My Deliverer Series

My Deliverer

Text: Acts 7:17-37

Introduction

1. Joseph took his wife and her child, and they went to Africa

To escape the rage of a deadly king

There along the banks of the Nile, Jesus listened to the song

That the captive children used to sing

They were singin'

a. My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by

b. Through a dry and thirsty land, water from the Kenyon heights

Pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart

There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry

For the healing that would flow from His own scars

The world was singing

c. My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by

He will never break His promise, He has written it upon the sky

My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by (Song, My Deliverer, by Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band).

2. To the Israelites, Moses was their deliverer who led them out of slavery in Egypt. But Moses was really pointing to the real deliverer – Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

3. Read Acts 7:17-37

Proposition: It is essential that we embrace Jesus, our deliverer, as Lord of our lives.

Transition: First, it is vital that we realize that the deliverer was…

I. Sent By God (17-22).

A. Beautiful Child

1. Now Stephen moves from Joseph to Moses. In vv. 17-19 it says, “As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.”

a. Stephen deals with the accusation that he had blasphemed Moses.

b. He points out that God fulfilled his promise to Abraham that his descendants would greatly increase and that they would possess the promised land.

c. He also kept his promise that Abraham’s descendants would be slaves in Egypt for 400 years.

d. A new king came to power who did not know Joseph, and he exploited and oppressed the Israelites.

e. He even forced them to abandon their infants, to literally throw them out and expose them to their elements and to wild animals.

2. However, God, as he always does, had a plan. In vv. 20-22 it says, “At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. 21 When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.”

a. Moses was born, and God considered him a “beautiful child.” This means more than he was good looking, but rather that he was the one who God would use to rescue his people from bondage.

b. God was with Moses from his birth and watched out for him.

c. In miraculous circumstances, Moses’ parents were able to hide him from the Egyptians for three months, and when they had to abandon him Pharaoh’s daughter found him and decided to raise him as her own.

d. In other words, Moses was raised in the palace of the very king that wanted to destroy the Israelites.

e. He received the best food, medical care, clothing, and was educated in the way of the wisdom of Egypt.

f. This last part was no small thing, because the Egyptians had made great advances in everything from science, engineering, medicine, and astronomy.

g. He literally had the best education that a person could receive at this time.

h. He was also powerful as a leader and was powerful in speech and action.

B. At Just the Right Time

1. Illustration: He's an on-time God, yes, He is. Oh an on time God, yes he is

Job said, He may not come when you want him

But he'll be there right on time.

2. God comes to us at just the right time and in just the right way to lead us to himself.

a. “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” (Rom. 5:6).

b. Now, I can’t answer for other people, but I know that in my life Jesus came at just the right time and in the right way to deliver me.

c. But I think for everyone Christ comes to us in a way that is unique to us. He truly is a personal savior.

d. He reaches us at just the right time, in the right circumstances, and in a way that touches us as individuals.