 Amen. So Acts chapter 7, Stephen's Sermon. So it's a long chapter, 60 verses long. We're going to get through the whole thing tonight. I want to make sure that I'm not saying I won't go back and preach a couple different things on Acts chapter 7, but I want to get through the whole thing so we see the context of what Stephen was talking about. Because Stephen, if you remember from Acts chapter 6.5 that we did last week, if you remember we looked at two things. We looked at the self-righteousness of the Jewish leaders, and we looked at what they accused Stephen of. They accused him of wanting to change the law of Moses or of being against Moses, of being against what they considered the law that the Jews at that time considered. They said he was against that. He was trying to change that. And then they accused him of trying to destroy the temple. So Stephen, in a roundabout way, in a very detailed way actually, he addresses both of those things in his sermon in Acts chapter 7. At first glance, if you just read through it one time, at first glance it looks like Stephen's just giving a history lesson of the nation of Israel. But he's actually pointing out some very specific things along the way. He definitely is giving, walking them through the history of where they came from, but he's pointing out along the way some very specific things to address what they're accusing him of. Alright, so let's go ahead and get into the sermon this evening. Look at Acts chapter 6 in verse number 11 very quickly and we'll go right into Acts 7. But the Bible says this is what they did to Stephen, okay? They support men which said, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. So this is the accusation against him. They also accused him of wanting to destroy the temple. We'll talk about that as well. But now look at Acts chapter 7 in verse number 1. So he's brought before the council and the high priest asked him. It says, then said the high priest in verse number 1, are these things so? He's like, basically says to Stephen, what do you have to say for yourself? And then Stephen, the majority of the rest of the chapter is Stephen preaching this sermon against these people. Alright, look at verse number 2. So from verse 2 on, basically verse 2 through about verse number 8 is what I would call Stephen's just going, he's just talking about the origins. He started to explain to these people where they came from, where your beginning came from with Abraham. Look what he says in verse number 2. He says, and men, he said, men brethren and fathers harken, the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charon and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. Turn to Genesis chapter 12. This is what he's referring to here. We're not going to go back to every single point in the Old Testament. We wouldn't have time to do that. But he's referring to when God called, he first called Abram out of his country. Okay, look at Genesis chapter 12 in verse number 1. Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country. He's like, he goes up to Abram, he says, you're going to have to move. You're going to have to move. And from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee. Now look at verse number 4. And then he came out of the land. So Abram just did it. He just went. Okay, he went to the land and he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charon. And from thence when his father was dead he removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance in it. No, not so much as to set his foot on. This is what turned to Hebrews chapter 11. So this is Stephen talking. He's saying, Abram was told that he was going to get this land, this country. And he's like, but he never got it himself is what Stephen is saying. Not so much as to set his foot on yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession and to his seed after him when as yet he had no child. So Abram was married to Sarah at that time and she had, she, they had no children. They had no children. So God is saying, you're going to inherit all this land. Your children's children are going to inherit all this land. They didn't even have any children. And they were, you know, they were old. They were old, the Bible says. And God spake on this wise that his seed should so join in a strange land. That means, you know, live or travel to in a strange land. And that they should bring them into bondage and then treat them evil 400 years. So not only is Abram not going to get to see this land, but his ancestors, his, his children's children and, you know, ancestry that's supposed to inherit the land is going to be treated evil for 400 years before they even get a chance to see it. So this is a far off promise for Abram. Look at Hebrews chapter 11. This is the, the faith chapter in the Bible. But this shows you the faith of Abraham right here. And Hebrews chapter 11 is pointing it out. By faith Abraham was called to go out into a place where he should after, which he should after received for an inheritance obeyed. And he went out not knowing whether he went. He just, God told him get up and go and he just got up and he went. By faith he so joined into the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob and heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city with hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. Through faith Sarah also, faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age. She was old because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead. So as many as the stars of the sky in the multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. So he had all these ancestors. It says these all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. So look this is what Romans chapter 4 verse number 2 says you know faith is what saved Abraham. Okay faith look he just he went on faith. He believed God Romans 4 says and it was counted to him for righteousness. Everybody in the Old Testament was saved the exact same way that everybody in the New Testament is just by faith by believing God. So that's the first thing that we need to understand right there. But the point is is that Abraham he proved his