Wednesday, Nov. 26

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Wednesday

In the first seven chapters of Acts we get a good picture of what the church was doing in Jerusalem. They had the attention of the masses of the people through the extraordinary working of the Holy Spirit in their midst. The apostles had been used of the Lord in healing some individuals, so that those events opened doors for the gospel. The church continually gathered, "devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (2:42). They met together, ate meals together, worshiped together, and prayed together. The purity of their fellowship and unity was maintained by the attention to God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.  While the apostles gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (6:4), the Seven served the body's physical needs. Stephen boldly proclaimed Christ Jesus as Lord and for this he was stoned to death. 

It was at this point that everything seemed to change. A dramatic shift took place in the church from which it has never returned.  The church in Jerusalem experienced exponential growth. They had grown to enjoy a relative measure of peace that was occasionally interrupted by jealous Sadducees. Most of the people of Jerusalem held the church in esteem, that is until the mob-induced stoning of Stephen. At that point persecution became the norm for the church. "And on that day (referring to the day of Stephen being stoned to death) a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." "  That day" is emphatic in the Greek text. That day became not only the day of Stephen's stoning and the day of great persecution of the church, but it became the day the big expansion movement began.

It is important for us to realize that the church lives in a tension. I mean this in a positive manner. We have the tension on one hand of making sure that we grow spiritually, nurture those in the body, develop our spiritual gifts, exercise Christian service, worship, pray, encourage one another, develop in spiritual disciplines, etc. This is Christian growth or growing in grace. It is the ongoing work of sanctification in our lives. And it is something for which the church exists. We must never neglect growing in grace. 

On the other hand, the church does not just exist for its members. We are to be a people with a passion for the souls of men that is manifest by our evangelism and mission labors. We are to be the bearers of the good news of Jesus Christ to a sin-darkened world. We proclaim the only light and hope for humanity.

The problem in the first church is that they were somewhat stuck in Jerusalem. They were growing in grace and certainly reaching people with the gospel in Jerusalem. But the Great Commission had not been rescinded. They still had the challenge of getting outside their comfort zone with the gospel of Christ and carrying its life-giving message to the ends of the earth.

We face this same tension. The church is not given the either/or option of inward growth or outward expansion. It is a both/and demand from our Lord. We are to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18) and "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:16).

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, Nov. 25

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Tuesday

Throughout the Bible we are continually reminded of the sovereignty of God. His rule, reign, and exercise of authority over all of creation can be seen throughout the events of history. Our world does not have a haphazard existence. Things do not just happen by chance. Behind the workings of history remains the master strategy of our great God. While man operates freely in humanity, God's sovereign providence stands over and above our actions. He works out His will through the actions of human wills, without violating the freedom of those human wills.  He accomplishes His purpose, as the prophet Isaiah reminds us, "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure."  (Isa. 25:1)

The first missionary movement of the church is just such a plan. Obviously, the church in Jerusalem found plenty of evangelistic work to do in its first few years after Pentecost. Travelers and religious pilgrims continually streamed into Jerusalem, which gave the church an open door for extending the reach of the gospel. But the command of Christ was for the gospel to be carried to the regions beyond Jerusalem. While I do not think we can fault the apostles and early believers for their staying in Jerusalem, with the best of intentions of evangelizing, the fact remains that they had not set forth on following the full extent of the great commission. They were having great ministry, but the Lord planned more for them.

Remember back with me to Acts 1:8 -  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Now consider Acts 8:1 - And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Hmmmm??  Is it coincidence that the scattering of the church took them to the exact places that Jesus told them they would go as His witnesses?

I believe we can learn an important truth at this point. Whenever Christians find themselves in the midst of busy and effective ministry, they must not simply assume that they are totally fulfilling all that the Lord desires of them. There may be other dimensions and other directions in which they must go forth. It is imperative that they remain sensitive to the teaching of Scripture and the clear leading of the Holy Spirit through the circumstances they encounter, so that they might fulfill the will of God in their lives.

The master strategy of our Lord will do whatever is necessary to bring His people into His will. This can be seen by the persecution that broke forth upon the church in such a way that the Christians were scattered into the regions outside of Jerusalem. God accomplished His will through the means of persecution. He causes "all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

Jeff Frazier

Monday, Nov. 24

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Monday

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.  And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.  Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.     - Acts 7:59-8:4

It was by means of the persecution that arose over Stephen that these early Christians were pressed out of Jerusalem, squirted out into the areas around, into Judea and Samaria, and began to preach the word, all according to the program of God. God used Saul of Tarsus, even before he became a Christian to accomplish this. God works to use the very obstacles thrown in the path of Christians to advance his cause. You can picture young Saul, enraged over what he regarded as a heresy, trying to stamp it out with all the energy of his flesh, entering house after house, dragging off men and women and committing them to prison. This is the rage of a tortured conscience, which tries, by zealous activity, to cover up its anxiety, emptiness, and hurt. Yet God uses this as an instrument to accomplish his purpose.

