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Rev. Will Malambri - "Sights and Sounds of a Saint" · Belin Memorial UMC

• Belin Memorial UMC: Thank y'all. Great reminder of the beauty of creation. Also a great reminder of how Jesus uses everyday objects to teach us what the kingdom of heaven is like. He talked about a mustard seed, tiny little mustard seed that becomes a tree big enough that birds can land and make a nest in it. And he talked about yeast when mixed into. 60 pounds of flour, tiny bit of yeast can affect the whole thing and make it produce something like bread. He talked about a merchant who went searching for a pearl of great value. And when he found the one he was looking for, sold everything else so that he could go and get that pearl that mattered so much to him. And Jesus says, that's what the kingdom of heaven is like. And we say, That's not very practical, Jesus. A little over the top, if you ask me, religion is good in moderation. Helps you make good decisions, be decent, moral people. But not too much, it can harm you. Be cautious around those little seeds that become something big, that bit of yeast that changes everything it touches, that thing that so captivates you that you'd let go of everything else so that you can get it. Be cautious. Be Christian. Just cautiously so. Wonder how St. Stephen would feel about that. Stephen is known as the first Christian martyr. To our way of thinking, all people who give of themselves to follow Jesus are saints. Those who die for doing so become martyrs. Saints die in the faith, martyrs die for the faith. Stephen was both, someone who died in the faith, for the faith. You probably heard that there many who have died for the faith, for following Jesus, for being about His ways. Many estimates put that in the millions of people since Jesus who have died because of their belief in and their discipleship to Jesus. And while that number sounds alarming to us, until we think about them as individuals, until we know something about them as individuals, it can be just another statistic out there. So I want to tell you about one, the first one. Stephen. Stephen is who Stephen Ministries is named for. He's the saint that comes up in Acts chapter six. He really wasn't on my radar until my first year in ministry. I was at a church that wanted to enhance their Stephen Ministry program, and so they sent a group of us, including me, up to Philadelphia to go and learn more about Stephen Ministry. And sadly, while we were there, I did not see the Liberty Bell. I did not see Independence Hall. I didn't even see the Rocky Steps. I saw the inside of a conference room while we sat and went through boxes of Stephen ministry materials. One of the women in our group had young sons at the time and she said she was trying to give them a sense of why she was going off for a week and leaving them at home. And so she said, I'm going up there, I'm going to Philadelphia, I'm gonna learn about one-on-one Christian caregiving. Where are you? You go alongside somebody in the midst of one of their difficult times in life and you just are a consistent presence. You want them to know that they are loved and they are cared for and they're not alone as they go through this. And I'm going to learn how to do that. And by the way, we have tremendous wonderful Stephen ministers here at Blaine Memorial. So she wanted them to know what it was about, but she also wanted them to know that it was biblical. And so she decided she would help them. get the sense of who Stephen was. And she turned to Acts chapter six and started telling them about her sons about Stephen. And at first the conversation went as planned. She talked about how growing, church, early church was growing so quickly. It was more than the apostles themselves could handle and lead. They needed support in that. And so they decided that they would bring along others who could support them. And since some people were not receiving the care they needed, they said, we will select from ourselves seven men of good standing, full of spirit and wisdom whom we can appoint to the task of helping us with this ministry. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. She knew that would inspire her sons to where she was doing was good. And then they said they joined also with that Philip and Procurus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmunas. and Nicolaus. And ever since then, everybody's been a Stephen minister is glad they chose Stephen over those other names for the ministry. And so she was feeling good about them having a sense that, you know, God calls people some are set aside like apostles, but all of us lay persons, clergy, whoever we are, we're all called to go and do ministry for God. And she thought it was going well when she told them that, as the Bible says, The word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. She thought, okay, they're getting it. They're getting a sense of why Stephen ministry matters. She was proud to tell them that Stephen was full of grace and power and did wonders and signs among the people, which might've been saying too much because then their sons wouldn't know, well, what great wonders and signs will you do now they were really interested? So she had to go on and this is where she went to. She read about an argument that Stephen had with some of the leaders of a synagogue. And how he said to them, you know, the temple's not really necessary anymore because of Jesus and they didn't like that and they went and reported to the Sanhedrin, the council of Jewish leaders. And then the argument really got tense. His hearers were offended by what he had to say and he gave them the speech which focused on the story of faith from his perspective, from Abraham to Joseph to Moses. through the exodus and wilderness wanderings to David and Solomon and the prophets. And all along, according to Stephen, how their ancestors had failed to see when God was doing something new and wonderful and they couldn't get excited about that because they were stuck in what the things were that they wanted to hold on to. Then Stephen made it personal. He called them stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears. saying they were forever opposing the Holy Spirit, persecuting prophets, killing those who foretold of Jesus, becoming his betrayers and murderers, failing to keep the law. It was a strong speech. And in the days of Harry Potter and the Star Wars sequels, the kids really wanted to know more now. What would come after this? Tell us the rest of