Sermon 10-7-18 Review Sheet: Abraham
Overview
Stephen on Trial: The God of Glory and the Promise to Abraham
Stephen stands before the Sanhedrin charged with blasphemy against God, against Moses, and against the temple—a capital charge. Rather than mounting a narrow legal defense, he preaches. Opening his answer in Acts 7:2, he addresses the council as "brothers and fathers" and immediately speaks of "the God of glory" who appeared to Abraham. That phrase is striking: in all of Scripture it occurs only one other time, in Psalm 29:3. It is no light designation. As Exodus 33:18-19 shows, when Moses asked to see God's glory, the Lord answered by causing all His goodness to pass before him. Stephen is not blaspheming God; he is confessing the God whose glory is the sum of His goodness.
From there, Stephen traces the line of the people of God beginning with Abraham—the singular, towering figure of the Old Testament, remembered by Mary in Luke 1:55 and Zechariah in Luke 1:73. His summary in Acts 7:2-8 breathes the pages of Genesis: God's call to leave Mesopotamia, the promise of a land Abraham would never possess by the foot, the foretelling of 400 years of slavery, the gift of the covenant of circumcision, and the births of Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs. Stephen is laying down a "review sheet" that will lead inevitably to Jesus as the fulfillment of every messianic promise.
The pastoral heart of Abraham's story is this: God's promises do not rest on the worthiness of the recipient but on the faithfulness of the One who promises. Joshua 24:2 reminds us that Abraham's family "served other gods" beyond the Euphrates. Abraham was an idolater when grace found him; God transformed his stony heart into a heart of faith in the coming Messiah. The same is true for us. Like Peter falling at Jesus' knees in Luke 5:8 and Isaiah crying "Woe is me!" in Isaiah 6:5, we have no defense before God's law. The case against our sin is not merely probable—it is overwhelming, and what we deserve is His just judgment.
Yet the gospel rings out: God in His grace sent the Lord Jesus to the cross, where He bore the sin of the world, and the just wrath that should have fallen on us fell on Him. The Father raised Him from the tomb, declaring the sacrifice accepted. We breathe in that air of God's love. So as we listen to Stephen's defense, we hear more than a history lesson—we hear the steady drumbeat of a God who keeps His word to unworthy people, from Abraham the moon-worshiper to sinners like us, and who fulfills every promise in Christ.
Transcript
Would you open your Bible, please, with me to the seventh chapter of the book of Acts, 0s
as we continue our study of this magnificent book that God has given to us. 4s
A few weeks ago, I had received a jury summons and showed up, 10s
downtown Fort Worth, it was a criminal case. 15s
60 of us were in the courtroom for the jury selection. 19s
The case was made clear to us. 25s
What exactly the charge was, what the parameters of sentencing would be, 27s
and then the questions started to come. 34s
They asked the potential jurors, why a defendant might not speak? 38s
Well, the answers that were given were, well, 46s
person might be sick, etc. on went down the list. 49s
I didn't understand that it was going to be a question and answer time, 54s
because then the judge looked down on her sheet and called juror number, 61s
whatever I had, and she said, Mr. Ebel, right? 67s
I said, yes, I have a question. 74s
I think the answer has been given in terms of why someone might not testify, 80s
but does a defendant have to testify? 87s
I am typically more comfortable answering theological questions than legal. 93s
But I said, no, it seems to me that technically a defendant wouldn't have to say a word in a trial, 100s
that the prosecution is the one that has to prove the case. 112s
It wasn't like I passed the bar exam, but she complimented me for my answer. 119s
On the questions went, in order to select the juror, 129s
and there seemed to be an emphasis that the defendant didn't have to speak in a trial. 137s
We come to a different trial today in the seventh chapter. 149s
Stephen is put on trial. 155s
There is no option given to him in terms of whether he can speak or not speak. 160s
And even if there was, Stephen just speaks and my does he ever. 168s
Look with me please, at verse 1 of chapter 7. 181s
Then the high priest asked him, are these things so? 186s
Remember from what we studied last week, the charge against Stephen was the charge of blasphemy. 193s
Blast for me against God, blasphemy against Moses or the law, and blasphemy against the temple. 199s
So blasphemy against God, Moses and the temple. 207s
And the penalty, if you're found guilty of blasphemy, is death. 212s