God does two things with this rage of Saul's: He forces the church out of Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria to fulfill the divine program as he had outlined, and he makes the early church depend not upon the apostles but upon the gifts of the Spirit distributed to everyone — for these who were scattered abroad were not the apostles. Dr. Luke is careful to tell us that. These were ordinary, plain-vanilla Christians like you and me. And yet they had gifts of the Spirit. But they would never have discovered their gifts if they had not been pushed out, and put to work. So God used this pressure to place them in circumstances where they began to develop the gifts of evangelism, of witnessing, of helps, wisdom, knowledge, teaching, prophecy, and all the other gifts of the Spirit that had been made available to them.

Sometimes I think that God will have to do this in our day before people will begin to believe that they have spiritual gifts and put them to work. He may have to bring persecution upon us so that there cannot be dependence upon a central ministry, but each one will begin to utilize the gifts that God has given him.

Are you going through some kind of pressure today? Well, it is not punishment for our sins — Jesus took our punishment fully, on the Cross. The pressure, the trials, and the problems that come are by no means always the result of sin in our lives. Sometimes they are, but it may be God's way of moving you, of pressuring you into a new experience, into a new understanding of his truth and of his equipment in your life, and giving you a new opportunity to put it to work.

Jeff Frazier

Friday, November 21st

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Friday, November 21

Acts 7:54-60

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."  But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

In the mid-1950‘s 5 young men in their 20‘s committed their lives to sharing the gospel with the indigenous tribes of Ecuador.

Their names were Jim Elliott, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully and Nate Saint.

Most were graduates of Wheaton College, were married and had young children.

They committed themselves to reaching a tribe of nearly stone age people called the Huaorani. They knew the Huaorani had the reputation of being violent and extremely resistant to outsiders. So they spent several months dropping gifts from an airplane in an attempt to demonstrate good will and friendship. Finally, in January  of 1956, they decided to make contact on the ground. On the very day they landed their plane close to the Huaorani village all five men were speared to death. Later it was discovered that they had refused to use their guns to defend themselves as they were being attacked.

Their story has been told in books and film.

While in Ecuador last summer with one of our church’s student mission teams, we visited the “Nate Saint House” where the men would have gathered before flying into the jungle on the day they died. It was a very sobering experience to be so close to the powerful story of martyrdom for the cause of Christ.

The deaths of those 5 young men, leaving their wives and young children behind seemed so unnecessary; such a waste!

But because their widows and children forgave the Huaorani and continued to reach out to them with the gospel, today there is a thriving Huaorani church and all four of the surviving tribesmen who speared those missionaries are now elders in that church! Furthermore, just as Stephen’s death in the first century sparked the continued growth of the gospel, the deaths of these five young missionaries also sparked a new wave of Christian missions all over the world.

But how do we even begin to relate to martyrdom living where we do in North America?

A “martyr” is usually defined as one who is persecuted or put to death specifically for their religious beliefs.

How can we compare what we might experience to what Stephen experienced, or to what those five young men and their families experienced in Ecuador?

In some ways, of course, we can’t.

But, when I really think about it, I think there is a way we can relate to this story. Is it not true that we all give our lives to something?

Is it not true that every day, every hour, we each pour our lives out on some altar?

That altar might be our work, the quest for money or success; it might be education or even our families. But we all pour our lives out for something!

Most of the time we pour our lives out so gradually that we barely even notice we are doing it.

Some, like the 5 missionaries in Ecuador, like Stephen, pour their lives out in a moment of brilliant clarity; like an exploding water balloon. But most of us pour our lives out a drop at a time.

It occurs to me that we are all martyrs for something! We all give our lives to and for some purpose. 
When we look at this story we are tempted to focus on how Stephen died, and we should, because martyrdom has happened throughout the centuries and is happening around the world today.

But I think this story is here to also teach us how Stephen lived!

He was a man of grace.

He was a man of truth.

A man of courage; courage anchored in grace and truth.

It seems to me that Stephen teaches us that a martyr is one willing to die for what he or she is living for.

We may not all be called to die like Stephen, but we are all called to live like Stephen, because Stephen lived like Jesus!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, November 20th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Thursday, November 20

Acts 7:54-60

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

While traveling recently on a long flight back from the middle east, I found myself watching a movie on the plane. The film was called “Railway Man” starring Colin Firth.

It was the story of a British World War II veteran who was struggling with what we now call PTSD.

He struggles to resume his life due to deep emotional trauma. He eventually falls in love with a woman who sees first hand his emotional paralysis and challenges him to address the root of his pain.

It turns out he had been part of a group of soldiers captured by the Japanese and forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway in the jungles of the Malay Peninsula.

It was time of brutality and abuse; at one time he was tortured mercilessly by one particular guard and it was hatred for this guard that lay at the center of his pain.

He accidentally discovers that his tormentor is still alive so he decides to go back to the location of his imprisonment with the intent to confront and perhaps kill the former Japanese guard, thinking this act of justice and revenge might finally bring him peace.

However, when he finds the man and has the opportunity, he finds he just can’t bring himself to do what he intended to do. He realizes that man has also lived in an emotional prison for years as well; a prison of guilt, shame and remorse for his own actions.

