A Witnesses Defense; History!
Witness to the world: Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 46:53
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Persecution Continues
Persecution Continues
Last week we started looking at the first Christian Martyr, Stephen a Hellenistic believer.
Growing church was a persecuted church (Act4:18-21, 5:40)
Persecution began with being told to stop preaching!
That did not work, so then came more threats and beatings, and well, that did not work either for obeying God was more important than obeying man.
Growing church and personal persecution (Act6:5)
The growing church needed help and enlisted men, Stephen being one of them who was full of faith and the spirit and there were persecutors that brought false charges against him like were against Jesus and it led to his arrest.
Personal persecution brought on arrest of Stephen (Act6:8-15)
So Stephen was arrested and brought before the counsel, more than likely the exact same counsel that Jesus stood before.
The arrest brought on the first martyr for the name of Jesus and that led to more persecution of the whole church (Act8:1)
Stephens arrest was:
Prompted by his ministry
Led by false accusations
(Transition) this now leads us to where we are tonight and there is a lot to cover in this history lesson, history to us and Stephen uses Jewish history as his defence.
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Here is where we are going today, a survey of the following
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God and Abram (Act7:1-8)
Sojourning to Egypt (Act7:9-16)
Deliverance from Egypt - Moses (Act7:17-36)
Israel’s rebellion (Act7:37-43)
God’s true tabernacle (Act7:44-50)
Israel resists the Holy Spirit (Act7:51-53)
Stephens death (Act7:54-8:1)
So, lets get to a little section at a time. I strongly encourage due to the subject matter and content to get the outline for further study for yourself.
God and Abram
God and Abram
History is a good tool, and it is by history that we come to have faith, obedient faith that gave us eternal life. Stephen uses history all throughout his message to the counsel. Very selective people starting with Abram.
1 The high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
3 and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.
5 “But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 “But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 “ ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’
7 “ ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’ 8 “And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
The call to leave Mesopotamia (vv.2-3)
Abram was a man who heard from God and answered the call from God. He left his comfort zone, his home without even knowing where he was going.
Abram was a man of great faith and because of his faith he was accounted as righteousness. Could you imagine packing up your house getting in moving truck to go and not know where you were going?
Abram was a man of hope, for he heard the call, believed the call, answered the call and never saw the fulfillment of the promise in his lifetime, but acted as if it were going to be regardless.
Stephen paints picture of the adventurous life of a man of faith, always ready to answer God’s call and not being tied to the past.
The call to leave Mesopotamia (vv.2-3)
The sojourn in Canaan (v.4)
Not knowing where he was going he suffered a great loss on the way, death of father, but it did not stop him from the sojourning towards the land God promised to show him (notice in v.3 it says show).
The call to leave Mesopotamia (vv.2-3)
The sojourn in Canaan (v.4)
The promise of possession (vv.5-7)
God gave the promise to Abram, but not the inheritance. In fact he never set his food on it.
God promised it as an inheritance to his descendants when he had no descendants at the time
God’s promise came with promised trouble too, the descendents were going to be in bondage for 400 years then they would sojourn to receive the promise
The call to leave Mesopotamia (vv.2-3)
The sojourn in Canaan (v.4)
The promise of possession (vv.5-7)
The covenant of circumcision (v.8)
God entered into a covenant relationship with Abram, changed his name to Abraham, and the circumcision was the proof of the covenant.
The Jewish nation was born at this time.
The call to leave Mesopotamia (vv.2-3)
The sojourn in Canaan (v.4)
The promise of possession (vv.5-7)
The covenant of circumcision (v.8)
The descendants (v.8)
Here come the descendants starting with Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, then come the 12 sons, the patriarchs
Sojourning in Egypt
Sojourning in Egypt
History of the journey of the Patriarchs comes next, the journey to the promised land, which they did not know was the promised land yet was a long one.
9 “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.
11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. 12 “But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.
13 “On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 “Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.
15 “And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 “From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Joseph sold so to be able to save the people (vv.9-10)
God has a plan, a good plan, even when it did not look like it. Joseph endured much to do much for God.
Sometimes we may have to endure hard times so to be in a place God can use us for His purpose and glory!
Moving time for Jacob and family (vv.11-14)
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and then moves the family to Egypt so not to suffer in the famine which was still yet to continue longer.
