“As [the mob was] stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
“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.” [1]
You’ve been saving to buy a new vehicle. The old car is really showing its age and it is obvious that it won’t make it much longer. Suddenly, the CRA hits you with an unexpected tax bill. You thought you had dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s, but the auditors aren’t backing down as they emphasise that you will need to come up with what is a massive amount of money to get them off your back. One thing is obvious, you won’t be replacing that old clunker anytime soon. At such a time, you may have felt as if life was crashing in. You will be making some adjustments to your life.
Or perhaps the situation is more dire because it involves the life of someone you love. Perhaps a loved one was hospitalised, and suddenly, without any warning you received a phone call from the hospital informing you that you must to come quickly because your loved one isn’t expected to live beyond the night. I think any of us can see that such a situation fits with the description of life crashing in on us. Your mind races, but you know you are going to have to adjust to a new reality.
Or how about that visit you make to the family physician to have her check out that nagging pain you’ve tried to ignore for some months. After examining you, she says, “I wish you had seen me sooner.” That coupled with the worried look on her face as she writes out the requisition for a battery of tests and her suggestion that you need to see a specialist as soon as possible alerts you that this is probably not a minor problem as you hoped. When you press her for details, she hedges, but because you’ve built up a good relationship over the years, she at last cautions you that while she can’t be one hundred percent certain, she is concerned about what she is seeing. Talk about life crashing in! At that moment, you wonder if there will even be a tomorrow for you or your family.
Life certainly crashed in on one of the first deacons. Stephen proved to be an exemplary choice to serve the congregation in Jerusalem, testifying to the grace of God and standing firm for the cause of Christ. There was a price to pay for this courageous stand, and ultimately, life came crashing down for Stephen. I believe that anyone familiar with this story will agree that this was bad for Stephen, but we often forget that with his martyrdom life came crashing down on all who dared followed the Saviour. Tragically, the New Beginnings Baptist Church of Jerusalem was unprepared for the persecution that was unleashed against these gentle, harmless saints.
Here is the question that nags at us when life is crashing in: Where is God? Where is the God Who loves us when we are battered and bruised, and our world is crashing about us? Where is God when life crashes in? If you haven’t asked this question, there will come a day when the question will force itself to the forefront of your mind. Studying the response of the first congregation after the death of one of the first deacons may provide us with answers to that hard question, that question that quietly nags at us. Where is God when life crashes in?
DYING WITH DIGNITY — “As [the mob was] stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep” [ACTS 7:59-60].
I have no idea how you will die. I know neither the circumstances of your death nor your emotional response to the visit you will receive from the death angel. I do know that when that day comes, and that day inevitably comes for each of us, that we can die with dignity. I don’t mean that we will necessarily be calm and serene, though I suspect that each of us hopes that can be the case. I do know that we can die with confidence that we will be ushered into the presence of Christ the Lord because we have already settled the issue through faith in the Risen Son of God. Confidence in God will calm the soul when everything in us is crying out for Him to intervene.
Years past the Apostle to the Gentiles wrote of the challenge we Christians face. The Apostle testified, “We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
“So, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-5:10].
What Paul wrote at that time is mirrored in what he wrote shortly after this to the Christians meeting in Philippi. Speaking of the possibility of his own death, the Apostle wrote, “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” [PHILIPPIANS 1:20-23].
Death is not a hideous spectre for us who have been twice-born. That which once terrified and traumatised has been transformed into a servant of the God Who has redeemed us. Now, that wraith which once terrified the saints serves Christ Who conquered death, hell, and the grave. We serve Christ, and of Him we have been taught, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” [HEBREWS 2:14-15]. Amen.
Don’t you remember the victorious proclamation delivered by the Apostle? Paul testified, “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
‘O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” [1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-57].
