Taking the Religious Elite to Task (Part 3)

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 7:37-60

 

Acts 7:59-60

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

(NKJV)

 

Stephen’s history lesson to the council has the purpose of showing these Jewish religious leaders that Jesus is the Messiah. Like anyone exposed to the Gospel, they must choose to either accept or reject it. These religious leaders choose to reject the message and determine to kill the messenger, believing the message will stop, but the message will go on in an even greater manner through young Saul. Truly, the gates of hell, or unsound doctrines of religious leaders, cannot stop the spread of the Gospel.

 

Stephen continues his history lesson, telling them that Moses told them that God would raise up a prophet like himself from the brethren and that they are to listen to Him (Acts 7:37). This prophet is the one that accompanied the angel on Mount Sinai, giving the law to Moses that the fathers of the Children of Israel rejected, turning their hearts back to Egypt (Acts 7:38-39). They turned back to Egypt by asking Aaron to make a golden calf to worship, offering sacrifices to an idol (Acts 7:40-41; Exodus 32:1, 23). God then gave them up to worship the host of heaven as foretold in Amos 5:25-27 (Acts 7:42-43).

 

The Lord then instructed Moses to make a tabernacle of witness in the wilderness according to a pattern given by God (Acts 7:44). This was the tabernacle they took across the Jordan with Joshua and used to worship God until the time of David, with Solomon building a house in which God could dwell (Acts 7:45-47). However, the Most High does not live in temples made by men, as told by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 66:1-2 (Acts 7:48-50).

 

Stephen’s history lesson now becomes personal, directed at his accusers, reminding them that they, like their forefathers, are resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Stephen then asks his accusers which of the prophets, who foretold the coming of the Just One, their fathers did not persecute, having now become betrayers and murderers of the Just One (Acts 7:52-53). When they heard these things from Stephen, they gnashed at him with their teeth, but Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:54-55). He then told his accusers he saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56).

 

The crowd then ran at Stephen, casting him out of the city to stone him, with them laying their cloaks at the feet of young Saul (Acts 7:57-58). As they stoned Stephen, he called upon God to receive his spirit (Acts 7:59). Stephen then knelt and cried out with a loud voice, asking the Lord not to charge them with this sin, then Stephen fell asleep (Acts 7:60).

 

The Church is growing and presents a greater threat than Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders. Rather than calling in one of the Apostles again, which did not work, they have called in Stephen, believing he may be weak since he is not an apostle. However, they are unable to break Stephen, and after he accuses them of murdering the Lord, they stone him, making Stephen the first one martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ. They believe that the death of Stephen will prevent anyone else from daring to speak of Jesus, but they did not consider young Saul. Empowered by seeing what happened to Stephen, Saul, a Pharisee, began persecuting Christians by entering their houses and dragging them off (Acts 8:1-7). Later, Saul went to the high priest and received letters to go to Damascus and round up Christians (Acts 9:1-2). Saul, who will become known as Paul, will go from the Church’s greatest persecutor to its greatest missionary.

 

The situation for the Church today is not different in many parts of the world. In many places in the world today, it is illegal to be a Christian with a penalty of death, so many are still like Stephen and martyred for their faith. There is another threat to the Church today, something the Apostle Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, the teaching of unsound doctrine. Church history has demonstrated that the Church thrives when threatened with death, but cannot endure false doctrine. In the Church today, we observe the false doctrines of

 

·         The health and wealth gospel – Those spreading this doctrine often use 3 John 1:2 and interpret it to mean anyone not prospering or in good health lacks faith in Jesus. They interpret prosperity as having all the money and possessions they want and never being sick. However, Jesus said that in this world we will experience trouble, which can manifest itself in a lack of money or possessions and illness (John 16:33). The problem with this doctrine is that when one does not prosper or is sick, they may feel like they have no faith and that God has rejected them.

·         Works-based legalism – Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that our salvation is not based upon our works, with Isaiah reminding us that our good works of righteousness are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

·         Cheap Grace – However, some take the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9 to the point of excusing a continued life of sin, believing this serves to make God’s grace abound. This doctrine is nothing new and was later condemned by Paul (Romans 6:1-4).

 

Sound doctrine is following what is taught throughout scripture, not just cherry-picking passages, as is done in promoting unsound doctrine. Those tasked with detecting counterfeit currency do not spend time studying different counterfeit currencies but learn to recognize real currency. To avoid unsound doctrine, one must be like the Bereans who daily studied the word of God to know the truth which sets us free (Acts 17:10-11; John 8:31-32).

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to receive forgiveness of your sins and make Jesus the Lord of your life, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

This prayer is not some magical prayer, but must be a genuine expression of your heart. If that is why you prayed, rest assured, your sins are completely forgiven, and you have eternal life. I now encourage you to let someone know of your decision. I also urge you to find a church of truth, teaching from the Bible that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post. 

Blindsided by Those Closest to Us.