the story. So she did. When the Sanhedrin heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, but they covered their ears and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. witnesses laid their coat at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. When he had said this, he died. to which her young son said, and this is what you're going to get trained for. Mommy, don't go. Their version of Be Christian. Just cautiously so. I'm sure Stephen would understand the children's reluctance. but he might have something to say to us about our. He might caution us that we can become so slow to see how God is doing something new. and slower still to share the good thing we're seeing with those who would not want to hear about it. that we might not witness the way we're called. Saint Stephen was killed. because filled with the Holy Spirit, he saw Jesus at the right hand of the Father. He witnessed to this as more evidence that Jesus was not just a really good teacher among us, but was in fact God among us, the Son of God who had lived with us and is now back with the Father. He named it. But those who did not want to hear it covered their ears, looked at him instead of what he was seeing, grabbed him, dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. their unwillingness to hear something they did not like, or to look at something that might reveal to them a truth they did not want to have. led them to kill. They would rather Stephen die at their hands. and allow him to say something that they did not believe was true, that they thought was sinful. Blasphemous. change they did not like. Not that different than what Caiaphas said when speaking of Jesus, it is better for you to have one man die for people than to have the whole nation destroyed. A lesson they learned. So that even after Jesus rose, their logic was, let's kill this one man and maybe that will take care of them. But as time has passed and millions of martyrs have been killed, what it has proved is that you cannot stop a movement by killing a person. just gives God another chance to do something with the people of God. when his murderers covering their ears, shouting and stoning him. While they were doing that, Stephen was praying, praying that his spirit will be taken into the Father, received by God, praying that his killers would be forgiven for their act. He was praying like Jesus. Not only was he trying to live like Jesus, he was willing to die like Jesus. He was being incautious in the faithful ways that made his martyrdom a witness. Proving that you don't have to be Jesus. others the way Jesus did. You know what God did with that? You know what God did with the evil that was perpetrated against Stephen that day? That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Acts 8. If that scattering around sounds like defeat to you, let me remind you what Jesus said just before he ascended to be with the Father, Acts 1-8, when Jesus said, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and all Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1-8, you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Acts 8-1, they were witnesses in Judea and Samaria after Stephen had been a witness in Jerusalem. Persecution scattered the people of faith. The scattering of the people of faith continued the message. The good news going beyond those places is the very reason we are right here singing of Jesus, praising Jesus, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. what God was able to do. what they hoped would stop a movement. while we're here. talking today about the sights and sounds of a saint who was also a martyr. Steven. who would remind us that you don't have to be Jesus. to treat people as Jesus would have you. who's a good example. But if you're loving like Jesus, You're not taking your religion too far. no matter the cost. Let us pray. ⁓ Jesus, we're here because of you. the good news of your life, death, and resurrection, what you taught, how you lived, the ways you treated others and call us to. We hear because of you and because of your witnesses, some martyrs, all saints who have had their faith grown from a mustard seed into a tree, had their trust leavened by you until it affected the whole of their lives, who have chosen to let discipleship be like a pearl of great value, worthy of them in cautiously giving over all of their lives. You're worthy of that. And so it is our prayer that we will be witnesses for you, whether it be in the far reaches of this world, the familiar places of work and play, or as it was yesterday on this campus during the blessing of the Inland. We thank you for all who gave of themselves to make the blessing go so well. Many dedicated volunteers and staff, participants and guests, vendors and friends. Thank you for the rain that is much needed and for the adjustments that we were able to make. We pray that the results will be a closer, better church and community, and that maybe that will contribute to a closer, better nation and world. We pray for our country today, seeking wisdom for leaders and kindness among all. Please temper anyone who is tempted by any act of violence, including political. And please protect anyone who is in danger, including President Trump and our leaders who have been elected to serve. Help us all to treat others as you did. We ask this seeking your forgiveness for our failing to do so and grateful for your ongoing mercy. Remembering that through Jesus' suffering and death, you took upon yourself our sin and death. You destroyed their power forever. You raised from the dead the same Jesus who now reigns with you in glory and poured upon us your Holy Spirit, making us the people of your new covenant. On the night before meeting with death, Jesus took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, take, eat. This is my body which is given for you. Do this as often as you do it in remembrance of me. And likewise, after the supper, he took the cup. And when he had given thanks to you, he gave it to his disciples saying, take, drink. This is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts and Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ offering for us. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us. the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood. Until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at your table forever. We ask this through Christ with Christ in Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, praying as Jesus taught us, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.