Acts 7
Psalm 13 song
Call to worship:
pastor bobby owens
Isaiah 66.1-2
Baptisms:
pastor kevin mcguire
song:
All hail the power
Historical reading:
pastor andrew loginow
Nicene Creed
song:
Lord I need you
New members:
pastor brett eckel
Confession & pardon:
pastor brett eckel
Doxology
song:
Christ the sure & steady anchor
Sermon:
dr. alex loginow
Acts 7
Introduction
There are some things in life that are consistent, aren’t there? What’s the old adage – death and taxes? I think you can add a third one to that list – war in the Middle East. Everyone’s talking about the war in Israel right now and there’s no shortage of opinions, questions, and bad theology as a result.
Pastor Kevin and I have a mutual friend who may describe himself as religious or spiritual but he is nowhere near orthodox reformed Protestantism. But he knows that we’re pastors and he’s even come to church here before. He asked me the other day – “so this war in Israel, don’t you guys believe this has something to do with the end of the world, or a rapture, or something?” This gave us an opportunity to explain to him that we do not believe that and we were able to share with him what we do believe about the 2nd advent of Christ.
But even though we don’t believe that sort of thing many Christians do. Ever since the rise of dispensationalism in the 1850s and the re-nationalization of Israel in the 1940s there has been speculation (usually by non-reformed low church evangelicals) about Israel and a secret rapture leading to the end of history. And while there are many faithful brothers who believe this theology, I believe them to be wrong. Poor hermeneutics (which means how you interpret the Bible) gives birth to poor theology, which grows into wild speculation and an unnecessary anxiety about the imminence of the end of the world.
So if dispensationalism is incorrect, what does Scripture teach about the end of human history and does it have anything to do with the geopolitical nation Israel and that small strip of land over in the Middle East? Acts 7 isn’t the only pericope in the Bible that addresses the end of human history and Israel’s relation to God but Acts 7 does answer our questions. You noticed when we read the text that it is long; Stephen’s biblical theology can be exposited in so many different ways. We’re going to draw 8 truths out from this pericope – some will speak to the main point of the text; other will be application that stem from the text.
All of Scripture is about Christ
The 1st truth we can draw from Acts 7 is that all of Scripture is about Christ. This certainly isn’t the main point of the text but is a truth drawn from the text. As Stephen answers the charges of the Jews against him he preaches a pretty thorough biblical theology through the Old Testament. Beginning with father Abraham, Stephen works through Isaac, Jacob, the 12 patriarchs, Moses, the exodus, the giving of the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai, the golden calf idolatry, the tabernacle, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, King David’s intention to build the temple, King Solomon’s actual building of the temple, and the predictions and persecutions of the prophets. This biblical theology of the Old Testament is leading us to what? Or an even better question is to whom? Verse 52 tells us that the Old Testament announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous one.
Stephen is showing us through his hermeneutics, through his biblical theology, through his Christ-centered sermon that all of Scripture is about Christ. Beginning with Moses and all the prophets Stephen preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a nonnegotiable hermeneutical principle that not only shapes how you read and interpret Scripture but also shapes how you live your life – the Old Testament is all about the good news of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is not about God’s promises to Israel that remain unfulfilled until a future point in history, the Old Testament is not merely a collection of Children’s Sunday school stories, the Old Testament is not an archaic book about an unloving God from which we must “unhitch” ourselves. No; the Old Testament is announcing beforehand the coming of the Righteous one.
All of History is about Christ
Not only is all of Scripture about Christ but also all of history is about Christ; that is our 2nd truth – all of human history is about Christ. Again, this is not the main point of the text but a truth we can glean. It is fascinating that Stephen begins his biblical theology with Abraham. We first read about father Abraham in Genesis 12 and this really is the point in the biblical narrative that aligns with the oldest documented human history.
Many of you know we took our kids to Disney for Halloween. One of our favorite rides is at Epcot Center called Spaceship Earth. If you’ve been to Disney World or at least seen pictures, Spaceship Earth is the big golf ball looking structure at Epcot Center. The attraction is a dark ride that traces the history and development of technology and communication. The 1st scene is a bunch of cavemen trying to communicate in an effort to kill a mastodon but the next scene begins around the time of Abraham.
That’s not a coincidence; it’s because the time of father Abraham is the oldest documented human history. Everything before Abraham is guesswork in terms of dating. Scientists and historians pontificate about the origins of human history and the hundreds of millions of years before human life, which is all grounded in naturalism. Some Christians try to date Genesis 1-11 based on the genealogies but genealogies in Scripture are different and weren't intended to be used for accurate dating purposes so other Christians will argue for longer spans of time; either way Genesis 1-11 is what we call proto-history, meaning the events of Genesis 1-11 all happen before we know accurate dates. Beginning with Abraham we can accurately date every single thing that happens in Scripture.
