Like Unto Me
A Sermon on Acts 7:17-29
Originally preached Feb. 5, 1967
Scripture
17But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out …
Sermon Description
Many people have heard one story or another from the life of Moses. However, it is in this hero of the faith that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones finds a vivid illustration of the power and work of Christ. In this sermon titled “Like Unto Me,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares that in Moses can be seen in several of the functions that Christ would ultimately perfect. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land and freedom. He interceded for the people before God and gave the law of God to the Israelites. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how in a far greater way, it is Christ who leads those who believe out of this world and brings them into the kingdom of God. He sets Christians free from spiritual slavery and bondage to freedom from their sins and the condemnation they justly deserved. For by His death and resurrection He makes a new people that are sanctified in the power of the gospel and God’s grace. In this way Moses is only a shadow of what is revealed in Christ. Whereas Moses could lead the Israelites out of bondage and oppression, he could not deliver them from their sins and make them holy before God but Jesus Christ can and does. It is only by believing in Jesus and His atoning death on the cross and His resurrection that anyone can be saved.
Sermon Breakdown
- Stephen uses the example of Moses to show the Sanhedrin their blindness in rejecting Jesus as the Messiah.
- Moses was a type of Christ, foreshadowing what Christ would do. Types teach us that God has a plan and purpose to prepare people for what is to come.
- Moses was raised up by God to deliver the Israelites, just as God sent his Son to deliver us.
- God acts in his own time - Moses was born at the right time, and waited 40 years to deliver the Israelites. Similarly, Christ came in the fullness of time.
- There were attempts to kill Moses as a baby, just as Herod tried to kill the infant Jesus. This shows the spiritual conflict between good and evil.
- Moses was learned and able, just as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature.
- It came into Moses' heart to "visit" his people and deliver them. Similarly, Jesus "visited" us to redeem us.
- Moses laid aside a life of privilege to identify with his persecuted people. Jesus laid aside the glory of heaven to become a man and die for us.
- Moses was rejected by the Israelites at first, as Jesus was rejected by the Jews. But Moses still delivered them, as Jesus delivers us.
- We are saved by God's grace alone, not by our own merit.
The Book of Acts
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.