Confidence in Tradition is a False Hope

Transcript

GR 1204
6/03/01
Confidence in Tradition is a False Hope
Acts 7:9-43
Gil Rugh
Continuing on our consideration of this book which records the early years of the churches history. We are in a turning point in that early history, because the church is about to experience its first murder. The man Steven who boldly declares the truth of God before the nation Israel is about to be stoned to death for his testimony for Jesus Christ. He’s been falsely accused of blaspheming by some Jews. He’d been teaching and preaching the truth and that brought with it a conviction and people were unable to refute him in his handling of the scriptures and presentation of the message of Christ. That’s recorded in chapters 6:10 there response is, verse 11 of chapter 6, they secretly endues men to say we have heard him speak blasphemy words against Moses and against God. Down in verse 13, they put forward false witness who said this man incessantly speaks against this Holy place referring to the temple and the law. The Sanhedrin the governing body of the nation Israel has assembled. These charges has been brought before it, now Steven has been given an opportunity to respond. So in chapter 7 verse 1 the high priest, chief justice if you will of that governing body asked him the question are these things so and Steven begins and an extended sermon which is an overview of the first thousand years of Israel’s history, but obviously it’s more than just an historical survey, but in giving this overview he is making to point that Israel has established a pattern of rebellion against God and rejection of the deliverers that God has provided. And that is a pattern that goes back early in their history and has continued right down to the present day. He wants to make the point clear for these Jews that merrily being a Jew, merrily leaving in the land and Cannon, having the temple as your focal point of worship did not guarantee that they were in a right relationship with God. And he demonstrates from their history that often God revealed and worked in mightily through individuals who live outside the live of Cannon. Often those living in the land of Cannon were guilty of rebellion and rejection of God. While those outside the land were faithful and experienced God’s blessing. You know it’s always true when the genuine spiritual life begins to deteriorate and is lost in a group there becomes more focus and attention on the externals, on the physical Israel did have promises relating to the land of Cannon, still does, promises relating to a temple was a focal point of worship, but all of these things were to be a demonstration and a manifestation of a heart that was committed to the living God. What happened is they ceased to trust in him and obey him. And they put all of their confidence in the fact they had the land of Cannon, they had the temple, they came to believe by virtue of these physical connections they were assured a relationship with God. We look back and say, my that just makes no sense to think that way, but stop and consider for a moment how people are today. The most important thing for them religiously is the building in which they worshipped the ritual that they go through they can become very offended if you would raise a question about their relationship with God, I go to church I have my church my family has been in that church for a couple of generations. They have confidence that the ritual and form they are going through assures them of a relationship with God. In that sense it is no different than the problem the Jews have. Attention has been turned from Genuine faith in the revelation that God has given to trusting in physical associations, physical connections, and they do nothing for you. Going to a certain place, going through certain motions or activities cannot bring you into right relationship to the living God. That is a matter of faith in the truth God has revealed concerning His Son. That’s a substance of Steven’s message. He began with Abraham, because Abraham is the beginning of the nation Israel. From Abraham the whole nation grew and developed because all of the Jews are physically decedents of Abraham and used Abraham as the example, the one that God choose, God revealed himself to Abraham, he revealed himself to Abraham on several different occasions and Abraham response was consistently to trust God. And that was true when Abraham was living in Mesopotamia outside the land of Cannon, so Abraham’s relationship with God was not conditioned on his being in Cannon. And furthermore when he lived in the land of Cannon he never owned any of that land. He lived in tents just was a nomad wondering around the land, but he believed what God had said. Down in verse 8, Steven concludes the section on Abraham saying God gave him the covenant of circumcision. This is recorded in Genesis chapter 17. Now you remember Abraham was 99 years old. When God commanded him to be circumcised. He still had not had a son that could fulfill the requirement of convent God established with him. Circumcision was a physical sign of this covenant with God that he would have descendants that would grow into a great nation. Yet at 99 years of age Abraham believes God and obeys God and is circumcised with that Steven is ready to move onto another phase of Israel’s history. He’s going to talk about the man’s Joseph and his relationship to the patriarchs. Now we’re going to see a change now taking place. Abraham was a man of faith. God revealed himself. Made his truth known, Abraham believed it and obeyed submitting