The Church: Breakout - Acts 7

Risen Church NC

A few chapters into Acts, the Church was going strong. It had established itself in Jerusalem as a force for good and began making an impact beyond the Jewish people. This was a pivotal moment in history, as Jesus had destined the Church to grow beyond Judea. In many ways, the Jewish opposition that came against Stephen is much larger than just Judaism's critique on Christianity. It speaks of the tendency of religion to become static and remain still. Of course, the Jewish leaders had no interest in reaching the world with their faith. The enemy was hoping the Church would pass on this initiative as well. This is what makes Stephen's message so profound, as he traces the Christian faith back to Abraham, and remarks that God had always intended on building a global community and dwelling in the hearts of His people. Stephen draws a line in the sand, that Christianity would be different than Judaism (and every religion for that matter). He was building a movement that would always be in motion. The Jewish leaders rallied to silence Stephen's heresy, with one Saul of Tarsus leading the murderous assault. Little did the world know, that the one fighting to keep God in one place would soon be spreading Him all over the place. The one fighting against the Church would soon be fighting for it. Needless to say, a lot was on the line in Acts 7, and the world as we know it owes everything to Stephen's witness.