Stephen | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from axt church. We hope this message

will light up your tea today. None of that. We're gonna talk about

a very famous character. I'm sure some of the children may know as well.

And it's about the character of Steven. Who, children, do you

know this character Stephen? Yes? All right, someone like, oh Steven,

this isn't my friend. Okay, So we're gonna about talk about Steven.

So the I think about two weeks ago and I was here and I

was speaking. Remember how many of you remember what I was teaching about.

I don't remember already. Uh, I thought I was. I was teaching

the same topic as Pastor Elvin as well. H M, I said,

pasta Ivan was saying, teaching the same topic as me. Whichever work where

it works at about what the name of Jesus. It's like the name of

Jesus as being a theme, you know, you know, it's like,

you know, everybody's focused seeing and realizing the power the authority of the name

of Jesus. And we've now we've covered that. I think it's in from

A X chapter four, if I'm not mistaken for or for four or five.

I think it's probably from four, yes, Okay. Now, and

so I'm going to continue to talk talk a bit about from X chapter six,

and we're going to cover specifically about Stephen. Okay, Stephen, now

for a bit for a very brief introduction. Who is Stephen? You see

an apostle? No, he's not an apostle, okay, okay, So

he is actually a deacon. Okay, you know what does deacon mean?

Deacon was first appointed when the apostles. I think if you read in X

chapter six, the apostles could there was just so much work. There are

pastoral world and their administrative work. You can't then there are thousands people were

coming to the Lord by the hundreds and the thousands, and there are so

many it's very hard for them to teach to hear at the same time to

also administer administry of work, to feed the people, to manage collection.

It was just so much work, okay. And so they're appointed among them

seven people who were full of the Holy spirit, full of wisdom. They

are able to serve as well, okay. And they came with the word

to serve was actually the Greek work for the Econicists, the Acconsists. If

I correctly. So it's about about then where the name called deacon and then

to serve under the table. Ah. So in a way, if you

look at our current format, you know, of course we used to have

a title called deacon, but no longer we have. It's just that we

have leaders here, okay, But the responsibility of the deacons is actually mimicking

what we have as leaders here as well. Okay. Of course there are

different levels to it, of course, and is uh a whatdical it ritual

responsibility, but it's very similar now. The unique thing is not that there,

oh, there is administration about the church. That's not just a unique

thing. If you observe in chapter six, right, they were first appointed

and then immediately the spotlight of the Book of X for a brief moment it

stopped. It was the spotlight was taken away from the apostles and it started

to focus on the deacons. Okay, imagine you're being appointed as to serve

in the church, and immediately after that you are being mentioned in the Bible

and you're being highlighted and God and God is using these deacons as quickly as

possible. And if you and this is quite an important message for us,

and a precedent for us because some of us within the AA new leader,

someone new he God might not use them, My God might not put them.

Did you realize if you read in x chapter six, at the moment

they were appointed out, they already put to the court ready. You know

how many of you were like that, Hey, I signed that for to

serve in church. And the next day you end up in the court ready,

in the government court, you know. And it's not by coincidence,

no God saying that you are ready, let's go to court. Ready.

It's like if you go for for go to a law farma to start your

internship, right the first day are you're taking your own case and you're taking

the highest case. Ready, okay. And so this is what actually is

happening to Stephen. Okay. And he was, you know, because of

the passages now and on to summarize it up there, he was actually teaching

in the synagogues. And he was not just teaching any synagogue. He was

teaching in the synagogues of what they call it Jews that were dispersed, not

in Jerusalem, but they were dispersed up higher a bit north to Greece and

to Rome. Where a lot of the Jewish people were intermarrying, but they

were still faithful, okay, to their Jewish culture. Still came to the

synagogue to learn, to hear the teaching, and a very famous apostle came

from there as well. And that was and then there was Paul. Okay.

So Paul is a Roman who grew up in Greek, but he had

the conviction of a Jew. It's quite amazing. Grew up. He's a

Roman citizen, raised up as a great, but then he studied and not

religiously, and and with a conviction as a Jew. Okay, he was

one of them. And they didn't say, but I suspect that he was

one of the persons that had a problem with Stephen at the very early beginning.

I suspect, like, okay, that's my thought. And as he

was teaching is okay, he created a big stir okay. And if you

can't turn with me to ask chapter six years and I really need you to

turn to your Bible so they can follow with me. I also prepared slides,

but just turned to the Bible for now. And in verse ten,

it says he and they, meaning the the Jewish people that were based in

the synagogue there, they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit

by which he spoke. This guy just got appointed as Dickoner very earlier,

and he was already speaking there, and they could not withstand, they could

not debate, and they could not contend what he was preaching. Okay,

and so much so. In verse eleven, it says that then they secretly

induced men to say we had heard him speak bless famous words against Moses and

God, okay. Underlying these two things, ah Moses and God. Okay.

Then in verse twelve, he says, and they stirred up the people,

the elders and the scribe, and they came upon him and seized him

and brought him to the council. The council is not just any council.

