- Covered In His Dust
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- Acts Chapter 6 (part 2)
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
👉🏽 Read Chapter 6 (vs. 7-15) before reading my notes. If you don’t, my notes won’t make sense.
You can access my previous notes on Acts and Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
Priorities
The Apostles appointed seven disciples to serve the community by overseeing the daily distribution of food so that the Apostles could devote themselves to preaching the Word of God.
"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
The following steps are not exhaustive; they are the ones I’ve taken and continue to take to help me prioritize the gospel above all.
Know your Bible:
Make it a habit to read and study the Bible every day (they’re not the same.)
Memorize key Bible verses.Pray daily:
Pray for wisdom and for opportunities to share your faith.
Pray for people you know or will know that they will be open to the gospel.Live more like Christ:
Be kind, loving, and honest.
Make genuine connections with people and show Christ’s love through your actions.Learn to explain your faith:
Read books and watch videos on defending your faith.
Practice having respectful discussions about Christianity.
I HIGHLY recommend following Cliffe Knechtle. Here’s an example of how he defends Christianity 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JjsoIFVsnGk
Surround yourself:
Find an accountability partner, a fellow believer who can support and pray with you.
Find and be active in a healthy church for support and biblical teaching.
Find a healthy church.
(No one ever explained to me the immense value and importance of attending a healthy church. All churches are not the same.)
Don’t make the decision lightly.
Be intentional in your search.
Know what you’re looking for.
I hesitate to say this, but if you're not part of a healthy church, find a new one.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy:
Imagine you're driving to visit your grandma, and you've been on the road for hours. You suddenly realize you're on the wrong road, but you think, "I've already driven so far; I might as well keep going."
Doesn’t make sense does it? (Even if you’ve driven down that road for 10 years.)
A better approach would be to acknowledge that continuing on the wrong road won't get you where you want to go. You could choose to turn around and take the correct route.
This analogy illustrates the importance of recognizing when it's better to change course rather than continuing down a path just because you've already invested time and effort into it.
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
By Mark Dever
Expositional preaching. Does the pastor preach God’s Word, or his own ideas? Does he allow Scripture to set his preaching agenda, or does he pick topics by some other criteria? (2 Tim. 2:15, 4:2-2)
Biblical theology. Does the church openly confess key biblical doctrines? Do the leaders consistently teach sound doctrine? (Tit. 1:9-11) (If you’re interested in what sound doctrine is, let me know, and I’ll send you a pdf document explaining it.)
A biblical understanding of the gospel. Does the church clearly proclaim the good news about what Jesus Christ accomplished for sinners in his death and resurrection? Consistently? (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
A biblical understanding of conversion. Does the church teach that people must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-8)? Does the church teach that in order to become a Christian, a person must repent of sin and trust in Christ, both of which are ultimately gifts of God? (Acts 11:18, 20:21)
A biblical understanding of evangelism. Does the church preach the gospel to non-Christians and encourage its members to do the same? Does it understand that it’s our responsibility to preach the message of salvation yet God is the only one who can do the saving? (Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 2:1-10)
Biblical church membership. Does the church take membership seriously by seeking to ensure that its members faithfully attend? Does it encourage members to fulfill the biblical “one-anothers” with each other? (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 4:11-29)
Biblical church discipline. Does the church lovingly, patiently practice church discipline? (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-13)
Biblical discipleship and growth. Does the church expect and equip its members to grow spiritually (2 Pet. 1:3-11)? Does the church encourage its members to disciple one another (Rom. 15:14)? Growing as a Christian should be normal, not exceptional.
Biblical church leadership. Is the church led by godly, qualified men? Does the church look to Scripture to determine its leadership structure? (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-11)
Wow! When I sat down to write about Chapter 6, I DID NOT plan to share all that!
But then again, Acts is a documentation of the early church. I hope it inspired you and gave you something to pray about.
If you have questions, if you’re not attending a healthy church, or if you’re not currently attending a church, don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love to help.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith
Luke is summarizing the progress of the early church and the spread of the gospel. He uses these summaries throughout Luke and Acts to show important moments in the story.
Here are his summary statements of Acts so far.
Acts 2:47 - "And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."
Acts 4:4 - "But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand."
Acts 5:14 - "And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women."
Acts 6:7 - "And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."
Keep an eye out for them as we go through Acts. The next one is coming up in Acts 9.
It's amazing to me that many priests became believers. Here's why it was such a big deal:
Priests were the religious authorities in Jewish society, with deep roots in Jewish traditions. For them to embrace the Christian faith meant that influential religious leaders were acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah.
The conversion of “many priests” gave the early Christian movement massive credibility. If the experts in the Scriptures saw the truth in Jesus' teachings, it would definitely encourage others to take the faith seriously.
Priests, being leaders, would have had the ability to influence others. Their acceptance of Christianity most likely led to a ripple effect, bringing more and more people to faith.
Introducing Stephen
If Stephen were in a Broadway play about Christianity, his role might be small, but it would be crucial. His character would show the strength of faith and the bravery needed to stand up for what you believe, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
Five lessons I learned from reading about Stephen:
Passionate Faith: Stephen was deeply committed to his faith, demonstrating that true belief goes beyond words and is shown through actions.
Boldness: He spoke boldly about Jesus, even in the face of opposition. This teaches the importance of standing up for your beliefs, regardless of the consequences.
Service: Stephen served others, particularly the needy, showing that effective ministry involves meeting both physical and spiritual needs.
Forgiveness: Even while being stoned, Stephen prayed for his persecutors, illustrating the power of forgiveness and love for others, even those who oppose us.
Reliance on the Holy Spirit: Stephen relied heavily on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength (something I need to incorporate more into my life).
The synagogue of the Freedmen (freed-men) likely consisted of Jews who had been slaves but were freed, along with their descendants. They formed their own synagogue, which was a place for worship and community gatherings.
Something looks familiar
Stephen's trial reminds me a lot of Jesus' trial. Here’s how they’re similar:
Like Jesus, Stephen spoke with such wisdom and Spirit that the religious leaders couldn't argue with him.
Both were falsely accused. Stephen was accused of blasphemy against Moses and God, while Jesus was accused of threatening to destroy the temple and claiming to be the Son of God.
Both were charged with blasphemy. Stephen was accused of speaking against the temple and the law, saying Jesus would change the customs Moses gave them. Jesus faced similar accusations about divine authority and the temple.
Both Stephen and Jesus were brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council. Stephen faced accusations from false witnesses, and Jesus also faced similar allegations before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68).
A crack in the door
One of the things I love most about Stephen is his passion for sharing the gospel. He was willing to die for it and took every opportunity to spread the message.
In the first verse of Chapter 7, after accusing Stephen, the high priest asks, "Are these things so?"
Boom! He saw the crack in the door and seized the opportunity to share the gospel.
But that’s for next time.
One Minute Inspiration
Paul Washer is one of my favorite pastors.
I love his passion.
I love that he doesn’t pull punches.
I watch this 60-second video on repeat.
Have an amazing week, saints!
In the New Testament, "saint" refers to any Christian believer. It comes from the Greek word "hagios," meaning "holy" or "set apart." Paul often addresses believers in his letters as "saints."
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family are expanding to Cuba in 2024.