The Unlikely Advancement (Acts 8:4-25)

The Unlikely Advancement (Acts 8:4-25)

Introduction We would expect that Stephen’s death would halt the gospel’s advancement. One of Christ's faithful servants had been murdered, and the gospel agitators grow in boldness. The church is being persecuted. Yet what looked like defeat was actually another step in the fulfillment of Christ's promise. Christ promised that the Gospel is to go from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This is exactly what is happening. Clearly, Christ is standing and ruling at the right hand of God as Stephen testified and witnessed. Does this defeat silence Christ’s mission? Preaching to Unworthy People We were just outside Jerusalem where Stephen was executed by a brutal mob. So, Philip went down to Samaria. This is unsettling because Samaria historically mixed pure worship with pagan worship. They have also shown hostility to the Jews and vice versa. Why so much tension between Israel and Samaria? This is a place that was resettled by foreign peoples who mixed the worship of the Lord with the worship of their own gods (2 Kings 17). This is a place that not only refused to help rebuild the temple, but actively opposed it (Ezra 4). So, it is safe to say that we would not expect Samaria to be receptive to the Gospel. We are reminded that the unworthy hear the Gospel. So often we can forget how unworthy we ourselves are. We can look at our upbringing, our knowledge of Scripture, our membership in the church, or the blessings we have received and begin to think that we are somehow more deserving of God's grace. However, we must remember that the gospel came to us as an unworthy people. The Lord has been gracious in progressively purifying or sanctifying us, but he receives the credit. We must always remember that his work in our sanctification does not make us worthy of his grace. It is his grace that is at work in us. Preaching to Apparently Receptive People Acts 8 also reminds us that outward reception of the gospel is not necessarily the same thing as genuine faith. Simon the magician heard Philip, witnessed the signs, and appeared to believe. In fact, Luke reports that he believed, was baptized, and was even amazed at what he witnessed (8:13). Luke is only reporting his observation. He does not know if Simon really embraced Christ or not. Simon only professes to believe. Eventually, his fruits exposed his heart. Luke reports Simon's profession and baptism, but the subsequent events reveal that his profession was not genuine saving faith. Understand that Simon was not amazed by the Lord’s power, but by what the apostles possessed. He tried to buy their power, but man does not control the Holy Spirit. The Apostles could not sell the Holy Spirit even if they wanted to. Man cannot sell what man cannot control. Peter rebukes Simon harshly. Simon misses that the apostles not only bear witness to Christ’s work but also to the gospel going out. This is why Peter says that the Holy Spirit falls just as at the beginning. (11:15). The apostles do not bring the Holy Spirit as the norm. Rather, they testify to the Spirit’s work. They are testifying that this place, which should be hostile, has received the Spirit. You could almost hear the Jewish apostles report that if the Samaritans can be saved, how much more the Gentiles. That is a danger for us as well. We can be around the things of God without truly submitting ourselves to God. We can admire Christianity, enjoy the blessings of the church, know our Bibles, and even make a profession of faith, while still wanting our lives to revolve around ourselves. We can want Christ's blessings without wanting Christ himself. Simon wanted the power of the Holy Spirit, but he did not want to truly surrender to Christ’s yoke. Preaching with Principle Peter therefore does not offer Simon a technique for obtaining spiritual power. He calls him to repentance. Peter says, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” Simon the magician was trying to be a better magician. He may have been dabbling with demonic influence, and certainly using deception to gain significance. He thought he could just acquire a new spiritual power, and then have even more significance. No, the apostles are moved by the Spirit. They do not move the Spirit. Peter's answer reminds us that God is not someone we manipulate or control. He is the living God. We do not harness him; we submit to him. His Spirit does not serve our ambitions. We are called to submit to the work of his Spirit. Tragically, Simon does not obey, but rather begs Peter to pray for him. The prayer is not that Simon would turn, but that Peter’s pronouncement would not come true. Simon does not realize that Peter cannot change the terms of the gospel. This is why the gospel