Experience: S2 - Day 5

The risk of standing up for what you believe in

Acts 7:44 “Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. 45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
49 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build me such a resting place? 50 Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’

51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

Now, Stephen is hitting the home stretch of his sermon.  Today, we’d say he’s  ”landing the plane” or “bringing it home.” But this is where the story turns because up till now, the Jews listening would have agreed with almost everything Stephen has said.  In his final words, however, Stephen shares some truths that are too hard for them to hear.

Again, since they brought up accusations concerning the tabernacle, Stephen makes sure the story he tells includes the tabernacle.

After mentioning other heroes of the faith, David and Solomon, Stephen talks about the temple of God.  To the Jew, the temple represented God’s presence with them.  Again, so far so good, until verse 51.

Not only does Stephen call them stubborn or stiff-necked, but the next word he uses in Greek is the word aperitmetos, which means uncircumcised.  These are VERY strong words for Stephen.  If they weren’t paying attention up to this point, they were now.  To call a Jew uncircumcised was probably one of the worst insults you could share, for they were children of Abraham, to whom God gave the covenant of circumcision.

But Stephen wasn’t saying this word to reference literal circumcision, he used it to say they were rejecting God by rejecting the Holy Spirit.  After all, just like they persecuted and killed the prophets of old, they did the same to Jesus, the Son of God.

Stephen wasn’t a dummy.  He knew what he was saying and how hard it would be for them to hear.  But he wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest; he was trying to wake them up to who Jesus actually is.  He wasn’t out to destroy them but to save them, and he was willing to risk his life to do so.  Sound like anyone else we know?

Please remember, Stephen wasn’t trying to prove them wrong and himself right so he could be in the winner’s circle.  He wasn’t angry and lashing out.  He was trying to save, and we know that even though he was powerful and passionate, he was also a man of grace, full of the Holy Spirit.

As we stand up for what we believe in, we will also be able to do so with grace, full of the Holy Spirit.  We serve a God of love, who, yes, at times, had to rebuke the Pharisees and teachers of the law by calling them a brood of vipers, but he also wept over them.  Remember, Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn it but to save it.  So when we stand up for what we believe in, let us remember the nature of the One we’re standing up for and do our best to imitate His heart for all people.

Questions:

1. Can you remember a time when you felt like your beliefs were being attacked?  How did you react? 
2. Some of us are very passionate people when it comes to sharing our beliefs. How can we remember to keep the Spirit of Jesus at all times, even when we feel attacked?
3. What do you believe in enough to risk your life for?