therefore. then he had the rebuttal because he claimed they claimed that Jesus of Nazareth had come to change the law and change customs and other things they also accused him of rejecting Moses Stephen rejecting Moses well think of what they did the connection with Moses they said we know that God speaks of Moses But as for this man, Jesus, we know not bearing his arm. Yes, we know that God speaks to Moses. But as for this man, we're not prepared to believe him. And then again, they said concerning Moses, we are Moses' disciples. We are Moses' disciples. And how Stephen told the answer home to them on that? All right, Victor, Moses, you said, and if you believe that God spake the moon, why don't you believe Moses? And he took their argument for peace. He used the word of God, and he cut up all their arguments. So there are five charges they laid against Stephen. We'll see a little more later on about those charges. None of this was true, that they charged him of, and in his accusational rebuttal, he speaks of ten things. Ten things. In reference to his hypothesis, they said he was a hypocrite, claiming to believe a law, and Stephen drives his home, he drives right back. Instead of me being a hypocrite, You're a hypocrite. All of you men, the Sanhedrin, you are the hypocrites. You profess. You believe. You believe the law. Believe more. And that is what you're doing. You're judging me without the law. And it drives home that message of, they were the one who were a hypocrite. Why, he says, he said, you know the prophet. Yet the prophets speak of this man. Even Moses said, O the prophets of the Lord, your guardrails up to your brethren like unto me, then ye shall hear. Why don't you hear them? Why don't you listen to them? Then he spoke to them about opposing him who gave them the law. He said, you talk about the law. Why, you're against the lawgiver. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the lawgiver. And you may, you're against the lawgiver himself. Yet you stand up for the law, and you're opposed to the one who gave the law. And it's the fulfillment of the law. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, for every one that believes. Then he said, what about your idolatry? How he cried, behold, you thrust out hope. and you worship a cat. He said, these, these, I thought to Israel, let's walk you up on an evening. Let's forget Moses. And you worship a golden cat. That's what they did to Moses. And yet they said, we believe in Moses. We're Moses' disciples. Then says, Stephen, why did your father turn to Moses? Why did they trust them from then and they denied it? And we're going back into Egypt. Stephen was quite a lawyer. And also, he says, you're like your fathers who persecuted the prophets. He says, you tell me one father, whom your fathers persecuted or not. He says that in verse fifty-two. Tell me one father. that your fathers did not persecute you, and you're doing the same thing, you're persecuting me. You're persecuting me, and you're persecuting others as well. And for the more he says, you sold Joseph, or Joseph was sold into Egypt by your fathers, and he became governor over all the land of Egypt, and also... What about the defilement of the temple? You say that I spoke against your holy place, the temple, and what did you then do? You made it a house of merchandise. You brought your animals, your pigeons, your dogs, and you turned my house into a house of merchandise, said the Lord Jesus. And yet you tell me that I am against the temple. Look what you did with it, then. Furthermore, he says, you resisted as your fathers did, so do ye. You resist the Holy Spirit of God. He tells them then, verse fifty-one, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did, so do you. And you crucified the Messiah. And you resisted the Trinity. The whole Trinity. How did they do that? In resisting the God of Sinai, they would oppose the God. There's Jehovah. And in reference to the law, the men of prophets that God used were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they rejected the prophets. They persecuted the prophets. As Stephen says, you resist the Holy Spirit. Now speaking, indeed, you resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did so do you. And then he said the climax of it all. The crowning prime that stains your hand, you crucified the Lord of life and death. You rejected the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. how he drove home his message. And I want to say that ten things, I don't know there may be many more, but I've jotted down ten that I've thought of, and ten is the number of responsibility. I've went through this chapter, the ten things, and ten is the number of responsibility of the ten commandments. And here he says you men are responsible for ten things. You accuse me of five. I'll double that number. I'll accuse you of anything. And he did. How biting and whispering were his words when he said in verse fifty-one. He's stiff-necked and uncircumcised and parkeneers. He will always resist the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? They have slain them which showed before the coming of the just one of whom ye have been now with the prayers and mercies, who have received the law by the disposition of aim. So he drives his sword deep into these men, these leaders, the sand-deeper. Every face was fierce with fury. Every pope hushed it for the