A SERMON OF NOTE TO A PEOPLE OF NEED
ACTS 7:1-8:1
INTRODUCTION: AT THE ONSET, I NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE EXTENT OF OUR TEXT THIS MORNING. LITERALLY, THIS IS A WHOLE CHAPTER. YET, I CAN FIND NO PLACE WHERE THE TEXT CAN BE DIVIDED THAT WOULD NOT DO DAMAGE TO THE CONTEXT. SO, HERE WE ARE; WITH AN ENTIRE CHAPTER TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT GOD WOULD TEACH US.
WITH THAT SAID, WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IS BY FAR THE LONGEST SERMON WE HAVE SEEN IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, AND I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY, IS THE LONGEST OF THE BOOK ITSELF. IT IS ALSO THE FIRST SERMON GIVEN BY A NON-APOSTLE, AND WOULD RESULT IN THE FIRST DEATH OF A NON-APOSTLE.
YET THIS TEXT IS A CONDEMNATION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL AND ITS LEADERS, AS WELL AS AN EXHORTATION TO US TO BE WATCHFUL, LEST WE FOLLOW THE SAME PATH.
THE KEY VERSE OF THIS ACTS 7:51 "YOU STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE, WITH UNCIRCUMCISED HEARTS AND EARS! YOU ARE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHERS: YOU ALWAYS RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT!
PROPOSITION: WE NEED TO AVOID THE FAILURES OF THE PAST.
I. THE LESSONS FROM OUR FOREFATHERS
a. ABRAHAM – GOD IS WORTHY OF FOLLOWING
ACTS 7:2-8 TO THIS HE REPLIED: "BROTHERS AND FATHERS, LISTEN TO ME! THE GOD OF GLORY APPEARED TO OUR FATHER ABRAHAM WHILE HE WAS STILL IN MESOPOTAMIA, BEFORE HE LIVED IN HARAN. 3 'LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR PEOPLE,' GOD SAID, 'AND GO TO THE LAND I WILL SHOW YOU.' 4 "SO HE LEFT THE LAND OF THE CHALDEANS AND SETTLED IN HARAN. AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, GOD SENT HIM TO THIS LAND WHERE YOU ARE NOW LIVING. 5 HE GAVE HIM NO INHERITANCE HERE, NOT EVEN A FOOT OF GROUND. BUT GOD PROMISED HIM THAT HE AND HIS DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM WOULD POSSESS THE LAND, EVEN THOUGH AT THAT TIME ABRAHAM HAD NO CHILD. 6 GOD SPOKE TO HIM IN THIS WAY: 'YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE STRANGERS IN A COUNTRY NOT THEIR OWN, AND THEY WILL BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. 7 BUT I WILL PUNISH THE NATION THEY SERVE AS SLAVES,' GOD SAID, 'AND AFTERWARD THEY WILL COME OUT OF THAT COUNTRY AND WORSHIP ME IN THIS PLACE.' 8 THEN HE GAVE ABRAHAM THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION. AND ABRAHAM BECAME THE FATHER OF ISAAC AND CIRCUMCISED HIM EIGHT DAYS AFTER HIS BIRTH. LATER ISAAC BECAME THE FATHER OF JACOB, AND JACOB BECAME THE FATHER OF THE TWELVE PATRIARCHS.
i. GOD APPEARED TO ABRAHAM WHILE HE WAS IN MESOPOTAMIA
ii. GOD HIMSELF APPEARED TO ABRAHAM – THIS WAS A SOVEREIGN CALL
iii. ABRAHAM REMAINED A PILGRIM EVEN WHILE HE CAME TO THE LAND GOD HAD PROMISED TO HIM
1. THE BLESSING OF GOD ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL OR THE TEMPLE.
2. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE NOTION THAT THEY HAD A LOCK ON GOD – GOD’S LAND AND GOD’S HOUSE!
THE POINT STEPHEN WAS MAKING HERE WAS THAT:
GOD CAME TO ABRAHAM WHILE HE WAS STILL IN MESOPOTAMIA.
THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE TOO JERUSALEM FOCUSED, TOO TEMPLE OBSESSED.
THEY HAD BETTER GET THEIR EYES OPEN, OR THEY WOULD MISS WHAT GOD WAS DOING.
THE CHURCH WAS MEANT TO BE A PLACE THE EDIFIED THOSE INSIDE AND EVANGELIZED THOSE OUTSIDE. JESUS COMMANDED US TO MAKE DISCIPLES – TO REPRODUCE OURSELVES.
THE DANGER THAT FACED THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL AND THE PRESENT CHURCH IS THAT OF INWARD FOCUS. A FOCUS THAT DENIES THE NEEDS OF THE WORLD FOR THE COMFORTS OF COMPLACENCY.
IN ORDER FOR ABRAHAM TO RECEIVE THE PROMISE AND BLESSING OF GOD, HE HAD TO LOOK FORWARD, NOT BACKWARD OR EVEN CURRENT
AS A CHURCH WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL THAT WE DO NOT FALL INTO THE COMFORT OF COMPLACENCY.
IF WE ARE NOT LOOKING FORWARD WE ARE LOSING GROUND!
b. JOSEPH – THE PRODUCT OF JEALOUSY
Acts 7:9-16 "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. 11 "Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our fathers could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.
i. THE BROTHERS OF JOSEPH WERE JEALOUS OF JOSEPH
1. FAVORITE SON OF FAVORITE WIFE
2. RECEIVED A SPECIAL GIFT THE OTHERS DID NOT
3. HIS DREAMS
ii. THE RESULT OF THEIR JEALOUSY WAS TO SELL THEIR BROTHER INTO SLAVERY AND DECEIVE THEIR FATHER
iii. THE MISSED LESSON WAS THAT GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH. GOD WAS WORKING IN SPITE OF OPPOSITION.