faith because he just had no he got none of it. He got none of it. He just went where he was supposed to go and totally by faith. Look at Acts chapter 7 and verse number 7 and the nation so look it says you know God spake to him that they would go into bondage and treat them evil for 400 years. This was the Egyptian slavery that he's talking about he's saying they'll go through great hardship before even reaching this promised land. Look at verse number 7 and the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge said God and after that they shall come forth and serve me in this place. And he gave them the covenant of circumcision. He gives them this covenant to set them apart from the other nations and so Abraham begat Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. So that's he's basically explaining to them this is where you came from and Abraham went by faith. Abraham had faith in what God said. So that's the first contrast that he makes with these people. He's like look Abraham didn't receive anything that God promised him he just had faith. Okay that's the first thing. So here it begins look at Acts chapter 7 in verse number 9. Now what he's going to do he's going to start pointing out prophets in the Bible and he's going to contrast the prophets with what the people of their time thought about the prophets and he's going to start out with Joseph look at Acts chapter 7 in verse number 9 says and the patriarch so here we are the patriarch that means Jacob's 12 sons okay and the patriarchs that became the 12 tribes of Israel and the patriarchs moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt but God was with him. So here we see in verse number 9 we see the first prophet that he brings up. Well I guess you could count Abraham but he brings up a prophet Joseph and it says the people who are the people his brothers there was literally only 12 of them at this point. There was only 12 men in the nation at this point and already they were disagreeing with what God was saying already. So this is what Stephen is getting at here he's trying to point out a pattern to these people okay look what he says so I have underlined in my Bible I have moved with envy and I have Joseph so the prophet is Joseph and the people were moved with envy against him go to Genesis 37 what were they mad at Joseph about what were they mad at Joseph about they were envious of him right so they were envious what does envy mean we just went through this on Sunday morning they were mad because he had something that they didn't have or he was doing something that they didn't have having success that they weren't having they were just upset at what he had he had the favor of his father but more over it's what God was showing him is what they were upset about look at verse number five of Genesis 37 this is what happened and Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it his brethren and they hated him yet the more they already hated him in the first place he was the baby of the family and his dad favored him he gave him the coat of many colors remember and now it says Joseph dreamed a dream and told it his brother he said what's the big deal the kid has a dream and he tells his brothers and his brothers hate him like what's the problem let's look at what the dream was alright the dream it said he said unto them here I pray you this dream which I have dreamed for behold and look we know this dream was of God because this is exactly what happened this was a prophecy of what actually came to pass he says for behold we were binding sheaves in the field and low my sheaf arose stood upright and behold your sheaf stood round about and made obi essence to my sheaf to my sheaf it's like you know my sheaf rose up and you all bowed down to me this is what he says this is what the kid says alright so they hated him even more alright but the point is what they should have done is they should have listened to what God's word was saying they should have listened to the prophecy that joseph was saying look at verse number ten of acts chapter seven because this is exactly what happened in the bible look at verse number ten and delivered him so the last part of verse number nine is first of all joseph's brothers were against him and they actually tried to kill him and then they ended up selling him into slavery into Egypt but God was with him okay I mean this is a there's a sermon right there okay that it doesn't matter who's against you in your life if God is with you none of that matters because joseph rose to the number two position in all the kingdom of Egypt look at verse number ten God was with him and delivered him out of all his afflictions he was in jail he got out of jail and then he served pharaoh and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of pharaoh king of Egypt and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house you know the story of joseph is just such a good story of just like just let God promote you just let God promote you don't go to work or don't go off in your life and it's like you know hey do great things that's great but don't be like look at how great I am because if God's with you God will promote you God will raise you to those you know if you raise yourself to the high seats you're going to be put in the low seats the bible says alright but look joseph's a perfect example he got raised to the second position in the land of Egypt now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan this was a terrible drought and great affliction and our fathers found no sustenance but when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt he sent our fathers first so it's the dad he sends the boys into Egypt to look for food to look for livestock for food for their livestock for corn and the second time joseph was made known to his brethren so joseph being basically ruler of the kingdom at this point sees these men coming and he makes himself known to his brothers he says hey it's me it's me and joseph's kingdom was made known unto Pharaoh and joseph showed what what do we pray for in the prayer joseph showed mercy to his brothers then sent joseph and called his father jacob to him and