Blood Of The Martyrs (Part II)

In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean stole silver from a bishop who offered him shelter. When Jean got caught, the bishop lied to the police to protect him and ultimately turn his life around. The Spirit led him to break a ‘rule’ to change someone’s life. It’s unexpected, but Christianity is about following God, not a set of rules.

After being appointed to distribute food, Stephen followed the Spirit to the court of the Sanhedrin. Stephen explained that Israel’s leaders were like stiff-necked as donkeys that refused to follow direction (Acts 7:51-53). The Sanhedrin would not accept that God had moved out of the Temple and into the hearts of His followers through Jesus. The Temple had been the norm for centuries, and Israel’s leaders would not let God lead them in a new and powerful direction. It was idolatry. They valued the temple more than God’s will, so much so that they stoned Stephen to death.

The Sanhedrin intended Stephen’s death as an oppressive blow, but it had the opposite effect. Stephen worshipped God as he died, inspiring the next generation of Christian leaders. Furthermore, God used the following persecution to scatter missionaries across the Middle East like a farmer sowing seeds (Acts 7:54-8:3). They grew the Church exponentially, even in Samaria, Israel’s longtime enemy (Acts 8:4-7).

True faith follows the Spirit’s unpredictable lead, even when it defies tradition. God isn’t confined to temples or rules, and when we accept this, we become seeds that grow His Kingdom in amazing ways.

Watch Part Two of the sermon here.