Acts & The Life of Paul | Lecture 10 : BC302-Acts-20260907

Yes. Uh let's get back. We saw that there were volunteers in the church and among one of those volunteers Stephen uh people start accusing him. There is a group of people from different synagogues. They come together and they blame Stephen. But Stephen's wisdom is so amazing that they could not say anything about him, right? Um and uh we just saw that he's standing in front of the council and his face is shining like the face of an angel. And um when the high priest is asking him, please give your explanation are these things are the accusations. So then Stephen S speaking and we said that he was very well versed in the scriptures. We don't have much of a background on what his profession was and other things but uh whoever he he would have been uh he's surely a believer who spent time in God's word. So he's very clear on the scriptures. So he starts by talking about the journey of Abraham and how God called Abraham out of his own land and told Abraham come to the land that I will show you. You know it speaks of the call of God on people's lives. That's how God calls to a great destiny from wherever we could have been. But God calls and says come I'll show you your new destiny the land which I am going to give you. And then thank God Abraham was determined. He left he came out of the land of the Chaldians. So you know again if you go back and study the life of Abraham we'll read many things like Chaldians were known um uh as people who fought. They were ungodly people. They did not uh uh follow the living God. But it was Abraham's choice. He leaves all that and he is following after God and God promises him that he will have an inheritance. Um and at that point though Abraham did not have much of an inheritance or even you know in terms of land or children but God gives him a promise in the future Abraham you will have descendants and then of course the promise of a land [snorts] and we see that God even speaks to Abraham about the future of the children. So verse six says, "His descendants would dwell in a foreign land and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them 400 years." What is this referring to? Abraham like we we read about uh uh the children, right? Like you have till Israel and then you have the descendants, you have Joseph, then what happened after that? 400 years. Egypt, correct? They got stuck in Egypt and they came under the oppression of the Egyptians. So God had spoken to Abraham about all these things. These things are going to happen. Your descendants are going to struggle 400 years. And then God says, I will uh you know bring them out of bondage. That nation also I'm going to judge. They will come out and serve in the promised land. Verse 8, it says, "He gave him the covenant of circumcision and so Abraham begott Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day and Isaac begot Jacob and Jacob begot the 12 patriarchs." So there is sorry there is a mention of uh circumcision. Why is why is Stephen talking about circumcision? How does this circumcision relate to us the new covenant believers? Because we don't have any circumcision uh in our what in what God has commanded us. >> Circumcise of heart is required in the New Testament. >> Correct? So for us it's about the circumcision of the heart where we are committing to Christ. There is no bodily uh practice but it is even deeper now. Circumcision is of the heart where we are committing ourselves unto Christ. And this is spoken of in many passages of the Bible. Romans chapter 2 verses 28 and 29. Galatians 56. If anyone wants to read it out, maybe we can read one or two and then we can continue. So Romans 2 28 and 29. >> For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, >> huh, >> nor is uncircumc which is outward in the flesh. >> Yes. >> Verse 29. >> 29. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the latter whose praise is not from man but from God. >> Yes. So you see uh God does require circumcision for the new covenant believer but in a spiritual sense. Okay. Uh so we'll read Galatians 5 verse 6. >> [snorts] >> For in uh Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avail but faith working through love. >> Yes. So it's talking about something deeper not physical circumcision. So God is calling his people to commit. Yeah. There's a great call on our lives. But before we walk into all of those things, he says your commitment from your heart is so necessary. So no wonder as young uh boys they were circumcised to say that now they belong to God. Right? So uh now we do that we are living our life for Jesus but our circumcision is of the heart when we are born again. So that is the journey of Abraham and then Abraham begot all his sons. It's just a mention to talk about the journey of Israel. That's why Stephen is mentioning those names. Now we move ahead and we come to others other names. So he's already spoken about Isaac, Jacob and uh now he's talking about Joseph. So let us read a little bit about Joseph from verse 9 to verse 16. [laughter] [clears throat] And the patriarchs becoming envious sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out a father's first and and the second time Joseph was made known to the made known to his brothers and Joseph's family became known to the Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, 75 people. So, so Jacob, so Jacob went down to Egypt and he died, he and our fathers, and they were carried back to Sikim and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamore, the father of Sikim. >> Yes. So uh Stephen is recalling one is about how God called Abraham, how God told him to uh circumcise. Now he's talking about Joseph and the amazing journey of the life of Joseph. So it says his uh younger days were not that uh um uh pleasant because his brothers grew envious of him and we know that they sold him to Egypt. Uh they obviously lied to the father and said that some wild animal has killed your son. So it was it was a very uh difficult life that uh Joseph had. And uh in that difficult life, you see a part [snorts] of verse 9 there uh the end of verse 9, but God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles. So what a powerful scripture there. Joseph underwent many trials as a young man from his own family members and being lost in a foreign land doesn't know what is going on for some time his life was so happy now everything has changed right and the same applies to us no matter how our life journey is going maybe Some days, some seasons are great, some are very challenging. But when God is with us, that's what we need. So God was with Joseph. That's why he prospered. Even if you read Genesis, you read that statement because God was with him. So um God [clears throat] was with Joseph and God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles. Today, same thing we can apply God being with us. Whatever troubles we are going through, God is going to deliver us from all our troubles. Uh [clears throat] and another thing is he received lot of favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Uh so we know the journey of Joseph that you know there it is said that u okay I've forgotten those beautiful words but something like prison to uh oh yeah pit to prison prison to palace so that is his journey but god is the one who granted him favor he had nobody to uh bring him to the limelight Right. So, usually people will use some recommendation and you know, can you put a word to the king? He had nothing. He was in the prison. But still God knew how to orchestrate circumstances. And so when Pharaoh had a dream, somebody came and said, "We know someone who can interpret your dream." And that's how God uh brought him to the forefront and then starts his journey of favor with Pharaoh. So uh all this because one thing is there in Joseph's life. God was with him. Okay. So uh he we can learn so much so much from Joseph's life. And so then Stephen is narrating you know there was a famine and there was not enough food but um uh somehow people came searching for food and God had put his own person Joseph in charge though in a foreign land but a man of God who handled grain. So this talks about the administrative capacity of Joseph. So it's incredible like you you handle food in the time of famine and make it available to the nations. Nations are coming to Egypt to get some food. So think about the person who's behind it all who's giving the instructions to manage that is Joseph for us. What a man of wisdom and man of understanding. But that's how God used him in a foreign land. And uh you know we read that uh even Jacob came and he received food and that is how the Israelites came and they ended up settling down in Egypt. So basically it's just narration he's telling the story. So now let us continue. We'll see what else is happening here. Now we will go on to the life of Moses and we'll see what we can learn from that. Okay, this is very long actually. So, who wants to you want to read the whole thing or shall we break it? >> Yeah, it so let us read from verse 17 to verse 29. But when the time of the promise drew near which God has shown to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied immediately Joseph. This man dwelt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers making them expose their babies and that they might not. At this time Moses was born and was well pleased to go and he was brought up in his father's house for 3 months. But when he has set out for those daughters took him away and brought him up as her own son. When Moses who learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in the words and deeds when he was he was 40 years old came to his heart to visit his brother and children of Israel and seeing one of them suffer he defended and obeised him who was oppressed and struck down. For he u supposed that his president would have understand that God would deliver them by his hand but they did not understand. And the next day he appeared to uh two of them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile reconcile them saying men you are bre why do you wrong one another but he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away saying who made you who made you a ruler and a judge over us will do you know do will you want to keep give me as you did the Egyptian yesterday then at saying Moses and become a dweller in the land of Medina where he had two sons. >> Yes. Okay. So now let's uh look at the life of Moses and see what is happening. Okay. So in verse 17 it says when the time of the promise Junior which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt. So he's talking about a time and this time obviously is what we call as um Kronos. So if you go back to the language, the original language Hebrew and then you check what word is used, it is Kronos, the passage of time. Okay. So time has passed by and uh uh many years they have dwelt in Egypt and as you continue to read about uh these things you would notice that other times are also mentioned. So in verse 20 it says at this time Moses was born and was well pleasing to God. But if you read check what that term used there is that is kyros. So that's a god appointed time at the right time Moses was born. If we keep reading this way there are other scriptures also verse 23 it says when he was 40 years old it came into his heart. So when he was 40 years old is what? Nothing but the passage of time. He also lived from a baby became 40 years old. At that point in verse 30 again we will read when 40 years had passed an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush. So what exactly is going on? Time is passing by in the journey of the Israelites in Egypt. But time is also passing by in the lives of people such as Moses. And what we can see is God is bringing together Kronos and Chyros. Kronos is time passing by. But when time passes by, there comes what we call as an appointed time of God. The right time. So for for the Israelites in Egypt, it felt that this is never going to end. Slavery, oppression, it's never going to end. But the Bible says we saw in verse 20 at 7:20 at this time Moses was born. Chyros God's time. So what is God's plan? I will set a deliverer. Did the people realize that Chyros has happened? No. But God is working in the Chronos. God has appointed a Chyros. And here is a man who been born called as Moses. And what uh information do we have about Moses? Moses was well pleasing to God. He was brought up in his father's house for 3 months. But after that, Pharaoh's daughter took him. So he was brought up as the son of uh Pharaoh's daughter. We also recognize that he was very learned. So whenever we see God uh we read about God meeting him at the burning bush and then he says I can't speak right. Is [snorts] it really true? No. When you look at this passage we can make out that he was very well taught. 