all his kindred three score and fifteen souls he brought everyone to Egypt and took care of everybody ok he forgave them so jacob went down into Egypt jacob actually died there and he died and our fathers and were carried into Sitchum and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of emor the father of Sitchum but when the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt so the time of the promise the time when God wanted to move his people out of Egypt into the promise land the people in Egypt were multiplying the Hebrews in Egypt were just they were getting more and more and more until another king arose which knew not joseph now another pharaoh comes along doesn't know who joseph is doesn't care who joseph is but it's all freaked out that these people are multiplying so much and he enslaves them ok so look at verse number nineteen the same dealt subtly subtly is never a good thing in the bible by the way you should never be subtle in your life if you have something to say say it the devil is subtle you know when he's dealing subtly he's sneaking about subtly planting things subtly is never a good thing and evil entreated our fathers so that they cast out their young children to the end they might not live this is in exodus chapter one where pharaoh this new pharaoh literally says so he can stop the Hebrews from multiplying so much he literally says to them kill all the male Hebrew children he's like they must he tells the midwives to kill all the male babies of the Hebrews and this is where you know the slavery begins and this is when moses is of course saved out of that situation he ends up being raised by pharaoh's daughter but look at verse number twenty of acts chapter seven now we see the second prophet here the second prophet that steven is bringing up in which time moses was born and was exceeding fair and nourished up in his father's house three months when he was cast out pharaoh's daughter took him out took him up and nourished him for her own son and moses was learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds so moses was he was he was raised in pharaoh's house he had literally like everything to lose he had a great worldly life and when he was a full forty years old verse twenty three it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of israel and seeing one of them suffer wrong he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed and smote the egyptian so here he was in pharaoh's house he knew he was a hebrew and he felt compelled to go as a hebrew to visit the hebrew people who were in slavery and he goes and he sees one of the hebrews being beaten or treated badly by an egyptian and he kills this egyptian he kills this egyptian look at verse number twenty five then steven is pointing out some very specific things here for he's supposed he saw one of them suffer wrong and he defended him for he's supposed his brethren would have understood how that god by his hand would deliver them but they understood not see moses here steven points out moses in verse twenty five he thought that the hebrews would rise up he thought that the hebrews would be like i'm so glad you're here to help us but that's not what they did and it's interesting because there's proof that steven has the holy ghost with him here because steven if you read the story we don't really have time to go back to ax chapter two and study this story but if you read the story in exodus chapter two about moses killing this egyptian and and then fleeing it doesn't really focus on what the hebrews said what it focuses on that he was worried that pharaoh would find out that's why he runs away but look at what it focuses on here he says you know they understood not look at verse twenty six and the next day because something else happens the next day after he kills the egyptian he showed himself unto them as they strove and would have set them at one again saying sir is your brethren why do you wrong to do wrong to one another so now he goes back the next day and he sees two hebrews fighting and he breaks them up and he says hey like your brothers what are you doing and look what they said to him again but he that did his neighbor wrong the guy that started the fight thrust moses away saying who made the ruler and judge over us these people are slaves these people are slaves this guy comes in and is trying to help them he's trying to help them in this physical conflict he literally saved one of them the day before and then this guy says to him would thou kill me as thou did us the egyptian yesterday i mean thanks a lot right pretty thankful people here then fled moses this is where steven says something just a little bit he gives a little bit more information than exodus chapter two he says then fled moses at this saying and was a stranger in the land of median where he got to sons so look i'm not saying that he didn't run away thanks to this chapter two because he thought pharaoh was going to find out he clearly thought that but part of it was he's like these people don't want my help this is what steven focuses on in ax chapter seven he focuses on once again what do we see a prophet and we see the people which people the children of israel rebelling against the prophet the first day they met moses the first the first day steven points out they rebelled against him the next day they rebelled against him so he leaves he takes off and look he goes to the land of median where he gets to sons he's there for 40 years he's there for 40 years before god calls him and says you gotta go back and get my people look at verse 31 and when 40 years were expired steven continues there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount sinai and angel the lord in the flame of fire in a bush and when moses saw it he wondered at the sight as he drew near to behold it the voice of the lord came unto him saying i am the god of thy fathers the god of abraham the god of isek and the god of jacob then moses trembled and durst not behold this is the story from exodus chapter three put off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy ground this is why i believe in joshua chapter 5 when joshua crosses the river he