to it. Now we see Israel’s line begin to expand and there are changes that take place. We see that with Joseph and the patriarchs. In verse 8, “Abraham became the father of Isaac,” that was the son of promise. Born when Abraham was a hundred years old and his wife Sarah was ninety. And Abraham circumcised him, he has not waivered at all in his believe in the covenant that God made with him and then it will be fulfilled through his line and through the line of Isaac the son of promise. Isaac became the Father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. Those form really the patriarchs of Israel and we use that expression, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve sons of Jacob. The twelve sons of Jacob will become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, which comprise the nation Israel, from verse 9 to 16 he’s going to talk about Joseph and Joseph’s relationship to the patriarch’s and the patriarch’s relationship to Joseph. He condenses the history because remember he is speaking to Jews and Jewish leaders who are well familiar with the details. We’ll have to presuppose some of those details as we move along. Verse 9 tells us “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, and rescues him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor” now I want you to note the contrast that’s being developed here. The patriarchs, he doesn’t call them Joseph’s brothers, they were he calls them the patriarchs because he wants to identify them with the Jew’s and the decedents of the patriarchs, the people that he is addressing on this occasion. So the patriarchs, they are jealous of Joseph, they reject Joseph, they sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt. That’s in contrast to God’s feelings with Joseph. God rescued Joseph. God granted Joseph favor in Egypt. God was with Joseph and you see Steven is moved now into that line that he is going to develop to that striking contrast at the conclusion of his sermon. Accusing the Jews of this day being just line there fathers in rejecting God and His Savior and his truth. The patriarchs are rejecting God and his will. They are standing against the one that God has chosen to bless. They reject the one who is to be the Savior and deliverer of the nation on this occasion, the man Joseph, the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Come back to Genesis 37 for a moment. Genesis 37 records this account and I just want to note a couple of verses with you to another study, but you want to study some dysfunctional family life to use our modern today terms. We ought to study the family of the patriarchs. Wives fighting with wives, jealousy, bartering for our husbands time and affections, using your maid to be a concert for your husband, hoping that he has a child with your maid he’ll love you more than his other wife and on it goes. Favoritism, Jacob loves Joseph more than his other children and he makes that very open and gives him things he doesn’t the other children, and the other children are jealous and hate, we think, wow we just spend 135 chapters just developing family life in early Israel. It really is not a major issue and in it all God is working. All the family problems and turmoil and jealousies doesn’t keep Joseph from being the man that God wants him to be. That’s an encouragement and a blessing but that’s a different sermon. Look at verse 11 of chapter 37, “His brothers were jealous of him,” that’s what Steven is referring to. What I want you to note in the context were also told in verse 4 towards the end of the verse “So they hated him” in fact they hated him so much they couldn’t even speak in a friendly way, they couldn’t be civil to him. Down at the end of verse 8, “they hated him even more” there is a hatred growing, so you see in the context Jealousy and hatred go together and they always do. Jealousy develops in the context of hatred and hatred breads jealousy. That’s where we are with the people of Steven’s day come back to Act’s chapter 5. Look at verse 17 here is in the context of the apostles ministry little earlier then Steven, “But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.” So they imprison the apostles. You see the jealousy brings hatred, so it is with Steven now. This is why his sermon is going to be so convicting if you come back to chapter 7, he is demonstrating the guilt of Israel and their sin down through history while he’s doing that. The Holy Spirit is convicting the hearts of his listeners of their own sin, jealous, and hatred in rejecting their Messiah. Now their jealous and hatred of Steven the one bringing them truth concerning their rejected Messiah. So back in chapter 7. The patriarchs were jealous of Joseph. They sold him into slavery. In Egypt. You ought to note in these seven verses about Joseph and the patriarch. Steven uses the word Egypt six times, now remember again he’s demonstrating that God’s blessing and favor is not limited to the land of Cannon and being in Cannon does not guarantee blessing, in fact the patriarchs will stay in Cannon and they are out of the blessing of God. Joseph goes down into Egypt the foreign land and he is the subject of the blessing of God. Demonstrating that you’re possession or dwelling in the land does not assure you of God’s blessing. God was with him, the end of verse 9. He rescued him from all his afflictions, you know Psalm 105 talks about this period of time in Israel’s history, we’ll take time to go back there. Beginning in about verse 16. We’re told that God sent Joseph into Egypt so here you see God using the sinfulness of man the