God has given His children a shouting song. We who are redeemed can sing this glorious song when we see death coming. Death is no longer a terror for us; that once fearsome spectre is a servant to transport us into the presence of Christ Who loved us and gave Himself for us. Now we can face death with dignity because we know where we are going, and we know what lies beyond this moment. We are no longer terrified. It is only as we attempt to hold onto the things of this dying world that we struggle. And all that is here is destined for dust. We, by the grace of God, are destined for better things. Amen.
In this life I labour to perform the task to which I was appointed, knowing that what I do will either redound to the glory of God or it will perish with this present world. That which is of this world has no place in eternity. It used to be said that the death shroud has no pockets. Though that may not necessarily hold true any longer, it is true that the dead carry nothing of value out of this world and into the next. We labour to accumulate wealth, wealth that will perish with the using of that wealth. We use the wealth we gathered to get things, things that must wear out with use, things that will have no meaning when the last breath is drawn.
I’m not trying to dissuade anyone listening to cease preparing for the inevitable. You should draw up a will so that your loved ones will be provided for and so that they will know what your wishes are after you leave this life to enter into that eternal home. You should ensure that your family has been cared for before you must leave everything. But know that when you have made these provisions, the most vital provision will be that you have made arrangements with God for the eternal welfare of your soul. Of you who now hear my plea, I affirm, as does the writer of the Hebrew letter, “In your case, beloved, [I] feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation” [HEBREWS 6:9].
I acknowledge that I do not know when you shall die, nor do I know the means by which you shall die. I do know that you can die with courage, knowing what lies beyond this moment called now. Writing in the final letter he would pen to Timothy, Paul makes what is surely a significant statement that serves to comfort the people of God to this day. The Apostle has testified, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” [2 TIMOTHY 1:8-12].
It is significant to note the response of Stephen to the brutal execution he was forced to endure. We can be confident that the details of his death are correct. Of course, Doctor Luke was guided by the Spirit of God to write a truthful account of events surrounding those early days as the Faith was spreading throughout the world. However, it is important to note that Luke writes as an historian drawing on firsthand accounts of what took place. Notice how he opens this account of the early days of the Faith. Luke writes, “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen” [ACTS 1:1-2].
Acts is the second of two books penned by Luke. This book is a continuation of events that began with the birth of the Christ. Therefore, to understand how Luke obtained information concerning what we now know to be the Book of Acts, we need to know how he came by the information that allowed him to write that earlier book. That earlier Book is the Gospel that bears Luke’s name. So, turning to the opening verses of that Gospel, we read, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” [LUKE 1:1-4].
Thus, Luke claims to have followed closely the events of which he writes, leaving us the understanding that he spoke with the active participants concerning what they observed and what was said. For Luke’s Gospel, history indicates that he drew heavily upon the observations of Mary, the mother of Jesus. For Acts, as well as for portions of Luke, Luke relied heavily on Paul’s memory of events. Paul was the driving force spreading the Faith throughout the ancient world. Luke joined the missionaries as they entered Europe, continuing with Paul until after his incarceration.
We can speak with certainty of these things because a portion of the Book of Acts reveals this to be the case. After the conversion of Saul and following the first missionary journey he made in the company of Barnabas, we know that Paul initiated a second journey accompanied by Silas. Of course, others joined these two men, including Timothy, a young believer who joined with the missionaries. Until this point, Luke uses the third person plural pronoun whenever he writes of the missionary band.
Then, without explanation the pronoun Luke uses to speak of the missionaries is changed. Listen as I read from the sixteenth chapter of Acts. “They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” [ACTS 16:6-10].
“They went…” “When they had come up…” “They attempted to go…” “The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them…” “They went down…” Then, without explanation, in the tenth verse, Luke writes, “When Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia.” From this point onward, the writer uses the second person plural pronoun whenever he writes of what takes place. Even at the end of the book, Luke is still using the second person plural pronoun, writing, “When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him” [ACTS 28:16].
