Friday  September 6, 13, 20   4 – 7 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.

Saturday September 7, 14, 21   12 – 4  PM    Fisherman’s Wharf outreach. Powell & Jefferson St.

THE FIRST MARTYR

Dear Christian friends,

Acts 7 contains Stephen’s famous speech before the Jewish high priest and Sanhedrin. Stephen was one of the seven deacons appointed to minister to the poor saints. He was not an apostle, nor was he an evangelist. He was an administrator with the gift of helps. However, he did great miracles and preached the gospel in the synagogue of the Libertines with great wisdom. The Jews there could not refute his arguments, so they instructed false witnesses to accuse him of speaking blasphemies against Moses, the holy place and the law, and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

Stephen used this opportunity to preach the gospel to the Jewish leaders. Reviewing Jewish history, he starts with Abraham. God called Abraham to leave his country and go to a new land by faith, enduring many difficulties. In the same way, God is calling the Jewish people to leave the familiar (the old covenant) and receive the new covenant by faith, entering into a better land with much tribulation.

Next he speaks of the patriarchs and Joseph. “The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt.” The Jew who did his neighbor wrong asked Moses, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?” The Jewish people later told Aaron to make a golden calf for them to worship.

He quoted from Deut. 18 the prophesy of Moses concerning the Messiah, that God would raise up one like himself, a ruler and a deliverer, and that every person who would not listen to him would face His judgment. The Jewish people rejected Joseph by selling him into slavery, they rejected Moses as a ruler and judge, they rejected God by making a golden calf, and they rejected the Messiah prophesied by Moses. “He [Moses] supposed that they would have understood how God by his hand would deliver them, but they understood not.” Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27 to show how Israel turned away from God and worshipped false gods throughout their history, and brought judgment upon themselves.

Next he turned to the issue of the holy place, the Temple. “Solomon built him a house. Howbeit the most High dwells not in temples made with hands, as said the prophet ‘Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool of my feet; What kind of house will you build for me?’ says the Lord.” (He was quoting Isa. 66:1-2.) Moses, the law, and the Temple are not gods to be worshipped. Moses prophesied of the coming Messiah, who must be heard. The purpose of the law is to show us our sinful condition, and our need for a Savior. God does not dwell in a temple made with hands.

He concludes by accusing them of resisting the Holy Spirit, persecuting all the prophets, killing the Messiah, and disobeying the law. “But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:16).

The result of Stephen’s message is that the listeners were “cut to the heart, and gnashed on him with their teeth.” They cried out, shut their ears, cast him out of the city and stoned him. Stephen, the first martyr, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on His right hand. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit….Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Like Jesus, he forgave those who killed him.

Like Peter, Stephen relied heavily on Old Testament prophesy to seek to convince his Jewish listeners that Jesus is Messiah. Like Peter, he accused them of rejecting the Messiah. This time, however, we do not hear of people being saved from his preaching. Instead, there was a great persecution of the Jerusalem church that followed. However, the witnesses who stoned him laid down their clothes at Saul of Tarsus’ feet. Saul became a leader in the persecution that followed, but soon afterwards was dramatically saved and wrote over half the books in the New Testament.

On the Streets

On Sat. March 2, we witnessed at Powell and O’Farrell St. Mike witnessed to Ike, 30, who was raised in foster homes and exposed to different religions. When he was young, he thought that he was God and had the power to decide who lives and who dies. Later, he ended up in Pelican Bay Prison, the highest security prison in California. While there, he began to realize that there is an intelligent creator. Mike shared the gospel with him. He had some knowledge of the Bible but seemed hardened to the gospel. He said he now drives a Lexus and has two children.

Tats and Andy spoke with Jiro, 65, a Japanese homeless man who hangs out on this corner. Tats has been witnessing to him for two years. He had been a computer scientist and is extremely intelligent but had developed the delusional belief that he was related to a famous French actor, and somehow thought this man owed him money. Andy said that even if you are related to this actor, what will it benefit you when you die? All that matters is your heavenly genealogy. Tats opened the Japanese Bible to show him the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Meanwhile Jiro has been living outdoors on the streets for several years and refuses to go to a shelter. Andy bought him some coffee. Andy and Tats offered to pray for him but he refused.

On Sat. March 30, we again witnessed at Powell and O’Farrell. Mike witnessed to five teenage boys who were listening to us. Mike particularly witnessed to Joey and Aaron. Mike shared his testimony and the gospel with them. Alex witnessed to Kevin, a security guard. He said he liked what we were saying but struggled with sexual immorality. Alex shared some scriptures about that with him and encouraged him to get right with God.

On Fri. April 5, we witnessed at Fisherman’s Wharf. Mike and John witnessed to a Mormon couple with three teenage daughters. They were from Salt Lake City and were very friendly towards us. We gave gospel tracts to the three daughters. Mike shared with the mother that we are saved by faith in Christ, not by our works. John spoke with the father about some of the errors taught by Mormonism. Alex witnessed to two Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), David, 60, and his wife. He shared 2 Cor. 11:4 that if someone comes preaching another Jesus, do not listen to him. He showed him several scriptures that show that Jesus is God, and how these scriptures are altered in the JW Bible. Alex also spoke with Morena, a Catholic who seemed upset by our preaching and questioned if we were effective. Alex shared with her Mark 4:26, where Jesus talked about a man sowing a seed. It didn’t become a plant immediately but slowly grew and eventually bore fruit. That is what we are doing.

On Fri. April 12, we witnessed at 24^th and Mission. The last time we were here, the police shut us down for not having a permit. Now that we no longer need permits, we were wondering what they would do. A police car was parked on the sidewalk across the street from us until about 6:15 PM, but no police officer said anything to us. Andy witnessed to Albert, who thought he was saved through religious works and stopping his sinful behavior. Andy shared several scriptures with him about salvation being by grace through faith in Jesus. Albert prayed with Andy, but Andy wasn’t sure he was truly converted. Andy gave him a New Testament and he received it. Mike saw four girls who recognized him. They were in 9^th grade and attended the City Impact School. Mike shared the gospel with them and they were receptive. Apparently, they had never clearly heard the gospel before.

The next day, we witnessed at Powell and O’Farrell. Mike witnessed to Adam, 17, who is homeless. He had also attended City Impact School. Mike shared the gospel with him and invited him to church. He came to City Impact the next day. Jared, the City Impact youth pastor, spoke with him and invited him to attend their youth group. He will follow up on him. Mike also witnessed to Eduardo. He invited him to attend City Impact and he also came. He also attended their Spanish service. Please pray for Adam and Eduardo, that they would be truly saved and grow spiritually. We invite many people to church, but few actually show up. This is a rare event for two to show up the same day.

A Final Word

Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry.   We still have several openings in our ministry house. We are looking for spiritually mature young men with a serious desire to evangelize San Francisco.

We need to print 100,000 more gospel tracts. The price has increased by 80% in 3 years since we last printed tracts. It will now cost about $3800 to print these tracts. The good news is that our small witnessing team has given out 100,000 of our tracts (plus tens of thousands of tracts that we didn’t print) in the past 3 years. Each person who receives one of these tracts has an opportunity to read it. Each gospel tract contains a clear presentation of the gospel message.

I hope many of you will join us for an outreach this next month or witness in your own community. 

Yours in His love,

Larry Rosenbaum