1 of 7

• Acts 7 - “The Measure of a Father” • Happy Father’s Day! • Illustration of Father’s Day - The first Father’s Day was celebrated on July 5th, 1908 in Fairmont, WV - We celebrate Father’s Day to honor our earthly dads, a day dedicated to show our love and support for them and the sacrifices they have made to be a dad, to show our honor, love and respect we have for them - We celebrate Father’s Day to encourage dads to be the biblical dads they are called to be - We celebrate Father’s Day to reveal how important a father is in the life of a child as studies are revealing this time and again - We as Christians in Christ celebrate Father’s Day to yes honor our earthly father’s in the way just described but we take the opportunity to look at our ultimate Heavenly Father, God the Father - We celebrate who God is as our daddy - We celebrate what our Heavenly Father has done for us, is doing for us and what He will do for us - We celebrate the love and grace our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us in and through His Son Jesus Christ - We celebrate the fact that our earthly dad may have wronged us, forsaken us, may have messed up at some point but our Heavenly Father will always remain faithful to us in the midst of our unfaithfulness - So as we say happy Father’s Day to our earthly dads, may we say Happy Father’s Day to our Heavenly Father • As we are here to celebrate Father’s Day, we have to ask the question, what is the definition of a good father, the measure of a father? - We all have certain memories of our fathers, whether it be good or bad - Often times we define and describe things from the world’s perspective, including what makes a good father - Sometimes we define what a dad is or isn’t based on our experience growing up, thus transferring our emotions whether they be good or bad to God, viewing God as we would view our earthly father - Maybe you had a good experience growing up, maybe you didn’t - Whatever the case may be, good or bad, this is a call for us as a dad, no matter the age, to be the godly dad we are called to be - We can even take it a step further to those of you who have grandchildren and great grandchildren, this is a call for you to be the godly grandfather you are called to be 2 of 7

- This is also a call for all of us to view God the Father through the lens of the Bible rather than through the lens of our experiences • This morning, we are going to finish out Stephen’s OT defense of the gospel by viewing our last OT figure head, Moses - As we are finishing out Stephens defense of the gospel, we are going to notice three timeless attributes of what the measure of a father is: a providing father, a revealing father and a humble father - These attributes are timeless in the sense of what we as dads are called to be all the days of our lives - These attributes ultimately point to our Heavenly Father I. The consistent gospel - Acts 7:1-34 A. The gospel according to Abraham - Acts 7:2-8 1. Salvation is Christ is a declaration by God 2. Salvation and sanctification are not self-salvation projects B. The gospel according to Joseph - Acts 7:9-16 1. Salvation in Christ is about “The Great Exchange” - (2 Cor. 5:21) 2. Jesus traded places with us, enduring what we should have endured but by grace He endured for us C. The gospel according to Moses - Acts 7:17-34 1. Stephen moves to his final old time figure head, Moses, pointing to God being both the fulfiller of the law and the deliverer from the law apart from the law a) As we look at our last OT figure head, I want us to be reminded how much this chapter is dedicated to father’s b) Stephen addresses the Sanhedrin and references “father’s” - Acts 7:2a c) He then moves to speaking about “Father Abraham” and his decedents - Acts 7:2b d) Later on, when Stephen is recounting Moses, we see God revealing to Moses that he is the ultimate Father - Acts 7:32 e) The term “father” is referencing one who imparts life and is committed to doing so (1) Its the idea of a progenitor, one who passes on potential for likeness (2) This term is used of our heavenly Father who imparts life to all (a) God the Father imparts physical life to all in the first birth (b) God the Father imparts spiritual life to those who call on Him in the second birth (regeneration) 3 of 7

(3) **As we understand what this word father means, it is important for us as dad to know we may not be able to impart life to our children but we can pass on a good example for our children to emulate and be committed to doing that** f) God the Father is committed to impart spiritual life to those who call on Him for saving faith g) God the Father is committed to the passing on of His likeness to us through the progressive sanctification process in us h) God the Father is one who cares for His children - Ps. 149:4 i) Where our earthly father may have failed in many areas, our heavenly Father never fails us and cares for us 2. From the life of Moses we see that salvation in Christ exposes our sin and reveals a need for a Savior - Acts 7:20-21, 30-34 a) The measure of a Father is providing Father - Acts 7:20-21 (1) As we go through these points on what the measure of our heavenly Father is, may we be reminded of His attributes of what makes a good earthly father (2) **Our heavenly Father made provisions to rescue us to become His children** (3) The picture of Moses’ deliverance and rescue from the water and the children of Israel being led through the Red Sea is a picture of our salvation in Christ (a) It was impossible for Israel to rescue themselves because the enemy was too great and they were outnumbered (b) It is impossible for us to save ourselves because our enemy is too great for us to handle therefore we need Jesus to rescue us out of the waters (4) Egypt is pictured in the Bible as sin, the Israelites living in the bondage of the Egyptians (a) Living in the bondage of the Egyptians was a painful and tiresome place to live (b) Living as Satan as our representative is a painful and tiresome place to live (c) The Egyptians were very hard taskmasters to the Israelites (d) Sin and Satan are hard taskmasters against us b) Pre-salvation, this is a picture of what we go through in being enslaved to sin 4 of 7

