Acts 7:51-53

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 51-53:

Now Stephen is ready to make his point.  Stephen calls the religious leaders a stiff-necked people, which basically meant that they are stubborn.  They think that they’ve got God all figured out, but they really don’t get what God is doing at all.  The Hebrew people persecuted the prophets that God sent among them to bring them back to God.  They killed the people that announced that Jesus was coming.  And now they are guilty of killing Jesus Himself.  They are guilty for rebelling against the very Law that they are so proud to have received.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

The course of Stephen’s whole argument is that the Hebrew people have every advantage from God.  God has led them the whole way through every significant moment of their faith.  Every moment that they are proud to claim as a part of their heritage is actually a moment that God was taking them by the hand and leading them through.  They have every reason to understand why being humble before God is important.

Are you humble before God?  Do you do things His way and do the things He wants with respect to faith and a relationship with Him?

Second Thought:

However, we know that the Jewish leaders did not humble themselves before God. They knew the Law and they thought that they had the right interpretation of it.  They were more interested in proving themselves right than they were in humbling yourself before God.  They have a history of rebelling against God and choosing their own path.  They lived up to their history by crucifying Jesus.

In what areas of your life are not humble before God?  In what areas of your life are you convinced that you have God’s plan figured out?

Third Thought:

Imagine for a moment being Stephen and having to tell the same people that killed Jesus that they are guilty of the act and God will hold them accountable.  Now imagine being one of the Sanhedrin and hearing that although you have spent your life trying to understand the Law there is this untrained layman telling you just how guilty you are of going against God’s desires.

Would you have the courage of Stephen to say what He did?  Would you have the courage of Stephen to live in faith like he did?  When you are confronted with your errors, to you have the stubbornness of the Sanhedrin?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:54-56

Acts 7:47-50

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 47-50:

Stephen at last reminds us that it is Solomon who builds the Temple of the Lord.  Yet, Stephen now makes the boldest claim that he has ever made: God does not live in buildings.  God made the whole of creation and the whole of creation is His dwelling.  Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1-2.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage. 

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.
• Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.
• Day four we hear how Moses interacts with his people and the initial failure he has.
• Day five we hear the burning bush incident retold and God’s calling for Moses.
• Day six we hear a brief summary of the exodus story and how Moses did miraculous things with the people in the wilderness
• Day seven we hear about the Golden calf incident and the continued rebellion of the Hebrew people
• Day eight we hear about the tabernacle and the conquest of the Promised Land
• Day nine we hear about Solomon building the Temple and God’s place on earth

 Why is it important to realize that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

When we think God dwells in buildings, we confine God to “our box.”  When we think about God dwelling our “ministries” we confine God to our box.  Yes, God is in our buildings (Lord willing, of course!).  And yes, God is in our ministries (Lord willing, of course!).  But God is in you.  He is in me.  He is in all of His creation.  The building and our “Christian stuff” is holy because He is present, not the other way around.  He doesn’t bless it because it is good and holy; it is good and holy because it is blessed through His presence.

While I know that you know to think that things are blessed because God is present, how easy is it to think that God comes and is present because of the good job we have done at making something great?  How does this lead to idolatry when we think it is leading to God?

Third Thought:

The quote from Isaiah is a powerful one.  It is God who has created everything under the sun.

Why do we think we can create things that please God?  In fact, why do we think we can create at all?  Is it not more important to pursue what God desires to create through us than to think that we can create something?  Why do we think we can be so clever as to create something that God hasn’t thought about doing that way?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:51-53

Acts 7:44-46

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 44-46:

Stephen then reminds the Sanhedrin that the “tent of witness” (Tabernacle, the predecessor to the Temple in Jerusalem) was brought into existence by God’s direction through Moses.  Stephen briefly mentions that God allowed the Hebrew people to subdue the Promised Land under Joshua.  He then says that they had God’s guiding through the tabernacle up until the time of David.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage.

