I. Accusations Against Stephen Read 6:8-15
A. Blasphemous Words
1. Against Moses 6:11
2. Against God 6:11
3. Against The Temple 6:13
4. Against The Law Of Moses 6:13
a. Sabbath keeping
b. Circumcision
c. Worship @ Temple
B. Change Our Way Of Worship
1. Jesus To Destroy Temple 6:14
2. Change Jewish Customs 6:14
C. Summary & Interpretation Of Accusations
1. They held Moses in high esteem
a. Jewish Law came from God to Moses
b. Interesting that they mentioned Moses before God
c. Obedience to Law meant a man was righteous- (Paul refutes this)
2. Religious change would be against God
3. Temple was essential to a life with God
4. Law of Moses was the only way to God
5. They viewed Jesus as a blasphemer
a. God could never become a man
b. A crucified man was cursed by God; couldn’t be Messiah
6. Their customs and traditions superceded God’s Word. Mark 7:1-11
D. Their Question To Stephen Read 7:1
1. Are you against Moses?
2. Are you against God?
3. Are you against the Temple?
4. Are you trying to do away with the Law?
5. Is Jesus going to destroy the Temple? (They didn’t believe in resurrection)
6. Are you trying to change our way of life and worship?
II. Stephen’s Answer Re. Abraham Read 7:2-8
A. Abraham- Held In High Esteem By Jewish Leaders
1. From Mesopotamia: Abraham-an idolater when God chose him 7:2
2. Abraham called to leave home and family. 7:3
a. His homeland was Chaldea (Babylon)
b. Babylon later conquered the Jews. God chose an idolater. 7:4
c. Abraham’s calling not based on merit, but on grace.
3. Abraham obeyed partially, took father and nephew 7:4
a. Stayed in Haran- probably a number of years
b. Abraham’s disobedience did not cancel God’s Promise
c. God’s Promise delayed, but renewed when Abraham obeyed
4. Undeserving, childless, not in need, God promises Abraham much 7:5
5. God foretold Israel’s bondage in Egypt. 7:6
a. They would be conquered; unable to liberate themselves
b. God would mercifully and graciously free them
c. He would do for them that which they could not do for themselves
d. They would enter Canaan, and worship Go there
e. God’s gracious promise to Abraham and to a nation that would come
6. Then came the sign of circumcision
a. An outward sign of faith in a promise previously given by God
b. Circumcision not a reason for the Promise, but a sign of faith.
B. Implications Regarding Abraham
1. No place for ancestral pride among Jews- Abraham called when an idolater
2. Abraham disobedient at times; God was faithful
3. Abraham didn’t need the Land; God’s gracious gift and plan
4. Abraham couldn’t conquer the Land; God’s gracious gift and plan
5. Abraham’s descendants were slaves- freed by God’s grace
6. Jews were unqualified, former idolaters, slaves, conquered by Egypt.
7. God loved them anyway.
8. Circumcision not a means to reward, but a sign of faith.
9. Jews in 1st century prided themselves re. circumcision.
10. They should have focused more on God’s grace instead of their own works.
11. Abraham unqualified, undeserving; righteous by faith, not works. (Gen. 15:6)
III. Stephen’s Answer Re. Joseph Read 7:9-16
A. Patriarchs
1. Leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel
2. Envious of Jacob’s love for Joseph 7:9
3. Sold Joseph into slavery 7:9
4. Pretended he had been killed
5. Lied to their father
B. Joseph
1. God was with Joseph 7:9
2. God delivered Joseph 7:10
3. God gave favor and wisdom to Joseph 7:10
4. God exalted Joseph among pagans 7:10
5. Joseph was raised up as a deliver and as a savior to God’s people 7:11-14
6. Israel’s savior appeared to them to be a pagan, but he wasn’t.
C. Implications Re. Patriarchs & Joseph
1. Those who became leaders of 12 tribes began as envious, murderous liars
2. Israel’s deliverer was a rejected man
a. Unloved, unappreciated, unrecognized
b. Appeared to be a pagan and not one to be accepted
c. The one rejected by familial leaders turned out to be their deliverer
IV. Stephen’s Answer Re. Moses Read 7:17-44
A. God’s People 7:17-20
1. God multiplied them numerically, even in slavery
2. They were persecuted and oppressed- new oppressive king
3. Unable to deliver themselves
B. God’s Raised Up A New Deliverer
1. Moses born: well pleasing to God 7:20
2. Raised in a pagan environment 7:21-22
3. Mighty in words and deeds 7:22b
4. Stepped forward as a Deliverer, but not recognized 7:23-25
5. Rejected as a leader and deliverer 7:26-28
6. God’s chosen Deliverer rejected and set aside for 40 years 7:29
7. God graciously repeats the call for Moses, the Deliverer 7:30-34
a. God does His work from a bush in the wilderness 7:30-32
b. Wherever God is, is Holy Ground. Not just the Temple 7:33
8. God reiterates His gracious concern for His helpless people 7:34a
9. God calls Moses from a bush, miracles, delivers the people. 7:34b-36
10. The Jews had rejected another Deliverer from God 7:35
C. Moses Predicted Another Deliverer To Come 7:37
D. Israel’s Repeated Rebellion Against God 7:38
1. Against Moses: God’s uniquely qualified leader 7:38, 39a
2. The Israelites preferred Egypt and idolatry 7:39b-41
3. The Israelites backslid into more sp. sin. 7:42, 43
V. Other Facts About Israel’s History Read 7:44-46
A. Israel Had Opportunity For True Worship Of God 7:44
B. God Conquered Their Enemies; Gave Them Canaan 7:45
C. God Commanded/Allowed That The Temple Be Built 7:46
VI. Israel’s Spiritual State
A. Overemphasized Temple; De-emphasized God Read 7:47-50
B. Wrongly Emphasized Religious Customs And Traditions Mark 7
C. Spiritual Character Read 7:51-53
1. Stiff-necked; stubborn 7:51
2. Carnal; physically religious (circumcision), spiritually dead 7:51
3. Resisted Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit brings truth, conviction. 7:51
4. Persecuted and killed God’s prophets 7:52
5. Persecuted and killed Jesus 7:52
6. Disobedient to God’s law, yet very religious 7:53
VII. Sin Of Jewish Leadership
A. Truth Did Not Bring Conviction 7:54
B. Clear Truth Was Ignored 7:57
C. Truth Brought Forth Anger & Murder 7:57-59
VIII. Life Of Stephen
A. Full Of Holy Spirit 7:55
B. Graced With Glimpse Into Heaven 7:55, 56
C. Was Surrendered To Christ 7:59
D. Loving & Forgiving To The End 7:60
1. Fell asleep on earth, woke up in heaven
2. Same heart & words as Jesus on the cross
IX. Application To Our World
A. A Christian Can Share The Truth…
1. Powerfully, unarguably, and be rejected
2. Accurately, supernaturally, (word of wisdom)and be rejected
3. Lovingly, forgivingly, and be rejected, even killed
4. When people cannot resist your words, they will…
a. Change the subject
b. Try to out-shout you
c. Attack you verbally, physically
B. People Can & Do Ignore The Obvious Truth About Jesus
C. Self-Made Spirituality Is Deadly
1. #1 question for every “spiritual person”: Why do you believe what you believe; what is the authority behind what you believe?
2. Prov. 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
3. 2 Timothy 3:5a, 7 5having a form of godliness but denying its power…7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.