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 55

 

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

(NKJV)

 

In this text, David has been blindsided by an attack from those closest to him. This attack has left him with fear and trembling and a desire to run and hide. However, he contemplates his situation and resolves to bring his burden to the Lord, trusting Him to bring a resolution. When blindsided by the enemy through those closest to us, we as believers in Christ must bring the situation to the Lord and trust Him to resolve it.

 

This Psalm is another contemplation by David, this time concerning the treachery of friends. It begins with David asking the Lord to listen to his prayer and not to hide from his supplication because he is restless and moaning noisily (Psalm 55:1-2). David’s anxiety is due to the voice of his evil enemies, bringing oppression, trouble, and wrath upon him because they hate him (Psalm 55:3). David’s heart is troubled over this, causing him to have fear and trembling, even fearing death (Psalm 55:4-5). David is even contemplating running away to escape his troubles (Psalm 55:6-8).

 

David then asks the Lord to destroy and divide the tongues of his enemies because he has seen iniquity, trouble, and destruction in the midst of the city (Psalm 55:9-11). David then reveals that this enemy differs from those he has previously faced, for this enemy is someone close to him, even someone who accompanies him to the temple (Psalm 55:12-14). Because of the wickedness of these friends now become enemies, David asks the Lord to seize them with death and send them alive into hell (Psalm 55:15).

 

David then resolves to call upon God, knowing the Lord will save him (Psalm 55:16). David’s cries to the Lord will go out in the morning, noon, and evening knowing the Lord will hear him (Psalm 55:17). David knows God has redeemed his soul from the many who battle against him, and that God will hear him now because God does not change (Psalm 55:18-19). These enemies that used to be friends have broken their covenant with David using smooth words that are like drawn swords with war in their hearts (Psalm 55:20-21).

 

David concludes this contemplation by deciding to cast his burden on the Lord, knowing the Lord will sustain him and never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22). David knows that God will bring these enemies down to the pit of destruction, knowing they will not live out half their days. David concludes by saying he will trust in the Lord (Psalm 55:23).

 

David is prepared for attacks from outside the country but appears to have been blindsided by attacks from those close to him, including those that accompany him to the temple (Psalm 55:12-14). This blindsided attack has left David in fear and trembling, causing him to contemplate flying away like a dove or hastening an escape (Psalm 55:5-8). However, as David continues his contemplation, he determines that running from the problem is not an option. Instead, David decides to call upon God, knowing the Lord will save him, even from this enemy (Psalm 55:16-19). David resolves to cast this burden on the Lord, knowing the Lord will sustain him and not allow the righteous to be moved, even from a blindsided attack (Psalm 55:22).

 

The Church is more than just a building but consists of people professing a belief in Jesus Christ. As such, it is a place we typically go to for peace and escape from the chaos in the world. However, the Church is run by flawed people and can become a place of oppression. When this occurs, we have the option of running like David contemplated doing, or we can cast that burden upon the Lord, knowing He will sustain us. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines a three-step method for handling conflict in the church.

 

1. Confront the one sinning against you and try to resolve it between yourselves (Matthew 18:15).
2. If this does not work, involve one or two more people within the Church to have them act as mediators in the conflict (Matthew 18:16).
3. If this does not work, involve the Church, and if this fails, treat the offender as a heathen (Matthew 18:17).

In none of these steps does Jesus tell us to run and hide, but unfortunately, that is what many do instead of resolving the conflict in a Godly manner. This leaves the problem unresolved, and one must consider that they may be the offender. By running, they are taking the unresolved problem with them, bringing it to another church from which to run and hide. If one runs and is not the offender, they are leaving the unresolved problem for someone else to resolve, instead of being the catalyst for the resolution of the issue.

 

If you are reading this and have been the victim of a church conflict, I urge you to follow these three steps of resolution. If, in attempting to resolve the situation, you discover you are in the wrong, be quick to seek forgiveness from the one you offended and from the Lord. If the one in the wrong is the other person and they are unwilling to change, forgive them, and pray for them. Also, do as David did, casting your burden on the Lord (Psalm 55:22).

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to accept God’s gift of salvation and the complete forgiveness of sin, I encourage you to do so now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post. 

Taking the Religious Elite to Task (Part 2)

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 17:17-36

 

Acts 7:35-36

“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.”

(NKJV)

 

Stephen continues his testimony before the council by continuing his history lesson. In this section, he reminds them of how Moses delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage. Again, this is not anything new to those in the council, but as we will see in the next section, Stephen is laying the groundwork for a comparison between Moses and Jesus as deliverers. It is this comparison and reminder by Stephen of their rejection of Jesus that will lead to Stephen becoming the first Martyr. However, this is not a waste; it provides a spark that leads to Saul's conversion and the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

 

Stephen’s testimony, providing a Jewish history lesson, now changes to a focus on Moses. The people of Israel have been in Egypt for four hundred thirty years, and during that time their numbers have multiplied, and another Pharaoh who did not know Joseph is in power (Acts 7:17-18). This new leader is treacherous and even threatens their babies with death (Acts 7:19). Moses is born during this time and escapes death when rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the Pharaoh’s palace, where he learns the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:20-22).