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.
• Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.
• Day four we hear how Moses interacts with his people and the initial failure he has.
• Day five we hear the burning bush incident retold and God’s calling for Moses.
• Day six we hear a brief summary of the exodus story and how Moses did miraculous things with the people in the wilderness
• Day seven we hear about the Golden calf incident and the continued rebellion of the Hebrew people
• Day eight we hear about the tabernacle and the conquest of the Promised Land

Why is it important to realize that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

Now we finally see one of Stephen’s main points – he’s building up to conflict against the Sanhedrin regarding the Temple.  The Temple was a place of conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, why wouldn’t it be a place of conflict among the Jewish leaders and His followers?  Jesus told the Jewish leaders that if they destroy the Temple of God that Jesus could rebuild it in three days.  While the Jewish leaders assumed Jesus was talking about the building, Jesus was actually talking about His body.  Jesus taught that the body was the new Temple of God because it was where the Holy Spirit would dwell.  Of course, this irritated the Jewish leaders who believed everything revolved around the actual Temple building.

Have you ever gotten into a conflict between someone who cares about the building and someone who cares about the ministry going on in the building?  Which is more important?  Which should take precedence?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:47-50

Acts 7:39-43

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 39-43:

Stephen reminds the gathered Sanhedrin that while on the exodus out of Egypt the Hebrew people turned against Moses and turned to Aaron and begged him to make a god to go before them that they could see.  The denounced ever having experienced Moses – and more importantly they denounced seeing God work through Moses.  So God saw that their heart was really not turned to Him and He let them follow the desires of their own hearts.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage. 

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.
• Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.
• Day four we hear how Moses interacts with his people and the initial failure he has.
• Day five we hear the burning bush incident retold and God’s calling for Moses.
• Day six we hear a brief summary of the exodus story and how Moses did miraculous things with the people in the wilderness
• Day seven we hear about the Golden calf incident and the continued rebellion of the Hebrew people

Why is it important to realize that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

Today we hear about the Hebrew people and their desire to worship something that they can touch and feel.  They don’t want a relationship with an unknown God – in spite of the fact that they have witnessed the miracles of the plagues, the column of fire before them, the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, etc.  They want a god they can put in a box and quantify.

How do we do the same thing?  Why is it easier to worship things like our clothes, our friends, our technology, our cars, etc?

Third Thought:

The people denied Moses and the works of God that they saw through Moses.  They outright lied and claimed to be willing to ignore the witness of His power that God had called them to see.

Again, how do we see this in the world?  Are there times where the presence of God is so obvious to you but there are people in the world that just can’t see Him?  Are there times where you are the blind one and other people claim to be able to see God’s presence?

Fourth Thought:

God abandoned the people over to their ways.  That doesn’t mean that God was not waiting for them to repent.  It simply means that God did not force them to obey and love Him.  He was willing to give them choice, even if it meant watching them walk completely away from Him forever.

Does it scare you that God loves you so much that He is willing to risk watching you turn your back on Him forever?  Does it scare you just how many people do turn their back on Him forever?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:44-46

Acts 7:35-38

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 35-38:

Again Stephen brings in the idea that God’s redeemers are rejected by the people that God wants to save.  Stephen reminds us that Moses did miracles in the presence of the Hebrew people in Egypt as well as while they wandered through the desert.  Stephen reminds the Sanhedrin that Moses told the Hebrew people around them that God will raise up from out of them another savior – a savior greater than him!  And of course, Stephen reminds the Sanhedrin that it was Moses to whom God gave the law as a living document for the Hebrew people to hear and follow – a law which pointed them to their need for a Messiah.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage. 

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.
• Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.
• Day four we hear how Moses interacts with his people and the initial failure he has.
• Day five we hear the burning bush incident retold and God’s calling for Moses.
• Day six we hear a brief summary of the exodus story and how Moses did miraculous things with the people in the wilderness

Why is it important to realize that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

Again we return to this concept that the very people God wants to save are the ones who reject the person that He sends into their midst.  The people rejected Moses when he was acting upon his own will, but they continue to reject Moses even as he acts upon God’s will here.  In spite of all the great and tremendous things that Moses does among them, they still continue to reject him.  They want to do things their own way and do things that benefit themselves.  In a sense, their motto was: “If we didn’t think of it and we can’t see how it will give us the maximum benefit with the minimum effort, we’re not interested.”

