Acts 6:8-8:3, What’s It Take?

The Tipping Point That Finally Gets Us Serious

What's it gonna take to get you serious about about something maybe some goal you have. Over a period of years I was slowly gaining weight. Hopefully I'm not doing that again. Maybe maybe I'd lose some now and then depending on how much running I could do.

Then I had a knee injury which and couldn't run for a while for a few months and and other factors then caused me to gain a lot of more weight until I was near 250 pounds. And it was the idea and I realized I'm Was coming if not already there to obesity and that was finally enough.

I realized how out of hand my weight had become finally enough to motivate me to get serious. I'd cut off all sugar and start exercising more until I lost 70 pounds in just a few months. Maybe for you, maybe you drift for a while with some weakness.

I mean, you know, it's there, but There's some bad habit. You want to kick or maybe some good habit. You want to develop but have it yet like personal Bible reading or some relationship problem. You want to solve but you just don't get around to it yet.

Maybe some sin you want to get rid of sort of not but not quite yet. You want to keep toying with it a little longer maybe like pornography profanity. Then something happens it you reach a tipping point.

The scale tips to nearly 250 pounds or you curse someone out or you drink too much and get drunk or you don't just go a few days Without reading your Bible and praying but then you find you found you you win a few weeks.

You have a breakdown. Or your spouse threatens to divorce you and you know things have just gotten so bad. That you have to do something now and it takes that kind of shock to get you going get you motivated.

Is that what it's gonna take?

Witnesses in Jerusalem and the Call to Go Out

Well here the church has been called to be witnesses remember from the very beginning in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 witnesses for Jesus in Jerusalem and Judea Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth and they have already filled Jerusalem with their teaching.

That's what you know, the council told them that you filled it. So they already accomplished the first part. Well, what about the rest? Big witnesses in Judea and Samaria the uttermost part of the earth.

They have this command when they gonna what are they gonna do it? Their miracles and they're sharing lifestyles attracted people from the surrounding areas. To come to them to come to Jerusalem and hear the gospel and see them one wonders.

But so far the church hasn't gone out. Maybe they're just maybe they just think this is too fun. There's great joy, they're enjoying each other. They're enjoying themselves. And so we know why.

Bother it.

What change when everything's so perfect? They they remember that they should somehow be going out but so far they have it.

What's it gonna take?

To get them to go out. Now I shouldn't exaggerate there. There's no indication that they have been convicted, you know, that somehow We've been charged that you know, you need to go out now start start a mission.

Plant churches, but then they had just refused to do so no indication of that. But there's also no indication that they were planning. They already had the command from Jesus to go and there's no indication that they were planning missionary journey journeys that they you know I've called some organism start a missions or organization.

How are we gonna organize our Evangelism. Start to spread the gospel start churches out of Jerusalem. They have the Great Commission from Jesus now. What's it gonna take to get them to start moving? It takes Steven.

Stephen’s Signs and the Synagogue of the Freedmen

Steven had already been introduced to us before last week. He was the first of those of those deacons listed put Luke pause there Steven a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. All seven of them were remember they were all of good repute they were full of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom but Steven is special and he's praised again here in verse 8 as full of grace and power remember mega grace and mega power.

From a few weeks ago. He's full of them. And for the first time someone other than the apostle an apostle is doing signs and wonders. I'm saying he's doing great signs and wonders. He's not an apostle.

He's just he's a deacon. He's out there. He's out there among the people the unbelieving people. He's doing these miracles. That's the expression of grace of Greek word is charis a products of grace. Greek word is charismata.

Translated spiritual gifts and power. He has them he's making a big splash. So some are provoked to oppose him those of what they call the synagogue of the freedmen. Notice Luke says in verse 9 as it was called.

Like he's suggesting. Yeah, that's what they called themselves the freedmen, but they're still really slaves.

Slaves of sin.

Others rose up and they're all all outside of Israel. So they're all probably all Greeks and remember Stephen himself is one of the Greeks. He's Greek speaking. He's Hellenist. He probably Jewish by ancestry, but his culture is Greek.

He almost was certainly speaking Greek. And so he's having a big impact on the Greek speaking people in Jerusalem. Provoking some of them to some then some of them who weren't believing to rise up and dispute with him.