crosses the jordan and he runs into the captain of the lord post and the captain of the lord's host says take off your shoes because this is holy ground that's why i believe that was the lord jesus christ appearing in the old testament because it's god whenever somebody you know take off your shoes you're on holy ground it's god speaking in the bible so the bush god from the flaming bush tells moses to go get the people i have seen verse 34 i have seen the affliction of my people which is in egypt and i've heard they're groaning and have come down to deliver them and now come i will send thee into egypt look at verse 35 this moses whom they refuse is saying who made thee a ruler and a judge steven brings it up again he's like this is the same moses that was being sent back where they rejected him the people rejected him notice the pattern that steven is bringing up again and again and again the same did god send to be ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush he brought them out now he continues the story but he brought them out after he had showed wonders and signs into the land of egypt and the red sea and in the wilderness 40 years this is that moses which said unto the children of israel a prophet shall the lord god raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear this is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in mount cyanide and with our fathers we received the lively oracles to give unto us so he's saying moses was that prophet that brought them out of egypt that brought them into the wilderness that brought them the law god used moses to give the law to the people and then verse 39 what does steven say again to whom our fathers would not obey how does he describe moses he's like this is the prophet that the people wouldn't obey so he's saying you're saying that i'm here to change moses law i'm saying that you didn't even listen to moses back then your fathers didn't even listen to moses you sit there and talk about our fathers and our fathers your fathers didn't listen to them either exodus 15 exodus 15 turn to exodus 16 actually exodus 15 is where god kills feroz there are miraculous event of parting a sea he parts a sea he parts the great waters and the people walk across dry land and then feroz follows after them and god destroys the whole army they saw the whole thing look at verse 16 of exodus chapter i'm sorry look at verse 2 of exodus 16 the very next chapter in the bible and the whole congregation of the children of israel murmured against moses and erin in the wilderness and the children of israel said unto him, unto them would to god that we had died by the hand of the lord in the land of egypt where we sat by the flesh pots and when we did eat bread to the full for he had brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger are you seeing the contrast here abraham was told to go and he went he never got there abraham never got anything that he was promised isaac, jacob, they never got the promised land they went ebrews 11 talks about these people they went by what? by faith they went by what? by belief and here, these people they couldn't believe even after they saw a great miracle just a few days earlier go back to acts chapter 7 in verse number 40 they were trying to just compare just to bring up a pattern again and again and again not only that they said they didn't even have the faith why were they complaining here they were complaining because they were hungry they didn't even have the faith that god could feed them what did they think they think god is going to bring us out here just let us die, that's exactly what they thought because they had zero faith in god that's why when moses went up to the mountain what did they do right away they took off on them the egyptian culture was with these people this is what i believe that these people were in egypt too long they were in egypt too long and they became egyptian essentially they adopted their gods, they adopted their culture they adopted it look at verse 40 of acts chapter 7 saying unto erin make us gods to go before us for as this moses which brought us out of the land of egypt we want not what has become of him moses goes up to the mountain in just a few days they're worshiping false gods and they made a calf in those days and offered sacrifice under the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands that's interesting right there they went back to what people always go back to works righteousness that's really what false gods are that's really what false idols are they're like hey i made something that's why your idols in your life you know you're like oh i'll worship some statue yeah but what is it that you're counting on what is it that we meet everybody out that we talk to what are they counting on they're counting on how great they are and how great they are is in whatever different thing that they do that they think is great that's their idol it's the things that they did with their own hands this is what these people were depending on it's just works based salvation it's all the same thing there's only two religions in the whole world what there's a billion oh there's two there's believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and now shall it be saved that's it there's just trust completely on Jesus and it's a done deal there's that religion that's what the bible says you're sealed forever done it has nothing to do with you it doesn't have 1% to do with you it doesn't have 0.5% to do with you it doesn't have 0.01% to do with you it has nothing to do with you to get it or to keep it that's one religion they're all in the same category works based righteousness I have to do this to get to heaven Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus Sikhs it's all the same Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Pick One it's all the same you have to do this, this, and this to get to heaven it's works based religion and that's Satan's religion right there that's why they always have that in common even these stupid golden calves what was it works based righteousness that's what it was look at Acts chapter 7 verse 42 Acts chapter 7 verse 42 now it