It is the Sanhedrian Council. Okay. It is the highest counsel okay,

that decides on the law. And they can even pass and judgment to judge

very serious matters on for the people as well. Or they said, or

they decree new laws from there as well. Okay. They brought it to

them, and they also set up false witnesses who say these men does not

speak, does not cease to speak blessed famous words against the Holy Place and

the Law. So underlying the Holy Place and the law. So children,

if you could do with me, so I need you to draw Moses.

You need to draw God. Then you need to draw the Law, then

the temple. Okay, so you draw these elements. Okay, because why

do we highlight this? Okay? Because if you look in X Chapter seven,

you will realize that it's a very long passage. Okay, if you

look just very briefly at this entire passage, right, it's it's like he's

giving a sermony and aw and some and then when I read this, my

earlieress, when I read this like I skip, you know, it's like

I read this in Genesis before what I go through it again? How many

of you know what I'm talking about? How may you did that? Or

social studious man? So you know? Because why if you look at X

Chapter seven, look at some of the titles, it says here the call

of Abraham, the patriarchs in e G. And then God delivers Israel by

Moses, and then Israel rebel against the God God through that tabernacle, and

then towards the last two titles, then he talks about Israel resisting the Holy

Spirit, and then before we know it, Stephen was martyred. Okay,

we look at it, you will think like he's just giving a sermon.

But today I want to invite you to not look at it as he is

one guy who was preaching. But I need you to turn the landscape.

Okay, and if you children, if you can draw it, how would

you like to draw a court room? Okay? Can you draw a courtroom?

Can you draw a courtroom? Okay? And one courtroom there are judges,

there are the people there, and then on one side is Steven and

then all the other side are the accusers. Okay, So today we're gonna

have court room drama. How many of your life court room drama? I

love court room drama, you know. Then I just realized that don't I

don't have to become a lawyer. Ready? How many of lawyers we have

here? I know at least of you for my homies. Okay, okay,

okay. So it's it is actually a court room drama. And when

you read X chapter seven, right, you cannot read it like a sermon.

You have to read it like a prosecution case. It is a prosecution

case. So to understand a prosecution case, you must understand what are they

prosecuting and what are the accusations? Okay, true, Now you cannot simply

defend. You must defend systematically, one by one what are they accusing you

of? Understand now, so you must lay out your case. Then you

defend yourself. So what are the things they specifically are accusing Stephen of?

So can I have the first sight? We're the first like ooh, okay.

So there are four parts to this accusation. It is highlighted in X

chapter six. Okay, So they're accusing for blaspheming against God, saying that

you're bless feeming against God. Second saying that you're blastpeming against Moses, you're

blastweeming against the law, and you're blesswheming against the temple of God. One

by one, four major accusations. That is why they are able to bring

him to the council. Yet, I mean right, because the council decides

on these matters. You must understand. Now they cannot bring him to it

if he is if he just decides not to pay the money for the food,

or you know, he's just offensive towards a personal person, they can't

bring him to the Council. It's only on certain matters, especially relating to

theology and of God they're actually believe in they can bring him there. So

they brought him to the Highest Court with these four accusations, and he says

that they're set up, all the false witnesses. And in xt Chapter seven

you will hear and listen to his defense. And the interesting thing about Stephen

and you then the theme is about heaven rules, isn't it. You realize

that Stephen has just been appointed as a deacon and straight away he has to

defend himself against all these accusations. You know how many of you are ready

to be defending again, to defend for Christianity against all these four things.

It's like the hardest assignment you can have. On your first day you're given

ready at the highest Court. And on first day you go to university,

you straight go to exam ready. Serially, it's just like that first day,

go you go straight to exam ready, Okay, the hardest obstacle,

the highest, most strictest examination, straight away, ready, the highest assign

the most difficult assignment. Okay. And he will sitting there. But you

think that It will be very difficult, isn't it. But this whole theme

is about one It's not about Stephen. It is about Stephen being a simple

person, very raw in our terms. But yet he was demonstrating the power

of the Holy Spirit. So by the end of it, I hope that

you will realize two things. The power of the name of Jesus and the

power of the Holy Spirit. How many of you have been scared to witness

for God? How many of you are scared of being prosecuted one day if

they hold a gun to my head, or they're going to chase me out

and go no food ready, if they ask me to defend for Christ?

How am I going to be scared or not? This is why it's going

to happen. But fear not, you're not going to do it by your

own mind and your own Strengthen, know you really can't run it all.

You really really cannot. If you're thinking like maybe I will memorize my script

and all what to say, you can't do it, people. The pressure

is too strong, your knowledge is too limited. Now there people call Ai

samreal, they can shoot you down and they will politically correct you. You

know you can't at the end of days, when we stand to winners for

God. It is not by our by our power, but it is in

the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. It is only by the Holy Spirit.

You shouldn't study everything, but I tell you do you look at Stephen.

It is only by the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. And as I go

through one by one, as he defends one by one, all these points,

you will see start to begin to see holy spirits who work, and

you will see he starts to turn the table against them. It's quite amazing.

Okay. Like I said, you must look at this as a court

room. Okay. Now in chapter seven, okay, it starts off with

a high priest. The high priest is the most powerful person in Jerusalem in

terms of the temple. And it stays that all these accusations, and you

start are these things. So is it true? Are you bespheming against all

four of them? Now? The first eight versus A, it talks about

Stephen, starts to talk about Abraham. He's not giving them a lesson.