They thought they could out debate him. They thought they could show from Scripture that he's wrong all this what the Stephen is saying that Jesus couldn't possibly be the Christ the Anointed One that he Jesus didn't really fulfill the law and So we don't really need to put our faith in him to have righteousness attributed to us that they were going to be champions of tradition but in verse 10 They could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking.

He not only out argued them from Scripture he out loved and Out, I guess out joyed them showing with both his doctrine and his character that Jesus has risen. So These guys Disputing with him. They've been shown up both intellectually and spiritually by him.

So then they resort to slander and individually violence. They whispered hide Stephen's back, you know to the young hotheads. That Stephen is blaspheming. He's blaspheming. We got to stop this. They'd take things he said about Jesus fulfilling the law about Jesus being the true temple where God lives and they twist it to mean that Stephen was saying that Moses what Moses gave is void is it's meaningless to us.

It's useless now that Stephen is make since he's making Jesus to be God then then God he's making God into a mere man. Just like us. He's so he's lowering God. It's blasphemy. It's intolerable. It insults God.

We've got to stop it. And with that they stirred up the people says the elders and the scribes the scholars the intellectuals. They got their blood boiling so losing the debates. They reported to the leaders in the common folks, but this man is blaspheming you leaders better.

Stop it. They even got some witnesses. Maybe they found the same witnesses who made this exact same false claim. If you remember against Jesus just a few months ago before this that Stephen Said what Jesus had said remember what they said about Jesus that he will destroy this place.

Jesus said he will destroy this temple and rebuild it in three days.

And.

Stephen is saying that Jesus will do that this Holy Temple this house of God this place where God lives on earth. This is God. He lives here. He's saying it'll be destroyed. That's that's that's just outrageous.

We don't need sacrifices anymore. Since Jesus made one final sacrifice that Jesus is gonna. Jesus is gonna put them all out of the priest business. That's what Stephen is saying. It sounded like horrible sacrilegious stuff.

Undermining who they are. They're God's people. So it's they're not only sacrilegious. It's unpatriotic. Attacking who. Attacking what they think makes them special. So they arrested him and they hauled him before the same council the Sanhedrin.

It had wanted to kill the Apostles before remember they were talked out of it by Gamaliel. Stephen is before them now after the false witnesses had twisted his words to make it sound like he was denouncing the temple and insulting Moses so they're glaring at him and It says his face was shining like an angel.

Does that sound familiar? Someone's face shining. Like Moses his face shown when he was in the presence of God, it's kind of ironic isn't it? They're accusing him of blasphemy. Moses the prophet whose face shown so God gives him the same radiant face as God had given Moses.

You think that would deter them when you but it doesn't they're so hard-hearted that that doesn't affect them. The high priest asked him are these things so? Stephen speaks and he's given here what's recorded for us the the longest recorded speech in Acts.

We read the whole thing that amazing and four major parts. That he's dealing with four major epochs in their history from the Old Testament. First Abraham. Second Joseph. Third Moses. And then finally the the tabernacle in temple.

Is it so Stephen? That you're saying this. Jesus will destroy the temple change everything. He's you know, these Practices given by God. Is it true? Well first Abraham the God of glory. Stephen calls him the end.

He'll be looking into God's glory. He begins talking about the God of glory in verse 2 appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia. God called Abraham first from or down in sort of southern Iraq modern Iraq. Up to Heron and then later God removed him from Heron.

Notice who's the active one there already from the start? She knows that who's taking all the initiatives. Their story doesn't begin with. Abraham went on a search for God. Abraham did this or that to try to find God.

No.

You know if that's what it was they could they could feel proud of themselves for having Abraham as their ancestor their children of Abraham. So they're they're like him. Who? Sought God. No, look look.

Who is the active one? God appeared. God called. God removed him. Abraham had no land and no child. God spoke to him. In verse 6 God said that his offspring would live in a foreign land where they would be enslaved and afflicted for 400 years but God says I will judge that nation.

So God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision to set them apart from the nations around them. And so in verse 8 therefore. Because as a result of God's Word not a result of Abraham and Sarah's Works like they're conniving with Hagar or anything else they did but because of God's Word Abraham became the father of Isaac.

Because of God's Word Isaac became the father of Jacob and Jacob became because of God's Word the father of Stephen calls the twelve patriarchs. The point is that the origins of their of their nation were all God's initiative.

