Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Acts 8:4
At All Cost
As we have been reading through the book of Acts, we have seen how the Holy Spirit is moving and empowering the community of the early church. They have really embraced the words of Jesus from Chapter 1 telling them that they would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Of course, not all who heart the Gospel are open to accepting it. Stephen was a deacon in the early church. He was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…full of God’s grace and power. Acts 6:5 He was a passionate believer who took spreading the Gospel very seriously. Some of the men in the synagogue disputed him, making false accusations and rousing people against him. When given the chance to defend himself, Stephen instead stood up for his faith and the truth of Jesus and used the opportunity to actually tell them what was wrong with their hearts and way of living. He finally ended by saying that they resist the Holy Spirit they hear the truth but resist the Holy Spirit.
You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Acts 7:51-53
This made the men enraged and they instantly cast him out of the city and had him stoned. Stephen was one the first deacon ordained in the early church and sadly he was the first martyr.
The truth sometimes hurts, and these men certainly didn’t want to heart the truth. It enraged them to the point of killing Stephen. It didn’t stop Stephen. And after his death, it didn’t stop the church either. Even though the death of Stephen started an outbreak of persecution led by Saul, who’s goal was to destroy the church. In chapter 8 of Acts, we read how members of the early church were even being hunted and jailed - But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Acts 8:3 Still, they would not stop spreading the Word.
It must have been exciting to be a part of this community of believers and watch first hand the work of the Holy Spirit. Even though they were empowered by the Holy Spirit, they have to be feeling a little fear at this point. I know I would be. The death of Stephen and other bad things that happened to the church actually gave more power and momentum to the spreading of God’s truth and the truth about Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. They didn’t give up to play it safe. They didn’t even lay low for a while. They scattered, and they scattered the Gospel when they went. They were not shaken by circumstances or difficulty. Just as we have to do in our lives today, they saw every unforeseen and hard thing as an opportunity to turn it for God’s glory and advance His kingdom. Are you willing to be scattered like they were? A lot of us are not even sharing Jesus in our every day lives, let alone willing to be scattered by God for His Kingdom’s sake and His glory. The day may come again where we, as Christians, have to make that call. We have already experienced some persecution. If it were to get to that point where we had to take a stand, and our lives might be in danger if we do, I hope we will all remember Stephen and the early church community and their unshakable faith in our Holy and Righteous God.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14