 

When he turned forty, Moses decided to visit his people, and when he saw an Egyptian oppressing one of them, he killed the Egyptian, believing this would gain him favor with his people (Acts 7:23-25). However, when Moses tried to reconcile an argument between two of his brethren, they reminded him of what he did to the Egyptian, and he was forced to flee to Midian (Acts 7:26-29). Forty years after fleeing to Midian, the Lord appears to Moses in a burning bush, and when Moses is told it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob speaking with him, he dares not look (Acts 7:30-32). The Lord then told Moses to remove his sandals because he was on holy ground and told him he had seen the oppression of the children of Israel and called him to be their deliverer (Acts 7:33-34). The deliverer is Moses, whom they rejected, but who would demonstrate that God sent him through signs and wonders in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness (Acts 7:35-36). The stage is now set for Stephen to compare Moses with Jesus, whom those in the council rejected.

 

Stephen continues his history lesson in response to accusations brought upon him this time, focusing on Moses. In Moses, we see parallels to Jesus,

• At a time when the children of Israel are under oppression and treachery, a deliverer is born. For the children of Israel in the time of Moses, the oppression came from the Egyptians in Egypt (Acts 7:17-20). Jesus was born at a time when the nation of Israel was under Roman oppression and occupation (Luke 2:1-7).
• Moses was taken by Pharaoh’s daughter to the palace of Pharaoh in Egypt for protection (Acts 7:21). Mary, Joseph, and Jesus escaped to Egypt to escape death from Herod’s edict to kill all the children in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-15).
• After forty years in the wilderness, Moses has a visitation from an Angel of the Lord (Acts 7:30). Jesus spends 40 days fasting in the wilderness and is tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). However, there is a difference here: Moses encountered God at the burning bush, and Jesus was tempted by Satan. This difference is because Jesus is God (John 1:1) and does not need an encounter with Himself, but Moses is human and needs an encounter with God before embarking on his mission from God.
• Although rejected by the Jews in Egypt, Moses is the deliverer sent by God to deliver His people (Acts 7:35-36). Jesus was rejected by the Jews in Jerusalem and sentenced to crucifixion, but he is the Messiah, as demonstrated by the signs and wonders he performed when on earth. However, another difference between Moses and Jesus is that Moses first tried to deliver the children of Israel in his own strength and failed (Acts 7:23-29). Jesus always ministered under the authority and power of God the Father (John 5:19).

 

The way Moses delivered the children of Israel provides a parallel of how Jesus delivers us.

 

• Jesus comes to us at just the right time – With both Jesus and Moses, there was a prolonged period of silence from God. For Moses, it was a period of silence between the death of Joseph and Moses’s encounter with God at the burning bush (Exodus 3; Genesis 50:22-26). With Jesus, it was Malachi’s prophecy and the angels announcing his birth (Luke 2:13-14). In both cases, there was a time of silence and waiting, with the people falling into oppression. As believers today, we await the return of Jesus to bring peace on earth. While we can become impatient at waiting for the return of Jesus, we can rest assured He will return at just the right time (2 Peter 3:9).
• God provides protection from harm occurring before we fulfill his mission for us – At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus promises to be with us till the end of the age. He says this after giving the great commission for the church (Matthew 28:19-20). The Lord, the great shepherd, is with us, protecting and providing for His church (John 10:1-6; Psalm 23).
• There will be a time of waiting, temptations, and trials to prepare us for our mission – When we find ourselves waiting for anything, we often grow impatient, including times when we must wait on the Lord. However, it is during these times of waiting that our faith is strengthened (James 1:2-8). The deliverance that happened through Moses for Israel reminds us that there may be times of waiting with trials and even temptations before we receive our deliverance from the Lord.
• There will be rejection – God’s people will experience rejection for their faith (John 16:33). For some, it is a soft persecution involving the loss of friends. For others, it is a hard persecution who live in countries where taking a stand for Jesus is against the law and is a threat to their lives. In either instance, there is persecution and rejection to endure. Both Moses and Jesus endured such rejection.

 

The question everyone must settle in his or her heart is what they will do with Jesus Christ. Will I accept his gift of salvation have rescue from the penalty of my sin (Romans 6:23), or continue in sin, condemning myself to condemnation (John 3:18). I want to over an invitation to those reading this to make the choice of eternal life free from condemnation by confessing their heartfelt belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17; Romans 10:9-10), by praying with me now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

This prayer is not some magical prayer, but must be a genuine expression of your heart. If that is why you prayed, rest assured, your sins are completely forgiven, and you have eternal life. I now encourage you to let someone know of your decision. I also urge you to find a church of truth, teaching from the Bible that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.