Are you quick to judge the people God sends into your midst?  Have you ever caught yourself saying, “That’s too hard, I won’t even give it a try” when really it is what God wants?  Why are we so prone to reject God in favor of the desires of our own heart?

Third Thought:

Stephen doesn’t spend much time directly talking about the giving of the Law – but he does use a few very significant words to describe the process of Moses receiving the Law.  He calls that process “receiving living oracles.”  The word “receiving” is important because it shows that it came from God, not Moses.  The word “oracle” is important because it tells us that the Law is considered a document full of profound wisdom and warnings.  The word “living” is important because it reminds us that the Law always has a message – we can never learn everything that it could possibly have to tell us.  But perhaps most importantly, we need to remember that it is the Law (and our inability to live up to it) that gives us knowledge of how desperately we need Jesus Christ.

So how much do you need Christ?  Does your response towards God reflect how much you need Him to save you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:39-43

Acts 7:30-34

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 30-34:

Stephen continues by reminding us about the burning bush incident.  We are told that Moses was afraid to hear the voice of God speaking from out of the burning bush (and I can’t say that I blame him on that account).  God tells Moses that the place he is standing is holy ground (which makes sense, I bet God tends to have that effect just about everywhere He goes).  God tells Moses that He is now ready to turn Moses into the leader that God wants Moses to become.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage. 

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.
• Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.
• Day four we hear how Moses interacts with his people and the initial failure he has.
• Day five we hear the burning bush incident retold and God’s calling for Moses.

Why is it important to realize how important it is that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

This whole burning bush incident is pretty mind-blowing.  It is not every day that people hear a voice of God.  It is not every day that we hear people talking about having audible dialogue with God.  Let’s face it; I have dialogue with God all the time through my thoughts and emotions.  But I very rarely get to experience that earth-shattering-voice-out-of-the-heavens kind of dialogue with God.  It is neat to see the many ways that God can use to get our attention.

How has God gotten your attention in the past?  What seems to be the method that is most effective and what are the methods that should work but you just don’t seem to respond?

Third Thought:

Yesterday we talked about Moses wanting to save his people but that he was doing it according to his own agenda.  Today we begin to see it happening according to God’s agenda.  Notice that God’s plan begins with Moses’ humbleness.  Moses has to be willing to do it God’s way.  Until Moses is willing to be humble and comply with God’s methods, Moses isn’t ready to embrace what God wants to happen.

Are you humble with respect to God’s ways?  Do you demonstrate daily that you want to be God’s servant rather than you wanting God to serve your ways?  If so, how?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:35-38

Acts 7:23-29

Summary retelling of Acts 7: 23-29:

Stephen now talks about how God worked through Moses (and we’ll stick with Moses for a few days).  Moses comes to his people and tries to spare a Hebrew who is getting beaten.  He ends up killing an Egyptian.  His own people now fear him when he tries to be a mediator between them – assuming that if they disagree with Moses that Moses will just try to kill them, too.  They reject his leadership.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage. 

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.
• Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.
• Day four we hear how Moses interacts with his people and the initial failure he has.

Why is it important to realize how important it is that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

In order to set up God working through Moses in the latter portions of his speech, Stephen now spends some time showing how Moses begins.  Moses presumes that God has given his people salvation through him, yet it is really Moses who is working through Moses.  God doesn’t ask Moses to kill the Egyptian.  Moses’ humanity, rage, and anger does that much.  Stephen is clear that Moses made the assumption that God was using him, but really it was Moses trying to accomplish his own agenda and trying to make it feel like it was actually God.

How often are we guilty of doing this?  We presume we know the mind of God so we step up and act without actually putting in the time to discern individually and communally?  How does this question really help to illustrate the importance of communal Bible Study, communal prayer, communal service, communal … well, communal life?

Third Thought:

The people reject Moses’ leadership.  Now, we could very easily say that they reject him because he wasn’t actually following God’s lead at this point.  And that would actually be correct.  But the reality is that we know that even when Moses does come back and lead them according to God’s ways they still are quite rebellious and reject his leadership quite often.  People naturally reject leadership, especially leadership that has a tendency to expect them to follow God’s leading rather than doing the will of the people.  We as human beings want to be kings and queens of our own life.  This is the essence of spirituality.  We can only be spiritual when we begin the journey humbly.

