Acts Chapter 7:35-45

What is the church well it's a building with steeples, stained glass, nice building, now that's not the church building is not what is the churches who is we are the church called out ones ecclesia is the word call out one it doesn't mean that were better than everybody else.

We received the grace of God means that were to be different than everybody was posted be living a life with meaning and purpose. We should be loving and giving and serving following Jesus. We should be should be different. I'm excited about you Probably find some items worksite Baptist Church. I'm excited about what God is doing here in this place in the lives of the people, but not in the building is in the lives of the people welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today. DA Brown shares with SDA is one of our associate pastors at the bridge. Bob what we music church in the church building. God does not reside today. Precedents planes help man's traditions can never replace God's living truth as he continues the book of acts chapter 7.

Now here's David McGee with part five of the teaching Stevens address power in acts chapter 7 what's going on. If Stephen is speaking to the Jewish leadership is doing a recap of the history of Israel is an incredible chapter. Stephen is obviously very gifted in teaching and and right now he's talking about Moses and pick it up in verse 35 this is this Moses whom they rejected Singh, who made you a ruler and a judge is the one God sent me a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush is interesting thing they were rejecting Moses as a leader and asking him who made you ruler and a judge and it was God who made him a ruler and a judge so we see there that sometimes when you're a leader there's got to be people that challenge that certain we need to remember that as we follow people but they refuse. Moses the first time and you know what Stevens same as you. Be careful guys because you can miss the Lord can miss the Lord they messed that God had anointed and appointed Moses to lead them a mess that so you can be wrong. You can work yourself into a frenzy and I know that some of us have done that. We work ourselves into a frenzy.

We get less emotional turmoil we start making bad decisions and each and every one of us can do that just be careful and and here's an interesting thing I thought about this, but it says the angels appeared to him in the bush. How did Moses know that the bush was on fire without burning to go over there and look at it and watch it. He had to sit still long enough to realize that the bush wasn't being consumed with the fire my point. I'm sometimes were too busy.

Sometimes we fly about stuff that we don't take time to see and to notice because of Moses when he just looked at that bush and all as another burning bush walk past. He may have missed something incredible.

Now God probably would've given him bigger sign.

We can play that what is being too much but is just interesting and I think sometimes are so busy with our lives.

We met some incredible things that the Lord is doing verse 36 he brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea in the wilderness 40 years, was doing all these things yet there were messing verse 37 this is that Moses ascended the children of Israel, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren him, you shall hear now, this verse is talking about Jesus. Verse 30 this is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us. This brings up the point of we have a debt towards the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. They preserve the writings of the Bible, specifically the Hebrew Scriptures the Old Testament so that we can have them and of course Jesus was a Jewish Messiah, and we really owe them a debt of gratitude and thanks and also Jesus who himself was a Jewish personnel encourage you and something if you know somebody who's Jewish. Consider thanking them for those things is something very different.

They probably have never been thing by a Christian for some Jesus and for preserving the Bob and possibly it could open up a conversation or build a bridge for a subsequent conversation about Jesus, but even if it doesn't we should still be thankful for this thing and here Stephen is is singing.

Moses was a man of God.

Moses was a spiritual leader in in a reinforces the fact that the Old Testament is the word of God, and now we have that part of the word of God. We also need to be careful that we appreciate and respect the Old Testament audit. You hear people out. It was old know it's about two thirds of the book. A lot of people are so unfamiliar with the God of the Old Testament is hard for them to know the God of the New Testament and and what happens is we get this lopsided view of God. People walk around the think God was real angry in the Old Testament and in Israel loving in the New Testament not the same God.

And if you dig in the Hebrew Scriptures, if you come occasionally on Thursday night you'll hear how God is so much in the Old Testament God of mercy, and the God of grace. God, who offered his son. We need to remember that since was in the congregation in the wilderness.

It's actually the King James. It uses the word church.

What is the church well it's a building with steeples, stained glass, nice building, now that's not the church building is not what is the churches who is the church we are the church. The call about one's ecclesia is the word call out one it doesn't mean that were better than everybody else.

We received the grace of God. It means that were to be different than everybody was posted be living a life with meaning and purpose.

We should be loving and given in servant following Jesus. We should be should be different.

Verse 39 who are fathers would not obey but rejected and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt for Stephen this is same look guys. Moses was also leader had the 10 Commandments you rejected him in these 10 Commandments, I mean the reality is in the book of Exodus when Moses is walking back down the mountain to the 10 commandments. They were busy are you breaking like two or three of them at that time.

Now let's understand something and it's interesting if you asked somebody why they think they're going to have and what the replies China you get some really interesting answers with your friends with members of the think you're going to heaven. We called into question test the think you're going to heaven. Almost everybody thinks are going to heaven, so you probably will see you but then the second question really, why do you think that you get some interesting answers. Because I go to church as you go to church. You think you're going to go to church son about why think we want to heaven because I've been mostly a good person. Mostly a good person promises rectal law and one place you broken everyone's well I'm going to heaven because I've got most the 10 Commandments. Do you think the intent of the 10 Commandments was to allow us a way into heaven. That was not the intent of the 10 Commandments actually is almost the opposite of the 10 Commandments.

