7/18/13

From Gary... Cats, dogs, and Gecko's - Oh, my!!!


We have had Pal for a week now and one of the things I have noticed about him is that he is curious- just like the cat in the picture.  Today, when I took him out onto the Lanai for the first time, he spent about 20 minutes just looking at everything and identifying its smell. Curiosity is a good thing, but be careful!!!  That certain something may look beautiful, but remember, Roses have thorns.  Curiosity was on my mind today, spiked by the picture above and also the one below (which I noticed first).  See if you can tell what I was thinking about...


I was thinking about Satan.  How this once favored Angel used gossip and trickery to cause 1/3 of heaven to revolt against Almighty God.  And his efforts weren't just in heaven- remember Adam and Eve?  How about the situations below...

Matthew, Chapter 4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.  3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 

  4  But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” 

  5  Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,  6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, 
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”

  7  Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”  

  8  Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.  9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” 

  10  Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, *n1 Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”  

  11  Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.

AND

2 Corinthians, Chapter 11
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.  2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.  3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different “good news”, which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.  5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.  6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.  7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?  8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.  9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.  10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.  11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.  12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.  13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.  14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.  15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 

Jesus dealt with Satan directly and Paul with his servants.  No, the devil didn't make you do that sinful act you are not proud of, he just nudged you in the right direction.  Now, the picture of the Gecko does look evil and although we like to think we can recognize evil at first glance, we probably can not. That person you know who is good looking, stylish, erudite  and very, very flattering, may be one of Satan's best emissaries.  Know your enemy- do not look on outward appearance, but at the spirit of the heart and you will always be able to spot Satan and his cohorts. Take a few minutes and re-read the Matthew passage and remember it- you will need to because Satan is not our equal- he is an angelic being, with powers beyond our own.  Do not lose that wonderful trait of youth (and animals) called curiosity; It will keep your thinking young.  Instead, gain a healthy respect for our adversary the Devil.  If you don't, well-- Curiosity killed the cat!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... What's Christian about the Christian faith?

What's Christian about the Christian faith?

The "obedience of faith" is shorthand for "the obedience of faith in Jesus Christ." It is the phrase "in Jesus Christ" that makes the Christian's faith distinctive and distinguishes it from all other faith.
The obedience of faith in Jesus Christ is not simply obedience to a moral standard. Others before us have been obedient to moral law (some more and some less) but for obvious reasons their obedience was not the "obedience of faith in Jesus Christ."
The "obedience of faith" for an Old Testament saint (see Hebrews 11, for examples) is the obedience that would rise out of his or her trust in God as he had revealed himself. It would be as genuine and as real as the Christian obedience of faith in Jesus Christ. But obedience of faith in Jesus Christ is distinctive; it is shaped by and expresses the developed purpose of God that has come to its completion only in Jesus Christ (compare Hebrews 11:39-40 as illustrative of what I mean). The OT obedience of faith could not have the content of the NT obedience of faith precisely because the Christ had not been revealed and the purpose of God had not come to completion in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The obedience of faith in Jesus Christ is never less than but it is always more than an individual submitting him or herself to Christ. It's more than saying, "I trust you and will do what is right." The Christian's faith is Christ-shaped! It is more than doing good because Christ was good. The Christian's faith is acceptance of and commitment to Christ's person and agenda and method. It is the Christian's faith that constitutes him or her a Christian.
It's important to understand that the obedience of faith in the OT or the NT was not just about an individual's inner world. Biblical faith is never simply a personal response! Israel's faith—a faith common to all the individuals that made up the nation—wasn't just about their moral response by individuals that wanted to be "saved". The faith expressed in Israel's ordinances, liturgy, festivals, behaviour and so forth was a witness to the nature, character and deeds of God as he had revealed himself. Israel's united response of faith proclaimed things like God's faithfulness to Abrahamic promises and his deliverance from Egypt and the wilderness and his bringing them into the land he promised. If we had watched Israel's life for a while we would have learned about their history and destiny under Yahweh and not just that they were a nice honest mass of individuals who treated one another well. And we would have learned it because the national faith was designed to make it known! Their faith—as a nation and as individuals who were part of that nation—proclaimed an ongoing drama that God was unfolding and of which Israel was a part. In short, faith in the OT or NT was "gospeling" and not just the correct moral response to God.
But the NT "obedience of faith" bears witness to a part of the Story that wasn't yet available to Israel of pre-Christian times. The faith, ordinances and liturgy and lives of Christians as a corporate whole bear witness to the coming of God in and as Jesus Christ, of his life, death, burial, resurrection, exaltation and returning again and what those realities mean.
That is what's "Christian" about the Christian faith. To isolate our love for our families, our honesty in business or our patience under stress from the meaning of our faith and compare them with the same realities in non-Christians is a blunder. Our obedience that rises out of faith in Jesus Christ is so shaped and is to be immediately and inextricably connected with our role as the elect of God! Our lives of faith are designed to show that we have been called out of darkness into God's light to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
We are not simply "good living" people (though we ought to be pursuing a life of goodness). We are witnesses for God and what he has done! Isaiah 43:8-12 puts it in the plainest of terms. Israel has been evil in departing from God and he sent them into captivity; but now he brings them back home and the nations are called to see it all. Was Israel freed because the Medo-Persians liberated them or was it because God set them free? The nations are called to line up their witnesses to make their case and then God says to Israel "you are my witnesses." God had foretold all this and brought it to pass and Israel was the living proof of it. So it is with the Christian faith—it bears witness to God's ancient promises and their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
It isn't all about you or me and about you and me "getting saved". It's bigger than that (though not less). It's about God and his eternal purpose and commitment toward the human family and how it is to be completed in Jesus Christ. That's what's Christian about the Christian faith.

