Our Hearts, His Resting Place

Standalone  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
0 ratings
· 10 views
Notes
Transcript

Opening

-Last week, I had an opportunity to get away with our youth for a short time of retreat. We were able to get out of the normal rhythm of life to connect with God and with one another more intentionally
.. to rest and restore.
-During this time, we had many different conversations and reflections about waiting on the Lord, His perfection, and our need to realign all aspects of our life into conformity with His Word, to enter His fullness of design.
-In the midst of these discussions, I kept coming back to one particular passage towards the end of Acts 7 where a series of questions are posed..
Acts 7:49–50 “‘Heaven is My throne, And the earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord, ‘or what place is there for My rest? ‘Was it not My hand that made all these things?’”
-See in the midst of us getting away on this retreat, we were in essence trying to find a restful place where we could seek God more intentionally for a time, so this was an intriguing thought in many ways..
-> Where is God’s resting place? His Dwelling? His House?
..is this purely a rhetorical question?
..How can it be that the God of the universe is looking for a place to rest?
-The New Testament provides a seemingly straight-forward answer to the question of ‘where’, one I’m sure immediately popped into many’s minds here today.. which is that In Christ, WE become His dwelling place
-Scripture confirms this in many places.. one key example is in Ephesians..
Ephesians 2:20–22 “..Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
..God’s Spirit rests upon those who are IN Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with US.
-We cannot allow our OWN patterns, our OWN concerns, and our OWN understanding cloud this incredibly potent truth that it is indeed God’s desire and design to enact US as HIS resting place until the end of the age when Christ returns to bring forth God’s eternal rest, His peace, shalom.
-The big idea is this.. that God desires to dwell amongst His people, and true WORSHIP transcends physical spaces and is rooted in hearts prepared for His presence.
-I’d like to explore this idea with you further in today’s message entitled:
OUR HEARTS, HIS RESTING PLACE

Context

-The main passage for today can be found here in Acts 7
-While this is perhaps not a typical text used to engage with this idea of resting place, I believe there is some profound insight to be found.
-This is Stephen’s final speech before the high priest and religious leaders, which ultimately led to his death.
-A little context here is that Stephen was dragged before this council on account of false witnesses stating:
Acts 6:13–14 “..This man does not stop speaking against this holy place and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.”
-The holy place.. the temple.. The feared destruction of what they held dear. A shift in their understanding.
-In his response, Stephen begins to lay out the history of Israel, from Abraham to Jospeh, Moses to David, culminating in his primary point that these religious leaders, the people of God, through their disobedience and unreceptive hearts continued to pursue works of their own hands over the pattern, purpose, and plan God ordained.
-They were far more concerned with preserving their customs and constructs than preparing their hearts to receive the God who desired to dwell among them.
->THEY FAILED TO RECOGNIZE GOD’S DESIGN

Recognize God’s Design

-This was evidenced well in their history as noted by Stephen beginning in verse 39..
Acts 7:39 “..Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us a god who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.”
-They turned back in their hearts to a place they perceived as more restful, a better circumstance, a place of provision.. when in reality, it was only bondage. So they fashioned a god of their own creation, one who would lead them precisely where they themselves desired to go. A god who could not speak, or instruct, an object to do their bidding.
As Romans 1 puts it..
Romans 1:22–25 “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
-God gave them over to the desires of their OWN hearts as they rejoiced in the works of their OWN hands.
-What was the result of this idolatry, the grumbling, the complaining, the questioning of whether the Lord was truly among them or not? Psalm 95:11 & Hebrews 4 He Declares..“..They certainly shall not enter My rest.”
-You see.. finding God’s place of rest and restoration isn’t about remaining idle.. it’s about remaining idol-less
-.. yet God in His abundant mercy still desired to have HIS resting place be among His people, so He established His laws and His Tabernacle as a sign of His faithfulness in the face of their failure.. His presence that was to go with them.
-Stephen picks up the story here in verse 44
Acts 7:44–45 ““Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. Our fathers in turn received it, and they also brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David.”
-They had this Tabernacle, this tent of meeting, this place that served as a sign of His covenantal promise and presence in the WILDERNESS.
-It was a glimpse, a guide, a shadow of that which was to come. Today, we too have a future destination to longingly hope for, a final restoration of all things. Therefore we must recognize the pattern of God’s design, that we are to continue to carry the tabernacle of His Spirit within our own hearts, confidently proceeding into new lands, new seasons, having unwavering faith that our God dwells with us.
-Like Joshua leading the next generation into that land of promise, we cannot allow fear, discomfort, or doubt dissuade us from faithfully following Him.
-While we no longer have a physical tabernacle, we have that which is far greater, the Word who became flesh and dwelt.. literally TABERNACLED among us (John 1:14).
-> Therefore perhaps we should rethink our Sacred Spaces

