Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0241A recorded on November 2, 1980 teaching from Acts 8:1-13 – Persecution, Power, and Peril.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens outlines the divine movement of the early church by contrasting the themes of persecution, power, and peril. He argues that God used the martyrdom of Stephen as a necessary catalyst to scatter the believers, forcing the gospel out of the comfort of Jerusalem and into the wider world. Stevens highlights the transformation of the church’s leadership, comparing the sanctimonious zeal of the unconverted Saul and the self-centered illusion of Simon Magus against the spirit-filled ministry of the deacon Philip. Ultimately, Pastor Stevens provides a sobering warning against intellectual assent without true spiritual possession, urging congregants to move beyond religious ritual to become active, empowered witnesses for Christ.