Mighty to Save ~ Acts 7:55-60 ~ Fifth Sunday after Easter

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About two months ago, a new church opened near our home in Lower Burrell.

Immediately, one would notice it’s not your typical church.  It doesn’t look like a church.  It’s in a strip mall.

Through the windowed storefront, you can see the coffee lounge, the stage for the worship band, and the children’s rock-climbing wall.  It would appear that they have a lot to offer  to the un-churched families of our community…

Another church, a long-established mainline Protestant congregation, wrote on their sign “Pastor Bob sure can preach!”

A mega-church with thousands of members offers dozens of small group ministries for every need and interest. 

It is the fervent desire of every congregation to be able to offer something extraordinary to draw people to Christ. 

But could imagine a church growing if people’s lives were in danger simply by showing up? 

Today in Acts, we learn of the first major tragedies to strike the early church.  Stephen was a man who was full of the Holy Spirit, doing great wonders and signs among the people and proclaiming Christ with power and wisdom.  But not all people were impressed—particularly those belonging to what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen.  They argued with him.  They accused him of proclaiming that Jesus was going to destroy the Temple and eradicate the Law of Moses.  They stirred up the crowds to drag him out of the city and stone him to death. 

All along, a young man named Saul look on with great satisfaction.  In fact, Saul is now emboldened to go from house-to-house, throwing Christians into prison. 

Today, the Scripture brings us face-to-face with events that are as tragic as they are terrifying.  One would think that this was the beginning of the end for the fledgling church.  Yet, the church continues to grow by leaps and bounds—because apostles and the new converts proclaimed the Gospel with even greater boldness. 

There’s no mistaking the brutality and hatred we see.  But God’s Spirit is even stronger.  Stephen, for his part, will see the heavens opening up and revealing the glory of God as he dies.  His last words are spoken in forgiveness of his persecutors.  If all that wasn’t enough, God will take this most brutal persecutor, and transform him into an apostle who will bring Christ’s name before Jews and non-Jews all across the land, and go on to write much of our New Testament Scriptures. 

It’s hard to believe that the church grew and thrived in such a terrible time, but it’s true.  But today, the Church in this country is declining.  Rapidly.  Thankfully, nobody is breaking down our door to kill us or throw us into prison.  But the Christian faith is most certainly in danger.  It’s terrible to see the hostility towards our faith in the courts and the halls of power in our government.  It’s sad how our culture has taken Sunday, which was a day of worship and rest,  and transmogrified it into a “cram day” to frantically try and accomplish everything that we wanted to do in the other six days but could not. 

But I daresay the biggest threat comes from those who do believe in Christ and call themselves Christian—but simply do not make Jesus a priority.  There’s just too many other important things to do. 

It’s hard to make Christ your first priority when seemingly everybody is making demands of you.  It’s hard to give generously during a recession—and it’s even harder to give if there’s even the slightest doubt that you’re giving to a ministry that’s declining.  It’s hard to go out into the community and do mission if you don’t believe that anyone needs the ministries of the Gospel.  What’s easy is to box up our faith and ministry into something that’s comfortable and convenient and fun.

The truth is that the Holy Spirit has been let loose upon us, starting at our baptism. 

This Spirit took a bunch of ordinary people, most of whom were poor and uneducated, and transformed them into a community that boldly proclaimed Christ, and lived out his Word.  They gave generously and took care of those in need.  They loved and accepted one another in spite of their diversity.  They gave thanks to God in the worst of times.  They forgave sins.  Through it all, they prayed, they broke bread, they taught and learned God’s Word.  The Spirit carried them out into their communities, to bear witness to those who did not yet believe, and the community of Christ continued to grow and thrive. 

This same Spirit lives and breathes within us today.  We don’t need rock-climbing walls or rock bands to thrive as a church.  We have the Word and the Sacraments.  We have each other.  We have people to meet in this community who need our prayers, our friendship, and our gifts.  Even though we’re in a struggling community, it’s full of opportunities for Christian love to meet real needs. 

Jesus never promised it would be easy.  At times we’ll rejoice in our life in Christ; at other times, rejection, disappointment, and trial will pelt us with stones.  But the power of the Spirit will be made perfect in our weakness and struggle.  This Spirit is stronger and mightier than the courts, the politicians, the atheist organizations, and even those who persecute and kill our sisters and brothers in Christ.  The Spirit is stronger than the recession.  This Spirit is even stronger than our fears and our complacency. 

And God forbid, if you and I find ourselves face-to-face with those who will kill us because of Christ, God will be there to save us just as God saved Stephen.  Our God is mighty to save.  

So lose an hour at Bible study this week.  Lose some comfort and security and share your faith.  Let your priorities be thrown in upheaval by putting Christ first.  Lose your ambitions, your dreams, and even your life itself—and God will show you what life in Christ really is.