WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:02.520 So today we're going to hear the story that helped 2 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:04.000 me name my son Stephen. 3 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:06.519 Well, so you named your son after a Bible character. 4 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:06.919 I did. 5 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.640 That's very good. So he's Chris. I'm Jeff, and we 6 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:23.359 are the day of the Bible guys. So Chris, you 7 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.960 should know I named both of my sons. 8 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:27.640 After a Bible character. Oh good job. 9 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.160 That might mean that may mean I'm a better Christian than. 10 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:32.679 You, but wonted. Something funny about me naming my son 11 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:35.640 Stephen is that when my wife and I were dating 12 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:38.960 when I was sixteen years old, apparently I had mentioned 13 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.759 it back when I first became a Christian at that time, actually, 14 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.079 and I had mentioned that, oh, Stephen would be cool 15 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:47.159 named to name my son and my future son. I'm 16 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.079 only sixteen. My wife writes it down her diary. 17 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:50.960 Wow. 18 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:56.479 And then we dated for seven years, got married, had Sarah. 19 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:59.320 We had two miscarriages. So years went on, and then 20 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.600 finally it comes time for this name. And I had 21 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:06.000 not remembered how how long i'd had this in my 22 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:08.480 memory by so I said, hey, let's let's go with Stephen. 23 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:11.040 I've always liked Stephen. And then it wasn't until years 24 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:14.239 later my way found that thing, and she said, look, 25 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:16.200 when you were only sixteen, we wrote this. 26 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.599 Wow, dear Diarry, my first son's name is going to 27 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:20.079 be Stephen. 28 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:22.799 Yeah. Yeah, yeah wow. So she was already thinking about 29 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:23.319 marrying me back. 30 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:23.879 I'm sweet. 31 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.760 Yeah, nice. Hey, Well, today we were going to ask 32 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:30.680 what's your most embarrassing moment or one of your most 33 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:31.400 embarrassing moment? 34 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:33.239 Sure, isn't that a good idea? Let's do that on 35 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:35.480 a podcast with all of our millions of listeners. 36 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:38.319 Yes, of our three listeners. 37 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:40.719 Yeah, I think that's what it is. We have three 38 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.400 listeners that have listened to our episodes millions of times. 39 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:49.319 That's probably one hundred thousand times. Okay, so most embarrassing moment, yeah, 40 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:51.239 or at least one of them. Oh yeah, those are hard. 41 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:53.879 So I don't have a lot of embarrassing moments. I 42 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:55.439 mean I do a lot of embarrassing things. I'm just 43 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:59.000 not embarrassed that I did them usually, right, maybe the 44 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:01.439 most embarrassing thing. This has probably happened to you too. 45 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:05.120 It's happened to me three times that you know, we're 46 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:09.960 on stage a lot. And the first time this happened 47 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.599 I was a worship pastor at a little church. We 48 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:16.159 had about ninety people, and I was the choir director too, 49 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:20.159 and I'd led the entire choir rehearsal with my pants unzipped, 50 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:22.280 and all the ladies are sitting on the front row 51 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:25.240 and they were embarrassed to tell me, right, So that 52 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:29.560 was embarrassing. But I think the worst one was I 53 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:36.479 was wearing a pair of pants that may have been 54 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:40.120 just a touch too tight, Okay, just I I'd gained 55 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:42.240 some weight and shouldn't have been wearing them, and my 56 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:45.000 pants were unzipped, and a friend of mine was sitting 57 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:47.639 on the front row and he was just acting weird. 58 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:49.759 I couldn't figure out why is that? So I'm trying 59 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:51.400 to ignore him. No time, He's trying to get my attention. 60 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:53.639 Let me know. My pants were unzipped for the entire 61 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:56.199 message and it was live streamed all over the world. 62 00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:57.560 So wow. 63 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:59.080 So that what you mean on zip? 64 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.439 You mean like unbuttoned, unzipped all the way down. 65 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:03.280 Yeah, yeah, un buttoned, unzipped. 66 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:06.800 No, they were buttoned, but they were unzipped. And because 67 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:09.360 they were just they were too tight. I was just 68 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:12.080 a little too heavy for them. It was wide open. 69 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:13.919 There's a wide open yeah, we. 70 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:15.879 Have a restroom right off the edge of the stage, right. 