Unreasonable

Scripture Reading

of Your Word. We pray this now in Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated. Please turn with me in your Bibles now to Acts chapter 7. We're going to consider the end of Acts chapter 7, verses 54 through the end of the chapter. You men are all familiar with this portion of God's Word.

Stephen has gone out among the people preaching God's Word, doing various signs and wonders, and he is seized and brought before the council. Most of chapter 7 is taken up with Stephen's defense, in which he simply, instead of defending himself, he preaches the Gospel to the Sanhedrin. And now what we're going to consider this morning is that response. How do they respond and how does Stephen endure their response? So let's give our careful attention now to the reading of God's Holy Word. Acts chapter 7 beginning at verse 54. 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. But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Amen, this is God's word. In 2 Kings 6, we read a wonderful event that memorably illustrates the fact that things are never just as they seem. You remember the story. Elisha's servant wakes one morning and he lifts his eyes to see that the Syrian army has surrounded them completely. And in his dismay, he asks, what shall we do? And Elisha answers immediately saying, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And we all might imagine that servant at least thinking, if not saying, what do you mean?

But then Elisha prays, Lord, open the eyes of my servant that he might see. And immediately the Lord answers that prayer so that this servant lifts up his eyes a second time, and this time he sees another army surrounding the first army. And this one is on fire. A heavenly host has descended to deliver.

This powerful story reminds us that things are never just as they seem, and this is a reminder that we all need regularly. Just consider the text that is before us this morning. Here we read about Stephen who is faithfully confessing the Lord Jesus Christ before sealing that testimony with his blood. Well, as we examine this text, we are reminded again that things are never just as they seem.

Each of us as elders have affirmed that it is our duty to follow the noble example of the faithful confessors and martyrs of Jesus Christ in their witness for divine truth and in their sacrifices and labors to establish the kingdom of God on earth. So how do we do that? What does it look like for you and I in this season, in this age, to follow in the footsteps of those faithful confessors and martyrs? Well, that is our consideration this morning.

Let's go to the text and begin with an unreasonable rage. There are many different definitions for the word unreasonable, and in this first instance, I am using unreasonable in the sense of not governed by reason, or not in accord with reason. Here in our text, the Sanhedrin, the council, they respond to Stephen's defense with an unreasonable rage. Their response to Him is not governed by reason. They're not acting in accordance with reason. Think about it. Stephen has come to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. He has come to speak these words of life to them. But what happens?

Well, first of all, we see the council so enraged with Stephen that they are actually physically grinding their teeth at him. And sadly, that is actually the smaller part of their unreasonable rage. Verse 57 explains that they were so enraged that they also cried out, they stopped their ears, and they rushed upon Stephen as an angry, uncontrollable mob. This reaction is not governed by reason. Their response was not in accord with reason.

Stephen was seeking their eternal good by preaching Christ to them, but due to the hardness of their hearts, they act irrationally. Just consider how this text shows us the bondage of unbelief. Here, Stephen's face is shining like an angel. Stephen's face is reminiscent of Moses, this one that the Sanhedrin claim to follow, but even still, they cannot hear him.

We have all seen the temper tantrum of the toddler, the unreasonableness of the undisciplined two-year-old who grinds his teeth, who covers his ears, and who is unleashed with this unreasonable rage. Well, here these are the religious leaders of Israel given over to that same unreasonableness.

So what does this mean for us? Well, it does mean that we ought to be prepared to face this kind of animosity in this world, but I think it also means that in ministry, we need to expect and to be prepared to face that which is simply unreasonable. Simply put, there will be times when things do not add up. When what you see going on in response to your ministry, it just doesn't make sense at all. Look here at our text. Stephen has gone out among the people bearing the good news of Jesus Christ and instead of experiencing some great outpouring of the Holy Spirit or many conversions and many being added to their number, instead Stephen is seized, taken before the council and accused of blasphemy. Logically, none of this makes sense. Stephen's defense was made before those who professed to be awaiting the Messiah, and yet Stephen proclaimed that Messiah to them, and when he did, they became unglued with this unreasonable rage.

Well, brothers, there will simply be times in ministry and in the life of the church when things don't add up. Suddenly, that family in your church has a change of conviction and they're gone. Suddenly, conflict interrupts the peace that you have been enjoying. Suddenly, the church is facing some sort of crisis that was unexpected.

It may be due to sin, some sort of trial, or just conflict. It may be persecution, or it may simply be an attack of the evil one. And while you may go looking for answers as to why, in the end, it might simply remain a mystery. It may not ever make sense. It may simply be unreasonable. Well, what are we to do in such circumstances?