2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan.... What does it involve?

What does it involve?

Saving faith—that is faith that brings and is the proof of life with God in and through Jesus Christ—is a personal commitment of faith and without it even Jesus said the unbeliever is lost (see Mark 16:16 and John 8:24—passages addressed to those who have heard the gospel). It is more than believing that Jesus is or can do this or that; it is committing ourselves to him because we believe truths about him. Biblical faith is central to the entire human response to the gospel and too rich to be exhaustively understood.
And it’s no news that our grasp of the gospel—in our life’s response and reflection—will always be deepening and that some of us are well ahead of the rest of us in that understanding. This is no cause for guilt feelings unless they reflect our indifference and it’s certainly no cause for alarm. 2 Peter 1:5-11, Philippians 1:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 together would come in at this point.
To believe in Jesus means that we believe Jesus Christ can and does forgive sins.
It means we believe he can do more than condemn and denounce them, that he can do more than uncover, describe, define and avoid them; he can do more than rejoice against them, more than encourage people against them; he can do more than rebuke and describe them—he can forgive them, he can wipe them away and wash us clean of them.
Jesus forgives not only little sins but big sins; he forgives not only new sins but old sins, not only occasional sins but habitual sins, deeply entrenched sins; sins that we hate and sins that we take pleasure in despite our hate of them, sins that we’re ashamed of and long for freedom from and sins that we mentally re-visit because we miss them. All these and more Jesus not only can but does forgive! To believe in Jesus is to believe that!
To believe in Jesus is to believe that first and foremost his joy in living is to glorify his Holy Father.
To believe in Jesus is to believe that as soon as he opened his eyes in the morning he rejoiced at being God’s Son and went about his daily life conscious of that relationship and making choices in light of it.
To believe in Jesus is to believe that he saw the moral chaos of this world as the alienation of the human family from his Holy Father and that one of the streams that fed the alienation is that the world does not know the Holy Father. To believe in Jesus means that we believe it broke his heart to see and hear his Holy Father maligned, misrepresented and misunderstood.
To believe in Jesus is to believe that the oppression, unrighteousness, immorality and cruelty in the world grieved him not only because it grieved his Holy Father but also because it was the ruin of the human family which the Holy Father loved. It’s to believe that our sin grieved and pained Jesus as well as offending his pure heart.
To believe in Jesus is to believe that he has accepted the will of the Holy Father that he was to set himself against sin to destroy and obliterate it. It means we embrace his agenda and methods because we can’t truly believe in Jesus and at the same time knowingly and impenitently reject his agenda and methods. We can’t have him as our Saviour and definitively reject him as our Lord.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan... Two young girls

