Stephen: The Price of Following Jesus
In 1948, a young 21 year
old Wheaton College student named James wrote in his journal, “I seek not a long life,
but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus.” A year later, against all advice, he became
convinced that God was calling him as a missionary to Ecuador. That year he wrote in his diary, “He is no fool
who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim spent most
of 1952 in Quito, Ecuador, learning Spanish and orientating to a new culture.. Since college days
he had been fascinated by a remote Stone Age tribe known as the Aucas. Jim knew that they had a deserved reputation for killing
anyone, Indian or white, who dared to intrude into their land. Nevertheless he
began praying for them. In September 1955 a pilot with the Mission Aviation
Fellowship, Nate Saint, spotted from the air a small Aucas
settlement…
On Sunday morning January 8th
1956 Nate went up alone and spotted a group of Auca men walking towards their camp. He flew back to the
beach with the good news and radioed their wives. “A commission of ten is
coming. Pray for us This is the day.” Together they all sung the hymn:
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender,
Thine is the battle, Thine
shall be the praise.
When passing through the gates of pearly splendour.
Victors, we rest with Thee through
endless days.
A few years earlier aged
just 23 Jim Elliott had written
“I must not think it strange if God takes
in youth those whom I would have kept on earth till they were older. God is
peopling Eternity, and I must not restrict Him to old men and women.”
Jim and his four mission partners Nate, Ed, Roger & Pete were indeed called home that Sunday, to “people
Eternity”. Refusing to use their weapons in self defence, they were slain by
the people they had sought to befriend.
We have been preparing for Easter by reading again the story of the
early Church and how God, then as now, is building his new community on earth
in preparation for heaven. Today in the story of Stephen we learn the price of following Jesus. Luke divides the brief ministry of Stephen into four
parts. I want us to focus on the first and the last.
Stephen the Servant (Acts 6:1-7)
1. The Cause
of the Problem 6:1
The Church had a problem, a very
healthy problem. It was growing. Growing fast. In times of success, it is easy
for us to maintain the status quo, but this is dangerous.
Henry Ward Beecher called success “a last-year’s nest from which the
birds have flown.” Any organization that thinks its success will go on
automatically is heading for failure. We must regularly examine our lives and
our ministries lest we become complacent and start taking things for
granted. Growth is a healthy problem to
have. But it can lead to an unhealthy problem - neglect. Because the apostles
couldn’t do all the work, some people were complaining that there was selective
favouritism in the care of widows.
The cause of the problem.
1.2 The
Challenge Perceived 6:2
Where one person may see a
problem, another will see an opportunity. The opportunity to examine our selves
and discover whether changes are required. Challenges can be welcomed for they
make us ask questions about strategy, mission and delegation. That is why the
PCC spends much of its time thinking and praying about the future. That’s why
yesterday we brought in a church growth consultant to help us consider how to
deepen the spirituality of our church. Seeing a need is half way to solving a
problem. The apostles were not willing to sacrifice the ministry of the word in
order to cook the meals for the widows.
They were not saying "we are too important to do that lower kind of
task."
They were simply recognising that God had called each
of us to fulfil a specific role and they couldn’t
prepare their sermons if they were also worrying about the menus and serving
meals. Sadly many ministers are unwilling to take such tough decisions. Why were the Apostles to concentrate on the
ministry of the word? Because this is how the ministry of the whole church is
facilitated. How? Paul tells us in Ephesians.
“It was he who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and
teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure
of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians
4:11-14)
So the role of the pastor
teacher is to equip the church family to do the ministry. But when a church
expects a handful of paid employees or the vicar to lead and preach, counsel,
visit, pray and plan what happens?
Pastoral care will be neglected.
But the flip side of this is a more subtle neglect. The quality of the
preaching will also go down. And so it becomes a vicious circle. The cause of the problem 6:1 - a lack of
ministry. The challenge perceived 6:2 -
a need for ministry.
1.3 The
Criteria Prescribed 6:3
The answer? Share the
ministry. But how and on what basis?
Notice they did not select people on the basis of academic ability, or social
standing nor even potential.
What were they looking
for? People who were full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. In Scripture, to be
“full of” simply means “to be controlled by.” We are all controlled by
something. It may be our pride, lust, materialism, fame, fortune or it may be Jesus. Jesus was Lord of Stephen’s life because Stephen was a servant of Jesus. The church chose people who
were known to be wise and Christ like. As you consider who to nominate for election
to the PCC, please read carefully the insert in the news sheet the role and
responsibilities. But the one indispensable qualification for any church
ministry is here in verse 3. Spiritual maturity and wisdom. The criteria prescribed.
1.4 The Call to Priorities 6:4
The Holy Spirit has
imparted different gifts to each person. Each person should use what ever gift
he has received for the building up of the Church. It was not a sign of pride
that the leaders stopped being involved in the lunch club. They simply
recognized that they must prioritise and delegate
those ministries for which they were not gifted. We have all been called to
Christian service.