71 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.439 So the other most embarrassing thing, also along these lines, 72 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:22.439 I was teaching a class one time. I had my 73 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:25.319 microphone on and I went into the restroom and I 74 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:28.360 thought I muted it, and I didn't, And I used 75 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:30.439 the restroom, I flushed the toilet, I washed my hands. 76 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:32.879 When I walked back out, a hundred people start laughing 77 00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:34.240 at me, and. 78 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:36.039 They left the sound on the whole time was. 79 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:37.280 On the whole time. The sound guy wasn't even in 80 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:40.560 the room, so the whole crowd they heard the whole business. 81 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.159 And then one guy speaks up. He says, at least 82 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.240 we know you washed your hands. Everybody laughing at him. 83 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:48.599 So I would say that those kind of go hand 84 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:51.520 in hand as being the most embarrassing that I've done publicly. 85 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:52.639 I've never done anything like that. 86 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:54.400 Yeah, well, aren't you glad? 87 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:55.919 Yes, you kind of like that. 88 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:57.639 Pharisee. Oh God, I thank you that I'm not as 89 00:03:57.639 --> 00:03:58.439 other men even as this. 90 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.800 Okay, well, I'm referring to the microphone thing. I think 91 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:12.039 I've had zippers down, but I don't think i've ever done. 92 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:12.280 Exactly if the words that you were doing number two 93 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:17.800 exactly washing my hands. Yet thanks for that. We didn't 94 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.000 need it, Chris. Just because you think it doesn't mean 95 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.120 you have to do it too far. 96 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:22.759 Sorry. 97 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:28.879 Okay, So now that I've shamed myself in front of everybody, Yeah, 98 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:32.199 that's so we're continuing with this conversation about Stephen. Right, 99 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:34.040 So yesterday we set it up that they came and 100 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:36.360 they arrested him. Remember, Stephen was one of the deacons. 101 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.720 He's one of the first guys that the apostles chose 102 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.920 to serve. Deacon comes from the Greek word diachinos, which 103 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:46.199 just means servant. He was a servant of the Christians. 104 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.399 But he was also a bold preacher. He did a 105 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:50.199 lot of miracles, he did a lot of other really 106 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:53.639 incredible things, and he was a lay person. He wasn't 107 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:59.639 a professional Christian leader. And finally he's confronted by some 108 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.160 people who disagree with his message near the temple and 109 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:06.600 they decide, hey, we're going to go after him. And 110 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:09.800 instead of him backing down in fear, he steps up 111 00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:12.800 and he actually begins to preach a message in challenging 112 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:13.759 their worldview. 113 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:16.959 Yeah, when they asked him, are these accusations true? In 114 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:22.399 chapter seven. It basically goes for fifty verses or over fifty. 115 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:24.160 Verses, let me be clear, let me be clear. 116 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:29.600 And he just absolutely tears these guys up. And in fact, 117 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.720 if we soughting scriptures to do it well, he quotes Exodus, 118 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:36.600 he quotes Deuteronomy, and basically what he's saying is the 119 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:40.160 God of your ancestors, whom you serve, right, and then 120 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:43.600 he ties them with like prophecies as the people who 121 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:45.600 kill Christ. I mean, he just went for it. 122 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:48.720 Right, And so he says, we'll pick up in verse 123 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:52.279 fifty one. Yep, he says, you stubborn people, you're heathen 124 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:55.240 at heart and death to the truth. Must you forever 125 00:05:55.319 --> 00:05:57.959 resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did. And 126 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:01.800 so do you name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute. 127 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:03.920 They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of 128 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.319 the Righteous One, the Messiah, whom you betrayed and murdered. 