must always be preached according to God's principles rather than our own. Philip goes where God sends him. Peter and John go into a place where they might reasonably have feared for their lives. They preach Christ, and they bear witness to the work of the Spirit. They are not building their own reputations. They are not trying to make themselves great. They are servants of Christ, and the gospel belongs to him. Conclusion And there is great comfort in that. Stephen has died, but the gospel continues. Persecution scatters the church, but the gospel continues. Even a man like Simon can appear to believe and reveal an unchanged heart, and the gospel continues. The success of Christ's kingdom does not depend upon the worthiness of the people who receive it or the strength of the people who proclaim it. The Lord himself preserves and advances his church. Our covenant privileges are precious, and we should be thankful for them. We should teach our children the promises of God and rejoice that the Lord has placed us within his church. But we must never turn those privileges into a reason for thinking ourselves superior to those outside. The Samaritans remind us that God's grace reaches people we might never have chosen. We should be a humble people. So let us remember where our worth is found. It is not in our family, our upbringing, our knowledge, our church membership, or our Christian accomplishments. Our righteousness is found in Christ. Our life is found in Christ. Our identity is found in Christ. Our peace is found in Christ. We come to him not as people who have earned the right to be there, but as sinners who have been received by grace. We do not need to make ourselves great. We do not need to manipulate God or manufacture spiritual power. We simply need to bow before our Savior, trust his promises, and walk in faithful obedience. The same Lord who carried his gospel from Jerusalem to Samaria continues to preserve his church today. He will gather his people, sustain his people, and bring his gospel to its appointed end. The gospel is for the unworthy. This means that the Gospel is for you and me. Thanks be to God that our hope does not rest upon our worthiness, but upon Christ and his finished work.

What Benefit is This Knowledge? (LD 23; Romans 3:21-26)

Introduction There can be a disconnect in the Christian life. We can become so focused on doctrine that we forget that we are called to live out the gospel. Or we can become so focused on living the Christian life that we lose sight of the doctrine that gives us the strength and assurance to live it. The Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 23 [https://threeforms.org/heidelberg-catechism/#lords-day-23] understands this tension. As we come to justification by faith, it essentially asks us, Is this doctrine really helpful? Is this something that actually benefits us? Does knowing that we are justified by faith make any difference in the Christian life? I think those are important questions.  So, let’s begin.  Is This Helpful? The first thing we have to understand is the seriousness of our problem. Our problem is that we minimize sin.  We sometimes like to think that if we can just clean up enough of the outward problems, we will be okay. Maybe we haven't done everything right, but we have done better than the person next to us. Maybe we have kept 99.99% of the commandments. But the problem is that sin is not merely a collection of bad behaviors. Sin is at the core of who we are. Our behavior or actions are merely the fruit of the deeper root problem.   In the fall, humanity essentially told God, We don't want your order. We don't want your holiness. We don't want you ruling over us. We were exiled from Eden, and God gave us what we wanted.  And that leaves us in a desperate position. We see this even in some of the great saints of Scripture. Jacob spent much of his life trying to accomplish the promises of God in his own strength. He wrestled with God and came away limping, learning that the promises of God come through weakness and submission to the Lord. Job wanted his day in court with God. He wanted to present his case and demonstrate that God had gotten things wrong. But when Job finally comes face-to-face with the living God, he puts his hand over his mouth. He learns that God's wisdom is far greater than his own. Paul was a man who considered himself blameless according to the law, yet Christ had to stop him on the road to Damascus. Even Paul had to learn that God's strength is manifested in weakness. And then there is Isaiah. Isaiah appears to be one of those Old Testament saints who was pretty dialed in. Yet when he comes into the presence of God, he doesn't say, "I dwell in the midst of unclean people who make me unclean."  