His calling his removing his speaking. And so by speaking creating what he said. It wasn't because of Abraham's desire or effort but because of God's mercy. What does it take to make a people for God a holy nation.

It takes God's initiative God's will God's work. God speaking and acting. It all depends on.

God.

Second.

Is Joseph. And here Stephen starts to develop a theme. To show something about who who they are and really who we all are. They're so proud of who they are their ancestry. They are the chosen people. They're holy.

They're special. They're better than other people. God chose them and he made them special by his Word. They're the greatest culture the greatest civilization there. They're Israel. Is that really what their history shows?

The.

Patriarchs. Jacob's sons were jealous of Joseph. This is the same word Luke had used earlier in chapter 5 or 17 to describe the same. What does counsel that he's in front of? Why they arrested the Apostles you remember they were filled with Jealousy because the Apostles were getting the attention and respect they were doing miracles.

They were winning more and more people to believe that Jesus is the way to God not doing religious works at the temple that's not the way to God. And they were jealous of their success of the Apostle success of their respect of The monopoly on access to God that they thought they had and now the Apostles were saying Jesus has.

They thought if you wanted to get to God you had to go to that temple and through the priest. Through them and think of the power and the money and the position the respect You get when you have you have Exclusive access to God.

I mean it's not about a monopoly, right? No one do well in business. You got something everyone wants and you have a monopoly on it, man. You're gonna you get you're really gonna be doing well. That's what they thought they had.

Everyone wants access to God. You had to go through them to get it and the men on this council are jealous of that power that monopoly on God. That is now being undermined. Joseph's brothers were likewise jealous of him jealous that he had their father's favor.

And so they sold him to slave traders going to Egypt. Stephen is beginning a theme here first subtly like this. Gradually building up, you know, who do you think your fathers are? Here Israel your descendants of people mostly who sold their brother into slavery.

They they were treacherous.

They betrayed the one God had called to lead them. That's also a theme here. What do they do with the leaders God calls? What happens over and over again to the leaders God calls them? But despite what your patriarchs did God was with him.

In verse 9. Remember Joseph said to them you intended it for evil that God intended it for good. Their history is not the story of them working happily with God. Cooperating with God hand-in-hand teammates in God's plan.

Theological term is synergism. That our will and God's will work together. No, their history is God working in spite of Their will and their work they will. You intended it for evil. Joseph said they will that Joseph be a slave.

But God was with him. God intended it for good. So Jay God gave Joseph favor with favor. Notice that God does that too. Not until Joseph kind of earned it. Well, he did too I guess but God gave it to him.

Ultimately from him in verse 10 the famine brings Jacob's brothers to Egypt and eventually Joseph real makes himself known to them and summons Jacob and all his family to Egypt for safety.

What did take?

To save God's people from disaster from destruction. Eternal or earthly does it take them working together with God, you know, does it take synergy? Apparently not since that's not what they did. Indeed they the patriarchs intended what they did for evil but God super intended it for good for the saving of God's people to fulfill his promise to Abraham to keep the.

Offspring.

Alive. God did it despite what they did. What's it take? It takes. God's super intending.

Well third.

There's Moses. Moses was the one Stevens accuses were claiming that that he was blaspheming and some Christian today Kind of have the idea that we should we look back on Moses. We can treat him and what everything he wrote is.

Basically, it's all a mistake or at best is Not relevant to us. It's it's a way that God tried something and it did work that it's not for us. So and so we can we can look kind of look down on it. But that's not what Steven or anyone else in the New Testament believed.

God made a promise to Abraham. To have as many descendants as the stars in the sky to have an offspring. Who would be a blessing to the nations. That promise that you think about it. Famine is coming.

So that promise is in danger. Those people are going to be wiped out if something's not done and God knows that. And so God arranged to have Joseph sent ahead. To prepare them to have a retreat in Egypt.

But after Joseph died came another Pharaoh who did not know Joseph here. He oppressed them. He forced me he forced them to kill their boys. So now once again Israel is under threat and so God's promise to Abraham is being threatened and so God.

Into that.

Environment. Moses was born God brought him about and he was beautiful in God's sight in verse 20 notice how respectfully Stephen speaks of Moses. He was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter in verse 22. He was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and he was mighty and words and deeds.

