"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GLORY?"

ACTS 7

INTRO: Acts 7:55 speaking of Stephen says, "But he, being full of the Holy

Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God,

and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." The secret to successful

Christian living and service is God's glory! Colossians 1:27 says,

"…Christ in you,the hope of glory.”But many today are trying to live

for God apart from His glory. They are trying to live in the strength of

the flesh, and the wisdom of the mind. But all these fall way too short

of God's glory manifested in the life of His people through the Holy

Spirit! They are like the people in Jeremiah's day of whom God spoke

through His prophet, "..My people have changed their glory for that

which doth not profit." (Jeremiah 2:11).

Stephen, in our text, is addressing a Jewish nation that has forsaken

God's glory and are experiencing lifeless worship,formal

ceremonialism, and powerless prayers. Their worship has become

mere ceremony. And their glory has become their shame. Many of our

Churches today are in the same predicament. Their worship is lifeless,

the praise is mere lip service,their services are formal and cold, and as

a result their altars are empty. they "have a form of godliness, but

deny the power thereof..." They “have left their first love.” The glory is

gone and all that is left is the shame. In many Churches today the

name Ichabod should be written over the door because the glory has

departed! The question that needed to be asked by Israel “What

happened to the glory?" The problem though was that no one had

stopped to ask that question. The same question needs to be asked by

many Churches today. Stephen in our text, answers this question

"What Happened To The Glory?” It is a question we, as a church,

should ask ourselves when our worship becomes lifeless, our prayers

seem powerless,and our altars remain empty.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GLORY? :

(1) WE LOST THE GLORY BY BELIEVING WE RECEIVED IT FROM A

BIRTHRIGHT NOT FROM A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

ACTS 7:8; 51—“And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and

so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day;

and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve

patriarchs. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and

ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did,

so do ye.”

  1. THE MISCONCEPTION. The Jews believed that simply because they were Abraham’s seed they were also recipients of God’s glory and blessing. But just because they were the seed of Abraham did not mean they were spiritual and walking by faith with God! Jesus told the Jews who confronted Him at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 8, “IfyewereAbraham'schildren,yewoulddotheworksofAbraham.” Just because a person is saved by the grace of God and is a member of a Bible-believing Church doesn’t necessarily mean that that person has the glory of God ruling and reigning, and be manifested in his life! That person may be faithful in attendance, giving, and other Church activities, but it is how we live our daily life which matters.
  1. THE MISSION. The real question for each of us tonight is, “Are we following the leadership of God's Spirit in our lives? Is Jesus first place in our lives? Can others see His love in our lives every day of the week, not just on Sunday?”

ILLUS: Augustine said, "God wants to give us something, but cannot,

because our hands are full-there's nowhere for Him to put it."

When we feel God's blessings are missing from our lives, we

need to examine our hands and see if they are open to receive,

or clutched around something that we refuse to let go

(Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. p. 114).

Friends, I am saved! I know it beyond any shadow of a doubt, but I

realize for God's glory to be shone in and through my life I must give

myself fully toGod and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit! God's

glory is only seen as daily we walk by His Spirit. It is a growing

experience!

(2) WE LOST THE GLORY BY REJECTING THE MESSENGERS OF GOD

ACTS 7:9; 27—“And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph

into Egypt: but God was with him…But he that did his

neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a

ruler and a judge over us?”

  1. THE REJECTION OF THE MESSENGER. Joseph’s brethren rejected him because he delivered unto them a message he received from God. They not only rejected his message but sold him into slavery into Egypt. Moses, seeing one of his brethren being oppressed, defended him and smote an Egyptian, thinking his brethren would understand how God through Moses would deliver them from bondage, the next day, he tried to solve a dispute between two of his brethren but their response was, "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?” (v27). The Church today is slowly, and in some cases quickly, moving away from “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

ILLUS: TURNING THE HOUSE OF GOD INTO A COMEDY CLUB.

