Acts 7:54-60

54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.

When people are confronted with their own sin and their own fears they can become aggressive, trying to make themselves feel better about their condition. They sometime will try to destroy those around them to make themselves feel better and eliminate the problem. When we are confronted with a sin issue, we need not run, hide, or lash out, we need to examine ourselves in front of God and to his Word. If we are in sin we should repent and turn away, ask for forgiveness and seek God in our lives more.

Another lesson from this is when you go and share the Gospel with people, it doesn't always come out the way you want it. You have to do it with a pure motive and with the Spirit, but understand that we do not change the minds of men, God is the one that does that, we can only do what God wants us to do. In this lesson we see that Stephen went and shared, he showed them his faith and the reason for his faith. They rejected him, they also killed him. This probably was not his intention when he went to speak to these men, but God had a bigger plan. Stephen became the first martyr for Christianity, his heart those was for those people and he held nothing against them. We cant be made at those who hate us, just continue to desire for them to have a relationship with Christ. The other lesson is that God has bigger plans. One was for Saul (Paul) who was there when Stephen was killed, he was in Gods plan for starting the Church. God does greater things than we can understand, do what you are suppose to do in front of people, even when they persecute you, because you never know who you are influencing.

JR