Firth’s character offers the Japanese man forgiveness, thus setting both men free.

I thought it was a terrific movie, and I was reminded of it when I read again the story of the martyrdom of Stephen.

Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Remarkable! Even as he is being stoned to death Stephen prays for his murderers, offering them forgiveness.

Of course, our minds go immediately to the words of Jesus on the cross, when he looked down upon those who   had him crucified, and said:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

We have already learned that Stephen was a man full of grace and power. We have seen that he was a man of truth, unashamed of the gospel and unafraid to defend it. Now we see that he was also a man of enormous courage. But notice that Stephen not only had the courage to die for his faith in Jesus, but also to forgive those who were casting the stones!

We usually think of Stephen as an example of Christian martyrdom, and he is. But I think Stephen can teach us some important things about forgiveness as well. Have you ever thought of forgiveness as requiring grace, truth and courage?

Forgiveness requires truth because, in order to forgive, the sin must be acknowledged and named.
Forgiveness is most powerful and effective when we say not just, “I forgive you,” but, “I forgive you for what you did or said that hurt me.”

For example: In the movie, “Railway Man,” before Colin Firth’s character offers forgiveness to the former Japanese guard he recounts the abuse and torture and the guard acknowledges fully what he had done.

Here Stephen says, “Do not hold this sin against them.” He acknowledges that what these men are doing is a sinful act. He speaks the truth and the truth allows forgiveness to take place.

Second, forgiveness requires grace. Stephen could afford to offer his murderers forgiveness because he knew his own sins had been forgiven. We can only forgive others when we have already received forgiveness ourselves. Grace tends to produce grace in our lives.

Finally, forgiveness requires courage. Forgiveness requires courage because forgiveness always costs us something. Forgiveness costs us the opportunity and fleeting pleasure of revenge or retribution. Forgiveness means relinquishing what feels like our right to inflict suffering and humiliation on the one who has wronged us. Forgiveness means to trust that God will handle all judgment and justice.

Who and what might you need to forgive today? Ask God for the grace, truth and courage to do so.


Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, November 19th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Wednesday, November 19

Acts 7:54-60

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Over chapters 4 and 5 in Acts we have seen growing opposition to the gospel. The intensity of the opposition has escalated from arresting and warning the apostles; to arresting, warning and beating them; to what is now essentially a lynch-mob.

Stephen is dragged before the council, accused of blasphemy, and challenged to defend himself. He does so by recounting the history of Israel leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. He accuses his accusers of being guilty of putting Jesus, the “Righteous One,” to death and the council is enraged. But what drives then to suddenly turn into a murderous mob that stones Stephen to death making him the first Christian martyr?

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

The line we need to pay attention to is where Stephen says: 

I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God... 

We can almost miss this but Stephen’s choice of words here is incredibly important!
First, by claiming that Jesus is at the right hand of God Stephen is again identifying Jesus as the Messiah. The Jewish council would have recognized that Stephen was identifying Jesus as the “Son of Man” in Daniel 7. They would have interpreted this as making Jesus equal to God and therefor as the highest form of blasphemy.

Second, the image of Jesus standing is very significant. This the only time in scripture that Jesus is mentioned as standing in heaven; usually he is seated at the right hand of the Father. Stephen’s accusers would have recalled passages from the scriptures like:

Psalm 68:1
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
 may his foes flee before him.
Isaiah 3:13
The Lord takes his place in court;
 he rises to judge the people.

They were enraged because they knew that the image of Jesus standing meant he was standing in judgment over them as enemies of God for what they were doing to Stephen! These religious leaders faced two options: either they responded to the truth about Jesus with repentance or they had to kill the messenger. They chose to put Stephen to death.
But there is something else to see here.

Many scholars think that Jesus is standing not just to judge Stephen’s murderers, but in honor of his servant.

In Psalm 116:15 we read:
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of his saints.

In Jesus’ parable of the talents the master says to his servant:

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23)

I think we see a beautiful picture here of Jesus standing to honor his faithful servant Stephen and to welcome him home! 

So as stones hurled by hate-filled men rained down on him Stephen also had two options. He could return their hatred with his own bitterness and curses; or he could turn his eyes toward Jesus who stood to welcome him into heaven. He chose Jesus.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, November 18th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Tuesday, November 18

Acts 7:1-3; 51-53

And the high priest said, "Are these things so?" And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.'

From here Stephen launches into a 48 verse-long sermon that covers the history of Israel from Abraham to Joseph to Moses to David to Solomon. I would encourage you to go back and read the whole of chapter 6 in your Bible. While Stephen is recounting the history of God’s people you can almost see the men who had arrested him nodding their heads; uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. They knew the history and Stephen wanted them to know that he knew the history as well. Then, after 48 verses, he starts to talk about Jesus and his whole tone changes!

"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."

