The Power Within: If I Had Only One Last Sermon to Preach

Text: Acts 7:1–60 Tone: Modern Pastoral, Spirit-led Speaker Notes: Includes cues for pacing, tone, and emotion INTRODUCTION (soft tone) If I had only one last sermon to preach... what would I say? Stephen, standing before the Sanhedrin, found himself in that very moment—a man filled with the Spirit, surrounded by rage, and facing death. Yet what came out of his mouth was not fear... but fire. (pause) He preached as a dying man to dying men. Richard Baxter once said,

"I preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men."- Richard Baxter

Stephen did that. He didn’t defend himself—he declared the glory of God.

I. A FAITH THAT FOLLOWS (Acts 7:1–7)

(emphasize)

"The God of glory appeared to Abraham... and said, 'Get out from your country and from your kindred, and come to a land that I will show you.'" Abraham heard God’s voice and obeyed—without knowing where he was going. (build intensity)

He didn’t demand details. He didn’t negotiate the destination. He simply went. Faith begins not with answers, but with obedience. (pause)

Sometimes God says, "Go," and you don’t get a map—you just get a promise. Abraham lived by faith, not sight. And Stephen reminds us: the people of God have always been a going people—not a staying people. (emphasize)

Faith moves. Faith obeys. Faith trusts.

II. A GRACE THAT SUSTAINS (Acts 7:8–16)

Stephen moves from Abraham to Joseph—a man betrayed, sold, forgotten, but never forsaken. (pause)

"But God was with him." Say that with me—(slowly) God was with him. When he was in the pit, God was with him. When he was in prison, God was with him. When he stood in Pharaoh’s court, God was with him. (rise in tone)

Joseph had grace and wisdom. Grace—that beauty of character that makes you radiant even when life is unfair. Wisdom—that divine perspective that sees the hand of God when all you can see is hardship. And here’s the truth: sometimes the worst betrayal is God’s setup for your greatest breakthrough. (pause)

What others meant for evil, God means for good.

III. A CALL THAT COSTS (Acts 7:17–36)

Now Stephen brings us to

Moses—the prince who gave up a kingdom to follow a calling.

(build intensity)

He could have stayed in Pharaoh’s palace—wealth, status, comfort, safety. But he chose the wilderness over the throne, because he heard the call of God. When God called from the burning bush—Moses trembled, took off his sandals, and stood on holy ground. (pause)

Church,

Holy ground isn’t a place—it’s a posture.

It’s when you say, "Here I am, Lord." Moses’ calling cost him everything—but in the end, he led a nation to freedom. God never calls us to comfort; He calls us to courage. (emphasize)

And if your calling doesn’t cost you something, you might not be walking in your calling yet.

IV. A REBELLION THAT REPEATS (Acts 7:37–53)

Stephen shifts gears. He moves from history to confrontation. He says, (firm tone)

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit—as your fathers did, so do you." (pause, lower voice)

Ouch. That’s not how you win friends in the Sanhedrin. But truth isn’t meant to flatter—it’s meant to free. Stephen says: Israel had the prophets—and killed them. They had the Law—and broke it. They had the Messiah—and murdered Him. (build intensity)

The pattern was clear: when God moved, they resisted. When God spoke, they ignored. When God sent His Son, they crucified Him. (soften)

And before we shake our heads, we must look at ourselves—because every time God convicts us and we harden our hearts, we do the same thing. Stephen wasn’t trying to win an argument—he was pleading for repentance. He didn’t want revenge—he wanted revival.

V. A VISION THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING (Acts 7:54–60)

(softly)

They gnashed their teeth. They screamed. They dragged him outside the city. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up and said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" (build intensity)

Jesus—standing, not sitting. Standing to welcome His servant home. Standing to honor the faithfulness of a man who would rather die speaking truth than live in silence.

Friends…what will you do when your called? Will you die speaking the truth or live in silence? They hurled stones—but Stephen prayed. They cursed—but he blessed. They took his life—but he gave them forgiveness. (pause, soften)

"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."(v.59)

(lower)

"Lord, do not charge them with this sin."(v.60)

(look upward)

That’s what it looks like to see heaven before you reach it. And Saul... was watching. (emphasize)

The Church would one day owe Paul to the prayer of Stephen. CONCLUSION (gentle, pastoral)

If I had only one last sermon to preach... I would preach like Stephen. I would tell you that God is faithful through every generation—from Abraham, to Joseph, to Moses, to now. I would tell you that faith moves, grace sustains, calling costs, rebellion repeats, and vision transforms. (pause) And I would tell you—never take your eyes off Jesus. Because when the world rages, when the stones start to fly, and when it costs you to stand—He will stand for you. (build intensity)

So preach your last sermon today—with your life. Speak truth. Live bold. Forgive freely. And keep your eyes fixed on the glory of God. (softly)

Because when you do... you’ll see what Stephen saw—Jesus, standing.

ALTAR CALL – “Fix Your Eyes on Jesus”

(soft tone, reflective)

Stephen saw Jesus… standing.

Not sitting in judgment.

Not turning away.

But standing — to receive him, to honor him, to welcome him home.

(pause)

Church… what do you see when you look up?

Do you see the chaos of this world — or the Christ who conquered it?

Do you see the stones being thrown — or the Savior who stands for you?

(build intensity)

If you’ve been running, if your heart has grown cold, if you’ve resisted the Spirit — tonight is your moment to see Him again.

Because the same Jesus who stood for Stephen… is standing for you right now.

(soften)

Maybe you’ve been carrying bitterness. Maybe you’ve lost your fire. Maybe you’ve been afraid to speak truth.

Tonight, Jesus is calling you — not to comfort, but to courage.

Not to religion, but to relationship.

Not to fear, but to faith.

(pause)

Come.

Come lay down what’s been holding you back.

Come stand before the One who’s standing for you.

(build gently)

If you need forgiveness, it’s here.

If you need boldness, it’s here.

If you need to see heaven open over your life again — it’s here.

(softly, invitingly)

Would you come?

Come to the altar — fix your eyes on Jesus.

Because when you look up… you’ll see what Stephen saw.

And that changes everything.