Friday Church News Notes, December 24, 2004 (David W.

Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box

610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, , 866-295-

4143) -

An article in the Christian Science Monitor for Dec. 16

documented the growing acceptance of comedy in church

services, noting that churches are trying to "tap the nation's

culture of humor to promote spiritual gain." The New England

Bible Church recently used a television game show style

routine during its worship service that pitted the elders against

the deacons to create a "mood of levity." Church outreach

ministries now include Christian comedy shows to draw a

crowd. A forthcoming book, The Art and Craft of Biblical

Preaching (Zondervan, 2005), "dedicates an entire chapter to

humor as a homiletic device." Joseph Webb, author of Comedy

and Preaching, says, "It is going to be impossible to preach

without using humor." Where, I ask, do we see all of this

humor in the Bible? The Lord Jesus Christ preached a lot

about hell fire but I don't recall a lot of humor in the Gospels.

The same is true for the sermons recorded in Acts and the

apostolic messages to the churches. Of course, preaching hell

fire doesn't get a lot of laughs and doesn't draw a big crowd; so

the preachers described in 2 Tim. 4:3-4, who scratch the ears

of those who want to be entertained with a new kind of

Christianity, avoid it like the plague.

  1. THE RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE. Israel rejected God’s messengers. Many today will not go that far in their rejection of God's man and the message given to him by God, but still reject him by failing to obey the message given by him from God! To receive the message and yet, fail to obey the message is to reject the message. God sent Israel messenger after messenger and for the most part God's message was ignored, and God's messenger rejected. God today is still raising up men today to carry His message, and yet, for the most part God's people remain unconcerned, uncommitted, and uncompassionate. And we seem to wonder, "Where is the glory?” Listen friends, Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.

(3) WE LOST THE GLORY BY DOING IT OUR OWN WAY

ACTS 7:39-43—“This is that Moses, which said unto the children of

Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of

your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. To whom our

fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their

hearts turned back again into Egypt, Saying unto Aaron,

Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.”

  1. THEY WOULD NOT FOLLOW GOD’S WILL. Listen to the words of vv. 37-39—“ This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt.” The words " would not obey" mean "they did not want to obey; their disobedience was deliberate." They rejected both God and God's servant. They turned their hearts away from God and back to Egypt. Egypt, in the Scripture, is a type of the world. And the sad truth is that many of God's people today have the hearts turned to the world instead of unto God!
  2. THEY WENT THEIR OWN WAY. V41, "They made a calf in those days,and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the work of their own hands." The people would not obey the “living oracles" of God (vv. 38-39). The word "rejoiced" means "to make glad and joyful in one's mind." Notice the object of their rejoicing; it was not in the LORD, but "in the works of their own hands. " (v41b). Many times instead of seeking God's way and will, we try to serve God in our own way. But when we do, then God allows us to go our own way. Look at what God did with Israel, v42--"Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven…". Israel would not worship the true God so they worshipped false gods--the moon, sun, and stars (the zodiac, astrology, and cosmic forces). They had made them a golden calf, but it did not satisfy the lusts of their flesh, so God allowed them to worship "the hosts of heaven". Much of the worship today is not from a true heart and a right spirit, but from the lusts and appetites of the flesh. Too much today the creature is worshipped more than the Creator, the servant more than the Savior, and the programs of man more than the precious and priceless God-man! We have tried to build Churches and associations in our own strength and our own will and we wonder 'Where is the glory?"

ILLUS: Herschel Hobbs, the late Southern Baptist preacher, liked to

quote the words of an old friend; "If the Holy Spirit were

suddenly taken out of the world, 95% of the world would go on

as usual." We cannot do “The LORD'S work without "The

LORD" (Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. p. 129).

When we turn away from God, He will turn away from us. When we

forsake God's will for our will, God will give us up to our own devices!

