No. 04. “They Were Willing To Die For Him" - Acts 6; Acts 7
Steve Clachan - Sunday: April 20, 2008
Series: 50 days of “Easter” - Why Did They Believe This?
Acts 6; Acts 7
Rev. Stephen Filyer
Clachan Baptist Church
INTRODUCTION
Two Unlikely Success Stories
As a disciple, Peter was not the kind of guy you'd go to in the clutch, to use sports terminology. In his early years, whenever he opened his mouth, it was usually to change feet. He was the one who, when the spotlight pointed his way, ended up embarrassing himself.
On the day of Pentecost, a holy and historic moment in front of a large crowd, Peter had something to say--of course. But would it be something appropriate or totally off target? His track record wasn't good. Peter didn't have a history of rising to the occasion.
If I'd been there as Peter stood, I'd have cringed. Oh, no! What's he going to say now? But Peter said exactly what was needed. His powerful words pierced the hearts of the crowd, and (Acts 2:41) says that "those who accepted his message were added to their number that day."
It was the high-water mark of his ministry.
On the other hand, consider the man named Stephen, whom the Bible describes as "full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." His character was deep and sound. In addition to his spiritual depth, Stephen was also an educated man. When he spoke in public, he was persuasive--so much so that those who opposed him "could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke." This led those who opposed him to drum up false charges against him.
(Acts 7) contains Stephen's self-defense to the authorities who called him in for questioning. His message was every bit as direct, pointed, and scriptural as Peter's sermon at Pentecost. Like Peter, he was called upon to bear witness to Christ in a tough setting, and like Peter, he was equal to the task.
But unlike Peter, the results were far different. When Peter finished, the crowd responded with repentance and faith. When Stephen finished, the crowd responded by dragging him outside the city and killing him. As far as we know, no one accepted his message that day. In fact, (Acts 8:1) says, "On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem."
It doesn't seem fair! Peter's message led to mass conversion, while Stephen's led to mass persecution.
As a result of his sermon, Peter surfaced as the preeminent leader of the early church. As a result of his sermon, Stephen didn't surface--he ended up six feet under.
Ironically, Stephen is the one who had shows more spiritual maturity. He deserved success. He hadn't failed Christ as Peter had. He hadn't been a public embarrassment to his Lord. He hadn't displayed his pride and concern with "greatness." Stephen had agreed to assume the low-profile, no-limelight position of distributing food to needy widows. He was questioned by the authorities because he faithfully obeyed the mandate to be a witness. It was this faithfulness that killed him.
From surface appearances, we'd label Peter's ministry a success and Stephen's a failure. Peter got the response and the recognition. As far as we know, only one individual who saw Stephen die became a believer, and that not directly because of Stephen's witness.
It doesn't take much imagination to transport these two into the twentieth century. Peter would have his picture in magazines and be a keynote speaker at church conferences. Stephen would have his ministerial life summary in the obituary section of the denominational magazine. While we'd admire his willingness to die, a number of us would say, "You know, I always thought he'd amount to more than he did."
In the stories of Peter and Stephen, I learn a great deal about success in ministry--in God's eyes and in ours.[1]
Cannot Choose Which Cross
God can never make me wine if I object to the fingers he uses to crush me. If God would only crush me with his own fingers, and say, “Now, my son, I am going to make you broken bread and poured out wine in a particular way, and everyone will know what I am doing.” But when he uses someone who is not a Christian, or someone I particularly dislike, or some set of circumstances which I said I would never submit to, and begins to make these the crushers, I object.
I must never choose the scene of my own martyrdom, nor must I choose the things God will use in order to make me broken bread and poured out wine. His own Son did not choose. God chose for his Son that he should have a devil in his company for three years. We say, “I want angels; I want people better than myself; I want everything to be significantly from God; otherwise I cannot live the life, or do the thing properly; I always want to be gilt-edged.”
Let God do as he likes. If you are ever going to be wine to drink, you must be crushed. Grapes cannot be drunk; grapes are only wine when they have been crushed. I wonder what kind of coarse finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you, and you have been like a marble and escaped? You are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you, the wine that came out would have been remarkably bitter. Let God go on with his crushing, because it will work his purpose in the end.[2]
Oswald Chambers, So Send I You (Discovery House, 1993), p.21
The Bigger Picture
In her book Mystery on the Desert, Maria Reiche describes a series of strange lines made by the Nazca in the plains of Peru, some of them covering many square miles. For years people assumed these lines were the remnants of ancient irrigation ditches.
Then in 1939 Dr. Paul Kosok of Long Island University discovered their true meaning could only be seen from high in the air. When viewed from an airplane, these seemingly random lines form enormous drawings of birds, insects, and animals.[3]
In a similar way, we often need to see the bigger picture.
CONCLUSIONS
The disciples had expected Jesus to be the King of Israel and in that they were sorely disappointed. But what they could not see was that he had brought them so much more; he turned out to be the savior of the world and they were to became the ambassadors of the Great King![4]
And if you read further on to the end of this chapter, Jesus actually appears in that locked room and proceeds to breathe on his disciples, to give them a little of his Spirit, that they might have some power to serve while they wait for Pentecost to arrive.
I find it remarkable that so many of these that encountered him after his Resurrection go on to give up their lives for him. Men and women do not die for ghosts or for lies. They die for real love, and a real cause. And these were convinced that they already had begun a real life that would last forever. The question for every generation is the same: Are we convinced that he is alive? Are we continually being re-filled with his Spirit in order to have the power we need to live our lives as one of his followers?
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[1] John Whitsett, Cambrian Park Church of the Nazarene, San Jose, California. Leadership, Vol. 11, no. 3.
[2] Oswald Chambers, So Send I You (Discovery House, 1993), p.21
[3] Timothy George, "Big Picture Faith," Christianity Today (10-23-00)
[4] Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com