Sundy Worship Service October 19, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 31:5 (NIV)
Hymn JBC #327 Lead on, O King eternal
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 146 Thou didst leave Thy throne
Offering
Scripture Acts 7:51~60
Prayer
Sermon “Look up the Glory of God”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 21 Worthy of worship
Doxology JBC # 674
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements


　Today's Scripture passage is the final section of the scene in Acts chapter 7 of the New Testament, where Stephen, a preacher of Christ, is accused before the Jewish Sanhedrin (high court) of “blaspheming God.”
　Stephen is said to be the first Christian martyr—that is, the first person who believed in Christ, preached His teachings, and was persecuted and killed for it.
　In today's passage, Stephen is martyred. Stoned by the people (the Jews), he died. We can say Stephen met a tragic end, suffering immense pain and agony.
In today's passage, let us hear God's message through the words Stephen spoke, the words he spoke just before his death, and his figure at that moment.
In the first verse of today's passage, verse 51, Stephen says to those accusing him (the members of the Sanhedrin), “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised.”
He then continues, “You always resist the Holy Spirit!” The Holy Spirit is God's Spirit, used here as the same meaning as God Himself.
What does it mean to be “stiff-necked, with uncircumcised hearts and ears”?
　Circumcision, the removal of the foreskin, held profound significance for the Israelites.
Circumcision was commanded by God to Abraham, who is called the “father of faith” for the Israelite people.

　In Genesis chapter 17 of the Old Testament, it is written that Abraham received the commandment (order) concerning circumcision from God.
At that time, Abraham received the promise from God: “You will become the father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you the father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:4-6)
This passage in Genesis depicts God establishing an eternal covenant with the people of Israel through Abraham.
At that time, God commanded Abraham to circumcise every male child (on the eighth day after birth) as a sign that the people of Israel were God's chosen, special people.
Circumcision was the visible sign that the Israelite nation was God's specially chosen people, and that the eternal covenant and blessings given through their forefather Abraham had been bestowed upon them.
But Stephen says: "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You always resist the Holy Spirit!"
　Stephen pointed out the essence of the faith of the members of the Sanhedrin (the priests and scribes).

Even though they diligently observed circumcision and other religious rituals and regulations in form, Stephen pointed out the state of their hearts.
　Among the people of Israel, especially those in privileged positions like priests and scribes, there were likely those who took pride in being specially chosen simply because they were circumcised—that is, because they were Israelites (Jews).
They began to look down on other nations and Gentiles outside the Israelite people, or even fellow Israelites who, like them, could not strictly observe the religious rules.
　　However, circumcision and other religious rules must be accompanied by faith in God within the heart and by actually living according to God's teachings—faith in the heart.
　The meaninglessness of circumcision performed merely as a formality had already been stated repeatedly, long before the New Testament era, during the Old Testament era (the time of the prophets).
In the Old Testament, Jeremiah 6:10, it is written as the word of God:

To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed (uncircumcised)
so they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.

Even if one appears to observe religious rules in name only, without opening one's heart and ears to the Lord God, without humbling oneself before Him, one cannot receive the Holy Spirit's guidance.
There are times when we do not know what God's will is, or how the Holy Spirit's guidance is given.
At such times, we may need to examine whether it is because of our own stubborn hearts, whether we ourselves have closed the ears of our hearts, preventing us from hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.
We are stubborn people. We are those who only want to hear what we want to hear, see what we want to see, and believe only what we want to believe.
In such times, we desire to be those who humbly listen to the voice addressed to us: “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised.”

　And we desire to pray to God: that He would open our hearts, the eyes and ears of our hearts; that we would listen to His word, which is stern yet true; that we would recognize our own sin of turning away from God; and that He would turn us back to Himself.
　Stephen tells the council members, “Just as your ancestors persecuted the prophets, you have killed the Saviour, (the Righteous One in verse 52).”
“You have a faith that is only skin deep, and in your hearts you always resist the Holy Spirit, who is God's Spirit. You have killed the true Savior.” Who could remain calm hearing such words?
　The people who heard Stephen say this were filled with rage. It is written that they gnashed their teeth at him (verse 54). They were like wild beasts, ready to pounce on Stephen.
　The anger of the people (the Jewish council members, the authorities) had reached its peak. How did Stephen respond to this?

Let us read verses 55-56.

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

　Stephen's example teaches us that even in the face of terrifying human anger, hostility, malice, and even murderous intent, we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, who is God's Spirit.
　And instead of responding to the hostility and anger directed at him with hostility and anger of his own, Stephen fixed his eyes on heaven.
　Stephen looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus (Jesus Christ) standing at the right hand of God.
　On this earth, people hurl malice at one another, hating and quarreling. Even when people and nations deeply wound one another, if we lift our eyes to heaven with the eyes of faith, we can see God's glory and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
　There is Jesus, who was crucified for us, who now sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, and who intercedes for us.
　Those accusing Stephen shouted loudly, covering their ears (refusing to hear Stephen's voice), and rushed at him, dragging him out of the city.
　Verse 58 states that a young man named Saul was there, and the people laid their clothes at his feet.
　　Saul later became Paul. Paul initially persecuted Christians fiercely, but after encountering the resurrected Jesus Christ, he was transformed into a passionate preacher of Christ.
　The fact that Saul, who would later do great work for Christ, was present at Stephen's martyrdom and witnessed it, can be said to have profoundly influenced Saul's subsequent life (faith).
　It can be said that Stephen, even as he died, left an invaluable legacy of faith to many people, including Saul (Paul).
　Let us listen to the two statements Stephen made just before his death, as recorded in today's passage, while being stoned by the people.

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

　“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

　Stephen was convinced to the very end that there was One who would receive his soul. That One is the Lord Jesus Christ.
　No matter how dire, miserable, or painful his circumstances became, Stephen was certain that Jesus would never abandon him, but would love and receive him.
　That assurance of faith is given to us today as well. If we open our hearts and ears and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, He will receive our souls just as He received Stephen's soul.
And so Stephen was able to say at the end, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” He could pray this way for the very people who accused him, who continued to stone him, and who killed him.
　These were also the words spoken by Jesus from the cross. When Jesus was flogged, nailed to the cross, and hung there, He said the following:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, prayed to God the Father in heaven for us human beings, saying these words.
　So why was Stephen, a mere human, able to pray like that? Why could Stephen pray at the very end, “Do not hold this sin against them”?
　I believe it was because Stephen himself was certain that his sins had been forgiven through Jesus, and he was overflowing with gratitude for that.
　The conviction that he had been forgiven of his sins through Christ, that he was therefore kept alive, and that he was deeply loved by God—this conviction enabled Stephen to pray for others in that way at the very end.
　Such divine love, such power of forgiveness from Jesus, is also given to us.
Let us reflect on ourselves as believers living in the present, receiving the power of God's love and forgiveness conveyed to us through the life and words of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.