December 26, 2010
This sermon was preached from the perspective of Stephen
Dear friends in Christ.
I want to thank you for the opportunity of being with you this morning to tell you my story. Though I’m sure that many of you already know my story quite well from your days in Sunday school, my story is a story that bears repeating. I don’t say that because it is a story about me, and I have the opportunity of relating it to you today. But I say this because it is a story that will teach you the all important truth that 1 + God = The Majority!
You see, my story begins back in the days after Pentecost. I’m sure you remember how it was, the sound of rushing wind came to the place where the Apostles were and then tongues of fire separated and came to rest on their heads. The Apostles began speaking in all sorts of different languages and some from the crowd mocked them saying that they had too much wine. That was when Peter stood up and preached to the people telling them exactly what was happening; how the Lord had poured out the Holy Spirit on his people in fulfillment of his promise. He told the people about Jesus and what his life, his death, and his resurrection had meant for them. He called on the people to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and on that day roughly 3000 people were added to the number of believers!
Well, it didn’t stop there. The believers continued to meet together and the Apostles continued proclaiming the gospel message of salvation, performing the miraculous signs and wonders that the Lord enabled them to do, and the Lord continued to bless them! Day after day he continued to add to their numbers until the number of believers was up, well over, 5000. So many had been added, that a complaint arose, stating that some of the widows were being over looked in the daily distribution of food. So, when the complaint came forward, the Apostles suggested that 7 men be chosen from among the believers to help out in the daily distribution of food. Thus, when the church acted and chose us, I was one of the men who was chosen to do just that, as it says in our lesson today: “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. (Acts 6:8–10, NIV)
Though I had been chosen to help in the ministry of distributing food, it was the Lord who allowed me to also perform miraculous signs like the Apostles, and it was the Lord who led me out to proclaim his Word. As I proclaimed his Word, there were some who began to oppose me and the message I was bringing. Yet, this was not the first time opposition had arisen against the preaching of the gospel, for if you really think about it, Jesus’ ministry on earth was filled with opposition by the Pharisees, the Teachers of the Law, in fact the entire Sanhedrin—the ruling body of religious leaders in Israel—was essentially opposed to the message that Jesus brought. So, it really was no wonder that the Apostles faced opposition as they preached. Take for example Peter and John. Early on in the days after Pentecost, they had healed a crippled beggar in the Temple Courts and then used the opportunity to proclaim the gospel of salvation to the people who had gathered around. But shortly after they had finished, some form the Priests and Sadducees took them off to the Sanhedrin for trial, because the Priests and the Sadducees were greatly disturbed that these Apostles were preaching the resurrection. At the close of the trial, just before they were released, the Sanhedrin ordered them no longer to preach the Name of Jesus, to which they declared their plan to follow the will of God rather than the will of men. When they gathered with the other believers and reported what had happened, they prayed and praised God, the Lord shook the place where they were praying and the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit continued proclaiming the message of salvation through faith in Jesus. Thus, God himself demonstrated that 1 + God = the Majority!
Again opposition arose because the High Priest and the Sadducees were filled with jealousy against the Apostles and they arrested them, once again, for preaching about Jesus. Again they were put on trial before the whole Sanhedrin and ordered no longer to preach about Jesus. Again their response was that they must obey God rather than men because they knew that 1 + God = the Majority. This time, however, the Apostles were whipped! Yet, as they left, they left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the Lord Jesus, their Savior and even though they suffered they were confirmed in their knowledge that they were the Majority because they were partnered with God.
Again the leadership grew jealous of what was happening in the camp of the Lord because the number of disciples was increasing daily and because quite a number of priests were coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. Because of this, the Sanhedrin, the religious leadership of the Israelites, undoubtedly felt as they did when Jesus walked the earth; they felt that they were losing their positions of power and control over the people. It was at this time that opposition arose against me from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, as it was called. They began to argue with me and against the Word of God which I was proclaiming. But they could not stand up against the Holy Spirit by whom I was speaking, and in that moment it became clear that 1 + God = the Majority. It was not by my power that they could not stand up, but by the power of God himself who was on my side and who was proclaiming his eternal power of salvation through his Word, which I was privileged to speak. So, because they could not stand up against the Lord, they did what all stubborn unbelievers do; they lied. Just like they paid false witnesses to testify against Jesus, “they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 1 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?” (Acts 6:11–7:1, NIV)
In their zeal to be rid of me, they accused me of blasphemy—profane or sacrilegious speech—against Moses, against God, and against the Temple. But even though I stood alone against those 70 elders of Israel made up of the High Priest together with the Pharisees and Sadducees, I knew I was the Majority that day, because I stood with the Lord beside me. In that day the Lord Jesus fulfilled his promise and gave me the words to speak through the Holy Spirit! For as it came time for me to speak in my defense, suddenly my face began to shine like an angel and the Holy Spirit enabled me to defend myself through the power of God’s Word.
