The Angelic Face (Part B)

Regularly hold on things he knows the psychiatry and psychology world and most of the six cents but we've got one is faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen and why it elders found favor with God.

Obtained a good testimony we could see how they live by faith as Steven C becomes one of those elders. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of acts. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now, here's Pastor Rick with part two of this message, called the angelic face in acts chapter 6. These Greek influence Jews had their own synagogues even attended that this way became overseer of the Hellenistic Greeks are Jews. Paul is in this group.

Paul of Tarsus, even though youse raise the feet of Molly out there in Jerusalem. Acts chapter 21 verse nine Paul said I am a Jew from Tarsus and solicited city of no mean city no average city.

All cities amine but not all average.

Incidentally, for those of you who are looked down on city slickers which they make it easy. The Bible start off in the garden, but it ends in the city so just keep that in mind, good restaurants in cities back to this. They quarreled with Stephen because he dared to disagree with them about Messiah, but the difference is he is the Scriptures and use current events. Together they had nothing but tradition saw they had they had Scripture, but it didn't carry it to its conclusion again to be a Christian is not to value value. The approval of those who disapprove of your Christ. In other words, all you you don't believe crisis Messiah, the son of God made you got a point no point. I agree with you in any way. I give you an inch on that and if you can. If you think you've won the argument with with me is still wrong. You lost because their great effects and even if I can't pull them out.

Somebody else will get my big brother come back and go get my pastor you clean your clock man pastors.

One of the disappointing verses in the Bible. Pastors are not to be given to violence, remember that sometimes because you know poking poking anyhow first century Jewish Christians.

They had to demonstrate from the Scripture that Messiah fulfilled the prophecy and that Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth that was there.

Their struggle the first century Gentile Christians. Once he became Christians because the work of men like Paul and Silas and Barnabas. They had to debunk the false teachings of the Greek soap opera.

You know the that that's what it was that the gods were just as they just tack on another story of all dramatic is never ending was a lie you again. You know humans on spiritual steroids. That's the Greek gods, but I suite what it what it well what are we facing what sticks out that those two things struck out with them for us is keeping out the leaven that is a full-time thing you been a Christian is. Where did you get that one online where we get all our theology from the comments section.

I can't stand Christian comments section ever look at those the only walk away when knuckles dragging man.

I'm going to read the Bible.

All of it right now. Fix them. Revenge is sweet. Anyway, it is not is not. This creates a condition of it.

You can satisfy anyway. Even if your marriage or health, your wealth, your happiness is failing you are still required to keep the leaven out your still required to say here I am Lord, what do you want me to do what we tended to say we got all these fires are right now. I just got too much going on.

What was that approach know nothing will get done saving wins. All Satan has good light a fire in your life, and that your out we overcome we overcome by keeping the major things major and the minor things minor in verse 10, there were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke, so he will of course he say the Bible is saying is not that he was just wise that wisdom that he had came from the Holy Spirit. This is smart guy like Amalia out, failing to see the truth is not as lamentable as failing to be moved by the truth. Once you are faced with. That's their condition. They were faced with the truth they couldn't defeat in the my menu got a point. Prize-winning argument.

Maybe he's right. Maybe you need to stop trying to win the argument and listen to what he saying at some point these opponents could not overturn the truths that he hurled at them from their Bible. They refused to allow truth to convert them. That's fanaticism an irrational dedication to something verse 11, and they secretly induce men to say we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God is Calvary all over again is the same thing our Lord faced while we can't beat him with righteousness. These out right to sing us. So let's try to come up with some unrighteous stuff and get rid of who wants to belong to that kind of religion where there truths are better than our true so let's go there religions like that is long one that everybody afraid to say it but it's true. They refused verse 11 where Wood says they secretly induced men officially now rejecting the spirit of God falsifying charges way to go zealots.

That's how you do it sick to religion.

It can't win the truth test lying in order to murder in the name of religion. What does that make that what make what what does that religion become if you belong to religion which we can line we can kill to protect our religion. What is it make that religion. They hated Stephen in the name of God conspiring to kill him in the style of Jezebel. This would Jezebel did in first Kings 21 her husband to buy one day Walt's vineyard I love that I just got I have those grapes under the king. She said what he is talking about.

Don't worry about and she hires. Of course he is rat Fink's and they go out of Sardis giving credit to anyway they go out and they do the same thing we heard Naboth blasting me to come out to kill them, and the king took his field and for that the prophet Elijah was dispatched to tell them that King Ahab would die and Jezebel would be like dog bite dogs and I like telling that all the time because it's just glory Bible stuff. That's true. Anyway, I would not want to be religion that resorted to silencing people who they could not defeat with truth and so unable to prove them wrong. Unwilling to admit that he was right.

