Acts 7:44-53 – Stephen: The Prophets
The Living Word With Chuck Davis
Acts 7:44-53 – Stephen: The Prophets
Welcome to the Living Word with Chuck Davis. Acts 7, 44 to 53, Stephen the Prophets. Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers, in turn, brought it in with Joshua when they disposed of the nations that God drove out before our Father. So it was until the days of David who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the Prophet says. Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things? You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart, nears you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one, whom you have now betrayed and murdered. You who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Stephen now turns to the prophets in their declaration and the lack of listening by the people of God. And he uses this phrase "our fathers." Stephen is basically entering into a form of identification or repentance. He's saying this has been our pattern. This isn't just something where I'm pointing the finger. We see this over and over, but he's going to go out into full critique. The exhortation becomes strong. You stiff-necked people. This is a declaration from the Old Testament. Uncircumcised in heart, nears you always resist the Holy Spirit. He leaves no room for whatsoever and thinking that they've been somewhat good. He lays it completely out on the line. As your fathers did so do you. And now he turns it to the most immediate story, the declaration of who Jesus is. And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one. This could refer to the prophets of old. Those mentioned in the Old Testament, but also could be a reference to John the Baptist. He was the one who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one. And the righteous one you have now betrayed and murdered. He's not leaving a whole lot of room for debate, for discussion. His message is direct. He's pulling whitewashed tombstones moment and out of the Jesus arsenal. He critiques them for trying to provincialize God. Most high does not dwell in houses made by men. And the most high is law does not be manipulated by men for their own benefits. Stephen is in full force at this moment and we're going to see in the next passage that the group turns against him. I'm not sure what completely the so what of this is except that grace can never be absent of truth. Now maybe truth can be communicated clearly without being so direct. Obviously God is going to use this situation. He is going to lead it into an unexpected term that will bring about the next movement of mission for the church. But truth needs to be declared. It's very easy to become a truth deficient people when we embrace grace without a sense of the cost of it. Grace always walks hand in hand. Jesus has said to be the one who is full of grace and truth. I've said this multiple times before. There's nobody who's harder on sin than Jesus but there's nobody who's more welcoming to sinners than Jesus. The now what is to live out of that reality. Sometimes we have to tell people the hard truth. But maybe learn a lesson from Stephen in this situation. How we communicate it might change the outcome. Lord thank you for this day. We thank you that you are drawing us into full relationship with you. We want to be people that walk in the Jesus way. And since Jesus was full of grace and truth, we ask that you would make us full of grace and truth in Jesus' name. Amen.