Stephen: The Princely Prayer
Acts 7:54-7:60
Over these past few months I have taken scriptures and prayers in the Bible and used them as sermon topics. I have called them prayers that made a difference. Tonight we will look at a man that modeled the Lord he so loved and served. He even modeled him in his death. That man was Stephen.
What kind of man was Stephen? He was selected as a Deacon to serve the Body of Christ during the early church beginning. Acts 6 tells us he was a man of honest report, full of the Hoy Spirit and wisdom. He was a man full of power, who did great wonders and miracles among the people. He was also a man full of faith.
He is best remembered as the first Christian martyr because of his death. Tonight I want us to look at his death in these verses tonight and notice three things.
I. His Triumph Over Fear. (V. 54-58)
What led to Stephen’s death? We’re first introduced to Stephen in the sixth chapter of Acts. The disciples were preaching with such strength and fervor that their numbers were increasing daily, but those in Greek society was concerned because the widows were being neglected. In keeping with Hebrew law, widows were provided a daily distribution of food since they had no husband to earn a living and provide food for the household. Complaints were reaching the disciples that because of their continual preaching and teaching the widows were being neglected. The disciples felt as though their calling was to preach the gospel, so they selected seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and wisdom, and appointed them to the task of caring for the widows. Stephen was among the seven appointed to this task. We often look upon this as the selection and ordination of the first deacons.
No sooner is Stephen appointed to this ministry than he is arrested. The Jews always looked upon themselves as the chosen people; but they had interpreted chosen in the wrong way. They regarded themselves as chosen for special privileges and believing that God had no use for any other nation. At their worst they declared that God created the Gentiles to be fuel for the fires of hell; at their mildest they believed that some day the Gentiles would become their servants. They never dreamed that they were chosen for service to bring all people into the same relationship with God as they themselves enjoyed.
When this selection of these first deacons was finished, the Jews were infuriated that none of the original seven had a Jewish name. Nicolas was a Gentile who had accepted the Jewish faith, and Stephen had a vision of a world for Christ. Stephen declared that the world-view according to Christ meant that the Temple must pass away, and that the Law was but a stage so that the gospel and Christianity could be sent out to the whole wide world. In proclaiming this belief, Stephen offended the Jews because he attacked the two institutions they hold most precious: Temple and Law.
He was immediately arrested. False witnesses were brought in to give testimony against Stephen, and when the high priest asks him, “Are these things true?” he launches into a sermon that leaves them “enraged and grinding their teeth."
In this sermon he told them that they were responsible for the death of Jesus. Now Stephen was an effective preacher and his message definitely had and affect on the religious leaders. His words of truth had angered the people and as it says in chapter 7 they were “cut to the heart” especially with his accusations that they were responsible for the death of Jesus. He didn’t stop there he also recounts the deeds of Moses and the faithlessness of the people, reminding his accusers of the idol worship of their ancestors. Then he turned on them saying, “You stiff-necked & uncircumcised in heart & ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did, so do you.”(v. 7:51)
Needless to say, the people in the court were none to pleased at Stephen’s sermon or what he stood for, but God lets Stephen see right into heaven where he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God – he tells everyone what he is seeing, and they freak out! That was the last straw for them so they cover their ears so as not to hear him and drown him out with their shouts. They are like our children who cover their ears and say “la la la… I’m not listening…la la la… Stephen was killed by a bunch of immature religious leaders who could not accept change. So they were infuriated by his statements of truth they and “ran at him with one accord.” Then they drug him out of the city and they stoned him to death. According to Jewish regulations, a condemned criminal would be taken out to the edge of a city and thrown over a drop at least twice the man’s height. The witnesses would be the first to hurl large stones on top of him, aiming for the chest (though precision was impossible), till the victim died. Someone has said that Stephen’s outlook may have been bad in the eyes of man, but his up look was glorious.” In the midst of trouble his eyes were on the Master and while they attacked Stephen, he stood there courageously.
How was he able to do that? Maybe he remembered the word Jesus spoke, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:28) Or perhaps he was foretelling what Paul would later say, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Or maybe just maybe he heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount; “Blessed are you, when men revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake… great is your reward.” One thing is for certain Stephen had the hope and peace of knowing where he was going to spend eternity so what did he have to fear.
