18. Faithful to the Word (2)

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Hymns: RHC 21 O God, Our Help In Ages Past 269 Come to the Savior 428 I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: 21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. 30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him an house. 48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50Hath not my hand made all these things? 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

Faithful to the Word (2)

OUTLINE

  • Living in the Centre of God’s Will 
  • Living for the Lord Even Alone

INTRODUCTION

Faithful to the Word (2), Acts 7:17-53. The Christian witness is a witness to the veracity of God and His Word culminating in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entering human history 2000 years ago. Our calendar attested to His coming, B.C. Before Christ and A.D. Anno Domini, the year of the Lord. 

The Bible is God’s Word. It witnessed the truth that Jesus Christ is the Creator, Sustainer and only Saviour of the world, the coming Judge!

It is a witness to the truth that there is a way out of man’s sin problem that has plagued man’s history since his fall at the Garden of Eden for the last 7000 years with violence, hatred, anger and envy. Man has no way out of the sin-problem that results in death. That’s why man must die.

And man’s struggle to find a solution to his woes has always led him to rebel against God’s created order. It began with the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 when God had to confound their language so that they do not understand each other and scattered them to re-settle in different parts of the earth, giving rise to nation states we see today.

By Genesis 12, God called one man, Abraham, to begin a nation under God in what is known as the nation of Israel to be a witness to all the nations of the world through the Saviour Jesus Christ that will come from the loins of that nation.

And the world that we live in today is ushering in its own Saviour, the Anti-Christ, by a one-world government, a global Central Bank and a global currency.

We are seeing that movement toward a New World Order of the Anti-Christ. Recalling one decade back, China was selling this SDR (Special Drawing Rights) denominated bonds, this new global currency is set to replace the US dollar that has a weightage of 60% US$ in the new global currency, and the rest consisting of the Euro, the Japanese Yen, the British Pound and the Chinese Ren Ming Pi (10%). 

The New Bretton’s Wood agreement that will replace the 1944 Bretton’s Wood agreement made by the Allied nations before the end of the 2nd World War. Practically unheard off in the media, this movement is gaining momentum today that will culminate in the rise of the Anti-Christ kingdom that the Bible warns us of in the prophecy of Daniel, Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians and the book of Revelation.

Forty years ago, in 1988, The Economist, predicted, “Get Ready for a World Currency by 2018”, in his front cover, the rise of the Pheonix world currency from the ashes of national fiat currencies, that is, destruction of fiat currency via hyperinflation. The Pheonix is a symbol of Satan’s or what we call the Luciferian New World Order.

This is the world’s solution to solve man’s sin problem that will result in greater bondage. Sinful men cannot rule sinful men. It will be a disaster because he does so for self-interest, self-benefit, self-preservation resulting in greater depravity, suffering and bondage. And Satan’s weapon against mankind is deception. It is the path of least resistance. Jesus warns us that many shall come in my name and shall deceive many, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (God’s people), take heed that no man deceives you! (Matthew 24:4). We shall study more of this during our Adult Sunday School today.

But for the Christian, our witness to the world is that Jesus Christ is the true Saviour. The name Jesus means exactly that “Saviour”. He is the only true Saviour of the world. 

And this message is so hated by the devil because this is the cross of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, is the only solution God has given to solve man’s sin problem so that man may avert the judgement of hell fire because of his sin.

This was what Stephen was witnessing to in Acts chapter 7 when he was hurled before the national jury of Israel, the Sanhedrin council, for blasphemy, for preaching that Jesus Christ is the true Saviour of the world, it is through Him that man can be freed from the bondage of sin and be freed from the judgement of hell fire when he dies and be given a place in the paradise of God in heaven.

He was charged with blasphemy against Moses and against God, against the Temple and against the Law of Moses.

The leaders of Israel led by Caiaphas, the high priest, the man who instigated Jesus’ execution through crucifixion were blinded to the truth. And Stephen was standing as God’s witness to the truth.

As we have seen, there were massive conversions in Jerusalem when the gospel was preached. Recall, in Acts 6:7, a great company of priests were obedient to the faith, faithful to the Word, as they searched the written Word, it pointed them to the written Word, Jesus Christ whom they witnessed crucified for their sins.

