Acts 7:60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “LORD, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian Church. Initially, he was chosen to be a deacon who looked after the widows and orphans in the faith community. The Holy Spirit inspired Stephen to become a street preacher, which in turn, led to his death by stoning. He was an incredible young man and a zealous servant for Christ. He knew what had to be done and what needed to be preached. He didn’t balk against peer pressure or the religious authorities. Christ’s message had to be broadcast in brave and dauntless ways. If it meant being unpopular, harassed, or persecuted, Stephen didn’t flinch. He was both faithful and fearless at the same time. To him, to live was Christ, and to die was gain.
Sometimes I’ve had to preach an unpopular message which has upset people in church. From time to time, I’ve endured criticism for preaching the Gospel. It would be far easier to give in to cultural pressures and say what people want to hear, but then I would be pandering to my own narcissism and become guilty of leading the people astray.
I’m not perfect and I make mistakes, but I don’t believe that Christ made any mistakes and that the young Christian Church, along with its martyrs like Stephen, was more in tune with Christ’s message than we are today. The world is busy telling us that we need to change or we will die. Christ’s Gospel states that people need to change or they will perish. The two messages are poles apart. If we ever forget that the Church is Christ’s Bride and is not the World’s Partner, we will be in danger of discrediting Christ’s ministry and dishonoring His Way.
So what’s it going to be folks? Will we become so enamored by the world that we will embrace its ways, or will we remain loyal to Christ and preach His message with our lives, no matter how unpopular, unworldly, and unacceptable that might be to our present culture?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are fallible people and imperfect followers. We want to be Your servants and devoted disciples. Challenge us today and change those things in our lives that hinder the impact of Your message upon our choices and deeds. 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 pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Poppy Dawn.” If you would like to view a larger image, you can see it online at http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4713447758_ce72edb0f3_b.jpg
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