Two young girls

Mr. St George Hare painted a picture that hangs in the Melbourne Art Gallery. So Frank Boreham told us in his Late Lark Singing (175). It's a painting of two young women fast asleep with their arms around each other's shoulders. One was a girl that God painted black and other he had painted white. And where were they? They were in some sort of waiting room, kept in custody until they were thrown to the lions the next day. And how did they spend their last night on earth before their ultimate trauma? Asleep on the straw and in their friend's arms. St. George Hare called his painting The Victory of Faith. Vision, talent and insight don't get much better than that. Two kids defied and defeated the world!
Roman tyranny and cruelty was noted, yawned at, and the girls went peacefully to sleep. Racist muck was recognized for what it is when two humans lived oblivious to it, friends together and facing the worst the girls went to sleep in one another's arms, a young black and white girl holding one another. Fears that must surely have been present at some point and probably would be again before they were done were felt, recognised, pushed aside and the girls went to a sound sleep. The approach of Death was acknowledged ("Ah, yes, so we'll see you in the morning? Right…but…yawn…if you don't mind…big yawn…we need to get some sleep, it's been a while.") but there was no grovelling; in the end Death was no more than the sleep they had now drifted into.
"What a pretty picture and what a pretty story."
No! We can dismiss it in that way if we wish but it's more than pretty and sweet and nice; it's world defying and world defeating. Two Christian kids stood up and told Rome and all the powers in and behind it, "We won't crawl and we won't back down!"
And the Rome Empire heard it, began to shake and finally shook to tiny pieces and was carried away by an eternal wind .
And to this day stuck on a wall in some gallery is the image of two real Christian kids from any age and any culture in the sleepy defiance that comes by faith in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tyrants of the world—big and small, known and unknown—take note!

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Conversion Of The Samaritans (Ac.8:4-13) 


                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

               The Conversion Of The Samaritans (8:4-13)

INTRODUCTION

1. We have seen that preaching the gospel was not without controversy...
   a. Some took issue with the message of Christ's resurrection - Ac 4:1-3
   b. Persecution became progressively worse - Ac 4:21; 5:40; 7:54-60
   c. Stephen's death led to the dispersal of many Christians from
      Jerusalem - Ac 8:1-3

2. But as Christians were scattered abroad, so was the gospel...!
   a. Christians went everywhere, "preaching the word" - Ac 8:4
   b. Among them was Philip, one of the seven selected in chapter six
      - Ac 6:5; 8:5
   c. His evangelistic efforts involved the Samaritans and the Ethiopian
      eunuch - Ac 8:4-40

[In this study, we shall examine "The Conversion Of The Samaritans". 
They were the offspring of inter-marriages at the time of Assyrian
captivity (2Ki 17:24-41) and disdained by most Jews (Jn 4:9)...]

I. THE MINISTRY OF PHILIP AT SAMARIA

   A. THEY HEEDED PHILIP...
      1. He preached Christ to them - Ac 8:5
      2. They heeded the things he spoke - Ac 8:6
      3. Having heard and seen the miracles which he did - Ac 8:6
      4. Such as casting out unclean spirits, healing the paralyzed and
         lame - Ac 8:7
      5. Leading to great joy in the city - Ac 8:8

   B. THEY FORMERLY HEEDED SIMON...
      1. A sorcerer, who had astonished the people, claiming to be great
         - Ac 8:9
      2. Of whom all had said, "This man is the great power of God - Ac 8:10
      3. Astonishing them with his sorceries for a long time - Ac 8:11
   
   C. THEY THEN BELIEVED PHILIP...
      1. As he preached the kingdom of God and the name of Christ - Ac 8:12 
      2. They believed and were baptized, both men and women - Ac 8:12
      3. Even Simon also believed and was baptized - Ac 8:13
      4. Who continued with Philip, amazed at the miracles and signs he
         did - Ac 8:13

[This is the first gospel preaching to those not fully Jews.  Let's
therefore take a closer look at...]