Now this is already as a young man. This isn't him like 80 when he's coming after the burning bush. This is the young man before in his first 40 years. But when he was 40 years old, he visited his people his brothers verse 23.

That is Israel and he defended an Israelite man being beat by an Egyptian. He killed the Egyptian. Why did he do that you think. In verse 25 it tells us why he did that. He would he supposed Moses that rhymes that comes from us all.

Moses supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them Salvation by his hand. God was going to liberate them from Egypt by his hand. And he was expecting his people Israel to see that now at age 40.

They should have already that's before the burning bush before the ten plagues before all the signs. Recognized that Moses was the one that God called to lead them out of slavery. Joseph's brother should have recognized that he was the one God called to be their leader to hear Moses.

Israel should have recognized him. They should have known that he wasn't didn't have murder that Egyptian is out of a fit of temper. He was defending his people as God's ordained leader over Israel, but at the end of verse 25, they did not understand.

They couldn't recognize God's anointed leader. So the next day he broke up a fight between Israelites. He tried to reconcile them, you know, man, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other but the aggressor just shoved him away exclaiming who made you a ruler and judge over us?

It's a good question. Actually It's the question actually.

Who.

God did and that's the point. Moses was already called to be their leader, but they wouldn't recognize it. They couldn't see it. He had already acted to protect them, but they thought he was just a murderer, you know, just temper but you know.

They couldn't see who God had called. What's it gonna take for Israel to recognize their God ordained leader. I. Do you recognize who your leader is. What's it gonna take the lesson of Moses's first 40 years is that Israel will reject their leader that God sends to them a scoff.

At him who made you a ruler and judge knows how Stephen repeats that so we make sure you understand. That's what Israel says to them. They were a bit they'll rebel against him. And so he has to go away.

The lesson is that people reject God's anointed Savior. Steve is not done with Moses. You know, they say he's blaspheming Moses, but who was it who actually first rejected Moses? Moses is in exile in Midian for 40 years there.

God speaks to him through an angel in the burning bush. He's amazed. He's a drawn to it and God calls him. I am the God of your father's Moses trembled at the voice. He didn't dare look. The Lord said to him take off the sandals from your feet for the place where you were standing is holy ground.

And their minds people he's just even speaking to the temple was supposed to be holy because that's where God was. But here. Quoting from Exodus chapter 3 God says that wherever he is in a bush on a mountain in the desert.

Wherever he is in a gym and Providence, North Carolina is holy. Holy ground Isn't a building. Here's the first hint of the theme that he it'll build on later. Holy ground is wherever God is and. So he's already starting.

Stephen is to sew in. Into this this fabric of this speech the idea that Israel's history isn't so glorious. At least for not what it says about them how they respond to God and now. The raising the question.

What is the house of God? Where is the presence of God? Isn't it a building this place his accusers call it. How dare he question the value of this place? Saying that Jesus will destroy this temple. That's just sacrilegious.

That's unpatriotic. That's horrible. Where is the holy place?

Here.

It's in the middle of nowhere and in a mountain in the desert not even in the promised land. But if that's where he it is as long as God is there Jesus said it was his body. A Later Apostle will say that the temple and Christ's body is the church.

This Moses in verse 35. Now he is called You know to lead them out of Egypt whom they rejected again. They rejected. Remember they rejected them. They scoffing at him who made you a ruler and judge. What's it gonna take for them to recognize God's given leader.

A Staff that turns into a snake. Will that do it. Signs and wonders parting the Red Sea. They were still questioning his leadership after all that this Moses in verse 37 Said. God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.

Another Moses is coming. Moses said.

What's it gonna take?

For you to recognize him. Will you reject him to? This Moses, this is the one in verse 38 who received living oracles to give to us oracles teachings. That they give life. Was he really blaspheming Moses?

Do you realize that the New Testament says that the Old Testament? Gives life. I mean Stephen here just call it living oracles. Christians today think Legalism comes through Moses the grace and truth come through Jesus Christ.

That's half true. Legalism comes from part that's wrong. Legalism comes from our thinking that what it takes to have life is me doing This keeping this rule and by that I will ascend up to God. It's not his law is not too much for me the law of Moses and the prophets.

The Old Testament show that it is too much for us and they teach The Christ they teach. The Christ is indeed The one who makes us right with God. The grace and truth do indeed come through Jesus Christ who the Old Testament reveals.

