They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.and 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.
3 sermons cite this verse
… and began shouting and they rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And his accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He fell to his knees shouting, Lord, don't charge him with this sin. And with that, he fell asleep. Wow, what a story. God gave Stephen the grace he needed when he needed it. You say, wow, if I were in this situation, I wouldn't have reacted as Stephen did. I don't know that that's true. God will give you what you need when you need it. Not before, never after. because I can think of people I've seen that are suffering and I think, man, I would never be like that. I wouldn't have that kind of faith. Why do you say that? The Bible says he's a very present help in times of trouble. So God will give you what you need when that moment comes. …
… and began shouting. And they rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And his accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He fell to his knees shouting, Lord, don't charge him with this sin. And with that, he fell asleep. Wow, what a story. Look at the blind bias of these people that should know better. They knew the word of God. But verse 57 says, they put their hands over their ears and began shouting and rushed at him and dragged him out of the city. Isn't it interesting how irrational people can be when you start talking about Jesus. You know you can talk about anything. They are like cool. Have a little debate. Maybe boy you bring up Jesus. And now they get all fired up. And now they are upset. And the veins pop out of their forehead. They get red. And their voice is louder. They are upset. They are angry. Don't even talk to me about that. It is not real. I don't believe any of it. Okay, okay, calm down. But why do they react that way? Jesus gave us the answer in John 3.20. He says, they hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. …
… it says they looked intently, they fixed their eyes on him. Same thing in Acts chapter 7, verse 54 through 60, when Stephen is about to be stoned, it says he looked up to heaven, he saw Jesus, the glory of God, saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. So it's a fixed gaze. It's not just a glance. What I want you to see is a progression here. When we begin to get a hold of the reality of the needs around us, number one, we begin to see the hurts around us. This is the progression. Very simple in this passage. We see the hurt. then second we begin to feel the hurt it's not just glancing at it oh yeah that's there it's it's beginning to feel the weight of that that's exactly what luke is getting at in verse four when it says peter and john looked at him intently it's not just a pass a look as they passed by so they saw the hurt they felt the hurt and number three we touched the hurt that's exactly what peter does a pretty bold statement to say you know i don't have any money but i do have this get up and walk. …