So again, it is fascinating that Stephen begins his biblical theology with Abraham. Undoubtedly Stephen begins there because Abraham is the grandfather of Jacob, who yhwh renamed Israel and Stephen is arguing from Jewish history to the Jews, but Stephen’s structure also rightly reveals that all of human history is about Jesus Christ. We know that all of human history is about Christ because Genesis 1-11 reveals to us that God created humanity male and female in his own image to glorify him so we know that since Adam there have always been humans who worship God by trusting his promise. And also beginning with the oldest universally agreed upon documented human history at the time of father Abraham there was a covenant made between yhwh and Abraham leading us to Jesus.
That’s because all of human history is about Jesus Christ. From Genesis 3.15 through the entire Old Testament until the advent of Christ in the gospels, revealing his life, death, burial, and resurrection. And now moving forward in the book of Acts through church history until the 2nd advent of Christ when Jesus will return to raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new. Jesus is the point of history; he is the goal; the telos. Colossians 1.16 says that all things were created for the Lord Jesus Christ. All of human history is about Christ; it is his story.
The Law is Fulfilled in Christ
The 3rd truth we can draw from Acts 7 is that the Law is fulfilled in Christ. This is one of the main points of the pericope. Stephen’s speech and his martyrdom are both a result of the Jews, in part, charging Stephen with preaching that Jesus of Nazareth will change the customs that Moses delivered to Israel (Acts 6.14). Moses is the author of the Pentateuch, which is the 1st 5 books of the Bible (Genesis – Deuteronomy), also called the Law. Stephan’s final sermon is a biblical theology explaining why Christ is the fulfillment of the Law.
The Law of God was not merely for Israel for a period of time and is now dissolved. God’s Law was written on Adam’s heart even before the fall. God’s Law was written on the hearts of Noah and Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the 12 Patriarchs, Moses, and all of God’s people before yhwh gave Moses the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai. God’s Law was fulfilled in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ but not abolished. In his Sermon on the Mount the Lord Jesus said:
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5.17-20).
Jesus says he came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill the Law and that the Law will never pass away and that whoever does and teaches the Law will be called great in God’s kingdom. So while there are elements of the Law that is complete because of the Christ event (the civil and ceremonial), the 10 Commandments are still required of people by God. The only difference now is that we do not obey the 10 Commandments legalistically earning God’s favor but we obey the 10 Commandments out of love and obedience to Jesus who perfectly kept the 10 Commandments and all of God’s Law for us.
The Temple is Fulfilled in Christ
It is not only the Law that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ but the temple was also fulfilled in Christ. This was the other charge Stephen was answering. The Jews charged Stephen with preaching that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place (Acts 6.14), meaning the temple. The Jews were so offended by this teaching because under the old covenant the temple is where yhwh dwelt with his people. Stephen then preaches a biblical theology tracing the presence and promises of God throughout the Old Testament.
God was with his people even before the tabernacle and the temple. And when King David wanted to built the 1st temple yhwh told Israel that he didn’t need a house because he created the heavens and the earth. Pastor Bobby read from Isaiah 66 in our call to worship where God reiterates that reality. The temple was required under the old covenant but there is no longer any need for the temple because Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the temple.
The Lord Jesus told us so himself. In John 2.19-22 Jesus says,
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
In Matthew 24.1-2 before Jesus describes the event of AD 70 when he judged Israel and the temple the text says,
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Matthew 27.51 tells us that when Jesus Christ died the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The temple was rendered obsolete because the temple was merely a signpost pointing us forward to God incarnate – the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the true and final temple because Jesus is the only place where God dwells with man. Jesus is Immanuel – God with us!
Christ saves the worst of sinners
We needed Jesus to come to us because of our sin. As we confessed earlier in the Nicene Creed – it was for us men and for our salvation that Jesus came. We need salvation because of our sin. The 5th truth we can draw from Acts 7 is that Christ saves the worst of sinners.
Did you notice that this scene really only gives us 2 characters by name: Stephen and in verse 58 a young man named Saul. Saul (who would also be known as Paul) who preached the gospel to the ends of the earth, who wrote ½ of the New Testament, who planted churches all over the Mediterranean, who himself would one day be martyred in Jesus’ name, this Saul was a member of the Jewish mob that murdered Stephen. Acts 8.1 says that Saul approved of [Stephen’s] execution. Acts 8.3 says that Saul was ravaging the church and dragging men and women to prison. Acts 9.1 says that Saul was breathing murder against the disciples of the Lord.
In 1st Timothy 1.15 Paul would write, The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners because he understood the holiness of God and the depravity of his own heart. He understood that he sinned in thought, word, and deed, by what he did and by what he left undone. Paul understood that he had not love God with his whole heart and that he had not loved his neighbor as himself.