II. THE CONVERSION OF THE SAMARITANS

   A. THE SAMARITANS...
      1. The gospel message preached by Philip
         a. We are told that he preached "Christ" - Ac 8:5
            1) This undoubtedly included Christ's death, resurrection
            2) The same things Peter preached about Christ in chapters
               2 and 3
         b. We are told that he preached "the things concerning the
            kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" - Ac 8:12
            1) What things concerning "the kingdom of God"?
               a) John, Jesus, and the apostles had earlier taught the
                  kingdom was "at hand" - cf. Mt 3:1; 4:17; 10:7
               b) Later, Paul and John wrote of the kingdom as present
                  - Col 1:13; Re 1:9
               c) The expression "kingdom of God" literally means the
                  "reign of God"
               d) It is likely that Philip spoke of the rule and reign
                  of God now present in the Person of His Son Jesus 
                  Christ - cf. Mt 28:18; Ac 2:36; 5:31
            2) What things concerning "the name of Jesus Christ"?
               a) Likely that repentance and remission of sins were now
                  being proclaimed in His name - Lk 24:47
               b) It clearly included what Jesus commanded - Mk 16:15-16
      2. The response of the Samaritans
         a. They "heeded the things spoken by Philip"; this implies
            obedience - Ac 8:6; cf. He 5:9
         b. They "believed" and "were baptized" - Ac 8:12
         c. Like Peter, Philip faithfully fulfilled the Lord's great
            commission - Mk 16:15-16
         d. Heeding the things spoken by Philip therefore included
            baptism - cf. Ac 2:38; 22:16

   B. SIMON THE SORCERER...
      1. Was Simon truly converted?
         a. Many deny that he was, because of what happened afterward
         b. But Luke (inspired by the Holy Spirit) says Simon "also
            believed" - Ac 8:13
         c. Simon believed just as the others did
         d. Therefore his faith was as real as the rest of the
            Samaritans
         e. While there may be fanciful traditions concerning Simon
            outside of the Bible, the indication of Scripture is that his
            conversion was real
      2. Simon is an example of how fallen Christians can be restored
         a. He was later told to "repent" and "pray" - Ac 8:22
         b. When a Christian sins, therefore, he needs not to be
            baptized again, but to repent and pray, confessing his sins 
            - cf. 1Jn 1:9
         c. Simon reveals how quickly Christians can be overtaken in
            sin, but also how they can obtain forgiveness and be 
            restored!

CONCLUSION

1. The conversion of the Samaritans (including Simon) is simple and
   straightforward...
   a. When Christ is preached and heeded - Ac 8:5-6
   b. People will believe and be baptized - Ac 8:12-13

2. Their conversion is as simple and direct as the commission under
   which Philip preached...
   a. Jesus commanded His apostles to preach faith and baptism - 
      Mk 16:15-16
   b. Philip fulfilled that great commission regarding the Samaritans 
      - Ac 8:12-13

How about you?  Have you believed and been baptized?  If so but you then
strayed from the faith, have you repented and prayed like Peter later
told Simon to do?  

In either case, do not delay to "heed" the commands of the gospel...!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

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From Mark Copeland... Saul The Persecutor (Ac.8:1-3) 


                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                     Saul The Persecutor (8:1-3)

INTRODUCTION

1. Following Stephen's death, a great persecution arose against the
   church...
   a. Disciples in Jerusalem were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria
      - Ac 8:1
   b. The apostles, however, remained in Jerusalem - ibid.

2. Leading the persecution against the church was a young man...
   a. Whose name was Saul - Ac 8:3
   b. Who later became known as Paul, the apostle - cf. Ac 13:9

(We will consider Saul's conversion later.  But to appreciate the
significance of his conversion, we should know his background and what
motivated him as a persecutor, beginning with Saul's...]