Though they accused me of blasphemy against God, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of God’s gracious dealing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Israelites and in doing so the Holy Spirit revealed how I was actually exalting the God of the covenant and his gracious promises, while the Sanhedrin had forsaken the covenant God. Though they accused me of blasphemy against Moses, through the Holy Spirit I reminded them of the Israelites history of rejecting Moses as God’s given leader and their breaking of God’s covenant with them by turning to idolatry. Thus, the Holy Spirit revealed that I was honoring Moses as God intended by following the Lord’s Word while the Sanhedrin had blinded themselves to the meaning of the law given by Moses as well as the promise of the Savior that Moses prophesied. Though they accused me of blasphemy against the temple, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of the tabernacle and the temple as a place to go and worship the Lord through the sacrifices he gave, while the Israelites had changed the temple into an idol by merely going through the motions of worship. Thus the Holy Spirit revealed that the message I proclaimed gave the temple the place the Lord wanted it to have while the Sanhedrin had perverted both the right view of the temple and the God-pleasing use of it.
Even as I was speaking they began to grow antsy. Like little children they covered their ears so they wouldn’t have to listen to what I was telling them. They ground their teeth in anger because they could not fact the Lord’s judgment on them when I said, “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 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.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:51–60, NIV)
Even though they thought they had won by killing me, I was the victor that day, because 1 + God = The Majority! Even in death I was allied with the Lord and through faith in him, I was given a seat of honor in his heavenly kingdom. I was honored as the first of God’s martyrs in the New Testament, and I was honored to be the one whose story gives strength to all of God’s people who face hardships, trials, frustrations, persecution, and even martyrdom. I was given this honor so that God might be glorified when people see from my story the absolute fact that 1 + God = the Majority!
Now, why do I tell you all this? Because you need to know and be certain that 1 + God = the Majority! You need to know this because whether you realize it or not, you are already being persecuted for being a Christian. More and more people are complaining against Christianity and more and more court cases are coming up about Christian symbols, prayer, and many other Christian freedoms that have begun to offend others. In fact, take a look at this clip from October 2008 in which Paul Washer speaks about persecution in our day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7UyZYpeReY)
I do not tell you these things or show you this clip to scare you, but to encourage you. Though we have enjoyed an unprecedented time without persecution, it has begun. It is continuing and it is growing. But no matter what kind of persecution we may face, remember my story and remember that no matter what 1 + God = the Majority! Through faith in Jesus you are God’s redeemed child! Through faith in Jesus all your sins have been forgiven. Through faith in Jesus, your place in heaven has already been prepared for you. Through faith in Jesus you are already victorious. Through faith in Jesus you are the Majority because you are aligned with God. Through faith in Jesus, no matter what happens in this world you are victorious, as the Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, NIV) So no matter what happens, you are the majority with God. If you live out your days and fall asleep in the Lord at a good old age, you are blessed. If your life should be cut short by an accident or even a sickness, you are still blessed because you will be at home with the Lord all the sooner. If you should face what I faced, and be murdered for what you believe in, you will be blessed because the Lord will reward you with eternal life! This is our comfort whether we live or whether we die we belong to the Lord, because 1 + the Lord = the Majority. There is no one who can snatch us out of his hand. There is no one who can take away our salvation.
Though the days will eventually grow even more evil than the days I faced, the Lord is on your side. When you face frustration, hardship, trouble, persecution, suffering, or even death, take my story with you. Hide it in your heart so that no matter what you face you always remember that 1 + God = the Majority!
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN
