Acts 6:8-15, 7:54-60
“Christian Power”
By: Reverend Kenneth Emerson Sauer, Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church
Have you ever been persecuted or harrassed by others for doing what is right?
Have you ever gotten yourself in trouble for doing what is wrong?
Well, there is a big difference!
For if we get ourselves in trouble for doing what is right we can have peace with God....and it can also
takes a lot of guts!
If someone gets on your case when you give them one of our ‘invitation cards’ or door-hangers, don’t be
alarmed....don’t let it stop you because you are doing God’s will and Jesus is watching you approvingly.
As Jesus Himself tells us: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of
evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”
John Wesley, the founder of The Methodist Church got in all kinds of trouble for doing what is right!
He got kicked out of the Anglican Church for preaching the Gospel...of all things!
But did that stop him?
No. Thanks be to God it did not!
John Wesley was a man full of God’s grace and power....and because of this....Millions were converted to
the Christian faith....and continue to be.
In our Scripture lesson for this morning, we are introduced to another person who was “full of God’s
grace and power.”.....
Stephen.
The first Christian Martyer.
He was actually killed for doing what was right.
And “while they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, recieve my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees
and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Wow, now that is powerful!!!
Stephen was surely full of God’s power.
The power to forgive those who are mistreating us, and in Stephen’s case killing us....is the most powerful
thing in the world!
And this power comes only from God.
And we all have access to this power...all of us who are Christians.
Because the believer’s power has nothing to do with wealth or fame.
It has nothing to do with priviledge or good looks.
And it has nothing to do with muscles or stature.
It has everything to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within each of us who believe!
Have you ever tried tapping into this power?
You can, you can.....
All of us can.
And just image what would and could happen if we did.
Peter Cartwright, a nineteenth-century circuit-riding Methodist preacher, was an uncompromising man.
One Sunday morning when he was to preach, he was told that President Andrew Jackson was in the
congregation, and he was warned not to say anything out of line.
When Cartwright stood to preach, he said, “I understand that Andrew Jackson is here. I have been requested
to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn’t repent.”
The congregation was shocked and wondered how the President would resond.
After the service, President Jackson shook hands with Peter Cartwright and said, “Sir, if I had a regiment of
men like you, I could whip the world.”
Just think of what you and I could do for this community if we all were to tap into the power of God which
comes from the Holy Spirit!
The creation of the Methodist Church was a laity led explosion....
Those whose lives were changed shared their new found faith with courage and power and God honored
that---and the Church grew like wildfire....
And God will honor our efforts....because it is His will that all persons be saved and grow within the
community of faith!
Studies show that 70 to 90 percent of persons who join a church have joined because someone from
that church invited them.
Unfortunately, only 20 percent of Church members ever invite anybody!!!
When was the last time you invited somone to church?
There is no doubt that there is great power when church members share their story, share their faith, and
invite others to experience what they have experienced!!!
This past week, I was in blockbuster renting a video.
After paying for the video, I looked the cashier in the eyes, smiled, told him that I would like to invite him to
Parkview United Methodist Church and handed him one of our ‘invitation cards.’
A few days later, when I returned the video, I stuck one of those same cards inside the video case.
When I was at the library, browsing through the isles, I came upon the book section which deals with
depression and suicide.
I stuck ‘invitation cards’ within the pages of several of those books.
Every once in a while I see cars driving down Jefferson or Mercury Boulevard that have Parkview United
Methodist Church bumper stickers on back....
and I think to myself....
If every one of us would put these stickers on our cars no one in this community could leave their homes
without being witnessed to the power which is behind this church!
In New Testament Greek, the word ‘martyr, literally means witness.
Therefore, to be a witness is to be a martyr, and to be a martyr is to be a witness.
And Stephen was a witness to those who opposed to him.
The content of Stephen’s sermon was about the Lord, and it was based on God’s Word.
A visitor attended a church service one Sunday morning.
The preacher’s message lacked real spiritual food, so the preacher did a lot of shouting and pulpit
pounding to cover up his lack of preparation.
In fact, as it is sometimes said, he “preached up quite a storm.”
After the service, someone asked the visitor, who was a Christian, what he thought of the minister’s
message.
Thinking for a moment, he summed up his opinion in six words: “High wind. Big thunder. No rain.”
Yes, when the Scriptures are neglected, there is “no rain.”
Only when we base our witness on God’s Word are people blessed and refreshed....
Only when we proclaim God’s Word are lives changed.
In verse 54 of chapter 7 in Acts, the Bible says that after Stephen preached his message....well.... about those
listening it says.... “When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.”
They were literally cut to the heart....because there is tremendous power in the Word of God.
And it was the reaction against this power that caused Stephen’s martyrdom.
Stephen was on trial for his life.
He had been called upon to defend himself.
But instead of actually defending himself, Stephen preached about the tragic failure of the people who
were not following God.
And while Stephen was preaching to them the Spirit of God was convicting them.
But the response of their hearts was anger, not godly sorrow.
They had no intention of confessing that they had been wrong.
So they “gnashed their teeth at him.”
The word ‘gnashed’ means to bite, to grind, to gnash the teeth just like a pack of snarling dogs.
The people were in a rage.
They were filled with anger and malice.
They were ready to do violence.
They were ready to unleash the fury of their emotions.
When the human heart rebels against God, it becomes disturbed and tormented, uncertain and insecure,
indignant and reactionary.
But notice the faithfulness of Stephen in bearing witness to the truth.
His purpose was not to escape condemnation--not at any price.
He, of course, was not hoping to die, but he was not willing to deny the truth in order to live.
What a dynamic testimony for those of us who may have to bear witness to Christ in difficult situations!
“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.”
This is something to keep in mind....
God is always present when one of his dear children is facing a crisis.
Stephen had the promise of Christ and so do we: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the
world.”
And in Stephen’s moment of greatest trouble God gave Stephen the most glorious testimony: “Look,” he
said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
The experience of the resurrected Christ is more powerful and more important than anything that this
world has to offer...it is even more powerful than life on this earth itself!!!
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”
Stephen knew he was going to a better place.
He knew he was going to be where Jesus is.
So Stephen called for Jesus to accept his spirit....to take him to heaven.
And this is where everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will someday be.
So Stephen kept his eyes on Christ, even as he was being stoned to death:
“Then he fell on his knees and cried out: ‘Lord do not hold this sin against them.”
What a way to go!
There is nothing more powerful!!!!
Stephen was actually filled with compassion for his killers.
He wanted them to be saved too!
And you know who was there....giving approval to Stephen’s death?
It was none other than Saul himself.....who within the next few chapters of Acts was actually saved himself.
He became the great apostle Paul!
God answered Stephen’s prayer!
Nothing is beyond the reach of the awesome power of God!!!
We are to depend on it.
We are to proclaim it.
We are to witness to it.
And we are to take possession of it.
For this, my friends, is what the Christian life is all about!
Thanks be to God!
Amen.
