Week of October 18

Just when you thought it was safe to be a silent witness, Stephen and Philip arrive! The first wave of widespread persecution had rolled over the early church and dispersed the believers to various points throughout the Roman Empire. One cannot help but notice that it was not the denominational “Mission Board” that selected, trained, commissioned, and sent out these witnesses; instead, it was persecution! How interesting it is that the “you shall be my witnesses in Judea and Samaria” was being fulfilled in whatever manner the Holy Spirit determined (Acts 1:8)! He does the same today, so we do well to capture the same passion for sharing the Gospel that these early witnesses had.

“Persecution personified,” as John Polhill terms it, was a man named Saul (8:1-3; see 13:9 for second name of Paul; NAC). The word of God truly never falls upon deaf ears, as may be indicated by the impact of Stephen’s brief, but powerful, ministry. His words held great implications for Paul’s missionary ministry (cf. Acts 6; 22:20; Hebrews 4:12; NAC). The two may have debated one another in the synagogue, and that holy setting may have been the place where the Gospel seed was planted in Saul’s mind and heart (6:9ff.; 9:1-19). I believe the spark that created a life-changing witness was struck by the engagement of a Spirit-filled peacemaker and a persecutor (cf. Acts 6:59-60; cf. Christ in 1 Peter 2:23; & Matthew 5:9). Stephen was an ordinary person like us who simply shared Christ in all he did and said—whether serving tables or sharing the Good News (Acts 6:1-6, 8-15). We may do the same.

Borne along by the Spirit. A wave of opposition pushed Christians into Judea and Samaria, and Luke chronicles this stage of Gospel expansion in chapters 8-11. Make no mistake, it was the vessel of the Holy Spirit that truly carried these first witnesses along. Philip and the apostles shared a witness with the Samaritans and Philip witnessed to the Ethiopian at the Judean border and others in the coastal cities (ch. 8). We see by the end of chapter 11 that all of Judea, the “land of the Jews,” had been evangelized and that Hellenistic believers had planted the church in Antioch (11:19-30). All these things took place under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Anyone, anyplace, and at any time was the focus of a Gospel witness!

Hearts afire with the Gospel. This lifestyle (rather than a strategy) greatly simplifies our daily pattern of sharing Christ, doesn’t it? This rapid expansion of the Gospel cost no money, but the witnesses at times paid dearly with their lives (Acts 7:59ff.). Regardless of the price, these disciples gave witness to the Savior because sharing good news about Christ was their joyful mandate. I cannot overemphasize the fact that the Hellenist Philip (Greek background) became the embodiment of “you shall be my witnesses . . . in Samaria . . . and the uttermost parts of the earth.” Why? He gave witness to Christ in that region and to the Ethiopian who represented the uttermost parts of the earth! We need not spend one cent of our earnings to discover our historical roots when we are rooted in the Gospel and led by the Spirit. The Spirit will guide and empower our daily witness.

Nancy Floyd, a Downs Syndrome child, attended my home church in Houston. She became a follower of Jesus and was baptized and immediately took up the call to be a witness. As she grew older, she went to work at a place much like Goodwill Industries and labored faithfully there for some years. She had a supervisor who was not a good person. He was hard on people. Nancy, however, filled with the Spirit, would share a powerful witness that he needed Jesus in his life. Tiny Nancy stood tall for her Lord in every circumstance. 

Here is a spiritual reminder as illustrated by Nancy’s example. Her pattern surely inspires us. She may have been physically and mentally limited in many ways, but she was powerfully effective in sharing the Gospel of peace wherever she went. We do well to follow her example.

1. Ask God to prepare you to be the point of contact where the Gospel of peace meets opposition. Be ready to share Christ to anyone, in any place, and at any time. Write down the names of those to whom the Lord is sending you. Then go and tell!

2. For Families: Parents, are our kids ready to share a Gospel witness to whomever, wherever, and whenever? This is a learned skill, and can be intimidating for any of us, unless we are trained. What better way than to learn at home what to say when an opportunity arises?

Here is a simple way to teach your children how to share their love of Jesus with others: Helping Kids To Share the Gospel

Practice this until your kids know it like their own name. Then pray with them each morning that God will help them shine like lights and be peacemakers for Christ as they share His love with others.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock