God's work through Martyrdom

I was thinking about this year thus far and was reflecting on the fact that this year there has been alot that transpired with well known Christian leaders. There have been those who have disqualified themselves from ministry which has resulted in some sorrow, anger and perhaps disillusionment. As these figures fade into the periphery you feel as though the number of trusted guys becomes smaller and smaller. But of that bunch some of them go on to be with the Lord and so 2025 has been filled with a mixture of sorrow for the Christian community. And whether these losses were in some ways expected and predicted as with our brother John Mcarthur, or they were unexpected like our brother Voddie Baucham or perhaps both unexpected and tragic as with the social activist Charlie Kirk, there are people whose lives we wished would have carried on for the sake of bringing attention to Jesus and glorifying his name. God indeed though works in mysterious ways to bring more glory to himself through even the removal of powerful men from his service and I just thought I'd encourage you by looking at a divinely inspired and recorded instance here in the seventh chapter of the book of Acts. 

As you may not be familiar with some of the surrounding context, I'll try to fill you in by first looking at who is this man Stephen that is martyred. After that let’s look at his martyrdom and its effects and end with some applications. So firstly, who is Stephen. Well Stephen was likely known as a very prominent figure within the Jerusalem assembly. Based on the way the book of Acts unfolds he may have been even more well known than some of the apostles. If you ask how that’s possible, I'd just remind you I said he may have been, I don't know we are making some guesses here, but it isn’t impossible. Apollos was known as a man mighty in word and deed and even now there are persons who rise to prominence without formal roles. I sometimes think about Paul Washer, who isn’t an elder at his church and subjects himself to leadership of a local church, but has risen to a position of prominence amongst believers without the title of pastor. But unlike these men who hold no official title, Stephen was one of the first deacons to ever be appointed. You may be familiar with the events surrounding his appointment. But if you aren’t, Stephen and six other men were appointed as deacons to ensure that the Hellenist widows were not neglected in the daily distribution. So his role was pretty important role given we are talking about people going hungry or not. 

So Stephen wasn’t just some randomly popular guy. He was brought into the office because he was recognized as a man who was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He both had competence for the job of serving these hellenistic widows as well as the godly character to assume the role of an officer in the church. And what a gift to the church! The church at Jerusalem had just added 3000 members and with such a large membership bordering on megachurch numbers, there needed to be men who could support the apostles so that they could devote themselves to preaching and prayer. So Stephen was a blessing to the Jerusalem church no doubt as widows were given care as he worked with the other men to address that concern. But even more than being a deacon, God uses Stephen as a debater and apologist. So effective was he in this work that in chapter 6 and verse 9 we find Stephen engaging and preaching to the Cyrenians, the Alexandrians, and those of Cilicia and Asia. So in other words this dude is taking on people from different backgrounds, fielding questions and like Samson in the religious sphere he was utterly demolishing these guys arguments such that the author says that they could not withstand the wisdom or the Spirit with which he was speaking.

A man skilled in serving, a man powerfully used in preaching. One who could put on his apron and serve tables and wear a monocle and debate his opponents using the scripture. This is the picture set forth of Stephen. As Luke describes him, he shows us that Stephen’s  speech was so compelling that men had to malign his character by planting liars to speak falsehoods against him so that he would be dragged before the religious court. Seems like there is nothing new under the sun as it's still pretty popular to try to use insults and discredit someone’s character when you can't deny their arguments. But far from being persuasive to his hearers, the words of this proto-deacon only provoked hostility and this hostility played itself out as a smear campaign to discredit Stephen. 

He is dragged before the religious leaders of the day on false charges and called to account by the high priest to answer the charges. This is where we pick up in verse 54 with Stephen's martyrdom. The men can't resist the wisdom with which he speaks so stopping their ears. Literally plugging their ears shut so they can't hear what he's saying this rush at him and go to stone him. At first glance we may say what a waste! A man who is in the prime of his usefulness for the Kingdom of Christ. A man who has done miracles in Jesus’ name and has served the people of God by watching tables is now dead, killed by the hands of wicked men. He’s murdered and not only murdered but as one person said he's treated like a heretic by his countrymen. And so this seems like a pointless, senseless tragedy. A short ministry that ends in failure though it began with such promise, ends with a devastating loss to the church. 