And the brilliance of the book of Acts is this young Pharisee who approves of the church’s 1st martyrdom will become an apostle who brings the gospel to Rome where he will face his own martyrdom. That’s good news for people like you and me because we too are the worst of sinners. You must understand that because if you don’t then you really don’t understand the gospel. If you think, “I’m really not that bad; I mean, there’s people way worse than me; my good will outweigh by bad,” then you don’t really understand the gospel.
Romans 3.10 says that there is none righteous. Romans 3.23 says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Ephesians 2 says that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We inherit a sin nature from our father Adam and we break God’s Law constantly; we are totally depraved. There’s not 1 of the 10 commandments you’ve ever fully kept in thought, word, and deed. We are all rebellious Law-breakers who deserve eternal conscious punishment in hell. But the good news is that Christ saves the worst of sinners.
We are Made Right with God through Christ
Because Jesus can and does save the worst of sinners that's the reason Jesus came to live, die, and resurrect because it is only through Jesus that we are made right with God. The 6th truth we see in Acts 7 is that we are only made right with God through Christ. In verse 52 Stephen declares that the Law and the Prophets (and by that he means the Old Testament) announce the coming of the Righteous one. The Greek word for righteous is δίκαιος; it means, “Pertaining to being in accordance with what God requires—‘righteous, just.’”
As the righteous one Jesus fulfills both the Law and the temple. Humans are only righteous if they keep God’s Law perfectly. Because God’s people broke God’s Law they needed the temple sacrificial system to cover their sins. Jesus kept God’s Law perfectly; he never sinned. And Jesus is also the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.
Because God is holy and we are sinners we need the righteous life and substitutionary death of Christ to reconcile us with God. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and he rose again on the third day so that we might receive the forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life. What you must do is take the knowledge of this good news, assent that it is true and then transfer your trust to Jesus alone. Repent and believe the gospel.
Christ identifies with us when we suffer for him
The best and most important thing that can ever happen to you is to be made right with God. That’s why a day like today where we baptized these brothers and sister are so monumental but becoming a Christian doesn’t mean you’re life will get easier. In fact, in many ways it may get more difficult. You will now find yourself at war with the world, the flesh, and the devil and often times that will cause you to suffer.
But the 7th truth we can draw from Acts 7 is that Christ identifies with us when we suffer for him. Verse 55 tells us that when Stephen finished preaching and right before the Jews stoned him to death Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Jesus stands with Stephen as Stephen dies for Jesus. Jesus knows what it’s like to be persecuted, abandoned by loved ones, falsely accused, hated, betrayed, made fun of, and martyred. And so if or when we ever face those painful or even seemingly impossible situations, Jesus stands with us. Jesus identifies with us when we suffer for him because that is the pattern of Christ – death and resurrection.
Because we have been forgiven all in Christ, we can forgive all
Not only does the text tell us how Jesus reacts to our mistreatment but it also tells us how we should react. Our 8th truth we see from Acts 7 is this: because we have been forgiven all in Christ, we can forgive all. Pastor Kevin mentioned last week how verse 60 tells us that Stephen recapitulates the Lord Jesus who forgives his murderers as they’re killing him. Verse 60 says: And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Not only did Jesus say almost the same thing as he died on the cross but Jesus said something similar when he taught us to pray – forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. Christians are people who forgive because we’ve been forgiven.
This is not always easy. C.S. Lewis said, “We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it.” But the gospel reminds us that we are the worst of sinners and we have been forgiven of our sin. We walk in the footsteps of Jesus who forgives us when we repent. We have been forgiven and so shame on us if we wont forgive.
Don’t get this wrong, though, forgiveness doesn’t mean that we act as if no wrong has happened. Some of you have been hurt by another person in such a way that a relationship can never be the same. Forgiveness does not mean we sweep evil under the rug or we are best friends with someone who has hurt us in a devastating manner. Forgiveness means we’re giving that pain, that grudge, that bitterness, that hurt, that longing for justice to God. We’re trusting God with the end result. We’re resting in God’s promise that justice will be administered either in hell or on the cross of Christ and that when Jesus returns he will make everything sad untrue.
Conclusion
Death, taxes, war in the middle east – things that always seem to be consistent in this world; 3 things you can always seem to count on. There is a 4th, though too. Because the good news of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the goal of human history and the goal of Scripture, when Jesus returns he will raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new. Living in light of the return of Christ has nothing to do with end times charts or watching Fox News and figuring out how the war in Israel is related to the antichrist or the rapture or any of that.
Living in light of the return of Christ means repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus. It means forgiving others. It means trusting Jesus even when we suffer for him. It means obeying God’s Law, not out of legalistic guilt or a self-righteous attempt at earning God’s favor but out of love for the God who created you and kept the Law on your behalf.
It means being faithful in your marriage and raising your kids to follow Jesus, most importantly by bringing them to church. It means not loving your money more than Jesus. We are all going to die and we are all going to stand before Christ in judgment. Live accordingly.