Sermon Tone Analysis

“There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world; and that is an idea whose time has come” - Victor Hugo

The gospel is more than an idea, it is the power of God

On Sunday, January 8, 1956, on the shore of a lonely river deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, five missionaries were murdered by primitive Auca Indians.

News of the massacre shocked the world.

To some, their deaths seemed a senseless tragedy.

Many decried the promising missionary careers cut short, the five young wives bereft of their husbands, the children left fatherless.

Those with deeper spiritual insight saw things differently.

Nate Saint, one of the five martyrs, had written, As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages?

As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ.

(Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor [Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1981], 176) Elisabeth Elliot, widow of another of the martyrs, Jim Elliot, commented, To the world at large this was a sad waste of five young lives.

But God has His plan and purpose in all things.

There were those whose lives were changed by what happened on Palm Beach.

In Brazil, a group of Indians at a mission station deep in the Mato Grosso, upon hearing the news, dropped to their knees and cried out to God for forgiveness for their own lack of concern for fellow Indians who did not know of Jesus Christ.

From Rome, an American official wrote to one of the widows, “I knew your husband.

He was to me the ideal of what a Christian should be.”

An Air Force Major stationed in England, with many hours of jet flying, immediately began making plans to join the Missionary Aviation Fellowship.

A missionary in Africa wrote: “Our work will never be the same.

We knew two of the men.

Their lives have left their mark on ours.”

Off the coast of Italy, an American naval officer was involved in an accident at sea.

As he floated alone on a raft, he recalled Jim Elliot’s words (which he had read in a news report): “When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.”

He prayed that he might be saved, knowing that he had more to do than die.

He was not ready.

God answered his prayer, and he was rescued.

In Des Moines, Iowa, an eighteen-year-old boy prayed for a week in his room, then announced to his parents: “I’m turning my life over completely to the Lord.

I want to try to take the place of one of those five.”

(p.

253)

(1) A zealous persecutor

In the previous chapter, Stephen has been stoned to death.

He was the first Christian martyr.

His death may seem pointless.

He was a wonderful servant of God and a powerful teacher of the the Bible and a bold witness for Jesus.

He was a man of godly character and conviction.

Why was it necessary that one so gifted have such a brief ministry?

On Sunday, January 8, 1956, on the shore of a lonely river deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, five missionaries were murdered by primitive Auca Indians.

News of the massacre shocked the world.

To some, their deaths seemed a senseless tragedy.

Many decried the promising missionary careers cut short, the five young wives bereft of their husbands, the children left fatherless.

Those with deeper spiritual insight saw things differently.

Nate Saint, one of the five martyrs, had written, As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages?

As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ.

(Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor [Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1981], 176) Elisabeth Elliot, widow of another of the martyrs, Jim Elliot, commented, To the world at large this was a sad waste of five young lives.

But God has His plan and purpose in all things.

There were those whose lives were changed by what happened on Palm Beach.

In Brazil, a group of Indians at a mission station deep in the Mato Grosso, upon hearing the news, dropped to their knees and cried out to God for forgiveness for their own lack of concern for fellow Indians who did not know of Jesus Christ.

From Rome, an American official wrote to one of the widows, “I knew your husband.

He was to me the ideal of what a Christian should be.”

An Air Force Major stationed in England, with many hours of jet flying, immediately began making plans to join the Missionary Aviation Fellowship.

A missionary in Africa wrote: “Our work will never be the same.

We knew two of the men.

Their lives have left their mark on ours.”

Off the coast of Italy, an American naval officer was involved in an accident at sea.

As he floated alone on a raft, he recalled Jim Elliot’s words (which he had read in a news report): “When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.”

He prayed that he might be saved, knowing that he had more to do than die.

He was not ready.

God answered his prayer, and he was rescued.

In Des Moines, Iowa, an eighteen-year-old boy prayed for a week in his room, then announced to his parents: “I’m turning my life over completely to the Lord.

I want to try to take the place of one of those five.”

(p.

253)

MacArthur, John.

Acts 1-12 MacArthur New Testament Commentary (MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series) .

Moody Publishers.

Kindle Edition.

At times like this we have to put our trust and faith completely in Jesus.

we have to remind ourselves that God was there.

He has a plan.

In our our world today we have to remind ourselves that God is here.

He has a plan and a purpose.

At first glance, Stephen’s death may also seem pointless.

Here was another promising career cut short.

He was a powerful, miraculous preacher, with a deep knowledge of the Old Testament.

Such was the godly character of his life that he was one of the seven chosen by the church to oversee its daily affairs.

Why was it necessary that one so gifted have such a brief ministry?

(1) The zealous persecutor

(2) The Spirit led preacher

(3) The unshackled prisoners

(4) The deceiving pretender

(5) The searching politician

(1) The zealous persecutor

The Book of Acts and the epistles give sufficient data for a sketch of Saul’s early life.

He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (), a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (see ; ), the “son of a Pharisee” (), and a Roman citizen (; ).

He was educated in Jerusalem by Gamaliel () and became a devoted Pharisee (; ).

In what ways did Saul persecute the church?

He “made havoc of the church,” and the verb here describes a wild animal mangling its prey.

When Christ spoke to Saul on the Damascus road, He compared him to a beast!

() The stoning of Stephen, which Saul approved, shows the lengths to which he would go to achieve his purpose.

He persecuted both men and women “unto the death” (), entering both houses and synagogues ().

He had the believers imprisoned and beaten (; ).

If they renounced their faith in Jesus Christ (“compelling them to blaspheme”—), they were set free; if they did not recant, they could be killed.

(1) A zealous persecutor

Galatians 1:1-4

Philippians 3

Acts 8:1-

Devout men - from the same synagogue as Stephen - they were protesting his death

The Book of Acts and the epistles give sufficient data for a sketch of Saul’s early life.

He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 22:3), a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (see 2 Cor.

11:22; Phil.

3:5), the “son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6), and a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25–28).

He was educated in Jerusalem by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and became a devoted Pharisee (Acts 26:4–5; Phil.

3:5).

Measured by the Law, his life was blameless (Phil.