gets a little now it gets a little bit prophetic he kind of tells them what's going to happen to the nation he kind of prophesies what happened to the nation over the next several hundred years then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven that means that's not like God that's not like the sun, the moon, the stars more false religion as it is written in the book of the prophets O ye house of Israel have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrificed by the space of 40 years in the wilderness he's talking here about the kingdoms of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel how they went into false idolatry he's referring he's literally quoting Amos chapter 5 that Garrett brought up on Sunday night Amos chapter 5 verse 25 says O have ye offered unto me sacrifices offerings in the wilderness 40 years O house of Israel but ye have borne the tabernacle of your molok and chiron your images and the star of your God which you made to yourselves therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus sayeth the Lord whose name is the God of hosts now I believe that that specific he says beyond Damascus in Amos chapter 5 and it says beyond Babylon Acts chapter 7 I believe he's talking about Amos actually lived during the time that the northern kingdom of Israel was carried away so they were the most wicked split they were the kingdom split into the northern kingdom and then the southern kingdom of Judah then southern kingdom of Judah was much better they still did a lot of bad things but they lasted about 180 years longer and the northern kingdom of Israel was actually just taken away they weren't taken into captivity they were just removed and just gone forever and they were taken into not captivity they were destroyed by the Assyrians beyond Damascus it says in Amos chapter 5 turn to Numbers chapter 14 turn to Numbers chapter 14 let's go back to let's go back to the wilderness he's talking about he's just really tearing up the people in the wilderness on how they were rebelling against their prophet that was Moses he's explaining to them how the people in the wilderness rebelled against their prophet Moses look at Numbers chapter 14 in verse number 28 the last straw for the people in the wilderness the children of Israel that were traveling towards the promised land the last straw was the situation with the spies so the spies were sent to spy out the land they were close God said pick a spy from every tribe they sent 12 spies look at verse number 28 of Numbers chapter 14 and the Bible says say unto them as truly as I live say at the Lord as you have spoken in my ears so will I do to you this is because the spies came back and 10 of the spies said we can't go there these people are huge these people are huge they have you know iron chariots it's like we're all gonna die if we go there they had what do they have they had zero what zero belief zero faith again it was only it was only Joshua and Caleb that came back and said what are you people talking about what are you people talking about the Lord can deliver anyone into our hands the only ones that had belief in the Lord and that's what Numbers chapter 14 is talking about it says God is tired of this and this was the last straw and it says verse number 29 and all that were numbered of you according to your whole number from 20 years old and upward which had murmured against me doubtless you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear swear to make you dwell therein save except he says Caleb the son of Jethuna and Joshua the son of none so only the two spies and Joshua of course took over from Moses and led the children into the promised land the spies were the last straw for these people God says you're all going to die here the children under 20 because God marked it he said the children under 20 you know you haven't been corrupted by whatever corrupted the chunk of you so he says the kids under 20 can go anyone over 20 you must all fall you must all die of old age and then you will go into the wilderness look at Acts chapter 7 and verse number 43 Acts chapter 7 verse number 43 so now we get into a future prophecy here that I kind of read for you already in Amos chapter 5 but Stephen says yea he took up he's quoting Amos chapter 5 here yea he took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your God Remphan figures which he made to worship them and I will carry you away beyond Babylon he says here he says Damascus in Amos chapter 5 but I do believe this is talking about the northern kingdom here but either way the philosophy is the same look at verse 44 now we shift now we shift into something a little bit different so what is the pattern so far the pattern so far is he was showing where they came from with Abraham he was showing the unquestioning faith of Abraham and then he was showing the contrast of the children of Israel and their subsequent prophets with the faith of Abraham he's showing just how they rebelled from the beginning they rebelled from the eleven brothers that Joseph had they all rebelled against their prophet at that time he's trying to show them like hey this is what you're doing but he's addressing this idea that Stephen was there to change the law of Moses what are you talking about you never believed Moses is what he said to them so far he said so if you hear Christians today say that Jesus Christ himself said if you would have believed Moses you would have believed me so when you hear Christians today say and look I used to believe this myself 20 years ago the only difference between a Christian and the Jew is that the Jew just doesn't believe in Jesus but they believe in the Old Testament no they believe none of it they never believed any of it this is what Stephen is getting at he's like what are you talking about I'm here to change the law of Moses you don't even believe it you never believed it you always rebelled against it example example example example now look what he does now he shifts now this gets a little deep now he shifts into the temple now he shifts into it because didn't they accuse him of something of the temple you're going to destroy our temple they're