So this is a serious, serious charge that is leveled. 218s
He starts right out by addressing the charge of blasphemy, verse 2, Stephen replied, 224s
Brothers and fathers, listen to me, the God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Heron. 229s
Notice that little description of God. 241s
God of glory. 244s
So here's a question. 248s
In all of the Bible, how many times does the phrase, 250s
God of glory appear outside of this reference? 256s
How many times do you think it appears in all of the Bible? 264s
Once. 273s
Once. 275s
Now those at He's speaking to, they would understand the Old Testament. 277s
They would know the Old Testament. 282s
It appears once in the Psalm that was part of our worship service earlier. 284s
Psalm 29. 290s
God of glory appears one time. 293s
Stephen lifts that designation for God. 299s
For the glory of God speaks of the composite nature of the goodness of God. 303s
Exodus, the 33rd chapter says this, Moses said to God, 311s
Show me your glory, I pray, and God said, 316s
I will make all my goodness pass before you, 320s
and we'll proclaim before you the name, the Lord. 324s
The charge then to Stephen is blasphemy. 331s
Charge one blasphemy against God. 336s
And the defendant speaks in his own defense and says, 339s
This is not blasphemy for I am speaking of the God of glory. 345s
And then he traces the line. 356s
Traces the line of God's people winding up to Jesus. 359s
He shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the promises about the Messiah. 366s
The defendant speaks, but the defendant really preaches. 377s
And as he gives the line of the people, 388s
where does he start? 392s
Remember in school when a teacher would give you a review sheet, 399s
and would say the wonderful and gracious words that the test is taken right from the review sheet. 404s
The best words you could hear, right? 412s
And so when you get to the test, they're not surprises. 417s
The teacher has already given you the answers. 422s
Stephen now, the defendant at the trial, starts to speak. 426s
He's going to trace the line, and where does he start, 431s
but he starts with Abraham. 434s
And he gives this review sheet about Abraham. 438s
The singular, most important person in the Old Testament is Abraham. 447s
Mary, 2000 years later, refers to him in Luke 1. 460s
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, refers to him. 465s
He's the singular, most important person in all of the Old Testament. 469s
And now Stephen, the defendant speaking, gives the review sheet. 476s
Okay, may please, at verse 2 again, Stephen replied, 485s
brothers and fathers, listen to me, the God of glory appear to our ancestor Abraham, 489s
when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Heron. 495s
And said to him, 499s
leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you, 502s
then he left the country of the Caldeans settled in Heron. 506s
After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. 511s
He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot slank. 517s
But promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants, 523s
after him, even though he had no child. 528s
That breathes scripture, doesn't it? 533s
It breathes the chapters of Genesis. 535s
It breathes how Abraham and Sarah were childless, 538s
and it was simply by the act of God that Isaac comes along. 544s
And then you trace the line all the way to Jesus. 550s
The first part of the review sheet is literally the pages of scripture. 554s
He goes on. 558s
Verse 6, 562s
And God spoke in these terms that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, 564s
who would enslave them and mistreat them during 400 years. 571s
But I will judge the nation that they serve said God, 576s
and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place. 580s
Well, that's the 400 years as slaves in Egypt, the release from Egypt, 586s
to go to the Promised Land as God propels them forward. 590s
Verse 8, 597s
Then he gave them the covenant of circumcision, 598s
and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, 600s
and circumcised him on the eighth day, 603s
and Isaac became the father of Jacob, 605s
and Jacob of the 12th, patriarchs. 607s
Now all of a sudden you have the patriarchs, 610s
as the people are growing. 612s
It breathes the pages of scripture. 617s
Leave the land. 620s
Here's the promise. 623s
In slavement in Egypt, circumcision, the sign of the covenant, 625s
it breathes. 631s
As Stephen makes his defense, 639s
as he shows the line of people, 644s
as he also shows that Jesus is the fulfillment 649s
of all of the promises of the Messiah. 654s
and we are reminded that the promises of God 665s
are not based on the worthiness of the recipient. 673s
