Weekly Sermons

No place is holy without Immanuel              Acts 7:1-53

Recapping the great themes of the Old Testament:

Genesis 1-11 covers the whole earth’s beginnings: creation, fall, God initiating redemption through covering sin, and the first prophecy of a coming _____________________________.

Genesis 12 to the end of the Old Testament covers the outworking of the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant.

Exodus 20 to the end of the O.T. covers the outworking of the conditional Mosaic law/ covenant. Israel was promised blessings for _____________________________ but curses for disobedience, which could involve captivity to foreign enemies if necessary. 

2 Samuel 7 to the end of the Old Testament covers the outworking of the unconditional Davidic Covenant.

The Poetic books and the Prophetic books give much clarifying information about the coming Messiah and the __________________ of Israel and the world.

 

The charges against Stephen in Acts 6:11-14:

B___________________________ against God, Moses, the Temple, the Law, and Jewish customs.

 

Stephen’s 2 major points:

1.         Israel’s land, law and temple were meant to be means to _________________ God’s presence, not ends in themselves.

Stephen’s opponents spoke of this holy place (6:13), but he was making the point that there is no holy place without the presence of the God of glory, who seeks obedience regardless of the place.                                  -African Bible Commentary, 1311

2.         Just as Israel’s fathers had resisted the prophets, Israel’s _________________ leaders had rejected their Messiah; THEY were the ones truly guilty of blasphemy!

The point is that Joseph, rejected by his brothers and exalted by pagan Pharaoh, became the means of his family’s salvation in time of famine. As a result the nation was multiplied outside Palestine.                                                                               -F.F. Bruce

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and have a son, and name Him, Immanuel.   -Isaiah 7:14

“Don’t you know that you are God’s sanctuary and the Spirit of God lives in you?”                         -I Corinthians 3:16

Just as many prophets before him, Stephen ___________________ the people with their sin.

I am sure if Stephen had been allowed to continue, he would have told them there was _______________________ if they repented and received Jesus as their Messiah. 

For too many professing Christians, we are also guilty of replacing love for Jesus with the things that are supposed to lead us CLOSER to Jesus.

Buildings, classes, programs, ministries are all only valid if they continue to be means to _______________________ Jesus and making Him known!