No, he starts off because it is the first accusation against him. He's

saying that the people, the people are saying that you are blespheming against God.

You may not even believe in the same God as us. Who are

you okay? And he says yeah. Stephen says, brethren, and father's

listen. Verse two. The God of Glory appeared to our father Abraham when

he was in Messa, Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said

to him, get out of your country, from your relatives, and come

to a land that I will show you. Okay, I'm jump jumping forth

to verse five. Okay, okay, he says, yeah. And God

gave him no inheritance in it. Remember throughout Abraham's life when he left his

from his father's house from Earth, coming down to the land of Canaana,

did you know that all this time he did not have a permanent residence.

Know, he rented his entire hundred years, you know, March the one

hundred years like okay? Did you know that he was living in a tent,

you know, and he lives in a tenth for the rest of his

for all the way, even though God promised you have to have to have

children that numbered like the sense, he'll be a father of many nations.

And this guy stay in the land that God promised him to give to him.

He stayed as a u and not as a rentor okay, all his

life and not you got you gotta give him credit. He's still believed.

You know, if, for example, if you were me, and if

you're someone, if your parent or someone says, hey, I'm going to

give you this unit, but for the rest of your life until eighty years

old, you are still renting from it. Do you take the person's word

as it is. But Abraham believed, you know, even though he had

not tasted it and see it. You know, he believed God all the

way. You know. It's amazing, isn't it. He believed God.

Okay, and we have to give Really, Abraham was really by favor and

it's and God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set

his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, he promised to

give him to him for a possession and to his descendants after him. But

God spoke in this way that his descendants will dwell in a foreign land,

and that they will bring and they will bring them into bondage and oppress them

for four hundred years. Okay. And then in verse eight he says,

here Danny, God gave him, gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and

saw Abraham be got Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac

begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelfth patriarchs. Now what was Stephen trying

to do? He's saying this, the God that I believe in is not

a different god. The God that I believe in is the same. It

is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of

Jacob. Now if you most of the time when you read right, when

you talk about declaring the God that they believe in, and why did they

stop at Jacob? How come they never say that it is the God of

Joseph. How come they never say why did they stop there? They always

say the God of Abraham, god brother Isaac, and God Jacob. Never

sayd God with Joseph. Why makes sense, isn't it so? In genesism?

And how come you never include humor? You know that? Why?

Sorry? Because he was thrown in prison. But Jacob was in exile running

away from the Father, from from the brother or so the reason why Joseph

was not included is because God did not appear personally to him. For all

first three of them, God appeared personally to them. Understand, Oh no,

there's a very important qualification. It's not only appearing. You know,

when you God appears in your life, that that legacy will only be validated

at the end of your life. You get. I mean right, God

appealed to Abraham, but he's true memoir or legacy and the reality of God

really appeared to him. Is this is confirmed at the end of every life.

It is true for Abraham, it is true for Isaac, it is

true for Jacob, for Joseph, God, you know, but God was

with him. It's not but God with him. So that is the reason

why that they always declare that you know I am the God. You know

whoich God? Do you believe? I believe in the God of that appeared

in God to God, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. Is

always stopping there. Okay, So stevea saying we believe the same God so

much. I'm going to tell you I know what God promised to Abraham,

and I know what God gave to Abraham as a sign of the governor He

got gave. He gave Abraham the sign of the circumcision. There is where

all the Jews, how the Jews all separated themselves from all the gentiles,

yem and I the governor of the circumcision. Okay, and so is that

so the first defense done. I'm not blespheming against God. Actually, yeah,

it's quite incredible because normal people, the average common people at that time

in the Book of Acts, they don't know much about Scripture one, you

know, although they are supposed to teach their family and stuff like that,

but a lot of them it was taught at the temple. They heard it

from a temple and they bring it to their family. One. They just

get me, right, I heard from a temple, and I go back

to my family and I teach them most of the time. Okay. So

the understanding is not very elaborate, but the fact that he is able to

do it so early in his service is amazing. Okay. He knows every

genealogy, everything about Abraham. So the first defense was done. I believe

in the same God, So you cannot accuse me of black swimming against God.

I spoke nothing against it. Okay, we believe in the same God.

I'm not a Samaritan. Okay. So now if you move. Now

we start to move into the second defense. He is no longer defending himself,

and you will start to see a pattern shift in his defense. Okay,

a pattern starts to a pattern starts to appear, and it starts to

take a shift. He says here in verse nine, Okay, and the

patriarchs okay, meaning the twelfth patriarchs Okay, okay, the twelve sons of

Jacob Okay, and the patriots became envious underlying the word envious. Okay.

He never used to discrib when he described. He never described anything with his

particular characteristic. Now, but he starts to saying that these patriarchs were what

envious? Okay, he starts to highlight their heart became envious sol Joseph into

Egypt. Now, why did he start Why did Stephen start to highlight that?

Why did he start talking about Joseph? But Joseph being a victim being

attacked, attacked by who, by his brothers. Okay, he didn't just

say there was a Joseph. He said Joseph became a victim and was prosecuted

by his brothers. But he says that but God was with him and delivered

him out of all his trials and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence

of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and making governor of all the all of

Egypt and all his house. Okay, let me stop here for a while.

