IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Lord, Do Not Hold This Sin Against Them

Date: Mar. 24, 2019

Passage

Acts 7:51- 8:8 (ESV)

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 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, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 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. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 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. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 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. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 7:60

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.

1. Jesus Standing at the right hand of God (7:51-60)

Though Stephen had been very respectful towards the Sanhedrin, he now rebuked them firmly for their stubbornness and lack of repentance. There was such a contrast between the furious Jews and Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit who looked up to heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Though as a mob they dragged him out to stone him, he prayed like Jesus on the cross for their forgiveness, full of assurance that he would soon be with him. His beautiful witness to the end must have greatly affected a young man named Saul.

2. They preached the word where ever they went (8:1-8)

The persecution of Stephen boiled over upon the other believers in Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. While godly men mourned Stephen, Saul set out to destroy the church. However, all his effort achieved was to help further Jesus' world mission command to spread the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria (1:8). The scattered believers, rather than be defeated, spread the word wherever they went. One of them was Philip who powerfully proclaimed Christ in Samaria.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, help me like Stephen to glorify Jesus to the end.

One Word: Preach the word wherever you go

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2 Chronicles 36:1-14

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