My first role in ministry was part time Youth Pastor at a church in Glen Ellen. I was in seminary at the time so it was a great way to get my feet wet in ministry while completing my education.
Just a few weeks into my new role I needed a haircut so I dropped into an old fashioned barber shop in Wheaton near where I lived at the time. When I say “old fashioned” I mean the striped barber shop pole outside and men only inside. I sat down to wait for my turn and reached for a magazine - and immediately noticed that most of them were rather inappropriate for a public place! I also noticed the conversation was liberally sprinkled with profane language.
I thought about leaving - but that would have been pretty awkward since I just sat down. So I just sat and waited. When my turn came I sat in the barber’s big chair and just wanted to get my hair cut and get out of there. But the barber was a talker and started right in.

“Hey, you’re new here aren’t ya?”

“Yes.”

“Whaddaya want?”

“Just a basic haircut.”

“O.K., gotcha. So, where do you live?”

“In Wheaton.”

“Whaddaya do?”

Now I had a choice to make! If I said I was a “Youth Pastor” I had a feeling the whole conversation was going to change! So I said, “I’m a teacher.”

I avoided what would have certainly been an uncomfortable moment and I avoided the conversation that may have followed.

Stephen didn’t do that.

"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."

Problem!

In essence Stephen moves from “uh-huh to unh-unh” ...

He turns the tables on his accusers by putting them on trial!

He accuses the council of being “stiff-necked.” This is a phrase that meant stubborn and prideful.

He says they are also “uncircumcised in heart.” The physical mark of circumcision was to be a reminder of their covenant with God, but Stephen is telling them that although they have the physical mark, their hearts are far from God.

He goes on to state that they have resisted the Holy Spirit, persecuted the prophets and murdered the “Righteous One.” Notice that “Righteous One” is capitalized; that’s because it is written as a title. Stephen is referring directly to Jesus as the Messiah of God which his accusers would have considered blasphemy.

We see here that Stephen was a man of grace but also a man of truth. When challenged to defend himself he spoke the truth about Jesus, even when he knew it was likely to enrage his listeners.

The truth is that the truth can sometimes get you into trouble!

So when you are asked what you believe or why you go to church or why you read the Bible, do you ever stop short of sharing the truth about Jesus or the gospel?

Ask God through the Holy Spirit to give you both the boldness to speak the truth and the grace to do so with love.


Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, November 17th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Monday, November 17

Acts 6:8-15

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us." And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

When we think of the word “hero” some of us think of fictional characters like Batman, Rocky Balboa or Jack Bauer. Some of us think of athletes like Michael Jordan or LeBron James. But, in general, I think most of us would agree that we tend to throw the word “hero” around a bit too easily.

I recently came across the story of a Pakistani teenager named Aitzaz Hasan. In January of this year 17 year old Hasan noticed a suspicious looking man walking toward his high school in Pakistan. He quickly recognized that the man was a suicide bomber wearing a jacket loaded with 13 pounds of explosives and clearly intended to detonate the bomb inside the school. Thinking quickly, Hasan ran toward the man and challenged him to a fight. After a brief struggle the cowardly bomber set off his explosives, killing both of them instantly. Hasan’s courage and decisive action saved the lives of over 1,500 faculty and students in the high school. I think we would all agree that Hasan was a hero.

In John 15 Jesus defined true heroism when he said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lays down his life for a friend.”

We are introduced to just such a hero in Acts 6.

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Stephen was one of the seven men chosen to administer the distribution of food to the widows in chapter 5. Along with the others he was chosen for his Godly character and wisdom. Here Luke tells us he was a man “full of grace and power.”

When I think about this description of Stephen it occurs to me that, in my experience, those two words rarely describe the same person. That is, when it comes to both personality and behavior, human beings tend to gravitate toward one of those two polar opposites. People are either graceful or they are powerful.

Some folks are gentle, soft-spoken, patient, and very easy to be around. You probably know someone in your life right now that you would describe as full of grace.

Other people are more confident, in charge, type “A”, “get it done” type people. These folks aren’t always comfortable to be around, but they get a lot done! You might have a boss or co-worker that you would describe as full of power.
   
So, at first glance “grace” and “power” don’t seem to go together! Grace is a gentle word; power is a stronger, harsher word; yet Luke says that Stephen was both!
   
Stephen was full of grace, Luke says.

What is “grace?”

The Greek word translated as grace is charis, and it carries the meaning of gift, and specifically the gift of God’s favor.

The gift of God’s grace is at the very center of the gospel.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God... (Ephesians 2:8)

Interestingly, in John 1:14 Jesus is described in the same way:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So what does it mean to be “full of grace?”

To be full of grace is to be full of God’s favor.

In Ephesians 1:4 we read:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

To be full of grace is to be full of God’s love.

In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul writes:

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

To be full of grace is to be full of God’s forgiveness.

Ephesians 1:7 says:

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

To be full of grace is to be full of God’s peace.

In Colossians 3:15 Paul reminds us to...

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

To be full of grace is to be full of God’s Spirit.

In Romans 8:16 we read:

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Stephen was full of grace because he was filled with the gift of the gospel; because his life was defined by the gospel; and because his identity was anchored in the grace and love of Christ.

