The Bridge

Overview

Stephen: A Life That Filled Space with Purpose

In Acts 6, we meet Stephen again—one of the seven chosen to serve the daily distribution of food to the widows. He is described as "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (v. 5) and "full of grace and power," doing great wonders and signs among the people (v. 8). Like the apostles, Stephen was given the gift of miracles to validate the message he proclaimed. In our day, that validating role belongs to Scripture itself, which we hold in our hands.

Stephen's bold proclamation set him at odds with members of the synagogue who believed favor with God was earned through adherence to the law. Stephen held to the biblical truth: the law exposes our sin; it cannot save us. His opponents "could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke" (v. 10), so they resorted to bribed witnesses and false charges of blasphemy against Moses, the temple, and God—charges that echo the false testimony brought against Jesus in Matthew 26:59-61. Yet as the council looked at him, "his face was like the face of an angel" (v. 15)—a shining reminiscent of Moses descending Sinai in Exodus 34, a sign of God's approval upon him.

Stephen's great significance is that he was a bridge. At his stoning, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul Acts 7:58—the future Apostle Paul, who likely first heard the gospel through Stephen's faithful witness. Stephen's life filled space with purpose: he connected people to Christ. Some bridges, like the famous "Bridge to Nowhere" in California, fill space but connect nothing. Stephen's life was the opposite—every moment pointed others to Jesus.

Jesus himself is the true bridge. In John 5:24 he says, "Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life… but has passed [crossed over] from death to life." That is the bridge over which sinners pass by faith. And here is the pastoral charge for every believer: your purpose is not your occupation, your hobbies, or your accomplishments. Your purpose—already given to you by grace—is to proclaim Christ crucified and risen through whatever you do, connecting people to the only Bridge that leads from death to life. However long or short your span of time, fill it with that purpose. Who will you be a bridge to this week? People of God, be the bridge.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible, please, to the sixth chapter of the Book of Acts for our study together? 0s

I did my internship when I was in seminary in a place called Navato, California. 9s

It was 30 miles north of San Francisco. 15s

It was quite literally a lovely spot to be for that year. 19s

Oftentimes, however, in making hospital calls, 27s

the local area hospitals would sometimes be used sometimes not, 31s

and so sometimes, making hospital calls one would have to venture into downtown San Francisco into the city proper. 36s

I recall my supervising pastor telling me that if you are able, 47s

when you go and make hospital calls downtown, 52s

make sure that you are crossing the Golden Gate Bridge coming back by at least four o'clock. 57s

Or you will be enjoying a lot of time enjoying the Golden Gate Bridge. 65s

I took it as vice whenever it was possible to do so with the schedule of the congregants and the doctors at all. 73s

But I have to admit, I always loved going right around the bin there in Marin County and all of a sudden that magnificent bridge appears. 83s

Built in 1937, it fills majestically this space and it fills it with a purpose. 98s

It connects Marin County with the tip of San Francisco Peninsula. 112s

It fills the space with purpose, the bridge. 122s

I share that image with you this morning because in our text for today, 133s

we are going to see someone who functioned as a bridge and it's going to be a reminder to us that indeed we are all bridges. 137s

So let's study. 153s

In the sixth chapter of Acts, we hear once again of Stephen. 155s

You'll recall from our study last week that we met Stephen. 159s

Stephen was one of the seven that we're selected to serve the daily distribution of food to the poor, the needy and the widows. 163s

Remember a problem had arisen. 172s

The Greek Jews were complaining against the Hebrew Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of the food. 175s

And so the Holy Spirit guided the church to organize yourself and they organized themselves into decons. 185s

Remember we studied last week the word there for distribution in the fifth chapter is diaconia. 193s

Service. 203s

And so the seven that were selected to distribute this food to administrate it to handle the problem that had arisen were understood as decons. 204s