We share these verses in Galatians with Galatians 324 offices.

Let me put it another way, the law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came to now through faith in Christ we are made right with God.

Galatians 216 says no and that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. What that means is if you could earn your way into heaven.

Well then, you would begin bragging about it and and and then your justified through your own words, none of us can earn our way into heaven. Galatians 221 says I do not set aside the grace of God for righteousness comes to the law than Christ died in vain do we go from these verses. The thinking that we can earn our way and have is far from what this book say yes. We encourage you to know, so I said hey I mostly a good person or abatements. The 10 commands, walking through and say all okay well you know the Bible says you should have no other gods before me. Has God always been number one in your life and all that you do most people be honest enough to know okay what that means you're an idolater, this is not so use the Lord's name in vain.

Have you ever in your life. Use the Lord's name inappropriately here, you called out his name. When you are really placing them in that most people say will yeah okay what makes you blaspheme have you ever taken something one years.

No, you never bought a pincer sheet of paper.

You didn't get back okay wasn't make it make you thief.

Okay, so you're an idolater blasphemous fees in your account on your own good works kitchenette. Good luck on the it doesn't work now. What happens is when you compare yourself to the law of God to go and don't measure up. And just as I said that some of you in your thoughtful thanks a lot I guess I can get EndNote known the beauty of it.

Want to realize. You can't earn your way then you're open to the conversation to discuss how you get it. See why you're still trust in your own way to get you to have a conversation about Jesus and his Messiah ship.

His being your Savior because your trust in your own works is not a work friend suck our because if you set it up like that was the book of Galatians says you're saying that Christ died in vain will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now.

Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want to take just a couple minutes to pray for some cities in our listening audience, today specifically Grants Pass Hines John Day Junction city Kino Lakeview in Medford, Oregon, Lord, we thank you for the cities and the people who are listening now got even those who might not be listening. We lift up everyone will we pray that your Holy Spirit would draw them into a personal relationship with Jesus that they would put their faith in him. Father we pray that they will get plugged into Bible teaching church will we pray that you get the pastors in the city's wisdom on how to make disciples and how to encourage everyone that God brings Lord, we pray for the city leaders, mayors, father, the police chief to Fire Chief low. We pray that we would be an encouragement to them. Recognizing the serious responsibilities that they have father we pray that the church globally in the cities would walk in unity and Lord, we thank you for what you're doing. In Jesus name, amen, amen.

Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse 40 say in the air and make us gods to go before us is for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt.

We do not know what is become of him.

So we see there really really loyal to Moses and is a form that always fascinated thoughtfully, God's people are planning this big revolt jokingly referred to this as this was the first seeker sensitive service at the river was because I told Aaron your bill. This is Aaron would be in the leader really was at the Tonto now still something because I only own as a believer I used to read that passage of Scripture.

You know the children of Israel fallen Moses volunteer and has to think is up with these guys and they wake up every morning have been in Amana land everywhere to see the parting of the Red Sea that got they were set free from Egypt and they keep having this rebellion in an and their hearts keep wandering well you longer walk to the Lord in the longer serve the Lord to become very apparent what was wrong with them is the same thing is wrong with me and that our hearts are human hearts are prone to wander, they do that maybe you thought in your life that that was just you that there's something wrong with you that your heart was prone to wander in every person here was honest this morning would say you know what my heart does wander. My heart looks back at Egypt go over parts of Egypt were nice and we look back in her former life before he started college is well. I didn't like this and this and this big boy that was a nice thing. Remember being able to sleep in on Sunday. Know what I mean you know you start to think of those things in your heart begins to wander and if you sit here this morning is that my heart will never wander friend then you're not can it be on your guard, that your heart may want think we should be honest it as we look at this passage of Scripture that we don't just sit there and say well, look at how silly they were.

We can be just as silly sometimes in our lives. Verse 41 in the minute In those days offered sacrifices to the and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. There's a lot that verse God in this book tells us a specific way to approach him that way is through Jesus, his son. This model does not say there's many ways to God that there's many paths to God that there's many roads to God.

It actually says the opposite says there's only one way Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the like. Nobody goes to the father except through me.

So we need to understand that it's not being insensitive to others face. It's the reality of the Scriptures, and that we believe this book and it's not for people say will that makes Christianity exclusive all friends far from anything by that. Jesus said if anyone comes to him that he'll receive him that he will turn anybody away in the book of Romans chapter 10 verse 13 says who ever called on the name of the Lord shall be say anything but exclusive that's inclusive that we need to look to the Lord and to this book to figure out how to approach God how to live our lives how to do church and follow it.

We can learn can learn from snow. It also says and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. This is one that we need to be careful of. And I think every church need to be careful. If it is an amazing thing that God is done here, especially viewer here earlier, even if you've been here for a couple months you watch God continue to bless his fellowship with.