patriarch’s to accomplishes his purposes in sending Joseph to Egypt and Joseph refers to this later in his conversation with his brothers. We’re told in that passage in Psalm 105 verses 18-19 that Joseph languished in chains and irons in prison and Steven just passes over it here when it was God rescued Him from all His afflictions. We’re reminded and it said in this way in Psalm 105, God refined him in his afflictions. God was using that miserable time as Joseph lay in an Egyptian prison, chained to refine him and prepare him, we’re reminded again that God is sovereign in working and the sin of man cannot frustrate the purposes of God. That should be a great encouragement to us, we are so easily frustrated and irritated by the wrongs that are done. That does not excuse our sin. But it buts in perspective other people’s sin cannot frustrate God’s plan for me. And we can rest secure in that even as Joseph did. Why does God have them in Egypt? God plans to rescue Him grant Him favor, verse 10, “and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, kind of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.” You see now we’re in Egypt, but the blessing of God is on the deliverer of Israel. One of the Father’s while he is in Egypt. Verse 11, “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt he sent out fathers there the first time. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh.” So very concise summary of the events that we are so familiar with from the Old Testament and God had established Joseph there to what? Be a savior and a deliver for the nation which was now just a family, 75 people we are told in verse 14. But what? He’s the one that the patriarchs hated, were jealous of and rejected. In fact he has been cast out of the land, but he is the one that God is blessing and using. We’re told in verse 14, “Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.” Stephen is using the Greek translation of the Old Testament and that uses seventy-five persons in Genesis 46:27. The Hebrew in Genesis says there was seventy and the difference is that in one account we are including the family of Joseph in the total number and the other is just including the family that came down into Egypt apart from Joseph. Seventy-five persons in all. Four hundred years later they’ll come out of Egypt about two million people in all. So it’s in Egypt they grown from a family to a true nation. The nation of Israel as we know it. Then we’re told Jacob went down to Egypt there past away. He and our fathers, the whole nation Israel is now out of the land of Cannon, but God’s blessing and hand we’re still with him there. “From there they were removed Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Sheckem.” And Steven is condensed the events that take place here because he has a point that he is making. And the focus here is on Joseph and Joshua chapter 24 verse 32 tells us the Joseph was buried in Shechem. That’s the reference to the very own Shechem in verse 16. Why does he stress that? They removed Shechem, laid in the tomb in Shechem at the end of verse 16. Because Sheckem is in Samaria. Now Sheckem is very near to mount Gerizim, the sacred spot where the Samaritans had there temple until it had been destroyed about 150 years earlier. But it was still a sacred sight to them. Now stop and think about it. Joseph was buried in Samaritan territory. The Jews and the Samaritans have no dealings with one another and you got Joseph being buried in Sheckem. What’s Steven doing? Driving home the point. Nobody would want to disagree sitting on the Sanhedrin that Joseph was a chosen instrument of God. He was one of their revered and honored fathers. But you understand Joseph is buried in Samaria, in Sheckem. Don’t think that because you are in Cannon, you have a lock on the blessings. Because as God has blessed even in our history, those who are outside the land of Cannon and one of our greatest fathers is buried in Samaritan territory. We leave Joseph’s bones in Sheckem. Now we’re ready to move the history on in verse 17-43 the focus point is on Moses. He gives the bulk of his sermon to Moses, maybe because he was accused of blaspheming against Moses, so let’s talk about Moses, find out who has reject Moses and who has not. And there is no more key figure in the development in Israel’s history of course then Moses. He divides Moses life into three segments, 30 years each. The first 40 years are covered in verses 17-28 we’ll look at those in a moment. That’s when he was in Egypt. Look at verse 23. “But when he was approaching the age of forty…” he goes and ends up killing the Egyptian and flees. So we know that up into the age of about forty he was living in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house. Then from verses 29-35 he talks about Moses’ life in Midian, another 40 year period. We read in verse 30, “After forty years had passed…” God appears to him in the burning bush. So we know he spent from about age forty, another 40 years, to about age 80 living in Midian. And then the third phase of his life verses 36-43 the Exodus and the life in the wilderness with Israel. In verse 36 we read that he lead them in the wilderness for forty years. Deuteronomy chapter 34, verse 7 tells us “Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died.” And his life can be divided into three segments, his life in Egypt his life in Midian, and his life in the wilderness. Now stop and think, his life in Egypt, his life in Midian, his life in the wilderness. You understand Moses never lived in Cannon? Lived his whole life outside the confines of that