Life Lessons with Dr. Steve Schell
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
What had been an amazingly joyful season for the church in Jerusalem is suddenly thrown into turmoil. Stephen is publicly stoned and the temple authorities feel they now have enough popular support to send soldiers into the city to hunt down believers from house to house, to put them in prison and then to beat and execute them (Ac 22:4, 5, 19, 20; 26:9-11). The effect of this violence was to scatter believers. They fled the city for their lives. Luke says, “And there was in that day a great hunt upon the church in Jerusalem, and all were sown out into the rural country sides of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Ac 8:1). He pictures believers being sown like a farmer sows seeds. They were scattered far and wide through the surrounding country sides, being careful to avoid those cities where they might be recognized and arrested. At this point it might seem God’s work was severely hindered, but then Luke adds this statement, “Therefore the ones being sown passed through these regions preaching the word (about Jesus)” (Ac 8:4). With that one statement Luke shows us that this persecution didn’t stop the church, it expanded it. It turned a lot of people into missionaries. It forced them to go to Judea, Samaria and even the remotest parts of the earth. The very places Jesus had told His disciples to go after they were “clothed with power from on high” (Lk 24:49).
11 - Lord and Christ
10 - Peter’s Boldness
9 - They Shall Prophesy
8 - Spiritual Language
7 - The Promise Arrives
6 - Replacing Judas
5 - Waiting For Pentecost
4 - Going to Heaven
3 - Preparing to Leave
2 - Theophilus
1 - Preparing For Acts
52 - Removing the Veil
51 - The Book of Life
50 - Waiting For Jesus
49 - The Anointed Church
48 - Morning and Evening
47 - Understanding Repentance
46 - Understanding Repentance a
45 - The Day of Atonement
44 - The Power of Priesthood
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Life After Ministry
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Bible Recap
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)