They were servants. 218s

We studied last week what a powerful reminder that is to the church. 220s

That indeed we're all organized by the Holy Spirit to be. 225s

Serves. 234s

Remember what it said about Stephen. 236s

Look in chapter six please verse five. 239s

But halfway through. 244s

And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. 246s

In other words he was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. 252s

His heart had changed and the Spirit was dwelling in him. 257s

Then jumped down into verse eight. 261s

Stephen full of grace and power did great wonders and signs among the people. 264s

I remember the gift that the Lord had given to the apostles. 276s

We see how the Lord gave them the gift to perform miracles. 281s

And remember as we studied the reason why that gift was given was to validate the message that they were saying. 286s

Remember this is before scripture had been brought together. 295s

So what validates the message of truthfulness? 301s

It was the miracles that they were performing. 306s

What validates the message of truthfulness today? 308s

It's the scripture that we have in our hands. 312s

So God then blessed, deacon Stephen with the same ability that he gave to the apostles. 316s

We go on. 326s

Verse nine. 327s

Then some of those who belong to the synagogue of the Friedman as it was called. 330s

Syrinen's, Alexanderians and others of those from Silicia and Asia stood up and argued with Stephen. 337s

You have two diametrically opposed positions here. 347s

The Jews that were arguing with Stephen said, 354s

You gain favor with God by adhering the law. 359s

So you adhere to the law of God and you gain because of what you do, the favor of God. 364s

Stephen said, 375s

There's no way that we fulfill the law of God. 378s

The scripture says, we send against him and thought, 383s

We're indeed by what we've done, by what we have left on done. 385s

That all of who we are and what we do is all tainted with reality of sin. 389s

Stephen maintained the biblical truth that to try and gain the favor of God by adherence to the law. 399s

It's impossible. 409s

The law shows us our sin. 412s

It's not a vehicle to earn favor with God. 415s

So Stephen is proclaiming the biblical truth. 422s

And the Jews around him didn't like it one bit. 427s

It's the diametrically opposed positions. 432s

Next verse. 440s

But they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. 443s

Remember, he is full of the Holy Spirit. 454s

The spirit in dwells in him. 457s

He is a follower, a believer of the Lord. 459s

Jesus Christ. 462s

And as he is proclaiming the truth, they couldn't withstand it. 465s

We're going to see as we go on in this chapter why couldn't they withstand it. 470s

Because he was simply proclaiming the truth of what we have in Holy Scripture. 475s

Who we are, what God has done in the history of his relationship with humankind. 483s

Who Jesus Christ is. 492s

All that Stephen did was proclaim the truth rooted in what we see in Scripture. 495s

And they couldn't withstand it. 506s

So what they do, verse 11, then they secretly instigated some men. 508s

That word there means literally to take a bribe and then say something false. 518s

You take a bribe and then say something false. 528s

We go on. 532s

Verse 11, they secretly instigated some men to say. 533s

We've heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God. 539s

They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes, 544s

then they suddenly confronted him seized him and brought him before the council. 547s

They set up false witnesses who said, this man never stops saying things against this whole life. 553s

He's been in the holy place and the law. 561s

For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses had on to us. 564s

The charge blasphemy. 577s

Less for me against the law of God. 581s

Here understood his Moses. 585s

Blast for me against Moses, the law of God. 587s

Blast for me against God and less for me against the temple. 591s

False witnesses. 599s

I think for a moment, back in that Matthew chapter 26, with regard to Jesus. 605s

The scripture says, now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death. 615s

But they found none, in other words, there was no false testimony they could use to indict. 625s

Though many false witnesses came forward. 636s

At last two came forward and said, this fellow said, I'm able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days. 639s

Now there we go. 650s

There's something they could use against Jesus. 652s

Look at verse 15. 659s

And all who sat in the council looked intently at him and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 664s

And we heard something like that before. 686s

Then called testament, Exodus 34, Moses, receiving the ten commandments coming down the mountain and his face shown. 691s

It was shining. 705s

That was God's statement of approval on Moses. 708s

And so here when Stephen has a face that is shining, he's a very rare event in scripture. 713s

