We Become What We Behold
We become what we behold, and beholding Christ's glory transforms us into his image, providing peace and serenity in the midst of chaos.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, exemplifies the true Christian by reflecting the glory of Christ amidst dire circumstances. Despite facing hostility and imminent death, Stephen's vision of Jesus in glory elevated him above his trials, demonstrating that a glimpse of the Lord's holiness can transform our perspective. By keeping our eyes fixed on Christ, we too can mirror His glory and provide peace to a troubled world. Wilkerson encourages believers to become living mirrors of Jesus, showcasing His glory to those around us, especially in challenging times.
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Stephen saw an open heaven and a glorified Man on the throne whose glory was mirrored in him to all who stood nearby. "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!'" (Acts 7:55-56).
Stephen represents what a true Christian is supposed to be: one who is full of the Holy Spirit with eyes fixed on the Man in glory. One who mirrors that glory in such a way that all who see it will be amazed and filled with wonder.
Stephen was in a hopeless condition, surrounded by religious madness, superstition, prejudice, and jealousy. The angry crowds pressed in on him, wild-eyed and bloodthirsty, and death loomed just ahead of him. Such impossible circumstances! But looking up into heaven, Stephen beheld his Lord in glory and suddenly his rejection here on earth meant nothing to him. Now he was above it all.
One glimpse of the Lord's glory, one vision of his holiness, and Stephen could no longer be hurt. The stones, the angry cursing, all was harmless to him because of the joy set before him. Likewise, a glimpse of Christ's glory places you above all your circumstances. Keeping your eyes on Christ, consciously reaching out to him every waking hour, provides peace and serenity as nothing else can.
Stephen caught the rays of the glorified Man in heaven and reflected them to a Christ-rejecting society: "with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord ... being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
It is so true that we become what we behold. Stephen became a living mirror in which men could see the glory of Jesus reflected. So, should we! When the enemy comes in like a flood, we need to both amaze and condemn the world around us by our sweet, calm repose in Christ. This is accomplished by keeping our minds on our Savior.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Fixing Our Eyes on Christ
- A. Stephen's Example: Full of the Holy Spirit, with eyes fixed on heaven
- B. Mirroring God's Glory: Reflecting Christ's Image to a Christ-rejecting world
- C. Transformation through beholding Christ's Glory
- II. The Power of Beholding Christ's Glory
- A. Overcoming Impossible Circumstances
- B. Finding Peace and Serenity in Christ
- III. Becoming a Living Mirror of Christ's Glory
- A. Reflecting Christ's Image to a World in Need
- B. Condemning the World with our Calm Repose in Christ
Key Quotes
“We become what we behold.” — David Wilkerson
“One glimpse of the Lord's glory, one vision of his holiness, and Stephen could no longer be hurt.” — David Wilkerson
“Keeping your eyes on Christ, consciously reaching out to him every waking hour, provides peace and serenity as nothing else can.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must keep our eyes on Christ and behold his glory in order to overcome impossible circumstances.
- Beholding Christ's glory transforms us into his image, providing peace and serenity in the midst of chaos.
- We can reflect Christ's image to a world in need by keeping our minds on our Savior and mirroring his glory to those around us.