Luke also says that Stephen was full of power.

What is “power” and where did Stephen’s power come from?

The word is dunamis, from which we take our words dynamic and dynamite. Dunamis refers to might, strength or ability.

Luke says,

But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

His power came in the form of wisdom; and his wisdom came from the Holy Spirit.

In John 15 Jesus said:

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

Stephen was full of power because he had received the gift of the Holy Spirit when he put his faith in Jesus.

What I think what we most need to see here is that, although Stephen was certainly a hero of the faith - as we will see later in this chapter - he was no different than you and me. He was simply a man who believed the gospel and had allowed Jesus to fill him with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then filled him with both grace and power.

I believe the Spirit wants to do the same for each one of us.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, Nov. 14

Friday

This week we have been examining the role of serving in the life of the early church.  It is clear to anyone who reads the first few chapters of the book of Acts that these early Christians were remarkably compassionate and willing to sacrifice in order to serve those around them.  It is also clear that this is one of the qualities of the early church that God used to make such a significant and lasting ripple effect in the world.

However, we have to admit that Christianity is not the only world religion or faith system that teaches the value of serving others.  In fact just about every major world religion teaches that we should do good to others and care for the poor.  Even atheists, those who do not believe in any God at all, will sacrifice for the good of others.  We have to admit that Christianity does not have exclusive claim to the practice of service to others.  So, what makes Christian service so unique?  What distinguishes Christian service from any other kind of service or humanitarian efforts?  

Elizabeth Elliott tells the story of an African legend about Jesus. Understand, it is not in the Bible. It is only a legend. But I there is a strong lesson here for all of us about what it means to serve in the name of Jesus.

"One day Jesus said to his disciples: "I'd like you to carry a stone for Me." He didn't give any explanation. So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could possibly find. After all, Jesus didn't give any regulations for weights and size! So he put it in his pocket. Jesus then said: "Follow me." He led them on a journey. About noontime Jesus had everyone sit down. He waved his hands and all the stones turned to bread. He said, "Now it's time for lunch." In a few seconds, Peter's lunch was over. When lunch was done Jesus told them to stand up. He said again, "I'd like you to carry a stone for Me." This time Peter said, "Aha! Now I get it!" So he looked around and saw a small boulder. He hoisted it on his back and it was painful, it made him stagger. But he said, "I can't wait for supper." Jesus then said: "Follow Me." He led them on a journey, with Peter barely being able to keep up. Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river. He said, "Now everyone throw your stones into the water." They did. The he said, "Follow Me," and began to walk. Peter and the others looked at hi dumbfounded. Jesus sighed and said, "Don't you remember what I asked you to do?  Who were you carrying the stone for?"

The difference between Christian service and any other kind of service may not be in the act of service itself, but in whose name and for whose sake the service is done.  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him,  “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  - James 2:15-16

James has a good point here doesn’t he?  But for the Christian, this principle works the other way around as well.  Think about it, what good would it do for us to feed, clothe, visit and care for those in need, and never tell them Why?  We might succeed in keeping a person from starving physically, but what about the hunger in their soul?  Ultimately what good is it if we keep a few more people from going hungry, but we do not tell them about the one who said that He is the “Bread of Life”?  Christian service does not involve less than meeting the physical needs of others, but it always involves more – because it is done in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ!

Listen to how Acts describes the results of the compassion and service of the early church.
God’s message was preached in ever-widening circles. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.  – Acts 6:7

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, Nov. 13

Thursday

In Acts 6:1 we read about a dispute between two groups of Christians in the early church.  The Greek speaking Jewish Christians feel that the Hebrew Christians are treating their widows unfairly.  So these Grecian Jews bring their concern to the Apostles, and this is how the Apostles decided to handle it…

So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.  Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.  – Acts 6:2-4

I have to admit that in English it sounds almost like the Apostles are saying that this issue is beneath them, or that they are too important to deal with such an insignificant problem, but this is really not what they are saying at all.  In fact, the phrase “wait on tables” is actually an expression from the time pertaining to acts of hospitality and service.  The Apostles are faced with a very real dilemma; they cannot ignore their calling to the ministry of the word in order to meet this need, but they also must not ignore this need in order to focus on the ministry of the word.  The church has to have both the ministry of the word and the ministry of service and compassion if it is going to have the ripple effect of spiritual influence in the world.  We must keep both word and deed continually in balance.  There are many churches today that focus on of these areas to the exclusion of the other.  There are churches that are theologically sound and doctrinally squared away, but they do not have much in the way of ministry to the poor.  On the other hand, there are churches that are very active and innovative in their service and outreach, but they have very little theological depth, and they seem to have lost touch with why they are serving in the first place. 

Basically the Apostles recognized the simple fact that as the church continued to grow and the various ministry needs continued to increase, they could no longer “do it all”.  The leaders of the early church understood that if they were to keep the ministry of the word in balance with the ministry of service, they were going to have to develop other leaders!  This is a reality that many pastors and churches are unwilling or unable to face.  The traditional approach to ministry is what might be called the “pastor-focused” church.  The pastor-focused church is the church where the pastor does all of the preaching, the teaching, the leading, the praying, the evangelizing, the shepherding, etc. and the people sit around and watch.  In the pastor-focused church, the pastor is the professional who does the ministry, and the people are the amateur spectators.  The problem with the pastor-focused church is that it is extremely limited and totally unbiblical.  