So what we learn from Stephen is when God is on your side you quickly understand and realize that there is nothing to be afraid of because Jesus promised us that “He would never leave us nor forsake us.” God promised us that “Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” If we know Jesus as our Savior then what do we have to be afraid of in this world.
II. Triumph of Faith (v. 59)
Dire circumstances and desperation will drive many people to their knees, and it should, but Stephen’s prayer was not a prayer of desperation: it was not even a prayer for deliverance. This man, who had only recently been brought to the position of deacon, had his life flashing before his eyes. He is only moments away from having the religious leaders; the upright keepers of the law throw stones at him until he’s dead.
Stephen doesn’t cry out to God asking to be saved. Stephen doesn’t look to strike a deal, saying, “God, if you will only save me, then I will…,” instead he says, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Sounds an awful lot like a prayer Christ uttered from the cross.
As they were getting ready to stone Stephen he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” In other words, please God take me home. In the midst of stones being thrown at him and hitting him, his eyes were still on the maker. They were still on God. What we see is that Stephen was able to face his death with the hope of knowing where he was going to spend eternity. He had hope in knowing that on that day they could take his life physically, but not spiritually. They could take his life away, but they could never take his Jesus away.
As I thought of how courageously Stephen went to his death I was reminded of how quickly life can be taken from you. I thought of the passages of scripture found in Ecclesiastes 3:2 that says there is “a time to be born, and a time to die…” and Hebrews 9:27 which reminds us that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” Church what that tells you and I is that we will all face death some day and the very thing we can learn from Stephen when it comes to death is that it does not matter if you face death with courage but if you face it with hope. You can face death with the hope of knowing that you are getting ready to meet your Savior, you are getting ready to meet the King of kings and the Lord of lords. However, there is a warning here for you and I and that is we must understand that the time to prepare for death is before you face it, not after because is too late.
III. His Triumph of Forgiveness (v.60)
Even as he was being stoned to death, Stephen’s gaze was still fixed on Jesus. And as he looked lovingly into the face of his Lord, he could think of no better way to show his love for Christ than to paraphrase Christ’s words from the cross. Look at the comparisons: Jesus said, “…Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit…” (Luke 23: 46a). Stephen said, “…Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7: 59). Jesus said, “…Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…” (Luke 23: 34a). Stephen said, “…Lord, lay not this sin to their charge…” (Acts 7: 60a). What a joy it was going to be for Stephen to finally be with Jesus. In a few brief moments, Stephen would be with the one he loved and served. Stephen’s last cry was for forgiveness. Not for himself. Stephen prayed God would forgive those who were killing him.
So in closing, we are left with the question of how did this prayer of Stephen’s make a difference that day? In verse 60 we are told that when Stephen prayed that prayer that day a young man by the name of Saul was nearby watching and what had happened to Stephen that day left unforgettable images in Saul’s mind (Acts 22:19-20) but more importantly it planted a seed in Saul’s heart and the wheels were set in motion for his conversion in chapter 9. Let me explain, even though Stephen’s death was a tragedy God took this tragedy and showed that He was still in control. This tragedy shows that God has all of history and all of the circumstances of life in His grasp, and that nothing happens which He is not aware of and which is beyond His control. I’m sure it didn’t look that way to the early Christians. it looked like the devil won a victory by ending the life of a powerful member of the early church. Just like it might not look like God is in control in the circumstances of your life. But He is. Maybe there is something you need to do to cooperate more with what He wants you to do, but God remains in control. Stephen’s death certainly looked like a major setback in the short-term, but in the rest of the story, it was a critical part of God’s plan for Christianity to be spread out from Jerusalem, and was also significant in the journey of Saul the persecutor becoming Paul the apostle. God was in control then, and is in control now.
In closing, as Christians we can learn several things from Stephen. One, that we should live our lives and introduce Christ to people in such a way that He is unforgettable. Two, that in the midst of trials and tribulations in our lives we are to keep our eyes on God. Three, if you know Jesus as your Savior what do you really have to fear. If we show the courage, the faith and the forgiveness of Stephen, we will triumph in the end.
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