The Call to Stephen

By his Spirit, God works through ordinary people to accomplish his work in the world. Those who open themselves to the Spirit’s call find new direction (see Acts 9) and new purpose for their lives as leaders.

Stephen was a Greek convert chosen to assist the apostles in the early church in serving the Greek-speaking widows. Though a layman, Stephen willingly shared his beliefs and stood by his convictions—to the point of death.

Stephen’s sermon provides an excellent example of effective communication. First, Stephen relied on God. He was “full of God’s grace and power” (Acts 6:8) and represented God both in his words and in his actions. While it couldn’t have been easy to face such a difficult audience, God’s Spirit gave Stephen the strength to do so.

Second, his countenance reflected his character. Luke wrote that “his face was like the face of an angel”.

Stephen was a man led by the spirit of God and no matter the cost, he stood up and did what he was called to do, at the expense of his own life. He was a reflection of Jesus at all times.

Family of God, we may not have the conviction of Stephen, but we can at least have a determination in our hearts to tell others that Jesus is the only Saviour to this dying world.