How to BE the Church - Part 11: Martyrs for the Mission

Newmarket Alliance Sermon Podcast

You just knew that "poking the bear" (the religious elite) couldn't last forever. The keepers of the "old way" had too much at stake.
I want to tell you about Stephen, who as you may remember from last week, just got appointed as a Deacon. But far from only working behind the scenes with ministry logistics, Stephen is someone "filled with God's grace and power" and "performed great wonders and signs". Whether or not he was gifted this way before the filling of the Holy Spirit, he is an incredibly gifted orator and defender of the faith. So much so, the religious elite are violently incensed (probably in part because they have no good response).
This time there is no angel who comes to rescue Stephen (spoiler alert). And while we are currently not in a "persecution hot zone" it is still a pertinent question as to how WE will respond when our faith is tested.