Stephen's legacy

I went to Cross Culture Church at the corner of Little Lonsdale and Swanston st. It's because I plan to stay in uni til morning, and this church is just 10 minutes away with tram, so I thought it's practical to go there than to Brunswick, half an hour travel.

Didn't know why I've never been able to distinguish the position of the 'littles': Is Little Bourke between Bourke St and Lonsdale St, or between Bourke St and Collins St? Is Little Lonsdale between Lonsdale and Bourke or Lonsdale and La Trobe?

So I got off at the Lonsdale St tram stop, hoping to have a little stroll at QV first before entering the church because it was 15 minutes early. So I walked down Lonsdale to the direction of Bourke St. Until I realized that the China Town's gate was almost right across the street. It means, it's Little Bourke already. "No way", I thought. Walking back again? I must. No choice. So there I was, entering the church. First 45 minutes was sharing from a minister who work for community development back in Vietnam, some songs, prayers, offering and holy communion. Oh, by the way, the liturgist is cute:). Then came the reverend to deliver the sermon.

It was about Stephen, the church's first martyr. I have never heard a really good and clear explanation about what happened to Stephen, until today. The reverend elaborated in detail the chronology of the life and death of Stephen. He was the first deacon of the 7 chosen by the apostles. Has a good reputation in helping the poor and strong in faith, not talked much though. Until the Jews, especially the council of Sanhedrin got irritated for his sermons about Jesus and Christianity. That what Stephen argued with the council was not to defend himself, but just answers to them, taking from the Old Testament and the history, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

-On against Moses teaching and the Law: who violated the Law most? He asked back.
-On preaching about the destruction of the Temple: who made the Temple a place of pagans' idols worship? And whose Temple is it now? Isn't it Herod's Temple? Why do you think God want to destroy it? He asked back.
-On Jesus, the Messiah that they killed: which prophets your fathers didn't prosecute? Who prosecuted the God's prophets most? Weren't they your fathers? He asked back.

And the council gnash their teeth and threw their robs and cloths and stoned him to death because of his answers they accused as a blasphemy.

In the end, he said he saw Jesus, stood at God's right hand in heaven, right before he died. And the Bible says, 'then he fell asleep'.

The excerpts from the last 3 verses about the end of Stephen's life: Acts 7

54When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

He prayed for them. Because he knew they were ignorant people, and pitied them.

After the stoning, Christianity spread away from its Jewish legacy and Gentiles had no longer needed to be a Jew to devote God. And that, is Stephen's legacy to the church of God. The reverend closed his sermon there, that wherever we are sent to, we should become like Stephen. Strong in faith, but generous in heart, and stand strong for the truth, but forgiving the sinners and wrongdoers.

Amen.