I. EARLY LIFE AND TRAINING

   A. HIS ANCESTRY AND YOUTH...
      1. Born in Tarsus of Cilicia - Ac 21:39; 22:3; 23:34
         a. Cilicia was a Roman province in SE Asia Minor (modern
            Turkey)
         b. Tarsus was the capital ("no mean city"), known for its
            culture and learning said to exceed even those of Athens and
            Alexandria - Strabo, Geography 14.5
      2. Born of Jewish ancestry
         a. A Hebrew, or Israelite, of the seed of Abraham - 2Co 11:22
         b. Of the tribe of Benjamin - Ro 11:1
         c. A Hebrew of the Hebrews (both parents Hebrews?) - Php 3:5
      3. Born a Roman citizen - Ac 22:25-29
         a. Some think because Tarsus was a free city, but such a
            designation did not automatically impart citizenship
         b. One of Paul's ancestors either purchased or was rewarded
            citizenship for services rendered to Rome - W. M. Ramsay
         c. We do not know the date of his birth, some place it around
            the time of Jesus' birth

   B. HIS EDUCATION...
      1. Taught in Jerusalem by Gamaliel, a Pharisee and respected
         teacher of the Law - Ac 22:3; cf. Ac 5:34-40
      2. A son of a Pharisee, he became a strict Pharisee - Ac 23:6;
         26:4-5; Php 3:5
      3. He excelled above his contemporaries in Judaism - Ga 1:13-14
      4. Was also trained as tent-maker - Ac 18:1-3

   C. HIS CHARACTER...
      1. He was zealous in persecuting the church, concerning the Law
         blameless - Php 3:6
      2. He served God with a pure conscience - 2Ti 1:3; Ac 23:1
      3. Thus he was ignorant of his blasphemy and persecution - 1Ti 1:12-13

[With his early life and training, Saul of Tarsus was on the "fast track"
when it came to his religious faith.  It was sincere zeal in defending
his faith that led to his brief but fervent career as...]

II. PERSECUTOR OF THE CHURCH

   A. AT THE DEATH OF STEPHEN...
      1. Saul was present at the death of the first Christian martyr 
         - Ac 7:57-58
      2. He consented to the death of Stephen - Ac 8:1; 22:20

   B. MAKING HAVOC OF THE CHURCH...
      1. Entering homes, dragging men and women to prison - Ac 8:3; 22:4
      2. Entering synagogues, imprisoning and beating those who believed
         in Jesus - Ac 22:19
      3. He believed it necessary to do things contrary to the name of
         Jesus - Ac 26:9-11
         a. Imprisoning believers by the authority of the chief priests
         b. Casting his vote against them as they were put to death
         c. Compelling them to blaspheme
         d. Pursuing them to foreign cities (such as Damascus) - cf. Ac 9:1-2

   C. HIS LATER CONFESSION...
      1. Admits he persecuted the church "beyond measure" in an attempt
         to destroy it - Ga 1:13
      2. It was due to his great zeal - Php 3:6
      3. Though ignorant, he was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent
         man - 1Ti 1:13
      4. For such reasons, he considered himself the least of the
         apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle - 1Co 15:9

CONCLUSION

1. From being the worst foe of the church, Paul would later become one
   of its best friends...
   a. Saul the persecutor would soon become Paul the preacher - Ga 1:22-24
   b. Paul attributed it to the grace and mercy of God - 1Co 15:9-10;
      1Ti 1:12-14

2. Every aspect of Saul's life prior to his conversion prepared him for
   the task the Lord gave him...
   a. His Jewish heritage and Roman citizenship suited him for preaching
      to both Jews and Gentiles
   b. His training by Gamaliel would serve him well in his writings on
      the Law in Romans, Galatians
   c. His skill as a tent-maker would assist him in his travels
   d. Even his history as persecutor would strengthen his testimony as an
      eyewitness of Christ

But most of all, his conversion despite his persecution of the church
serves as a wonderful example of God's mercy:

   "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that 
   Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
   chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me 
   first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern
   to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life."
                                                   - 1Ti 1:15-16

Have you obtained the mercy offered in Jesus Christ (Tit 3:4-7)?  No
matter how you have lived in the past, you can be justified by His
grace...! - Ac 22:16


