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A Great Example for Every Christian
Acts 7:8-16
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - Sept. 22, 2013
BACKGROUND:
*Remember that here in Acts 7 one of the first deacons was on trial for the cause of Christ.
His name was Stephen, and he was on trial for his life before the "Council" or "Sanhedrin."
It was the Supreme Court of Israel, but it was a kangaroo court in this case.
Acts 6:13-14 tells us that all of the charges against Stephen were trumped up by false witnesses.
*There God's Word says:
13.
They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
14. for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.''
*The High Court thought that Stephen was the only person on trial that day.
But by His Holy Spirit, God spoke through Stephen to put that Court on trial.
The stinging indictment from God comes down near the end of chapter 7.
*But Stephen began his defense by giving those religious experts a history lesson on the nation of Israel.
Let's continue our study tonight by reading vs. 8-16.
There Stephen said:
8. "Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.
9.
And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt.
But God was with him
10. and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11.
Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.
12.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13.
And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to the Pharaoh.
14.
Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people.
15.
So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.
16.
And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem."
INTRODUCTION:
*Probably all of us here today could tell about some great examples in our lives.
Listen to this testimony from a young lady from Huber Heights, Ohio.
Her name is Holly Ruddy, and she wrote: "My grandmother was the one who took me to church at a young age and introduced me to Jesus.
She was the one who raised me during the early years after my parents divorced.
She was the one who prayed for me as I grew up, going between parents, and providing a port in the storm when things got too tense with my parents."
*What a testimony from Holly! -- "My grandmother was a port in the storm."
And Holly went on: "Had it not been for my godly grandmother.
I shudder to think how my life would have turned out.
Even though as an adult, I have often failed, her example to me has been my beacon and I thank God for her.
To me, she was the epitome of Jesus in the earth.
She truly expressed His love for me through her life."
(1)
*Holly's grandmother was a great example to her, and we have had some great examples too.
Some of the best examples for us are right here in the Bible, and Joseph is one of the best of all.
As far as I know, God's Word never says even one negative thing about his life.
*Of course, Joseph wasn’t perfect, but he is a great example for us tonight.
And we should follow the footsteps of Joseph.
1.
So first: Remember that God is with us.
*God was surely with Joseph.
Verses 8-10 tell us that:
8. . .
"Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.
9.
And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt.
But God was with him
10. and delivered him out of all his troubles. .
."
*Christians: God was with Joseph, and He is surely with us.
Remember that in Hebrews 13:5, Jesus Himself has said "I will never leave you nor forsake you.''
[1] God is with us when our family lets us down.
*Talk about a letdown!
In vs. 9, "the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt."
They sold him as a slave, and they wanted to kill him, most of them did anyway.
Let’s look at the story again in Genesis 37:1-10:
1.
Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
2. This is the genealogy of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers.
And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.
3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.
Also he made him a tunic of many colors.
4. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
5. Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
6.
So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7.
There we were, binding sheaves in the field.
Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.''
8.
And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us?
Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?''
So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream.
And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.''
10.
So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed?
Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?''
*Later in Genesis 37, Joseph’s brothers had gone away to feed their father’s flock, and their father asked Joseph to check on his brothers.
Joseph being isolated away from home gave his jealous brothers a perfect opportunity to take their revenge.
And they leaped at the chance.
*Genesis 37:18-27 tells us what happened when Joseph found them in Dothan:
18.
Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19.
Then they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming!
20.
Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.'
We shall see what will become of his dreams!''
21.
But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let us not kill him.''
22.
And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him'' that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
23.
So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him.
24.
Then they took him and cast him into a pit.
And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25.
And they sat down to eat a meal.
Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt.
26.
So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27.
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.''
And his brothers listened.
*Joseph’s brothers let him down in a most outrageous way.
But God was with him, and He will be with us too.
*Has your family let you down?
-- On some level they surely have, because we all sin and fall short of God’s glory.
Some of us have been terribly hurt by the people who were closest to us.
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