Acts 8:1-3

                                                                 Acts 8:1-3

And Saul approved of his execution.  And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Jesus had promised His disciples that they would be persecuted as He was persecuted.  The early days of the church were marked by the conversion of thousands of people.  Multitudes were healed and the church grew as people flocked to Jerusalem to hear the message of Christ.  There was light persecution at the beginning, but they had great liberty for the most part.  However, the execution of Stephen marks a change in this reality.  The persecution that followed was intense just as Jesus had promised.  God was at work to accomplish His purposes in all of these things.  As followers of Jesus, we must be prepared to face these same realities.

 

SCATTERING: The will of God and the desires of man’s heart are often contrary to one another.  We like stability, comfort, safety, and security.  It is God’s will that disciples be made in all nations.  In order for there to be disciples made in all nations, it is necessary for the followers of Jesus to go to those nations.  This is often a dangerous and uncomfortable proposition.  The church in Jerusalem began to multiply as thousands came to faith in Christ.  The first church was a “megachurch” with thousands of members.  As impressive as that might seem to men, God wanted to see these disciples going out to other places and starting new churches.  The stoning of Stephen and subsequent persecution lead by Saul, were used of God to scatter His followers to other cultures in other places.  This does not mean that the persecution comes from God.  It means that God, in His wisdom, uses the sinfulness of men to advance His purposes.  We must be willing to be mobile to promote the expansion of the kingdom of God.   

 

SORROWING: Brothers in Christ buried the body of Stephen.  Death is so difficult for us, because we were made for life.  This life is all we know, and it is hard for us to grasp or comprehend a life beyond this one.  The believers in Jerusalem lamented greatly over the death of Stephen.  He was a beloved friend and leader that they would miss.  While we believe death is a blessing for those who enter the presence of Christ, we still miss our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We rejoice for them, but lament not being able to enjoy their company for the rest of our time on earth.  We all understand that death is coming.  However, believers have always faced the risk of dying young at the hands of unbelievers.  This is the price of following Jesus.  We lament at this reality and at the loss of precious brothers and sisters who suffer for the cause of Christ.  But that lament is undergirded by hope of eternal life together in the presence of the Lord.

 

SUFFERING: Saul, who will become Paul, takes on a bigger role than simply watching the clothes as others stoned Stephen.  The text says that he approved the death of Stephen, indicating that he must have some authority in the situation.  This is further substantiated by the fact that he was now going from house to house and imprisoning both men and women.  He had heard Stephen’s message and, I believe, he was convicted by what he heard but does not want to act on it so does all he can to go against it in an attempt to put it out of his mind.  Sometimes, before we can be saved, it must become evident to ourselves that we are lost.  This ravaging of the church would become the backdrop for the transformation the Lord will bring about in his life as he will become a dynamic church planter in the chapters ahead.  The testimony of the suffering is often used to bring people to the Lord. 

 

APPLICATION: God wants disciples in all nations which requires mobility and discomfort on our part.  It may involve persecution and even martyrdom.  Should that happen, we lament over the loss of life and missing those precious people, but we have an eternal hope in Christ.  We must be prepared to face persecution and suffering but understand that God may be working in the hearts of our persecutors, so we must suffer well and be faithful to testify of Christ.  In the midst of our scattering, suffering and sorrowing.

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