Acts Pt. 14 | Sermon Notes
Acts Pt. 14 | “Rebel or Reformer?”
Pastor Chris Pletcher
February 23, 2025
Acts 7:30-60 // “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43 You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44 “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. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
49 “‘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.”
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Goals of this Teaching:
Highlight the beautiful formation of God’s chosen nation, Israel, and give an introduction to Old Testament historical summaries presented in the Bible
Our faith is built upon the history of the Jewish people. We’ve been grafted in!
If you are looking for an introduction to the Old Testament, Acts 7 is a beautiful starting point for understanding God’s creation and leadership of Israel through its sovereignly appointed leaders. Some other great references include Psalm 78, Psalm 105 and Psalm 106.
Highlight the revolution that we are watching unfold in the Book of Acts, specifically showing how the early church was seen as a threat to the customs of the day (the law of Moses and the temple). This clash of wineskins led to persecution and bloodshed.
Acts 6:13-14 // “They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” Same tactic they used against Jesus…
Matthew 26:59-61 // “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’”
It is critical to understand the history of Israel and the incredible tension that we are watching unfold here in the book of Acts. This was the first great REFORMATION. The Mosaic Covenant, also known as “The Law” was beautiful, revolutionary and world-changing. God Himself revealed His righteousness and justice through a moral code unlike anything that existed in the ancient world… but it was imperfect because it couldn’t transform your heart.
Hebrews 8:6-7; 13 // Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second… In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
The Book of Acts captures this revolution real-time, in narrative form.
The Book of Hebrews describes the SUPREMACY OF CHRIST and the New Covenant. Hebrews repeatedly calls it a BETTER covenant, with BETTER promises, enacted on a BETTER sacrifice.
The Old Covenant was beautiful, holy and transformative… but IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO LEAD US TO CHRIST AND BE REPLACED by the miracle of Grace.
Romans 8:1-4 // There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The entire NEW TESTAMENT exists to help us understand this revolution that took place in the years of the early church community.
Reject, Refuse, Resist. God raises up prophets and leaders to Shepherd His people FORWARD into the new thing He is doing. But every generation has a choice… to PARTNER with the move of God, or RESIST it. When we resist God’s leadership, we miss out on where He is taking us (the Promised Land) and we have no choice but to turn back to the land of our slavery (Egypt).
It was MOSES they rejected… It was MOSES that they “refused to obey”... But Stephen called it “resisting the Holy Spirit”...
Disobedience to God always manifests in our unwillingness to obey the authority that He has placed over our lives.
Where does spiritual authority come from? Simple answer: It is given.
Luke 7:6-10 // And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
REJECT = deny, refuse, disown
Acts 3:13-14… Jews refused Pilate’s offer to release Jesus and chose a murderer instead
God made Moses a “ruler and redeemer”
Ruler = “archon” = commander, chief, leader; present participle of “rule over”
Notice how this worked with God, Moses and the Exodus.
Acts 7:34 // I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
Hebrews 13:17 // Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 //We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
Are you submitted to God’s authority at work through the authority He has delegated to others?
REFUSED to obey him (Moses)
- unwilling; root word means “to choose” - this is what it means to have a will
- bondage of the will vs. freedom of your will in Christ!
Deut. 30:19-20 // I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
You might not feel like fasting for the next 3 days, but there is an opportunity to practice the submission of your WILL to God by choosing submission to the leadership of the church family that you have chosen to be a part of. Are you willing to obey a human leader? We do it in the workplace… we do it when we submit to the speed limit on the highway… but when it comes to spiritual authority, we often refuse.
RESIST = to oppose, to be adverse, to strive against
Response Questions //
Do you struggle to submit to and follow spiritual leadership?
Do you find yourself resistant to other human authorities in your life?
What truth from Scripture do you need to humbly receive today?
How can you partner with Him through repentance and obedience?