Stephen's Message Pt 2, Moses

h. Conclusion Point

i. This brings me to my final point this morning. The parallels between the life of Moses and the life of Jesus are amazing. Moses was born to a humble man and his wife, and a king was out to kill him at his birth, just like Jesus.

ii. Moses was rejected by the nation of Israel the first time he came to them, and Jesus was too. Moses was a shepherd, Jesus called His followers His sheep; He was a shepherd, too.

iii. Moses delivered his people from the oppression and bondage of slavery in Egypt by the power of God. Jesus delivered His people from the bondage of sin and death because He was God.

iv. One more parallel I want us to look at in the life of Moses compares to the church, though.

v. For the first 40 years, Moses was born, and was educated. He felt called of God, and tried to deliver the children of Israel himself. Like this, from the beginning, man worshipped God in preparation of the Savior to come, but they got it all wrong. They tried to worship God on their own terms, and turned what should have been a relationship into cold dead religion.

vi. For the next 40 years, Moses was rejected by the Israelites, and he fled and hid out in Midian, tending sheep that were not his own at first and later adding his own. God met him there, and sent him to Egypt to free the people.

vii. Like this, Jesus came and proclaimed the gospel to the Israelites, and he was rejected. The apostles were rejected, and for the most part, during the church age, the sheep were not Jews, they were gentiles. But, God would send Jesus back to redeem the people of Israel.

viii. For the last 40 years, Moses comes and delivers the people and leads them to the Promised Land. When Jesus returns, the Jewish nation will see Him for who He is, and embrace Him as their Savior, and they will be taken up to heaven, which is the ultimate Promised Land.

ix. So, right now, we are sill awaiting Jesus’ return. If you are saved this morning, you can look forward to being taken into heaven, and spending eternity with Him. If you’re not, in a few minutes, we are going to pray, and you are going to get the opportunity to make that decision in your life.

x. But first, I‘d like to close with a short story.

i. Conclusion

i. The story is told about a marshal in Napoleon’s army—a man who was devotedly and enthusiastically attached to him—was mortally wounded in battle. As the last struggle drew near and he lay dying in his tent, he sent for his chief. Napoleon came. The poor man thought his emperor could do anything. Perhaps he even sought to put him in the place of God. So he earnestly pleaded with his leader to save his life. The emperor sadly shook his head and turned away. But as the dying man felt the cold, merciless hand of death drawing him irresistibly behind the curtain of the unseen world, he was still heard to shriek out, ‘Save me, Napoleon! Save me!’” In the hour of death, that soldier discovered than even the powerful Napoleon could not give him physical life.

ii. Stephen’s message to the Sanhedrin was this. Neither Abraham, nor Joseph, nor even Moses could save them. Only the prophet that Moses told them would come could. He, being the Son of God, would be the sacrifice for their sins. Only He could save them, and they were on the verge of rejecting him just like Moses was rejected. The question to you is, are you going to reject Jesus? Or are you going to embrace Him as your savior this morning. The choice is up to you.

j. Let’s Pray.

V. Closing Prayer

STAND FOR LAST SONG!!!!