Ultimate Forgiveness

S: Acts 7

O: Stephen gave a summary of the Old Testament, culminating with “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

Though the listeners were cut to the heart, they did not repent, but instead “cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord. They threw him out of the city and stoned him.”

Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, cried out “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” and “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” as they killed him. In this way, Stephen echoed Jesus’ reaction on the cross as they killed him as well.

A: We need to follow Jesus’ and Stephen’s examples and pray for the salvation those who persecute us, instead of wanting their doom.

P: Father, give me that kind of forgiving attitude, and help me to prioritise your saving love and grace instead of hate. In Jesus’ name, amen.

They grabbed a hold
Of the preacher boy
And drug him
To the edge of the town
With hate in their eyes
And rocks in their hands
They couldn't wait
To knock him down
They said
He's just another believer
Getting ready to take a fall
There's no one here
Who can save him
There's nobody here he can call

But someone stood up for Stephen
He wasn't standing alone
Someone stood up for Stephen
At the Father's throne
The sky opened up
And the clouds rolled away
Stephen saw Jesus and then
Someone stood up for Stephen
When Stephen stood up for Him

Stephen kept right on preaching
He just wouldn't back down
He was living for Jesus
No matter who was around
Oh, they just couldn't stop him
Now matter how they tried
Stephen knew that to live is Christ
And Christians never die

Don't you know
You can trust the Lord?
His Holy Word is true
If you stand up for Him
I know He'll stand up for you