Courage for My Faith | Acts 7:59–60

September 2025's Featured Sermon of the Month

“Courage for My Faith” calls believers to stand firm when their convictions are tested. Preached in a week heavy with grief and public tragedy, the message begins by turning hearts toward the One who understands our sorrow and invites us to His presence. From Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts to the examples of courageous Christians through history, the sermon shows that courage is not loud retaliation or reckless bravado. Instead, it is a settled boldness rooted in obedience and love. True courage laments honestly yet turns grief into worship, forgives when wronged, and speaks the gospel with Spirit-filled boldness. The challenge is not merely to admire those who suffer for Christ, but to follow their example by living with a faith that keeps acting even when the world grows dark.

“...it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3, KJV)

Stephen’s Setting: Truth That Cuts

Before the first stone was thrown, Stephen stood before an angry council as a man “full of faith and power.” He spoke with Spirit-given wisdom that his opponents could not answer. The crowd became “cut to the heart” because God’s truth pierces where human arguments cannot. Their rage was the proof that Stephen’s message had reached them. He did not seek a fight, but his faithful preaching exposed sin and unbelief. The preacher reminded the congregation that courage often provokes opposition, not because the messenger is quarrelsome but because the gospel itself confronts hardened hearts.

“And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” (Acts 6:10, KJV)

Courage to Forgive

As stones rained down, Stephen’s final words revealed a courage deeper than self-defense. He entrusted his spirit to Jesus and prayed for his killers: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” This echoes Jesus’ own prayer from the cross and demonstrates that real Christian courage is moral strength to love when we are wronged. It is the power to release vengeance and leave justice to God. The sermon pressed the point that in moments of deep hurt, forgiveness disarms the enemy’s plan to turn grief into bitterness. To forgive is not weakness; it is the very strength of Christ at work in His people.

“...Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:60, KJV)

Drawing Near for Help

When our hearts are overwhelmed, we are not left to carry grief alone. Early in the service, the pastor read from Hebrews to remind us that Jesus, our Great High Priest, understands our weakness and pain. Because He was tempted in all points yet without sin, we can approach Him with confidence. Courage for our faith begins here, coming boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and strength in times of need. This bold access to God is not reserved for a few; it belongs to every believer, and it is the well from which all other courage flows.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, KJV)

PREPARE YOURSELF TO OBEY

Stephen’s story is part of a long line of witnesses who refused to deny Christ. The preacher recounted the second-century martyr Polycarp, who, when threatened with death, replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Him and He has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” He told of Perpetua and Felicity, young women who faced wild beasts rather than renounce Jesus, and of the twentieth-century pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who opposed the Nazi regime and was executed just weeks before the war’s end. These testimonies remind the church that persecution, rather than silencing the gospel, has often multiplied its witness. Their faith shows that courage is not about defiance for its own sake, but about steadfast obedience when the cost is high.

“...even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” (Revelation 2:13, KJV)

Rejoicing Under Pressure

The book of Acts records that the apostles, after being threatened and beaten, left the council “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” Instead of retreating, they continued daily to preach Christ. The sermon highlighted this paradox of joy in suffering. For these early believers, persecution became confirmation that they belonged to Jesus and an opportunity for the gospel to advance. Modern Christians, tempted to hide their faith when criticized, need the same Spirit to give joy and boldness. Courage means not only enduring hardship but finding in it a reason to glorify God.

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” (Acts 5:41, KJV)

How Christians Respond to Persecution

Believers first lament honestly, even Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb, yet grief must lead to worship rather than bitterness. We then forgive freely, obeying Romans 12’s command to “avenge not yourselves” and to “overcome evil with good.” Such forgiveness breaks the enemy’s plan to turn sorrow into hatred. We also witness boldly, remembering that our mission is not to win arguments but to win souls; the world is watching how the church responds. True courage is Spirit-filled boldness that speaks the truth in love and keeps proclaiming Christ even when culture resists.

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21 (KJV)

Growing in the Fire

Trials are not merely obstacles; they are the very setting where God strengthens His people. The pastor pointed to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, where the king saw a fourth man in the flames “like the Son of God.” In the same way, Christians find that Christ is present in their fiercest trials. The fire that threatens to destroy instead burns away fear and binds us closer to Him. Courage under fire is not reckless daring; it is quiet confidence that Jesus walks with us and that nothing can separate us from His care.

“...lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25, KJV)

Continue, Do Not Retreat

The closing challenge was clear: this is no time for silence or violence, but for steady faithfulness. Paul’s words to Timothy, “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned,” call every believer to keep living and proclaiming the gospel even when the world grows darker. Courage for our faith is not a single heroic act but a daily choice to keep going, to keep speaking, and to keep trusting Christ. Admiration for the brave is not enough; the church must turn admiration into action.

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” (2 Timothy 3:14, KJV)

Reflection Questions

1. When have you recently faced opposition or ridicule for your faith, and how did you respond?

2. Stephen forgave those who stoned him. Is there someone you need to forgive so that grief or anger does not turn into bitterness?

3. Hebrews 4:16 invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace. What keeps you from bringing your deepest needs to Christ in prayer?

4. The early church rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus’ name. How can you cultivate joy and worship even in seasons of difficulty?

5. Paul urged Timothy to “continue” in what he had learned. What specific steps can you take this week to continue in faithful service and bold witness?

   
   

May the courage of Stephen and the call of Scripture inspire you to stand firm, forgive freely, and boldly proclaim Christ with a heart of worship and steadfast faith.

Attend Harvest Baptist Church