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

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From Mark Copeland... The First Martyr (Ac.6:8-7:60) 


                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                     The First Martyr (6:8-7:60)

INTRODUCTION

1. As the church in Jerusalem grew, persecution intensified...
   a. Beginning with threats not to preach - Ac 4:18-21
   b. Followed by beatings and more threats - Ac 5:40

2. The persecution soon reached a new level...
   a. Beginning with the martyrdom of Stephen, one of the seven - Ac
      6:5
   b. Leading to a great persecution against the whole church - Ac 8:1

[Stephen was the first martyr who gave his life for Christ.  A man "full
of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Ac 6:5), his example has inspired many
to suffer for Christ in a similar manner.  To appreciate why, let's begin
by reviewing...]

I. STEPHEN'S ARREST

   A. PROMPTED BY HIS MINISTRY...
      1. Full of faith and power, he did great wonders and signs among
         the people - Ac 6:8
      2. He disputed with some from the Synagogue of the Freedmen - Ac 6:9-10
         a. Cyrenians, Alexandrians (Africa), and those from Cilicia
            and Asia (Turkey)
         b. Who were unable to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by
            which he spoke

   B. LED BY FALSE ACCUSATIONS...
      1. By men secretly induced to charge him with blasphemy against
         Moses and God - Ac 6:11-12
         a. Who stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes
         b. To seize and bring him to the council (the Sanhedrin)
      2. By false witnesses set up to charge Stephen with blasphemy 
         - Ac 6:13-14
         a. Against the holy place (temple):  "We have heard him say
            that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place"
         b. Against the law (of Moses):  "and change the customs which
            Moses delivered to us"
      3. Stephen may have referred to what Jesus spoke about:
         a. Destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days - Mk 14:58
         b. Which John explained referred to the temple of His body 
            - Jn 2:19-21  
      4. Stephen may also referred to what Jesus spoke about:
         a. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple - 
            Mt 24:1-2; Mk 13:1-2; Lk 21:5-6
         b. Which did affect customs that Moses delivered (e.g., animal
            sacrifices ceased)

   C. ACCOMPANIED BY COMPOSURE...
      1. All who sat in the council looked steadfastly at him - Ac 6:15
      2. They saw his face as the face of an angel - ibid.
      3. Evidence that he was filled with the Spirit - cf. Ac 6:5; Ga 5:22-23

[Stephen faced his accusers with "a presence marked by confidence,
serenity, and courage." (EBC)  With the question of the high priest (Ac
7:1), the stage is set for Stephen's defense...]

II. STEPHEN'S DEFENSE

   A. GOD'S DEALINGS WITH ABRAHAM...
      1. The call to leave Mesopotamia - Ac 7:2-3
      2. The sojourn in Canaan - Ac 7:4
      3. The promise of possession to his descendants - Ac 7:5-7
      4. The covenant of circumcision - Ac 7:8
      5. His descendants:  Isaac, Jacob, the twelve patriarchs - Ac 7:8

   B. THE PATRIARCHS' SOJOURN IN EGYPT...
      1. Joseph sold into Egypt, becomes governor - Ac 7:9-10
      2. Jacob and his sons move to Egypt during the famine - Ac 7:11-14
      3. The patriarchs buried in Canaan - Ac 7:15-16

   C. GOD'S DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL BY MOSES...
      1. The children Israel in Egypt become slaves - Ac 7:17-19
      2. The work of Moses, deliverer of Israel
         a. Raised by Pharaoh's daughter - Ac 7:20-21
         b. Educated by Egyptians, mighty in words and deeds - Ac 7:22
         c. Kills an Egyptian, but despised by his brethren - Ac 7:23-28
         d. Flees to Midian where he has two sons - Ac 7:29
         e. The Lord appears to him in a burning bush at Mount Sinai 
            - Ac 7:30-34
         f. Returns to Egypt, delivers Israel and brings them into the
            wilderness - Ac 7:35-36

