S3E291 – Acts 7-8:The Message Spreads

Transcript Distinguished Producer Lifespring Family Berean Brother Paul of Seattle. Podcast Introduction Today is Gospel Saturday and Acts 7-8. I’m calling today’s episode “The Message Spreads.” Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Lindsey Middleton on Unsplash Comments on Acts 7-8 Acts 7  Remember that I told you a few episodes back that we should be bold and strong, and that we should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when He tells us to speak up? Well, that’s what Stephen did, and he became the first Christian martyr.  He spoke the truth. In answering the religious leaders, he told them the entire history of the Jewish people, and he let them know that they were not on God’s side. Their reaction to this was predictable, was it not? In today’s jargon, they were offended. But instead of running off to their “safe space”, they had Stephen taken out and stoned to death. Listen, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a guarantee that speaking the truth to those who do not want to hear will not be offended. It’s no guarantee that you will not draw the wrath of people who would harm you. Jesus told us this. In the gospel of John, chapter 15, verses 18 and 18, He said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” And He also said in Matthew 10:33, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” So, who’s approval do you want? Acts 8 What happened after Stephen’s execution? The scripture says that “On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem and most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” Widespread persecution. Sounds like a mob mentality cropped up, doesn’t it? Hmm. The authorities identified the believers as “the enemy”, and it became acceptable…and even virtuous…to persecute them. Where have I heard of this kind of behavior?  But where the enemy saw this as a winning strategy, God used it to further the church. “…most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” And then a couple of verses later it says that “The believers who were scattered went from place to place, where they spread the word.”  They didn’t cower in place. They didn’t shut up. Having seen what happened to Stephen, they knew what could happen. But they spread out and spread the word. Be encouraged by what the early church did, beloved. Be encouraged and know that what looks like defeat and disaster to the world is far from it in the eyes of Almighty God. Jesus has already won the war. What we are seeing today are the death throes of satan and his demons.  He knows that his time is running out. He wants to frighten people and keep them from following Jesus. Don’t fall for his lies. Don’t accept the defeat of denying Jesus. Kick the devil in the teeth and remain strong in your faith in Jesus Christ. Because there will come a day when EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, including the master of lies himself. Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 7 NLV; Ch. 8 GW Support This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT. Transcript Download .txt file STEVE WEBB – 0:00Whose approval do you want? INTRO S12E290 – 0:09Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year and today is Gospel Saturday. So we’ll read Acts seven and eight. I’ll have some comments after the reading, and Brother Paul of Seattle sent in another question. I’m calling today’s episode, “The Message Spreads”. Today’s show notes page is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e290. And my email address is st***@*************ia.com. Let’s go. Acts 7 (NLV) – 0:43Acts, chapter seven. (1) The head religious leader asked Stephen, “Are these things true?” (2) Stephen said, “My brothers and fathers, listen to me. The great God showed Himself to our early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Haran. (3) God said to him, ‘Leave your family and this land where you were born. Go to a land that I will show you.’ (4) He went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, he came to this country where you now live. (5) God did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But He promised that the land would be his and his children’s after him. At that time he had no children. (6) This is what God said, ‘Your children’s children will be living in a strange land. They will live there 400 years. They will be made to work without pay and will suffer many hard things. (7) I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship Me in this place.’ (8) “He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers. (9) “The sons of Jacob sold Joseph to people from the country of Egypt because they were jealous of him. But God was with Joseph. (10) He helped him in all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and favor with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This king made Joseph leader over Egypt and over all the king’s house. (11) “The time came when there was no food to eat in all the land of Egypt and Canaan. The people suffered much. Our early fathers were not able to get food. (12) Then Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He sent our early fathers there the first time. (13) “The second time they went to the country of Egypt, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. The family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. (14) Joseph asked his father Jacob and all his family to come. There were seventy-five people in the family. (15) Jacob moved down to Egypt and died there. Our early fathers died there also. (16) They were brought back to the city of Shechem where they were buried. Abraham paid money for the grave from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. (17) “The promise God had given Abraham was about to happen. At this time many more of our people were in the country of Egypt. (18) Then another man became king in Egypt. He was a king who did not know Joseph. (19) He was hard on our people and nation. He worked against our early fathers. He made them put their babies outside so they would die. (20) “At that time Moses was born. He was beautiful in God’s sight. He was fed in his father’s house for three months. (21) Then he was put outside. Pharaoh’s daughter took him and cared for him as her own son. (22) Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became a powerful man in words and in the things he did. (23) When he was forty years old, he thought he should visit his brothers, the Jews. (24) He saw one of the Jews being hurt. Moses helped the Jew and killed the man from Egypt. (25) He thought his people would understand. He thought they knew God would let them go free by his help. But the people did not understand. (26) “The next day Moses came to some Jews who were fighting. He tried to get them to stop. Moses said to the Jews, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you hurt each other?’ (27) One was beating his neighbor. He pushed Moses away and said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you could say who is guilty? (28) Do you want to kill me as you killed the man from Egypt yesterday?’ (29) When Moses heard that, he went as fast as he could to the country of Midian where he was a stranger. While he was there, he became the father of two sons. (30) Forty years passed and Moses was near Mount Sinai where no people live. There he saw an angel in the fire of a burning bush. (31) He was surprised and wondered when he saw it. He went up close to see it better. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him. (32) ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ Moses shook! He was so afraid he did not look at the bush. (33) “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take your shoes off your feet! The place where you are standing is holy ground. (34) I have seen My people suffer in the country of Egypt and I have heard their cries. I have come down to let them go free. So come now, I will send you back to Egypt.’ (35) “The people had put Moses aside. They said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you are the one to say what is right or wrong?’ But God made this man a leader. Moses was the one who brought them out of the country of Egypt. This was done by the help of the angel who was in the burning bush. (36) This man led them. He did powerful works in Egypt and at the Red Sea. For forty years he led them in the desert. (37) “Moses said to the Jews, ‘God will give you one who speaks for Him like me from among your brothers.’ (38) This is the man who was with the Jewish nation in the desert. The angel talked to him on Mount Sinai. Moses told it to our early fathers. He also received the living Words of God to give to us. (39) “Our early fathers would not listen to him. They did not obey him. In their hearts they wanted to go back to the country of Egypt. (40) They said to Aaron,...