Acts 7:51 “You
stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just
like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
Stephen was a mighty preacher and
spoke the truth bluntly, but in the end it cost him his life. He was convinced
in his heart that his own people needed to be challenged and convicted by the
Holy Spirit before they could be changed. He wasn’t doing it out of malice or
malcontent; he was doing it because he wanted the people to humbly come to Christ
and be saved. The pity about his passionate preaching was this: the people
refused to listen to what God called upon him to say.
Prophetic preaching is very rarely
heard these days. People like us go to church to be lifted up, not sorted out. We
are looking for words of encouragement and spiritual means of support to get us
through each week. We need to know that God loves us and approves of who we
are, what we are doing, and what we hope to achieve. We seek meritorious blessings
from God and practical ways to fulfill our dreams. We come for something from
God and feel empty when we get nothing from the service, the preacher, or the
worship.
Stephen didn’t last long as a
preacher. Acts chapter 7 contains most of what he passionately preached on that
ill-fated day. The people were infuriated and turned into an ugly mob. They reacted
that way because Stephen was meddling with their cherished beliefs, their own
understanding, and spiritual feelings for God. To be told that they were doing
it all wrong was just unthinkable, unacceptable, and blasphemous. So they did
the very thing that he was preaching about: they killed another prophet. In
their fury, they did not realize or refused to recognize that they were guilty
of the very things that Stephen was pointing out. The preacher preached the
truth in order to change their lives; all his hearers did was to deny his
words, his message, and then take his life.
Stephen wouldn’t last long in our
society either. He would upset our comfort zones and tread on our toes. He would
meddle through his preaching and push us away from God. We wouldn’t stone him;
we would just completely ignore him. That’s why prophetic preachers are so rarely
found these days – they just don’t want to rock the boat or upset the church.
Preachers and church people are alike because they suffer from the same
condition: they just can’t handle the Truth.
Questions for personal reflection
Have I ever been
‘stung’ by a sermon? What did I honestly think about the preacher?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Gospel is not easy
to preach, teach, or even accept. We want to live our own lives peacefully and
happily, freely and prosperously. We forget that our faith costs lives, even in
today’s world. Speak to our spirits today and express to us what we need to
change in our lives in order to truly follow You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly
pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com. John welcomes your comments
and questions.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest Psalm drawings. It’s based on a verse from Psalm
134. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following
link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8574831320_492585350d_b.jpg
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