The Pitiful Plan of Persecution
The Painful Plan of Persecution
Acts 8:1-8
Jesus wept. He saw the pain of his friends, Mary and Martha, as they felt the full force of the loss of their brother Lazarus. Jesus loved Mary and Martha. Jesus loved Lazarus. He saw their weeping and pain and became greatly troubled in his spirit and he wept. Jesus wept over the pain of those he loved.
Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew Lazarus would be mentioned for 2,000 plus years. He knew Lazarus' death would bring thousands upon thousands upon thousands into the kingdom of God. He knew Lazarus had to die to bring life to others. And yet, Jesus wept.
As a parent holds a child’s hand before a surgery, Jesus holds us as we face the harsh reality of a fallen world. He is full of compassion and mercy. He is tender towards us. He understands our pain and he will use it to accomplish something outstanding.
Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He was stoned in Jerusalem under the supervision of a young Pharisee named Saul. As Stephen died he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Jesus would hear that prayer and answer it. But before we see how Jesus answers Stephen’s prayer, let us see more what happened because of Stephen’s speech and death. Let us pause first and see how painful persecution is for the saints.
Persecution is Painful
God does not ignore our pain. He sees it. Pain may be physical. It may be emotional or mental. It may be the result of your own choices or the choices of someone else. Let’s enter into the pain of the early church. Acts 8:1-3,
[1] 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. [2] Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. [3] But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Before we see how God uses our pain, let us acknowledge that God sees our pain. If you are going to stand with Jesus, you will most likely feel some of the unique pains of persecution.
Pain of hateful authorities
The persecution was sanctioned by those who were in authority. They could not appeal to authorities because the pain was brought by those authorities. Saul approved of Stephen’s execution. Saul was ravaging the church. Saul was leading a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. Saul was a hateful, angry leader. Leaders should praise those who do good and punish those who do evil. Saul oversaw a mockery of trial and approved the “mob justice” against an innocent man. Corrupt leaders bring immense pain.
It is uniquely painful to have hateful authorities because there is no earthly ruler higher to appeal. Hateful, angry leaders breed hopelessness and pain. Maybe you can relate to the pain of living under ungodly authority. Jesus sees your pain.
Pain of lost friends
The great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem causing the friends to scatter to different regions. If you read the letters of the New Testaments, there is much sadness and pain in goodbyes. We have the luxury of instant communication to almost anywhere in the world, but the goodbyes of Acts 8 meant silence and a lot of unknowns. Dear friends gone in a blink of an eye. And it was not just those who left the region alive, but it was a dear friend who left the world. Acts 8:2, “Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.” Stephen was a dear servant of the church. He cared for neglected widows. He helped heal many who were lame and had diseases. He was a gifted and wise teacher. And he was a friend to many.
Imagine one of our elders being dragged off and stoned. What pain would that bring to his family, to his friends, and to the church community? Remember as we read the pages of Scriptures these are not mere stories but the stories of real lives. Stories of our brothers and our sisters. Think of the pain of those men who buried Stephen, who wept at this graveside. They lost a friend.
Many others left the area and would never be seen again in this life. It is always said when we have to say goodbye to those we love. Some are moving a few hours away while others are moving around the world. And every goodbye hurts. And the goodbyes in this text were sudden and caused by their faith in Jesus. Maybe you can relate to the pain of lost friends, Jesus sees your pain.
Pain of constant fear
Saul was ravaging the church. He was entering house after house dragging men and women to prison. He was ripping moms and dads from their children. Imagine worshiping God in your home with your family when you hear a knock on the door. You know the knock for your friends who have shared it with you before. It is a knock that is going to take someone from the family away and be put into prison. Each and every day is a day filled with fear. Will this be the day I lose my husband or wife? Will this be the day my mom or dad are taken?
A few of our friends were missionaries in Afghanistan and there was a crackdown against Christians. The officials were going house to house to search for Christians. I’ll forget them sharing the story of the fear during those days. They got a knock on the door and the wife and children had to go to the back room since they could not see the men who answered. The husband left the house and was gone for 6 hours. No word, no notice. The wife sat there with her small children praying to God knowing nothing of what happened to her husband. She committed then that even if he was taken and seized and killed, they would remain in Afghanistan. (By God’s grace it was only a neighbor who needed help getting his wife to the hospital and they both were able to remain there together serving Christ).
What happened to my friends years ago happened recently in Afghanistan with our brothers and sisters as the Taliban took over and went house to house to kill and lock up Christians. These are not mere stories, but are real stories. Maybe you can’t relate to living in constant fear of this type of persecution, but maybe you live in constant fear of another kind. Maybe you do not have to fear raised fists, but deal constantly with raised voices. Whatever fear grips you, Jesus sees your pain.