Rethink Sacred Spaces

-So we have the tabernacle of Christ dwelling in us through His Spirit, we are in the wilderness, this intermediary state, and we are being built up together into His Holy Temple where Christ is the cornerstone and we are being fitted together into God’s resting place.
-You see, we individually become these new tents, new tabernacles being constructed all together into His temple.. His house.. His dwelling place. There’s an interesting individual and corporate duality taking place here which we will come back to later..
-But for now, we see this movement from tabernacle to temple begin to unfold.. and that’s exactly what takes place in the next verses.
Acts 7:46–47 “David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.”
-I think it’s important to note that the word for favor here is actually the Greek word CHARIS, grace. It’s the unmerited favor David receives from God, in this case a home and rest from all his enemies, that prompts him to consider God’s dwelling place rather than the works of His own hands leading him to this inquiry..
-God’s response to this request in 2 Sam. 7 is fascinating..
-Should YOU build ME a house for My Dwelling? No..
2 Samuel 7:11–13 “…the Lord will make a house for you. When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
-This is an obvious prophetic allusion to Christ, the one designated by God to build a house for His name.
-While David’s desire isn’t misplaced, God dictates that there’s already a plan in place. So David did not construct a house for the Lord.. but his son, Solomon did. Not a tent, but a temple.
HOWEVER
-> the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands Stephen declares
-He pushes back on the religious leaders understanding of this Sacred Space, the Temple.
-Yes it was built by Solomon, David’s descendent, who was granted wisdom and constructed this house for the Name of the Lord.. but unlike the cosmic pattern given to Moses for Tabernacle, Solomon did not seemingly possess any direct divine blueprint.
-This creation was indeed ornate, meticulous, calculated, beautiful beyond description.. but was it not primarily a human conception? Fallible? Destructible? History says yes..
-That’s not to say that God’s glory did not rest upon said Temple for a time, but even Solomon himself in 2 Chronicles 6:18 stated “But will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!”
-And so Stephen continues by quoting Isaiah..
Acts 7:48–50 “… as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is My throne, And the earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord, ‘for what place is there for My rest? ‘Was it not My hand that made all these things?’”
-Only God can craft a place suitable for His habitation. How incredibly humbling then that instead of something so intricately constructed, He would desire to elect you and I, creatures formed from the dust of the earth to be inhabited by our endowing Creator.. what an honor it is to bring forth praise to that very same God who breathed life within us..
-If Solomon’s Temple in all it’s splendor was still utterly incomplete we must carefully rethink our own sacred spaces. Do we so tightly hold to the constructs and customs we’ve put in place that we miss the core of God’s desire, to build each of us as living stones into His Holy Temple?
-How is it that we can assign so much value towards that which is of our own making?
-> THE REMEDY? WE MUST REORIENT OUR HEARTS