obsessed with everything everything Jesus said that had temple in the sentence they're just like they're just obsessed with the temple so now Stephen is going to straighten him out on the temple look at verse 44 our fathers had the tabernacle because before it was the temple they had a tent it was called the tabernacle this is what was in the wilderness is what they carried into the promised land tabernacle of witness in the wilderness this is the people in the wilderness as he had appointed speaking unto Moses that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen there's great detail on how God wanted this tent made okay which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus now this Jesus here this means Joshua okay Jesus and Joshua is the same name this is not Jesus Christ okay so it's saying they brought this in with Jesus Joshua it's another name for Joshua into the promised land the same tabernacle they brought Joshua because Moses didn't go into the promised land it was Joshua that went into the promised land into the possession of the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers unto the days of David so they went in who went into the promised land it was Joshua and he drove out the Gentiles remember the great battles that we studied in the book of Joshua the great war captain he was a great leader in battle he drove out all these people with the Lord of course but look this is go to Acts chapter 7 verse 45 okay we go to verse 46 I'm sorry verse 46 who found favor before God and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob so this was David now who wanted to build God a house David his heart was so much with the Lord he's like you know what the Lord doesn't deserve to dwell in a tent it's like I want to build the Lord a house but God said to David he's like no you've shed too much blood I want your son will build the temple okay but David look David laid up materials and all that okay I'm gonna preach a little bit on that on Friday morning but it says Solomon built him a house so David wanted to build it it was kind of his thought God said no Nathan told him no but Solomon built him a house so this is how the temple got built we went from a tent to this great immaculate temple albeit the most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands as sayeth the prophet now look this temple right here Solomon's temple is not the temple that they're talking about when Stephen is standing there okay because this temple was destroyed by Babylon Solomon's temple was destroyed by Babylon this was the second temple that we were now talking about but still it is an elaborate temple it was nothing like the first temple but Stephen just drops the bomb in verse number 48 right here he says how be it he's like however God doesn't dwell in temples he says he's like the most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands as sayeth the prophet now he quotes Isaiah 66 now he quotes Isaiah he's like you don't believe Isaiah either he quotes Isaiah 66 where he says heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool what house will ye build me sayeth the Lord or what is the place of my rest now I can understand how people heard Isaiah say that I totally understand what that was about okay because the Bible first of all Stephen is telling the Jews he's telling the Jewish leaders at this point he's saying God doesn't dwell God doesn't dwell he never dwelt in the tabernacle he didn't dwell in the meaning he doesn't live there it was like a meeting place it was like a conference room he would come to once a year in Leviticus chapter 16 you know the day of atonement God would come down onto the mercy seat but the pipe priest couldn't just walk in he couldn't just walk into the holy of holies and just find God living there first of all God didn't live there Isaiah 66 he said God lives in heaven it was like the earth wherever that tent is it was like my footstool they had to live in that tent he's like I go down there to meet with you once a year is what he says there's some specific rules you better have your tie on son when you come into that place or you die that's what we're looking at with the garments of the high priest you wanna talk about how specific God was on the man that would come into that place once a year that's what we're talking about the garments of the high priest God was very specific but God did not live there Stephen just burst the bubble of the temple see that temple right there God doesn't live in this thing he's like the earth is his footstool he doesn't dwell in temples he's like what is the place of my rest that's an interesting couple of words he uses right there turn to Hebrews chapter 3 turn to Hebrews chapter 3 Stephen basically says the temple is nothing especially now the temple was a temporary meeting place it was the sacrifices all the things that happened in the temple the high priest his clothing the sacrifices the bulls the goats it was all temporary it was just to picture the real thing that guess what has already happened has already happened so the temple he's saying the temple means nothing at this point look at Hebrews chapter 3 in verse number 17 look at the connection here Hebrews chapter 3 in verse number 17 the bible says but with whom was he grieved 40 years here he brings up these the people in the willy you think he was upset with these people was it not with them that had sinned whose carcasses fell in the wilderness look at verse 18 and to whom swear he that they should not enter what into what into his rest believe not so we see that they could not enter in because of what because he was mad at them because of unbelief the people you see what Stephen is getting at here when he says when he quotes Isaiah 66 you know what he's getting at you know what Paul is backing up in Hebrews chapter 3 he is saying that the people in the wilderness with their unbelief not being able to go into the promised land pictures people who are not going to be saved because they don't believe in Jesus Christ that is what he is talking about and he is telling them he is telling them you will not enter into his rest go to Hebrews chapter 4 go to