Jesus promised that the world would hate us because it hated Him (John 15:18-20). Paul told Timothy that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). The early Christians in Jerusalem experienced this kind of suffering firsthand. After Stephen’s martyrdom, most of the Christians left Jerusalem to escape the increased pressures against them (see Acts 8:1; 11:19).
When we remember that the Lord Jesus is in control over all things and recognize that this includes persecution, we realize that the Lord is at work even through our suffering. That’s precisely what we see in Acts 11:19-24. Persecution became a means by which Jesus continued to build His church, as those who were being scattered took the gospel beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.
How do we know that Jesus remained sovereign over the persecution to bring about the growth of the church? Verse 21 tells us as much: “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.”
In God’s providence, the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7 led to the birth of the church in Antioch (11:19). This church became a crucial outpost for the Gentile mission as Saul’s (or Paul’s) home base. Barnabas and Saul met with these newbelievers for a whole year, teaching large numbers of them the truth about Jesus and His gospel (see also Acts 20:17-24).
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults
Every week for Volume 4: From Captivity to the Wilderness, Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, will offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Adults.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Students
Every week, student ministry leaders offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Students. Listen in as he shares:
- The main point of the session
- Any challenges and opportunities for additional discussion that may arise during this session
- Encouragements for leaders
Podcast (studentsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
A Final Reminder
Don’t forget, you can find tools to help you prepare and lead the discussion in the Additional Resources for this volume. We hope these are a blessing to you as you walk through this session together.
*This week’s leader devotional is written by Juan Sanchez. It is adapted from the daily devotions for Unit 31, Session 2 from The Gospel Project for Adults’ Daily Discipleship Guide.
