Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

















"Preach The Word"

A LIFE, A PRAYER, AND A DEATH

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And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice,
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he
had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:60. (Lesson 54-60.)
Stephen was an ordinary man surrendered to the will of God.

I. Why was his life so filled with power and influence?
A. He was converted. He had been dead, but now alive.
B. Stephen was separated from the world and unto
Christ.
C. He was dedicated to the service of Christ. He was
filled with the Holy Spirit because he wanted to be.

II. His prayer. Stephen prayed a two-fold prayer.
For himself : "Lord Jesus receive my spirit."
For enemies: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
A. His prayer revealed his faith. Believed in God.
Also had faith in immortality. "Receive my spirit."
B. It revealed a noble Christian, ready to pray at all
times, and especially so in time of crisis or need.
C. It also revealed a heart in tune with God. You cannot
pray for enemies unless this is true.
D. The prayer of Stephen shook a wicked sinner—Saul
of Tarsus.

III. His death. This kind of death is not common.
A. He began the list of Christian martyrs.
B. His death demonstrated the power of Christ in
time of death. See his poise, confidence, faith, compassion.
He had a living faith in time of death.
C. He made us to know that a Christian's death is
actually a "falling asleep."
D. His death marked a change in the work of Christians.
The self-satisfied, easy-going Christians of
Jerualem faced a great persecution which arose in
the city against the church. The brethren were
scattered: "Therefore, they that were scattered
abroad went every where preaching the Word."
Acts 8:4.

 SERMON STARTER FROM DR. LEE ROBERSON

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