Luke recorded that the hearers could not resist the wisdom and the spirit by which Stephen spoke. What they could do was to stir up the people and the elders and the scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought him before Israel’s highest court, the Sanhedrin.

And we have begun in our last message to hear the defence of Stephen against the charges of blasphemy hurled at him through false witnesses (Acts 6:13).

Recall our two thoughts from the last mesage.

  • Living in the Centre of God’s Will 
  • Living for the Lord Even Alone

This was what Stephen was doing. By being faithful to the Word, the revelation of God concerning Jesus the Christ, the One that the Old Testament prophesied that will and has come whom he witnessed, now testifying as witness before the leaders of Israel and all men watching.

Stephen stood there not for his own interest. If his motive were selfish, for self-interest and self-preservation, he would not have stood as a witness because we shall see that the end of that testimony would have cost him his life.

Stephen understood at the cost of his life that coming to know the Saviour Jesus Christ is the greatest of blessing any man could find! 

When a man has a living relationship with Jesus Christ, he is connected to the source of life, the fountain of living waters that flows to everlasting life. Stephen has found it and he will not trade it for anything else, not even in exchange for your life. He knows in his heart, by the truth of God’s Word, it will be a poor exchange, as Jesus Himself warned, as we saw last week in Mark 8:36-38.

Mark 8:36-38 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

To live an unashamed life before God and man requires some spiritual courage and backbone. And in this longest chapter of the book of Acts is recorded what we need to stand as a witness in these last days before Christ’s return to take away His church and then to judge rebellious the world.

It’s true isn’t it, how Stephen will be taken to heaven, so that he will not see the destruction of his nation in A.D. 70 and the scattering of the Jews to the 4 corners of the earth for the next 2000 years.

The church will be taken to glory in heaven at the rapture before God will deal with the rebels as we see in the book of Revelation during the time of the coming Great Tribulation.

Stephen testimony stood as an indictment of God’s judgement upon the unbelieving of those who were supposed to be of His chosen. This is not new. 

The need to stand and walk in the centre of God’s Will, according to His Word has always been the blessing of His people through the ages.

He spoke of Abraham in verses 2-8 who followed the call of God to uproot himself from Haran to come to Canaan to wait with patience for God’s promise of a son Isaac that will come and eventually came – from whom Messiah will come. Through Isaac, came Jacob and the twelve sons. The Bible tells us that Abraham walked with God. God was with him, and the glory of God is where His servant is, at the centre of His will. Albeit Abraham had to stand alone, listening and obeying only to the voice of God for instruction and life. 

Stephen was alluding to Jesus who is the Messiah that the Bible prophesied that would come through the loins of Abraham and his descendants! As Jesus Himself declared, before Abraham was, I am!

Abraham must stand according to God’s instruction for him. And from verses 9-16 we saw Joseph who also stood alone but in the centre of God’s will, just like Jesus and himself included who bears witness of Jesus. He brought them back to the Scriptures.

He told them that Israel, as a race, has constantly resisted God’s chosen messengers and rejecting the last and greatest of those messengers the Christ Himself.

Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brethren, out of envy, but God was with him (v9).

Stephen was pointing out that God’s will cannot be thwarted by rebellious men. In fact, their rebellion God allowed to work out His good will!

In fact, God’s glory is with His people who walk according to His Word or His will. Joseph was such a man whether in the prison or in the palace, he served God and did His will. And God was the one who gave him favour and wisdom and promoted him to be the governor over Egypt and all the house of God.

Because it was the will of God that Israel will come to Egypt, the place of incubation where from 75 persons they will become a great multitude four hundred years later after Joseph’s death.

And how Joseph stood alone in the centre of God’s will to manage the coming famine according to God’s plan to fulfil God’s purpose to make Israel, a multitude of people, before they would become a nation. He was attesting to himself and to Jesus whom he witnessed to as the Christ.

How can he, Stephen, be a blasphemer of God, when he understood what the will of God is as revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures!

You realize that our witness as Christians is simply to live in obedience to the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 4) and to earnestly contend for it, to stand for its truth, come what may, counting the cost, be willing to bear the shame and pay the price.