Death of patriarch, buried in Canaan (vv.15-16)
Jacob dies and Joseph and brothers carry him back to buried with Abram in Shechem
Deliverance from Egypt - Moses
Deliverance from Egypt - Moses
Next Stephen offers up Moses. Moses was considered by the Jews above all who ever answered God’s call and command. He gave up a kingdom for a great adventure.
17 “But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
19 “It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. 20 “It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home.
21 “And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 “Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.
23 “But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24 “And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.
25 “And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. 26 “On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’
27 “But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 28 ‘You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’
29 “At this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. 30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.
31 “When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look.
33 “But the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 ‘I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 “This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
Oppressed Hebrew people, slaves in Egypt (vv.17-19)
A new Pharoah in place and oppression begins on the Hebrew people. 400 years of slavery begins
Upbringing as royalty (vv.20-22)
Moses born, a beautiful child that people stopped to see, raised by Pharoahs daughter as her own and there is a story recorded by Josephus that states one day crown was placed on the boys head and he took it off and threw it down, the story continued that this was witnessed and one of the wise men said the child needs to be destroyed or would become a destroyer himself.
Moses grew up as a great Egyptian general and served and conquered in Ethiopia where he took his bride.
Moses actually gave up a kingdom in order to lead his people out into the wilderness on a great adventure for God.
Stephen one more time picked a man to make the same point as previously The great man is not the man that is tied to the past, but willing and ready to answer God’s summons and leave his comfort zone to do it! .
Stands up for Hebrews but despised by them (vv.23-28)
Moses kills an Egyptian task master who was beating a Hebrew. The next day the Hebrews wondered if Moses was going to kill them too.
Run Moses run (v.29)
Moses after being considered a murder ran to Midian where he had two son’s.
God reveals, shows and calls Moses (vv.30-34)
The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush, moses was marveled.
The message was delivered, Moses ‘you’re My man’ OK, that is James speak not God.
Moses the deliverer delivers (vv.35-36)
Moses does wonders, signs before Pharoah and the Hebrews are released and told to go and Moses brought them out into the wilderness for forty years.
(Transition) So we have Abram, Moses both willing to get up and go and be “God’s men”
Israel’s rebellion
Israel’s rebellion
Rebellion is nothing new, Israel has suffered much due to being a rebellious people. Stephen brings in history on this to continue in his defence.
37 “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.’ 38 “This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.
39 “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’
41 “At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 “But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel?
43 ‘You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’
Offering up Moses as example (vv.37-39)
God was going to raise up another prophet like him (v.37)
Moses who spoke to angel of the Lord on Sinai
who received the law
This is the man who the men of Israel rebelled against, rejected him and turned back to Egypt. (v.39)
Offering up Israel the nation as example (vv.39-43; Rom1:24)
Israel turned back to Egypt in their heart.
They pressured Aaron to make the golden calf
God gave them over to idol worship for 40 years
Wait, you should check out Rom1:24, 26, 28 too
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
God’s true tabernacle
God’s true tabernacle
Stephen turns to point out the true tabernacle of God is not made with hands.
44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 “And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David.
46 “David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 “But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.
48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord, ‘Or what place is there for My repose?
50 ‘Was it not My hand which made all these things?’ 51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.
52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Forefathers had tabernacle of witness, following pattern given from God (v.44)
Tabernacle brought into promised land (v.45)
David planned for the temple which Solomon built (v.46-47)
Drives home the point, God does not live in temple made with hands (v.48-49)
God made all things (v.50)
Consider Isa66:1-2 (below not on a slide just read it)
1 Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? 2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Consider Jn4:19-24
In the John passage this is where Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well and talks about it is not a place to worship but a way to worship in Spirit and truth. For we are the true tabernacle of God
(Transition) - i know this has been a long section and we are drawing closer to the end, but hold on just a bit more for we don’t want to have the same problem that Israel did in resisting the Holy Spirit
Israel resists Holy Spirit
Israel resists Holy Spirit
In the flesh it is easy to resist the working of the spirit and Israel had a history of doing that and that is what Stephen points to now.
51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Don’t be stiff necked like your fathers were (v.51)
Note down Heb3:12-18 for your notes for that is another good example given by the Hebrew writer.
The forefathers killed the prophets and they killed the Righteous One (Jesus) (v.52)
They had the Law but failed to keep it (v.53)
I was going to go on and get to Stephens death but think I need to stop here for the night.
(Encouragement slide - be ready to make a defense) encouragement. (Prayer slide) prayer (Exit slide)