The Book of Acts ~ Study Twenty-Nine

"Hardly Noticing"


Acts 7:54-60 (MSG) At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!"
   Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.
   As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"—his last words. Then he died.


After Stephen called the Council a "stiff-necked people" and accused them of Jesus' murder and the murder of the Prophets, all hell broke loose. After hearing these words from the man they couldn't take their eyes off of because "he had the face of an angel" (see Acts 6:15), they were now angry enough to kill him. The mood of the court changed directions in a split second and the death of this man of God was eminent. Stephen, it says in the Message version of the Bible, "hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God..."


I can't imagine hardly noticing a mob wanting to stone me. Stephen wasn't focused on the mob or the stones. He was focused on God. How can we be like this? What does it take to drown out the threats and hurts of our lives in this world and only see the face of Jesus? Why do we notice everything going on around us and ask, "where is Jesus in all of this?" What is the difference between Stephen's view of his situation and our view of ours?


Stephen looked up and saw only the glory of the Lord. There was nothing that could distract him from seeing Jesus and all His glory. The definition of "glory," according to the NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible is "the glory of God is the worthiness of God ~ the presence of God in the fullness of His attributes in some place or everywhere." The Hebrew word for "glory" is "kabod" and means "the weight and therefore worth of something." For example, we use the phrase, "their word carries weight," and know we can trust what that person is saying. The glory of God is just that, His Word "carries weight" and we can trust what He says.


John 17:22-26 (NLT) “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
   “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”


Jesus' prayer for His disciples and those who would follow after them (that's us) was that the glory He gave us would out-weigh the distractions and threats we experience in this world. Stephen did just that. His focus was on the "weight" of Jesus' Words and not the "weight" of what others were trying to do to him. 


Where do you place "weight?" Is it on the problems you face? On the tasks you have each day? On your family issues? Work? Relationships? Our focus shouldn't be on those things but rather on the "weight" of what Jesus says about things. When we focus on Jesus and believe that what He says is true, then the issues we face aren't "weighty" anymore. It takes focus and faith to remain fixed on Jesus and not overtaken by the "stones" thrown at us.


Philippians 3:18-21 (NIV) For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.


Our citizenship is not here. It is in heaven. The things of this world are temporary while the things of heaven are eternal. Stephen believed this with his whole heart and when his earthly heart stopped beating, his eternal heart went on. We have this same promise. God says so through His Son.


Did you notice what it says Jesus did while Stephen was being stoned? Read the verses below. What is the difference between the two:

Mark 16:19 (NLT) When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.


Acts 7:56 (NLT) And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”


The difference is that Jesus stood up! When someone stands up they are preparing to take action. Jesus saw what was happening to Stephen and He stood up at the Father's right hand. Jesus received Stephen's spirit in that moment. After Stephen prayed his last words on this earth, "Master, don't blame them for this sin" he fell asleep. His spirit passed from this world into the next.


Friend, this is what Jesus does when we call out to Him. He stands up and takes action. We may not see the results we would like to see, but we will see the perfect action taken by our perfect Savior. Keep your eyes focused on the One who loves you most, knows you best and sits in honor at the right hand of God. He's ready, willing and able to stand up on your behalf and take action. Let's trust Him like Stephen did even though it may mean the end of our lives on this earth.