Comparison has been made to this ministry and that of Jim Elliot. For those of you who don't know, Jim Elliot  went to the far east of Ecuador to preach the gospel to an indigenous people group. As the Lord would have it, Jim was never able to preach the gospel to the tribe. His desire to initiate contact with the tribe ended with him and his colleagues being bludgeoned to death by the natives near a river called palm beach. This man and the other four friends who accompanied on this missionary journey were married and left behind a widows and in some cases children. Some would say what a waste of talented young men. Jim died a martyr at 28. He hadnt led anyone to Christ in fact he didn't even share the gospel. What was the point?

Similar circumstances existed here, the deacon Stephen had not led any of these men to Jesus. In fact, his preaching seemed to harden them. As we consider the effects of Stephen's martyrdom, first notice with me that it did not result in the immediate thriving of the church. On the contrary, his death led to great persecution for the church writ large. Persecution that was more widespread and more violent than anything experienced before. Acts chapter 8 and verse 1 notes that there arose on that day great persecution for the church in jerusalem. It seems that very day, the frenzied and blood thirsty mob were not satisfied with the blood of stephen, they wanted everyone who was a part of his gang and so Luke records for us a great persecution against the church. So not only was Stephen violently attacked in Jerusalem, but now saints throughout that area were being attacked. The church also scattered as well and so there was a fragmented group without its original leaders who all stayed behind in Jerusalem.  

So again, it seems as though this situation just went from bad to worse. God had raised up a man in the midst of his people with seeming unbridled talent. A gift to His people for their benefit and this man is executed and taken from them almost as quickly as he was appointed to their midst. And what was the effect? The conversion of the hostile Jews? Not at all. Growing animosity towards Christians and their persecution. The fragmentation of the fellowship of the Jerusalem church But i submit to you brethren, that God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform. God’s ways are indeed not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts.

Sometimes when great leaders or influential christian are removed or die unexpectedly or tragically our impulse is to think why Lord, so and so person could have done so much more. We think functionally perhaps the Lord should have reached out for us for some consulting because it’s just so obvious this person was too important to lose at this time. I mean yes, they have to die, but now? I think of all the good that Voddie had planned. He was in the middle of establishing another Seminary back in America associated with the Founders group. He had a week prior come from preaching at his home church a powerful sermon concerning the bride of Christ. He had kids to continue to father and a wife to continue to love and lead. Surely, Lord this wasn’t the right time. Surely. Think of all the good and redemptive purposes that could be accomplished, it can’t be the right time. Functionally we say whate’er my God ordains is right, until I view it as wrong or deficient in some way.

But friends this attitude misses the fact that there is only one man who was germane to God’s plan of redemption and His name is Jesus. There is only one man who we can say is the way the truth and the life. There is only one name under heaven by which we can be saved and there is only one person who has veiled deity with the meagreness of human flesh and dwelt among His people to save them. That man is Jesus. We have one hero of the story folks. This ain’t the justice league, where it’s like well Super man is really strong and he is like the main protagonist and leader of the group, but without the others he really couldn’t measure up to the villains. No not at all, We have one main character and one main protagonist of the Christian story. The one whose name will be sung through the ages and who will be recognized as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Who has fire in His eyes and is coming again with his saints to judge the living and the dead. This is the central figure of both our worship and our labours. Jesus the Christ. And Jesus will direct and use His people as he sees fit. Sometimes as Mark Chanski said at the CBC fiftieth anniversary that means felling a big solid tree so that the sun may pierce the underbrush growing beneath so that many trees may grow up in an area that was formerly shaded. 

I think something like this is at work here. Far from being a huge catastrophe for the church, Stephen’s martyrdom did much good. Consider with me these two ways first by noting the attendant of Stephen’s death, Saul. The witnesses to Stephen's killing laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Saul was there, hearing the preaching of the gospel. Under the influence of the work of the Holy Spirit. Ofcourse he wasn’t converted then, but doubtless the Lord used this event to work contrition and repentance in Paul’s heart. And in this scene it’s as though during the most dramatic event or the crescendo of this act, as Jeff Smith mentioned the camera pans over to this previously unknown figure. Saul was there listening to the preached word. A word that rebuked his own self-righteousness and in fact applied directly to him as Stephen preached to his own soul claiming that He Paul was a stiff-necked person, uncircumcised of heart and ears and resistant to the Holy Spirit. Paul was preached to as the one who did as his fathers had done by persecuting the prophets and killing those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous one. Paul was confronted as a law breaker, insolent and a blasphemer. And in a turn of events that only could be orchestrated by God, Stephen’s prayer for the Lord not to hold this sin against him, was answered. 