No, he says, “Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips” That is the point. Apart from Christ, we have nothing. Paul makes this very clear in Romans 3 [https://www.esv.org/Romans+3/]. He gives a staccato of Old Testament references and demonstrates that there is a universal problem that impacts Jew and Gentile. It doesn't matter how religious you are or how well you have cleaned up your life. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That is why justification by faith is so helpful. It tells us the truth about our condition. We cannot save ourselves. We need a rematch and not a participation trophy. The championship game has already been played. Adam failed, and in Adam we have all failed. The verdict has been issued. We need someone to reengage the competition and overturn the previous verdict.   And that is exactly what Christ does in his work.  However, this can still be all doctrine.  Is there a place where this really impacts our Christian life?  Is This Assuring?  This is where the beauty of justification really comes into view. The Heidelberg Catechism says that I share in all of Christ's benefits. He has made perfect satisfaction for my sin. He has given me his perfect holiness. And I am regarded before God as if I had never sinned and as if I had perfectly obeyed all that God commanded. Think about the beauty of that. It is not my righteousness. It is Christ's righteousness. It is not my perfect obedience. It is Christ's perfect obedience. It is not something I have earned. It is a gift.  God has freely given it to his unworthy children. Paul says in Romans 3 that we are justified by God's grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justification is a legal declaration. Before the heavenly court, we deserve condemnation in Adam. But in Christ, we are declared righteous. And this is what makes grace so amazing. Sometimes we define grace as “unmerited favor.” But I think Scripture gives us an even deeper picture. Unmerited favor could mean that God just gave us something.  We did not earn it.  However, we could be neutral.  For instance, you love your kid, so you just buy your kid ice cream.  The kid did not specifically deserve it, but you want to spend some quality time together. We actively rebelled against him. We told God that we didn't want his holiness, his rule, or his order. If we continue with the illustration of buying a child ice cream, we can ask: Would you buy your child ice cream after your child washed your car with a Brillo pad?  I am guessing that the child is not getting ice cream.  However, we did far worse to God in the fall.  He also gives us more than a participation trophy or ice cream.  God gives us heaven through the work of his son.  Christ doesn't simply overlook our sin. This is why Paul uses the language of redemption.  Redemption is buying someone out of slavery.  That is what Christ did.  He purchased us out of our bondage of sin to set us free to live in him. Christ had to lay down his life in our place.  He has to die because sin is that heinous.  It is not that God is so villainous, but sin is that heinous.  We cannot find a simple solution to this complex problem.  So if someone wants to mock justification by faith as a “participation trophy,” I say, "I'll gladly take it." I'll put it on the shelf and proudly say, I am in Christ Jesus, and apart from Christ I have no hope. However, we need to remember that Christ reengaged the championship game.  He won the game and gives us the credit. Conclusion So is justification by faith helpful? Absolutely. Because we have a 100% problem, and we need a 100% Savior. Is justification assuring? Absolutely. Because Christ has done what we could never do. He has satisfied God's justice, paid our debt, redeemed us from slavery, and given us his righteousness. And is my faith good enough? No, but Christ is. That is the good news. The gospel isn't that God looked at us and decided that we were basically good enough to receive a participation trophy. The gospel is that we were condemned in Adam, and Christ came into the heavenly courtroom and stood in our place. He took the judgment we deserved and gave us the righteousness we could never earn.  He overturned the previous loss and won us our victory.  And so we don't use grace as an excuse to push the boundaries of sin. If we really understand what sin is, why would we want to return to it? Sin is destructive. It tears us away from the true peace and shalom that God created us to enjoy. So let us continue to take hold of Christ by faith. Let us forget what lies behind and press forward toward what lies ahead. Christ Jesus has made us his own. And as the Holy Spirit continues to conform us to Christ, let us walk in him, trusting not in the strength of our faith, but in the strength of our Savior.

