A Good Death, A Blessed Conflict

was not a conclusion they were interested in hearing, because Stephen was applying it to them.
He said that they had done the same thing with Jesus.
You will notice that…

3. In stating the truth, he has refused to make nice.

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."

Now what is clear here is that Stephen did not take Dale Carnegie’s course on how to win friends and influence people.
He doesn’t butter them up.
He had given up on persuasion.
He just bluntly states the truth.
He holds nothing back, because…

4. The accusers were repeat offenders.

They had not learned their history lessons.
They were doing the same thing their fathers had done.
They were no better.
In fact, they were worse.
When God had sent them their deliverance…
In fact, when God had sent Himself to them…
They rejected Him and killed Him.

That brings us to today’s text, and it is a sad text, because these leaders are going to give the same end to Stephen as they did to Jesus.
So, as we study the text, we will discover that…

5. The story of Stephen’s death demonstrates three comparisons between good and evil.

If there is such a thing as a good death, this is it.
If there is such a thing as a blessed conflict, this is it.
For what is meant as an evil has a good and blessed effect.
The enemies of God are fighting a losing battle.

OUR STUDY:

Our first comparison is…

REVELATION (54-56)

Let’s note what is revealed…

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

When it comes to the truth, there is no middle ground.
For it is the nature of truth to divide.
These Jewish leaders have been debated successfully and successfully embarrassed.
They have no argument to make.
They have lost.

But when Stephen calls them worse than the Gentiles, they are furious.
The text tells us they are cut to the quick.
Literally, it means that they are sawed in half.
In other words, they have been painfully exposed.
This being so, the veneer of their false spirituality comes apart.
And…

6. Hell reacts.

Perhaps that sounds like an overstatement, but I do not believe so.
For notice their reaction – their bodily reaction…
It is the gnashing of teeth.
Their teeth are clenched and grinding.
It is rage and frustration, the very activity of hell.
For hell is a place of endless anger and frustration.
Understand this…
There are no friends in hell, only enemies.

But notice the contrast…
For in the midst of the angry gestures, arms waving and fists in the air, the shouting and crying out…
Notice Stephen.
Full of the Spirit, Stephen’s attention is drawn elsewhere.
Because…

7. Heaven opens.

Heaven opens before Stephen and he gets more than a glimpse of heaven.
[look up and out]
He sees the glory.
He sees Jesus glorified.