Untitled Sermon

Acts 7:1–8 NASB95

The high priest said, “Are these things so?” 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, and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ “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. “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. “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. “ ‘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.’ “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.

Staff Devotion: Acts 7:1-8

Context

What has happened just prior to the section you are reading?

Major Themes of the speech

A major theme of the speech is its insistence that the presence of God is not restricted to any one land or to any material building

Another theme of the speech is the insistence that the Jewish people’s refusal to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah was all to do with their attitude to God’s messengers from the beginning of their national history.

Joseph’s brothers hated him, although he was God’s predestined deliverer for them;

Moses, another divinely ordained deliverer, was repudiated by his people more than once.

The prophets too were persecuted and killed by those to whom they brought the word of God,

and finally, Jesus whom the prophets bore witness in advance had been handed over to death by those to whom his saving message was first proclaimed to

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 130–131). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Observation

What do you learn about the main characters in this section?

Do you think there is a main point or theme in this section of the story?

Acts 7:1

The high priest was probably still Caiaphas (he played an active role in the proceedings to execute Jesus), he remained in office until A.D. 36.

1 Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 129). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

HIGH PRIEST was one in charge of the temple (or tabernacle) worship1

1 Church, C. (2003). High Priest. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 762). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

What was the High priest referring to when he said “Are these things so?”

Acts 7:2-3

Hear me, brethren and fathers!

What is the tone to Stephens opening line? Why not Men of the Temple, Men of “insert anything” or even worse brood of vipers or hypocrites?

Stephen is being accused of blasphemy and what does this opening line say about his character?

He could of used hypocrites, brood of vipers, men of Jerusalem, any number of “normal terms” for the religious leaders.

How can we apply this to our lives?

What could have persuaded Abraham to uproot himself as he did from the land of his birth and set out on a journey whose goal he did not know in advance?This is seemingly a “mad adventure”; but the biblical narrative show us it was an act of true faith and wisdom. It was the God of glory who appeared to him and summoned him to embark on the path of faith.

What do you make of “God of glory” appeared to him? Do you think this might of helped influence Abraham? title implies that God manifested himself to Abraham in glory so compelling that Abraham had no option but to obey.

Stephen seems to be suggesting that those who are obedient to the God’s vision will always live loose to any particular earthly spot, will always be ready to get out and go wherever God may guide

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 133–134). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you

Note similarity of the call to Abraham and to the disciples… “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." This suggests that Following God in faith is a radical call.

We see that Gods instructions required faith from Abraham; which left him Justified.

Galatians 3:6 (HNTC Ga/Eph/Php/Col): Paul demonstrates that Abraham, who preceded Moses by 430 years, was saved by faith and not self-effort. Quoting Genesis 15:6, Paul states Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Paul noted that Abraham was justified prior to his circumcision (Gen. 17:24).

Acts 7:4-5

What happened when Abraham was obedient and moved out in faith to relocate?

ave him no inheritance in it

when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.

“for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.” (Ge 13:15).

But even then Abraham was given no part of the land in actual possession: for the rest of his life he lived as a resident alien there; to him and his immediate descendants it remained no more than a promised land. Abraham had no tangible object in which to trust: he believed the bare word of God, and acted upon it.

 Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 134–135). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Do you find that you can trust in the bare word of God and act upon it? or do we need a “fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground”, then I will know I can trust in the bare Word of God (Judges 6:37)?

Acts 7:6-7

Genesis 15:13-14

Not only did Abraham receive no portion of the land as a present possession; his faith was further tested by the revelation:

that his descendants would leave that land for one that was not their own, and

that they would suffer oppression and servitude there for several generations.

BUT (there is always a BUT with God) their exile would not be permanent: in due course God would

give them deliverance from their oppressors and

bring them back to worship him in the land of Canaan

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 135). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

When was there a time where upon being obedient to God you ended up in suffering(of some sort); only then to be delivered “in due time” by God?

Acts 7:8

“God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.” (NLT)

Covenant: An agreement between two parties that specifies requirements for at least one party, and includes blessing and curses for obedience or failure.1

Witthoff, D. (Ed.). (2014). The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

covenant, the new

The fulfilment of God’s purposes of salvation expressed in the covenants of the OT, mediated by Jesus Christ and sealed in his blood. It is a covenant of grace, the benefits of which include forgiveness, a renewed relationship with God and, through the Holy Spirit, an inward transformation that enables obedience to its demands and so ensures that it will not again be broken.1

1 Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

Put your self in Abraham’s sandals. No one was cuttin up male genitalia in his day and then God comes along and is like let me show you something and this will be a part of our covenant. What would be your reaction?

Abraham’s acceptance of this visible token for himself and his descendants was a further expression of his faith in God. And “so, while there was still no holy place, all the essential conditions for the religion of Israel were fulfilled.” When Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day after his birth, and the sign of the covenant was transmitted from generation to generation.

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 135). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

What does this say about Abraham’s faith in God?

Meaning

What does the passage reveal about God?

Application

How does this passage challenge (or confirm) your understanding?

What does this passage teach you about being a disciple of Jesus?