Why does this matter when discussing the manner of Stephen’s death. The answer is that the account of Stephen’s death is provided by someone who was present at his execution. We read in ACTS 7:58, “Then [the mob] cast Stephen out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” [ACTS 7:58]. Saul was an eyewitness to Stephen’s death. The death of this deacon made such an impression upon Saul, that he spoke of this throughout the days of his service before the Lord.
When rabid Jewish zealots seized Paul, determined to stone him, he was rescued by Roman soldiers. He sought and was granted permission to address the enraged mob. Making his defence, Paul related an account of the Saviour’s commission, saying, “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw [Jesus] saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him’” [ACTS 22:17-20].
Travelling as a companion with the Apostle Paul, Luke undoubtedly heard these firsthand accounts of what had taken place before he joined the missionary band. Because he was a historian, because he wanted to understand the roots of the Faith which he now promoted, we can be certain that Doctor Luke would speak with Paul concerning the events in which he had participated. And an event that had made such an indelible impression upon his life would be fodder for the mind of Luke who was gathering material to detail the establishment of and growth of the Faith of Christ the Lord.
A. W. Tozer observed in one of his memorable books, “‘I have observed,’ said the old historian, ‘that these Christians die well.’ A Christian can die well because he is the only one who dares to die at all. The lost man cannot afford to die, and that he must die is his infinite woe. A Christian dares to die because his Savior has died and risen. Let us renounce paganism at our funerals and die as we lived, like Christians.” [2] Indeed, these Christians die well because they live well. May Christ the Lord be praised. Amen.
EVIL UNLEASHED — “Saul approved of [Stephen’s] 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” [ACTS 8:1-3].
It is humbling to think of how much evil one person can unleash. It is humbling to think of the evil that is perpetuated or unleashed primarily because each of us recognises that we are capable of incredible acts that can only be considered to be evil. When we allow ourselves to think about the issue, we know that one choice, one wicked decision, and we can become instruments of evil that bring great harm to the work of God. One thoughtless choice, and many people can be injured, sometimes injured so seriously that they will never recover to again be engaged in the work of Christ. We become so caught up in the moment, driven by our emotion, that we fail to think of the consequences of what we are doing.
And if it is humbling to think of the evil we ourselves can unleash, it is terrifying to think of the devastation that can result from one decision by an evil person. I have learned through hard circumstances to avoid sending a reply when I am agitated. An Email, a missive, or a comment uttered in the heat of the moment can have lasting consequences that ruins relationships and injures innocent people.
How humbling for us to hear the cautionary words the Master spoke when He warned, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” [MATTHEW 12:36-37].
When we couple this warning with the solemn words James spoke, we should be driven to silence in most instances. You do remember James’ caution, do you not? “We all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water” [JAMES 3:2-12].
You may recall the words of Micah in this context. Lamenting the conditions prevailing among the people of God in his day, the Prophet makes a startling statement that finds ready application in the context of the message. Micah writes,
“Put no trust in a neighbour;
have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms;
for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.”
[MICAH 7:5-7]
Then, the Wise Man spoke words that must be true when he said,
“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.”
[PROVERBS 21:23]
Elsewhere among the Proverbs is this gem,
“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”
[PROVERBS 13:3]
Do you imagine that I have strayed from the trajectory of the message by speaking of our need to guard our heart and our lips? Dear people, we need to realise that Saul of Tarsus was convinced that he was doing the work of God when he set out to extirpate every follower of the Way. And we, when we speak against others or when we act unilaterally, will almost always justify what we are doing because we are convinced that we are right. What great harm has been performed against the work of the Lord by people who were convinced that they were doing the work of God!
I am not saying that we should avoid exposing error when it is apparent that error is being perpetuated, but we must acknowledge our limitation. It is not our place to judge those who do evil. We must not turn from identifying evil, but we must be gentle toward those who err and those who stumble. Our sole responsibility as an assembly is to put out of the church those who sin presumptuously if they refuse to repent.
Sanctified common sense is needed. Paul has written, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you’” [1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-13].