The Unhealthy and Unwealthy Gospel (3) (Acts 7:53-8:3)

Introduction Stephen's trial draws to a conclusion. We are confronted with the hardship of living in a sin-cursed world. Stephen is doing everything right. He is faithful to the Lord. He speaks the truth. He boldly proclaims Christ. The apostles' faithfulness has been rewarded with thousands of converts. One would think that this is going to be the trend. Stephen tells us otherwise. Stephen is faithful, and his reward is rejection, being dragged outside the city, and killed. We are moved to a question: What do we do with a gospel like this? We might second-guess and ask, should Stephen have backed off? Should he have softened his message? Should he have simply swept Christ under the carpet so that he could preserve his life? This narrative forces us to question: Is Jesus really essential to the Christian life, or is he something we can make optional when following him becomes difficult? We see in Acts 7 [https://www.esv.org/Acts+7/] that Christ is not optional. We need Christ because our own righteousness will never be enough. And what we discover in Stephen's death is that earthly suffering does not mean Christ has abandoned his people. In fact, Christ is standing in heaven. He is not taking a passive stance, but an active stance in advancing his gospel despite this setback. The Contrasted Perspectives: Stephen and the Mob The first thing we see is the contrast between Stephen and the crowd. Stephen has just laid out the history of God's covenant interaction with Israel. His summary is that God is faithful and his people have been unfaithful. The crowd is furious. They are shouting, grinding their teeth, covering their ears, and eventually rushing him as a group. Stephen has called them "uncircumcised in heart and ears." The crowd only confirms his indictment. They cover their ears, they refuse to listen, and they refuse to evaluate their own history. They are physically demonstrating fruits that prove Stephen's accusation. They have decided that they know the truth, they know their theology, they know their system, and they are not going to listen to anything that challenges it. We are reminded to be careful when we are so certain. How do we know when to be certain and when to repent? The real issue is Christ. Stephen is not saying that Moses was unimportant or that God's covenant dealings with Israel were meaningless. He is showing that all of these things were pointing beyond themselves to Christ. The law reveals the holiness of God, and it exposes our inability to meet that holiness by our own efforts. The administration given through Moses points us toward the greater reality that comes in Jesus Christ. If we think we can stand before God on the basis of our own accomplishments, we will end up aligned with the crowd. We need Christ. Christ is not optional. We need to take his yoke upon us because there is no other way to life. He is the proper successor to Moses. The ultimate contrast is that as the crowd accuses Stephen, he receives vindication. Luke tells us, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looks up and sees heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. The very Christ whom they rejected, the Christ whom they killed, is standing in glory. Stephen sees the risen and vindicated messiah advocating on his behalf. A Contradictory Profession of Faith This leads us to the second thing we see: Stephen's profession of faith stands in direct contradiction to the profession of the mob. Political wisdom might have told Stephen to keep his mouth shut. Sometimes silence is golden. They are already angry, and Stephen has every reason to know that saying more is not going to make things better. But Stephen is overwhelmed by the Spirit, and he says, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Stephen's testimony is very important. Stephen is identifying Jesus as the Son of Man, the Messiah, the one Daniel 7 points us toward. The very man whom they had rejected and killed is now standing in the glory of heaven. And notice that Christ is standing. Normally we think of Christ seated at the right hand of God (Psalm 110 [https://www.esv.org/Psalm+110/]), enthroned in glory. But here he stands. The picture is not of a passive Savior who has gone to heaven and simply watches what happens to his people. Christ is active. He is ruling. He sees Stephen. He knows what is happening. Stephen may look abandoned from an earthly perspective, but heaven