Advancing God's Plan
The True Human Community
May 7, 2023
Rev. Dr. Gabe Sylvia
Stephen's message in Acts 7 presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel's promises and types, urging the church to take up God's kingly and prophetic roles by building up, proclaiming, and protecting the body of Christ despite historic rejection.
Summary
Using the theme of fulfillment and a manufacturing metaphor, the sermon surveys Stephen's long speech in Acts 7 to show how Old Testament figures (especially Abraham, Joseph, and Moses) are types pointing to Christ; it argues that the church now fulfills God's plan by exercising kingly and prophetic functions—building, protecting, proclaiming, and forming believers—while lamenting Israel's persistent rejection of prophets and calling Christians (and especially parents) to teach and trust Jesus as the final fulfillment of prophecy.
Key Points
- Context: Acts 7 (53 verses) — Stephen's long message is sampled to reveal its central theme of fulfillment.
- Theme: Christ is the fulfillment of the prophecies and stories of old; fulfillment is like a multi-step manufacturing/process completed by the finished product.
- Typology: Abraham and Joseph are presented as kingly types; Moses served a two-fold prophetic role (to Pharaoh and to the people) and pointed forward to the final Prophet, Jesus.
- Church's calling: The church must assume God's new kingly and prophetic roles—building, structuring, protecting, funding, and growing the church for present and future generations.
- Past failure: Israel repeatedly rejected God's prophets who testified about the coming Messiah; Stephen emphasizes this pattern.
- Practical application: Christians (especially fathers and mothers) are called to teach Christ as revealed in Scripture and to live out the prophetic witness inwardly (church formation) and outwardly (cultural witness).
- Pastoral call: A prayerful appeal to see Jesus' beauty as the fulfillment of prophecy and a direct call to put trust, faith, and hope in Christ.
- Cultural note: Stephen critiques narrow nationalism of his day that prevented people from seeing their covenantal, kingly role in God's redemptive plan.
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