We need humility as a congregation, especially when we face challenges from those who are hostile to the Faith. We must not respond harshly, demanding that they give way to our demands, however righteous those demands may be. Neither may we respond in choler to the insults and attacks hurled at us by the denizens of this darkened world, for we represent the Risen Saviour. Christ did not treat us with hostility and anger when we were lost; He drew us with chords of love and received us with mercy. Because we are saved, and because we belong to Him, we must reveal the transformation that He is bringing about in our life as a church. And what is true for us as a congregation of redeemed people is but an expression of what must be true for us as individuals.
WHERE IS GOD? Do you imagine that those saints who experienced the untrammeled wrath of an enraged and unreasoning mob quietly accepted the pain of persecution unleashed by those who only hours before had been their neighbours? I’m reasonably certain that husbands attempted to shield their families from the wrath of the irrational mob. Wives valiantly tried to protect their children. When they were able to escape, both adults and children raced away from the unreasoning wave of violence. Oh, no, there was no quiet resignation when the attacks were unleashed against those who followed the Way. Stunned by the irrational violence and in terror for their lives and for the lives of their family members, these saints ran to preserve their lives and to protect those whom they loved.
We were privileged to have known some wonderful missionaries who travelled to a small Mexican pueblo to evangelise the villagers. Marshall was uneducated, but he was adamant that God had called him and his family to leave everything so they could travel to Mexico to tell people how much God loved them and to tell them of Christ Jesus. Because he was not trained in a seminary, nor even in a Bible college, no churches were prepared to support Marshall. Nevertheless, he was certain that the Lord had appointed him to go to Mexico. A few people believed in his call, and they supplied a meagre stipend each month that allowed him and his family to survive in a tiny mountain village.
Marshall didn’t speak Spanish, nor did he speak any of the native dialects. He did have enough understanding and wisdom to tackle his deficit, however. He purchased an old crank record player and managed to obtain some Spanish language records that were a reading of the Gospel of John. Sitting in the village square, Marshall would crank the record player, place the needle on the record and play the recordings of the Gospel of John. The novelty of what he was doing almost always attracted a crowd of people gathered to hear what was being said.
In time, some of those native people believed what was being played on that crank record player. Marshall managed to communicate through sign language and his limited grasp of Spanish, and in time, a number of those native people became followers of the Christ. Marshall baptised them in the river that flowed at the edge of the village. With the passage of more time, the little congregation built a church building where they could gather for worship and rudimentary instruction in the Faith.
When they built the church building, Marshall insisted that they must not include a baptistery. Those who were to be baptised would be immersed in the river at the edge of the village. And in order to reach the river, the new converts would be required to walk past the big cathedral that stood near the centre of the village. If the converts wanted to stand for Christ, they would do so openly, or not at all.
The little congregation was just beginning to grow when disaster happened. One night, a mob appeared in front of Marshall’s house. They dragged Marshall, his wife and their children into the street before looting the house and setting it ablaze. They then began to pelt the family with rocks. Marshall’s wife huddled over her children, especially shielding her newborn baby in her arms, and Marshall vainly tried to shield all of them from the rocks that were being thrown. The priests that served the cathedral were in attendance, urging the crowd to drive away the protestantes and the evangélicas.
The family survived the attack and continued their service in that village. The church, though the members suffered intense persecution, survived and continued to grow. Some of the members were killed, hacked to death with machetes or slain in other ways. I remember how humbled I was as Marshall told me of those days of service. What I remember most clearly, is the pain in Marshall’s eyes as he told of lying atop his wife to protect her from the rocks. Oh, you may be certain that there is pain when persecution is unleashed against God’s people.
The other thing that stands out in my memory of those few days Marshall and his family lived in our home is the pain as he spoke of the irrational unbelief of those who were opposed to Christ. That man’s love for the people, despite their rage, shone through in his words. He grieved for their rejection of Christ, and he was grieved with the sorrow of Christ Himself at the darkness that shrouded the heart of those people who were lost. He taught me something about the Faith, setting my own ministry in motion. He was not defeated by persecution; rather, he and his family were stirred to renew their efforts. And I was humbled at such faith.