land promised. And what is Steven saying to these Jews, you want to tie a secure blessings to being in Cannon. Moses never lived in Cannon. But he was the delivery provided by God and as he will make the point so clearly the Savior that you rejected. You, Israel at the time so driving that point home so clearly. Look at verse 17, but as the time of the promised was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt. God has promised Abraham that his descendants would spend 400 years in a foreign land that was referenced by Steven back in verse 6 in chapter 7, early in his sermon. Then in verse 7 Steven made note of the promise to Abraham that God would bring them up out of that bondage judge the nation and bring them into the land of Cannon. Now the ultimate promise that God has given to Abraham contained in passages like Genesis 15. I will make your descendants as numerous as the sand of the sea and we read at the end of verse 17 that the people increased and multiplied, the focal point is the promise now to be fulfilled is Israel is ready to go into the land of Cannon is God’s time and so the people increased and multiplied because the promise of God is about to be realized as this innumerable people would now be taken back to the land of Cannon. You see the sovereignty of God in verse 17, but time of the promise was approaching, the time of the fulfillment and realization of what God had promised in taking this numerous people into the land of Cannon. You see we’re right on schedule. Seems like a terrible retched time. Israel is enslaved in Egypt it’s a time with the king of Egypt the Pharaoh required that all the male children born in Israel be executed, slain exposed to the elements drowned in the isle. Things could hardly get worse, but we’re right on schedule. The time of the promise was approaching. God is slovenly in control and there are rows of kings over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph so Joseph is passed history this king knows nothing about him. Verse 19 “it was he who took shroud advantage of our race, mistreated our fathers,” who see Steven keeps this connection with himself, this present hears, the present day Jews and these people who of course proud of that linage and heritage. But he’s going to turn it against them when he says you’re just like your father’s you always resist and reject the work of his Spirit. The para had decreed those mail babies born to Jews must die. Now we talk about difficult times to have children, difficult days to raise children, let me tell you, these are difficult days to have a child. When you know that child has to die. It’s a decree of the land. Now we know the mid-wives helped preserve the children and that but is was a frightening time in fact when Moses is born his parents hide him for three months and they just decide they can’t keep them hidden any longer. The only thing they can think of to keep him alive is to put him in a basket in the Nile and leave them in the hands of God. We have gotten to an age the Egyptians are going to find out he’s there and they’ll come and kill him if we don’t so it’s an Act of desperation in one sense. Verse 20, “it was at this time that Moses was born.” Is that the way God work, they say it’s the worst of time. The last time you want to have a male baby in Israel is when the kind has decreased the death of all people male babies. It was at this time Moses was born. And you put that with verse 17, it was as a time of the promise is approaching. We’re right on schedule, everything is according to the plan of God, humanly speaking we look at it and say “Oh Lord, I don’t think this is a good idea. But he is working to bring a deliverer. “He was lovely in the sight of God,” What a beautiful way to put it. He was lovely, beautiful. It was pleasing to God. I don’t think this is just saying like we say Oh what a beautiful baby. Well he’s probably beautiful, every baby is beautiful. But Moses was beautiful before God. Because this is the deliver the Savior that God has provided for the nation. It’s the time of Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. He was nurtured three months in his father’s home and after he had been exposed, put out, they put him out on the Nile in a basket, the reefs, wait to see what happened. You’re familiar Pharaohs daughter comes down and maternal instincts are stirred and she takes and adopts him as their own. Nurtured in him as her own son, now look at verse 22. And Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians and he was a man of power and word and deeds. You can watch the history channel. And you have to admire the learning and wisdom of the Egyptians. What a sovereign plan of God He takes Moses the appointed Savior and deliverer of Israel, puts him in the context to get the best training, the best preparation, Moses is going to be the leader of the nation Israel. What better way to train him then put them in the house hold of pharaoh the leader of Egypt? And have him trained and prepared in the best way with the best learning of the Egyptian. So forty years Moses lives in that environment. We are told he was a man of power in words and deeds. If you’re familiar with the account of Moses you remember when God appeared to him and told him he was going to spend him to Pharaoh, He was going to be the deliverer. Now what did Moses say? Lord, I’ve never been good with words. Not in my past, or not in recent history. Now you need to tell the Lord about past history as well as recent history. Lord I’ll never been good with words, but here we’re told he was a man of power in word and