In the letter I wrote inviting you to become a member of Christ Church there was also a leaflet explaining the opportunities for Christian
service. The assumption of the New Testament is that we have each been gifted
by God to serve him. If we are not using our gifts some aspects of the ministry
will be neglected. So if you consider yourself a member of Christ Church, please pray about where God would have you serve. There are more
copies in the corridor if yours got recycled. At the moment we have 325 adult
members and around 120 employed in some form of ministry. For many churches
that is a very high percentage. But it means we have around 200 unemployed
Christians. Imagine the impact on our community if we had another hundred
people on a regular basis visiting and caring for the sick, the elderly, single
parents, the bereaved, the unemployed. Imagine if we had another twenty gifted
people leading our Sunday school and youth activities. Imagine if we had
another ten gifted musicians in the music group, another five managing the admin, the magazine, the rotas and hall bookings, another five on the cleaning team.
The list is endless because the opportunities are unlimited. The question is
are we called to serve or be served?
Are we using the gifts God has given us? My goal is full employment. Nothing
less.
If you are not sure where
your gifts lie here is a simple test. Pick up the Annual Church Report and look
at the contents page. Which page do you turn to first? Why? Last week I used
the illustration of Eric Liddell the Olympic runner. When he was asked how he could
be a Christian and waste his life running, he said this. “God made me a
runner. He also made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure.” Do you
feel his pleasure in what you do? Would you like to? Its your birthright. And
when you serve him using your gifts you feel his pleasure. In the Autumn we
shall be running the Network Course again. Its designed to ensure we are
serving in the right places for the right reasons. If you can’t wait that long,
order a copy of Bruce Bugbie’s book “What you do best
in the Body of Christ” from the bookstall. Summarise.
1.5. The
Choice of Personnel 6:5
The procedure is a good
one. It seems the seven were recommended by the leaders but recognized by the
wider church family. Discernment and affirmation. That is how we elect members
of our PCC. We invite nominations and then the whole church family decides at
the Annual Parochial meeting in three weeks time 20th March. That’s
why its so important for you to be there. The formal business part of the
evening is short but vital for the future of the church. Please make it a
priority. You won’t want to miss it. The call to priorities and the choice of
personnel.
1.6
Consecration in Preparation 6:6
This is the nearest we get
to ordination in the N.T. Ordination was
not to a special position above people.
Ordination was to a specific service for people. These seven didn't become a special class of
Christians. Through prayer and laying on of hands the church offered them to
God and asked Him to equip them for this service. This is in part the reason
for our confirmation service in May. Yes it will be a public declaration that
as adults they want to follow Christ. But its also a public affirmation that they want to
serve Christ where ever he leads. If Jesus is my saviour he is also my Lord.
Both preaching and cooking are
spiritual ministries because what matters is not what we do but how we
do it. We have all been called to serve.
These are the abiding principles of authentic Christian ministry. What was the consequence? The church was
unified (6:5), multiplied (6:7), and magnified (6:8). You know there is a world
of difference between addition and multiplication.
Recruit a good speaker or a dynamic musician or a caring pastor and you can
easily add people to a church. But if we want to see multiplication we need to
take these principles seriously. We rejoice that we have seen growth this year.
But with it has come new challenges. The challenges we face as a church over
personnel, over buildings and strategic planning also give us, like the early
church, opportunities to exercise our faith in the Lord, but also faith in each
other. The leaders suggested a solution, and all the members agreed with it. The
assembly selected seven qualified men, and the Apostles set them apart for
ministry. We commonly call these seven men of Acts 6 “deacons” because the
Greek verb diakoneo (“serve”) is used in Acts
6:2. But the word simply means “a servant.”
These seven men were
humble servants of the church, men whose work made it possible for the Apostles
to carry on their theirs of teaching and training the church to win, build and
send. Acts 6:7 is one of several
“summaries” found in Acts that let us know that the story has reached an
important juncture. Luke describes the climax of the ministry in Jerusalem, for the persecution following Stephen’s death will take the Gospel to the Samaritans and
then to the Gentiles. A biblically
functioning church is a serving church. Stephen the Servant.
2. Stephen the Witness (Acts 6:8-15)
2.1
Authentication 6:8
Because Stephen was a servant he was also a witness. God
enabled Stephen to bear witness to the leaders of Israel through signs & wonders just like the
Apostles. Stephen’s powerful testimony would be the climax
of the church’s witness to the Jews. The consequences?
2.2
Opposition 6:9
Stephen had stirred up a hornets nest of evil. It was as inevitable and unavoidable then as
it is today if we are faithful in our witness.
2.3
Vindication 6:10
However, nobody
could match or resist Stephen’s wisdom and power (see Luke 21:15). Their only alternative was
to destroy him. God
vindicates his people. When we are obedient and witness for him, He backs us
up.