Persecution is Painful
The early church faced all sorts of persecution. The church today faces all sorts of persecution. It is painful. God does not deny the pain. He sees it and like the Lord Jesus in seeing the pain of Mary and Martha, he is stirred with compassion towards you. God is near to the broken hearted and the crushed in spirit. I have no idea how persecution will grow in our nation in the months, and years ahead. God may turn our leaders back to him or God may choose to hand our nation over to its carnal, worldly desires drifting further and further into chaos. I do not know what persecution will come or how it will come, but we know that it will come. 2 Timothy 3:12–13,
[12] Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, [13] while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Acts 14:22, the apostles went,
[22] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
You will face persecution in some form for being a Christian. Beloved, remember the words of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 5:10–12.
[10] “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.[11] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Let us be like the apostles who rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name.
Non-christians, I wonder if you have ever witnessed Christians suffer unfair persecution with joy. I wonder if you have read of the deaths of Christians throughout the ages who died with so much hope and faith that many who saw their faith in death were converted. Why would some be willing to face persecution and death? It is because they believe with all their being that Jesus Christ died for their sins on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day. For Christians hope is not in this world but in the world to come.
Tertullian, one of the early church fathers, said that, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Listen to what he wrote the Apologeticus, where he directly challenges the persecution of the Roman Empire,
We are not a new philosophy but a divine revelation. That’s why you can’t just exterminate us; the more you kill the more we are. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. You praise those who endured pain and death – so long as they aren’t Christians! Your cruelties merely prove our innocence of the crimes you charge against us…And you frustrate your purpose. Because those who see us die, wonder why we do, for we die like the men you revere, not like slaves or criminals. And when they find out, they join us.”
If you are not a Christian, I pray you would find out how Christians joyfully face persecution and even death. And I pray when you find out, you would join us.
Persecution is painful, but it has a purpose.
Persecution is Purposeful
God knows what he is doing. As we read the Bible, we see God’s plan unfold. We see how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers only to save those same brothers a few years later. Joseph who experienced intense persecution said,
[20] As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. [21] So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (Genesis 50:20–21)
God has a plan for the persecution of the saints. Let me offer 6 purposes in the persecution we see in Acts 8.
Purposeful scattering of the Word
Acts 8:4, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” The Jews were trying to silence Christian gospel, but their efforts actually spread it. Christians were facing intense persecution so much so they had to leave their homes and community, but they did not leave in fear. They left preaching the word of God. They left speaking of Christ’s death and resurrection. And notice those preaching were not the apostles, Acts 8:1, “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” The apostles stayed in Jerusalem, but the rest of the church left with the gospel.
Beloved, we should make it our aim to share Christ. One of the gifts of persecution is that it awakens us from our comfort. Comfort and ease breeds laziness in our mission. We get comfortable and quiet about our faith. It is not natural for us to want to interrupt our comfort. Have you ever been sitting in front of a fire, cuddled up with your family, under a blanket, and there is a knock on the door. Your first thought is not, “I can’t wait to help whoever is at my door.” It is more likely, “What do they want, I am comfortable.” Sometimes God uses persecution to arouse us from our ease and remind us we have a mission.
We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. The entire church must Christ, not just the leaders. And I am so grateful for the character and the reputation of our church in our evangelism and discipleship. In recent weeks, I have heard several stories of our members testifying to Christ in our community. Some are even in this gathering because of the witness of our body. Keep it up!
God has a purpose. God knew Stephen’s death would spread the gospel. He knew it would cause pain, but the pain was necessary to bring life. When we face trials and persecution, we must see beyond our circumstance to trust God’s hand in it. God will use whatever happens to us for our good and his glory. He has promised it. We may not see the fruit but God will bring it.
Purposeful sending to “even” Samaria
Acts 8:5, “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.” God told the apostles that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This is an amazing act of God’s grace. In going to Samaria, God is bringing in all of Israel. Samaria was a city of rebellion. The first kings were Omri and Ahab. 1 King 16:25, “Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him.” 1 Kings 16:30-31, “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel…and went and served Baal and worshiped him.” It was from Samaria the prophets of Baal came to battle with Elijah on Mount Carmel.
During Jesus' earthly ministry, the Samaritan woman said to him, “How is that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) (John 4:9) And Jesus went to Samaria with the hope of eternal life laying the groundwork for Philip to come after him. Samaria was a picture of rebellion and God used the persecution of his people to bring those enemies to his kingdom. God knew when the kings of Israel rejected God and did what was evil in his sight, setting up a kingdom in Samaria, one day would be visited by the Son of God and his disciples to bring great joy to the city.
I wonder how many of you view yourself as Samaritans today. Not literally of course, but symbolically. How many of you view yourself as such awful sinners that you could never be saved? Do you view yourself far from God? Can’t imagine God ever being pleased with you. Take heart today that God went to Samaria. God allowed Stephen to die so that the gospel would spread to the Samaritans. Stephen was welcomed to glory and will one day be greeted by countless “Samaritans” who are in the kingdom because of his blood. Because his blood pointed them to the blood of Christ who saves all who come to him. Jesus loves to save even Samaritans.
