Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Baldwin, NY, May 22nd 2011
A printable PDF file can be found here.
Christian history gives us many examples of people whose faith stood firm when under threat. The great, great, granddaddy of them all is Stephen whose martyrdom was the subject of our Bible reading.
Today we have baptized a little one into the faith. These are challenging days for the traditional church. Many congregations are shrinking, some churches even closing. Others are just hanging in there. As we look ten, twenty, thirty, forty years down the road, it remains unclear exactly what the role of the church as we know it will be in people’s lives.
We have promised together this morning, parents, family and congregation to raise our children in the way of Jesus Christ. Are there lessons we can learn from the faith of Stephen that can help us pursue that journey?
A little about Stephen. Stephen never set out to be a great example of faith. He was somebody who became involved in the earliest Christian community attracted by their desire to help others. When the apostles were looking for someone to offer practical help caring for widows and orphans and ensuring jobs that needed doing were taken care of, Stephen was there. They made him a deacon in the church. As he was going about helping others he was challenged to explain what he was doing and why. Stephen became increasingly articulate and able to account for what he believed.
Because of his testimony to Jesus Christ he ran into trouble with the Sanhedrin, a body of religious people opposed to the message of Christianity. Put on trial before them he gives a long speech about the history of their faith, from Abraham, through Joseph and Moses all the way to Solomon who built the temple. He points out how every step of the way people opposed the work of God and even put to death some of the prophets.
His speech reaches a major point of confrontation when he speaks about Jesus, telling the Sanhedrin; “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—“ (Act 7:52 NIV). It is at that point the Sanhedrin loses control and the trial turns into a lynching. They put him to death by stoning him. It is during this terrible ordeal that the faith of Stephen is truly revealed.
The first thing we see about Stephen’s faith is the Secret of his courage.
Stephen was aware that things were turning nasty. The trial he was being subjected to was based upon trumped up charges that he was part of a plot to overthrow the temple and destroy the way of life the good folk of the Sanhedrin had practiced for centuries. It was a double whammy of heresy and terrorism!
But Stephen has his eyes set on a higher prize. Stephen’s focus when he offered to serve as a deacon was the love of Jesus Christ. As he realized that Christ had died for him, he sought to live for others. As he experienced the Holy Spirit empowering him for service he knew that the living Christ was with him.
Jesus taught that whatever we do for those less fortunate than ourselves was service we were giving to Him. That as we sought to be His hands reaching out to serve others and His feet carrying the message of His resurrection to the world, then we would know His presence with us. Stephen kept his eyes on Jesus and kept in step with the things the Holy Spirit was seeking to do through his life.
Even as he faces death he lifts up his eyes and declares to his persecutors “Don’t you see Him?” As our text has it; “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. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Stephen had that wonderful ability of being able to look beyond the current circumstances, however bleak they had become, and see glimpses of glory. We could call that ‘seeing the bigger picture’ but it’s something more than that. He saw a need as an opportunity to serve. He saw a trial as an opportunity to testify to faith in Jesus Christ. He saw his death as a doorway into the nearer presence of God. Jesus Christ truly was the focus of his life.
A second thing we see in Stephen is the Selflessness of his prayer
We read in verses 59-60 “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." “
Robert W. Wall in the ‘New International Bible Commentary’ writes; “The most compelling evidence of the depth of Stephen’s spiritual life is the content of his prayers. Similar to Jesus’ dying words, Stephen prays for the forgiveness of his enemies at the very moment of their apparent triumph over him and his witness. He does not ridicule his executioners, nor does he express regret for his untimely death. He prays for their salvation: It is what and for whom he prays, and not that he prays, that gives his death its most profound meaning.”
Stephen hadn’t minced his words. He had accused the Sanhedrin of being one of the agents responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Yet all the time he is praying for them that they will see the error of their ways and come to the knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ that had so captivated his own heart. Jesus taught His disciples to love their enemies. Here was Stephen trying to put that into practice.
It is never easy to forgive those who have wronged us. We tend to hold grudges and hope, if not for revenge, that at least some negative karma will kick in and that those who hurt us will get what we think they deserve. How startlingly different is the way of Stephen. Even as the stones pound his body he prays for his executioners forgiveness.
We live today in a world that seems obsessed with vengeance and revenge. On an international scale down to the actions of individuals it seems it’s justifiable to hit back as hard as we can. As long as we continue to ride that hate train, so the violence continues to escalate. Only forgiveness and love can break that circle. Only when we stop looking for people to blame can we start rebuilding hope.
Our churches have a tremendous role to play in offering the forgiving love of Jesus Christ to others. In proclaiming that with God there is forgiveness and acceptance for all because Jesus Christ died for all, as He prayed “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”
The death of Stephen had an impact. Particularly upon one hate-filled zealot who held the coats whilst others threw the stones. We read in verse 58 “The witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
A third thing we see about Stephen is the Strength of his witness.
This Saul who held the coats was to become Paul the great apostle to the Gentiles whose letters and theology are such an important part of the New Testament writings. St. Augustine, a great Christian writer of a later generation, tells us that “The church owes Paul to the prayers of Stephen.”
Later in the Book of Acts when Paul is giving testimony before a hostile crowd in Jerusalem he prays to Jesus, “When the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.” (Act 22:20 NIV). The strength of Stephen’s witness had left its mark.
We can not easily measure the results of faithfulness to God. The impact of our witness on others cannot be predicted. We are often faced with apparent failure. Being stoned for his faith wasn’t exactly what we’d call a high point in Stephen’s career! Looked at in any other way than through the lens of faith, it appears a pointless and tragic end to a life full of great promise.
The testimony of Scripture appears to be that God has a habit of turning places of hopelessness into places filled with possibility. A Cross of suffering and death became bathed in the light of Resurrection and Ascension. Disciples in an upper room cowering away in fear of the authorities were set aflame by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and openly began declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ. Saul, the great persecutor of the faith, is blinded by the light in the midst of his hatred, becomes a great spokesperson and interpreter of the faith.
Today we have baptized a new life into our fellowship. None of us can say what the future holds for any of us. But we can take encouragement and find direction from those like Stephen who were shining examples of what real discipleship looks like.
We saw the secret of his courage. Stephen looked beyond the immediate crisis and saw the glory and victory of Jesus Christ over all things. His focus was clear and true.
We saw the selflessness of his prayer. Stephens heart desire was to serve. He began as a deacon. He prayed for those he served. He prayed for those who persecuted him. So we are called to pray for each other. When we get along, but especially when we don’t. We are called to be forgiving of others because we are forgiven by God, in and through Jesus Christ.
We saw the strength of his witness. It turned people’s lives around. People like Saul who became the apostle Paul. We have no idea of the impact a faithful life can make upon others. But we can seek to be faithful!
No, these are not easy days for people of faith. Take courage from Stephen. Look to the glory of God for your inspiration. When others hurt you take no revenge but seek forgiveness and break that viscous cycle of recrimination. Be faithful not because you can see the results but because you know that’s how a person of God is meant to live!
And to God’s name be the glory. Amen.
Rev Adrian J. Pratt
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