What is Stephen trying to stay here? He's saying that Joseph is not

just any patriarch. Joseph was the chosen one. Joseph was favored by God.

And we know that he was favored because he was so and then came

out to become a governor of all Egypt. You know it is not it

is not by his will, power or sheer luck. You know it is

God who delivered him. But the one that God chose they persecute. This

is the beginning of the first trend. Okay, you say that I don't

believe in God. I tell you I believe in the same God. But

I want to tell you at the same time, Okay, the God that

you believe in, when he sends people the one that he chose. Do

you notice that there is a pattern that every time he sends his people,

he's chosen one. People reject and prosecute the one that got sent. So

this is the first time, this is the beginning of that trend. There

then it says there there by verse uh oh, okay, by verse thirteen,

Okay, by verse thirteen, and the second time Joseph was made known

to his brothers. Okay, when Joseph reviewed himself and Joseph's family became known

to the Pharaoh, then Joseph sent and called his father and all his relatives

to him, seventy five people. So Jacob went down to Egypt and he

died, he and his father's and they carried back his remains back to Cham.

So basically, what he's saying is that the person that they rejected.

Okay, the brothers reject him because they thought that he was proud, he

was self righteous. You know, he was favored by the father. Okay,

they sold him. But the one they rejected came back and became their

redeemer. Okay, see your first trainer, the one the rejected came back

became their redeemer. You reject by heaven rules, God will use the very

stone that you reject to redeem you, and you will come back to know

that it is the one. It is true, it is true that God

works in you. And they cry and the lament. So this is the

first pattern. Then he gives another story. I'm not gonna start there,

and it's like, this is not a unique case if you look into that.

Now we're going to go into Moses or do the slide there? Oh

yeah, I forgot, I have slides. You're guys looking at it all

the time. Well, they were not looking at me, right you're looking

at the slides right now, it says here, continuing pattern of rejection.

Okay, Then Moses was chosen. Okay, Moses was chosen, and he

says in verse twenty at this time, Moses was born and was well,

pleasing to God. God was pleased with Moses. God's favor and grace was

upon Moses, and he was brought up in his father's house for three months.

Okay, then we know that, you know. Then he was baby

in the in the in the what they call it, in the basket,

and then down the river, picked up by the by the midwives. Okay.

Now then he he he in verse twenty three, he said that when

Moses became grew up to forty years old, Okay, Moses, I grew

up to forty years old, he began to visit his brethren. Okay,

the children of Israel, and seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended

and avenged them who was oppressed and struck down the Egyptian. Now Here he

started to reveal what Moses was really feeling. Why did Moses do all these

things? What was stirring inside Moses? Okay? Was he just content in

living in the temple? No? Okay? He he says. Therefore,

he suppose that his breddren would have understood that God would deliver them by his

hand. But they did not understand. He actually felt the calling of God

to deliver his people by his hand. He knew that he was set up

for such a time as this to save them, just like Joseph as well.

He understood that he was favored by God. He understood that he was

sent by God. But when he came to his brethren, what did they

do? They reject him again? Isn't it saying? Pattern? Again?

They reject him? Okay? And he says here in verse twenty seven,

But he who did his neighbor wrong, the guy who actually was He saw

two men were fighting, okay, and Moses tried to intervene, and they

responded to him by saying, what who made you a ruler and a judge

over us. Okay, who made you so righteous to decide how we should

behave? Why should we caut out to you, surrendered to you and look

to you to be our savior and deemer? Do you want to kill me

as you did the Egyptian yesterday? You know there's a pattern of what.

They will use everything to discount you. You're calling your purpose, your past

mistakes, you're no your you're not so perfect regime. They will use everything

to discount you in the law in the end of the days when persecution,

people will use everything against you. Okay, when your first job that you

did, you must have late for what you want to become a leader in

the church? You want to tell witness to me? Forget about it yet?

I mean right? Hey, you think that you're so good to tell

me about Christianity? Hey, in your life is not also not so good?

Ready? You got mean right? They will use every single thing to

throw against you, and a lot of Christians will be scared. You get

mean right? I tell you this is the same tactic they have been doing

since the beginning of time and all, and they will still do it until

now. They want to remove what do they want to do. They in

court. It's called removing the weakness. You know, you I see what

I'm saying today is a witness that is a powerful witness coming to the car.

They won't want the winners to take stand. There would before you take

stand, they will discredit you. You know what I'm saying. They won't

want to remove the witness. And the same thing that the devil is doing

right now and the world is doing to us as a believer, is to

remove the witnesses from taking stand. But we do not take stand on our

own righteousness or our own resume. We do not parade all my resumes claim.

We come at witness under the name and the blood of Jesus. You

come saying here under the blood and the name of Jesus alone, not by

our own strength. Okay, Moses couldn't do it. In fact, Moses

tried to do his first witness in his first evangelism project. He could rejected

so much as he went to the wilderness for forty years. You know,

evagine if we start a witness event just in program campus in your ufah and

they get rejected their backslife for forty years and who then you're like Oh man,

what does it tell? So what did you learn from that? First

two things, people will always reject our witness And second thing, we cannot

do it without God. You cannot do it without God. I can tell

you can give the best Bible program or to do it vangelism. You cannot

do it without God. You cannot. It's only by the power and the

mind of the Holy Spirit. Okay, it's very important. So we never

grow proud, we never grow self righteous. Oh we have the best because

you know, No, it doesn't. It's really by the grace of God.