129 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:10.279 You deliberately disobeyed God's law, even though you received it 130 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:14.040 from the hands of angels. The Jewish leaders were infuriated 131 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.680 by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him 132 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:19.920 in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit gazed 133 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:22.839 steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God. And 134 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:24.959 he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at 135 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.519 God's right hand. And he told them, look, I see 136 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:29.639 the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing in 137 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:32.480 the place of honor at God's right hand. Then they 138 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.079 put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They 139 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:37.480 rushed at him and dragged him out of the city 140 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:40.439 and began to stone him. His accusers took off their 141 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:42.720 coats and laid them at the feet of a young 142 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:47.160 man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, Lord, 143 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:51.040 Jesus received my spirit, and he fell to his knees, shouting, Lord, 144 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:54.639 don't charge them with this sin. And with that he died. 145 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:58.879 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely. 146 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:01.959 With the killing of Stephen, a great wave of persecution 147 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:05.240 began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and 148 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:08.160 all the believers except the apostles, were scattered through the 149 00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:11.639 regions of Judea and Samaria. Some devout men came and 150 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:15.360 buried Stephen with great mourning, but Saul was going everywhere 151 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:17.879 to destroy the church. He went from house to house 152 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.959 dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. Yeah, 153 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.120 and we're going to go to verse five, right, Yes, 154 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:27.279 but the believers who were scattered preached the good news 155 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:30.199 about Jesus wherever they went. And Philip, for example, went 156 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:32.759 to the city of Samaria and told the people there 157 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:33.959 about the Messiah. 158 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:38.600 Yeah, so a lot there. Right, So we should pick 159 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:41.199 up sort of at the end of Stephen's message, and 160 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:45.560 we could hear the language just very truthful. Right. 161 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:47.600 He got to the point where he wasn't pulling any punches. 162 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:51.240 So he was not pulling any punches, and I could 163 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:55.199 still hear. My college professor who's now passed away. His 164 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.680 name is Eli Haru, and he was this guy where 165 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.839 he always had meul things to say, and he would 166 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:03.720 say when I walk in, and I'd say, mister har 167 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.759 you did you read all these books? He'd say, oh, yes, 168 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:10.199 these are my friends, right, And he would say those 169 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:14.199 things anyway. But I remember him uh reading this passage, 170 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.439 and I remember him teaching the class and said, uh, 171 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:20.000 and every other and every other book and every other 172 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:22.439 mention of the Bible, Jesus is sitting at the right 173 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.279 hand of the Father. But he said, and here Jesus 174 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:28.680 stands up to give a standing ovation to receive the 175 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:32.679 first martyr in the Gospels, and he gave him a 176 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:33.639 standing ovation. 177 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:36.200 That is right because I'm able to say Jesus seated 178 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:36.679 at the right end. 179 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:40.639 Yeah, and he said, he said, Steven stood for Jesus, 180 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:42.639 and so Jesus stood for him. 181 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:43.360 Wow. 182 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:45.320 Yeah, that'll preach, won't it? 183 00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:46.399 Go ahead? 184 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:49.799 Really well, I still I can still hear his voice. 185 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:50.679 Wow. 186 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.960 And uh, and you know what, it only solidified how cool, 187 00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:57.679 uh the character of Stephen was. And he was pretty 188 00:08:57.720 --> 00:08:59.799 short lived, right, I mean he just he just got 189 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:02.360 nominated as a deacon and was, you know, leader of 190 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:04.480 the food pantry. And then all of a sudden, here 191 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:07.919 we have a chapter two chapters later and he's become 192 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:13.000 the first martyr killed for Jesus. And you know they 193 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:17.240 I remember the book in his class that was required reading. 194 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:19.279 I'm sure you read it was the Foxes Book of 195 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:23.120 Martyrs where it just unpacks all the different martyrs not 196 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:26.360 only here but also in the early church history and 197 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:26.720 it's just. 198 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:28.720 All the way up to John Fox's time, which was 199 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:32.879 back in the fiftem. 