100% he would have been able to speak. We don't know why he was stammering at that point. Was it fear? Was it nervousness? no idea but he was very well versed in the in the learnings of Egypt. So he's a smart learned person and verse 23 when he was 40 years old there something about 40 in Moses's life. Okay. So till now he knows that he's knows it's not that he doesn't know but he just was waiting for a time to deliver the people and he also was waiting for God's guidance. So when he was 40 years old, the scripture says it came into his heart [clears throat] to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. So he's in the palace, but at the age 40, something is shifting for him. He's like, I have to do something. I can't be living a comfortable life in the palace. I know my destiny. I have to take a step. Right? So even for us is it possible that at some point in our lives something comes into our heart but it is prompted by the Lord. So this was the way in which God spoke to Moses. Now it does not have to be exactly the same for us. It can be in other ways but for Moses when he's 40 years old suddenly he's like realizing I have to do something. So you know it's I don't know if it is funny or what but later again we'll see he'll be in the wilderness after 40 years God will speak to him through the burning bush from there he'll go tell Pharaoh let my people go and he's journeying in the other wilderness 40 years so something of the pattern of 40 in Moses's life so by the time he uh dies He's 120 years old. God used you know like 40 40 40 uh in his life. So you don't make for 40. Okay. Just say. Yeah. So it came into his heart to do something for his brethren. And what does he do? What does he finally end up doing? He goes and kills an Egyptian. But that works out in a negative way for him. So he's accused by one of his own people, the Jewish person who says, uh, are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian? So [clears throat] that gives him a lot of fear and he runs away to Midian and he dwells there. So Moses has a wilderness experience in his life. Now again verse 30. And when 40 years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush in the wilderness of Mount Si. So God is letting Moses go through 40 years in the wilderness. Does Moses know what he's supposed to do? He has an idea. Then why why 40 years in the wilderness? What do you think? 40 years already preparing itself in uh Pharaoh's uh palace. Okay, done. He's 80 now. 40 years in the wilderness. Why? What is God's intention? Was it because of uh killing the Egyptian? >> Uh could be. Yeah. Killing the Egyptian. Yes. >> God prepared his heart. >> Yes. So God wanted to uh prepare his heart. We could say that. What do we see in him killing the Egyptian? What attitude or character is displayed in that? God wanted to humble him >> before he can you know bring him to the point of serving him. God generally humbles us. >> So there is a possibility that because he was well learned in Egypt maybe his attitude was I can do it. I know what to do. I will get it done. So he's full of u self-confidence you know in a negative way where he's not even seeking the lord to ask what do you want me to do he's dependent on himself and all his knowledge wisdom and capability so he just goes ahead and in his pride he does something but that doesn't bring deliverance to Israel but 40 years could be a time where God wants wanted him to start depending on him. So when we see the burning bush experience, it was a normal day in Moses's life, right? He was just in the wilderness. What do you do? You know, you would go and you would uh take care of the flock. You would just go get water. You would do those basic things. So it's a normal day. Moses is just going ahead with his everyday life. Suddenly he sees a burning bush. So at one point God decides okay the time is right now. Moses's heart is ready. Maybe by this time he learned everything is not under my control. I can't do everything. I need God. So when he comes to that place in his heart as Reita pointed out humility. God says now you are ready Moses. Now I will give you your life assignment. So can you imagine God had to wait till Moses is 80 years old to give this because at that time his heart was ready. So we need to work cooperate with God so that God uh can develop the right character in us. The sooner the better. So who knows maybe it could have been earlier but uh for whatever reason it is 80 years old. So at this point when the burning bush happens God says now you're ready Moses um and God speaks to him and says I'm the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And uh Moses is trembling in the presence of the Lord. And then God says, "Take off your sandals." And uh you know, finally he says, "I will send you to Egypt. Now you go. You can start your life assignment." So Moses is ready. Yeah. But also Moses had to wait for the Cyros moment of his life for God to put him on his assignment. So let's read further. Let's read a little more about Moses verse 35. >> Maybe we can read to verse 43. Then Moses whom they rejected, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge? is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness 40 years. This is the This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "The Lord your God will raise up for your prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall fear. This is he who has this is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on mount and with our fathers the one who received the living or to give to us. whom our fathers would not obey but rejected and in their hearts they turned back to you saying to Aaron make us God make us gods to go before us as for this Moses brought us out of the land of Egypt. We do not know what he has what he has become of him. >> 43 and this and they made a car in those days offered sacrifice to the idols and rejoiced in the works of their own hand. Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven as it is written in the book of the prophets. Did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during 40 years in the wilderness? Oh house of Israel. You also took up the tabernacle of Ma and star of your God ra images which which you made to worship and I will carry you away beyond. >> Yes. So we can uh see in verse 35 where it says Moses whom they rejected. So what does this tell us? Even earlier when Moses is talking to his own person right before running into the wilderness of Midian, [snorts] people are not understanding him. Moses knows his call and destiny but people are not understanding. So you see how uh things work. Sometimes we may know what God has called us for. But the our own people may not realize that. So that's a hard part. They are rejecting Moses even though God has called him as a deliverer. So even for us it may happen in our lives but we should not give up. And then we see that uh you know Moses is the one who is proclaiming about a prophet whom God is going to send just like him. So where is Stephen going with all this? Basically Stephen is building up to say that this prophet whom our father Moses henched in is [clears throat] none other than Jesus Christ. So that's where Stephen actually wants to come. But he's slowly bringing the people there. And at this point in what uh we just read, he's talking about how the Israelites disobeyed Moses. There's a lot of respect that the Jews had for Moses. And the people who are listening to Steph right now are also Jews, isn't it? So he's just trying to tell them this disobedience is nothing new. Even our fathers disobeyed Moses. So when Moses went met with God and he was coming back. Do you remember what our fathers did with together with Aaron, they melted the gold they had, the jewelry they had and they created a calf to worship. So these were all things that hurt God and God's heart. So he's pointing to the hardness of heart that people can display against God. It's really, you know, like very amazing how our heart can be hard to God because the Israelites suffered 400 years in Egypt. So many things happened. They were crying to God, God, take us out of this land. Finally, God is sending Moses and then they are seeing miracles. Red Sea has opened, mana, you know, journeying through the wilderness with a pillar of fire at night, cloud by day, amazing miracles are taking place. And the end when Moses is late, they said we will make an idol for ourselves. What kind of heart do you think people had? Because they were they were readily rejecting God. One thing goes wrong, God, where are you? I don't I don't need you anymore. You know, life in Egypt was better. And forgotten everything. How God has brought them up, fed them, protected them. They forgot everything. So the point is Stephen is also trying to awaken them to the fact that sometimes hearts can become so hard. That's how our fathers work. [snorts] Right? So let's see where he's going. Okay. So we will continue. Uh we will go ahead. We'll read from verse 44 to 50. Father [clears throat] in the wilderness as he appointed instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen which our father having receive received also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the day of David who found before God and asked to find a dwelling for Jacob. But Solomon builds him a house. However, the most high does not dwell in temple made with hands. As the prophet says, "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my home. What house will you build for me?" says the Lord. Or what is the place of my rest? Um has my hand not made all these things. >> Yes. So now um Stephen is talking about the dwelling place of God and he starts from the time of Moses and says for Moses it was the tabernacle of witness. Why tabernacle of witness? Because God's presence used to come and dwell in it and the priests would encounter the presence of the Lord. So they would witness the presence of the Lord. So that's why he's calling it the tabernacle of witness. And later on you know he says that um this this went ahead with Joshua as well because we know they also carried the ark of the covenant and eventually Solomon built a temple for God. But now when the Jews are standing in so much of uh pride for the temple you know where they worship Stephen is asking the question the god we serve is such a great god just tell me what can we give him a good house or a dwelling place we can't he's greater than the house so the accusation against Stephen was you know they said he has spoken against uh God. He has spoken against the temple. Those were the accusations. So now Stephen is trying to justify himself and he's saying you're so passionate about the dwelling place of God, but tell me which which house can hold God? God is greater than all of these things. So basically he's quoting the Old Testament to say that the uh what house will you build for me says the Lord? God is much greater than even the temple that you are so passionate about. So he's trying to draw them slowly to come to consider the Lord Jesus Christ and that they should not reject, they should not be like the fathers who had a hard heart against God. But ultimately what happens? Let's see. This is the sad part. So we will read from verse 51 till verse 60. You stood naked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers live, so do you. Which of the doctors did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who fortold the coming of the just one of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by the direction of the direction of angels and are not kept it. When they heard these things, they were close to the heart and they nash at him with their feet. But he being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said, "Look, I see the heavens heavens open and the son of man standing at the right hand of God." Then they cried out with the loud voice stopped their ears and ran at him with one accord. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at at the feet of a young man named Saul. And the stone as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with just with this thing." And when he had said this, it >> Yes. So uh now Stephen spoke about the temple and he was saying look God is greater than a place that we can build for him and from verse 54 he is actually um sorry verse 51 he's actually moving to preaching Christ because he says that you have rejected the just one who is the just one >> Jesus Christ. So he says you know our fathers they have rejected the prophets they have killed the prophets and now they have killed the just one that is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and they have not even obeyed the law. So in verse 53 it says who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. What is angels here? So it's from the Greek word angel laws. It should not be misunderstood that uh heavenly angels came and gave the law. Angels also stands for messenger. So messenger means what? Moses and others who had given the law to the people. People never followed the law. So the point of Stephen is why are we becoming so hard-hearted? We never followed what the prophet said, never followed the law. And now we have even rejected the just one. We have murdered the just one. So he wants them to be convicted about these matters and commit their life to Christ. But unfortunately their hearts were so hard that they got angry and instead of repenting the way we saw in Peter's sermon, people repented, this crowd did repent. They got angry and they actually stoned Stephen to death. So we see that uh you know they are stoning him and uh one second they cast him out of the city and stone him. So normally that's how they would do it. They would take the person out and they would stone. So they have done it and they also laid the clothes at whose feet? Saul. Remember I mentioned to us we are going to read that name because he is from the synagogues of Celissia. So he was very much a part of the uh marting of Stephen. So he has witnessed this uh sermon of Stephen as well. So in a way everything that Stephen has spoken is a seed in Saul's heart [clears throat] and he must have also looked at uh you know how wise how learned Steven's words are and what else can we see here? Yes, he was stol but the final moments that Stephen experienced with God. Now this is also very encouraging for us. In verse 55 we read, "But he being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." So here is Stephen, a man [clears throat] full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom, full of power, and he is answering the people who are questioning him with so much wisdom that they're not able to answer. But after all this, when they ready to stone him, even then the Bible says he's full of the Holy Spirit. So wonderful, right? the last moments he's full of the spirit and God gives him God opens his spiritual eyes. So Stephen is there he's looking and what can he see? He can see the glory of God and he can see Jesus standing at the right hand of God. So it is a picture of heaven itself. He's going to give up his life now. But God is giving him a glimpse of heaven. So in one way we can say that verse 55 has the trinity. Why? Because one is Stephen is filled with the spirit and he's also seeing God's throne. He's also seeing Jesus everything together at one go. And God is uh you know maybe why did God give him a a vision at that time maybe to encourage his heart and he's seeing all of these things and there are commentaries that say Jesus was standing right so usually what happens we say he's sitting at the right hand of the father but here >> standing so some commentators u say that maybe it was a way of God honoring his mother where Jesus is saying I commend your life. I commend your uh life of faith and courage and devotion to me that now that he's going to get martyed. It's almost like you know when we stand up and we clap it's like Jesus is standing up not even sitting standing up and saying okay this is my person and [clears throat] so those that vision would have given him much more courage and much more comfort that God is on my side all of heaven is on my side the trinity is on my side even if I'm going to give up my life and it's a scary moment people are going to kill him. But God is giving him courage. And so, uh, Stephen is saying, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God, people don't care, but this is an encounter that Stephen is having." Now, if this was not enough, when Stephen is being stoned, we see his last few sentences. So in verse 59 he says Lord Jesus receive my spirit and verse 60 he says Lord do not charge them with this sin and he when he accept this he fell asleep so receive my spirit don't charge them of the sin can you is anyone else coming to our mind >> Jesus what a what a disciple Stephen know exactly what Jesus said and did at the time when he gave up his life. Here is a man who's walking in the ways of Jesus till the last minute. He's also saying the same thing. Lord, take my spirit. I forgive these people. How can you forgive the people who are going to stone you to death? You can't answer that question. It's just like wow what a testimony. We read only two chapters about this man's def but what an impact his life has had over uh all of us. And who's watching all this? Saul. Saul is watching persecutor right? He's observing the life of Steven. So though Steven was martyed, his life is a life of great impact. Great impact. And uh I'm sure if you go back and read it again and meditate on it, you will be inspired even more. So I want to request all of us just go back read about Stephen's life again two three times just go through it and maybe in the next class we will start with Stephen's life and then we will go on so we're going to stop here so end of chapter 7 is the martyrdom of So, uh, who would like to pray before we close this understanding your words in the heart of Help us Lord to be full of the spirit full of the spirit and good reputation of Jesus from Lord the same. Thank you. Thank you everyone. God bless you.