How confident are you in sharing your faith with others? Would you be able to explain the gospel to someone who asks? In a culture that pushes back against the exclusive claims of Christianity, are you prepared to respond?

In Acts 7, we read that Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin and mounted a compelling defense in response to the charges of blasphemy leveled against him. Utilizing hellenistic rhetorical technique, Stephen begins with a narration of salvation history, revealing a deep and abiding knowledge of God’s faithfulness. In the second part of his speech Stephen turns to a series of declarative statements, revealing an understanding of the people’s rejection. They had ignored God’s law and mistakenly thought they could confine Him to a particular place. Finally, Stephen concludes with an emotional appeal to his listeners. Their rejection of Jesus continued a historical pattern of disobedience to God. Stephen was not guilty of blasphemy. His accusers were. They would be wise to stop resisting the Holy Spirit and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

Stephen’s speech is a model for all disciples. We should at all times, be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in us to anyone who asks, contending for the faith with all wisdom.

What makes for a good pitchman? One of the most iconic in recent memory was the actor Dennis Haysbert, who advertised for Allstate Insurance. His most famous role was probably President Palmer on the television series, 24, which lended gravitas and authority to his persona. His distinctive looks and deep voice were calm and reassuring. A good pitchman should be knowledgeable, articulate, credible, and trustworthy.

As we continue to read in the book of Acts, the narrative starts to shift. Up until this point in the story, Peter and John had been the primary protagonists. Because of their preaching and teaching the church was well established in Jerusalem. But now, Stephen, one of the seven who’d been chosen to oversee the daily distributions amongst the widows, takes center stage. Because of Stephen’s witness, the gospel will scatter throughout Judea and Samaria.

Stephen was the perfect pitchman. Not because of his good looks or fame, but because the Holy Spirit was so evident in his life. The Holy Spirit could be seen in his character and in his courage, as he boldly defended the gospel of Jesus Christ in the synagogues of his fellow Hellenistic Jews. 

Just as Stephen followed in the footsteps of the apostles, as disciples we are all called to be Spirit-filled witnesses in the spheres of influence where God has placed us, credibly calling others to faith in Christ.

On my desk is a wild assortment of documents, books, and important hand written notes scribbled on seemingly random pieces of paper. While some might view a messy desk as a net negative, it often signals high creativity, flexibility, and a focus on urgent, big-picture tasks. If you’re like me, perhaps you feel that bringing order to the chaos just crimps your style. 

However, as we continue in the book of Acts we read about the benefits of being organized. Because the church was growing rapidly, becoming larger and more diverse, Greek speaking widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. Whether intentional or not, these logistical challenges threatened to distract the apostles and divide the church. Therefore, seven men were selected to meet these practical needs. This freed up the apostles to remain focused on the priority of the word and prayer.

The result was an exponential increase in disciples. Organization made it possible for the church to fulfill its mission. Organization is never an end in itself but a valuable means to facilitate what the Lord is doing in His church and in our own lives. Be better organized for a more powerful witness to the world.

Confidence is an inner feeling or attitude of certainty. It’s an important quality that we seek to nurture in our children, a quality that we expect in professionals, like an attorney or a heart surgeon. A lack of confidence can be debilitating. No confidence will keep you from initiating conversation with that guy or girl you’re interested in. If you walk into a job interview shaking and stammering you don’t inspire much confidence. Of course, overconfidence is perhaps even more dangerous. Or, putting your confidence in the wrong thing or person. 

We read in Acts 2 that on the Day of Pentecost Peter stood up and spoke before a crowd of thousands. Something that certainly required confidence. Declaring the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Peter said, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken.” And, “You will not abandon my soul to Hades or let your Holy One see decay.” These confident assertions were the words of David found in Psalm 16.

This year during Holy Week we’ve briefly stepped away from our series in Acts to examine three Psalms full of Messianic meaning. These ancient songs help us as Christians express the full range of human emotion surrounding the central events of our faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus. We’ve gone from celebratory praise to tearful lament. 

