Martyr's Faith

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MARTYR'S FAlTH

Text: Hebrews 11:37.

Introduction:

A. Who,as the first Christian martyr? Most people answelj, "Stephen."

1. No~ really. John the Baptist was a Christian and a m~tyr.

2. Jesps was martyred before Stephen.

B. The st~ry of Stephen's martyrdom is well known to most sfnday School students.

C. His ma tyrdom was not the first and certainly not the las .

D. Four thoughts to be developed in this sermon.

1. Fai~h develops beauty of character.

2. Faitlh develops physical beauty.

3. Fait develops beauty of testimony.

4. Fait! develops magnanimity in death.

I. FAITH I CHRIST DEVELOPS BEAUTY OF CHARACTER. .

A. This mJst be evident to every observant Christian.

1. Thel best people in any community are the Christians.

2. Fait (salvation) changes wife-beating, child-abusing hus ands into loving, compassionate men.

3. Rea I what Paul said of some of the Corinthian Chri~tians, I Corinthians 6:9-1l.

B. We knqw nothing of the circum-stances under which Stephen became a Christian.

C. As a Ch~istian, he had sterling character.

1. He]1 d a reputation for honesty, Acts 6:3.

2. He as full of the Holy Spirit, Acts 6:3,5.

a. e was surrendered to and controlled by the pirit.

b. Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:18-

3. He 1as full of faith, Acts 6:5.

a. !e .had no reservations about Jesus being the avior.

b. e had no doubts about his own salvation.

c. e was fully confident that all of God's promises 1auld be fulfilled.

4. He en oyed the confidence of the church: the first named of seven set aside for a special service.

5. He ha power with God, Acts 6:8. Some others who had po er with God.

a. A raham in prayer for Lot.

b. M ses interceding for rebellious Israel.

c. Eliiah who stopped the rain, James 5:17.

6. He ha power to do, "Great won-ders and miracles," Acts 6: .

a. T' s was a special gift by which certain believers au thenticated the Gospel they preached.

b. N believer now possesses the gift of miracles; the co pleted Bible is suffi-cient to authenticate the go pel message.

II. FAITH DEVE OPS PHYSICAL BEAUTY, Acts 6:15.

A. What wo Id cause a person's face to shine as an angel's?

1. Moses' face shined after he had been a long time in the mo n-tain with God, Exodus 34;29,30.

2. On the mount of Transfigur-ation, Jesus, Moses and Elijah ppeared with shining faces and garment.s, Matthe 17:2,3; Luke 9:30,31.

3. Extre e pleasure and anticipa-tion makes a child's face s . e.

4. Stephe had:

a. Th pleasure of knowing the Lord was with him an would sustain him in the present trial.

b. He anticipated being with the Lord, and in His lik ness.

B. With refe nee to Acts 6:8.

1. Stephe was "full of faith," or full of grace.

2. Grace eans beauty.

III. FAITH DEVE OPS A CONVINCING TESTIMONY, .Ads 7:54.

A. Stephen as charged with two counts of blasphemy

1. Jesus w uld destroy Jerusalem, and

2. Change the laws of Moses, Acts 6:13,14.

B. Stephen's efense, Acts 7:2-53.

1. He calls the Jews' own history and conduct to witness in his b half.

Index