Stephen wasn't blaspheming Moses. He was showing how Moses leads to Christ. They just thought it was blasphemy. Because they didn't believe in Christ. What's it take.

We say.

It will take our will and work. We don't need a leader we need a self-help plan. That's what we think. So who is blaspheming Moses. In verse 39 our fathers Stephen says to them our fathers refused to obey him but thrust him aside and In their hearts they returned to Egypt.

They may have physically left Egypt because God picked them up and brought them out, but Egypt never left them. They're still there to this day. So they made other gods. I mean a golden calf. They've ejected Moses and the Lord.

They kept doing it all the time from Moses Until the time they were hauled off to Babylon about a thousand years Worshiping all kinds of things the the host of heaven instead of the Lord of hosts.

Moloch.

Refan.

Images they made, you know, whatever.

What's it gonna take?

To cure them of idolatry. Exile in Babylon. Will that do it? But do they then even then do they really stop being idolaters or do they just stop having physical idols? The themes of their history of rebellion and idolatry of resisting God and of God's presence making holy not a building.

They're getting louder and louder in Stephen's speech like a drumbeat. Starts softly and can get louder and louder until it reaches a crescendo already. They sold Joseph into slavery to Moses who made you a ruler and judge over us.

Our fathers refused to obey him. The place where you're standing is holy ground. God turned away from them and gave them over to the Worship of the host of heaven in verse 41. What about their worship?

You know, they're so proud of it to speak against the temple was blasphemy. So they thought so the fourth part at the tabernacle in the temple. Tabernacle was a big tent the tent of witness. They called it it was made just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen.

If you ever read all those chapters from Exodus 25 to 31, you know on making the tabernacle everyone read through all that long chapters. About blue and purple and scarlet yarn and bronze clasp and so many cubits for this and you forget how long a cube it is and so many cubits for that and bronze this and gold that and Boards and acacia wood and on and on and you wonder what in the world is all this about?

Can you just give me a picture? That would be nice. It means that the tabernacle was dictated by God right down to the colors of the threads. That's what it takes to build the house of God. It must be done God's way.

David found favor as grace at God's sight at verse 45. He wanted to build a permanent house a temple that was left for Solomon. Yes, Stephen says quoting from Isaiah 66 the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands.

You can't confine him to a building. Pointing that out. Not only is not blasphemy. It's what God himself said in Isaiah 66. Heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool the whole planet. He's gonna rest his feet on it.

What kind of house? Got a house you go to build for me says the Lord or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things the whole universe? Don't you get it? You can't build a house.

Big enough to fit him. God's house is wherever God is and God was in Jesus and you killed him. You destroyed the house of God and yet God raised it up or him again. What's it gonna take to get through to you?

Stiff-Necked Resistance, the Righteous One, and Stephen’s Martyrdom

Now for the big conclusion in verse 51 you stiff neck people. Stubborn rebellious. Resistant you can be told over and over again, but you won't listen uncircumcised at heart and ears in other words. You're just like the nations around you still heathen at heart still death to the truth just like the people around you.

It could be said and written as plain as day, but you won't accept it because you're really just like the world. You always resist. Guess that you always resist the Holy Spirit. And this isn't just for Jews or just for those people at that time.

This is us. Left to ourselves in our natural condition always pulling away from God. We're not pliable in his head. We're not listening. We're dead to God. That's that's the way.

They were.

That's the way we are all but proud people. They hate to hear that. They despise the way the Word of God exposes their sins that their dead hearts their rebellion.

Especially gets.

Exposes in spite all the hypocrisy the shine they try to put on with their religion. The Word of God Wipes that away and shows what's really there. Hey, they hate that. Here which of the which of the prophets did your father's not persecute.

Well, only the false ones. False ones. They pay pretty well the true ones. They persecuted and they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one. You know like John the Baptist the righteous one you have now betrayed like Joseph was betrayed like Moses was rejected and murdered.

They murdered him. Crucifixion of Jesus wasn't an oddity. It wasn't an exception.

After.

Centuries of refined civilization. They should have known better. It was a it was of a peace. With human history before through all of human history. It was perfectly consistent with what people had always done.

And not the worst people, you know, please don't take from this some kind of hateful Anti-semitic and semitic ideas. Well, those people sure are bad. Unlike us. We had never do anything like that. No, they were the best you understand.