The promises of God are not based on the worthiness 681s
of the recipient, 689s
but on the faithfulness of the one who promises. 692s
Think of Joshua, 24th chapter. 700s
Scripture says this, 704s
and Joshua said to all the people, 707s
thus says the Lord the God of Israel. 712s
Long ago, your ancestors, Tara, now listen to this, 717s
and his sons, Abraham, and Nehore, 722s
lived beyond the refraities, here it comes, 727s
and served other gods. 731s
Abraham was a moon worshiper. 745s
He worshiped the moon. 751s
It wasn't as if Abraham was some spectacular vision 754s
No, Abraham's heart was stony cold, 762s
worshipping the moon, 766s
idolatry, and God comes and transforms his heart 770s
into a believer in the one and only God, 776s
and fills his heart with faith in the Messiah that will come. 780s
The promises of God are not based on the worthiness 789s
of the recipient. 798s
They're based on the faithfulness of the one 802s
who promises. 810s
Back in the courtroom in Fort Worth, 817s
the defense attorney was starting to ask each one of us, 822s
the same question. 826s
The attorney said, 829s
because this person is on trial, 833s
does that mean that there is evidence against them? 837s
Now that's an interesting question, isn't it? 845s
Because this person is on trial, 849s
does that mean that there is evidence against them? 851s
And one by one, by one, of all of us potential jurors, 858s
the attorney asked that question. 863s
Well, I had exhausted my legal knowledge on the first question. 868s
So I simply had to reason this one through, I thought. 873s
And so I thought to myself, 879s
well, there had to have been at least probable cause 881s
for an officer to arrest the defendant. 888s
Probable cause and would indicate some level of evidence, 894s
the purpose of the trial then would be to put the evidence up to scrutiny 900s
to see if it's legitimate, if it could be contradicted, 905s
et cetera, but the very fact that the person was arrested 910s
and there was probable cause must indicate 914s
that there's some level of evidence then that will examine. 919s
I did get picked. 928s
I don't think the defense, like my answer. 931s
Whereas I took the bus back to the parking lot, 937s
having been dismissed, I started to think 940s
the theological answer to that question is a lot simpler. 944s
Because you see, theologically, it is beyond probable cause 951s
with regard to our sinfulness. 956s
Why, the Almighty has a slam dunk case against us, 960s
doesn't he? 966s
We've sinned against him and thought, 968s
word indeed, what we have done and what we have left undone, 970s
what we deserve is his just punishment of hell itself. 974s
An eternal sentence from God who is just to give it. 982s
I think of Peter. 994s
God has given him a fishing tip, the Lord Jesus, 997s
of how we can cast the net then and catch the fish after they haven't been successful. 1001s
And he follows that word of Jesus and they catch this enormous amount of fish 1007s
and Peter realizes the difference between himself and Jesus. 1014s
He realizes who it is that is speaking to him and what's his reaction? 1020s
His reaction is, go away from me, Lord. 1025s
I may sinful man. 1029s
At that moment, in a new way, he understood his own sinfulness. 1032s
I think the picture of Isaiah, where Isaiah gets the picture of the throne room of God 1040s
and Isaiah the sixth chapter and Isaiah says, 1046s
what was me? 1049s
I am lost for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among the people of unclean lips. 1050s
Yet my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. 1058s
God comes with his law and we are guilty. 1068s
But as Abraham experienced the grace of God, so also we experience that grace too, don't we? 1081s
God and his grace sends the Lord Jesus to the cross and on the cross Jesus bears the sin of the world. 1096s
Your sin, my sin, everyone sin. 1105s
And the just wrath of God, the just judgment of God falls upon Jesus instead of us. 1109s
The Father raises Jesus off out of the tomb, proclaiming that indeed the sacrifice for sin had been accepted. 1127s
And the gospel rings forth to the world of which all of us stand guilty. 1137s
And the gospel bathes us in the goodness and we breathe in the air of God's love and grace for us. 1148s
Stephen starts his defense against the charges of blasphemy. 1170s
He begins his defense by saying, Jesus is the fulfillment of all the messianic promises. 1178s
And he traces the line starting with Abraham. 1190s
And we're reminded that the promises of God are not dependent on the worthiness of the recipient. 1198s
But on the faithfulness of the one who promises in the weeks ahead, we're going to watch this trial because the trials begun. 1215s
And Stephen, the defendant, oh, does he preach? 1235s