But make no mistake. Does it mean that we're not supposed to witness.

No, we are even more required to witness, even more so because

the Holy Spirit is available to all of us. We are even held to

a higher standard to witness daily for Christ. Amen. Now, So the

people Moses came to them at forty years old. They rejected him. Okay,

they rejected him, same thing that rejected Joseph. They rejected him.

Then after forty years has passed, the Lord appeared to him, okay,

saying you know. And then the voice of the Lord appeared in versity two,

saying I am the God of your father's the God of Abram, the

God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. I told you you stopped.

There, isn't it tree? Okay, God of Abraham, God of

Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses tremble and they're not to

do so God appeared to him. Okay. God appeared to him, and

God told him to take off his senders, for he is standing on holy

ground. But God, after Moses had been rejected by the people who for

forty years, he sends him again. He sends him again. The people

that know, the people that rejected you, they will see again that you

are truly their redeemer that I've appointed. Okay, And in versity device said

this Moses, whom they rejected, saying, who made you a ruler and

the judge is the one God said to be ruler and the deliverer. By

the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush, Moses eventually

became a He became truly the ruler and deliverer. The one that rejected came

to rule them again. Another pattern, isn't it? You see a pattern

now? So so you see start to realize that, Hey, Steven,

you're starting to highlight our forefathers. But you're not just highlighting our four fathers.

You know, you're highlighting a patterner that we as Israal, we are

a stubborn people. We keep rejecting God's people, but eventually it came back

and bite us. Okay, Now what else had? So he is not

blessing, that's meming against God. He is not blespheming against Moses. He

truly knows who Moses is. I'm not saying anything wrong. I'm not blest

meming against Moses. But your forefathers were the one who prosecuted him. Your

forefathers were the one who rejected him. So I am clean. So what

else do we have? He says that he still have two things to defend

against against. They say that they're accused him of bless feming against the law

and blespheming against the temple. Okay, two parts okay. And he says

here in verse thirty seven, this is that Moses who said to the children

of Israel, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet.

Underlying that prophet is a prophet with a capital P. It's not just any

prophet. It is not Elijah, and it's not Daniel. It's not Jeremiah,

it's not Amos. No, it is the prophet. Okay, you

say you believe in Moses. You say, I Blesshem, bless him.

Let me remind you that Moses, the one that you believe, prophesies that

there will be a prophet that will come and that all of us are to

listen and to follow him. True or not, It's true because it's in

scripture. They study the scripture. You should know this. Moses prophesied about

a prophet to come upon us. Okay, okay, did you recognize the

prophet? They came in your midst? Did you receive him? If you

believe in Moses, you will have recognized you will have received him. Ah.

He asked this question for them and not. Then he moves on and

he says, this is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness,

with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fourth

brothers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, whom

our fathers would not obey but rejected, and in their hearts they turned back

to Egypt, saying to Aaron, make ask God to go before us.

As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt. We

do not know what has become of him. And they made a calf in

those days, offered sacrifices to the idols, and rejoice in the works of

their own hands. Okay, imagine with me, And what is Stephen saying.

Imagine on your wedding day. Okay, you are the groom, and

that's Ray. There's a groom waiting there with the groomsman's waiting for the bride

to arrive. Okay, and imagine you're not the groom, you are the

bride. You prepare yourself, dress up, you know, photo taken.

Ready, you're ready, and then your father at the right side, and

you're walking down, walking down, walking down. Everybody is like looking at

you, but then they're not looking you and smiling. They're looking at you

shock. And you walk and you walk and you're like, why is everybody

looking so sad and short? And you come up to the altar and you

realize your groom is missing. Your groom is missing, and you wonder what's

happened to your groom And then someone come up to you and say that your

groomer while waiting for you, I started texting with his ex girlfriend. They

were happy while they were waiting for you. You know, wait, he

was techtics. We were ex girlfriend having found talking about the past time.

Oh, we used to have our first day at that time. We used

to do travel play. Oh you remember we do this to do this that

they wait, you know, yeah, I don't know why she's taking so

long, you know, coming down here. Ah, yeah, I remember.

We had a good time. They talk and more and more and more,

and suddenly you don't appear in the altar anymore. That is exactly how

God feels. So and that is exactly what Israel did to God, and

all stood him up. Not only stood stood up against God, they committed

adult tree on the day of the wedding. Of the wedding. You see,

you don't understand. We have to understand now. When God brought his

people to the wilderness, it was not just that ham to have honeymoon in

the wilderness. And all he told more was as told. Pharaoh said,

let my people go to do what that they may worship me. Okay,

The specific instruction was that they may worship me. So Moses led them into

the wilderness, into the mountain of God, Mount signing okay. And they

were so scared. It was because standards and clouds and glorial God was so

scared, so scary, they said, no, you go, We don't

want to go. We stay down here, scared, scared, scared that

your universe had to go for a wedding. Don't want to walk out.