God's indictment of many of our plans and programs may well be, "My

people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of

living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold

no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13). It is then God asks of us, “Where then is

the blessedness ye spake of?" (Galatians 4:15).

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GLORY? WE LOST THE GLORY BY BELIEVING WE RECEIVED IT FROM A BIRTHRIGHT, NOT FROM A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, WE LOST THE GLORY BY REJECTING THE MESSENGERS OF GOD, WE LOST THE GLORY BY DOING IT OUR OWN WAY and…

(4) WE LOST THE GLORY BY TRYING TO PUT GOD IN ABOX

ACTS 7:44-49—“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the

wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that

he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?”

  1. HIS PRESENCE CANNOT BE CONFINED. V48—“…the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands…”. The Jews thought that when God allowed the magnificent temple to be built, he would abide in that temple. The people did not understand the temple. God is not limited to the temple, or to the Church, or any group of Churches. God cannot be contained. Solomon, who was privileged to build the temple, said in 1 Kings 8:27, "But will God indeed dwell on earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built." God never intended for men to think his presence was limited to the temple,or Church, or any group of Churches. God cannot be contained! We cannot put Him in a box. Many church buildings have become idols today. The congregation feasts upon the magnificence of the building-the stained glass windows, ornate pulpit furnishings-thousands of dollars spent for elaborate adornment of building, while the heathen die by the million without ever hearing the name of the LORD Jesus Christ who is the true temple of heaven (Oliver B. Greene. The Acts of the Apostles. p. 461)!

B. HIS POWER CANNOT BE CONTAINED. The Psalmist said of the Lord

in Psalm 135:5-6—“For I know that the LORD is great, and that our

Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in

heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” He will work

and do WHAT HE WILLS! We cannot put God in a box. We must let

Him work how, when, and where He chooses! We must let Him work in

our midst His perfect will and not grieve the Spirit by unfaithfulness

and unbelief! Friends, I have seen God’s power and glory depart from

Churches before. God will begin moving in the Church in a mighty and

glorious way. Souls will be saved, lives changed, and Christians

rededicating their lives to the Lord and then someone will give place to

the devil and it will all fall apart! Ephesians 4:27 warns us, “Neither

give place to the devil.” Friends, we must remember this is GOD’S

CHURCH! WE ARE GOD’S PEOPLE! When we try to contain Him, the

glory departs, and one may rightfully ask, “What happened To The

Glory?”

(5) WE LOST THE GLORY BY RESISTING THE HOLY SPIRIT

ACTS 7:51—“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears,

ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do

ye.”

A. THE CHALLENGE. Stephen turned to the present generation of Jews

and charged them with the very same resistance as their forefathers.

He gave tworeasons for their resistance of God's Spirit: 1) They were

“stiffnecked.” The word means "hard-necked, obstinate, and stubborn.”

and 2) They were “uncircumcised in heart.” The word "uncircumcised”

means "heathens, pagans, lost, aliens, idolaters, false worshippers, and

ungodly.”

B. THE CONSIDERATION. We are like these Jews today in many ways.

We are hard-necked, obstinate, and stubborn. We are saved and saints,

if we have truly repented and received Christ as our Savior, but even

so, many times we act like pagans, idolaters, the ungodly. The Spirit

tries to lead us God's way and we fight,resist, and shun His

promptings. The Spirit encourages us to live godly and we live like the

world and thus cause many to stumble.

ILLUS: Three things we should seek to avoid:

Resisting the Spirit

Grieving the Spirit.

Quenching the Spirit

Three things we should seek:

Being filled with the Spirit

Using the gifts of the Spirit.

Bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Albert M. Wells, Jr.

Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary and Classical. p.

89).

Closing: When we find our lives powerless, our prayer life dull, and our

worship mere routine; we need to ask ourselves, "What Happened To

The Glory?" Could it be we have neglected our spiritual lives, rejected

God's messengers, tried to do it our own way, tried to put God in a