Stephen was standing faithful to the truth revealed by God to His prophets.

And from verse 17-43 he speaks about Moses. He would refute their claim that he speaks blasphemous words against Moses. Where is the blasphemy, he asked them as he spoke of Moses’ life!

17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: 21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Stephen spoke the truth concerning Moses. He spoke good and not ill about Moses. He cited how Moses was a vessel chosen as a witness for God. How he faced incarceration even at birth by the Egyptians. The Pharaoh passed a decree to kill all the babies of the Hebrew people. But God works out His good purpose in Moses’ life as Israel’s deliverer. How God can use the enemy to accomplish His purpose, Moses is nourished in the Egyptian palace through Pharaoh’s daughter. God’s power and presence, His glory was with His people to work out His purpose.

23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

Moses was betrayed by his people whom he tried to help, albeit by his own way, Moses stood alone, and he stood for God’s will. God was with Moses although he was in the desert.

30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 

God used Moses because he was a man walking in the centre of God’s will. Can you see that, I am walking in the centre of God’s will declaring to you the Christ! Jesus Himself, the Son of God, you have rejected.

This has always been the history of God’s people, rebellious, not discerning the will of God, going against it.

36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

Stephen was quoting Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 18:15 in which Moses prophecy of the Messiah Jesus that will come whom you have rejected.

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

He tells them do not take God’s Word lightly. If you choose to go against it, be careful falling into God’s judgement.

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 

Again, Stephen pointed to them the rebellious heart of Israel who rejected the voice of God and His prophet. They choose to go back to Egypt. They chose to worship the calf made from their own hands. They sacrificed unto idols.

This was exactly the situation with Israel after they have crucified their Messiah. They have rejected the salvation of God opened to them. As we said earlier, from chapter 8 onwards, the gospel will begin to go to the Gentiles. Israel rejected God and God did pass them but choose for Himself a remnant, the Apostles and the infant church to be His continuing witness. And nation of Israel will suffer destruction because of their rebellion.

43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 

The diaspora, from A.D. 70 to 14 May 1948 when the nation of Israel was resurrected again is not the first. In 586 B.C. they were carried away to Babylon for 70 years because of their rebellion against God for the worship of idols.

And from verses 44-50, Stephen will answer the charge that he was speaking blasphemous words against the Temple citing the Tabernacle as proof that God’s presence is not confined to the Temple. It is doing God’s will that truly matters.

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him an house. 48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 

The name “Joshua” means the “Righteous One”. And the Greek translation is “Jesus” or “Iesous”. How Joshua led the charge into the Promised Land. It was God’s will for them to possess the land. 

This second “Joshua” Jesus offers to redeem them and lead them into the kingdom, conquering their spiritual enemies. Unfortunately, you have rejected Him.

The tabernacle as was the Temple was good as a symbol of God’s presence with them. But God is not in the temple when they are not living in the centre of God’s will according to His Word. This temple symbolizes nothing when God’s people are not worshipping the true God and His Christ. 

48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things?

As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, how Jesus said the worship of God is in spirit and in truth – worship is not confined to a place but in the heart and directed to the true Messiah.

John 4:12-26 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Having built his case of truth, Stephen now bravely, courageously, unflinchingly, rightly accused the Sanhedrin as being the blasphemers of God by rejecting His Christ Jesus!

51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

This is what we call the unpardonable sin that Jesus speaks about. To reject the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts! There is indeed no salvation to all who reject the witness of God’s Word as illuminated by the Holy Spirit. This is what Luke is attesting here in verse 51.

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

You have received the law of God, but you have not kept it. Instead, you have murdered the Christ and His prophets. Repent for judgment is nigh!

Stephen was fearless. He understood that if he must die. He will die standing even alone and be faithful to the Word.

This is the calibre of men we need today. Men who will be willing to forsake all to follow Jesus Christ!

John 15:15-27 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. 18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

CONCLUSION

The world and even the church is in rebellion against her Christ. The world is moving to form a world government and the church a One-World church, headed by the false prophet. We are taught to stand separate from it and to stand alone if we must for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. May God give us the spirit and wisdom of Stephen that we may be His faithful witnesses before our Lord returns! May we be prepared for the persecution to come! Amen.