In the Bible book of Acts Stephen was charged with continually speaking “against the law” (the religion of the Pharisees) and saying that Jesus wants to change things. Rather than directly answering “the charges,” Stephen began to boldly testify and proclaim God’s actions in the history of Israel. He ended his “defense” by telling the Pharisees, that they murdered Jesus, “the Righteous One.” He declared: “You have received the law that was given through angels, but you have not obeyed it.”

Stephen faithfully proclaimed God’s life-giving story to those who considered themselves to be its experts. He boldly rejected their lifestyle and religiosity and the way they sucked the life out of God’s story and how they turned it into dry religious formalism and self-righteous legalism. His “defense” made the experts of the law so furious that they covered their ears and yelled at the top of their voice and then stoned him to death. But Stephen looked beyond the outward circumstances and saw “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

As Christ-followers we need to look beyond Christian experts who often spin God’s story to make people comfortable. We need to look to the living Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.” We need to know the story directly from the Bible like Stephen did and let it burn within us. We need to be able and willing to tell it from our heart, not from a religious curriculum or from sermon notes. We need to look beyond religion and behold the risen Lamb of God “who takes away the sin of the world” and to bask in and proclaim Christ’s glory regardless of the outward circumstances.

Heart-felt adoration of and interaction with the living Jesus shouldn’t be seen as the prelude to a sermon. It’s the main reason Christians are called to gather together.

Churches and Christian conferences have often launched ministries centered around one man or woman. Very few have launched a movement focused on Christ alone.

Stephen’s boldness and courage was founded on the three spiritual weapons revealed in Revelation 12:11:

1) Rely on Jesus’ blood;
2) Testify from your heart;
3) Set aside self-focus.