Hebrews chapter 4 Hebrews chapter 4 I know this is kind of deep but this is it right here it is such it shows you that every single thing Jesus Christ everything that's why we are studying silly little things like the little the little shoulder pad on the priest because it is not a silly little thing because everything that God detailed in the Old Testament it points to the Lord Jesus Christ and Stephen knew every single one of these things he is speaking through the Holy Spirit look at Hebrews chapter 4 let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into what? into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it look he is saying you don't want to come short of entering into his rest whatever that is let's keep reading for unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with what faith in them that heard it for we which believe which have believed do enter into rest rest equals salvation though people in the wilderness not being able to go into the promise land it pictures their unbelief their lack of faith that you know it pictures not being saved and what Stephen is saying to these people is like by you putting your faith in the temple by you putting your faith in the temple is like you're having that same unbelief because the temple turn to first Corinthians first Corinthians chapter 6 turn to first Corinthians chapter 6 the temple is now us the temple is now us you turn there let me keep reading for you it says as I have sworn in my wrath that they shall enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world entering into rest in Hebrews chapter 3 Hebrews chapter 4 and what Stephen is talking about in Isaiah 66 is talking about being saved is talking about believing the gospel is talking about believing that Jesus Christ is exactly what he's talking to these people about that they don't believe believing that Jesus Christ was the Messiah but they don't believe he's saying this is you this is you the temple means nothing the temple means nothing look at first Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19 what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you're not your own in Hebrews chapter 3 the bible says that Jesus's house is us why because we're the temple that's why God saved God put a down payment of the Holy Ghost in you you have the Holy Ghost inside you that's why you can grieve the Holy Ghost in first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 19 it's talking about sinning against your own body it's talking about that specific case of fornication right there it's talking about how fornication in the verse previous it says flee fornication every sin that a man doeth is without the body but he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body so only sin that you're sinning against your own body and you're sinning against the temple of the Holy Ghost God's like that's my temple he's like I bought that place with the blood of my son and you're defiling it but look we are the temple this is what Stephen is saying he's like the temple is going to be gone in Mark 13 in Matthew 24 Jesus says there's not going to be one stone left here on top of the other one it's all going to be gone so we're the temple we're the temple go back to Acts chapter 7 go back to Acts chapter 7 I don't know how much of the Jewish leaders you know how much of this they caught but there's a lot here I'm just trying to get the I hope I'm trying to I pray that I'm trying to just capture the image of what he's trying to get at here okay look at verse 51 verse 51 he says you stiff necked circumcised in heart and ears you do always resist the Holy Ghost and then he kind of wraps it up right here in the next few statements he says as your fathers did so do ye which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted that's his summary statement right there he's like you always resist the Holy Ghost it's like they've slain them which showed before of the coming of the just one Jesus of whom you have now prayers and murderers turn to Matthew chapter 23 who have received by the law by the disposition of angels it have not kept it angels meaning in that case just messengers people delivering God's word look at verse 54 when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth look at Matthew chapter 23 Jesus rebuked Pharisees for the exact same thing because the Pharisees were actually so what they were so self-righteous they were these people that they literally told Jesus they literally told the apostles they really told the disciples like hey we never would have done we never would kill the prophets like we never would have done what those people did but look what Matthew 23 verse 28 says it says even so you outwardly appear righteous unto men they're self-righteous but within your full of hypocrisy and iniquity it says woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous and say if we had been in the days of our fathers see what they said we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets this is what they said and then Stephen told them you just killed the Messiah these were the self-righteous people that said if it would have been us we would have listened to Isaiah we would have listened to Joseph we would have listened to Moses what they did what these Pharisees and these religious leaders at the time did is they took those people in the wilderness and they took those rebellious people and they put them off as like oh just they were just a few rebellious people oh it was most of them it was most of them and this is kind of the main point of Stephen Sermon here and I'll wrap that up at the end but Stephen said you did the same thing Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David Jesus Christ that you did the same thing and then they did the same thing by stoning Stephen they literally reaffirmed his sermon I mean look at these people these self-righteous fools these hard-hearted people that hard-hard just led to this unbelief and you know but here's what you need to take from this here's what you need to take from this most people are always I mean I'm talking the majority of people here the vast majority of people are always going to