Reorient Our Hearts

-Clearly that’s what Stephen is asserting towards these religious leaders, who put him on trial for threatening the works of their hands.. and yet in doing so he challenges them to examine God’s work in their hearts.
Acts 7:51 ““You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.”
-Stephen flips the script.. instead of providing a defense on his behalf, he levies this entire speech into a serious charge against all those who accused him.
-He laid out the history and held up a mirror.. you do just as your fathers did.
-There is no home for His Spirit in their hearts. They are too busy building their own gods, sadly not even one in the form of a calf, but rather with such blatant distortion of God’s designed dwelling place. One that may have a steeple and stained glass, but remains woefully hollow to His presence.
-They sought to protect the earthly Temple, the external law, yet missed the internal work of His Spirit.
-How can we expect to experience His fullness if we continue to elevate physical locations over spiritual conditions. Build a place but not its people. Speak instead of listen. Criticize but never learn. Judge harshly yet neglect to love freely.
-We need to reorient this morning. I implore you to take a moment..
*SLIDE CHANGE*
-Realize that some of that same critique Stephen gave to those religious leaders, those people of God, can still can bear relevance today.
-Consider where your heart and ears might be deaf or blind.. resisting the Spirit’s direction
-Recognize individually where you’ve inserted yourself over God’s design
-> Have you stepped out in your own strength? Tried to accomplish something for God’s kingdom with your own hands? In a ministry focused more on building a program than faithfully tending to the people God has placed in your path? As a worshiper, poured out words of praise with an empty heart, devoid of those personal times of prayer and communion?
-> Perhaps you’ve found yourself doubting God’s presence? Replacing Him with other things, other people, other preoccupations and pursuits? Restless and ready to move ahead without waiting for the Lord.
-> Or do you have more faith in what you’ve constructed for yourself than what the Creator God provides? Confidence in the life you’ve created for yourself that pride has cemented itself within.
-We also need to rethink corporately our conception of sacred spaces
-> What do you value more than anything in church? If it’s not the people, the other dwelling places of the Living God, perhaps that value might be misaligned. How can we love places or principles OVER people..
-> That’s not to say places and principles don’t have merit, but have we become so dogmatically blind that we would actually desecrate the Imago Dei over compromising what WE have built to be sacred.. standing in judgement over others.. how they dress, praise, order a service, run a ministry, condemning them over what beverage they bring into the sanctuary..
-> Yes there are Scriptures that can lead us to prudence in these things, but let us not conflate our own arrogant and selfish understanding as that benchmark.. it must be rooted in the understanding that God designated the hearts of your brothers and sisters in Christ as sacred.. valuable.. Relate to them accordingly, and allow Him to lead you to gracefully address things that may need to be readjusted in their walk. Love isn’t the absence of conflict, it’s the absence of pride.
-> But pride doesn’t manifest itself in the church does it? No.. how could we possibly elevate certain ministries of functions of the church as more of a priority just because WE are involved in it? Do we give of ourselves wholeheartedly, or do we attempt to use ministry as our own emotional support outlet, to make us feel better, to be the center of attention, to do what we enjoy doing, focused more on what we are getting out of this church thing than prayerfully discerning the ways we are to selflessly serve?
-> Have we sat stagnant and uninvolved in a pew only to cast condescension with a smile.. secretly convincing yourself deep within that you if you were in charge, had control, things would be much much better.
-> Guilty. On all accounts..
-> I believe there are still ways this morning that we have deviated from His design, misunderstood what He designates as TRUE sacred spaces.. and like those religious leaders Stephen addressed, are at risk of being filled with fear and anger at the proposition of change.
-Therefore we must purposefully prepare our hearts with the reoriented understanding of His desire to rest among us both individually and collectively. For that is the heart that will be receptive to His Holy Spirit.
-What does that kind of heart look like? Let’s go to the very passage stephen just quoted here from Is 66 as the musicians come up.

Closing

Isaiah 66:1–2 “This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? “For My hand made all these things, So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But I will look to this one, At one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
-Humble & contrite in spirit.. and who trembles at His Word.
-This reminds me of what Jesus said to the woman at the well.. that His true worshipers will worship in Spirit and in Truth.. not just in a temple made with human hands.
-We are growing into His Holy Temple. This growth is dualistic.. He is both dwelling within us and creating a home among us, a new household of faith.
-I think it’s critical to examine our own hearts but never lose focus of the collective redemptive work of God’s church. Every believer has a part to play, yet it can be so easy to move into isolation. To concern yourself only with your walk. That was never the pattern, never the design. We must urge one another into deeper fellowship, to seek out those around us intentionally, to sacrificially serve each other, and continue to grow together as a beacon of His love.
-So let us be receptive to God’s plan as the master architect, as we allow Him to carefully chisel our own hearts into living stones and adhere us to one another, obediently content in where He’s placed you within this glorious construction project.
-Recognize that God designed and desires your heart as His dwelling place, and that because that heart is meant to be built up along with all others who are in Christ into the true Temple of God, so we need to carefully rethink our ideas about sacred spaces. And as He provides that revelation, reorient your humbled heart to His will as we prepare for His presence to continue resting upon us here this morning.
*Prayer REMINDER & PLEASE STAND IN WORSHIP*
————————————
SLIDE THAT SHOWS ONE PERSON HIDING FROM THE EXTERNAL UNDER A ROCK OF GOD
VS.
SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE ROCK OF GOD IN ONE’S HEART, CONNECTED WITH OTHERS (the church) THAT PREVENTS THE EXTERNAL
Rest requires worship?? Communion? Remembrance?
-When we step away to be with the Lord, are we too fixated upon our own REST that we miss our role in being a resting place.
—————
-Youth Retreat RECAP
-Idolatry. Seeking to follow the works of their own hands (golden calfs)
-The only thing this led them into was exile, not exaltation. (v43 & Amos 5:25-27)
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible I. Stephen: The First Clash with Judaism (6:8–7:60)