When Stephen's face is shining, it is God's approval upon him. 724s

All right. Here's the point. 732s

Stephen is a bridge. He's a bridge between Peter and Paul. 738s

Stephen functions as a bridge between Peter and Paul. 748s

In fact, most likely Paul, we first understand him and know him as so. 756s

Paul most likely heard about the gospel of Jesus Christ through Stephen. 762s

Turn over to chapter 7, please. 770s

Verse 58. 772s

Chapter 7, verse 58. 776s

The scripture says, and they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. 782s

They're stoneing Stephen at this point. 786s

And the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, you know, and later his pole. 789s

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus received my spirit. 796s

Then he knelt down and cried out in the loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. 802s

When he had said this, he died and Saul approved of their killing him. 811s

So the bridge between Peter and Paul is Stephen. 819s

And Paul most likely hears about the gospel for the first time from the bridge of Stephen. 830s

You see, Stephen lived a life. 839s

His life took space in the continuum of time. 844s

His life filled space with a purpose. 853s

He was a bridge. 860s

His life filled space. 863s

And it was a life filled with purpose. 867s

In California, there's another bridge. 881s

It was built a year before the Golden Gate Bridge. 885s

It's not as big and majestic, hardly. 890s

It's understood by the folk there as the bridge to nowhere. 896s

The bridge to nowhere. 903s

It was to connect San Gabriel Valley and right wood. 905s

But a year after it was built, a great flood came and absolutely changed the whole landscape of the area. 911s

It wiped out the road. 919s

The whole area just looked different where this bridge was connecting these two points. 922s

And after such a massive devastation, they came to the decision, 930s

well we either start moving earth around and try and recover what we once did or we just leave it. 933s

And they decided, let's just leave it. 939s

So literally out there now in the middle of nowhere is this bridge. 945s

That connects nothing. 953s

It fills space, but its only purpose is a launching pad for people who want to bungee jump. 958s

That's the extent of its purpose. 968s

It fills space all right, but it connects nothing and has no purpose. 970s

We all fill space, don't we? 987s

We all fill space of time. 992s

Some will have a longer time, a longer space. 1000s

Others will have a shorter space. 1005s

But we all fill time. 1009s

The question is, 1015s

how will we fill it? 1019s

How will we fill the space that God has given us? 1023s

In our gospel reading for today from John 5, Jesus says this, 1035s

very truly, I tell you, 1041s

anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. 1044s

And does not come under judgment but has passed over from death to life. 1052s

Hear that again. 1060s

Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. 1061s

And does not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. 1071s

The NIV translates that but has crossed over from death to life. 1080s

Jesus is the bridge over which people pass through life. 1091s

It's over from death to life. 1100s

Your purpose, why God has given you this time to fill. 1110s

Your purpose is to connect people to Jesus. 1120s

That's it. 1128s

That's your purpose. 1131s

Is he purpose is not something that you have to search for in life? 1135s

Purpose isn't something that you say. 1142s

I'm still searching for my purpose. 1144s

Beloved, your purpose has been given to you by the grace of God. 1147s

Your purpose is not what you do. 1156s

Your purpose is proclaiming Christ through whatever it is you do. 1162s

That's your purpose. 1172s

You and I are granted to fill this space of time. 1175s

However long or short it may be with this purpose. 1182s

To proclaim Christ crucified and risen. 1188s

To proclaim Jesus as the bridge over which one crosses through faith. 1191s

From death to life. 1199s

That's our purpose. 1203s

It's not your occupation. 1205s

It's not your hobbies. 1207s

It's not your fill in the blank. 1209s

It's not what you do. 1212s

Your purpose is how you proclaim Christ through all of the things that you do. 1215s

That's your purpose. 1228s

You see your bridge, right? 1229s

Your bridge to connect people to Jesus. 1236s

Who will you be the bridge to this week? 1251s

Who will you be the bridge that connects people to Jesus? 1256s

People of God. 1267s

Be the bridge. 1271s

Be the bridge. 1274s

Be the bridge. 1284s