The Fruit of Devotion: When Witness Becomes Costly

What would it take for you to stop talking about Jesus? A threat to your reputation? Your job? Your life?

In Acts 6-8, we encounter Stephen—a man who understood something profound about Christian identity that we’ve largely forgotten. When we call him the first Christian martyr, we miss the revolutionary truth: the word “martyr” simply means “witness.” Stephen wasn’t exceptional because he died; he was faithful because he understood what every believer is called to be.

This Sunday, we explored how Stephen’s story isn’t about one extraordinary man’s sacrifice—it’s about God’s pattern for advancing His kingdom through faithful witnesses who count the cost and speak anyway.

The True Meaning of Being a Witness

When Jesus declared in Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses,” He literally said, “You will be my martyrs.” This wasn’t a call to an elite group of super-Christians. This was—and is—the fundamental calling of every believer.

Stephen grasped this completely. Full of grace and power, he performed signs and wonders among the people. When religious leaders couldn’t refute his wisdom, they resorted to false accusations, dragging him before the Sanhedrin. They accused him of blasphemy against Moses and the temple—serious charges that warranted death.

But notice Stephen’s response. He didn’t defend himself or try to negotiate his way out. Instead, he seized the opportunity to bear witness to Christ. With his life hanging in the balance, Stephen chose proclamation over preservation.

The Pattern of Rejection and Faithfulness

Stephen’s lengthy sermon before the Sanhedrin wasn’t just a history lesson—it was a prophetic indictment. He traced through Israel’s history, showing a consistent pattern: God sends deliverers, and His people reject them.

Abraham left everything to follow God’s promise. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. Moses was rejected by the very people he came to rescue, with them saying, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?” The prophets were persecuted and killed by those who should have received their message.

Stephen’s point was devastating in its clarity: “You are doing just as your fathers did.” The religious leaders who prided themselves on preserving Moses’ law and honoring the prophets were actually following in the footsteps of those who rejected God’s messengers. And ultimately, they had murdered the Righteous One—Jesus Christ—whom all the prophets had announced.

What the Early Church Teaches Us About Healthy Conflict Resolution

Have you ever noticed how quickly people assume something must be wrong when a church talks about problems? I remember preaching through Acts years ago and coming to this same passage about the early church’s first internal conflict. Afterward, multiple people pulled me aside, lowered their voices, and asked, “So what’s really going on?”

Nothing was going on. We were just preaching through the book of Acts.

But that reaction reveals something important about how we think about church health. We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that a healthy church is one without problems. The reality? Church health isn’t measured by the absence of problems—it’s measured by how faithfully we handle problems when they arise.

And they will arise.

The Problem Nobody Saw Coming

Acts 6 opens with a jarring phrase: “Now at this time, while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose.” Notice the timing. This wasn’t happening during a low point. The church was thriving. People were being added daily. The Word was spreading. The apostles had just been flogged for preaching Jesus and had rejoiced in their suffering.

Everything was going remarkably well.

And then came the complaint.

The Hellenistic Jews—those who had adopted more Greek culture and customs—accused the church of neglecting their widows in the daily food distribution. Meanwhile, the native Hebrew widows were being cared for. This wasn’t a minor logistical hiccup. The word Luke uses for “complaint” is the same word the Septuagint uses to describe the Israelites murmuring against Moses in the wilderness. This was serious grumbling that threatened to fracture the unity of the early church.

Here’s what makes this so significant: this division existed before the church even began. The cultural divide between Hellenistic and Hebrew Jews was real and deep. When these groups came to faith in Christ, there was beautiful unity. But growth, logistical challenges, and limited resources began to expose fault lines that were always there.

The tension was real. The complaint was legitimate. And if left unaddressed, vulnerable widows would suffer.

The Response That Changed Everything

What the apostles did next is stunning. They called the entire congregation together—no closed-door meetings, no damage control—and said something that might sound shocking at first: “It is not desirable for us to neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables.”

Wait, what? Were they too prideful to help? Too busy with “important” ministry?

Not at all.

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This blog post is based on a sermon delivered on September 14, 2025. Listen to the full audio here.

When Peter stood up on the Day of Pentecost to address the crowd gathered in Jerusalem, he delivered one of history’s most powerful and effective sermons. In a single message, about 3,000 people came to faith in Christ. What made his proclamation so compelling? More importantly, what can we learn from it for our own gospel witness today?
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