By Brian Kenyon

Memorial Day is about remembering those who lost their lives in war. Those of us on this side of life, can only say thank you to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure and maintain the freedoms we enjoy. It took faithfulness to the cause of freedom for them to have given their lives. However, there is an even greater cause than that of political freedom — the Cause of Christ! We can all be encouraged by those we find in Scripture who paid the ultimate price for that Cause. Stephen is one such example. The characteristics he displayed will also enable us to live for the Lord, even if that means paying the ultimate price in this life for our faithfulness. Like Stephen, we must be ...

Willing To Serve Tables
We first find Stephen in Acts 6. The Jerusalem church was concerned about helping people in need, as should all Christians (Jas. 1:27; Gal. 6:10). As their present situation stood, this church could not see to the needs of the Grecian widows (Acts 6:1). The apostles could not leave their work in "the word of God" to "serve tables" (Acts 6:2). Thus, they told the congregation, "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:3-4). Stephen was among the seven men that the congregation chose (Acts 6:5). He met the qualifications. First, he was of "honest report," which meant that his peers thought well of his integrity. Second, he was "full of the Holy Ghost." We know that for Stephen this involved miraculous powers (Acts 6:8). Third, he was "full...of wisdom" (Acts 6:3). Stephen was willing to do what many in our day would think is too menial—serve tables! Would we be willing to do this for the Cause of Christ? We would if we possessed those same qualifications. We must be of "honest report" (3 Jn. 12). Although Christians today are not miraculously "filled with the Holy Ghost," we are still commanded to be "filled with the Spirit," non-miraculously (Eph. 5:18). Stephen may have had a miraculous type of wisdom (cf. 1 Cor. 12:8), but we receive ours from asking God (Jas. 1:5). Does our character allow us to serve tables?

A Fearless Teacher of the Word
Though he was selected to serve tables, Stephen did not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunities he had to teach others the word of God. It may have been that his work of serving tables took him among people and that natural occasions arose for him to teach. His teaching was plain, clear, and irrefutable. Even the most learned men of the synagogue "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake" (Acts 6:10). As a result of his uncompromising teaching, he met opposition from those who did not like the truth. He was falsely accused and framed. "They suborned [secretly induced, NKJ] men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us" (Acts 6:11-14).

Stephen, however, was ready to answer (Acts 6:15), and answer he did! He gave a brief history of God"s people (Acts 6:2-36); he showed that Christ was that Prophet whom Moses said would come (Acts 6:37-38); and he showed how the Jews of his day, like their ancestors, have not kept the law (Acts 6:39-53). We also must be fearless teachers of God"s word. We may not preach publicly., and we may not be "scholars," but all of us must take advantage of the opportunities we have to teach God"s word. As parents, we must teach our children God"s word (Eph. 6:4). This means, of course, that we must know God"s word (2 Tim. 2:15). No matter what our position, it takes courage to teach and live God"s word. Do we have that courage?

Faithful unto Death
Stephen had spoken the truth, but instead of his hearers" hearts being "pricked," as those on Pentecost (Acts 2:37), "they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth" (Acts 7:54). Stephen"s death was a direct result of his preaching. Some preaching puts the listeners to sleep, but with Stephen"s preaching, the listeners put him to sleep—permanently (until Jesus comes again, 1 Thes. 4:15-17). Stephen"s preaching affected him personally. He was slandered by false witnesses (Acts 6:13), brought before the High Priest (Acts 7:1), and died a cruel and heartless death (Acts 7:54-60). Stephen"s death affected the church. It brought great sorrow (Acts 8:2), and it caused the church to be "scattered abroad" (Acts 8:3-4 cf. 11:19). Stephen"s death affected the Cause of Christ. All except the apostles left Jerusalem, and what might have seemed like the end of the church, resulted in the expansion of the church—they went everywhere, preaching, teaching, and planting the church (Acts 8:4)! At his death, there was significance in what Stephen saw and in what he said. He saw "the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56), which showed the concern and involvement of Jesus at the death of His disciples. Stephen said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59), which showed his complete confidence in Christ, and "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:60), which showed his Christ-like attitude (cf. Lk. 23:34).

Stephen"s death sheds light on Jesus" statement, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). This does not simply mean be faithful until the day we die, but it means be faithful, even if our faithfulness costs us our life! Jesus said that we are to "fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him [God] which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Mt. 10:28).

Stephen gave his life for the Cause of Christ. He stands as an example to us. Do we have the disposition that we would even serve tables if that is what the Lord asked of us? Are we fearless in teaching the word of God? Are we faithful unto death? May the Lord give us strength to give our lives to Him, to always be willing to do what He says, and to "not grow weary in well doing."