People of the world are always looking for a scheme to get ahead so that they can fulfill the American Dream.  If there is one thing we fear, it’s that our dreams will burn to a crisp.  When the storms of life blow the Christian off our comfortable course... we’ve got to realize that Jesus is the master of the winds and the waves.  God makes the waves and currents to carry the Christian along to an appointed destination so that we can do his will.  So when life hands you lemons… get the blender out and make lemonade.

Hard Times Arose 1-4

Great persecution arose 1 The persecution arose the very _______ that Stephen was stoned Stephen the beloved pastor, had incited trouble for the church   Fearing for their lives, many fled to the surrounding countryside The main thrust of the inquisition was aimed at the _____________

Great Lamentation Arose 2 It was ____________ to make lamentation over a blasphemer This was a funeral which inflamed further persecution

Great Havoc Arose 3 Saul went from a bystander to a persecutor His mission in life was to destroy Christianity

Great Blessing Arose 4-8

Scattered People Preaching Arose 4-5 Why did God allow this to happen?  

Scattered seed produces a ______________ harvest

God’s _______ for us is not always the one we had in mind Saul didn’t know it but God was using him to fulfill Acts 1:8 

God wanted the church to evangelize Samaria

He can even take a terrible situation and produce good from it

Multitudes Heeding Arose 6-7 God was ________________ his work in Samaria as in Jerusalem Phillip was a disliked Hellenistic Jewish Christian

The Samaritans were despised half-breeds

God prepared a particular man for a particular ministry

Philip taught that Samaritans could become part of the kingdom  

Great Joy Arose 8

When life hands you lemons… and it’s circumstances look sour.  Just remember that we have a higher calling.  God’s will is at stake.  Look around and he will show you where he is working and will invite you to work with him.  So when God moves you, you’ve got to move!  Your earthly hopes can crumble and dissolve.  But when you see things from an eternal perspective, it changes everything.  Look around!  Where is God moving you!  Are you in the midst of trials.  Let God use you like he used the scattered and persecuted Christians to reach a lost world for Christ. 

______________________________

The American Dream is the idea that anyone can achieve success and prosperity through hard work and diligence.  People from all around the world want to come to the USA where they can start with nothing and achieve their dreams.   It seems like people are always looking for a way to get ahead, so that they can fulfill the American Dream, of apple pie, surfing USA, a new car and a big home.   

Our goal in life is to succeed, to have a nice home, 4 weeks of vacation, the Internet, cable TV with 8 channels of Prime Time NFL football on Sunday, and the good life.   

If there is one thing we fear, it’s that our dreams will burn to ashes.  But when disaster strikes… when the cookie jar is empty… when you get your walking papers… and you’re sent packing… then what are you going to do.

When troubling times come.  How will you respond to the storms of life?  Are you prepared for difficult days?

When the storms of life blow the unbeliever off course, they have no choice but claw and fight their way back or simply settle for handouts from the mission.  They don’t have the eternal hope of heaven, nor do they have the promise that God will always take care of them.

But when the winds blow the Christian off our comfortable course... we’ve got to realize that Jesus is the master of the winds and the waves.  God makes the winds and the waves to carry the Christian along to an appointed destination so that we can do his will.  If God moves you, it’s because he needs you somewhere else.  So when life hands you lemons… get the blender out and make lemonade.

Here in Acts 8, “The Party’s Over.”

Hard Times Arose 1-4

Think about it:  The early Christians have had some good times up until now.  The church exploded, from a few hundred to thousands.  They may have even been talking about the day when they would be the prevailing power in town instead of the Sanhedrin.  So much for dreaming.  The coals of persecution suddenly burst into flame and the dream died.