In Psalm 16, David expresses confidence. David could live confidently even under the threat of death because the benefits of choosing to trust in God would be enjoyed both now and in eternity. Peter reveals in his sermon in Acts 2 that David looked beyond his own life to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus would defeat death and by His Spirit give life to our own mortal bodies as well. Because of the resurrection we can live confidently both now and forever. 

The celebratory shouts of deliverance just days earlier had turned into derision. His body, beaten and bloodied by Roman executioners, now hung upon a cross between two common thieves as onlookers hurled insults. In unfathomable agony Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

It’s understandable why Judas the betrayer should be gone. He’d always been more interested in the money anyways. It might make sense why Peter the denier should be gone. He’d withered under the gaze of the gathering crowd. “But you my God, my most faithful friend, why have YOU forsaken me?”

These words that Jesus uttered on the cross that day were taken from Psalm 22, a psalm of David who in the midst of his own pain and suffering felt all alone, abandoned even by God. 

This year during Holy Week we’re briefly stepping away from our series in Acts to examine three Psalms full of Messianic meaning. These ancient songs help us as Christians express the full range of human emotion surrounding the central events of our faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s appropriate for Christians to be moved to tears when remembering that Jesus has so entered the human condition that he suffered in his humanity, being rejected by God and people. 

This song of lament does end in hope, helping us process the problem of our own pain. Both David and his descendant, the Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 22, put their trust in God. When you feel abandoned and alone, where is God? He is still near. He transforms pain into praise.

There are certain moments when it's not only appropriate, but expected, to celebrate. Like Kool & the Gang we celebrate good times. We celebrate our favorite sports teams when they win a championship. Next Monday one college basketball team will be cutting down the nets while confetti falls from the rafters of the arena. It will be a celebration. We celebrate birthdays. You might throw a party, eat cake, maybe play some games, give gifts, and even sing songs. That’s how we celebrate. We sing, shout, and dance. If it’s a celebration, people are happy. 

We also celebrate holidays, such as Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, the day that Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem. Throngs of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice singing, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” They were celebrating good times.

The song Jesus’ disciples sang along the road that led into Jerusalem was taken from Psalm 118. This was a pilgrimage song that the people of Israel would sing during their annual feasts, especially the feast of Passover, thanking God for His deliverance. 

This year during Holy Week we’re examining three Psalms full of Messianic meaning. These ancient songs help us as Christians express the full range of human emotion surrounding the central events of our faith. Psalm 118 is a song of celebration. It’s a party. You were made to celebrate.

What is the public’s perception of the church? Recent research shows that overall favorability and trust has fallen compared with past decades. That could be due to the moral failure of high profile pastors. Some suggest it’s because of alignment with one political party, whether real or perceived. Media narratives might have something to do with it. People rate local pastors and congregations more favorably than national institutions or prominent leaders.

So perhaps the more relevant question is, “What is the public’s perception of our church?” 

In his summary statement at the end of Acts 2, Luke wrote that the first church in Jerusalem was having favor with all the people. As we continue reading now in chapter 5, he specifies with whom and why. 

We see that even those who didn’t associate with the church held them in high esteem because of their moral purity and the spiritual power that was emanating from the apostles.

However, while the people respected the church, those in power reviled them. They were jealous of the apostles’ popularity and had them arrested. On trial, Peter once again boldly proclaimed the gospel, which the religious leaders violently rejected. They brutally beat the apostles before letting them go. Despite persecution, they rejoiced and their effective evangelistic activity continued. 

Regardless of the response, the apostles would not cease. You can’t control public perception, but you can keep on being a consistent witness. 

Are you whistling past the graveyard? Whistling past the graveyard is an idiom that suggests a conscious effort to ignore or downplay the seriousness of a threatening circumstance. It implies a false sense of security in situations where acknowledging reality would be more appropriate.