The biblical concept of church is one where all of God’s people are ministers, and the pastor’s role is to teach, lead and equip the people for ministry.  This is precisely what is taking place here in Acts 6; new leaders and servants are raised up because of a new need in a growing church.  Did you catch that?  As the church grows, so do the needs of the people, and so do the opportunities for ministry.  I don’t know if you see yourself as a spectator of or a participant in the ministry of the church?  There is nothing wrong with someone attending a church and just observing and learning for a while. However, if you truly want to follow Jesus, then there really is no place for spectators.  

What would have happened to the early church if the Apostles had insisted on doing it all themselves?  What would have happened if the people had insisted on the Apostles doing everything for them?  The church would have stopped growing, stagnated and slowly begun to lose its powerful spiritual influence in the world, and we would not be here today to carry on the message and mission of Jesus Christ in the world.

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, Nov. 12

Wednesday

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.  So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.  Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”  This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.  So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.  – Acts 6:1-7

Sometimes, just when everything seems to be going great, trouble comes in the most unlikely of places.  The problem here in Acts 6 comes from within, it is an internal conflict between two of groups of Christians.  The Grecian Jews were Jews that believed in Jesus Christ and spoke Greek because they lived outside of the region of Jerusalem.  The Hebraic Jews were also Jews that believed in Jesus, but they spoke Aramaic and Hebrew and lived in or near the city of Jerusalem.  In other words, these two groups had a shared faith in Christ and background in Judaism, but they had a cultural and language barrier between them.  The Grecian Jews had a complaint about the way that their widows were being treated, they claimed that the Hebraic Jews were overlooking them and playing favorites.  It might have been that the Hebraic Jews looked down on these Greek speaking Jewish Christians.  It might have been a completely unintentional oversight, either way it was a real problem.

Notice how these Grecian Jews handled their complaint; they did not leave the church in order to form a purely Greek speaking church of their own.  They did not start any rumors or try to stir up trouble.  They simply brought their concern to the leadership of the church and asked them to consider how to handle it.  

It would be easy for us to assume that in the big picture of the growth of the church, this issue is really not that big of a deal.  I mean what does it really matter if a few Greek-speaking widows get a little less food?  The truth is that this is a problem that, if not dealt with, could undermine the very message of the Gospel.  The Roman world of the first century was one of extreme social hierarchy and division.  The message of the Gospel proclaimed that in Christ, all of the social, economic, racial, and cultural barriers were done away with.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  – Galatians 3:28

If the Apostles simply ignored this issue, the Grecian Jews would eventually come to believe that the message of the Gospel was just talk and that the church was no different in the way that it treated them as the rest of the world.  To ignore this seemingly small complaint, would be to betray a central conviction of the message of the church.  The Gospel message of freedom in Christ Jesus sought to break down barriers, and the church is supposed to incarnate that Gospel reality.  

I remember meeting with a man who was a frequent visitor of our church.  We met for coffee and he peppered me with question after question about what our church believed and about what our church actually did in the areas of service and compassion for the poor.  At the end of our conversation I asked him what was behind all of his questions.  He told me that he thought most churches were “all talk” and he just wanted to know if our church was any different from all of the others he had visited.  

Our mission must match our message!  None of us can perfectly live up to the standard of the Gospel, but we must always strive to live our lives more and more in line with the truth we profess. 

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, Nov. 11

Tuesday

The first several chapters of the book of Acts tell the exciting story of the birth and rapid growth of the early church.  It is the story of how the Holy Spirit moved in the lives of the early Christians, empowering them and guiding to establish the Body of Christ on earth. It doesn’t take a Biblical scholar to see that the early church was growing.  

Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 

Acts 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. 

Acts 5:14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

References like these make it abundantly clear that what began as a small group of believers huddled together after Jesus ascended into heaven quickly grew and spread throughout the Roman world. 

There are some folks today who view large and growing churches with suspicion.  They seem to feel that a large church cannot be a God honoring church.  I have heard Christians use the term “mega-church” as a term of derision, as if a mega-church is a bad thing simply because it is large.  Most church growth experts today would consider any church over 5,000 people to be a “mega-church”.  Look again at the verses above and you will see that the early church was a “mega-church”!  The point is that growth is good.  Growth is what God is after; growth in the heart of each individual believer, and growth in the number of people who come to know, love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ!  Let me say it again – growth is good! 

The early church was growing rapidly; in fact it was growing so fast that it began to experience some real problems.  These same chapters in Acts also tell the story of how the Enemy (Satan) tried to destroy the church before it ever really got going.  Acts 2-4 tells of the opposition and persecution from the Jewish authorities.  Acts 5 tells the story of deceit and internal corruption among the believers.  Acts 7 recounts the persecutions and death of Stephen, one of the leaders of the early church.  It seems that the early church was both growing and struggling with challenges and problems at the very same time.