Are you very humble with respect to looking at your future?  Do you have your own plans – or do you spend more time trying to figure out God’s plans?  How is this going to affect whether or not you are really humble with respect to God and the leaders that God puts in your midst?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7:30-34

Acts 7:17-22

Summary retelling of Acts 7:17-22:

Stephen begins this section by reminding the Sanhedrin about the importance of God’s promise and that God is in charge of the timing and unfolding of the promise.  Stephen says that the Hebrews in Egypt increased in number until a time when there was a Pharaoh in Egypt that didn’t remember Joseph or know Joseph’s God.  Stephen makes a mention to the killing of the innocent Hebrew children as a form of population control.  Stephen tells us that at this time Moses came onto the scene and he was brought into Pharaoh’s house to be raised by Pharaoh.  Moses was instructed in all the ways of Pharaoh.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage. 

·         Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 

·         Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.

·         Day three we see Stephen is familiar with Moses’ birth and the persecution of the Hebrew people in Egypt.

Why is it important to realize how important it is that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

Stephen talks about God and God’s promise here.  There are two dynamics at play.  The first dynamic is God’s will.  God is in charge.  Like the famous joke that ends with God telling the atheist to “go create your own sand,” the reality is that this world is God’s and He is in charge.  The second dynamic is a reminder that God is gracious and He is merciful to us.  God can sustain us and satisfy our needs, we just need to trust Him to do so.

How easily do you remember that this world is God’s?  When is it easy to remember and when is it easy to forget?  How well do you do at remembering to trust God’s promises?  When is it easy to trust and when is it hard to trust?

Third Thought:

Stephen also makes mention of the persecution.  The Pharaoh takes advantage of the captive workforce as well as instituting several measures for population control.  God’s people will face persecution of many forms.  Again, it goes back to trusting Him to provide a deliverer for us.

What kind of persecution do you face daily/weekly/monthly?  Do you have an easy time overcoming persecution or do you struggle with it from time to time?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7: 23-29

Acts 7:9-16

Summary retelling of Acts 7:9-16:

Stephen then advances the timeline of the history of the Hebrew people from Abraham to Joseph.  Stephen reminds the Sanhedrin how in spite of the rejection of his own family that God used that rejection to prosper Joseph, to be with Joseph, and to bring him into the Pharaoh’s house (albeit even that was not a painless journey).  Once Joseph was where God needed him to be, God used Joseph to spare His people from famine even though they had rejected Joseph.  Stephen also remembers that Joseph eventually died and he remains were kept until his people brought him back to the Promised Land when they returned. 

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

My first thought is likely going to be a continual “first thought” that is applicable for every day until we finish Acts 7:50.  So I’m going to keep it as a running commentary until we get to verse 50.

Stephen continues to demonstrate mastery over his religious heritage.

• Day one we see that Stephen was familiar enough with Abraham. 
• Day two we see that Stephen is familiar enough with Joseph.

Why is it important to realize how important it is that Stephen knows his religious history?  What does knowing the religious history allow Stephen to accomplish?  Do you know the religious history of the Old and New Testaments?  If yes, how can/do you use it?  If no, how can you learn it?

Second Thought:

Stephen spends a reasonable amount to time on the rejection of Joseph by his brothers.  Of course, he does it to set up the fact that “salvation from famine” actually comes through Joseph’s rejection because Joseph is able to go down into Egypt, store up a bunch of grain, and give it to his family when they need it most.  The fact that Joseph is rejected actually leads up to God using the rejected person to bring about salvation in the time of need!

How cool is it to realize that from the very beginning of God’s relationship with “His people” that the concept of salvation through a person who is rejected is a significant theme?  Does this point us at all to understanding Jesus Christ any better?  Is this a topic that you could think about and teach people around you?

Third Thought:

Speaking of rejection and God’s ability to use it … one of the principles that we see throughout the New Testament is that spirituality will conflict with the worldly (sometimes we call that the secular).  Jesus tells us to forsake the world and pursue the Godly things.  We are told to pick up our cross and follow Him.  We are told that if the world has rejected Him, then the world will reject those who follow Him.  Clearly we can see that worldly rejection is often a significant part of the process.

