The Acts of the Apostles 29

Subtitle: Stephen's Defense V

Acts 7:37-43.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on January 1, 2023.

Today, we are going to talk about stubborn resistance to the Holy Spirit, being stiff-necked.  These are terms that are used in the Bible to describe those who continually kick back against God's decisions and commands of love.  Of course, Israel had problems with this, but we should recognize that we have this problem too.

"Am I that?"  This is a question that we should all ask ourselves.  We can wall off areas of our walk with God in which we have convinced ourselves that we are okay, when, in truth, we are  not wanting to learn or follow God's Word and His Holy Spirit.

Stubbornness without repentance can only lead to discipline and eventual destruction through judgment.  Of course, God in His grace stretches it out, working to draw us back to Him.  Yet, Paul warns the believer in Galatians 6:7-8. 

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (NKJV)

The good news is that God doesn't want you to be destroyed by your sins.  His Spirit continually brings about conviction of our sin in order for us to be able to repent.  At the end of the day, I need to yield to His conviction. 

Let's look at the next point in Stephen's defense.

Remember the wilderness

Stephen's defense has spent a lot of time on Moses because he is a critical part of Israel becoming a nation.  No prophet before, or after, had such a great impact upon the offspring of Abraham.  Of course, it is not really Moses, but God working through Moses.  Moses is simply a willing (most of the time) mediator, a go-between.  Jesus is the point in contention with this council.

In verses 37 through 43, Stephen brings up several things from Israel's time in the wilderness.  The wilderness was not supposed to take 40 years to cross.  Although they camped at Mt. Sinai for just over eleven months, they were at the edge of Canaan about a year and three months after they had left Egypt.  There were two spies, Joshua and Caleb, who counseled to take the land, and there were ten spies who said it would be foolish to attack these giant clans.

Though Stephen doesn't make a point of this, let me just say that there are times when we are believing God and following Him with a whole heart, and yet, most of the people around us are resisting Him.  No matter how much Joshua and Caleb believed God, their fortunes were partially tied to their people, their nation.  It is easy to develop an attitude that is quick to cut-off those who are "holding us back," perhaps a spouse, kids, siblings, church, etc.  Yet, that is not how God does it, and it is not how Jesus did things.

Adam and Eve chose to take the path of receiving the knowledge of good and evil.  God could have cast them off at that time, but instead, God went down that path with them.  Similarly, Israel was choosing a rebellious path of not going into the Promised Land by faith.  Joshua and Caleb could have become angry and "quit" being Israelites.  However, they spent 40 tough years in the wilderness that wouldn't have had to do, if the others had simply believed God. 

I said that their fortunes were partially tied to their nation because the others perished in the wilderness, but not Joshua and Caleb.  It seems that even discipline will cause some to perish, but others will be blessed through it.  Caleb was 80 when he made it back to the Promised Land; and this time, he was just as ready to fight as he had been when he was a much younger man.  The blessing of God was upon him because he trusted God all along the way.

Remember, God is not just saving individuals.  He also wants to save families, towns, and nations.  Yes, we can't save everybody, but it should not be for lack of trying.  There will come a day when the path of those who refuse to believe and those who do believe will go their separate ways, but it is our duty to image God by being faithful to our relationships with others, until He, or the other party, bring about a separation.

The point at hand by Stephen is that Moses prophesied of a coming prophet like him that the nation of Israel should hear.  This prophecy can be found in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.  In fact, we looked at this during Peter's sermon at the end of Acts chapter three (August 7, 2022 on the website). 

This prophecy emphasizes that God would raise up another prophet that would be like Moses.  That last part is key.  In the passage, God gives a reasoning for sending this second Moses-like prophet.  It was because Israel had feared to have God speak directly to them.  Instead, they begged Moses to speak to God on their behalf.  God stated that this was good because it set up this second prophet that He would send.  Of course, we should note that between Moses and Israel, it was Israel who was most in jeopardy of dying due to unbelief.  Thus, there is an irony to their decisions.

Let's note that Israel had many prophets after Moses.  However, they all pointed back to Moses, back to The Law, and called the people back to faithfulness to God.  They also began to speak about the coming Anointed One, Messiah.  Jesus does do some of this, but there is a significant difference in his prophetic ministry to Israel.

It was Jeremiah who spoke of a New Covenant that God would write on their hearts, rather than on stone (Jeremiah 31:31f).  Moses had created the Old Covenant at Sinai, the covenant of the Law.  He also established the House of Israel on the order of a servant helping a master.  Think about Eliezer of Damascus, Abraham's servant, who goes to Mesopotamia in order to get a bride (i.e., build a house) for Isaac.  Israel does not belong to Moses, but to God.  Moses is simply a servant. 

Jesus mediated the New Covenant and built up a new house.  Yes, he is a servant, but he is building a house in the likeness of a marriage covenant, a house for him and his bride.

Moses clearly states that Israel needs to listen to this prophet when he comes.  If they didn't, they would be held accountable to God.  Of course, the New Covenant is not completely divorced from the Old.  God did not make a mistake with the Law, or make bad Laws that need to be updated.  Modern people love to critique the laws of God.  Some of their critique is willfull disregarding of the times and reasons for the Laws, and some of it is complete ignorance of what God is trying to teach Israel, and us, through those laws.  The Law of God through Moses was completely righteous, but it couldn't save anyone.  Like a mirror, it could only point out fault.  It was through Jesus that Grace and Truth came to Israel and then to the nations.

So, Israel had been looking for this prophet and referred to him as "The Prophet."  This is referenced in John 1:19-21; 6:14; and 7:40.  There were differences of opinion on whether The Prophet and The Messiah, The Christ, were the same or not.