reject God's word that I mean isn't that what we see today isn't that I mean come on what percentage of people are saved we go out knocking doors talking to people all the time the percentage of people saved if you're like the super biggest optimist I've ever met is like you know one percent two percent either people just don't believe in anything today have no knowledge or care of anything that's the business that's it the vast majority but look it has always been this way it's always been this way this was Stephen's point these men these men throughout the Bible were just out there preaching God's word and just everybody was like no they rejected it they rejected it but here's the thing you know as an American you need to kind of understand this you know we're a democracy and the majority is always right and you know we're not a democracy by the way but the majority is always wrong when it comes to God's word that's what you have to understand so don't get into this Christian life and start learning the Bible and doing the Bible and having some people come after you and be like what are you doing how come you're not doing the stuff you used to do and how come you're not doing this and start persecuting and be like oh man like the majority is against me the majority is always going to be against you expect it expect it because it's going to happen it's going to happen alright so Stephen he preached out this pattern and then they just repeated the pattern one more time I mean like look I mean as a and I can tell you one thing about Stephen I mean as a pastor that hasn't really been a pastor for that long I can tell you one thing about Stephen this is a mature preacher right here this is a mature preacher right here why do I say that I say that because it used to bother me I'm getting better at it but it used to bother me when you would preach something and like people just wouldn't listen they used to bother me but look that's normal that's normal I mean God forbid that's us God forbid we hear Bible preaching and it goes in one ear and out the other God forbid that's us what it is is that most people are going to reject God's word and as a mature preacher you just have to understand that and Stephen he's just like man I'm laying out the truth I mean he knew what was going to happen he knew that they weren't going to just like all get saved right there he knew they were stiff-necked but man he laid it out there like the best that anybody has in the Bible this man and you look at this guy and you look at the verses in Acts 6 where it says he had a face of an angel and all this but I'm telling you this was a fire-breathing preacher right here I mean God tells a pastor to preach the Bible he tells a pastor he tells a pastor he's like you don't just preach what you want the whole thing or don't be a pastor that's why I'm so shocked that so many people are just so flippant about being pastors it's like you want to be a pastor you preach the whole thing and you know what people aren't going to like it you're this person that just has to have people love you you know just you're in the wrong don't go into the ministry because that's not how it's going to be because most of the time the results will be bad and that's what Stephen shows us because people won't listen and guess what the world will always reject the Christian so you as a church member sitting here you need to understand that the world will always reject you hey man we're separating from it we're out you know I'm not having my kids anywhere near that public perverted school whatever you call that thing today I'm not going to give my kids over to that garbage I'm separating from it but you know what get used to that get used to it we have to have a thick skin because that's the way it's always going to be the world will always reject the Christian go back to Acts chapter 7 let's finish up look at verse number 55 Acts chapter 7 look at verse number 55 they gnashed on him with their teeth they gnashed on him with their teeth that meant they were the heathen raged against him they didn't take 5 minutes to think about it they weren't like oh no they were just mad they were mad they gnashed on him with their teeth but he being full of the Holy Ghost you think after that looked up steadfastly into heaven turn to Colossians chapter 3 let's turn to Colossians chapter 3 first because I want to show you where Jesus is turn to Colossians chapter 3 keep your place in Acts chapter 7 we'll go to Colossians chapter 3 we'll come back to Acts chapter 7 go to Colossians chapter 3 and we'll come back to Acts chapter 7 Colossians chapter 3 look at verse number 1 where's Jesus? when Jesus ascended where is he? look at what the Bible says in Colossians chapter 3 in verse number 1 it says if ye then be risen with Christ look if you're saved if you're saved you should be baptized when you're baptized you should get up and you should walk this Christian life if you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ he's like seek heavenly things is what he's saying walk in the spirit follow those those spiritual things he says where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God where's Christ at? he sits on the right hand of God alright now go back to Acts chapter 7 so Christ is sitting on the right hand of God Christ is sitting on the right hand of God but he being filled they're gnashing on him with his teeth they're rushing at him the sermon's over and they're going to kill the preacher right now I mean just picture the scene here picture the scene look I've had people in this church like not like what I'm saying it's very obvious you can see it in their faces and I've had people mad at me I've had people calling me names I've had all kinds of things I've said about me I've never had people rushing me and trying to kill me okay so look at this but he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and look what God showed him and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God Jesus Christ stood up for Stephen Jesus Christ stood up at Stephen's what a beautiful thing and they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of this city and stoned him