Great persecution arose 1 1  Now Saul was consenting to Stephen’s death.  And on that day a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Literally, it appears that persecution arose the very day (ἡμέρα hemera) that Stephen was stoned.  The Jewish Authorities had just about had enough of the upstart Christians and were not going to tolerate them anymore.  They had warned Peter and John twice, and Stephen’s little speech before the Sanhedrin pushed them over the edge.  Christianity was growing so fast that the Jewish leaders feared that Christianity would split the Jewish faith in two.  So let’s make it official.  Henceforth, the official policy of Judaism, shall be antagonism, persecution and the attempt to stamp Christianity out.  And Saul gave his consent to Stephen’s death.  Saul was in favor of this man’s murder.  As with Jesus, the Jews had no legal authority to carry out a death sentence. But Stephen was executed illegally during a power vacuum that has occurred between the departure of Pontius Pilate as Roman governor and the arrival of his successor.[i]  Pontius Pilate was removed from office and sent back to Rome sometime after Jesus's crucifixion.  According to Tacitus and Josephus, Pilate was removed from office for using excessive force against a Samaritan insurrection.[ii] [iii]  However, let me just say that if you are the Roman Governor responsible for giving approval to Jesus death, divinely speaking, bad juju might just happen to you. In stoning Stephen, The Sanhedrin clearly broke the law.  They had no legal right to stone Stephen.  He was simply and quickly put to death and Rome could have cared less.  They turned a blind eye to what was going on in the streets below. But this was a great turning point in the history of the church.  Stephen’s martyrdom was the moving force behind the first missionary expansion of the Church.  Stephen’s death caused Christianity to explode into the world.  Besides the 12 Apostles, there was no one who shone as bright as Stephen.  He was the beloved pastor, evangelist and hero of the Greek speaking Jewish wing of the church.    And fearing for their lives, many believers fled to the surrounding countries where they had grown up.  Let me suggest that the main thrust of the inquisition against the church was aimed at the Greek speaking Christians.  That is likely why the Apostles stayed in Jerusalem.  They were not Hellenists.  Stephen, on the other hand was a leader of the Hellenists.  History tells us that traditional Jews hated Greek speaking Jews because they tried to introduce radical, forward thinking ideas into Judaism. It’s my thought that traditional, home grown, temple attending, Law abiding, Jewish speaking Christians were not the main target here.  The Hellenists were easy prey, and they fled the city in droves.  These Greek-speaking believers were scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria and further north and south.[iv]  Their persecution is further inflamed by a funeral for the martyr.

Great Lamentation Arose 2

2  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. To us, this may just seem like the normal course of action when someone dies.  Their loved ones gather together and hold a funeral for them.  There is much sadness and weeping as they say goodbye. But make no mistake about it, this particular funeral was an offense to the Jewish Authorities.  They had declared that Stephen was guilty of Blasphemy against the Law of Moses and against the temple, and against God.  They sentenced him to death for blasphemy.  If a criminal was executed, Jewish custom required that there be no public mourning over him.  It was not lawful to make lamentation over a blasphemer.  He was cursed.  Those convicted of blasphemy were normally unceremoniously buried in a common place for “criminals”; they were to be “dragged and cast out beyond the gates of the city and buried with the burial on the same low level as a donkey.”. (Jeremiah 22:19). However Stephen was a well-loved man, and Christians were incensed at his illegal execution.  So it appears that his funeral dirge was something of a public outrage against the Sanhedrin for sanctioning his death.  This may have inflamed Saul even more.

Great Havoc Arose 3

3  As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Despite his brief mention in this passage, this moment played a critical role in Saul’s life.  Stephen’s death was a major turning point.  In Chapter 7:58, Saul is portrayed as not much more than a bystander, or a cheerleader, or a caretaker, who is put in charge of the outer cloaks of those who stoned Stephen.  But he is far from disinterested because in 8:1 we are told that Saul approved of the dastardly deed.  Now in verse 3, we find him becoming the main moving force behind the persecution.  There is a definite progression happening here! It’s also worth noting that Paul’s role in the stoning of Stephen represented a clear departure from his own teacher. In Acts 22:3, Paul says that he was a student of Gamaliel—the same Jewish leader who convinced the Sanhedrin not to execute the apostles (Acts 5:34)—and yet here Paul is, holding the coats of those throwing the stones and persecuting Christian’s house to house. 