Well, Stephen shows us here in this text, the words of Psalm 37 actually reflect what's going on. Psalm 37 warns of those who will gnash their teeth at you. But it begins saying, fret not yourself because of evildoers. Be not envious of wrongdoers. For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

In circumstances much more difficult than you and I will ever face, that's exactly what we see Stephen doing. So the question becomes, how? How in the world is Stephen able to attend to the Lord even in this most unimaginable set of circumstances? Well, that brings a second to consider an unreasonable reality. Now I'm using that word unreasonable in another way. No longer in the sense of not governed by reason, but instead in the sense of not able to be reasoned. In other words, the reality that we must understand and that Stephen understood, it is a reality that cannot simply be comprehended by reason.

It must be revealed. Just consider Stephen and his circumstances. Consider Stephen looking at life according to how it seemed. Here, Stephen is surrounded by a whole host of enemies. Sounds like the beginning of Psalm 3. And Stephen was all alone. He's accused of blasphemy, and he and the Sanhedrin know that that means that he would deserve to be stoned if found guilty. No one is there to defend Stephen, and instead of defending himself, he instead attacks the idols of the Sanhedrin while preaching Jesus Christ.

So humanly speaking, things seem so bleak. Things seem hopeless. Glory be to God, because things are never just as they seem. Our text actually sets up the contrast beautifully. Verse 54 tells us the way that things seem. This is what Stephen would have seen right there on the surface. It says, Now when they heard these things, they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

But then verse 55 tells us what is reality, saying, 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. Well, which of these two perceptions define reality? Which of these two describe things as they are? There are two descriptions of reality. Which one of them matters most?

What Stephen sees is an unreasonable reality. What Stephen sees cannot naturally be perceived with our eyes. Instead, it is a reality that must be revealed. But what is revealed to Stephen is the foundation of everything else. Nothing else can be interpreted rightly apart from this reality that has suddenly been revealed to Stephen. Again, at first things seem to be absolutely out of control. Stephen is surrounded by his enemies.

But then when God opens up His eyes to see, Stephen can see that, in fact, all of this is happening under the supervision of the Lord Jesus Christ. At first, things may have appeared to be so very dark, but then suddenly, it's actually the brilliance of God's glory that breaks forth through the heavens to shine down upon Stephen. Suddenly, he sees Jesus risen, exalted, and standing at the right hand of the Father. So what does this mean? Well, consider the words that we sang earlier, Psalm 3. That psalm begins, Lord, how my foes are multiplied. How many now against me rise. Many are those who say of me in vain. He on his God relies.

Well, that is an accurate representation of what Stephen could at first glance see. But then the psalm goes on and says, You are my shield and glory, Lord. And here Stephen is having the glory of God shine down upon him. The psalm continues, You are the one who lifts my head. I cried out, Lord. His answer came, Yes, from His holy hill it sped. I lay down, slept, and woke again, because the Lord sustains my life. Stephen is literally looking up into the heavens and he sees Jesus, the one who laid down His life, who slept the sleep of death, and who rose again.

And so that psalm continues saying, Lord, rise and save me, O my God. Spurgeon, writing on that verse, tells us that such is the strength of God, that He need only to stand, and we will be delivered from our enemies. How many times do the Psalms cry out, Lord, rise and save me, O my God? Well, as you know, Jesus is ordinarily pictured as seated at the right hand of the Father.

But here and here alone, he is pictured as standing. And he is here standing to deliver one of his saints from the presence of his enemies. Things don't appear to be designed for Stephen's deliverance, but things are never just as they appear. No, instead, Stephen is staring into heaven. And he sees his Savior's eyes fixed upon him in his suffering. Stephen sees that Jesus' ear is tuned into his cry. And Stephen sees Jesus rise to welcome him into heaven and to deliver him from all of his enemies.

Praise be to God because things are never just as they seem. Praise be to God that His Holy Word reveals to us this unreasonable reality. Right now, Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and He is orchestrating all of the events of our lives for our good and ultimately for our salvation.

Brothers, have you lost sight of this reality? Are your eyes stuck today upon the way things seem? Well, if so, lift your eyes even now to consider the Lord Jesus Christ who is risen, exalted, and seated at the Father's right hand. And don't ever lose sight of this reality. Don't ever forget that this is the foundation of everything else.

Jesus' eye is upon you. His ear is attuned to your cry. And He is watching you. And He is ready to stand. You serve King Jesus and He has all authority in heaven and on earth and He promises that He will build His church and not even the gates of hell will prevail against Him.

And we also need to be reminded that deliverance often looks like defeat. We need to only look to the cross of Jesus Christ to understand this. So we ought not to be surprised if our ministry resembles cross bearing. In fact, we should expect it. And since ministry will be patterned after the cross, we need to remember not to judge things simply by the way that they seem.

Consider the church in the world today. By sight, we see a church fraught with frailty, discord, and division. We see a church confused, compromised, and cowering. But by faith, we must daily, hourly even, lift our eyes to see King Jesus seated upon His throne and ordering it all, despite our lack of understanding, ordering it all for the good of His church and for the glory of His name.