Acts 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

Here we see that while the church is growing and making more and more disciples, a problem rises from within.  A dispute between two groups within the church (anyone who thinks that the Bible is irrelevant for today needs to read this story!)  We will get to the heart of this particular problem and how the early church handled it later this week.  The important point for now is that problems and pain always accompanies growth.

This really should not surprise us – growth, while good and desired by God, inevitably causes problems and pain.  We accept this reality when it comes to our physical bodies; we even call them “growing pains”.  Childbirth itself is painful (or so I have been told).  We know that as a child grows and learns to walk, they will occasionally fall down and scrape their knee.  Athletes understand that in order to grow and improve in their sport, they must go through painful training.  We see this principle at work in just about every area of life – there is no growth without some kind of pain.  Yet when it comes to the church, there are many people who see any problem or struggle as a sign that something is wrong.   

Perhaps the way we should view problems is not as a sign that we are doing something wrong, but as an opportunity to grow!  Perhaps our problems and struggles are actually a sign that we are growing as we seek to obey and follow God?

Jeff Frazier

Monday, Nov. 10

Monday

In the summer between my Junior and Senior year of college, I worked as a camp counselor at a Christian camp in the Ozark mountains of Missouri.  One of the traditions at the camp was that we ate every meal together “family style” and nobody was allowed to serve himself during the meal, we had to serve others.  One young man in my cabin was from the inner city of Houston.  He was a little rough around the edges, and he didn’t quite grasp the concept of serving others.  I remember when we sat down to our first dinner as a cabin.  He grabbed the bowl of chicken and started heaping it onto his plate.  I told him that we do not serve ourselves here.  He looked at me with a kind of confused expression, then he shrugged, handed the bowl to me and said, “Okay then, you serve me.”

The truth is that there is something unnatural about serving others.  The human instinct is not usually to put others ahead of ourselves.  It often surprises us when we see someone who sacrifices for the good of others.  Our society seems to operate on the opposite premise; that other people exist to meet our needs.

We talk about people working in the “service industry” as if serving is a way to make money.  We say things like, “I am never going back to that restaurant, they have terrible service.”  We think of service as something that you have to pay for, or something that you provide as a part of a business.  But the Bible has a totally different view of what it means to serve.  Serving others is a central part of the Christian life.  In God’s view, serving is not an activity or a program, it is an attitude of our heart, and a lifestyle for those who would follow Jesus.

Listen to the description of the attitude of the early church regarding serving others in Acts 4… All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.  – Acts 4:32-35

One of the key distinguishing marks (or ripple effects) of the early church was its attitude toward those in need.  From the very beginning, the church has had the most significant impact in the world when it has been most compassionate toward the poor and committed to serving those in need.  In fact, scholars and historians agree that this was one of the things that caused Christianity to have such a broad appeal across the Roman Empire.  The following quote is an excerpt from a letter written by Roman emperor Julian in the mid second century.
“These hated Galileans (this is the nickname Julian had for Christians) not only feed and care for their own poor, but ours as well…they welcome them into their community.  Whilst our pagan priests neglect the poor, they devote themselves to works of charity, causing contempt for our Gods.”

It is amazing to think that Christianity conquered the Roman world, not by might or military force, but largely through compassion and service!  While Christianity had many opponents in the Roman Empire, nobody could deny the fact that the Christians practiced what they preached.  These early Christians simply believed in Jesus, spread the gospel of Jesus, and lived lives that reflected the love and mercy of Jesus.  

There are many who believe that the Christian church in our day has lost, or is losing much of its influence and credibility in the world.  I cannot help but think that the way to recover the reputation and influence of Jesus Christ in the world may be through service more than through argument or debate.  The ripple effect of service is a powerful force in people’s lives, and it begins one drop, one act of compassion at a time.

Jeff Frazier

Friday, November 7th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Friday, November 7

Acts 5:34-40

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.
And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Some 15 years ago I had the chance to preach at a sister church in Russia. Before the service, I met with the pastor and elders for a time of prayer. Before we prayed the pastor introduced me to the elders and as he did he shared briefly their stories of persecution. I don’t recall all the names and details, but it went something like this.

“This is Brother Alexei; he spent 20 years in a labor camp because he was a pastor.”

“This is Brother Dimitri; the communists took his home and his business.”

“This is Brother Sergei; he was arrested and beaten because he testified about Jesus.”

He went around the whole table and every single one of these old men had suffered for the name of Jesus. When the pastor was finished I felt like a toddler in my faith!

Later that day I was invited to participate in the ordination of a young pastor named Victor.

As he was taking his ordination vows I was listening to my interpreter explaining what was being said.

I don’t recall the vows exactly but I do remember two questions that were asked of young Victor.

He was asked, “Do you vow to preach the gospel in season and out of season? He responded, “Da!” (or “Yes” in English).

