Next Case! – July 9, 2023

Acts 6:1-8, 7:51-60
July 9, 2023

Ok, so we’ve seen a lot of Lawyer shows.  You know, “Courtroom Dramas.”  And no, I don’t presume to know everything that goes on in courtrooms – because I happen to watch those shows.  But certain phrases or “actions” stand out in my mind.  Like when a lawyer stands and says, “I object, your honor!”  Right?

Well, one of those courtroom “actions” that came to mind this week, is when, at the end of the case, the judge strikes his gavel and says, “Next case!”  And maybe things don’t happen exactly that way in reality, but that’s the way I’ve seen it portrayed.  And the reason that came to mind for me, is that that’s what appears to be happening here in Acts.

Think about it.  So far, Peter and John have been brought before the ruling council of Israel.  And remember, they were the civil authorities, too.  They were the court system.  And the council issued an injunction against them – a gag order – a “strict charge” not to speak the name of Jesus.  Of course, they defied that injunction, and they ended up standing before the council again – a couple of times.  Well, now it’s someone else.  Now it’s Stephen.  And in that religious “court,” this is now the “Next case!”  I want you to think about that as we look at this story.

Stephen’s is an interesting “case.”  And like the story of Peter and John, it goes on for a couple of chapters in the book of Acts.  These are the major happenings in the early days of the church.  These are the issues that had to be “sorted out,” as the early Christians learned how their message was going to relate to the world around them.  They didn’t become Christians and then just get together and worship.  They became a public force.  Their message was going out into the world.  And they had to deal with how that message would impact the world.  And the church has had to deal with that ever since.

So, we meet Stephen when he is chosen with six others to be “administrators” in the early church.  They were called specifically to manage the distribution of food to the needy.  They became the first Elders in the church, or perhaps in our world they would be considered the Deacons.

But Stephen did more than that.  In fact, there’s not even mention here of his service as that kind of a leader, is there?  What it does say is, “Stephen, full of grace and power, did many wonders and signs among the people.”  That doesn’t sound like an Elder or a Deacon to me!

We only meet Stephen only for a couple of chapters, because he also becomes the first Christian martyr.  That’s the end of this story.  But in that brief time, we see him as a man of great power and courage!  And I’m not suggesting here that it’s the job of the Elders and Deacons to do the kinds of things Stephen did – the “many wonders and signs among the people.”  But I am suggesting that they – and all of us – recognize the power and courage God gives us through the Holy Spirit.

Well, the next thing that happens here is that Stephen is arrested for doing all those wonders and signs – and speaking in the name of Jesus, of course.  And more specifically, he’s accused of speaking out against the customs of Israel and the Law of Moses.  We’re told that he was in a debate with several synagogue groups about those things, and he was winning!  So they got together and plotted to have him arrested.  And he was then called in as the “next case” before the council.  And again, I hope you see this as him being “hauled into court!”

Then we have the account of his “trial.”  As he stood before the “court,” the High Priest asked him, “Is what they’re saying about you true?”  Them being those who plotted against him.  And Stephen answered.  And his “defense” could be seen as the next Christian sermon recorded in Acts.  (The third maybe?)  And he may not have preached the first Christian sermon, but he certainly preached the longest.  You can read it in Acts 7.  It’s the entire chapter.  And in it, he “defends” himself, beginning with a long history of the people of Israel, starting with Abraham!  And remember, he was telling this history to the people who would have known it the best!

Stephen was displaying great power and courage in his words, too.  Because he wasn’t just “standing strong.”  He was “stirring the pot.”  Those are actually two sermon titles for this passage that were suggested by Artificial Intelligence!  (I didn’t use either of them!)  Stephen was “stirring the pot.  He was “pulling no punches” to use a boxing metaphor.  He was laying things out carefully and meticulously, using the whole history of God’s people, giving particular emphasis on the story of Moses.  (Remember, that was part of the accusation against him.)  And then at the end, he added Jesus to the context of all of that.  And that didn’t go over very well.

In doing that, he put it all back on them, the religious council, using the words God himself used for the people of Israel in the times they were unfaithful to him.  He starts the last paragraph saying, “You stiff-necked people!”  “You always resist the Holy Spirit – as your fathers did before you!”  “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute.”  That’s a little hint of the words of Jesus on Palm Sunday as he lamented over the city!  “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who were sent to you!”  Taking it further, Stephen said, “And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered!”

Stephen tied them into their own history, especially the negative parts of that history!  And the upshot of all this is that these men were angry!  They were even angrier than they were with Peter and John!  (I wonder in this case if they were angry because of what he said, or that his sermon was just too long!  I know people get upset about that!)  They were angry, and this time there was no Gamaliel to save him!  And they stoned him as their fathers did the prophets.

So, are we persecuted for our faith?  Are we likely to be martyred for what we believe?  No.  Although there are still people in this world who are!  But, are we called upon to make a defense of our faith?  That is much more likely.  And do we need to seek the strength of the Holy Spirit as Stephen did? Yes.  And that’s something we don’t always think about, because we don’t always see friction between our beliefs and our world.

And sometimes we forget.  Sometimes we go along with the world, not because we’re afraid of what the world will do to us, but just because our faith has gone soft, and we’ve lost a handle on how important it is!  May we seek the power of the Holy Spirit at those times, too.

So, do we stand strong in our faith?  I believe we’re called to do just that.  And we need the power of the Holy Spirit to do so.  Do we “stir the pot” like Stephen did.  I think we need to be very careful about doing that.  And not so much because we might be persecuted in our world.  It’s more likely that we will be simply dismissed!  People will just “write us off” – along with our beliefs.  I think we’re in an age where we need to be compelling, rather than confrontive, and loving rather than disapproving.

Such things are hard!  Sometimes it’s much easier to be dismissive ourselves.  We state our belief, and if it’s not accepted, too bad.  “The heck with ‘em!”  We just walk away.

I don’t believe that’s the way God wants us to be.  We have the greatest message of hope and peace that the world has ever known.  And as Paul said, we need to “rejoice in that hope,” as well as, “to be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)  And then, as Peter said, we need always “to be ready to give answer to anyone who asks us about the hope that lies within us.” (I Peter 3:15)  That is our defense of the faith.

Will we be martyred for our faith like Stephen?  Not likely.  But should we have the same power and courage in us that the Spirit gave him?  That’s the question.  And I hope we see that the answer is “Yes.”

Prayer

Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, help us indeed to know the true importance of our faith.  Help us to know the hope it gives us every day.  And help us to be ready to give answer to anyone who asks about it.  To your glory and honor we pray, Amen.