Stephen

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Stephen

Character Profiles

Ray Crespo • Acts 6:3, Acts 8:2

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‘Life & Death’ Faith

Faith in Christ was not lip-service for Stephen. He served the church and the communities of Jerusalem faithfully-even in the face of death. He suffered for Jesus as he served God even when the enemies of the church wanted him to stop. Stephen knew there was a greater hope beyond the dusty street where he died in Jerusalem as they stoned him to death as he preached the Gospel in love and truth. He knew to live and to die for Christ was worth it. Stephen offers us a powerful example of someone who lived and died serving the Lord faithfully. God used Stephen’s death to grow and spread in the church. God uses the touch trails we face as well as opportunities to display real faith in a real God. Let’s not backdown, but be unashamed of Christ no matter the circumstance.

THINK and PRAY:

The Gospel news was spreading through good and hard times in the early church. In fact, the harder the times seemed to be, the more growth of God’s Church seemed to spread. But suffering is never easy. It may be easy to read about the death of Stephen and want to shrink back in our faith, thinking “I don’t ever want to be persecuted for my faith-much less killed!” And yet, God prepared and filled Stephen for both his humble faithful service of the church while living and the moment of martyrdom he faced on that day of his death. The main point to draw from Stephen is that God can use all of us when he fills us with His Spirit, His truth, and a love for people-even our enemies! You may be rejected. You may be mocked. Or face terrible trials for Christ’s name. But faith shines brightest in the darkest of times, and He will prepare you for the task. Submission to God’s will, no matter the cost, will always be used to display God to a needy, Christ-opposing world! How can suffering grow you in maturity in your faith in Christ?

More from New Testament Character Profiles

Apostle John

Monica Rodriguez • 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation

First Love John is known as the “the disciple Jesus loved”. Obviously, Jesus loved all of His followers, but the of Love is one that John constantly writes about from the Gospel he wrote, to the letters he sent to the church (1, 2, & 3 John and Revelation). John described our relationship with God to be one that is intended to be close and experiential. There is a true sense that John genuinely considered Jesus Christ his first and ultimate love. God wasn’t just a religious figure or an admired political leader. Jesus captured John’s loyalty, love affection, and devotion. His life and writings are a constant encouragement for us to follow our true love, Jesus Christ, and fix our eye on his second coming as he wrote down in Revelation. THINK and PRAY: John came to realize how deeply God loved him when Christ intersected His life. The deep love John found in Jesus and saw proven by the actions of his supernatural life, death, resurrection and return to heaven (with a promise to come again for His people) changed John. Jesus emphasized love in all of his writing because He knew its supernatural power to change him and the multitude of other she saw Jesus impact before and after he went to Heaven. Has the deep love ofJesus Christ impacted you? When you hear the famous verse from John 3:16- “That God sent His one and only Son to save humanity...you and me...from eternal death and give us eternal life...does that impact you to love Christ from the deepest part of your heart? Jesus did not just “talk love”. He displayed it! He acted on it. He died as a sacrifice (John saw this first hand) and rose again (John witnesses this too)! Joh assured us to, for those who have accepted Christ as their first love, over sin, over the world, over themselves and have become new creations through faith in Jesus-He will come back again out of love to bring us home to him! John knew that home was with Christ-the lover of his soul. Have you found Jesus to be that for you-the deepest friend, lover, Savior and Lord of your life now and forevermore?

Martha

Esteban Shedd • Luke 10

The Center-Piece of Peace Does resting get the job done? Let's ask Martha, the sister to Mary and Lazarus. Martha worked hard to make sure every detail was handled and every job was done so that everybody was taken care of. This all changed the day she met Jesus. Jesus challenged Martha to see beyond the work that needed to be done, to understand that though details are important, the most important thing was right in front of her-and that was Him. Jesus wanted to teach Martha that while there is nothing wrong with work or details, sometimes the most important work to do is simply resting and enjoying His presence. THINK and PRAY: What concerns you? In an age where time seems to only get faster, and there is always work to be done, slowing down and observing what’s around you can be very difficult to do. This was Jesus’ challenge to Martha. Yes, the reality of what needs to be done might be important, but what is even more important is the work God is doing. Realize that. Believe that. Trust in that. In Luke 10:42 Jesus told Martha, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about.” That one thing is Him. His words being spoken, and his work being done. And while the Lord's work often times calls for us to work with him, other times it asks us to stop, rest, and observe what He is doing. Are you stopping, resting, listening, and observing what God may be up to in your life? Or are you working so much, doing so much, distracted, and connected so much that everything may seem like a blur? Read Martha's story in Luke 10 and see if you identify. In our last picture of Martha in John 12, she is once again serving a meal to Jesus and his disciples. She had not stopped serving. But the Bible records her silence this time. Maybe she had begun to learn what her sister Mary already knew—that worship begins with silence and listening.

Apostle Paul

Esteban Shedd • Acts 7:58

Transformed and Ready To Be Used Paul became a changed man after he met Jesus Christ. Paul was a known persecutor of Christians, a zealous Jewish religious leader, and hated the growing followers of Jesus Christ. He even was the one who approved the murder of Stephen in the book of Acts. Then, he met Jesus. Don’t move too quickly past that line. Meeting Jesus and surrendering to God’s Son will change everything about your identity, the meaning of your life and what your purpose is. Paul was transformed (his former name was Saul). After Paul was saved from his sin and grew in the true knowledge of Jesus Christ being the Messiah that the Jews were longing for centuries, his identity and purpose were completely found in Christ. He went from being the chief hater of Jesus and His Church to the chief lover of Jesus and His Church. God used Paul to take the Gospel to the Gentiles all over the world and was a major factor as to why we even know Christ today. Side Note: He also wrote the majority of the New Testament we read now. THINK and PRAY: There is so much to learn from Paul and his walk with Jesus. So here is just one reminder and one sharpening challenge. Reminder: God can transform and anyone who surrenders to Jesus and receives new life and forgiveness from their sins. Also God will use anyone, no matter their background of sin, to grow and become His servant to be used for God’s purposes instead of their own. This takes submission to God’s ways over our ways. So here is the challenge. When you look at your life right now; how do you make decisions about what you value? What you do each week? Where you go? Where you put your time and effort towards? Does Jesus have any part of your identity and purpose? If not, is He really Lord over your life? In comparison, if Jesus is apart of your daily purpose, how so? How do you see the Lord transforming and using you for His purposes?