1. THIS WAS A LESSON THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BOTH CAUGHT AND LEARNED BY THE JEWISH LEADERS STEPHEN STOOD BEFORE.
2. GOD HAS A HABIT OF WORKING OUTSIDE OUR BOXES!
iv. STEPHEN WAS TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVEAL THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN JOSEPH AND JESUS.
1. JESUS WAS LOVED BY HIS FATHER
2. JESUS WAS HATED BY HIS BRETHREN
3. JESUS WAS SENT TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY
4. JESUS WAS FALSELY ACCUSED
5. JESUS SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF HIS ACCUSERS
6. JESUS FORGAVE THOSE WHO HAD WRONGED HIM
THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE SO CAUGHT UP IN THEIR OWN THINKING OF WHAT WAS RIGHT AND WRONG THAT THEY MISSED WHAT GOD WAS DOING
CAN WE REALLY AFFORD TO MISS WHAT GOD IS DOING?
c. MOSES – GOD PREPARES PEOPLE FOR SERVICE
i. MOSES WAS REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE IN EGYPT
ii. MOSES IN ENCOURAGED BY GOD IN MIDIAN
iii. MOSES IS REJECTED AFTER THE EXODUS
1. GOLDEN CALF
2. MOSES HAD DISAPPEARED
3. WANTED SOMETHING THEY COULD TOUCH AND SEE RATHER THAN FAITH IN GOD
4. THE RESULTS WAS DIASTEROUS
iv. MOSES IS THE ILLUSTRATION OF GOD WORKING HIS PLAN IN HIS TIME
1. GOD WANTED TO DELIVER ISRAEL
2. GOD DID NOT WANT TO DELIVER ISRAEL MOSES’ WAY
3. GOD WANTED TO DELIVER ISRAEL HIS WAY
WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT ALLOW OUR WAY TO BECOME GOD’S WAY!
TO LOSE FOCUS ON WHAT GOD IS DOING GIVES US A DESERT EXPERIENCE.
ISRAEL HAD ONE FROM MALACHI TO MATTHEW – 400 YEARS
STEPHEN WAS CAUTIONING THEM THAT THEIR REJECTION OF CHRIST WOULD BRING ANOTHER DESERT EXPERIENCE.
v. KIND OF INTERESTING THAT WHEN GOD CHOSE TO SPEAK TO MOSES HE DID IT AWAY FROM EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE
1. NO PEOPLE
2. NO TEMPLE
3. NO WITNESSES
GOD DOES NOT NEED A TEMPLE OR A CHURCH TO COMMUNICATE TO US, WHAT HE DOES NEED IS OPEN AND RECEPTIVE HEARTS! MOSES LISTENED. ARE WE LISTENING?
MOSES WAS AMAZED AT THE TIMING, PLACE, AND FORM OR GOD’S CALL TO SERVICE BUT NOT THE REALITY OF IT.
WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR SPIRITUAL RUT! ALL A RUT IS IS A GRAVE!
vi. ISRAEL WOULD REJECT MOSES AND WANT TO GO BACK TO EGYPT. IN ESSENCE THEY WERE REJECTING THE PLAN OF GOD AND WANTING TO RETURN TO THEIR STATUS QUO – EVEN THOUGH THAT MEANT DEATH AND OPPRESSION.
WHO ARE WE KIDDING? WHEN WE FALL INTO THE PATTERN OF COMFORT AT ALL COST, WE DESTINE OURSELVES TO THE PLACE GOD SEEKS TO MOVE US FROM!
THE PATTERN OF REJECTING GOD NEEDS TO BE BROKEN, AND IT IS BROKEN WHEN WE EMBRACE THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH THAT GOD IS AT WORK OUTSIDE THESE WALLS AND WE WOULD DO WELL TO FIND OUR PLACE IN THAT WORK OF GOD!
II. THE LESSON OF THE TABERNACLE/TEMPLE
a. THE FIRST TEMPLE
i. PORTABLE – GOD DID NOT DWELL IN ONE PLACE
ii. USED EVEN BY KING DAVID HIMSELF
b. THE SECOND TEMPLE
i. REPLACED BY SOLOMON
ii. GOD TOOK RESIDENCE
iii. DESTROYED WITH THE EXILE – REBUILT IN THE RESTORATION
c. THIRD TEMPLE – HEROD’S TEMPLE
i. MORE MAGNIFICENT THAN ANY OTHER
ii. SEEN FOR MILES – COVERED IN GOLD
d. THE KEY POINT IS THAT GOD WAS IN THE FIRST TABERNACLE, BUT HE IS NOT IN THE LAST TABERNACLE!
e. YET, THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY WERE EMBRACING THE LAST TABERNACLE EVEN THOUGH GOD WAS NOT THERE.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A CHURCH ARE WHERE GOD IS, NOT WHERE GOD IS NOT.
WE NEED TO BE DILIGENT IN SEEKING GOD WHERE HE MAY BE FOUND, FOR WE WILL NOT COAX HIM TO BE WHERE WE ARE.
III. THE CHALLENGE TO THE “FAITHFUL”
a. EXAMINE YOUR HEARTS – ARE THEY HEARTS FOR GOD
b. EXAMINE YOUR SUBMISSION TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE
c. EXAMINE YOUR ATTITUDE AND ACTION TO GOD’S WORD AND DIRECTION.
d. THE DECISION YOU MAKE IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR FUTURE
i. THEY MADE THE WRONG DECISION
ii. STEPHEN MET JESUS THE ADVOCATE