blood of Stephen, and every eye flashed with fury and anger. Oh, the things of evil, they were doing. They gnashed upon them with their teeth, as we mentioned this morning, laying in places of dignity, learning and education. Here you have this, I mean... men who suppose we know the law, and they come in Israel to hear their actions like a bunch of them raised. Young men, for what do you speak today, Radic, they take off their loaves, and they lay their robes at the feet of a young man by the name of Saul, and the stones began to fire, and they stoned Jesus even, as he was calling upon the Lord. Hard to believe that these men were supposed to be the leaders of religion, acting like this, blood bursting. No control over themselves. They were so angry. Let me tell you, there is no anger, no bitterness, no hatred. any people than religious people. And the greatest war, the most brutal war, the most bloodthirsty war for the rebels and fought over religion. That's the prudent time in Vietnam. That's true out in Vietnam. That's true out in Vietnam. How did this war get started in Vietnam? and with it. And today, we know the price has been paid for that conflict, and down through the century, the religious war that draws religion. It is that we can cause the greatest difference and hate within the human heart. What caused it in Cain? Why did Cain commit the first murder, relative to the human race? because his old works were evil, his author. Oh, he was a religious man. Abel was accepted because of his sacrifice. Abel did his best. He was a religious man, but God said, I can't accept the apostasy. And the king from that moment on hated Abel, and the apostasy was smooth. because he was rejected and able with them. Here is this religious teacher that burns in the human heart and expresses itself in justice. They are vastly acts and deeds. Why does Stomp up nothing? Won't you think they wouldn't do the same today if you read church history? It makes your very blood boiled. Think of the massacre, the slaughter, speeding the blood that's stained the hands of religious leaders and religious organizers. You know what God says? Abba Gome, she's red. Her hands are red and dripping with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Describing the dark ages. I've read it different times. And I'll tell you, I can hardly read it. To think that men and women will be guilty of such a possibility. All because of a differing view in religion. And that was behind all that went on here on this occasion. How hard the hearts that can trust. An angel speaks. An angel faced with stone. You'd have thought they had been melted as he looked at the face of steam, something heavenly about them. He's done no one in any harm. This crime was, he preaches this Jesus. Prior to that he was taken care of the widows and the children, ruling out the money and caring for their physical needs. That's all he had done in life, according to the record. But not only did he do those things, he was a strong witness for Christ. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and these men couldn't take it. Here we see their hearts unveiled exposed to murder. Murder for one of God's children. They stoned him as he was calling upon God. In other words, they took the law into their own hands. Rome had nothing to do with this. They should have gotten permission to put this man to death. But they were so full of fury and angry. They took the law into their own hands, and they stoned the dead. Why did they accuse Stephen of... what they accused them of, hypocrisy. Why did they accuse them of blasphemy? Because in the Old Testament, God ordered a blasphemer to be stoned to death. They had to get something on Stephen. And so they go back to the Old Testament, they dig up the incident of the son of an Israelite woman. who was heard to blaspheme. And it was reported to Moses, and Moses went before the Lord. God says to Moses, these to be shown to death, that son of Israel, I wish more. And those who heard him are to be the first to throw the stone. Now you read that in your Bible. I don't suppose you've read it before. If you haven't read it in Leviticus chapter twenty-four, But that's what they did. They charged Stephen with blasphemy. We heard him swear. We heard him take the Lord's name and gain. He's a blasphemy. And according to Scripture, he's to be stoned to death. They use Scripture to justify their deeds. And Stephen was stoned to death because they said he was a blasphemy. No, he was not a blasphemer. He couldn't conceive of Stephen, cursing or swearing or blaspheme, being the God he loved. And so he was stoned to death. His death had no sting. He looked into heaven, and he saw the Lord Jesus standing on the right hand of God. We mentioned this morning thirteen times in the New Testament you find Christ sitting down. But here he stands. As a king, a king sets and reigns upon the throne. As priests he stands, you always find the priests in the Old Testament. Standing, there was no seat, no furniture that you could sit upon in the tabernacle or tent. Thus priests stand daily, the Bible says in Hebrew, offering oftentimes the same sacrifice that cannot put away sin. For why did Jesus Christ stand up? As to his atonement and the perfection of his atoning work, he sat down on the right hand with a majesty on fire to prove that there need be no more sacrifice. The work of redemption was