Israel turned to other forms of worship. “God gave them over”—note the exact phrase in

-Abraham narrative, Jospeh narrative, Moses narrative, then finally the David narrative

Finding God's Resting Place: The True Tabernacle in Us

Bible Passage: Acts 7:44-50

Summary: In this passage, Stephen recounts the history of the Israelites and their worship in the tabernacle, emphasizing that God does not dwell in man-made structures but seeks to dwell among His people.
Application: This message reminds Christians that true worship is not confined to physical spaces like churches or temples, but rather it is about the relationship we maintain with God. It encourages believers to prepare their hearts to be dwelling places for God.
Teaching: The sermon teaches that while God appointed places for worship in the Old Testament, ultimately, He desires to dwell within each believer, making them His temple. Real worship happens when we recognize our role in God's presence.
How this passage could point to Christ: In the greater context of Scripture, Jesus fulfills the role of the ultimate tabernacle. He is Emmanuel, God with us, and through Him, we all become the dwelling places of God as the Holy Spirit resides in every believer.
Big Idea: God desires to dwell amongst His people, and true worship transcends physical spaces and is rooted in hearts prepared for His presence.
Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider exploring the historical context of the tabernacle and its significance in Jewish worship. Look into how early church fathers interpreted this passage regarding the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers. You might also want to examine various translations of Acts 7:44-50 in Logos to see how the emphasis on physical versus spiritual dwelling is articulated. This will enrich your understanding and application for your audience.
https://bibleproject.com/articles/temple-of-god/
https://geekychristian.com/evidence-the-temple-was-not-gods-will/#_ftn3
-Bible Project:
The tabernacle was also known as “the tent of meeting.” Learn more about the importance of this sacred space and its surprising importance to understanding the theme of seventh-day rest.
"The Sabbath is to time what the tabernacle and temple are to space: a cathedral in time. On the seventh day, we experience in time what the temple and tabernacle represented in spaces, which is eternal life with God in a complete creation."
THE SPACE IS IN YOUR HEART & THE TIME

1. Receiving His Rest (ready our hearts??)

Acts 7:44-46
You could start by examining how Stephen recounts the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness, signifying God's presence among His people. Just as David sought to build a house for God, we too can earnestly seek God's presence in our lives. Perhaps this part could emphasize that while the construction of a physical space was important, it was always intended as a temporary measure to point towards a greater reality. Encourage your congregation to prepare their hearts as 'tabernacles' for God's presence, setting the stage for a deeper, personal relationship with Him.
A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles Stephen’s Speech Act 7.1–53

Acts 7:44

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament God’s True Tabernacle (7:44–50)

7:44 While Israel was worshiping the idol they instructed Aaron to build in the wilderness in Moses’ absence (7:40–43), God instructed Moses (while on Sinai) to construct the tent of meeting according the pattern God revealed to him. This same tabernacle was carried by their ancestors in the wilderness.

A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles Stephen’s Speech Act 7.1–53

As is indicated in the TEV of alternative readings, there is a textual problem which may be resolved in one of two ways: (1) David’s request may have been to build a temple for the “house of Jacob,” that is, for the nation of Israel (see JB “to have a temple built for the House of Jacob”); or (2) David’s request may have been to build a temple for the God of Jacob (as the TEV and most other translations have done). The UBS committee on the Greek text prefers the alternative reading suggested by the TEV, both on the basis of the diverse manuscript evidence in support of this reading and for the reason that it is easy to see why a scribe would change the reading “house” to “God,” but not vice versa.

7:44–47. Stephen quickly qualifies that God did tell Moses to build the tabernacle in a particular way (see comment on

of David Stephen has described how Yahweh has accomplished His purposes and kept His promises—despite Israel’s failings—through Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. Stephen now introduces David’s role in the history of Israel.