This list taken the court. Let's have the courts do men that's what it meant. In those days, not only in these days I mean and beckon 16th-century same thing if you live in England during the English Reformation and you didn't agree with the wrong you get killed if you got if you were to successful at William Tyndale was one. You know they strangled him at the stake. And then they burned his body that's hate, maybe some was not his mercy. We keep yellow others coming later didn't enjoy that kind of mercy mercy would have been letting him goal for the mercy but anyway, back to this exalting the Lord Jesus Christ Can Dr., Satan's people crazy makes them mad I met is an insane and here it is here. Spiritual deception is the worst thing that can befall a human soul, Satan again. He is after your soul. The soul of human beings.

If you cannot keep you from coming to Christ. He will try to attack your body which includes your life force is I right now Satan is ramping up again. His UF oh delusions. My bottom line on you ovals.

I believe it. They can be seen in Arsene. I also believe their demonic. They are strong delusions. I do not believe people who say I've been on the craft.

I believe they are under the influence of Satan and this will be a strong argument.

You can read about this judgment and second Thessalonians 211 because it not receive the truth but follow the life that I will get them over to strong delusions and is going to get stronger. It is some now, what would solve UFO landing first thing you have to ask them is it that had the vaccinations I really have what kind of germs they brought in here.

What how long you plan to stay. Are you planning to take jobs from Americans of you know you this question is why should they be exempt from these anyhow against Moses is a lot of questions you asked and you notice, come on, who has that much ability to travel for nominal speeds may right hand turns a right angle turns right angle turn without slowing down, and yet they don't bother us. Yeah right to showoffs is what you say anyhow. I don't know if any of you have been abducted. You might want to see one of the pastors and he'll help you out. Now I'm not saying if you seen you ovals. I mean, I believe people have seen them.

Some people I like very much have seen the anyway. I believe the we was out against Moses and God is another charging him with altering permanence of the law feel God said the law is not permanent. My God said through Moses and Jeremiah collectively my law is not permanent. The law given to Moses that is from Mount Sinai. It is not permanent. God's laws permit.

There are elements of it that would be modified and this is what Christ came to do and he said think of that I come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. They perceive that is no you can't do that. Well that's good it will get to Moses later in a couple of verses were now to Jeremiah. Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. That's all Israel, and this new covenant that he is speaking of the New Testament because that's what the covenant it that's what it is. This was something that they conveniently look look past it says against God. Well, because they were he was there exalting Christ as the son of God. So that's against Yahweh. According to them. Verse six, verse 12 and the start of the people, the elders and the scribes and they came upon him, sees him and brought him to the Council. So the Hellenistic Jews managed to get Jerusalem Jews decide with them against Stephen. That's what's going on here that we saw that you know that rift between them amongst the Christians in the first part of this chapter. While it also existed amongst the practicing Hebrews.

Also, Jerusalem Jews, looking down on those who were influenced by the Gentile cultures. It says they came upon them. Season brought him to the Council.

They arrested him Saul again is part of this number we see him in chapter 7, when they stoned Stephen that Saul is guarding the clothing because as it a member of the Sanhedrin as a Pharisee he was not to participate in the actual stoning, but he could watch everybody's garments and go through the pockets steps the benefit of it anyway. Verse 13. Please don't think that that's true. Maybe there was one or two that couldn't resist temptation, but anyway verse 13. They also set up false witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. So another wave of liars being religious does not make a person good seeing here is all religious people think good, not dispatch.

They valued religion over righteousness. That's why they went resorted to lying and murder to shut up. The opposition they couldn't get him on the law of God, would rabbinical are getting. They also valued tradition over truth so you know is much as I love fiddler on the roof. Of course, that is the problem there tradition minded is portrayed in that movie, play, etc., and not truth minded, and that that is the disappointing part of the whole experience. Verse 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us. While this is Herod's extended temple, he just you know expanded Zerubbabel's the temple which was the second one. Solomon's Temple was destroyed.

Zerubbabel comes back, build the temple than Gerard, who was a monster.

He comes along and he expands it and turns it into this one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Josephus writes about how beautiful the gold on it how you could look at a certain time of day directly because of the sun shining off of gold and the marble etc. they are twisting Stephen's words. Words that Stephen got from Jesus concerning the work of Christ Jesus never said that he would destroy the temple.

This is going to be destroyed, and in about 35 years from the point of these events.

It will be fulfilled. So Christ predicted its destruction. He never said he's going to destroy the law but he's going to take it to the new covenant level and that is exactly what he did. The law of grace according to their testimony. Stephen publicly proclaimed God's transition was important for me as a Christian because I don't want to see any thing fatal fall off the table as I'm reading the story I wanted unbroken witness from Adam to Revelation. So that's why we are interested in what what does that mean what does this mean, unless you become like little children, you can enter the kingdom of heaven will little children do that.

What's this what's that bedtime that's what it is setting I can even remember annoying my brothers and my older brothers and limit with his kid going to bed then take shifts with me serious one point he tied me to the sofa. So I stayed up bouncing around and they slept on the sofa because I wouldn't go to sleep anyway.