Brothers, there is an unreasonable reality. This is an unreasonable reality in the sense that we can't simply reason our way to it. We need to understand it as revealed to us in God's Word, believe upon it, and live in light of it. And so I want to give you two questions to ponder today. First of all, what do you need to reinterpret in light of this revealed reality? What's going on in your life or in your ministry? That you need to lift your eyes from that reality to consider the one reality that is the foundation of it all.

But then second, what does it look like for us as elders in Christ's church to live in such a way as to be a constant reminder of this reality to our congregations and our communities? We of all people are called to live in light of this reality. To strengthen the faith of our congregations and to be a witness to this world in light of this reality. So what does it look like for us to lead God's people in light of the fact that Christ is upon His throne?

Well, as you ponder those questions, let's consider what this unreasonable reality results in. Finally, let's consider an unreasonable reasonableness. An unreasonable reasonableness.

Final Point

Finally, I'm using this word unreasonable in the sense of it exceeds the bounds of reason. Just consider the text. An angry mob has rushed Stephen. And they have cast him out of the city to stone him. And it's difficult for us to imagine the kind of suffering that Stephen endured. What kind of punishment that would have been like. Well, the brutality of stoning actually underscores the unreasonable reasonableness that the Holy Spirit here highlights.

Philippians 4, 5 reads, let your reasonableness be known to all. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Obviously, depending on your circumstances, this is either harder or easier to do. Well, here in our text, Stephen is in the most unimaginable set of circumstances, and yet it is his reasonableness that is evident to all.

Consider how he prays. First of all, we witness Stephen, his composure and his holy confidence as he simply prays, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Stephen is literally looking to Jesus Christ while he prays, but he's also imitating Christ upon the cross where the Lord Jesus prayed, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. But second, we also witness Stephen's unbelievable compassion in his intercession. He prays for his enemies. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Again, his eyes are literally fixed upon Christ. And he is imitating his Savior who prayed from the cross. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Stephen's reasonableness is unreasonable in that it exceeds the bounds of reason. How do you calmly commit yourself to Christ while in the midst of torture? And what is more, how do you calmly and compassionately cry out for the forgiveness of those who are about to bring you to a brutal end? Well, no mere human strength would ever suffice. No, this is manifestly supernatural. Stephen is here upheld by that filling of the Holy Spirit. This confident trust in Christ and His assurance of salvation here turn away the sting of death.

And many martyrs have testified in their dying agonies to that same unreasonable reasonableness. Just consider one example. On August 18, 1531, Thomas Bilney sat in his room wondering whether he would have the strength to face the flames the next day of martyrdom. A couple of years earlier, he had actually renounced the truth in order to spare his own life, and he was brought a second time to answer the question of whether or not he would renounce Christ.

And so he sat in his room with his Bible open to Isaiah 43, which reads, Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by My name. You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned. And the flames shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel."

Now he faces the fire a second time. What would the next day bring? Would his courage fail? Would Thomas Bilney deny his Lord a second time? Well, his mind was filled with doubt when he considered his own weakness, but then it was filled with courage as he considered the way that the Lord Jesus restored Peter on the shores of Galilee. The next day he was taken to the pyre, and he lifted up his voice and he sang Psalm 143, O Lord, my spirit fails.

Your answer swiftly send. Well, it was a windy day and they had to continually relight that fire. It took them three times for the fire to really take. But despite how long he had to endure the flames, witnesses reported that Bilney stood there and calmly repeated in Latin two words, in English three, Jesus, I believe. What can account for such unreasonable reasonableness?

Well, only the supernatural power of Jesus Christ at work. in His own. Only a vision of Jesus Christ seated at His Father's side and ready to stand. Well, brothers, as those who have vowed to follow in the example of the faithful confessors and martyrs, let us lead God's people with this unreasonable reasonableness. Let us remember Jesus Christ risen, exalted, reigning, and ready to stand. Let us be ruled by this reasonableness that can only come from knowing that the Lord is truly at hand. Let us pray together.

Lord God, we thank You for Your Word. And Lord, we ask that You would help us as Your people to live in light of reality. Lord, we know that You do order all things for our good and for the glory of Your name. And as Your Word reveals, You are seated right now at the right hand of the Father.

And so we ask that You would cause us as Your people to walk by faith and not by sight. Lord, may it be that we, as the elders of Your church, might be able to lead Your people confidently in light of the reign of King Jesus, not in light of the way things seem, but in light of the way that things really are. Lord, we ask, as Your disciples did, that You would increase our faith. Lord, we pray that You would cause us to shut our eyes to what our circumstances seem to say, and instead lift our eyes by faith to Christ, who is ruling and reigning over all things.

And may the members of our congregation and the people within our communities look upon us and see those who are living in light of that reality. Lord God, only You can do that in us. And so we pray, like Stephen, that You would fill us with Your Holy Spirit. And so we pray this now, in Jesus' name, Amen. We're going to sing together from Psalm 143. So if you've got your psalm book nearby, you please turn with me to Psalm 143. We're going to sing that B selection and seek God's blessing upon us. Let's stand and sing Psalm 143, selection B.