deed. We’re not told that Moses was the meekest man of the face of the earth, perhaps it was a false humility at that time. Per helps Steven’s reflected on the reality of it all. Moses gives some powerful speeches during those forty years that he is Israel’s deliver. Now he was indeed a man power in words and deeds. He’s been educated in the house of Pharaoh, now what happens? “But when he was approaching the age of forty,” verse 23 “it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.” Now that word to visit used in the Old and New Testament alike of special visitation here it means more than God is saying that Moses just went out for a friendly visit. See how his fleshly kinsmen are doing. Now he is ready to act on the knowledge he already has from God. That he is the deliverer of the nation. He is ready to make his break with the household of pharaoh. Now I have to say if I was doing this. I would have done it differently. I think the plan up to this point is brilliant has Moses rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, by adopted into the household of Pharaoh, be raised in Pharaoh’s home and now by in the position to use his influence to get Israel delivered so they can go back to Cannon. It’s beautiful. Just not God’s plan. It’s Gil’s plan. It’s the way I would have done it not the way God would have done it. That would have saved so much trouble. Moses could have provided the provisions to get them to Cannon. Given them some supplies to get started. Just think about it that’s a good plan. But remember God has said back in verse 7, whatever nation in which they should be in bondage I myself will judge. We’ve got some settling of accounts here. God is about to deal with Egypt. So we do it God’s way. So Moses goes out to visit his people. The book of Hebrews chapter 11 says that Moses was willing to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt for a time. Moses decision here was a settle decision. To identify with his people, make a break with the palace and you appreciate the faith of Moses who at forty years of age is willing to give up quote “the good life”. Abandon the splendor that was his as a member of the royal household. All the privileges and honor that went with that he realized he was casting them all aside that he might be identified with the people of God. Verse 24, Now when he saw one of them being treated unjustly he defended him, took venous for the oppress by striking down the Egyptian. Here we see many commentators just refer to this as an act of murder. God sees it as an act of defense. In intervening for one of his oppressed people. Wasn’t just an act of murder because Moses lost his temple? This was the right action of God’s appointed Savior of his people. And Israel should of recognized that. We’re told verse 25, Moses thought they would. He supposed that his brother understood that God was granting them deliverance through Him. You see Moses knew why God put him in the palace. Not so that he could have an easier life then God’s people. Not so that he from the safety of the palace and the slender of that life, could try to ease the burden of the Jews. No, Moses knew He was there to be the Savior of Israel, that word translated, deliverance, God was granting them deliverance is the Greek word salvation. God was granting them salvation through Him. We’re talking about the Salvation of Egypt the deliverance from Egypt, but you see here Moses is God’s ordained Savior of Israel on this occasion, but the end of verse 25, “They did not understand” now we have a conflict. The Jews are not ready to accept Moses. In fact they reject him on the following day verse 26, “He appeared to them as they were fighting”, so now you have two Jews, prior day it would have been a Jew and an Egyptian and the Jew is taking abuse from the Egyptian. Now he comes out and this Jew is fighting with another Jew. He tried to reconcile them in peace saying, “Men, you are brethren, why do you injury one another, but the one who was injuring his neighbor, pushed him away saying, who made you a ruler and judge over us? You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?” Verse 27, “The one who was injuring his brother pushed him away” That’s a strong word, pushed away. Would the note flat and complete rejection. You see Steven is building a case here. Moses had come as the deliver, as the divinely prepared and appointed Savior of the nation. And they pushed him away, the flat out rejected him, so Moses flees to Midian in verse 29. “Became an alien in the land of Midian” Now important in the development here. In the Old Testament we’re told that Pharaoh heard about the murder of the Egyptian and determined to kill Moses and Moses fled. Steven under the inspiration of the Spirit puts the proper order here. It was the rejection of Moses by Israel that necessitated his fleeing to Midian the action of Pharaoh is a follow-up and the rejection by Israel. There’s a pattern here. How did Israel reject their Messiah? They rejected Him, flat out rejected Him. And as a result of their rejection the Romans execute Him. Oh the responsibility is on Israel, his blood be upon our hand. Whom did God hold accountable for the rejection of Moses and his fleeing? Israel, they rejected Him. It’s the divine interpretation. So you see what happens? God provided a Savior and a deliverer in Joseph. What was the response of the patriarchs, the fathers of the nation? They were jealous of him, they hated him. They rejected him and sold him into slavery. But, God sovereignly worked that He would be the Savior of the nation on that occasion, by