tells us that Christ is active in his rule. The crowd thinks they are judging Stephen, but Stephen has already been vindicated by Christ. They want to put down a dangerous heretic, but Stephen bears witness to the reality that they did kill the messiah. This communicates the complexity of a fallen world. We might think that our current circumstances mean we are bearing the weight of our sin. However, we might be part of the bigger picture. We need to see that our hope is not found in our circumstances, our reputation, or our earthly success. Our hope is found in the risen Christ who stands at the right hand of God. We might not always understand why history unravels the way it does, but we know that Christ is standing as our shepherd-king. The Contrasted Victories The world will view Stephen's death as an absolute failure. Stephen is dragged outside the city and executed. The crowd gets what it wants. The Sanhedrin does not stop them. A man who faithfully preached Christ is dead. If we were simply looking at the circumstances, we might ask, "Where is the victory?" But Luke is showing us something much bigger. Stephen's death identifies him with Christ. Stephen is now experiencing exactly what Christ said would happen. He is cast outside the city, just as Christ was rejected and cast out (Luke 4:29 [https://www.esv.org/Luke+4/]). And even in his death, Stephen echoes the posture of his Savior. He asks the Lord not to hold this sin against them, and he entrusts his spirit to Christ (Acts 7:59-60 [https://www.esv.org/Acts+7/]; cf. Luke 23:34, 46 [https://www.esv.org/Luke+23/]). There is no bitterness here. There is confidence. Stephen knows that death does not have the final word. He is passing from this life into the presence of the Lord who is standing at the right hand of God. And then Luke gives us another remarkable detail: Saul is there. Stephen's outer garment is laid at Saul's feet. This tells us that Saul has authority and could stop it. He might not give the order, but he approves of this execution. This is the man who goes to ravage the church. The Lord's victory still shines through. The persecution drives the gospel to Samaria. Saul will become one of the most aggressive missionaries in the early church. Ironically, this man will have a passion to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. We see that Christ is still ruling in the midst of what appears to be a setback. That is the irony of the Christian life. The Lord does not promise that faithfulness will always produce earthly comfort. Sometimes obedience hurts. Sometimes faithfulness costs us something. Sometimes the church appears to be losing. But Christ is not passive. He is standing and ruling over history. The gospel advances despite what appears to be a huge setback. Conclusion Should Stephen have watered down Christ's significance? Should he have made Christ less central? Should he have treated Jesus as something optional? No. Because Christ is Lord. Stephen sees him standing in heaven. And that is what gives Stephen confidence in the middle of suffering. The world may say that Stephen is the loser, that he was a fool for being so committed to Christ, that he should have kept his mouth shut. But Stephen knows something the mob does not know. His life is not ultimately defined by what happens to him in this age. His life is defined by Jesus Christ, and his certainty is guaranteed in Christ. And that is our hope as well. We live in a sinful world, and God's redemptive purposes often work themselves out in ways that are not pretty or comfortable. But Christ is not passive. He is standing in the glory of heaven. He is ruling, defending, protecting, and advancing his church. And even when we cannot see how he is doing it, Christ is still at work. Stephen's confidence was not in Stephen. It was in Christ. His hope was not that this life would turn out in victory. His hope was that Christ would shepherd him through this life and into the life to come. And so when we find ourselves facing suffering, opposition, disappointment, or things that simply do not make sense, we remember where our hope is. It is not in ourselves. It is in Jesus Christ. We are assured that taking the yoke of Christ is not tyranny. It is life. And because Christ has made us his own, we can press forward with confidence in his power. Our life is found in Christ. Therefore, let us press forward, trusting him, even when faithfulness is costly, because Christ Jesus has made us his own.