They were the best of humanity. They're they're civilized. They're shaped by centuries of hearing and at least outwardly trying to follow Some of the law they were shaped in their in their habits their culture by God's Word, but still in their hearts.

They're still stiff-necked unyielding to God desperately sick and beyond cure slaves of sin dead and sin. Unable to accept the things of the Spirit as we all are without God's grace. You receive the law.

Stephen says you you hail the law. You you called me a blasphemer for saying Christ fulfilled the law, but you don't keep it. That was enough. They were enraged. They ground their teeth. They glared at Stephen full of the Holy Spirit and he gazed into heaven.

Which opened for him to see that in verse 56. He said he says behold I.

See.

The Son of Man Jesus's favorite title for himself the one who brings in the kingdom of God on earth. I I see him Standing at the right hand of God. That was too much for them they prove. When they act they prove.

Stephen right. Don't they that they are stiff-necked. There are heathens at heart Killing those who are sent by God to tell them the truth. They can't tolerate to listen to anymore. And so they they drown him out, but they're yelling.

They're screaming and they stop up their ears and they rushed at him as a crazed mob Dragging him outside the city walls where they proceed to stone him. Too full of fury even to even to try to wait to get Pontius Pilate to do with the legal way.

What's it take?

What's it take to provoke the natural man the person who's left dead in his sins. But his ego puffed up with self-serving religion. Religion that tells him that he's one of God's people. Because of ancestry that he was born to the right family the right nation.

He's a child of the Covenant just by birth or maybe maybe by some ritual. He's had water sprinkled on him and and an incantation pronounced. Or he repeated the magic prayer after being manipulated. With the right music and the invitation that all it takes to avoid hell and heaven and get heaven Is to repeat the magic prayer.

It doesn't matter what you do after that. Just repeat the magic prayer. What's it take to provoke people? Whose mind is now full of that. So sure themselves with God and now that that's been it's been questioned.

That's been undermined. What's it take to provoke such people?

Just the truth.

What you take to kill someone with stones?

It's a brutal bloody.

Painful protracted death. One after another they throw fist-sized rocks at him first wounding him and then eventually crushing his skull. You know did it take so long they even have time to organize a coat check.

Someone did someone's got to look after their outer garments as they throw rocks at the man with a radiant face who dared show Them their sin. They get a young man a disciple of Gamaliel to watch their coach for them.

His name was Saul. Stephen is being stoned. He says two things. He calls out to Jesus praying to him because he's praying to him because he's God. Lord Jesus received my spirit just like Jesus himself prayed in Luke chapter 23 verse 46.

Remember father into your hands. I commit my spirit. Eventually, he's brought to his knees by more and more flying rocks and he shows that he's full of Christ by praying loudly crying out like Christ.

Lord do not hold this sin against them. Just like Jesus said. About the soldiers crucifying him. Father forgive them for they know not what they do. And with that. The final rocks came crashing down the murderers.

Enraged to have their self-righteousness assaulted. They they would say that they that they crushed him the Bible says. That he fell asleep implying That the promise as all sleep does that you rise again.

Better than before.

What's it take?

To get the gospel out Tertullian said the blood of martyrs is seed. It takes seed for a harvest and Stephen was seed. Development buried him the church mourned for him. They wailed for him with it. He's their first martyr with a great lamentation and With Stephen's death a great persecution the first great persecution broke out.

The Apostles had been beaten once before but rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer now. Many of them are suffering and it got so bad many of the disciples. It is they scattered they fled Jerusalem and They went out into the region around Judea and then the region up north of them to Samaria.

Of course, they took the gospel with them planting churches wherever they went. So the gospel got out.

God worked.

What that council intended for harm? You know that brutal murder. He worked that for good. What's it take to get the gospel out. It takes God working even through the suffering of his people and They kept suffering because of that young man watching their coats.

Saul infuriated by the idea that God is not confined to temples and not pleased by our rule keeping that we need Jesus. We need the true temple. We he's the final sacrifice and Saul. Saul committed himself to the extermination of this of this movement about him.

He went from house to house. Remember those houses that the disciples were meeting at. Devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching to sharing the breaking of bread and prayer. Well, he raided those houses their house churches and and hauled off the disciples to prison so more fled the gospel got further out and.