The sermon explores Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7 as an “encounter with the risen Christ,” showing how Stephen provides resources for the road—a way to face suffering with courage, clarity, and grace. The preacher frames the message around three movements: what Stephen said, what Stephen saw, and what Stephen did.
1. What Stephen Said
Stephen, one of the first deacons, delivers the longest speech in Acts, recounting 1,800 years of Israel’s redemptive history—Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David—to show that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. His message exposes the pattern of Israel rejecting God’s messengers, culminating in their rejection of Jesus. This enrages the Sanhedrin and leads to Stephen’s execution.
“He takes them through 1800 years worth of redemption history…”
2. What Stephen Saw
As he is dragged outside the city and stoned, Stephen receives a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father—a courtroom image. Unlike other New Testament passages where Christ is seated, here Jesus stands as Stephen’s advocate. While earthly courts can only declare someone “not guilty,” Jesus alone can declare us innocent because He fulfilled the law both by living perfectly and by paying sin’s penalty.
“As Stephen is confessing Christ before the earthly court… Jesus is confessing Stephen before the court of heaven.”
This vision becomes Stephen’s resource for enduring suffering—not denial, not stoicism, but the assurance of Christ’s advocacy and vindication.
3. What Stephen Did
Stephen dies with a face “like an angel,” offering forgiveness to his killers: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” His witness becomes a turning point in Acts. The persecution that follows scatters the church and propels the gospel outward to Judea, Samaria, and beyond. The sermon suggests that Saul (later Paul) likely heard and remembered Stephen’s speech, shaping Paul’s later theology.
“His final words are, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’”
Let us hear what Stephen said, see what Stephen saw, and do what Stephen did—bringing grace into the world and allowing God to transform suffering into glory.
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