The church at that time may have been asking who will replace stephen? Who would work miracles in our midst and confound those who are religious judaizers? Who would be tender in our midst and use their strength to serve the people of God and care for the aged? And if in answer to these questions, the scene shifts to the one who persecuted the church. God was at work in the conversion of Saul as he beheld a man whose face shone like an angel who faced the prospect of death with confident assurance. As we know later on in Acts 9, Paul was converted and went on to plant churches in areas such as Corinth and Ephesus. He cared for the people of thessalonica such that he compares himself to a nursing mother taking care of children. Where would the church of Jerusalem find a replacement for Stephen. Among his persecutors. Not just among his persecutor’s in the chief perscutor of the church at the time Paul.

This is how God works brethren. Unexpected ways. By his grace saving the most wretched of sinners. Causing them to see their own unrighteousness and abhor their former life and cling to the refuge that Jesus provides by His atonement. By God’s grace, Stephen’s death was not in vain, God worked providentially to bring the apostle Paul to faith and cause him to understand the magnitude of grace that was shown to him by Christ Jesus.

But also consider with me the second work that was accomplished through Stephen’s death. Though the church was persecuted so that they would stop preaching the word, we see in chapter 8 and verse 4 that those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. Phillip goes out to the City of Samaria and preaches Christ. In this way we see God fulfilling through the apostles the words that he spoke prior to ascending to the right hand of the Father. He told the apostles:

[They] will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon [them], and [they] will be [his] witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

The apostles stayed, but the deacon phillip who was taught by them left and went to preach in Samaria. Ofcourse later on the apostles journies would cause them to 

But again, who would have thought that an event used to close the mouths of christians would be the catalyst for regional evangelism. Death of the saints created boldness, in fact as we hear one church father say, the blood of the martyrs becomes the seed of the church. This was exactly what occured with the death of Stephen in the early church.

As we consider applications. Firstly consider the outcome of your faith brethren. We live in the comfortable West and saints are going home. Those who have laboured and you have learnt much from in some instances. Consider the outcome of their faith and way of life. I’m not saying only consider their faith and way of life as I’m not a fan of internet pastoring. But consider how some of these men lived and benefitted you and laboured. Look many of us know that these men with their families struggled with health issues for years and still sought to contribute to God’s work. Some of us joke and say it’s all downhill from here because we have passed the thirty-five year old mark or are nearing ever closer to it. But how many of those years are spent using the strength of our youth for the sake of Christ. I’m not saying you need to go to Ecuador and be martyred, like Jim Elliot. But I am saying that you should be going somewhere. The cause of Christ ought to be motivating you to engage meaningfully as you seek to march on the basis of the instructions and example you have been given by other godly men. 

But secondly think about what you are ultimately trusting in. The book of acts is shortform for the acts of the apostles. I’ve heard it said it should be labelled the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles, but that probably isn’t as easily remembered. The point is, these men worked and laboured in the power of God. Paul argues in 1 corinthians 3, Paul, who is Paul? Who is Apollos, servants through whom you came to believe. They counted themselves as mere tools in the hand of the master. Wielded and put down when God saw fit. A passage like this bids me to think about what exactly do we have faith in. Correct methods? God’s messengers… or his message? God’s purposes or human wisdom and the arm of flesh? God raises up faithful men. He gives and he takes away and like Job all we ought to say is blessed be the name of the Lord. God’s purposes haven’t been set back three or four years because Voddie or McArthur aren’t around. Professing Christian commentators like Charlie Kirk aren’t the cog that will break down his agenda. As powerful as these men have been used by God, in some cases like Charlie Kirk even post-humously, the Lord has promised that he will undertake the work of building HIs church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 

Spurgeon in one of his sermons titled the known and the unknown recounts an instance where someone asked him, “What is to be done when you are gone?”. Perhaps it was thought it was a good question as Spurgeon had an orphanage for which he had responsibility, a congregation and I believe a college. But he pragmatically and perhaps maybe baldly responded to this inquiry by saying Are we not to leave the future as we leave the present, in the hand of God? And will not all be well? The Lord did very well without us before we were born, and he will do very well without us after we are dead.

Our hope and our trust ought to be in the God who has been our help from ages past. Let’s look to him for help. Let’s look to him in hope as certainly he will undertake the work of ensuring that the church is victorious over all her foes.