How ready are you to embrace rejection?  Are you willing to be rejected by the world because of your faith?  Would you be more ready if you knew that God could use the world’s rejection of you to demonstrate to the world how even though Jesus was rejected He still brought salvation to the world?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7: 17-23

Acts 7:5-8

Summary retelling of Acts 7:5-8:

Stephen talks about how God worked through Abraham.  God gave Abraham promises, but the ultimate fulfillment of those promises would always be in the future.  God promised Abraham that he would have a great amount of land (we call it Israel today) but Abraham himself would not acquire possession of it.  God promises Abraham that his offspring would worship God freely in that land, but they would have to serve many nations before that time.  Finally Stephen mentioned that God sealed his promises with a covenant.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

According to Stephen, Abraham really was a man of faith.  God made all these grand promises, but Abraham would not see many of them come to their ultimate fulfillment.  In addition to this, Abraham had to do things and move around a good bit in order for God to position him to receive those promises.  Abraham displayed a great amount of faith and trust.  In fact, Stephen is saying that Abraham’s actions are completely a response to God’s interaction with him.  This begins the understanding that Christians have in Christ that we are not saved by our own works and especially not by our ability to live according to the Law.  We are saved by Christ, and anything we do is out of a response to that salvation much like everything Abraham did was a response to God’s promises.

What is the difference between doing good works because you are trying to earn God’s love and doing good works because you have already earned it?  How can this impact how other people perceive us as Christians?

Second Thought:

This second thought piggy-backs upon the first thought.  Abraham did most of his work as a response, but he also did it while looking a good bit forward.  Abraham responded to God because he was thinking of the countless generations that would come after him who would benefit from his faithful response to God’s call.  Much of the work that Abraham did he accomplished for the sake of people that he would never meet.  In Abraham we see a great perspective on the complete opposite of self-mongerism.  Abraham works for other people – even other people that he’ll never meet in this life.  Many of the promises that God gives to Abraham he will not see himself.

How does this thought impact our decision making process?  How many of the decisions we make are based on the consequences that impact ourselves?  Are we good at making decisions based on how they will impact our future progeny?

Third Thought:

God gives evidence of His promises.  God gives circumcision to Abraham so that there would be evidence of the promise.  In other parts of scripture, God gives the Law to Moses as a sign of His promise to take the Hebrew people as His people.  In the New Testament, we know that God gives us the Holy Spirit as the guarantor of salvation.  (See Ephesians 1:13-14)  God raised Jesus Christ as evidence that He can conquer death and deliver eternal life.  God does not give us empty promises and ask us to trust the He is good for it.  Rather, God gives us full promises and then He provides evidence that He can live up to His Word.

In what ways has God made Himself clear in your life?  Where have you seen God Himself present in your thoughts, actions, or words?  If God is in you, does that give you hope in your salvation into eternal life with Him?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7: 9-16

Acts 7:1-4

Summary retelling of Acts 7:1-4:

Fortunately, the high priest does not convict Stephen on false testimony.  The High priest gives Stephen an opportunity to defend himself.  Stephen begins his defense with the beginning of the Hebrew people: Abraham.  God appeared to Abraham and told him to leave Mesopotamia.  God told Abraham to leave his family (his safety net, as it were).  Once Abraham’s father had died, God asked Abraham to really cut the apron strings and move the whole way to Canaan (modern day Israel). 

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

Stephen begins his defense with what he believes that he and the high priest (and the rest of the Sanhedrin) have in common: Abraham (and as we shall see in the many days ahead he will also speak about Moses, the Law, and the Prophets as commonalities).  But this hope for common ground is not so that Stephen can defend himself and avoid punishment.  The goal in life is not “to avoid hardship.”  The goal in life is “to let our life bear witness to Christ.”  Stephen is not talking here about finding common ground so they can see eye to eye and understand him.  Stephen is beginning with Abraham so that he can spin out why Christ is important so that the council might have yet another chance to convert to following Jesus Christ.

How are these two agendas different?  (The two agendas are “seeing eye to eye with someone” and “converting someone to your faith.”)  How can the former get in the way of the latter agenda?