complete. And as a priest, he did sit down on the right hand of the Majesty and I. But why did he stand up on this occasion? He stood up because he heard the call of one of his disciples through the supper of the hands of men. He stood up with truly sympathy. to give his strength and to welcome one of his own home, home to be with himself. Ah, yes, he stands. He rises quickly upon his seat. And there he stands and looks down upon Stephen. On Stephen says, Lord Jesus, lay not this sin to their charge. How like his master he was. And he says, Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit. And he promised it. What a wonderful way to end. Not like Samson. Samson, you remember the Philistines put out his two eyes. And there he was, a slave. Someone who entertained the Philistines in that great ball they had that night. And he said to the lad, take me to the pillars where all this temple's rested and they took sats and do these pillars and he says god give me my strength that i may avenge my two eyes upon these philistines and he bowed himself and it came down and three thousand died sats and paid for death Jesus Christ prayed that his enemies might be committed. Father, forgive them they know not what they do. Stephen prayed for his enemies. The Lord made up this sin for their tribe and deviled the sick. Wonderful way to die, isn't it? Having not anything against anyone. your conscience clear before God and before men. Makes you wonder, when you think of this, how these men claim to represent the living God. If you go through something of this nature, yet they thought they were right, yet they were altogether wrong. go to think of the day when they'll have to meet that dog against whom they have so blessed sinned persecuting and putting it in his knowledge that one who says you touch my children you touch the apple of my life later on when Saul of Tarshish was written down on Damascus Road And the voice said, Saul, Saul, why persecute us thou me? And he says, Who art thou, Lord? I am him whom thou persecute. Was Saul persecuting Jesus Christ? Yes, he was. He was persecuting members of the body of Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ heals every pang and every pain. God's people suffered. And Jesus Christ has smothered many a time since he left this scene because his people, members of his body, have suffered by hands of group of men. But they've only followed their Lord. They've followed their Lord. Peter, you know, he was very brave. He said, I will lay down my life for thy sake, Lord. Thou shalt verily do so. For I said to the Lord, could you be baptized with the baptism that I will be baptized with? Oh, yes, Peter. Yes, Lord, I die for you. All right, you shall be baptized with the baptism of life. I shall be baptized. but the place you seek, one on the right hand and the other on the left of my father's not mine to give. Peter, you have spoken. He said you'll die with me, and you'll be willing to suffer the same death I suffered. And he did. Peter was crucified. And... History says he was crucified upside down. Yes, really. He got it. That's why it's dangerous for us to boast. But nevertheless, I believe it was out of devotion that Peter did that. He didn't want to be crucified the same way as his Lord. He found out at the end how unworthy I'm deserving he was. He was going to pass through that experience of the Lord pass through, and he says, I have a baptism to be baptized with my straightened Philippians. Peter, can you be baptized with that baptism? Yes, sir. I will lay down my life with thy Savior. And he did. And Peter was to see that. So we have how the Lord... understands and enters into and sympathizes with and gives strength unto those of his own son. He stands up. Is it to welcome his servant holds? I believe so. He stood up. This is the first march of the church. I see Jesus standing on the right hand of God. He didn't see anyone sitting on that throne. How do you understand that? Jesus tried sitting on the right hand of God the Father. Stephen didn't see God. He saw a man there. Why didn't he see God sitting beside him? Why wasn't God standing up? God is not a figure. God is not a human being. God is a spirit. You can't be a spirit. No man has seen God in any time. In Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, and only one member of the Trinity took on a body that could be seen and handled. He said, I see Stephen standing on the right hand. He didn't see God. No one else will ever see God. God says no man can see my face and live. We'll only see God in Jesus Christ. That's the only way we'll see. The Spirit of God is just a much more person, as the Father. Yet we're not going to see the Spirit of God. We'll see the Holy Trinity. In one person, Jesus Christ. Yes, like many tonight are sitting at home looking at a man on the moon, but I'd like to draw their attention to a man in heaven. And that's the man, Christ Jesus. The only man in the universe of God with an immortal body is Jesus Christ. We do not have our immortal body. until Jesus comes. The Bible says he only has immortality running in the light that no man can approach unto. No one has seen or will see God other than in Jesus Christ. It's a marvelous thing when you start to think about that. So the Lord Jesus stands up at the tribe as wounded servant. He stands up to the wealth of him. As Stephen went up to be with this law, only