You know, it's so scared. Okay. So Moses went up. He

said that you stay down there, okay. And she's for what most of

us to receive the law in our wedding, tim And what does receiving the

law means when we do the wedding? You know what we do you before

that, you have to register yourself and sign it on. You get me

right, And when you do the wedding, it's not just a kiss.

You know, when you do the wedding is to exchange what vows and your

commitment. When God brings gives Moses the law, it was a contract with

the people. You get me with the Israelites. This is my law.

Okay. I give to you. This law is a requirement. You will

fulfill all this. And when you fulfill all this, I will give you

and I will rendered to you my allegiance, my service and my provision to

you in any contray it's the same as well. You represent who you are,

what you are to fulfill, and what are the things and the services

the benefits are to be rendered. And then towards the end termination clause,

if you break the law, what will happen to you? You know what

I'm saying here and so much if you look at it in a way,

it's like a spiritual marriage none between God and the people Israel. I brought

you out prepared, we had you know, we went through pre courtship.

We went through in all our courtship and then yeah, finally we're getting married

and you are groom, not prepared. I've shown you my favor, giving

fit new mind, not giving you water all this while through the wilderness,

and yet on that wedding day you were not there to be found. What

happened to you? He says that they waited so long they started, Hey,

most of it's taking it too long mate for us a God that we

can worship. But it didn't just say God enough. But when they gave

the golds and the seals and everything, what did they come out? The

product was a golden calf, and it was not a coincidence. You think

that suddenly it just came out like a calf like that. No, it

was a beautiful calf. Beautiful. Hey, when you make things how of

God, it's beautiful one. Okay, yeah before two million people, you

know the Jews, you make allows it all, you'll be beautiful one.

They'll be presented, this is your God. And he used the name yahwegh

someone, Oh my goodness, the one who delivered you. It came out.

It's like some daylized all white thing for my for my for my pride,

texting, Yeah, I remember all my past memories. They are hot,

We're all the way to worsh God. Their hearts, the true nature,

what their hearts, what has stolen their hearts was not God, who

has keptured the heart was not God. It was still Egypt. Egypt was

still in their hearts, and when the cow came out, they freely worshipped

it. You give me sometimes that sometimes people we might not remember our eggs,

but sometimes when the opportunity raiser is that, it comes out like that.

To review what it is, Okay, piece, I don't go into

that. Okay, I'm giving you because it's real, isn't it it's very

real. And then it's that's what Moses was trying to tell it to them.

See what's a pattern here? You say, you want you say that

I'm blaspheming against the law of God. But remember at the altar there,

while God was preparing to give the altar, who didn't show up? Your

forefathers. Don't talk. Don't talk about breaking the law, talk about the

first law breaker. There's a pattern here, isn't it? Against it?

God brought you out by your recheck that his profits, and you rejected his

law from the very beginning. You didn't even want his law, you know,

saying you don't even want to get married. You didn't even want to

get married. You came in right their hearts, their hearts. You know

what's not there? So Stephen, you think about it. How can the

guy, I will assume Stephen is not a very educated person at that time,

very young, how can he present a case like that at the highest

courtingal so powerful, so bold, so sharp that you know his defense spends

that is. You know, when we do law, we always dig back

our old laws and find the president president president. Maybe there was a judgment

against it, Maybe there was rulings. We used this ruling. He didn't

have time, he didn't have check JPT to do his case studies. You

know, he didn't tend to do case studies. In all people, Holy

Spirit, I know all the cases. You don't need any case that you

just depend on me and I will present the case before you, and you

will lay down all the case all the way back to the forefathers. You

will be the best lawyer. I told you. This is a court room

drama again, isn't it? It is a court room drama. This guy

is like, how is it? All the high prison, all the elders,

like, who is this guy who is able to use all this the

Old Testament to bring out such a case. This is a demonstration of the

power of the Holy Spirit. Okay, so we covered three parts? Really

is and the last one then he says that, oh, you blessed fem

against the temple? Now, how many temple has been built in Israel?

Sofa one, two, three, four? I think I tested you guys

on this two weeks ago. How many two? First one was built by

who? David? Oh Solomon? So sure not? You sure not?

The father Solomon will be the second one? Don't tell me, my King

Herod, which one was bigger? King Herod or King Solomon? Sure?

Sure? Who was richer? Solomon was reaching it? So which one is

bigger? No, King Herod, you fail for it? Does it mean

you're rich? It means you have a bigger temple? Okay, King?

I think King Solomon spent seven years to build a temple. But another time

I would take something to learn. But King Solomon spent fifteen years building his

own house, twice as long compared to building God's house. So can we

learned from there? A lot of us like to build our own house more

than build God's house. And ding ding ding ding ding ing. Anyway,

there's another story to learn. King Herod's temple was way bigger. It was

so big that there was a phrase in the ancient time they say, if

you're seeing the temple of King Herod, you have seen beauty. Oh so

you don't understand this is our historical thing. King The temple that King built

was two to almost two three times bigger than the original temple. Big,

beautiful people from everywhere, even from Greece to room that will come and see

you one. It's beautiful. It's really a wonder it's amazing, so much

so that the priests and the Jewish people they really, you know, really

elaborate the thing that this is really the glory of God. Okay, really

really so when you read the New the New Testament, right, a lot

of times all these places when they took over, it was the place.