Second Thought:

Notice that one of the points that Stephen talks about is how Abraham had to “get away.”  He had to leave his own and family.  Now, don’t take this to mean that there is anything inherently wrong with family and spending time with them.  God gave us family to be a blessing.  But quite often if we desire to genuinely follow God we need to abandon our life and the things that put up roadblocks to following Christ.  The point isn’t so much that family is what Abraham had to leave.  The point is that Abraham needs to get away from his safety net so that he can learn to depend upon God.

How much do you really depend on God?  How much do you depend on your own provision or the provision of the people around you instead of depending on God?

Third Thought:

Abraham is asked to move into a land with which he had absolutely nothing in common.  It is significant to note that the Hebrew people were born out of an act of someone going into a foreign culture and living a life of testimonial to God.  This idea sounds quite a bit like what we would call “evangelism.”

Does the idea of evangelism scare you?  Does the idea of going into a bunch of people that you don’t know and talking to them about God bring up some fear?  What can you do to minimize that fear?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7: 5-8

Acts 6:11-15

Summary retelling of Acts 6:11-15:

The Jews that were against Stephen resorted to playing dirty.  They hire (instigate) some folks to dishonestly slander Stephen’s ministry and claim that Stephen is speaking against Moses and God.  They stir up the crowd enough that once again an arrest is made and someone following Jesus Christ has to go before the Sanhedrin.  They arrange for false witnesses to say that Stephen is speaking against the Law, the Temple, and their traditions.  The Sanhedrin looked to Stephen to defend himself and it was clear that he was not going to make his defense using only his own power. 

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

Here is yet another passage where a Christian is dragged before a court to be tried.  I actually find it amusing that this world really thinks it can judge things over which it has no power.  How many of us make snap decisions as to whether or not another person is “truly saved?” (And no, we shouldn’t be making that decision on God’s behalf!)  How many of us make snap decisions on what kind of worship is most pleasing to God? (When really what we are claiming is what kind of worship is most pleasing to us.)  How many of us make snap decisions on what “God is calling me to do?” (when really what we are claiming are the things the we are open to God calling us to do.)

What kind of topics do you sit in judgment over when you really don’t have any right to make that kind of spiritual decision?  Are there things you are “closed-minded” about that get in the way of God’s potential call for you?

Second Thought:

Of course, we can’t talk about this passage without also talking about the underhanded methods used by the people who wanted to get rid of Stephen.  They do just about anything to get the crowd riled up so that they can snuff out the good work that Stephen is trying to do.  Here is Stephen, “full of grace and the power of God” and he is a threat to the world.  So the world takes care of the threat.  It is the way of the world.  It is the way of anyone who sits in judgment over things that they really should not be judging.

Have you ever been falsely accused of something?  How much of being falsely accused were people who just wanted you to shut up?  How much of it was other people’s personal vendetta against you?  How much of it was denial in that people didn’t want to have to take what you were saying personally?

Third Thought:

Stephen’s face is said to be “as the face of an angel.”  I’m going to go completely into “speculation world” here.  We don’t really know what this expression literally means, but I think that we can get a pretty good idea.  Angels dwell in the presence of God.  I would assume that an angel would radiate God’s glory.  So I think it is pretty fair to say that Stephen was radiating God’s glory.  Angels also are God’s agents in the world.  That doesn’t mean that they are always sweet, kind, and “loving;” rather, it means that they would likely carry an expression for the task at hand.  I doubt Stephen was radiating some pure, sweet, innocent, “Jesus loves you” kind of expression.  I am more willing to bet that he was radiating some kind of “tough love” expression that let the Sanhedrin know that he had come to do serious business and to lay his life on the line for the truth.

Have you ever seen someone who for a moment or two looked like they were caught up by some divine (or other-worldly) expression?  If so, how did you respond?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 7: 1-4

Acts 6:8-10

Summary retelling of Acts 6:8-10:

Stephen – one of the seven who were just chosen in the prior passage – was filled with all kinds of grace and spiritual power.  God was on display before the people through Stephen.  Some Jewish people from outside of Jerusalem began to take issues with what he was teaching.  So they began to argue with him, but they were unable to withstand his teaching because he was teaching with God’s wisdom and the Holy Spirit. 