Back in Acts 7, Stephen reminds them that this prophecy of The Prophet who would be like Moses came through the one that they wouldn't obey.  In short, if Jesus is to be "like Moses," then it stands to reason that he would suffer rejection and the disobedience.  This very same Moses had spoken face to face with the Angel of the Lord and received the "living oracles" of God.  In other words, how could they doubt the man who went up on the burning mountain and spoke to God for them?  Also, notice that the Word of God is full of life, living, and powerful.  The Word of God is the Word of life!

Stephen also reminds them that their forefathers rebelled at Mt. Sinai by making a golden calf and worshiping it, all this while Moses was on the mountain talking to God for them because they were afraid for God to keep speaking to them.  This event symbolizes Israel's resistance to God all in one event. 

What excuse did they have?  Moses had been up on the mountain for 40 days.  Apparently, he was taking too long, or actually, God was taking too long.  Can we not see the tragic unbelief that happens in the hearts of people?  They pressure Aaron in to making a golden calf for them.  Then they participate in a twisted worship of this calf by eating a meal before it, and rising up "to play."  This is most likely a reference to singing and dancing.  All this declaring that this was their God that had brought them up out of Egypt.

Before we laugh at their silly idolatry, let us recognize that we have bull idols in this Republic on Wall Street and many other financial centers.  Instead of having a relationship with Truth, they attempt to create a religion for themselves.  The worship the work of their own hands (Acts 7:41) and turned back to Egypt in their hearts.  All this while God was giving to Moses the law and governance that they would need to be a nation.  Who taught them this?  Where did they learn this?  It wasn't from Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob.  It wasn't from Moses.  No, they learned it from Egypt.  It is amazing how easily we can deceive ourselves when we want to be deceived, when our flesh lusts for deception.

When Moses came down the mountain and caught them in the act of idolatry, God was going to destroy them and make a new nation out of Moses.  However, Moses "talked God down."  I know that some people think this passage makes Moses look more righteous than God, but they are not paying attention to the whole of Scripture.  God states what would be holy and proper.  They should die for such idolatry.  However, at the same time, Moses gives voice to the reasoning behind the grace of God.  In this situation, it is Moses who talks God down, but who talks God down when His Son is crucified to the cross due to the idolatry of the religious leaders of Israel?  It was Jesus Himself.  "Father, forgive them.  They don't know what they do!"

This doesn't mean there are no consequences.  However, God's judgments are filled with grace.  God had lots of Grace for Israel during its wilderness wanderings, and He had great mercy for Israel in the first century before they went into The Great Wandering called the Diaspora (the dispersion).  God will once again have great mercy for Israel at the Second Coming of Jesus, just as He has had great mercy for the nations for the last 2,000 years.

Stephen then reminds them of the prophet Amos, especially chapter 5:25-27 of his prophecy.  Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa, which was about 10 miles south of Jerusalem (5 miles south of Bethlehem).  One day God said to him something like this.  "Amos, I have a job for you.  I have some wayward sheep that I need you to warn."  Amos prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC, overlapping Isaiah's ministry.  They were within 30 years of being destroyed by the Assyrians and exiled to the nations, but God wanted them to be warned.

In chiding Israel for its idolatry, God is reminding them through Amos that they offered sacrifices to Yahweh while they were in the wilderness.  Of course, they had been taught and led to do this by Moses.  Yet, at the same time, many of them had carried small shrine idols with them through the wilderness.  These "household gods" could be spread out in the privacy of a tent and worshiped out of the eyes of Moses and other faithful Israelites.  Now we begin to see the true secret to their continued stumbling and sinning against God.  Most of them had never really trusted Yahweh with all their heart.

Listen, you cannot worship God and have false gods, idolatry, at the same time.  You cannot follow the Spirit of God and the spirit of this world, of this age.  It won't work!  If you cling to things that are empty, worthless, and powerless to save, then you will walk in emptiness, worthlessness, and not be saved.  Even while God was powerfully doing what it takes to save them, they continued to hold on to the gods and lusts of this world.  Tell me this isn't the modern world too!  Tell me this isn't the United States of America, and every other nation under the sun!

Through Amos, God tells Israel that their idolatry will have them thrown out of the land "beyond Damascus."  Their idolatry would separate them from the God's good purpose, at least until they repent.

What is idolatry?  Idolatry is that thing to which you give the time, devotion, and worship (faith) that you should give to God alone.  He alone is your Creator and your Savior.  He alone deserves these things.

I mentioned the Bull on Wall Street.  There is probably no one prostrating themselves before that bull and worshiping it as an idol.  But, let me tell you just how many ways people are prostrating and prostituting themselves in this culture, especially on Wall Street and the financial sector.  They are willing to sacrifice anything in order to gain money, power, prestige, and material things for the lusts of their flesh.  They worship the god of wealth and it is every bit an idol in their life.

The problem with idolatry, spiritual adultery against the One True God, isn't that I have a job and money, or that I work harder to pay off my car so the loan doesn't hang over our family, or I work harder to send my kid to a better school.  It is when those things get in the way of God and trusting Him, living for Him, worshiping HIm.  We tell ourselves that we want something, and yet, God isn't making it happen.  So, we go out and try to make it happen on our own, stubborn resistance to what God is doing.

Spiritual unfaithfulness is at the root of all the problems in our society.  How many kids have been raised in homes that the parents or grandparents once new about God, but then turned their backs on Him?  O friend, we must stop persisting down this path of destruction.  Instead, we must embrace Jesus and live!

Defense V audio