The temple was really revered by the Jewish people and the communtee okay. And

so when Jesus said, you know, you did destroyed the temple, our

building up in three days, it was blasts for meds. And remember just

to say that tear down this temple and I were build up in three days.

So people, how long you think you'd this temple too? Who are

you? That's why they were so enraged because it was like a national treasure

for them, you know, beautiful, beautiful okay, And so you think

about it, But who is King Hero? Is he a good guy?

No, he's not a good guy. Okay. I'm not gonna go in

through too much. He's not a good guy. Okay. Okay. Now,

before we have the first Temple and the second Temple, what did the

Israelites the hand, the tabernacle, the camp you remember, and the temple

was where they didn't have a land at all. But yeah, there was

a temple among them, and God traveled with them wherever they went for forty

years. Did God ask for them to build a temple. No, God

just say you carry you, bring with me, bring me among your mits,

wherever you go, wherever your battle, bring me along with you.

The tabernacle, it was everywhere with them. They said that you focus so

much on the temple, but you misunderstand what God really looked for and how

actually God moved in their midst. Right now, you are being conquered by

Romans, you know, the people. You build this bigger temple, yet

you are conquered by the Romans. The first temple was also destroyed. But

yet when God was in the small typing like small house, typing on them,

They're never hungered, they're never thirsted, they were normal, never conquered

by people. They safely reached the now acaurse the next generation. They reached

the promise that it was not about the temple, it was about God in

their midst. That was the true temple, you know what I'm saying.

So they focus so much on this, you know, on this, on

this outer trappings. You know, now just we look at it. So,

oh, this wood was brought from there, and this golden level was

this and there, Oh, you cannot cross here across there. All these

things they focused on so much about. But Insae they verse forty. For

our fathers had the Tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he appointed,

instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, which

our fathers, having received in truth, also brought with Joshua into the lamp

possessed by the gentiles. He's saying that god temple was in your midst,

and he was so faithful all the way to Joshua to bring it through.

Okay, whom God drove up before the face of our father's until the days

of David. Say, when God was in the tabernacle, God achieved so

much, you know, he drove out all the people and gave you a

land. All the enemies. That was saying, drove them out. You

had more victory and conquests. When God was dwelling among them in the tabernacle,

But Solomon built him a house. However, the most High does not

dwell in temples made with hands. As the prophet says, heaven is my

throne, and the earth is my foodstool. What house will you build for

me? Says the Lord? What is the place of my rest? Has

my hands not made all this? What? What the Lord wanted them?

What's not the worship in the building? You know, because the temple,

it's not the building, it's they're themselves. They were the temple. They

focused on the building, but not the heart of the worship. You worship

with with with great voices and stuff like that, but their hearts. God

was not leaving inside that God was an external entity. You know what I'm

saying here. So if you want to accuse me against the swimming against temple,

you realize that your building, this is, this is not even the

temple that God was even referring about God. It's not talking about temple God.

It's talking about worship, and where is my worship? You're saying what

I'm saying, Yeah, that is the true matter. So they were focusing

on the wrong thing. Again, the council is being shamed, being shamed,

you know, and being shamed. So after all these things, Okay,

defended himself clearly, and instead of defending himself with every defense, he

is pointing out actually the council and the history of Israel is actually simple.

Instead of him being standing on trial, the council and the elders and Soco

Prisa were the ones now being what do you call it? Uh? Being

on being being being being standing on trial, isn't it norm Stephen Steve is

putting them on trial instead of here on trum he made, He made to

turn the table against them in his court defense and he concluded not as a

defense, but he concluded his statement with a prosecution. Uh, he concluded

his tam with a prosecution. What was that? He said? You stiff

net and UNCircumcising her. You said you're from Moses, and I say from

your you're the sons of Abraham. What was the what? What? What?

What was the what was the and that God gave to them circumcision?

But you are uncircumcised in your heart. You are not the sons of Abraham.

The guy is shut man. You are you stiffness and uncircumcised in your

heart, in your ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your father

did, not only a father's Did you do it right now? Because right

now you for the temple and in accordance to the temple in accordance to the

things that you do. And most importantly, the prophet that Moses has prophesied,

what did you do to him? You murdered him? You accuse me.

I am innocent, but I stand here accusing you as murderous. Yeah,

I mean right. So it's very powerful and all this whole thing is

a court case of how Stephen tonning against them by again according to the power

of the Holy Spirit in the end of days. In the last days,

you won't be just being cornered and not. Okay, I really believe when

things it's gonna be hard for us. It's believers. When people will come

up with some new Age thinking saying that you guys are not taught Christians will

be labeled as not tolerant, not living, not accepting of people. You're

believing in the religion that is outdated in everything as well. But the Holy

Spirit is gonna manifest itself again in a power in the glory. It's gonna

confound all the so called great fingers of our mind. I think, even

beyond Jordan Peterson. I tell you you think there are many great thinkers in

the Facebook. I tell you the Holy Spirit is gonna confound them. Science

and wonders are gonna follow to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. Okay,

say which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed

those who foretold the coming of the just One, They killed the one who

prophesied, They killed the messenger, and they killed the just one as well,

killed the messenger, and they killed the just One or whom you had

now become betrayed. And the murderers right now you are betrayers. You are

murderers who have received the law by the angels and have not kept it.