   D. ISRAEL'S REBELLION AGAINST MOSES AND GOD...
      1. Moses is the person:
         a. Who said God would raise up another prophet like him - Ac 7:37
         b. Who spoke to the Angel on Mount Sinai - Ac 7:38
         c. Who received living oracles to give to Israel - Ac 7:38
         d. Whom the fathers would not obey but rejected - Ac 7:39
      2. Israel is the nation:
         a. Who turned back into Egypt in their hearts - Ac 7:39
         b. Who pressured Aaron to make a golden calf - Ac 7:40-41
         c. Whom God gave up to worship idols for forty years in the
            wilderness - Ac 7:42-43
            1) They may have offered sacrifices to the Lord
            2) But they also worshiped Moloch and Remphan - cf. Am 5:25-27

   E. GOD'S TRUE TABERNACLE...
      1. The fathers of Israel had the tabernacle of witness
         a. In the wilderness, built according to the pattern shown
            Moses - Ac 7:44
         b. Brought into the promised land by Joshua - Ac 7:45
      2. They also had the temple
         a. Asked for by David, who found favor before God - Ac 7:46
         b. Built by his son Solomon - Ac 7:47
      3. Yet the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands
         a. For heaven is His throne and earth is His footstool - Ac 7:48-49
         b. His hand has made all these things - Ac 7:50; cf. Isa 66:1-2
         c. This may have been to allay any concern about the
            destruction of the temple, as God is not bound to be 
            worshipped at just one location - cf. Jn 4:19-24

   F. ISRAEL'S RESISTANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...
      1. Stephen charges the council of resisting the Holy Spirit, like
         their fathers - Ac 7:51
      2. Their fathers persecuted and killed the prophets, so they have
         killed the Just One - Ac 7:52
      3. They received the law, but did not keep it - Ac 7:53

[Stephen surveyed Israel's history of rejecting God and His Spirit, then
charged that they followed in their fathers' rebellion by having murdered
the Just One (Jesus).  They themselves had not kept the very Law they
accused him of having blasphemed!  With such accusers, the outcome is not
surprising...]

III. STEPHEN'S DEATH

   A. THE REACTION OF THE COUNCIL...
      1. They were cut to the heart
         a. They gnashed at Stephen with their teeth - Ac 7:54
         b. Compare those on the day of Pentecost - cf. Ac 2:37
      2. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven
         a. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right
            hand of God - Ac 7:55
         b. He tells what he saw:  "The Son of Man standing at the right
            hand of God!" - Ac 7:56
         c. Why is Jesus standing?
            1) He is otherwise described as sitting - Lk 22:69; Mk 16:19;
               Ac 2:34; Ep 1:20; Col 3:1; He 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 
               Re 3:21
            2) Could it be out of respect, to welcome His first martyr?
      3. In response, the council:
         a. Cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears - Ac 7:57
         b. Ran at him with one accord, and cast him out of the city 
            - Ac 7:58

   B. THE STONING OF STEPHEN...
      1. The witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of Saul - Ac 7:58;
         22:20
         a. Who consented to Stephen's death - Ac 8:1
         b. Who later led a great persecution against the church - 
            Ac 8:3; 9:1-2
      2. They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God - Ac 7:59-60
         a. "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" - cf. Lk 23:46
         b. "Lord, do not charge them with this sin" - cf. Lk 23:34
      3. Having said this, he fell asleep (i.e., died) - Ac 7:60; 8:1

CONCLUSION

1. Stephen's death was the first of many...
   a. Saul (Paul) would later confess of others - Ac 22:4; 26:9-11
   b. We read of other martyrs:  James, Antipas - Ac 12:1-2; Re 2:13
   c. Countless thousands have died for Christ over the years, even to
      the present day

2. We may never face martyrdom; but when we encounter persecution for
   our faith, we should...
   a. Face with it the composure of Stephen - Ac 6:15
   b. Possess the forgiving spirit of both Jesus and Stephen - Lk 23:34;
      Ac 7:60

Remembering Jesus' promise:  "Be faithful until death, and I will give
you the crown of life." - Re 2:10


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

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