The first ones who heard the angel’s pronouncement were the sneaky, sinful shepherds out in the field. The angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Jesus was born for you. He has come to give you good news of great joy that you can be saved from your sins because Jesus is the Savior for all the people.
I pray our church always is willing to go to the “Samaritans” of our day. I pray we would always go to those who are far from God and invite them to the table. Let us believe that God can save even Samaria with his gospel. Our gospel is not weak for our God is mighty to save. Our Savior can save to the uttermost.
Purposeful Signs of a Servant
God did not come to Samaria with only words but with signs and wonders so that the message would be heard. Acts 8:6-7,
[6] 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. [7] 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.
Notice that the crowds with one accord paid attention to what Philip said because they saw the signs he did. Beloved, people will listen to us if they see us living for Christ. They may deny our words, but they can’t deny our lives. It is our good works that prove our good words.
Let us be people who strive for godliness and holiness. Stop sinning in secret. Stop gossiping. Stop judging others in your heart. Start serving others. Start offering words of encouragement. Start to bear with one another in love. Let people see our good deeds and glorify God.
Purposeful Satisfaction of the City
See the purpose of labor, Acts 8:8, “So there was much joy in that city.” What a powerful gift to Samaria. There was not just joy but there was much joy. Countless men and women who were transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Beloved Son where there is redemption and the forgiveness of sin. We do not rejoice in our works, but we rejoice that our names and the names of others are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Would it change you if you knew someone would be saved because of your pain? If someone watched how you were persecuted or how you endured in hope in the face of evil, if someone repented of their sins and was saved from an eternal hell because of you, would that change how you view your pain? I hope so.
Beloved, you often hear me say how important it is that we love one another. Our love for one another in our church family is one of God’s most effective tools to bring joy to our city. We will hurt one another. We will neglect one another. We will sin against each other. But we must forgive one another. We must bear with one another. We must love one another with an empty tomb affection. We have family and friends who are lost and going to hell and they need our witness. We cannot drift from the body. When we drift we obscure the gospel. When we drift we threaten the joy of our city.
Purposeful Stoning of Stephen (Acts 11:19)
We met as a staff this week and one of them said, “I don’t think we will be able to see how God will use this past year for years to come.” We see an immediate effect from Stephen’s stoning and the persecution that followed, but the effects were far greater. Acts 11:19–26,
[19] Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. [20] But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. [21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. [22] The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. [23] When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, [24] for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. [25] So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, [26] and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
So the stoning of Stephen did not bring joy just to the city of Samaria, but all the way to Antioch. The model multi-ethnic, missional church of Antioach was started because the saints were scattered and sent speaking of the salvation of Jesus Christ of Savior.
You have no idea how God is going to use your pain. God loves to use pain for his purposes. God used the pain of the Lord Jesus to redeem the world. God will use your pain in ways you never thought possible. The Lord sees your pain and he is working in the midst of it. Far beyond what we can imagine. One day you will be like Joseph and Stephen and Ruth and May and James and John and Peter and you will be able to see how God uses every bit of your pain for his glory. You may not see it now, but one day you will.
Purposeful Saving of a Sinner
God established a church in Antioch because of the stoning of Stephen. And God served the church of Antioch by answering the prayer of Stephen. Acts 11:25-26, “So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, [26] and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” Saul is no longer ravaging the church, but teaching her. God was gracious to answer Stephen's prayer, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of his execution.”
The stoning of Stephen saved Saul. And I believe, in part, Saul’s participation in the stoning of Stephen, made him so willing to face persecution for the gospel. Paul would later write,1 Timothy 1:12–17
[12] I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, [13] though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, [14] and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. [16] But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. [17] To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
The prayer of Stephen helped turn Saul to Paul and gave us an example of God’s perfect patience towards sinners to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. We will never fully know this side of heaven of how Stephen’s pain and our pain was fully used for God’s purposes. But we can rest assured it will be used for his glory.
Friends, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, but there is no Christmas without the cross. Jesus was born to die. He was born to suffer in order to save. We sing along with the Angels of that first Christmas morning, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Friend, Jesus’ pain has brought us peace. We can sing in our pain, because we belong to the Prince of peace. Let close with the words of Charles Wesley in the great hymn of the faith penned over 200 years ago,
Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of peace
Hail! the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Beloved, our pain hurts, but Jesus sees us. We can trust that our pain has a purpose because his pain brought us peace. The Prince of peace sees our pain and will use it to spread his peace. Stephen’s pain brought Saul peace.Your pain will bring others peace. Peace with one another, and peace with God for all eternity. Our pain is seen and has a purpose.