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

The word here that is used for “power” in the original Greek language (in which the Bible is written) is “dynamis.”  (Written in English Letters, of course)  This word is the root word for English words like dynamite, dynamic, and dynamo.  Each of those concepts speak about power in terms of “explosiveness.”  Dynamite is obvious explosive.  A dynamic speaker is someone who gets your attention – usually through dramatic means.  The point here is that when God truly gets a hold of someone, the displayed of God in that person is noticeable.

Have you ever had a moment where people noticed God in you?  Do you have many of those moments or only a few of them?

Second Thought:

The Jews take issue with what Stephen says.  They argue with him.  Hopefully by this point in the text this doesn’t surprise you anymore.  Here is another speaker filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to go out and teach people about Jesus who comes under the scrutiny of other “spiritual leaders.”  Here is another person who experiences a roadblock in their effort to tell people about Jesus Christ.  It is a very repeatable pattern in Acts and it likewise is a very repeatable pattern in life.

Why do you think it is so easy to come under pressure when all a person wants to do is talk about Jesus?  What kind of things than become roadblocks to a person talking about Jesus?  Are all of the potential roadblocks things that we might consider “bad” or do “good” things occasionally get in our way, too?

Third Thought:

People argue with Stephen, but they cannot win.  They cannot overcome his wisdom and logic because his wisdom and logic are from the Lord.  Seriously, how many of us genuinely think that we can win an argument with God?  When we speak out of the wisdom that God gives to us rather than our own wisdom, we need not fear being rebuked or rebutted.  Surely it will happen and people will offer up their rebuttal; we just need not fear it.

Why is it important to understand that God is irrefutable?  How does that understanding affect how we approach our mission from Christ to the world?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 6:11-15

Acts 6:5-7

Summary retelling of Acts 6:5-7:

The assembled group chose 7 men from among them to take up the task of managing the needs of the people.  The apostles then appointed them and prayed over them.  Once the issue was settled, the work of spreading the Gospel was able to resume and we hear again that the number of people converting to Christianity was on the rise – even Temple priests were beginning to convert.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

I’m going to tell you something today that unless you a student of Greek and Hebrew history you could never know from the text.  Stephen was a good Hebrew name.  But the other 6 who are selected have names derived from Greek origin.  Thus, it is likely that of the seven people chosen, 6 of them were not native inhabitants to Jerusalem.  That’s pretty powerful if you think about it.  The problem was that the non-native widows were being overlooked.  So to solve the problem, the church selected a bunch of non-native leaders.  It makes brilliant sense.

On the other hand, from a human perspective, it makes no sense.  Human beings tend to want to maintain control.  We tend to want to be in charge and put people in charge who will “accomplish what we think is best for us.”  It really says something about a church that was predominantly made up of Jerusalem-based Hebrew speaking Jews to be willing to elect a bunch of “outsiders” to tackle this very important ministry.  It really shows us that the first attempt at church was not a church focused on power hunger and control.

How much do you see “power” and “control” influencing your church?  How do you see it?  How can we fight against this in the church?

Second Thought:

The apostles then prayed over the seven.  They genuinely desired them to be successful.  But even more importantly they genuinely desired God to use them.  They weren’t worried about establishing another set of leaders with whom they might lose control or have to compete against.  They wanted to put themselves in a position to obey God’s will.

How important is it to seek your spiritual mentor’s approval (of course, not above God’s approval)?  Why can it be important to have the blessing of a spiritual mentor?

Third Thought:

The church continued to grow – even Temple priests began to convert.  This is no small statement.  A Temple priest is no insignificant figure in Judaism.  You had to be of a certain lineage to be a priest.  The fact that the early Christians had access to the priests and that the priests were willing to listen is remarkable.

Imagine actually being able to be a part of the process of a spiritual leader from another faith converting into Christianity.  (Of course, God gets the credit.)  What do you think God would want you to do to prepare yourself for that possibility?  What things do you need to do as His disciple to prepare?  So what’s stopping you from doing that?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 6:8-10