(1) Before we call out to Christ for salvation, we are not living in submission to God but living in submission to ourselves (2) The crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of the divine rescue God gives us at the moment of saving faith - the old man dead (like the death of the Egyptians) and behold the new is come (what life was supposed to be like in the Promised land) (3) The Israelites living in bondage to the Egyptians revealed and exposed their need for rescue thus forcing them to look to Moses (4) When we realize we are born dead sinners, it forces us to look to someone outside of us, the person and work of Jesus Christ (5) When we realize our own weakness in the Christian life, it forces us to look to Jesus (6) **Understanding the measure of our Heavenly Father reveals the way in which God has always desired to work for His creation, to be the provider** c) Often times when we think about a father providing for his family we are referencing providing financially (1) This is part of a father providing for his family but the provision of a father runs deeper than finances (2) The measure of a good father provides safety and security for his kids through his presence (3) Provides a spiritual atmosphere (4) Provides spiritual leadership (5) Provides a godly example (6) Provides a godly marriage example (7) Provides love to his kids (8) Provides grace to his kids (9) Provides loving correction (10)Provides protection physically but also spiritually, guarding what comes into the home d) The measure of an earthly father is one who provides for their family 3. The measure of a Father is a revealing Father - Acts 7:32-33 a) **Our heavenly Father made Himself vulnerable and open, revealing Himself as He truly is** b) God revealed to Moses who He is, the one true God thus exposing Moses’ unholiness (WE NEED TO HAVE THIS EXPOSURE!) (1) God revealed to Moses that He was Father God 5 of 7

(2) In God revealing to Moses that He was Father God points to His character as being revealing, revealing His character and who He is as a loving Father (3) As our earthy Father’s made provision for us, our heavenly Father made provision for us by the sending of His Son Jesus Christ c) In Christ, God reveals the person and work of Jesus to us, exposing our need for a Savior outside and apart from the law d) When God reveals to us who He truly is and we see His holiness, the only response from sinful man is to bow down e) You see, God gave the law, revealed the law to Moses but never attached saving grace or sanctifying grace to the law f) The purpose of the law is not to save us but to point to the fact we can’t keep it thus needing someone else to keep and fulfill it for us (1) A common theme taught today is this idea of being anti law or ditching the laws and commandments of God due to fear of being labeled “legalistic” (2) In short, “legalism” is the idea of obeying the law to earn salvation (a) But as many other words have gone through a definition change and application change, this word is no exception (b) Many people apply this same truth of “legalism” to the truth of our sanctification (c) In laymen’s terms, obeying a set of rules and living a set of standards to impress God therefore God will grow you up because He is impressed with your performance (d) God is only impressed with one person’s performance: His name is Jesus and His work was the crucifixion by the cross (3) We can’t be anti-law or diminish the law because the Bible doesn’t diminish the law but we MUST view and keep the law through the proper lens (a) We obey the law out of a heart posture of “grace gratitude” because of what Christ has done for us (b) The law was never meant to be a list of standards to achieve but rather to expose our need for a perfection outside of ourselves, namely the perfection of Jesus Christ (c) Once we obey the law and live in active obedience, we will grow because that’s how the natural progression of fruit is supposed to work 6 of 7

(d) As we participate in active obedience, we are giving ourselves the proper nutrients we need to grow in Christ and the result will be God growing us up g) Stephen is making a defense of the gospel by pointing to Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of the law, who the entirety of Scripture points to (1) The missed message of the Sanhedrin (and many today) is not seeing Jesus lifted up but rather lifting up Moses and man’s adherence to the law (2) “The benefit of being a great sinner is dependent upon a great grace. I found a forgiveness that is too deep to be plumbed, too high to be summited. I have never been more or less saved than the moment I was first saved. Not one bad deed has deducted from my salvation. No good deed, if there are any, has enhanced it. My salvation has nothing to do with my work and everything to do with the finished work of Christ on the cross.” Max Lucado (3) **The measure of our Heavenly Father points to how His character has always been to reveal who He is to sinful humanity** h) What is it that we as dads need to reveal to our kids? (1) We need to reveal our weakness, exposing we are not as strong as we think we are thus crying out to God for His strength (2) Exposing our need for God and grace in our lives (3) Exposing our meekness, our teachableness by being submitted to our Heavenly Father (4) Exposing strength under control thus being filled with the Spirit rather than filled with the flesh (5) Exposing our emotions, making ourselves vulnerable and open to them, letting them come into our inner circle (6) Exposing genuine love to the child and the mother i) The measure of an earthly father is one who is vulnerable and revealing, exposing his true self to his family 4. The measure of a Father is a humble Father - Acts 7:34 a) The ultimate humbling is when God came down to this earth in human flesh to die the death we deserved to die (1) In Phil. 2 the Bible teaches us that God emptied Himself, took the form of a servant and paid the ultimate price so that you and I could be delivered 7 of 7

(2) Jesus had to come down because we cannot go up to Him on our own b) How can we as dads be humble for our children? (1) We can be humble enough to admit we have need for God and others in our life, including our children (2) Willing to cry out to God (3) Willing to admit we can’t handle it (4) Willing to admit faults and mistakes in being a dad (and husband) (5) Willing to put others before self, especially the family c) The measure of an earthly father is one who is humble rather than prideful 5. Jesus is the true and better Moses a) Where Moses failed in his faith to enter into the Promised Land, Jesus possessed and exhibited the perfect faith required to please the Father and entered into the ultimate Promised Land, glory b) Where Moses received the law, Jesus fulfilled the law c) Where Moses failed at keeping the law, Jesus kept the law perfectly d) Jesus did this for you and I! e) Thank God for Jesus! 6. God is our true and better Father! 7. As we understand the gist of Stephen’s gospel defense, may we revel in “The Old Time Gospel” and understand how all of Scripture points to Jesus Christ 8. As we participate in Jesus Saturation, this is the perspective we work from, elevating the person and work of Jesus Christ and His transforming grace 9. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!