The Result of the First Martyrdom

The Results of The First Martyrdom Acts 8..1 And Saul approved of their killing him. The Church Persecuted and Scattered On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went. The surest way to make something grow is to persecute it. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went. I imagine there are some that look at this and say this is horrible. These poor people lost their homes. I would imagine there were some that were being persecuted say, “What is God doing?!” What they were doing, was fulfilling the words of Jesus, that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem in all Judea and Samaria. Often when God is at work, His people are not cognizant of what He is doing. He is riding out His purposes of the activities of sinful human beings. Why would God do such a thing?! Because He is God. He is in control. People who say that He is not have a narrow view. They need to read their Bibles. He gives us free will. We make choices. God overrules. He works out His Sovereign will. I hope you will see today that in this portion of Scripture we see God’s man home in Heaven and God’s purposes being accomplished. It is a win win for the LORD. We think, “Poor Stephen.” When actually it is “Blessed Stephen.” There is nothing better than Heaven. His ways are higher than our ways…. Beyond our finding out. Isaiah 55.8-9 in the specifics but we can learn of His Ways in Principle. Teach me your ways Psalm 25.4 He is at work in your life today, even in the midst of confusion and the stormy blast. Trust Him. You are going to have to. You don’t have any other choice! About God’s ways… Jesus was born in Bethlehem because of the census. Humanly speaking. From our understanding. It was God riding out His purposes on an Emperor’s whims. I have observed in my life the Hand of God at work… and others. These believers probably would’ve never left Jerusalem had it not been for Stephen being stoned, becoming a first martyr of the church. They probably would’ve stayed there in Jerusalem and the sect called the Nazarenes (Acts 24.5) would have grown, but the world would never have heard. God allowed the persecution to come to get them out of the city. He had told him to stay in the city. And then He said, and when you are filled with the Spirit, you’ll be my witnesses all over the Earth. God often uses things that we think are against us to accomplish his work. The Pastors Conference in Kenya on Friday (photo) Power out delayed. Gave me more time to quiet my heart. It was good. The world doesn’t hear the Good News because God’s people like it where they are! His sovereignty has been expressed by some in salvation. Our Calvinist friends: You cannot lose your salvation… You need a much bigger view of God’s Sovereignty. It is over Heaven and Earth. It goes into nations and historical events. Jesus said that All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Him… Therefore name and claim your blessings Therefore eat, drink and be merry Therefore have Great Bible Studies Therefore find a church that you love… No He said therefore go and make disciples of all nations. Peter, “LORD, let’s stay here, build three tabernacles..” He didn’t know what he was talking about. We need to see it in our lives today. God is at work. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. 139.16 * The Persecution 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. This was a house to house search. Children watched their parents taken away. Just when they thought this was horrible what happened to Stephen, now they are coming for them. Saul was out to totally destroy the church. Mao Tsa Tong was as well. Both Saul and Mao, in their desire to destroy the church and scatter it launched great missionary movements. The Word was preached all the more. Saul was feared. He had letters from the Chief Priests. He was an enemy. He was about to become a believer and an Apostle! An Apostle to the Gentiles! Next week. God is at work. It did not seem so when they were running for their lives but He was. He always is. * The Scattering China Mao noted how the Christians needed the fellowship so he sent the Christians away from each other. He scattered them throughout China and launched a great missionary movement that continues in China to this day! The scattering here in the Book of Acts fulfilled the words of Jesus in them being witnesses in Judea and Samaria. Saul was out to kill them. God was using his efforts to get them out of Jerusalem . The Persecution led to a house to house search through Jerusalem where many were coming to the faith and pushed them out to Judea and Samaria. Saul did not know it at the time but he was going to be used by the LORD to bring the Gospel all over the Roman Empire, right into Caesar’s Palace! He was being used to get the believers where God wanted them. You cannot take on God and win. In this Kingdom you win by surrender. You defeat your enemies by love and you forgive everyone. You have no idea what God might do in your life with the spread of the Gospel to all nations! He is calling you look and nations and watch and be utterly amazed. You may think but I am retired, I am not able to travel. In this time. you do not need to travel to go! You can but it all begins with prayer. * The Preaching of the Word v.4 Scattered, they preached the Word wherever they went Proclaiming the Word which became flesh, died, buried and risen! The primacy of preaching the Word, proclaiming Jesus crucified, buried and risen. They continued in the Apostle’s doctrine They were devoted to it even when life uprooted them, in the loss of their homes.. I believe the Promise of Jesus applies Mark 10. 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. I am sure conversations when something like this: so you guys moved from Jerusalem? Why did you move? That gave them the opening to preach the Word. It was the same thing when Mao moved all the Christians away from each other in China and they went to different cities. They were scattered because of the Gospel. Why did you move here? Answer: because of the Word of God! Revelation 1. 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and Kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum,Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” How different from today! Moving because of the weather, lower taxes, to be near family, are very promises of Jesus to take care of us, and to move with the Spirit and that would include persecution.