200 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:36.000 So anyway, so that that's amazing, and then so not 201 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:41.159 only does Peter or not Peter Stephen see Jesus, right, 202 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:45.200 but he says that, you know, his face was filled 203 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:47.200 with the Holy Spirit and it was shining like the sun. 204 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:52.600 So Stephen looks up and he sees a vision. And 205 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:55.879 they can't stand it because they think that, you know, 206 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.639 he's he's not of God. They don't believe in the 207 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:02.279 resurrected Jesus. God is doing this great thing for Steven. 208 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:06.440 He's I don't want to say dumb enough, but he's like, 209 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:09.320 he's innocent enough to say this out loud. 210 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:09.679 Yeah. 211 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:13.840 Right, he's not reading the room very clearly. Courageous enough, Yeah, 212 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:14.840 courageous enough. 213 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:15.279 Yeah. 214 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:18.639 And so they take him out and they stone him, 215 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:21.519 which basically means they throw big rocks on his head 216 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:24.639 until his you know, skull crushes and he dies. 217 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.879 Yeah. Right, it's a rough way to go. 218 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:27.919 It's a rough way to go. 219 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:29.519 And that's what you're talking about, being stoned. 220 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:31.480 That's right, that's what I referenced yesterday. 221 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.639 I'm sure Stephen enjoyed the joke. Yeah he did. 222 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:38.440 We'll get to heaven. It'll be a good one, sure. Yeah. 223 00:10:38.440 --> 00:10:40.840 But then it says Saul, let's talk about Saul here. 224 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.480 Yeah, so Saul eventually, So Saul's a young man. We 225 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:48.840 know that Saul was the student of Gamaliel. So we've 226 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:52.120 already referenced Gamaliel being, you know, the premiere. If you 227 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:54.080 got to study under Gamaliel, it would be like being 228 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:58.159 chosen for a graduate program at Harvard or something or Yale. Right, 229 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.879 this is he's the elite of the the and so 230 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:04.679 Saul being a young man, it was a tremendous privilege 231 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:08.039 to be a disciple or a student of Gamaliel. And 232 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:10.399 then it appears that he kind of is a part 233 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:13.000 of this council. Right, He certainly was a witness, and 234 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:15.440 they came and laid their coats down at his feet, 235 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:18.000 you know, say, hang on, man, let me take this 236 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.080 quote off so I can throw these rocks better. They 237 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:21.440 lay him down at his feet. 238 00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:24.159 Which indicates that he's sort of like an intern at 239 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:24.519 the time. 240 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:25.440 That's right, that's right. 241 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:29.159 He's he's a young man who's shadowing. He's a you know, 242 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.720 he's a he's a learner disciple of the Sanhedrin. 243 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:34.799 Right, so if you remember the Sanhedron be kind of 244 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:37.279 like their supreme council. It'll almost be like the Jewish 245 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:40.799 Supreme Court. So Saul would have been like a clerk 246 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.519 to it, to Gamaliel right to the justice. 247 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:45.039 And because we haven't said it yet, this is the 248 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:46.879 same Saul who later becomes Paul. 249 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:49.639 Right, yeah, right, Well, I was trying to leave the 250 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:50.840 intrigue in. 251 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:52.919 There, but he's Paul. 252 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:59.000 Yeah. So then Saul is endorsing this and then is 253 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:03.360 inspired by it. So he sees this first martyrdom and 254 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:05.120 he doesn't see it as a negative. He sees it 255 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:06.919 as a positive. This is good thing. That's what we 256 00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:09.440 should do. We need to just put the heat on 257 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:13.399 the Christians and stop them. Because at this point, all 258 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:16.399 the Christians were stuck in Jerusalem. Now, what did Jesus 259 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.960 say in next one to eight, You'll receive the Holy Spirit, 260 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:21.600 you'll be filled with power, and you'll be my witnesses 261 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:27.320 in Judea Samaria, right, Jerusalem, Judea Samaria, in the other 262 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:30.639 most part of the world. And they were still here, 263 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.279 you know, months, maybe a year later, they're still in Jerusalem, 264 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:40.399 hadn't left. And so now this stoning happens, the martyrdom happens, 265 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:43.639 and Paul goes, let's crank the heat up. Let's go 266 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:45.399 after these Christians. We know where they are. They're all 267 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:47.840 right here in Jerusalem. So they're going house to house, 268 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:49.840 kicking in the doors, arresting the men and the women, 269 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:54.240 confiscating their property, harassing them, throwing them in prison for 270 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:57.679 all kinds of trumped up reasons. And this is Paul's 271 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:01.399 mission in life or Sauls in life at this point. 