being able to deliver them from the famine. God raised up Moses, divinely prepared Him, sent him forth to be the Savior of the nation, what was the response of the nation? They pushed Him away. They flat out rejected Him. Caused Him to have to flee also. God will bring Him back. Be the deliver and you see that pattern that is repeated. AT that one who has rejected the one appointed by God to be the deliverer on that occasion, behind that we know the pattern that will be followed with the messiah that has been rejected. Rejected by Israel. He suffers death, but he is the one that God will bring back to bring the ultimate deliverance that He is promised. You see what Steven is doing is laying the case. He’s not just telling interesting historical facts. He’s establishing a pattern in our nation started in Abraham a man who trusted God and obeyed God on each and every occasion that he referenced here. But we quickly see that pattern of our nation and our forefathers became what? To reject the revelation of God to reject the deliverer of God. Our fathers rejected Joseph. Our Fathers rejected Moses, so he’ll build to chapter 7 verse 51. “You are stiff necked an uncircumcised in heart and ears; You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, you are doing just as your fathers did.” You can appreciate why it may be such a vile impact upon them. The Spirit of God has been driving this truth home through Joseph. Now through Moses and it will be repeated again and again and then in the context of the temple. They are already seething by the time you get to the end of this message. Then have had more than they can stand and they’re ready to vent their jealousy and hatred by the execution of another divinely appointed representative, the man Steven. And they demonstrate in doing that well. They were in the line of their fathers. This pattern as we noted earlier is the pattern that continues today. It’s true of Israel, the historical facts here, directed towards Israel, but we learn here truth that continues right down to our day, and that is people are always concerned with the physical and the external. They placed there whole confidence for time in eternity in the fact they belong to the Roman Catholic church, or they belong to one of the branches of Protestantism, Lutheran bread, whatever. When their confidence is in some other religious system. Certain things become precious to them. Their church membership. That church building that my parents helped to build and pay for. The ritual we always recite the Lord’s Prayer, we take communion. These external things become their confidence. Somehow they think, because I go to that building and go for years I go through these activities, communion whatever, I have a relationship with God. It’s the same kind of error that the Jews were committing. We’re in Cannon and at least they had reverences that promised them Cannon and later we had the temple, and God had made promises concerning the temple, but you understand those kinds of physical associations did not guarantee a relationship with God. In fact you can be away from the land of Cannon has Joseph was, you can never be in Cannon as what’s true of Moses and have the most intimate relationships of the living God, or you can live in Cannon and have no relationship with God. Because the relationship with God is not external, it is first and foremost, internal and the response is the same today as it is with these Jews. When you share with them that they cannot be saved by simply being part of that church, by observing those traditions the response is often hostility, resentment and anger. We do not want to hear the truth. There is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. You cannot be saved by coming to this building, you cannot be saved by getting baptized here, you cannot be saved by taking communion here, you cannot be saved by teaching Sunday school here. You can do that from birth to the grave, and have no relationship with the living God, because that is a matter of faith in the truth that God as revealed concerning His Son that we are all sinners lost without hope, that his son came to earth and suffered and died, He is the only Savior. Now when you place your faith in Him. You are cleansed and forgiven and made new. Even if you never attend this building sight. If you are never baptized in this baptistery, if you never take communion here. Those things are simply to be a reflection of the genuine faith that has brought a genuine relationship to our hearts and lives and that is true wherever we are, whatever we are doing. Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for raising up Steven, to boldly and fearless present the wonderful truth of the history of your working with the nation Israel. And it’s easy for us thousands of years removed to sit and wonder and amazement of the unbelief that was manifested. And yet Lord it is so easy to perpetuate such unbelieve even to our day. So easy to be like the listeners to Steven’s sermon. We could not deny the truth as he’s presented through their history, but hated to hear it applied to themselves. Lord may we consider pray fully the genuineness of our relationship with you. It is not connected to attending this church building. Going through rituals and routines of this worship service, but it is a matter of coming to understand and believe in our hearts and mind that Jesus Christ is the only Savior that my sin is so great, my guilt is established. My only hope is the mercy and grace that you promise to show to all who will trust in Him. We pray in Christ name. Amen.