Sorry didn't come here here about me. He, Jesus announced and performed at Mosaic law would be subservient to Messiah and his grace, which is part of the law from God, the new covenant, to proclaim the coming judgment to destroy the temple in Jerusalem, but also gave that Lorna here goes back to Moses, Deuteronomy 1815 Moses said Yahweh or Jehovah your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst from your brethren and you shall hear, and then he pronounced the judgment.

If you don't listen to him you doing Christ is that prophet, Stephen understood. Paul will get it. The others who didn't receive it was the problem. Peter had already preached this back in chapter 3, Stephen will get back he will quote this verse again in chapter 7, part of why they were so enraged with him. Jesus warned he said I have come in my father's name, and you did not receive me.

If another comes in his own name, him you will receive less antichrist Jews going to fawn over antichrist when Christ said he comes in his father's name is I want on the breaking the law on fulfilling the prophecies Messiah's work goes beyond the Jewish people and they were ready for this. In fact, when they become Christians. They were ready for that is Paul's whole struggle with trying to say listen, were no longer trying to live like Moses Jewish people came to this agreement is okay just only thing strangled and sacrificed their way from the six because it's just too much for the Jewish culture to to go to church with Gentile Christians would doing these things will get to that next 15 but Jesus said this about the fulfillment of Jeremiah and Moses words to the woman at the well woman of shattered romances. She had five of them and Jesus pointed out said one you're with now is on shaky ground to Jesus that are woman. Believe me, now that that wasn't derogatory.

It was getting her focused on him. The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Worship the father know she for that Samarian religion that worshiped on Maui ball Grissom anyway using either that one or Jerusalem, you worship what you do not know.

We worship we know it we worship our salvation is of the Jews is what Paul said to the Jew first, and to the Gentiles that natural progression is that unbroken witness from Adam all the way through Malachi given to us by the Jewish people, and without that is that there's a major breakdown, but we did not have to be without that. So yeah we did he sing the Jews who were the righteous Jews they they know what they're talking about. Then he goes a said goes and says for the hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, the father seeking such to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. You see the emphasis that born-again spirit in the truth that goes with it for announcing this transition that Jesus said was coming.

Stephen was killed in the New Testament church is just getting started. Stephen's death, the church is not close up is just beginning.

Wait till they make Gentile converts and they start coming into the church and wait till Paul starts saying sabbaths diets circumcision is not important what what is important is the meaning behind those things. What they are intended tell us that's what is important and they follow Paul around trying to kill them for that verse 15 also saddened the Council looking steadfastly at him, saw his face is the face of an angel is against the face of an innocent person. The Angels don't have this you know if they weren't innocent they couldn't see the face of God in heaven and the strong is the face of one of the face of one who loves God the God we have not seen with our eyeballs but we have seen with the spirit. Nonetheless, why is it surprising that we have other senses you know that we can sense things in the spiritual realm by faith that we can lay hold on things you know the psychiatry and psychology world. They boast of the sixth sense we've got one is faith and it's the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And buying it. The elders found favor with God. Obtained a good testimony, we can see how they live by faith, as Stephen C becomes one of those elders not Mr. Lehman and Hebrews with to us.

Yeah the face of one who could not be swayed because of love that Stephen's face they could not intimidate him they could not break him down. They could not sway him.

Neither man nor devil could move him from Christ. That's the face. That's the angelic face of Stephen, yet it was not enough for them to repent plot it haunted some of them. One of them. Saul of Tarsus. These people were sellers for wrong things that face just can't get out was one of the reasons why salted says was still breathing threats of violence and Saul work havoc against the church because of that Stephen guy I have seen such a face.

I like telling the story because it's how I came to Christ through my my second oldest brother drew close to Christ born-again and he just wasn't very knowledgeable yet of the word, but he knew enough of the gospel and my reaction was, or you think that God has us here for him. How selfish is that. That was nice. Stupid theology would you get that other trashcan and what it was his response. He just looked at me just like you sitting on the steps and just looked at me with the space. I've never seen.

I've never seen a spaceport, not even my mom your mom so like angels, and it bugged me it haunted me wipe that smile that smart. Whatever that thing was I would get office space him to show him his Bible is a bunch of lies when start where to start with start Bible and I started reading find I don't know how I ended up in one of the Gospels are not sure it was Matthew or Mark was one of those two that God God was to sing golf umbrella will do for us instead of leaving you to Amos the prophet which you could get none of about we start here and so as I'm reading find wipe the look off his face. I see the Christ is God. Nobody can make this stuff up. Never has anyone spoken this way before I got saved right there. Just reading God's word so I know, so I have a personal experience with the face of an angel because that is what it was to me. It was a messenger and agent of God. It was the face of I love Jesus I love you That for my brother's neighbor can do that with my brother anywhere close with this verse.

Second Corinthians 4, or it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That the face of Jesus Christ. That angelic face move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick you could subscribe to cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of acts right here on cross reference radio