272 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:04.639 But it winds up having a different effect than what 273 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:09.840 they'd intended. It actually winds up forcing the followers of 274 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:12.039 Jesus to obey what he told them to do in 275 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.200 next chapter one, and that was go everywhere because they 276 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:17.519 wanted the huddle, which is natural for Christians. Christians love 277 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:20.759 holy huddles. They just want to hang out with each other. 278 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:23.320 They want to avoid everything else in the world. They 279 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.919 want to go only on vacation with Christians. They only 280 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:27.799 want to listen to Christians. They only want to be 281 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:32.519 around Christians, right, they want this Christian bubble. I read 282 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:34.960 one guy call it the Christian ghetto. Right that we 283 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:37.039 just get stuck inside of our own walls and we 284 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:40.799 never leave, right when we're trapped inside us four no more. 285 00:13:40.919 --> 00:13:45.200 That's right. And so Jesus had said, I want you 286 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:47.799 to go everywhere but they wanted to huddle up together. 287 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:51.080 And you know, someday we'll be qualified. Someday we'll be 288 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:53.399 prepared enough. Some day we'll know how to do this well. 289 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.759 And it's comfortable. And I like my bubble. Yeah, I 290 00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:58.039 like my world. I like you know, and it's all 291 00:13:58.080 --> 00:13:58.399 about me. 292 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:03.559 Yep. So because of the persecution, suddenly everybody except the apostles, 293 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.200 they all start scattering. They leave. Okay, it's too hot here, 294 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:10.080 we're going to go. But what happens is now persecution. 295 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:13.360 As a matter of fact, John Fox, I think, is 296 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:15.360 the one who said the blood of the martyrs is 297 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:18.799 the seed of the church. Right, So as the martyrdom 298 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.320 begins to happen and the seeds begin to spread because 299 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:24.120 the Christians leave and all the Christians take Jesus with 300 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:27.240 them where they go, and then little fellowships starts starting 301 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:31.600 out all around this region until finally ends with Philip 302 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:32.799 going to Samaria. Here. 303 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:34.799 Now we're going to get this. We're going to get 304 00:14:34.840 --> 00:14:37.480 to this a little later on in the podcast series. 305 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:41.279 But Paul is going to reflect back on these moments. Yeah, 306 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.639 you know, he's obviously consenting it. The scripture goes out 307 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:47.080 of his way to say that he consented, he agreed 308 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:50.080 to the killing of Stephen. Now, why would the scripture 309 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:52.679 go out of its way to talk about some clerk 310 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:56.879 or intern who consents to the first martyr getting killed 311 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:59.879 in the scripture? Well, the reason why is because it's 312 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:03.559 a very important detail. Knowing who Paul is going to become, well, 313 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:05.159 I should say whose soul is going to become, which 314 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:07.799 is Paul. And so there's going to be plenty of 315 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:09.559 times in the future, and we're going to get to it. 316 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:14.639 But when even during Paul's conversion where he's reflecting and 317 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:17.120 and it's and it has to be in my mind, 318 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:20.799 one of the things that has to, you know, cross 319 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.559 his mind is now that he believes later on that 320 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:26.559 Jesus is real, then he knows that all those who 321 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.879 sacrifice for for Jesus, uh, you know, we're doing it 322 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:32.840 for the right reason. And so it just it haunts 323 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.840 Paul later on, it haunts him. He calls himself the 324 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:38.759 chief of sinners. He reflects back on, I'm sure the 325 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:42.320 visual image of Stephen, you know, getting crushed with rocks 326 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:44.960 and dying. And then and then of course, you know, 327 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.440 Stephen says the same thing that Jesus says, right, you know, 328 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:50.720 forgive them. They don't. They don't. 329 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:55.399 What does he say? He asks my spirit to them 330 00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:55.960 with this sin. 331 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.039 Don't charge them with the sin. Very similar, into my hands. 