Stephen’s Defense: Part 2

Introduction:

Acts 7:1-53 is the text of Stephen’s sermon… hold your place there and ill give you a few words of introduction

People have said, “Forget about the OT… all we need is the NT”

And Likewise, many people who LOVE their NT and know very little about the OT

Oh, it just doesn’t apply

Oh, it’s not worth my time

Oh, its just a bunch of history anyways

Marcion… 2nd Century.

Felt like the OT had no place today

That the Love of Christ in the NT is different than the God of the OT

And that the church really didn’t have its origins in Judaism.

So he compiled a group of scriptures, and left out every reference to the act of God PRIOR to the coming of Jesus

He was labeled as a heretic in 144AD

Luther:

“The Old Testament is the cradle in which the Christ child is laid. It is not irrelevant to study the Old Testament, for the New Testament finds its birth in the Old. The Old Testament heritage supports the New Testament and explains it.”

That is exactly the Stephen’s point in Acts 7!

Everything is built off the OT.

Our faith in Christ is BUILT upon the the promise to Israel that a Redeemer would come through their seed!

And Christ FULFILLS the OT types/patterns/prophesies

Context…

1. Behold… Your History

The time of promise. A time of fulfillment. A moment in the exhaustive expanse of history that God’s promise was seen and realized, making Him the author of all truth.

19…

Exodus 1:13–14 “13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.”

Exodus 1:22 “22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.””

Yet God prepared a deliverer…

20…

Lovely: Exceedingly fair… handsome!

They did not understand. Thats a sad truth… They were so blind. Blind to their own redeemer/deliverer

He tried to reconcile them in peace. Colossians 1:20 “20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Who made You a ruler and judge over us? Who are YOU Moses??? Are you leading a revolt??? Their lack of humility and wisdom blind their eyes to the authority of God within His chosen vessel. Who are we speak back to God! Who are we to deem ourselves the ruler of this life??

I have come down to rescue them. This is the pure essence of the gospel.

2. Behold… Your Rejection

Whom they disowned. Powerful.

Sermon.

Moses was God-sent.

Moses was leading them out.

Moses was preforming great miracles.

Moses was proclaiming a Messiah.

Moses was given the oracles.

Moses was not obeyed.

Deuteronomy 18:15 “15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.”

John 6:14 “14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.””

Turned back to Egypt. Returning to Egypt embodies a return to an estate without the presence of God.

Make for us gods. The heart of man is wicked, and left to his own practices, will desire to become a god unto himself.

Rejoicing in the work of their hands. What can we bring before Almighty God? The Father is only satisfied by the sacrifice of His son!! And by our union thereto, we may enter and dwell freely in the presence of God. Not by our works, but by the work of Christ.

But God turned away… delivered them up. God… turned away. When those whom He created for the praise of His glory, are unwilling to obey, God will deliver them over to the host of heaven. Literally hand them off to live and die outside of his presence.

Rom 1… God gave them up, 3 times.

Did you know God did the same thing with Israel?

Hosea 4:17 “17 Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.”

3. Behold… Your Worship

Ezekiel 8… they go in the temple and draw false gods all over the walls, and bowed down to them

David:

Saw his palace vs. God’s tent.

Nathan blessed him to build a temple.

But David’s hands were guilty and stained with blood, so Solomon would build the temple

And in return David would be blessed with an eternal seed… the coming of the Messiah

Temple?

You made a temple for God but where is it? Zerubbabels? Solomons? Gone.

Now you worship in HEROD’s temple?

These temples were temporary, in fact the temple they had hen would be destroyed too.

God CANNOT be put in a box!

4. Behold… Your Offence

Which of the prophets have they not persecuted? Every one of them. You know what happened to Jeremiah? He got stoned. You know what happened to Isaiah? They cut him in half with a saw. They’ve done it all along.

Conclusion:

1. Behold… YOUR History

2. Behold… YOUR Rejection

3. Behold… YOUR Worship

4. Behold… YOUR Offence

Behold YOUR history… and remember who you were apart from Christ!

Behold YOUR rejection… when you lived as the master of your own life!

Behold YOUR worship… praising YOURSELF over the one true and living God!

Behold YOUR offense…

Psalm 51:3 “3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.”

Psalm 51:4 “4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight.”

Oh God! Here I stand! And who am I to stand before holy God!

NOTHING in my hand I bring, SIMPLY TO the cross I cling!

Oh God who’s very word says: “For while we were still HELPLESS!!” … for when WE were without hope, “Christ DIED for the ungodly!!”

Who took our sin, buried it in the grains of that old rugged cross, and died in OUR place!

Death could not hold him, for He held the power of resurrection in His hands, and He ROSE days later. God raised His Son!

And to YOU that SAME work has been done! The same God who rose Christ from the dead is the SAME God who looked upon our dead copse of sin and quickened us to life in the Spirit!