Acts 7

Bible Passage:  Acts 7

I’m sure we’re rather familiar with this story.

Stephen, one of the well-known martyrs mentioned in the Bible, gave a sermon, rebuking the Sanhedrin who were listening to him. And they weren’t exactly the happiest of audiences. When they could stand it no longer, they rushed at him, dragged him out, and did that ever popular act of punishment known as stoning on him. But Stephen did not falter, and he still asked for God’s forgiveness upon them.

Let us now get into a time machine, and go back in time about 4 months ago.. Or, if you don’t have one, and we don’t in reality, then just click this link: http://closerdaybyday.info/2009/10/gospel-acts-7-8/

In this entry, biblereader had given *gender possessive adjective withheld* sharing on this chapter, about the Sanhedrin and how they reacted to Stephen’s sermon. Unlike the group whom Peter spoke to in Chapter 2, this group was cut to the heart, but in a way such that they probably felt humiliated, not wanting to hear of the wrongs of themselves or their forefathers. They just didn’t have the humility to listen. And likewise in this present era, biblereader mentions that we will face this kind of people when we preach the gospel. And some of our own brethren can testify to that, myself included.

Ok. Back to the present..

Today, when we preach to others, we are definitely bound to encounter these kind of people. But what’s the worst we could suffer? A verbal assault? An unfriendly reception? The ol’ slammin’-the-door-in-the-face-rejection style? All of these sound pretty unsettling, right? But what do you recall what Stephen got?

If you can’t remember, just scroll up to see what happened to him (or just have a look at the Bible again). And yet through all that, Stephen wasn’t afraid..

We don’t even need to look at Stephen’s case alone. Many other disciples we know or probably don’t know of suffered great persecutions during those times. But yet, all of them were not afraid to spread the gospel. So we are actually really fortunate to be living in these peaceful times (Well… At least in Singapore). So while we are able and while these good times last, let us bravely go out to preach the gospel, knowing that just as God had guided those during the apostolic times, so shall He guide us now, just as it is mentioned in the following well known verses:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.. (Matthew 28: 19-20)

Whether the people whom we preach to accept or not, reject us nicely or not, we should continue on with the work with all our heart and with faith.

One other thing to mention..

For this entry, and in the previous one about Chapter 7 by biblereader, we have looked at the Sanhedrin, who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. How their pride led them to cover up their sins prevented them from accepting their faults and listen to Stephen.

But, let us ask ourselves: What about us?

Sure, we believe in Christ, no doubt about that. Yes, we know this true and wonderful gospel, or else we wouldn’t be in the true church. And, we know that we always fall short of the standards of God, so we’re not infallible.

But when we do make mistakes, do we have that same pride as the Sanhedrin to want to cover up our sins? Do we shut our ears when we’re being directly rebuked by our fellow brethren, or indirectly through a message in a sermon or lesson? Or do we have the humility to be able to accept our wrongs, and seek to repent and draw closer to God through this?

I hope that we all can consider this, including myself.