Stephen's Speech to the Sandhedrin 2

HOOK

DO NOT FORGET TO UNMUTE

It’s the 15th day of October— Thursday — Happy birthday to Ate Vicky

Yesterday right here at “The Message” we heard the first part of Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin when he was arrested for questioning based on the complaints of false witnesses— he was charged with blasphemy against God and the temple

So when the high priest asked Stephen in the presence of the members of Sanhedrin if the accusations against him was true— he wisely started his speech by referring to the history of Israel from the time of Abraham— in his story telling, we learned a couple of things:

GOD USES PEOPLES’ EMOTIONS TO FULFILL HIS WILL

GOD USES CRISIS TO CARRY OUT HIS PLANS

Let’s see how Stephen went on with his defense— today we will hear the part 2 of 3 of his speech to the Sanhedrin— by God’s grace we will be able to finish his monologue on Monday— open your Bible to ACTS 7:17-34— once you get there, type “let’s continue to listen to Stephen”

When reading in advance, whenever you’re studying God’s Word— look for words that defines that CHARACTER of God, COMMANDS to obey, PROMISES to claim, good EXAMPLES to follow and bad examples to avoid, ENCOURAGEMENTS & CHALLENGES to keep you going, reasons to be THANK GOD for, PRAYERS to pray

READ ACTS 7:17-34

BOOK

Acts 7:17–34 NIV

17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. 20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. 23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. 30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. 33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

WHAT: Part 2 of 3 of Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin

WHERE: At the Sanhedrin— Jerusalem

WHEN: After Stephen was chosen to be one among the seven— after he was falsely accused, arrested and brought to the Sanhedrin

WHO: Stephen [First martyr of the church], Sanhedrin [SHOW IMAGE], Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia [accusers of Stephen]

WHY: To hear the accusations against Stephen

NOTE: In his speech he referred to the history of Israel and he mentioned their patriarchs— people of who lived in a different time— they were not present during the inquiry at the Sanhedrin— in this part of Stephen’s monologue, he focused on the life story of Moses in Egypt

LOOK

THE NUMBER OF OUR PEOPLE IN EGYPT HAD GREATLY INCREASED

Over a period of time, their number grew while they were in Egypt— EXODUS 1:7

A NEW KING, TO WHOM JOSEPH MEANT NOTHING, CAME TO POWER IN EGYPT

Joseph was no longer in power in Egypt— a new regime emerged— EXODUS 1:8-14

God’s people were oppressed by the new regime— but the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread— so they…

FORCED THEM TO THROW OUT THEIR NEWBORN BABIES SO THAT THEY WOULD DIE

Afraid that the people of God might outnumber them— the king of Egypt ordered the killing of all newborn male babies [sparing baby girls]— EXODUS 1:15-16

AT THE TIME MOSES WAS BORN, AND HE WAS NO ORDINARY CHILD

God chose Moses and set him apart to lead His people out of Egypt— EXODUS 2:1-8

Moses then was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action

WHEN MOSES WAS FORTY YEARS OLD, HE DECIDED TO VISIT HIS OWN PEOPLE

He visited the Israelites— although the OT does not specify Moses’ age, Stephen was likely referring to the point at which Moses reached adult maturity— EXODUS 2:11

He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian

The next day, Moses tried to reconcile two Israelites— but they refused him saying, “who made you ruler and judge over us?”— he was rejected— “are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?”, one of the Israelites added— on hearing this, realizing that the king will eventually find out about it...

HE FLED TO MIDIAN, WHERE HE SETTLED AS A FOREIGNER AND HAD TWO SONS

Moses was afraid because people discovered that he was the one who murdered an Egyptian— and the Pharaoh sought to kill him

Midian is a region southeast of Israel [Northwestern Saudi Arabia] where Moses married [Zipporah] a daughter of a Midianite priest [EXODUS 3:1]— and they had two sons Gershom and Eliezer [EXODUS 18:3-4]— After 40 years had passed…

AN ANGEL APPEARED TO MOSES IN THE FLAMES OF THE BURNING BUSH

Near mount Sinai— when Moses saw this, he was amazed so he went closer, there he heard God saying…

I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB

This tied up the calling of Moses to the promise to Abraham that Stephen also cited early on in his speech— EXODUS 3:6

I HAVE INDEED SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT

God acknowledged the sufferings of His people in the hands of the new regime in Egypt— so God said to Moses...

NOW COME, I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO EGYPT

That was the beginning of Moses’ calling

At this point you might be wondering— why Stephen went back all the way this far back in the history of the Israelites in his speech defending himself against the false accusation against him

At this point, we’re beginning to see that Stephen was establishing the connection between Abraham, Isaac, Jacob [Israel], Moses and our Lord Jesus

His accusers who continuously refused to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah/prophet— the Jewish Ruling Council [Sanhedrin] rejected Jesus— they in fact was the one who had Jesus crucified

So the best defense of Stephen is to make that connection!

Our biblical principles that we can apply to our lives today is not from the life of Stephen, but from Moses whom Stephen had talked about in his speech to the Sanhedrin

TOOK

SOMETIMES MY FEAR IS USED BY GOD TO LEAD ME TO MY CALLING

Exodus 2:14

GOD CALLS AND SENDS ME WHERE THERE IS NEED

God saw the oppression of His people in Egypt— God saw the need, and He called Moses, and sent him to Egypt

SING

AGAPE TENT MAKERS— Lord I Offer My Life to You