How Are You Persecuting the Lord?

“It is not the blows of the enemy that most harm the soul, but the hardness of the heart that resists God’s call.” – John Owen

“The greatest danger to the soul is a heart that refuses to be broken by God.” – A.W. Tozer

Reflection on Chapter 7

In Acts 7:1–43:

Stephen stands before the Sanhedrin and walks them through Israel’s history to show that their rejection of Jesus is part of a long pattern of resisting God’s messengers.

He reminds them that God called Abraham long before there was a temple or a land.

He points to Joseph, whom his brothers rejected but whom God raised up as their deliverer.

He speaks of Moses chosen by God to rescue His people.

Emphasizes that Israel continually turned to idols

His message is clear: from Abraham to Moses, God was always moving, speaking, and leading His people—yet the people often refused to follow

In our sermons on chapter 7 reflection on these events of Israel’s history we have talked about:

The goodness of God

The provision of God

The evidence for God

Rather you have been here or not these things are all evident:

You hold the history of Israel and the early church right here, you hold the scriptures right here

You have experienced the goodness of God by simply being able to walk into this building this morning

You have experienced the provision of God by His Spirit drawing you here

You have the evidence of God before you

The simple fact of the matter though is some of us respond Like Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:10 and then some of us fit the description Stephen gives here this Morning in Acts 7

1 Samuel 3:10 ESV

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Acts 7:51 ESV

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

So the questions I want to ask this morning are:

Why are you being stiff necked?

Non-Christian why are you refusing the draw of the Spirit?

To the Christian what friction are you giving?

How are you persecuting the Lord?

What stones are you throwing?

What Causes you to be Stiff Necked?

Many in today’s world become stiff necked because they have defined good by their own standards.

Some examples are:

John Stuart Mill: “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness.”

Disney: “Follow Your Heart”

Modern secular sentiment: “Be kind. Do what makes you happy. Let everyone live their truth.”

Sam Harris: “Good and evil need only relate to the well-being of conscious creatures.”

Friedrich Nietzsche: “There are no moral facts.”

But by what authority do any of these people have the right to define what is good? By what authority did the Pharisees have to define what was good? By what authority do you have to define what is good?

Good is something bigger than an individual, good is something greater than a group of people. Good crosses oceans. Good is something that transcends time.

Good and evil is something we most look beyond ourselves to define, and the source of good lies within God.

God defines goodness

Sadly we define evil, because evil is when we remove what is good. Evil is when we mismanage God’s good gifts

To Return to the words of Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 ESV

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

This book is the Words of the Good God, what is good is outlined right here

Good is not about promoting happiness, but holiness

Good is not about following your heart, but transforming your heart

Good is about living God’s truth, not your truth

Good is not about our temporary well being, but our eternal well being

Good is moral fact founded in scripture

This morning do not harden your heart towards God because you think you have figured out good on your own

This morning realize you cannot build your way either towards being good enough either

Don't fall for the lie you do enough good to tilt the scales in your favor

Our pride will stiffen our necks in haughtiness making us live like we are above and know better than God

To the non-Christian stop living by your own philosophy, it don’t amount to more than a hill of beans

To the Christian how much are you letting pride rule your heart rather than God? What areas of your life do you know better than God?

Are you like the child that “knows more” than the parent when told something?

How Are You Persecuting the Lord?

With the Pharisees being stiff necked, what did it lead to?

A hate for what is good, they would not have said they hated God, but they did in action but in their hard hearts they had blinded themselves tow aht they were doing

That hate leads to persecuting the Lord and his people

The Pharisees stoned Stephen because he stood for what was right and holy

What stones are you throwing?

Stones are thrown by non-Christians and Christians alike

Stones are anything we do that causes resistance to the Gospel going forward

Different Stones:

Slander

Call yourself a Christian when your actions say otherwise

Gossip about one another

Sharing concerns” disguised as spiritual (Galatians 5:15)

Holding coats

Approving of sin and saying nothing

Seeing stones cast and doing nothing

Compromise

internal persecution by dilution: weakening the church’s voice from the inside

Celebrating what Scripture condemns

Allowing culture to shape convictions instead of Scripture

Not serving

When 10% do the work of 100%, the church becomes exhausted and ineffective

Complaining about ministries they won’t participate in

Prioritizing comfort

Christians unintentionally hurt the church when convenience replaces obedience.

Skipping worship for trivial reasons

Serving only when easy

Comfort kills more churches than hardship ever has.

Let us stop throwing stones and build a strong ministry one building stone at a time

Conclusion

Check Your Heart

Ask yourself: “Am I stiff-necked like Israel, resisting God’s Spirit?”

Reflect on pride: areas where you think you “know better than God.”

Stop Throwing Stones

Identify the ways you may be harming God’s church, intentionally or unintentionally:

Gossip, slander, hypocrisy, compromise, neglect of service

Approving of sin in silence or prioritizing comfort over obedience

Live God-Defined Goodness

Pursue holiness, not just happiness

Align your heart with God’s truth, not cultural philosophy

Seek eternal well-being, not temporary ease

Be Like Samuel

Respond immediately to God’s call: “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”

Don’t harden your heart—let God’s Word guide your actions

Build Rather Than Destroy

Serve faithfully, even in small ways—one “building stone” at a time

Encourage unity and the edification of the church

Recognize that every act of obedience strengthens God’s mission

Remember the Pattern of History

God has always moved and called people to do good; resistance has consequences

Let your life reflect willingness to follow God’s lead, not stubborn independence