2.4 Persecution 6:11-14
Because they could not defeat Stephen's testimony with
argument or logic, they resorted to lies and deception, physical
harassment and persecution. It was not even necessary for Stephen to speak in order to give witness. The very glow on
his face told everybody he was a servant of God. Certainly the members of the
Sanhedrin would recall Moses’ shining face (Ex. 34:29-30). It was as though God
was saying, “This man is not against Moses! He is like Moses—he is My faithful servant and witness!” But because
they refused to heed Stephen’s message, he became…
3. Stephen the Judge (Acts
7:1-53)
This is the
longest address in the Book of Acts and one of the most important. In it, Stephen reviewed the history of Israel and the contributions made by
their revered leaders: Abraham (Acts 7:2-8), Joseph (Acts 7:9-17), Moses (Acts 7:18-44), Joshua (Acts 7:45), and David and Solomon (Acts 7:46-50). But this address was
more than a recitation of familiar facts; it was also a refutation of their
indictments against Stephen and a revelation of their own national sins. Stephen proved from their own
Scriptures that the Jewish nation was guilty of worse sins than those they had
accused him of committing. What were these sins? I can only summarise
them today.
3.1 They misunderstood their own spiritual roots
(7: 1-8)
3.2 They rejected their God-sent deliverers (7: 9-36)
3.3 They disobeyed their Law (7: 37-43)
3.4 They despised their temple (7:44-50)
3.5 They stubbornly resisted their God and His truth (7:51-53)
This is the
climax of Stephen’s speech, the personal application that cut his
hearers to the heart. Throughout the centuries, Israel had refused to submit to God
and obey the truths He had revealed to them. Their ears did not hear the truth,
their hearts did not receive the truth, and their necks did not bow to the
truth. As a result, they killed their own Messiah! Which is why ultimately Stephen, the servant, the witness
and judge became, Stephen the Martyr.
4. Stephen the Martyr (Acts 7:54-60)
You wonder what kind of a world we live in when good and godly men like Stephen can be murdered by religious bigots! But we have
similar problems in our “enlightened” age today: taking hostages, bombings that
kill or maim innocent people, assassinations, and all in the name of politics
or religion. The heart of man has not changed, nor can it be apart from the
grace of God. What were the results of Stephen’s death?
4.1 For Stephen, death meant coronation
Stephen saw the glory of God and the Son of God standing to
receive him to heaven (see Luke 22:69). Our Lord sat down when He ascended to heaven
(Ps. 110:1; Mark 16:19), but He stood up to welcome the first Christian martyr.
4.2 For the Church, Stephen’s death meant liberation
Until now the gospel
had only penetrated Jerusalem and Judea. God would use this dispersion of Christians resulting
from persecution to bring the good news of Jesus to the Samaritans and Gentiles. Coronation.
Liberation.
4.3 For Saul, Stephen’s death meant salvation
Paul never forgot the event (Acts 22:17-21), and no doubt Stephen’s message,
his prayers and death prepared Saul for his own encounter with the risen Lord
(Acts 9). God never wastes the blood of His saints. God may not call us to
be a martyr, but He does call us to be a “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1-2).. And, in the words of Jim Elliot, “When it comes time to die, make sure all
you have to do is die”. One of the
first things Jim’s widow, Elizabeth did was tell
their story, Through Gates of Splendour.
In the months that followed the widows returned to their work among
the tribal peoples of Ecuador. Other mission partners came and continued
to reach out to the Aucas. For nearly a year Elizabeth Elliot, with her little daughter Valeria and Nate’s sister Rachel Saint, lived and worked among the men who killed
her husband. They discovered why their husbands had been killed as well as
the identity of their killers. “We thought foreigners would lkill and eat us,” one Auca said.
Another confessed that he had cried after the killings. Each one of the killers,
confessed their sin and accepted Christ. One of them, Kimo became
a pastor of the Auca village.
To demonstrate their faith in Jesus Christ,
Nate’s teenage son Steve
and daughter Kathy asked if they could be baptised by the Aucas. The baptisms were held at Palm Beach at dawn. Kimo,
one of their father’s killers baptised Steve and Kathy along with two teenagers from the village. Near the
site of the missionaries graves, the two forgiven killers, two of the widows,
Marj and Rachel and the four teenagers sang the hymn which the five
men had sung near that same spot “We rest on Thee, our shield and our Defender.”
That was only the beginning of the miracle. Auca
believers themselves became missionaries to other long-time enemy tribes among
whom, Tona, one of the six killers himself became a martyr. For
the wives and relatives of the five men, the mute longing of their hearts
was echoed by words found in Jim Elliot’s diary….
"I
walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious. To stand embraced
by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coat tail
and the heavens hailing your heart -- to gaze and glory and give oneself again
to God, what more could a man ask? Oh the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement
of knowing God on earth. I care not if I never raise my voice again for him,
if only I may love him, please him. Perhaps in mercy he shall give me a host
of children, that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore
his delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only
I may see him, smell his garments and smile into my Lover's eyes -- ah then,
not stars nor children shall matter, only himself."
I am most grateful to Warren Wersbie, Elizabeth Elliot, John Stott, and Stephen Gaukroger for much of the
inspiration, outline and content of this sermon.