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God's Work in Our Lives
Acts 7:17-37
(Scripture Reading vs. 17-23)
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - Sept. 29, 2013
BACKGROUND:
*Here in Acts 7 we continue our study of the trial of Stephen.
He was a good, godly man, and one of the first deacons.
But in this chapter, he was on trial for his life before the Supreme Court of Israel.
The trial was a mockery of justice, because the charges against Stephen were all based on lies from false witnesses.
*During this trial, Stephen did something that we would never recommend in court today: He defended himself.
Surely, he was under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
And by His Holy Spirit, God spoke through Stephen to put that Court on trial.
The stinging indictment from God will come down near the end of chapter 7.
*But in tonight's Scripture, Stephen continued his history lesson by telling the court about Moses.
In vs. 17-23, Stephen talked about Moses' earlier years:
17. "But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt
18. till another king arose who did not know Joseph.
19.
This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.
20.
At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father's house for three months.
21.
But when he was set out, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.
22.
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
23.
But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
INTRODUCTION:
*We look at a Bible hero like Moses, and it's easy to see how God worked in his life.
But can you see God's work in your life tonight?
I hope so.
God was at work in Moses' life, and He is surely at work in ours.
*How does God work in our lives?
-- This Scripture helps us to see.
1.
Notice first that the Lord sees our struggles.
*The Children of Israel help us see this truth in vs. 17-19, where Stephen said:
17. "But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt
18. till another king arose who did not know Joseph.
19.
This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.
*The Children of Israel were going through a terrible time.
It may have seemed like God had abandoned them, but vs. 34 reminds us that He is always on the job watching over His people.
There the Lord told Moses: "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them.
And now come, I will send you to Egypt."
*The Lord was watching over the Children of Israel and He is surely watching over us.
We need to know that.
We may be going through a hard time right now, but God knows what we are going through.
And even when help seems delayed, we must not lose heart.
Don't give up on God!
*John Killinger is a pastor who taught at Vanderbilt University for 15 years.
He also served as a dean in one of the colleges.
Listen to this testimony John gave about a Christian lady who was trusting in the Lord:
"I remember a delightful little white-haired lady I used to visit in one of my parishes.
Her name was Deanne Gwaltney.
I sometimes teased Deanne about having a man's name, and told her I had once been a dean too.
*I once asked Deanne, who was then in her 80's, how she felt about all the change taking place in the world.
'Oh, I don't worry about it at all,' she said with a twinkle in her eye.
'You know, God has always managed to bring the best out of the worst, and somehow I don't think God will fail us now!'" (1)
*God is not going to fail us!
And we know the Lord is at work in our lives, because He Lord sees our struggles.
2. Sometimes the Lord also develops us with a detour.
*Moses knew all about detours.
God had a great plan for his life, but it was a very dangerous time in Egypt for Hebrew baby boys, so the Lord made sure Moses was safe in Pharaoh's house.
As we read in vs. 20-21:
20.
At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father's house for three months.
21.
But when he was set out, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.
*Then after Moses was grown, we see a big detour in his life.
That's in vs. 22-30, where the Bible says:
22.
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
23.
But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
24.
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian.
25.
For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.
26.
And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?'
27.
But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
28.
Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?'
29.
Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
30.
And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.
*In vs. 24, Moses killed that Egyptian, thinking that his people would follow him, thinking that he was ready to lead his people.
Then, 40 years later when God called Moses to lead, he tried to turn the job down because he didn't feel qualified to lead his people.
*Moses thought he was ready when he wasn't.
Then he thought he wasn't ready when he was.
This reminds us that we always need wisdom and help from God.
And sometimes He develops us with a detour.
*Moses learned a lot in Egypt.
Verse 22 tells us that "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds."
But that wasn't enough, so God took Moses out into the wilderness and gave him a job tending sheep.
Moses had to learn how to be a shepherd.
And why did God want Moses to learn how to be a shepherd?
-- Because the Lord is a good shepherd, and He wanted Moses to shepherd His people.
*God also had to teach Moses how to wait 40 years, because the Lord knew that the Children of Israel would have to wander for 40 years.
That was a sad, but necessary detour, because the Children of Israel had to learn to trust in the Lord.
*Nobody likes a detour, but sometimes they are necessary.
One day Billy and Ruth Graham were driving through a long stretch of road construction.
They had many slowdowns, detours and stops along the way.
Finally, they reached the end of all that difficulty, and smooth pavement stretched out before them.
*That's when Ruth saw a road sign that said: "End of construction.
Thanks for your patience."
And Ruth told Billy those words would be a great inscription on her tombstone someday: "End of construction.
Thanks for your patience."
(2)
*Ruth Graham is buried on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Her grave is marked with a modest stone, and you know what?
That is the inscription on Ruth's gravestone: "End of construction.
Thank you for your patience."
Ruth understood that God's transforming work requires a lifetime.
(3)
*And Christians: God is not through with us yet!
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