Or everything you accused me of, you are the one who broke every one

of it. So the one who stands trial is free, but the one

who judges is not being judged. Amazing, isn't it. Then that's the

last part, is he says here, when they heard these things, they

were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with your teeth.

Ah, you know, they say there at the end of days, are

you know when judgment comes out in the fire and brimson, man, there'll

be gnashing of teeth. You know, people won't just go, but people

will be full of anger and hatred. Okay, but he Stephen, being

full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven okay, and saw the

glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said,

look, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Men standing

at the right hand of God. And the moment he said that, they

cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him

with one a court. And this is not just the We're not talking about

the rioting and mobile in the streets, you know. And most of the

time you see her what's happening in France or sometimes Bersia. This is not

them. And are they're talking about politicians? You know in this case are

priests and scribes and elders, all of these people. And they ran to

him and all people of so called statue, you know, running with him

with one a court. They want to murder in broad daylight. They turned

the house of law into a house of murder. What did he do to

this? Nothing in history? You know, you must understand. Most of

the time you go to it's like imagine if you go to parliament, everybody

in parliament Russia to kill one guy in broad there like what would have caused

such anger and bitterness and hatred to commit murder and brought their life. It's

true and all. And they cried, and the witnesses laid down their clothes

at the feet of a young man called Saw and the stone Stephen as he

was calling on God, saying, Lord Jesus received my spirit. Then he

nailed that and cried with a loud voice, law, do not charge them

with their sin. And he said this, and he fell a stip.

You know how did the stone? Okay, as I dropped as I closed

this part. Those stone are because there was the laying of the garment and

then the lady with Saul, and Saul, what's consenting to it? Okay?

They you know, you know why did they put down their garments?

A few things are okay, because they're going to get to workler, Hey,

they're not going to get to work. They're going to free themselves.

Second thing is that when they're stone, they don't just put you at the

far corner and then they just throw pebbles and you, oh, I miss

your head and then you can dodge and play dodgeball like that. You know,

it doesn't work like that way. One, Okay, what they do

they will bring you up to a ledge a specific place. There's a specific

place for stoning one. They will bring you there and there will be a

ditch like a off a ledge like that the heighth normally it will be about

two times you're height, okay, maybe about twelve feet at there, okay.

And Stephen will stand like that and all the accusers will be behind him,

and the first person who consent will push him. If you consent,

you push, so he will fall. Okay, it's just like Joseph.

You remember Joseph were cast into a pit, and so slay fall down,

and if he survives, then the first person will move away. Then the

people who will lay their side and you know what you do. They will

carry stones and they will come here and then drop pap And these are heavy

because you're anger. You don't't be using, you'll be angry. You carry

the heaviest and you will drumpong. Wow. Heavy is their guilt, isn't

it? Their anger? And there he and Steven will be down there crying

lord, you know, being were being crushed by the singer their guilt,

and Stephen would still say, please, don't sorry. I know their children

here, apologize, But this is but Stephen, and how all these things,

what do you say, Lord, do not charge them? Because he

had to reveal the truth to them so that the grace of God may come

to share with them the love of God. You see it. And because

despite Stephen saying all these condemning things, eh and then being and then these

people are became their worst And now you see what I'm saying. I'm saying

the enemies became the worst version of themselves true not their true nature, come

out who they truly are. The wolves are no longer ships. The wolves

are truly wolves. They show their real skin when they show their real self.

God used them the worst of them, Lord, that was soul,

and and God used him to be his messenger of peace. See amazing God's

love, isn't it. God will give us the truth out review somehow how

simful you are. But yet even as you are as wretched and sinful,

God still are able to use God's grace, can reach to the depths and

sinfulness and evil of men and still save them. You get me right,

And saw the one who consented to Stephen's death was saved by God to redeem

so many. So sometimes when we think about witnessing. We think that people

might not get saved because it's so hot. Who can turn the hearts of

men of stone into flesh? Again, Again, I say, it is

not the works of men, but the works of the Holy Spirit. Heaven

rules rules over from Moses time, from Abraham's time, or even to the

days of x when everyone seems to reach at Heaven rules able to save utterly,

even those who are wretched and evil. Amen, God is able to

say even an you. Now, someone may see, we may see this

is no way nowhere, But we gotta see beyond on our understanding, beyond

our preference, that God rules in salvation in everything over the nation. God

rules. And I'm when I'm share all these things, my heart is desire

is for what for everyone to believe? Okay, it's not for knowledge.

There's reason that this story is still in the Book of Fact, so that

we believe, we believe and have faith that God is at work, that

God is ruling, and God is still working. Right now, There'll be

many more Stephens, many mony, many more Stevens. But it's not about

the Stephens. It is the manifestation of the power of God. Amen.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

please visit as Church RG. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you God, bless O.