It is at this point where the young man Saul, came out from under the shadow of his teacher Gamaliel, and decided to make a name for himself.  Paul despised Jesus and the Christian message.  And in Acts 26:9, he said, “I myself was convinced that I ought to do everything possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.” Saul now begins a sorry chapter of his life… and the church, I’m certain, some of whom are bewildered, confused and distressed, asked the question...  How could God allow this to happen?  Why did God allow his children to be mistreated?

Great Blessing Arose 4-8

Scattered People Preaching Arose 4-5

4  Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.  5  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.

Stephen’s death kickstarted the original missions movement.  God told them to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but it took a tragedy to make that happen.  And here’s an important spiritual principle:  Scattered seed produces a great harvest!  Great blessing often follow Bad times.  So if you are facing great problems, take heart!  Bad times are often the precursor of Great blessing!  When Life hands you lemons… make lemonade! God’s plan for us is not always the one we had in mind.  I am certain that this was true for Phillip.  He was one of the seven spiritual leaders chosen by the Apostles to help them manage the early church.      Saul didn’t know it.  And Phillip may not have known it at the time, but God was using an enemy of the faith to fulfill Acts 1:8… which says “you will receive power, after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my witness in Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, and the Utter most parts of the earth.”

God wanted the church to move beyond the boundaries of Jerusalem and Judea into Samaria.  He is so capable, so wise, so powerful, that he can even take a terrible situation and produce the outcome he desires.  When God moves you… brother, you better move.

The persecution of the Christians in Jesus’ homeland forced Christian missionaries, who had until now only preached only among the Jews, to head to other parts of the Roman Empire.  And where better to go that Samaria!  Greek-speaking believers sought refuge in Samaria because traditional Hebraic Jews (who hated Samaritans) refused to go there!  [v]

Trials drove the early Christians away from their once happy, idealic church life.  Oh how they must have missed it.  It wasn’t easy.  It wasn’t fun.  They were uprooted and strewn across the continent.  That’s because God’s will for us is not always what we have in mind.  Sometimes God puts us in uncomfortable situations because it is best for the kingdom of God. 

Notice what happens when you are in God’s will…  

Multitudes Heeding Arose 6-7

6  And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7  For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. God was divinely authenticating his work in Samaria.  Now get this match.  Phillip was a Hellenistic Jew.  It was the Hellenists that were particularly the target of the persecution, because they were progressive outcasts.  They weren’t treated like genuine Jews.  The Hellenists identified themselves with Stephen.  And because of that they became a target.

One such outcast found his way to Samaria.  The Samaritans were half-breeds.  They were half Jew and half Assyrian.  For hundreds of years they had been despised, hated and avoided by their full-blooded Jewish brethren.  A Jew would rather be dead rather than associate with Samaritans.  There was no hope of reconciliation between the two.

Until.  Until Philip came preaching.  God prepared a particular man for a particular ministry.  He taught that the Samaritans could become children of the kingdom in Jesus Christ.  That in Jesus, they were one, they were equal, and they were brothers.   

And Jesus had paved the way for Philip earlier in His ministry.  He came to Samaria and preached.  In John 4:39-41 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word.

Multitudes of believers in Samaria!  Your terrible trials can result in great blessing!  And let’s read the conclusion:

Great Joy Arose 8

8  And there was great joy in that city.

The city is filled with Joy.  When life hands you lemons… and it’s circumstances look sour.  Just remember that we have a higher calling.  God’s will is at stake.  Look around and he will show you where he is working and will invite you to work with him.  So when God moves you, you got to move!  Listen, the American Dream can go up in smoke.  Your earthly hopes can crumble and dissolve.  But when you can see things from an eternal perspective, it changes everything.  Look around!  Where is God moving you!  Are you in the midst of trials.  Let God use you like he used the scattered and persecuted Christians to reach a lost world for Christ.  Wherever you are scattered this week… tell them about the joy of Jesus!