Acts 7:54-8:4 – God’s Power Through God’s People #8: Stephen
And now, we come to the final sermon, #9, of this series. Since September, we have been studying in the book of Acts, watching how God’s power flowed through His people to make a difference. In the 1st part of Acts 1, we saw how God’s power is available for us today. We also saw in Acts 1 how Judas missed the point of living for God. Next, in Acts 2, we saw Peter, being changed and being used. Acts 3 told the story of a beggar, who was crippled, being healed and fixed and used for God. Sermon #5, from Acts 4, talked about Barnabas, a fellow who encouraged others so much that he got a nickname for it. In Acts 8, we met a guy named Simon Magus, who wanted power and control for selfish reasons. Sermon #7 was basically a tour through Acts, studying how God’s speaks to His people today. Last week, we saw how God creates divine appointments, meetings between believers and non-believers that bring glory to Him, demonstrating his great love for us through the example of Peter and Cornelius.
Today I want to conclude our series looking at a great hero of the faith. He would be among the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12. His name is Stephen, and his story is told in Acts 6-8. Let’s start in 6:8-15.
The question is asked in 7:1: “Are these charges true?” Stephen then answers that question with a fairly long sermon. Well, long compared to other recorded sermons in Acts. Skimming through his answer, he basically retells the history of the Jewish people. He mentions Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph. He spends a long time with Moses and Aaron, and the Hebrew people in their desert wanderings. Through the sermon, Stephen keeps mentioning how the ancestors were sinful and stubborn, and refused to continue to trust in God.
His sermon does not end with an altar call. There is no encouragement to put 3 points into practice. He does not greet them at the door with a smile and handshake. No, he ends with this: 7:51-53.
And, I’m sure you will not be surprised to read their reaction: 7:54. And they act on their anger: 7:55-59.
Stephen became the very 1st Christian martyr that day. But the persecution did not end that day. Rather, it intensified. Mass persecution broke out, and the Christians living in Jerusalem had to scatter to save their lives. In Acts 12, Herod persecuted the apostles for political gain. Opposition to the gospel led the apostles to flee in Acts 13. In Acts 16, the gospel threatened trade, economic prosperity and the fortune-telling industry in the city of Ephesus, so false accusations lead to missionaries to being severely beaten. In Acts 19, the gospel threatened trade, economic prosperity and the idol industry, also in Ephesus, and this time the idol-makers incited riot that got out of control. Paul was beaten and arrested in Acts 21, and he eventually lost his life because of his faith. Peter was killed for his faith. Thomas died for his faith. Most of the apostles, in fact, died because they trusted in Jesus.
Suffering for Jesus is not new. And Stephen, who was the 1st to die for Jesus… his legacy serves as an example for all of us. And it is in this spirit that we come to the Sunday in the church calendar called the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. It is a Sunday in November, usually the 2nd Sunday but we’ll celebrate it on the 3rd, that we take time to remember Christians around the world, who, like Stephen, are still being persecuted for what they believe.
Many experts suggest that more than 200 million people in over 60 nations face violent persecution or detention because of their identity as Christians. That’s 6 times the population of Canada. At least that many or more are discriminated against on a regular basis because of the faith.
So, how many Christians are martyred each year? That’s a good question. The website for the IDOP says this: “It is difficult, if not impossible, to say for certain how many Christians are killed for their faith annually. Queries to those who do such research have shown that their figures are, in fact, projected averages or statistical guesses rather than based on hard figures or actual documentation. Sadly, most martyrs suffer and die anonymously, unknown, forgotten, their deaths unrecorded except in heaven. Even email, which most of us consider a basic everyday tool is a struggle to use in places like Ethiopia, Burma, and much of central Africa. Even where it is more readily available, it is not secure. Much goes unreported or is reported months, even years later.
“For many Christians, persecution is such a part of life that it hardly dawns on the afflicted to tell the world. They don't know who to tell anyway and there are only so many organizations with limited staff to seek them out. Even then, many are nervous about sharing what they know for fear of retribution. In short, persecution, by its very nature, defies being statistically analyzed with any degree of certitude.”
We know that Christians are the largest identifiable group in the world today who are denied their basic human rights simply because of who they are. While persecution against any group is, I think, wrong, we think of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world because of our like, precious faith.
One of the main reasons for the persecution of Christians worldwide has been because of its rapid growth. It is truer to say that church growth causes persecution than that persecution causes church growth. In some countries, such as Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East, persecution has actually caused the church to significantly shrink in size over the past 100 years.
But elsewhere, the church has exploded in recent years. In 1960, there were twice as many evangelical Christians in the West than in the rest of the world. Forty years later, there are now four times as many evangelicals in nonwestern nations than in the West.
In China, the Protestant church had maybe 1,260,000 members in 1949. Today the church has grown to at least 81 million members (registered and unregistered). The Catholic Church has grown from 3 million to over 12 million during the same 50 year period.
The church in Sudan is the fastest growing church in the Muslim world; this despite facing some of the most horrendous persecution known to man in recent years.
Among the Hmong people of northern Vietnam, there were NO evangelical Christians in 1989. In 11 years, by 2000, they numbered over 175,000. All of this church growth has taken place while being brutally oppressed by Vietnamese authorities.
So what should we make of all these hardships? Let’s be honest: it’s easy for us, who are rarely persecuted for what we believe, to sit back and come up with easy answers. But let’s understand what the Bible says about it. First, Christians are to expect persecution. John 15 is clear that we will have troubles. In fact, if we follow Christ, we will face difficulties – 1 Peter, and Philippians 2. And we should not be ashamed or embarrassed about persecution – 1 Peter, and Hebrews 13.
Jesus told a story about sheep and goats – about people who did God’s will, and people who didn’t. He specifically mentioned that we are called to stand with those who are persecuted. That’s in Matthew 25:31-46. That’s what we will do today.
Hebrews 13:3 says this: “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”
There are 4 specific areas where it has been suggested we pray.
#1 - Pray for believers in the ISLAMIC WORLD, where they may face persecution from Muslim militants and discrimination in employment and the legal system. These are places like Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Egypt, and Somalia.
#2 - Pray for Christians living in the COMMUNIST WORLD. Believers here may face persecution from Communists and governments ideologically opposed to Christianity. These are places like China, and North Korea, and Vietnam. A formerly imprisoned Vietnamese pastor said this: “I praise the Lord that He has never forsaken us.”
#3 - Pray for the HINDU WORLD. Pray for the Christians who may face persecution from militant Hindus and discrimination in the legal system. These are places like India and Nepal.
#4 – Pray for the BUDDHIST WORLD. Lift up to the Lord in prayer the Christians who may face persecution from militant Buddhists or and legal/state discrimination. These are places like Burma, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. A Burmese pastor said this: ““God has been so good to us that we are not afraid of difficulties.”
What I’d like to do is for us to join hearts as we pray for the persecuted church around the world today.