God's Gracious Shepherding (Philippians 3:12-20; LD 22)

Introduction The Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that Christ's care for His people extends beyond this life. If God only shepherded us through our earthly journey, death would continue to threaten us. But Christ's resurrection changes everything. Because he lives, his people have the sure hope that he will lead them safely through death into everlasting life. We are left with an important issue. You see, if Christ has already secured our future, what motivates us to keep pressing forward today? Philippians 3 [https://www.esv.org/Philippians+3/]answers that question. The answer is simple. It is because Christ has made us his own that we press on in confidence. We are not conforming to Christ to make ourselves worthy, but because we have been made worthy in Christ Jesus. Christ Raises Us Body and Soul If only our souls went to heaven, that is still more than we deserve. However, this would make redemption only half complete. Christ would not have redeemed us as whole humans. We were created body and soul. Christ cannot claim full redemption if he fails to redeem our bodies fully. We are assured that Christ redeems the whole person. Just as Christ rose bodily from the grave, so his people will one day be raised in glorified bodies fit for the new creation. We will be souls in Christ’s presence when we die, but when he comes again we will be clothed in our glorified bodies. We can see this promise when Christ says to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Christ gives the assurance that the thief will dwell with him today in paradise. We think of the souls under the altar asking when Christ is going to bring this creation to glory (Revelation 6:9-11 [https://www.esv.org/Revelation+6/]). We think of Paul’s promise that we will be raised in the flesh that is fit for heaven. (I Corinthians 15:35-49 [https://www.esv.org/1+Corinthians+15/]). Paul gives the rich assurance that we will be raised and even transformed (I Cor 15:51 [https://www.esv.org/1+Corinthians+15/]; 1 Thess. 4:13-18 [https://www.esv.org/1+Thessalonians+4/]). Paul's imprisonment reminds us that this life is not guaranteed to be easy. However, as Paul waits for his verdict during his house arrest, he rests in the comfort that his citizenship was already secured in heaven. His identity is not defined by his past. He knows that his life is secured in Jesus Christ. It is in Christ Jesus that he presses forward. Ultimately, Paul is assured that our Shepherd will not abandon us in death but will safely bring us home. Today I Taste the Beginning of Eternal Joy The joy of eternal life is not something reserved only for heaven. Believers already begin to taste the life that is to come through the Spirit. This does not mean the Christian life is free from hardship. David cried out under oppression. Paul wrote Philippians while chained to a Roman guard. Yet both rested in God's steadfast faithfulness. Joy is found, not in comfortable circumstances, but in belonging to Christ. Paul urges believers to imitate him. We might think that Paul is some sort of elitist who has the secrets to the successful Christian life. However, Paul is not telling us to copy his accomplishments, but to follow in his mindset. He forgets what lies behind because his identity is no longer found in his failures or successes. Christ has made him his own. That same grace empowers us to keep pushing forward. It frees us to press forward in the Lord’s sanctifying mercy. Christian maturity is not pretending we have arrived. How many times do Christians want people to think they are really dialed in? No, we recognize that we need Christ. We know that this journey is never completed in this life. It is growing in the humility to see that we need Christ all the time. Tomorrow I Will Experience the Fullness of Joy The joy we taste now is only the beginning. One day Christ will transform our lowly bodies into glorious bodies like his own. The work he has begun will be completed. He will bring us to glory. This future hope impacts how we live today. We are not striving to earn God's acceptance, for Christ has already secured it. Instead, seek to conform to Christ because we belong to Him. Every setback, every struggle, every reminder of our weakness drives us back to our faithful Shepherd. The Christian life is not "try harder." It is the continual refreshment. Christ has made me his own. I am in Christ. I am empowered in Christ. I move in Christ. Christ has taken hold of us, and he will never let us go. The One who began His work in us will finish it on the day of his appearing. Conclusion We have to see that the resurrection is more than a future doctrine. Christ’s resurrection is our present comfort. His resurrection guarantees our victory. It is in Christ’s resurrection that we are made his own. It is in his power that we continue to move forward. Christ has redeemed us body and soul. Through His Spirit, we already taste the joy of the coming kingdom. And because He has made us His own, we can press forward with confidence, knowing that He will complete what He has begun. So when you stumble, do not let your past define you. When suffering comes, do not lose heart. When you feel your weakness, remember where your strength is found. Christ has claimed you, Christ is transforming you, and Christ will bring you safely into glory. Until that day, let us be a people who press forward in Christ’s strength. We will never win God's favor. However, we can be assured that God’s favor is won because Christ Jesus has made us His own. It is in his power that we press forward seeking to conform to our upward call in Christ. Let us be such a people who continue to find our contentment by being defined in Christ.