7:46 a habitation Instead of allowing David to build Him a house (the temple), Yahweh told David that He will build David a house, or dynasty. See

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament God’s True Tabernacle (7:44–50)

7:46 Stephen further asserts that David asked God for permission to build a permanent residence for the “house of Jacob” to replace the tent of meeting that the ancestors carried into the promised land and that remained until his reign (7:45).

Stephen does not deny that God blessed and approved the building of the Old Testament temple; but he denies that God meant it to be the idol that he argues his hearers have made it. In verse 46 Stephen echoes

A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles Stephen’s Speech Act 7.1–53

Although the text literally reads “he (that is, David) asked to find, “it seems most probable that Stephen intended the word “to find” in the sense of to provide (see NEB, Goodspeed) or “to build” (JB; see Moffatt “devise”). Whatever may be the precise meaning of this verse in its Old Testament context (

2. Rethinking Sacred Spaces

Acts 7:47-48
Maybe this sermon point could explore Solomon's construction of the temple as Israel's attempt to house God in a permanent structure. However, Stephen poignantly highlights that "the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands." Here you might underscore that God is not confined to our constructs; rather, He seeks to reside in us. This challenges us to reflect on what we consider "sacred spaces" and redirects us to recognize that we are God's living temples in the world, inviting His Spirit to dwell within each of us.

7:47 a house Solomon built the temple as a permanent tabernacle where Yahweh’s presence would dwell in a special way among His people (

The title “made with hands” may recall 7:41 where, as often elsewhere in Scripture and Jewish tradition, it applies to idols. In verse 50, God’s “hand” made everything, so he is not limited to houses made by human “hands”

Exalting Jesus in Acts A Historical Clarification (7:2–50)

John Stott summarizes this lengthy section well:

A single thread runs right through the first part of his defense. It is that the God of Israel is a pilgrim God, who is not restricted to any one place.… He has pledged himself by a solemn covenant to be their God. Therefore, according to his covenant promises, wherever they are, there he is also. (Ibid.)

A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles Stephen’s Speech Act 7.1–53

Acts 7:47

3. Restoring God’s Design

Acts 7:49-50
Stephen invokes the words of God from Isaiah, questioning the adequacy of earthly temples as God's resting place. Perhaps use this part to suggest a focus on the grandeur and transcendence of God, who chooses to dwell within us through Christ. When God says, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool," it puts into perspective the magnitude of His condescension to live within us through the Holy Spirit. Encourage your congregation to be awed and humbled by God's desire to make their hearts His home.

Temples made with hands (χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς). The best texts omit ναοῖς temples. The meaning is more general: in things made with hands. The expression is, however, used of a sanctuary in

—Daniel’s vision of Kingdoms leading to the Kingdom of Heaven? Each kingdom ransacked, desecrated, or destroyed the earthly temple all leading to Jesus as the fulfillment

Conclusion

The conclusion of a Greco-Roman deliberative speech was meant to produce change or decisive action. Stephen’s speech also includes elements of forensic speech, however—more to convict his hearers than to defend himself. Forensic speeches often charged the accusers with the very sort of crime with which they charged the defendant—in this case, with subverting God’s *law

7:51. “Stiff-necked” and “uncircumcised heart” are standard prophetic insults in the Old Testament; they appear together in

51. Stiff-necked and uncircumcised (σκληροτράχηλοι καὶ ἀπερίτμητοι). Both only here in New Testament.

Evangelical Commentary on the Bible I. Stephen: The First Clash with Judaism (6:8–7:60)

He calls the Jews “stiff-necked” (v. 51), God’s own characterization of the nation when it rebelled against Moses (

Resist (ἀντιπίπτετε). It is a very strong expression, implying active resistance. Lit., to fall against or upon. Used of falling upon an enemy. Only here in New Testament.

2 applications: Individual & Collective
-> We all collectively are being built up as His resting place
Ephesians 2:19–22 “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
-I believe today we can gain instruction from what Stephen dives into next
-What is it that your heart desires? When you seek rest is that.. Freedom from affliction? Release from worry or concern? A change in your circumstance? Peace for a weary soul?
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.
Copyright 2026 LogosFeatures|Pricing|Privacy|Terms of Use|Support