All Power is Given to Me
A Sermon on Acts 7:9-15
Originally preached Dec. 18, 1966
Scripture
9And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. …
Sermon Description
God's power is on display in the lives of His children. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the illustration of Joseph highlighted in Acts 7 and this sermon titled “All Power is Given to Me,” that is true today just as it was in the Old Testament. This powerful passage shows God’s work through Joseph as he was given authority by Pharaoh over all of Egypt, and was used by God to spare Egypt and the surrounding nations by preparing for the great famine in the land. In a parallel way, Jesus is given authority over all things by His Father. He is made king of every inch of creation by nature of His death and resurrection. Jesus Christ alone has died, been buried, and rose from the dead in order that all who believe would be saved from the eternal penalty of their sin. Christ alone saves sinners and reconciles the world to God the Father. This is the good news that brings lasting hope that the world has ever known. The message to the early church is the message to the contemporary church: be faithful to proclaim this great and glorious message to all. Without the Gospel of Christ, no one can be saved.
Sermon Breakdown
- Stephen is addressing Jews who are proud of their descent from Abraham.
- Stephen is showing them why they rejected the Christ.
- Stephen starts with Abraham to show they are doing the opposite of what Abraham did. Abraham looked forward to Christ but they rejected him.
- Abraham's faith showed salvation is by faith, not works.
- The story of Joseph shows the brothers did the same as the Sanhedrin did to Christ.
- Joseph's story shows the need for salvation. The brothers' treatment of Joseph shows their need.
- God was with Joseph despite his sufferings, showing God's action in salvation.
- Joseph's exaltation to governor shows Christ's appointment as savior and ruler.
- Christ has been given all authority and power, even judgment, to save.
- The world's condition shows its need for Christ as savior. Only Christ provides what we need: forgiveness, righteousness, a new nature, power, and escape from death.
- Christ lived a perfect life and died to provide salvation. His resurrection and ascension show his power.
- Joseph's provision for the famine shows Christ's perfect provision for our needs.
- We receive salvation by realizing our need, coming to Christ for mercy, and Christ revealing himself to us.
- Christ blesses us even before we know him, but we only have sufficiency when we come to know him.
- Knowing Christ brings conviction of sin but also joy in his love and forgiveness.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Joseph as a Type of Christ?
In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on how Joseph's story in Genesis prefigures Christ and the gospel. Here are key questions and answers based on his teaching:
What is the main point Stephen was making in his sermon about Joseph in Acts 7?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Stephen was showing how Joseph was a type of Christ. He explains: "Stephen is showing here how Joseph was a type of Christ, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he shows in this wonderful way how the brothers of Joseph were doing exactly the same thing as the members of the Sanhedrin." Stephen used this parallel to demonstrate to the Sanhedrin that they were rejecting their Messiah just as Joseph's brothers had rejected him.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect Joseph's exaltation to Christ's authority?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that Joseph's appointment as governor over Egypt parallels Christ's divine appointment as ruler of all creation: "As Joseph is exalted and given supreme authority, made a governor in command of everything. So I say the Son of God has been appointed by God the Father to be the governor, the savior of the world." He cites Acts 5:31 where Peter states that God "exalted [Jesus] with his right hand to be a prince and a savior" - similar to how Pharaoh exalted Joseph.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as mankind's greatest needs that Christ provides for?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several fundamental human needs that only Christ can satisfy: 1. Forgiveness of sins 2. Righteousness to stand before God 3. A new nature/heart 4. Power to overcome temptation and evil 5. Access to God through prayer 6. Victory over death
He states: "There is nothing that any one of us can ever stand in need of, but that he has already made a perfect provision for us."
When do people come to Christ for salvation according to this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones explains that people only come to Christ when they realize their desperate need, just as Joseph's brothers only went to Egypt when faced with starvation: "We only receive this great salvation when we see our need of it and not until then. That's why the world isn't interested in Christ tonight. It doesn't see its need of him." Lloyd-Jones adds that we must come "as suppliants and cast ourselves utterly at his feet and his mercy," just as Joseph's proud brothers had to humble themselves before him.
What significance does Lloyd-Jones find in Joseph being "made known" to his brothers?
Lloyd-Jones highlights that Joseph's brothers didn't recognize him at first, though he knew them - paralleling how Christ knows us before we know Him: "This is the whole glory of this salvation that he's known me before the foundation of the world." He explains that just as Joseph's brothers only received full provision after he revealed himself to them, we experience the "glorious liberty of the children of God" only when Christ reveals Himself to us spiritually.
How does this sermon connect to Christmas?
Lloyd-Jones presents this message as the true meaning of Christmas - that God appointed His Son as the savior of the world who has made complete provision for our needs. He states: "This is the essential message of Christmas. This world in its shame and failure and sin and all that is so true of it, it has been handed over to the Son of God. He's appointed. He is the governor, prince, savior, and he's come and it's all in his hands and in nobody else's."
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.