John Barnett here, and welcome to chapter seven of the book of Acts! It has been an amazing week studying God’s word, and I am so excited to introduce our newest lesson to you. Grab your Bible and your devotional journal.
Today, we are taking a "drone view" of Stephen’s magnificent sermon to witness his triumphant faith. As we look at the endless cosmic war, remember Jesus’ warning in John 10:10 that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. After stealing from the church in chapter 5, the adversary now moves to kill the church’s first martyr.
Here is a summary of the six monumental lessons we will cover in this class:
1. God is Glorious: The Pilgrimage of Abraham
(Acts 7:1-8; Hebrews 11:8-13) Stephen begins his history lesson by showing us how God called Abraham away from the idolatrous zenith of the ancient world in Ur of the Chaldeans. Abraham walked away from absolute comfort to live his life in a tent as a pilgrim. During this lesson, I’ll even take you on a virtual tour of the British Museum to show you the actual excavated artifacts of the idolatry Abraham left behind. Abraham teaches us that God is glorious enough to wait for.
2. God Delivers: Hallowing God in the Dark Like Joseph
(Acts 7:9-16; Genesis 39:9; Psalm 105:17-19) How did Joseph survive betrayal, false accusations, and agonizing iron shackles without being destroyed by bitterness? By choosing to "hallow" God’s name in the dark. When confronted with lust by Potiphar’s wife, he realized God was right there in the room. God delivered him by pulling the "stinger" of bitterness out so the venom wouldn’t destroy his life, making him fruitful in the midst of his affliction.
3. Beware of Impatience: The Tragedy of Moses
(Numbers 20:12) Moses gave into the three most common causes of anger: fear, frustration, and hurt. Because he became impatient and failed to hallow God’s name before the people, he lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land. This stands as a sobering warning to us about trying to accomplish God’s will on our own without trusting Him.
4. Healing the Unseen Heart and The Tabernacle’s Invitation
(Acts 7:39, 44; Hebrews 4; Hebrews 10) All sin starts in the unseen heart, and Israel’s hearts secretly turned back toward the destruction of Egypt. To heal this unbelief, God pitched a tent right in the center of the camp, issuing a daily open invitation to visit with Him. In this class, I’ll give you a 5-minute overview of the Tabernacle’s five stages of restoration: Christ inviting us at the gate, saving us at the altar, sanctifying us at the laver, serving us in the holy place, and securing us safely to heaven in the holy of holies.
5. The Sun That Melts Wax Hardens Clay / Jesus Stands
(Acts 7) As Stephen preaches, we see two completely opposite reactions to the truth. Stephen was beautifully softened by the Holy Spirit, while the religious leaders were hardened by their sin. As the Jewish leaders brutally crushed the life out of Stephen’s body, we witness one of the most magnificent moments in all of Scripture: Jesus, who normally sits at the Father’s right hand, physically stood up to welcome His faithful, dying servant home.
Let me leave you with the application prayer I wrote in my journal this week: "Lord, you are the God of glory. Keep me from trying to do your will in my own way. Keep my heart pure… Keep me forgiving and calm to the end for Jesus’ sake. Amen."
Dive into this class today, ask God to soften your heart, and let’s make sure we are spending time visiting with the Lord every single day!
(260701; Acts 7)
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