The Unhealthy Unwealthy Gospel (2) (Acts 7:1-52)

Introduction Stephen stands falsely accused. He has been set up by false witnesses who claim that he has blasphemed Moses, the Temple, and God. These charges are serious and warrant death under Moses. Stephen is invited to give a defense by the high priest when he says, “Are these things so?” One would think that Stephen would defend himself, but Stephen knows they do not want him to be acquitted on the charges because that would make them look bad. If Jesus is the Messiah, then the ruling council killed God’s very deliverer. Stephen does not defend himself, but presents the history of God interacting with his people throughout the ages. He shows that they are doing to Christ exactly what their fathers had always done to God's messengers. God Works Outside Canaan The God of glory appears to Abraham in Mesopotamia. Abraham was not in Canaan, but outside Canaan. God’s work and promise are never confined to a local city or land. In fact, we see that in their history they sold their own brother into slavery. Stephen moves to the story of Joseph ending up in Egypt. The Lord not only protects Joseph there, but preserves his people despite their betrayal of Joseph. The temple, Canaan, and Jerusalem do not contain God. He works outside the promised land. He has been a faithful shield to his people, but they have not been faithful to him. God Delivers His People Clearly, the Lord can protect the people outside the land. Now we move to Moses’ story. Joseph dies, and there is a new Pharaoh in the land. This Pharaoh forgets what Joseph did for Israel. He deals shrewdly (craftily, deceptively) with Israel. He desires to weaken them by killing the male infants. Not only is God’s people in a foreign land, but now there is a hostile leader to the Lord’s people. The Lord predicted to Abraham that his descendants would be oppressed. The Lord starts to quietly work on his deliverance. God raises up Moses. Moses should have been destroyed. Instead, he ends up adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. He is educated in Pharaoh’s house, and Stephen summarizes Moses by saying that he was mighty in word and deed. Moses tries to relieve Pharaoh’s oppression by killing an Egyptian. He thought the Israelites would see this as an act of deliverance. No, when Moses confronts two Israelites fighting, the one accuses Moses of attempting to murder them rather than give them relief. Moses is asked, “Who made you ruler and judge?” Moses is rejected. He spends the next 40 years of his life in the wilderness. One day Moses meets God at the burning bush in the wilderness. God has heard the groaning of His people for generations. He is not indifferent. Moses, who once tried to deliver in the flesh by killing an Egyptian and was rejected by his own people, is now sent by God as the true deliverer. The Lord’s people are led out of Egypt by his hand. In the process, Stephen reminds them that Moses himself spoke of a coming Prophet like himself (Deuteronomy 18). This is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is the definitive word and action of God, ultimately delivering his people. However, like Israel in the wilderness and in the land, they ignored the prophets, worshipped false gods, and never truly sought the Lord. God’s Continual Provision Despite Rejection God provides the tabernacle in the wilderness. He meets with people there. The tabernacle enters the land with Israel. This is replaced by the temple. The problem is that people think that the temple is holy in itself. They are not seeing the God who uses these means to commune with his people. God’s people continue to pursue false gods. Amos recounts their pursuing false gods (Amos 5). Isaiah reminds the people that the Lord dwells beyond the land (Isaiah 66:1-2). God’s people cannot look beyond the tangible gods. This is a human problem. Stephen lays out the core of the problem: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” Their heart is not tender to the Lord. They are like oxen who stiffen their neck against the farmer’s direction. They will not go where he leads them. They will not and have not taken on the yoke. (cf. Matthew 11:28) Conclusion Stephen’s sermon recounts God’s working in history. He has been faithful, protective, and present with his people. His people have responded with a deaf ear and an unyielding presence. The temptation is not unique to first-century Israel. We too can become attached to traditions, institutions, or routines while neglecting humble submission to Christ. We can become stiff-necked, insisting on our own way instead of yielding to our Savior. The prophet like unto Moses is ultimately Christ. He is the agent and action of God’s redemption. He is the greater Joseph who was rejected, and then exalted. He provides better provision than bread alone. He is the substance of eternal life. He is the greater Moses who delivers his people from a far greater slavery than Egypt. He is greater than the temple and the tabernacle, for he is God in the midst of us. Therefore, the call is not merely to admire Stephen's courage but to embrace Stephen's Christ. We are invited to take Christ’s light yoke upon us. We are to be a people praying for the Lord to search our hearts. (Psalm 139:23) Let us be a tender people to the Lord’s purpose. Let us find our identity and peace in our redeemer.