Just outside of Jerusalem was a burial ground that contained the bodies of a husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira. The news of their untimely death spread quickly. They’d been members of the rapidly increasingly sect of Jews who were proclaiming Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and resurrected Lord. There was an uncommon unity amongst these Christ followers. Some were even selling land or houses and donating the proceeds. Ananais and Sapphira were thought to have done the same. They also sold a piece of property. However, they attempted to deceive the group by embezzling some of the funds. Peter, the designated leader of the group, confronted them. Both Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, fell over dead.  
Luke presents this shocking incident at the beginning of Acts chapter 5 as a clear act of divine judgment. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a warning about the seriousness of sin. A holy, righteous, and just God had already protected his people from the threat of evil outside the church. He would also protect his people from the threat of evil inside.

God’s judgement upon Ananais and Sapphira caused everyone, both those inside and outside the church alike, to fear the Lord. Many Christians today emphasize the love and mercy of God to the neglect of his complete and total separateness from sin. But God will not be mocked. We would do well to stop whistling past Ananais and Sapphira’s grave and avoid God’s judgement by abandoning sin.

A wallet chain is a fashion accessory with a clasp or hook on each end; one fastens to a wallet’s grommet and the other to a belt loop on your pants. It was originally used by bikers to keep wallets from falling out while riding.

But did you know there is an invisible chain that attaches your wallet to your heart? Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

When a daughter looks longingly into her daddy’s eyes and asks for money to buy a prom dress, his heart melts and he opens the wallet. When an insurance provider raises their already extravagant premiums while simultaneously reducing their coverage the customer’s heart is enraged and pledges to never do business with that company ever again. The wallet is closed.

As we continue in the book of Acts we read that how the believers in the early church handled money revealed a lot about their hearts. In Luke’s summary statement at the end of chapter 2, he wrote that they were generous, selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds to anyone among them who had need. Now, at the end of chapter 4, he gives even more insight into what exactly that looked like and what motivated them. 

Those early believers gave generously because their hearts had been changed. Luke holds up one man as a prime example: Barnabas. Barnabas’ generosity prepared him for the work that the Spirit would later send him out to do. Generous giving not only comes from a changed heart, we also practice generous giving for a changed heart. It shapes us and prepares us as people. So we see the relationship, an invisible chain, that giving has to our heart.

Honey is an incredible substance, but it comes at a cost. And for good reason. It’s labor intensive, not only for the beekeeper, but for the bees. A single bee will only produce about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. A single pound of finished honey from a hive requires the bees to make about 2 million flower visits. Talk about labor intensive! But finished honey has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, preservative and probiotic properties. Plus, if stored correctly, it never spoils. Archaeologists have discovered jars of honey in Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old yet still edible!

A few years ago I had a neighbor who kept bees. I loved watching his bees at work in our flower beds, knowing the result of their intense labor would be a jar of fresh honey in the fall. He invited me over one summer day to watch how he opened a bee box to extract the honey comb with as little disruption to the bees as possible. He only had one beekeeper’s suit (which he wore, of course) so he told me to stand a few yards off. “You’ll be just fine,” he said through his head net. 

I was so intent on watching him go to work with his smoker and hive tool that I failed to notice a bee on a literal bee-line for my face until it was too late. It stung me square in the cheek. I yelled some things less than flattering, to which my friend yelled, “Ya gotta go!” 

I learned after the fact - and after the swelling had gone down - that when a bee stings, it releases an alarm pheromone called isoamyl acetate (which apparently smells like bananas). This gives the other bees in the hive a pheromone highway to follow so they can join in attacking whatever threat is headed their way. My neighbor knew this full well…thus his warning. 

Nonetheless, a few months later he knocked on the door with a jar of freshly extracted honey, made in part from nectar from my wife’s flowers, and I assume with the help of the bee that stung me. As I polished off that jar of honey, the pain of its sting was long forgotten. As the saying goes, “the honey was worth the sting.” 

In today’s episode, we’ll see the young church respond to the firsts stings of gospel persecution. Peter and John had just appeared before the Sanhedrin, proclaimed Jesus boldly, but received a stinging warning to keep their mouths shut about Jesus…or else. How they and their fellow believers responded was a clear demonstration that they very much believed “the honey was worth the sting.”