That’s a fairly standard part of the ordination process, so I wasn’t surprised. But the next question took my breath away. He was asked, “Do you vow to be faithful to Christ and his church even unto suffering and death?”

I didn’t recall that making that particular promise at my ordination! That young Russian pastor, just 22 years old, looked straight back at the man leading the ceremony and gave his unflinching answer. He said, “Da!”

And then all those elders, those old men whose stories I had heard earlier in the day, gathered around and laid their hands on this young man and prayed his ordination prayer. It was a powerful and unforgettable moment.

Then they celebrated together!

Read again the end of Acts 5:

...and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Notice that this time when they were called before the authorities they weren’t just warned not to preach and teach the name of Jesus, they were beaten.

It’s one thing to face threats or ridicule; it’s quite another thing to face fists and rods! Their obedience was now costing them something. But notice their response!

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

I have to tell you this gives me goose bumps! This makes me think of those old Russian elders I met years ago. This makes me think of Pastor Joseph Tson in Romania. This makes me think of the countless men and women through the centuries who have rejoiced in the face of suffering because they were “counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.”

What a strange kind of joy!

Lord, grant us that kind of faith!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, November 6th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Thursday, November 6

Acts 5:25-33

And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

Some years ago we were blessed to have Pastor Joseph Tson preach at our church one Sunday morning. Joseph Tson was a pastor in Romania during the brutal rule of Nicolai Ceausescu during the 1970’s and 80’s.

Pastor Tson was arrested and imprisoned a number of times for the crime of being a Christian minister. Each time he was arrested he underwent several weeks of intense interrogation threats and sometimes physical beatings.

Pastor Tson said that when his tormentors threatened to kill him he would sometimes smile and say, “Sir, don't you understand that when you kill me you send me to glory? You cannot threaten me with glory.”

Such was the faith of Pastor Tson! 

During one particularly harrowing session of interrogation, an officer screamed at him, “Don’t you know I can have you killed today and your body will never be found?”

Pastor Tson said, “I know you can have me killed, but with all due respect, let me tell you how that will work. You know that my sermons are on cassette tapes all over this country. When you shoot me or crush me, whichever way you choose, you will sprinkle my sermons with my blood. I will speak 10 times louder in death than I ever did in life.”

As I recall his story, Pastor Tson said that he was released by that man but later called in by the chief of the secret police of Romania.

This man said, “Mr. Tson, we are aware of your plan. We know you want to become a martyr. We are not so foolish as to help you with your plan. We are not going to kill you.”
Instead they exiled Pastor Tson and he continued his ministry from outside Romania until the regime collapsed and today he is still a pastor!

This is the same kind of fearless witness we see in Acts 5:
 
But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

What does this mean for us? What does it mean for us to be fearless witnesses for Christ where we live?

We who live in North America are not threatened with prison and death if we proclaim the name of Jesus; at least not yet. But we might have friends or family members who have rejected the gospel, or who ridicule our faith. We might work in an environment that is hostile toward the gospel and discourages any expression of faith.

In any case there are two things from this story that can encourage us. First, we can stand on the truth of the gospel.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus really died for our sins; Jesus really rose again from the dead; and in Jesus alone we find forgiveness from sin and the hope of eternal life! The gospel is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago!

Second, we must be willing to “obey God rather than men” when faced with the choice.

We never know when we will be faced with spiritual opposition. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you with boldness and confidence so you will be ready whenever that time comes!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, November 5th

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Wednesday, November 5

Acts 5:19-24

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

There have been dozens of movies made about prison escapes. Here are a few that come to mind:

Escape from Alcatraz starring Clint Eastwood.

The Great Escape starring Steve McQueen.

The Shawshank Redemption starring Morgan Freeman and Timothy Robbins.

I could list many more but in each case the stories follow a similar line. The inmates find some creative and usually painstaking way to escape the cells and walls of the prison. They spend years digging an underground tunnel with a spoon; or they crawl for miles on their belly through a sewer pipe; or they swim the San Francisco Bay with one arm...but they find some way to escape into freedom. Then they inevitably get as far away from that prison and the authorities as possible. They leave the country, they change their identities, they try to disappear somewhere far away!

Watch what happens here!

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

O.K., so we have a miraculous, divine prison break; but look at what God tells them to do once they are set free! He tells them to go back to the place they were and to do the very thing that got them thrown into prison in the first place!

Whaaaaaat? You have to be kidding me! That makes no sense whatsoever; unless, of course, that the escape from prison isn’t the point of the miracle at all. The point of the miracle is the proclamation of the gospel!

We have a tendency to focus our attention on the miracles themselves; the healing of a man born lame; the angel setting prisoners free in the middle of the night; men speaking in languages they have never studied; while forgetting or overlooking the purpose of the miracles. In each case the purpose of the “signs and wonders” is the preaching of the gospel and people coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

The greatest miracle, of course, is a heart set free from the power of sin and death; a heart filled with the love and peace of the Holy Spirit; a soul saved from condemnation; a soul anchored in the promise of eternal life.

Let’s keep our eyes focused on the greatest miracle of all!

Pastor Brian Coffey