the first of millions of successive years, succeeding years, to join that mighty army of martyrs who laid down their lives, alive from Christ's death. It puts us to shame. What are we willing to suffer for Christ? I don't know how old Stephen was. He only wasn't very old, possibly in his twenties. The other disciples weren't very old men. Might have been around twenty-five or six, but here he is. What a wonderful testimony was Stephen's. And so Stephen was martyred and taken to glory. There's one verse before we leave this. I'd like to speak on. That is that text about... The Lord Jesus said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. He spake of the temple of his God. But here you find these Jews, the Sanhedrin, and they were complaining because Stephen has spoken of destroying the temple, and of course they've got that beautiful hair. But I want you to notice what you read. In verse forty-seven, forty-eight, but Solomon built him a house at the temple. How be it the most, I dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will he build me, saith the Lord, for what is the place of my land? Here Stephen leaps over the bounds of Judaism. No longer one nation. It's universal. God no longer dwells in temples made with hand. And I want to say this. God will only protect that where he dwells. Again he no longer dwells. He no longer protects. Take the beautiful temple of Solomon. When God got there, it was kept. But if you read the opening chapters of Ezekiel, you'll find the glory of God leaving the mercy seat, going to the door over the front of the temple. And it hesitates, and then it moves to the gate, and it hovers over the gate. And the spirit of God... The glory of God moved from over the gate to the top of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. And then we. And the glory of God left Solomon's temple hesitating there. Over the threshold. Over the gate. Over the mountains. And come. And the glory of God left the temple. And didn't come back until one night. In Daryl A, glory to God in the highest and on earth beats the bill to offend. The glory of God returned to work in the person of Jesus Christ. When God left the temple, Solomon's temple, that it became the house of men, God says, your house was left unto you desert, and it was destroyed. Every temple that's been built, Rubbermose Temple, Herod's Temple, yes, God let them. They were destroyed because God wouldn't associate and search what was going on. And what's the temple today? The church is his dwelling place. He says here, he dwelleth not with temple made with hands. It's a wonder people wouldn't realize that. If you were to go over to Europe, in England, and see those wonderful cathedrals, oh how people brag about those great cathedrals on their wonderful stained glasses, and how... The structure-wide must have taken years upon years with thousands of men working to build those beautiful temples, those that keep it. Well, I'll tell you one thing. They're just about as cold as the granite we're made of. I've been in many of them who picked them up. And all I could say is that it resembled a funeral or to resemble a cemetery or more than anything else. to walk down those big corridors and see the choir chanting away there. It's just as cold as an iceberg. God dwelleth not in temple made, the temple made it has. I think of the churches today, these great big churches costing millions of dollars with all the expense they want for nothing, put the very best in. They're stained glass windows and all the rest of it. God's not dwelling in those places. He dwelleth not in temple's name at hand. When does he dwell or come to a building? When inside that building there are a group of people saved by his grace meeting in his name and he'll associate himself with them. where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of it. When we leave this building tonight and lock up the chapel, God's not here waiting for us to come back Wednesday night. When we leave, he's not here. It's when we gather in his name that he associates with us. And the church is a gloming place of God through the Spirit. And I want to say this. God left the temple. And after he left them they were no longer protected. They were destroyed. The wonderful thing is the church will never be destroyed. But God will never be. Christ says upon this rock I will build my church in the gates of Jerusalem. The church cannot be destroyed. Because the head of that church is in heaven, Jesus Christ. And the body can't drown in water. Oh, and the head stays above water. And our head is in heaven. Now we're the body down here. And as long as our head's above water, we'll never perish. And neither will. And so the church is alive, vibrant, every member of its body. That's true of the Universal Church, and it's true of a local church. Because of their gathered industry. Apart from that, bricks and water, marble, granite, stained glass, windows, God's not interested in that. God says, I'm not concerned. See what they say about that? How be it the most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands. I sayeth the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build me, said the Lord? Or what is the place of my life? You think I take any pride in bricks and mortar? Material thing? No. You went to one of these big people, but I didn't have to be in there alone. I'm glad I wasn't in there alone.