332 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:01.720 I commit your into into your hands, I can mit 333 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:04.679 my spirit. Father, forgive them, for they know not what 334 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.639 they do. This is what Jesus said, and this is 335 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.879 this is what Peter's doing. He's saying, I said Peter no, 336 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:16.200 three times. So Stephen saying, you know, don't charge them 337 00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:19.879 with the sin. Lord Jesus received my spirit. Now can 338 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:23.840 you imagine this? Think about this too. We don't know 339 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:27.080 at this time whether Stephen can still see the image, 340 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:30.720 but you have to believe he does, because it says 341 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:34.320 he saw him just a few verses before they drag 342 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.720 him out, and then he says, Lord Jesus received my spirit. 343 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:42.399 I have to believe that that Stephen is still seeing this. Well, 344 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:45.159 think about it, no matter what you're facing. If you 345 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:48.200 know that you're looking at Jesus and he's standing at 346 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:50.559 the right hand of God and you and you know 347 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:53.679 he's really he's right there, you know it would give 348 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:58.360 Stephen so much courage. But he didn't lack courage, did he. 349 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.919 He didn't lack courage at all. If there is anything 350 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:04.160 about this character in the Bible, it could be said 351 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:07.920 of him that he has courage. And the word Stephen 352 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:10.839 actually means crown. That's what the name means. 353 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:11.480 That's good. 354 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:14.480 And the reason why I know that is because I 355 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:15.480 name my son Stephen. 356 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:16.240 Yeah. 357 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:18.400 And by the way, Stephen has a lot of courage. 358 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:24.519 Yes, my son does. So you have won this willingness 359 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.119 to forgive. And one of the most amazing things, you know, 360 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:30.279 the Lord's blessed me with the opportunity to serve tens 361 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:33.200 of thousands of church planners around the world, one hundred 362 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:36.759 thousand church planners around the world, and along with the 363 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:40.039 rest of the leaders of the Timothy Initiative. And you know, 364 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.160 I've had dinner many, many times or ben with many 365 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:48.039 pastors who face persecution on the daily basis, daily basis 366 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:56.759 even death, violence, houses being burned down, attack on their 367 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:59.599 children and their family members, their churches being burned down, 368 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:04.799 being imprisoned, and on occasion even killed, and a recurring theme. 369 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:08.160 Nobody wants that right when you talk about it, But 370 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:10.000 I've had multiple times when I said, you know, I'm 371 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:12.480 going to pray that God stops the persecution, and I've 372 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:16.200 had them stop me and say, don't pray that God 373 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:18.599 stops the persecution. Pray that God gives us the grace 374 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:22.279 to show his love and mercy to them while they're 375 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.680 persecuting us. Otherwise, how will they ever know about Jesus. 376 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:29.519 If we're just like them. They're coming with violence and hatred, 377 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:33.119 and we're just like them, they will feel justified in 378 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:36.880 their attack. And instead, we want to show God's mercy 379 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:40.079 and God's grace and we want we want to be 380 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.160 able to be like Jesus in that moment and forgive them. 381 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:46.599 And I'll tell you how incredibly humbling that is because 382 00:18:46.599 --> 00:18:48.880 I don't naturally think that way, partly because I'm an 383 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:51.640 American and I believe in self defense, right, That's part 384 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:53.160 of it. Hey, I want to fight my way out 385 00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:55.599 of this thing. And there are times when you should defend, 386 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.799 and there are times when you should protect yourself. But 387 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.000 when it comes to faith persecution because of your faith, 388 00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:04.519 I'm not talking about somebody trying to attack your children 389 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:07.720 or your family, talking about an attack on you because 390 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:11.240 of your personal faith, the response would be the response 391 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:13.359 of Jesus. And that's what we see in the first 392 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:16.440 martyr is he responds the way that Jesus responded, and 393 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:19.680 I just think that's beautiful, Yes, beautiful thing. It's incredibly 394 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:22.359 humbling to a person like me, who that's not my nature. 395 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:28.559 Yeah. So in my notes in the Bible here, gosh, 396 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:31.799 it's the chronological life application study. Bible is actually what 397 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:33.839 I was looking for, because there's a different one that 398 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:37.440 I normally use. It talks about the effects of Stephen's death. 399 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:40.599 It says Stephen's death was not in vain. Below are 400 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:43.079 some of the events that were byproducts, either directly or 401 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:47.119