Here is something that we need to know in order to have hope. When evil is unleashed against God’s people, God is not caught by surprise. God is not compelled to resort to “Plan B” just because His people are assaulted and scattered. Though the people were surprised by the ferocity of the attack and the suddenness with which that attack was unleashed, God was at work accomplishing His will. In the midst of evil, God was working to bring glory to His Name. Our God is not a victim of circumstances, and we who follow the Son of God are not victims, tossed about helplessly by circumstances.
Did you notice how that EIGHTH CHAPTER OF ACTS begins? “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” [ACTS 8:1b]. The congregation that had been comfortably ensconced in Jerusalem was scattered. At last, these comfortable saints would do what they had been commanded to do! What do I mean by such a crass statement?
Jesus' final words to the disciples before He ascended into the Glory was, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:19-20]. The Risen Lord had charged His disciples to be going in order to make disciples of all nations.
Peter’s statement concerning Jesus’ expectation is related to us through the Gospel of Mark. That statement is, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” [MARK 16:15]. Were these disciples obedient? Like most modern Christians, these saints consoled themselves, “We are busy worshipping Christ right where we are.” However, Jesus anticipated that His disciples would be going!
God was using a rabid rabbi to prepare His disciples to do what He commanded! The Master told the disciples that they would be His witnesses “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” [ACTS 1:8]. Time had passed, and they had the Jerusalem sector covered. The end of the earth? Not so much. Samaria? That would mean actually talking to Samaritans, and you know how those Samaritans are. Judea? Well, I don’t doubt that they were planning to get to it at some point. When Saul of Tarsus set upon the Christians in Jerusalem, it was almost as though the words God had spoken through Moses were being put into practise. You may recall how Moses wrote,
“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
that flutters over its young,
spreading out its wings, catching them,
bearing them on its pinions,
the LORD alone guided him,
no foreign god was with him.”
[DEUTERONOMY 32:11-12]
God was stirring up the congregation that met in Jerusalem so that they would leave the nest and go throughout the world as He commanded. That rabid rabbi was determined that he would stomp out the fire of God that had been kindled in Jerusalem; but all he did was scatter the burning coals. And there was an abundance of dry kindling all about, and multiple fires began to burn.
Philip started a fire burning in Samaria when he declared the Christ among those people who were so despised by the Jewish people. They received the message of Christ; many were saved. And the faith was spread to Samaria. Then, the godly deacon started a fire that would spread to Ethiopia. He declared Christ to the Minister of the Exchequer for Ethiopia, and that man carried the message to his own country. The Faith of Christ the Lord was spreading. God was overseeing the work He had commanded.
There is a fascinating passage found several chapters after our text. We read, “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” [ACTS 11:19-26].
And that wasn’t all that God was doing as life crashed in for these saints. Did you notice who Barnabas brought to work with him in Antioch? Some of the next converts had declared the Word of God to Gentiles. That was precisely what Jesus had expected of His disciples.
The Risen Lord instructed His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” [ACTS 1:8]. The Lord was using what we would say was a disaster to impel His disciples to do what was expected of them. And, now we see that the Lord was working in the life of the very vicious rabbi that was attempting to destroy the Faith. Something happened in the life of Saul, the vicious thug who had stomped on the saints in Jerusalem. Saul of Tarsus had become the means by which the Lord compelled his church to fulfil the ministry He had assigned.
I must ask, “What will be required for us to do what God has commanded? What will be required for us to obey the will of the Saviour, pleading with the lost and seeking to turn others to the Faith? What will be required before we honour our Lord by declaring the message that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God?” May He be merciful, even as He calls. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] A. W. Tozer, The Price of Neglect (Wingspread, Camp Hill, PA 1991) pg. 11
