The Book of Acts: Lesson 6, The First Martyr

Today, we are going to spend most of our time in Acts 7, where we will meet the first Christian martyr, a man named Stephen. As we study the final hour of his life, I believe we’ll find great encouragement for our faith. In this passage, Luke goes out of his way to make sure we notice that Stephen was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. His walk is characterized by wisdom, faith, grace, and power! All of those attributes come from the Holy Spirit’s work in his life. Stephen walked with a bold faith in Jesus Christ. His life was visible proof of what the apostles were now preaching: Faith in Jesus Christ leads to a new birth through the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 7 records his powerful sermon defending his faith in Jesus Christ as the long-promised Messiah of the Jewish people.  

However, his boldness was immediately identified as a threat to the power of the religious leaders. As a result, they had him violently arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. Because his message cut so deep, they responded by labeling him as a blasphemer and calling for his death by stoning. Through our study in this passage, we will be challenged by Stephen’s faith. Not only is he an example for those called to die for their faith, but also for those God calls to live for their faith!

In His Service,

Pastor Steve