We need to always be more excited about God than about a church I'm excited about you probably find some items more to this jerk. I'm excited about what God is doing here in this place in the lives of the people, but not in the building's in the lives of the people you know the building is gotten nicer and many of us have done a lot of work in given our time and energy in our finances so buildings looking nicer but still it's just it's a building is a Pastor David. It's obvious you know that since we meet in a warehouse. There's not a huge emphasis on the building but we need to always remember this and not get away from it and take our joy in the Lord. Verse 42 then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven as it is written in the book of the prophets.

Did you offer me slaughtered animals sacrifices there 40 years in the wilderness house of Israel as God gave them up. This kind of a difficult thing. Sometimes God allows us to suffer for the things that we've done. He does that, that we might learn from it that we might turn to him, but we never ever suffer for all the wrong that with the it's an interesting thing because you ever notice that we don't mind if somebody else offers for the wrong that they've done that we can watch somebody going through our diamond dogs whether going to art but messed up God's judgment, but when we go through a hard time rethinking God what he knew that person and intercourse. Many people bought into that will why do bad things happen to good people. I'm surprise anything good ever happens to us because we wander so much in it's not why do good things happen to me. Bad things when it's not why bad things happen to good people. The reality is what this book is it there's nobody that's really considered good except Jesus is none righteous, no not one that we've all fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans chapter 3 verse 10 Romans chapter 3 verse one. They tell us the wonder is that more bad things don't happen God in his mercy he loves us so much and so be careful when you're praying that you know you don't trade silly things like God just go ahead and judge him. He's you know he's obviously doing things wrong. You just mercy. For me judgment for him. Don't lose 43. You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your God damn phone images which you made to worship and I will carry you away beyond Babylon and see Stephen is point out what was really going on.

What was your heart towards your goals. The people's heart toward the Lord and they were so they were so close in the things of God.

Well, I become a little bit jaded, calloused to the things of God can happen, we can begin to get caught up in religion and ritual.

And that leads into hypocrisy.

One of the one of the main telling points how you feel about the Lord is how you feel about this book, the Bible is telling you now understand that many of us suffered under poor teaching or no teaching, and we really didn't understand what the book said nobody was really teaching us this book and and got so bad that some people actually made it really, really boring. The sit underwritten at the end of the teaching that how you feel about this but here's another question.

How do you feel about going to church. Now I'm not saying we all have our morning or some mornings were you might not feel like being there. There might be so. I'm not saying there is something there might be some mornings where I don't feel like being here, but we make the decision to be here, but overall what you're feeling about going to fellowship is all forgot about Sunday church here about the Bible, will, telling friend, be careful, be careful, God has revealed himself in this book we have opportunity to gather with one another and take a look at the book and see got a little bit clear so be careful about being empty heart and in turn it into some ritual because it can. We need to keep it real.

Verse 44 our fathers have the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness as he appointed instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen nothing interesting person and I could go for half an hour a little bit, don't you know something that's interesting in this instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen it makes me wonder what exactly happened when Moses was up on that map. Did Moses go up in the heaven was the tabernacle modeled in part over some structure in heaven brings a wide interesting questions. The reality is what we don't know what happened really know what the book tells us we can ask Moses when we get there. I guess right. Verse 45 which our fathers have received it in turn also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, Moses brought them out of Egypt and Egypt is a picture of the world.

The world system the world thinking the world's philosophy. The what the words perspective the way the world has a look at things. Egypt is symbolic of that Moses the lawgiver brought them out of Egypt. Moses the lawgiver did not take them into the promised land, Joshua, I think there's a picture here going back to what we just were talking about about the 10 Commandments, the law can't take you into the promises of God can't take you into the promised land. They can take you right up to the edge, but it's Joshua who can take you and nothing living okay. What I don't understand the connection. Well let me remind you the word Joshua and the New Testament was written in Greek. For the most part and and so Joshua is Jesus is the Greek word for Joshua and we know that that Hebrew word is Sue's schism in the Greek word is Sue's is the Hebrew word, yes. You that is the name of Jesus. So you see the picture Moses the law taken us to the edge of the promised land but not being able to take a stand and Joshua or Jesus being able to take us into the promises of God.

It's a beautiful picture. Interesting pearls great with notary friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you.

All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible.

You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you visit, cross the bridge.com and click on God's plan for new life to receive our first steps packaged with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God wants to bless you and encourage your relationships today. Whether you are married, considering marriage or engaged to be married.

We have a resource for you pastor David wants to send you his four part video series allies stay friends. Allow God to minister to your marriage through his word today. This was an unforgettable weekend that encouraged many marriages and you and your spouse can be encouraged to allies stay friends is our thanks for your generous gift today to help more people hear God's truth on this station and beyond, so they can cross the bridge from death to life. Please visit cross the bridge.com today to give a gift of any amount and get your copy of allies stay friends ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God is email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading and the thought to meditate on throughout your day. From the heart. The David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today, cross the bridge.com.

Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse through the book of acts