30- What Kind Of House Will You Build For Me?
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Acts 7:49–53 The Context: Stephen was a very outspoken and effective follower of Jesus after the Resurrection. He attracted attention and opposition from various Jewish groups who strongly objected to the claims about Jesus. Unable to effectively disprove Stephens messages about Jesus these opponents reported the lie that Stephen was saying blasphemous things about Moses, God, the Temple and the Law. These accusations aroused the anger of the High Priest who called Stephen in to defend himself. Stephen gave a detailed description of his beliefs regarding Moses and the history of the Jews. All went well until Stephen quoted Isaiah 66 describing God’s dwelling place. Stephen applied Isaiah’s words to the Jewish leaders who had just been instrumental in the death of Jesus. Stephen pointed out that people who claimed to worship God had repeatedly rejected and killed the prophets God sent to them. This infuriated the High Priest and the listening leaders so much that they ordered Stephen stoned for his blasphemy.
God Asks Us: “ ‘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? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’ 51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 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, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
JNE: How easy and common it is for people to think that the religious buildings they erect and the religious things they do are the worship that God expects. God challenges us to seriously think about how anything we build or do could be an appeasement to the God Who made all things. It is sort of like someone taking one of the chips from Michael Angelo’s beautiful carvings, painting the chip and presenting it to the artist expecting him to be impressed. There may not be anything inherently wrong with building and doing beautiful things, unless we do so thinking that God will be impressed with us. We are to build and do grand and beautiful things because we are impressed with the God Who saves us through Jesus Christ.
Read "The Gospel?"
Acts 7:49–53 The Context: Stephen was a very outspoken and effective follower of Jesus after the Resurrection. He attracted attention and opposition from various Jewish groups who strongly objected to the claims about Jesus. Unable to effectively disprove Stephens messages about Jesus these opponents reported the lie that Stephen was saying blasphemous things about Moses, God, the Temple and the Law. These accusations aroused the anger of the High Priest who called Stephen in to defend himself. Stephen gave a detailed description of his beliefs regarding Moses and the history of the Jews. All went well until Stephen quoted Isaiah 66 describing God’s dwelling place. Stephen applied Isaiah’s words to the Jewish leaders who had just been instrumental in the death of Jesus. Stephen pointed out that people who claimed to worship God had repeatedly rejected and killed the prophets God sent to them. This infuriated the High Priest and the listening leaders so much that they ordered Stephen stoned for his blasphemy.
God Asks Us: “ ‘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? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’ 51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 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, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
JNE: How easy and common it is for people to think that the religious buildings they erect and the religious things they do are the worship that God expects. God challenges us to seriously think about how anything we build or do could be an appeasement to the God Who made all things. It is sort of like someone taking one of the chips from Michael Angelo’s beautiful carvings, painting the chip and presenting it to the artist expecting him to be impressed. There may not be anything inherently wrong with building and doing beautiful things, unless we do so thinking that God will be impressed with us. We are to build and do grand and beautiful things because we are impressed with the God Who saves us through Jesus Christ.
Read "The Gospel?"