THE SECRET OF SUCCESS
Acts 6:8-15 & 7:54-60
INTRODUCTION
Do you believe that we as a society put a lot of emphasis on success?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
What are the indications of our obsession with success?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
Would you like to know the secret of success? Hands up who would like to know the secret of success!
Please turn with me to the book of Acts and we will consider someone whose life was a success. Someone whose life changed & is still changing the world today.
Daniel & Sharayah please come forward and read to us Acts 6:8-15 and Acts 7:54-60
There’s a success story – the story of Stephen. In God’s eyes, Stephen was so successful, that verse 56 tell us that Jesus Himself stood to show Stephen that He was a witness on his behalf. It may have indeed been this fact, that so enraged the mob – the fact that Stephen said – I actually see God witnessing to the truth I am stating – that they covered their ears & stoned him to death! We are told in many places in Scripture that Jesus sits at the right hand of God – here, we are told that He stands as an advocate for Stephen. When all others bore false witness – Christ shows Himself to stand as a witness on Stephen’s behalf to the truth.
What are some of the secrets of success that we can learn from Stephen?
Lets consider 4 of them:
Could someone please read verses 1-5 of Acts 6
(AWAIT VOLUNTEER)
The first secret of success we can learn from Stephen is,
1. BEING WILLING TO SERVE GOD IN WHATEVER WAY HE WANTS
Stephen was chosen along with 6 other men to give out food to needy widows within the congregation. These men were chosen for a mundane, behind the scenes service. They were not chosen to be in prominent ministries. They were chosen to ‘wait on tables’. And all 7 were willing to do just that – Stephen, as we can see in 6:5, headed the list.
It is interesting to note that in verse 5 we are told Stephen was ‘full of faith’. He trusted in the goodness of his God in whatever service he was called to.
So the 1st thing we learn from Stephen, is that to be really successful, we must be willing to serve God in whatever way He so desires. Whether that be noticed or unnoticed, considered by others as important or unimportant. For with God all service is noticed & all service is important.
Listen to verse 5 again
(READ VERSE)
What do you think could be the 2nd ‘secret of success’ we can learn from Stephen?
(AWAIT RESPONSES)
Yes, the 2nd ‘secret of success’ we learn from Stephen is
2. TO BE FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
In Acts 6:9-14 we are told how religious people argued with Stephen, stirred up hatred against him and even ‘dug up’ false witnesses to condemn him!
Doesn’t sound like much of a success story does it?
How did Stephen react under these circumstances? Look at 6:15 and see! ‘All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.’
This is how we will react if we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. There was an angelic calmness and composure on Stephen’s face. He was a ‘Spirit filled’ man, and he reacted graciously. What a tremendous testimony he bore in his life and on his face.
To be successful, we need to have that ‘peace which passes understanding’, which only God can give, when we give our all to Him.
How do we become ‘Spirit Filled’?
Firstly, by yielding to Christ and letting the Holy Spirit come into our lives. Listen to Eph 1:13, ‘And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit’.
And secondly, by allowing the Spirit to control all that we do.
The 2nd ‘secret of success’ is to be full of the Holy Spirit.
Firstly, we are to be willing to serve God in whatever way He wants and secondly, we are to seek the infilling of the 3rd Person of the God-head by surrendering to Him. If we are to be successful we must be Spirit filled people!
The 3rd ‘secret of success’ we can learn from Stephen is,
3. TO HONOUR THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
In Acts 7:2-53 we have the record of Stephen’s defence against his accusers – and that defence was full of quotations from the Scriptures.
Stephen’s message shows us clearly that:-
· He knew the Scriptures
· He believed the Scriptures
· He preached (or proclaimed) the Scriptures
· He presented Christ in the Scriptures
· He applied the Scriptures to his listeners & his own life.
Paul in 2nd Tim 2:15 says, ‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.’
Was Stephen like that? Are we like that? Do we read, believe, proclaim, present Christ and apply the Scriptures?
We need to strive to know the God who has revealed Himself in the Bible. This is the 3rd secret of success.
Ask yourself, ‘Am I willing to serve God in whatever way He desires?’ Answer that question in your own heart, in your own mind right now - for that is the first secret of success.
Then ask yourself, ‘Have I given over to the Holy Spirit total control of my life?’ For in that you will discover the second secret of success.
And then test yourself on your love for God’s Word. Jesus said, ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command.’ We need to know what He commands, we need to know who He is – therefore we must strive to know, honour and obey the Holy Scriptures.
Could someone please read to us Acts 7:59-60
(AWAIT VOLUNTEER)
Who does Stephen remind you of in those verses?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
Yes, he reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ! And that is the fourth secret of success – we are,
4. TO BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST
We have just heard a moving word picture of Stephen’s martyrdom. And his attitude was exactly the same as Jesus’ when He died on the cross.
In Lk 23:34 Jesus Christ said of those who had crucified Him, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ In Acts 7:60 Stephen cries out ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’
And in Lk 23:46 Jesus cries out before His last breath departs, ‘Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.’ And in Acts 7:59 Stephen just before the moment of his own death, cried out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’
As far as God is concerned, the greatest mark of success is to be like Christ.
Do we long to be like Him? Do we spend time in prayer & reading His word each day? For the greatest mark of success is to be just like our Lord & Saviour! What an impact we would have on the world if we were like Him!
CONCLUSION
You know the story is told of a wealthy, successful business man upon whose death a reporter asked his accountant, ‘how much did he leave behind?’ To which the accountant replied, ‘ he left it all!’
Our Lord Himself said in Mtt 6:19-21, 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth & rust destroy, and where thieves break in & steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth & rust do not destroy, & where thieves do not break in & steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’
You know, one day we will all stand before God in judgement. 2 Cor 5:10 tells us, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.’
The book of Revelation indicates that the final judgement of God on humanity will be at the end of time – not the end of our lives. Why?
Maybe it is because we will be judged by what influence we have had on others, along with what we have done with our own lives.
Maybe Hitler or Darwin haven’t been fully judged yet because their evil practices & theories are still influencing people today. God is waiting until the end of this world to judge these men, for it is only then that the full extent of their influence will be evident.
Maybe Stephen hasn’t been fully judged yet. For he is still impacting people around the globe – pointing them to the glorious Son of God.
Maybe we will not be judged until the end of time because our Lord will wait to see what impact we have made on humanity!
Lets aim to be successful people.
Put into practice the 4 secrets of success that we have considered this morning:-
· Being willing to serve God in whatever way He wants
· To be full of the Holy Spirit
· To honour the Holy Scriptures
· To be like the Lord Jesus Christ
Let’s pray
