Acts - Week 4 / Wednesday

Reading for today: Acts 7:54-8:3

Three significant events happen in these few verses. First, Stephen ends up becoming the first martyr in this young church. He lays down his life for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In so doing, he became the first in a long, long line of those who have refused to back down in their commitment to Christ, and in so doing, have had their lives taken from them.

Because we live in a country where there is a great deal of religious freedom it is hard to imagine that this still happens today, but it does with great frequency. I recently read an estimated statistic that 70 million people have been martyred for their Christian faith since the Church was initiated on the Day of Pentecost. That is a staggering statistic! Stephen led the way, and many have followed his stellar example.

The second event in these verses is our introduction to this man called Saul. While Stephen was being stoned, the furious crowd laid their clothes at the feet of this young man who was very much in agreement with the sentiment of the crowd. Following Stephen's death, Saul began a crusade of persecution against the Church. His goal was to destroy this fledgling organism, but he was to discover that it couldn't be done!

The third event is the advent of persecution which caused the believers in Jerusalem to scatter to the surrounding countries. Interestingly, what was designed to destroy the Church actually helped the Church grow and become a stronger force than ever, because wherever these young Christians went they took the gospel with them.

Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Persecution cannot kill the Church of Jesus Christ. The fact is, persecution only serves to strengthen the Church. The significant enemy of the Church is not persecution, but rather apathy and passionless relationships with God. Persecution forces people to determine where their allegiance lies, and whether they are willing to lay down their life for the sake of this relationship.

Is it possible that the anemic state of the Church in our country is due, in large part, to how good we have had it, and how easy it has been? I can't help wondering what would happen if we did start facing real persecution in America. Who would be left standing up for Christ?

Tomorrow: Persecution begins building the Church