Let God Out of That Box

Acts 7:44-50

Introduction

Many years ago, I was at a revival service here in St Catharines and I heard something that I have never forgotten. Interestingly, it was in his sermon but in his appeal for the offering. As he was asking people to dig deep into their wallets, he told us that God was obligated to give us back $100 for every $1 we put in the offering plate. It was a sure investment. It stuck with me because I was shocked that we would bind God with such strict rules.

I could get pretty judgmental about this but on deeper reflection, I have come to realize that I have put certain limits or expectations on God that were just as bad, if not quite so public. I decided that I knew exactly how God operated and anything outside of that just couldn’t be God. I thought I knew the denominations that God was at work in and those he was not. I decided on the kinds of experiences that were valid or required. I put a lot of limitations on God. Thankfully, God has been punching his way out of the box I keep trying to put him into.

I doubt that I am not the only one who struggles with this. In fact some of our current struggles have revealed how the church in general is having trouble in this area.

The passage that we are looking at today, a portion of speech by Stephen, helps us to see what we want to do with God, and who God really is. Let us take a look.

Old Limits on God

If you remember back before Advent, we were going through Acts and had gotten to the section on Stephen. Stephen had gotten in trouble for his preaching and the religious leaders were quite upset. The accusations were that he was speaking against the Law and the Temple, two of the foundations for the Jewish people. What we have in Acts 7 is Stephen’s defence against those accusations.

When it comes to the Law, it is not just a list of commands. The Law or the Torah is actually the first five books of the Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy. While Stephen goes beyond the Law, he spends much of his time expounding from the Torah, demonstrating that he was just as committed to those traditions as they were.

Now remember, as we look at what Stephen says, that they were completely focused on God as located in the Jerusalem temple. Watch what Stephen does.

Stephen begins with Abraham. He recounts how God spoke to Abraham. But where did God speak to Abraham? It wasn’t in Jerusalem or any where near what would become Israel. It was in Mesopotamia, in what we now call Iraq. Then God spoke again to Abraham, this time in Harran, still not in the Promised Land. God was free to speak and act any where he wanted.

The we move to Egypt, where Joseph became second only to Pharaoh in power. God blessed Joseph in an unexpected way. But eventually the Hebrews lost their privilege and became slaves in Egypt. This brings us to Moses, a man born and educated in Egypt. God used him in a mighty way, but he used him outside of Israel. Even Mount Sinai, the place where God made his covenant with the people, was not in Israel. A tabernacle was constructed to be a focal point for worship. It was like a temple but it was mobile. God moved around with the people. During the time of David, the tabernacle became settled in Jerusalem and it was his son Solomon that built the temple. 

Do you see what was going on here? We have a gradual limiting of the activity of God. God was going where he wanted, then went were the tabernacle was taken and then was settled in the temple. I’m not saying that the temple was wrong, it was part of God’s plan. What was wrong was the attitude of the people that by creating a building, they were keeping God to themselves. But Stephen quotes from the prophet Isaiah that God never considered himself so limited. “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.” 

Stephen wasn’t saying that the temple was bad, he was saying that God was bigger than the temple, that he was free to act in unexpected ways. We will see how his accusers felt about this next week.

New Limits on God

It is interesting that we are looking at this passage at this moment in time. In this passage, Stephen argued that God was not limited to the temple, that he was bigger than the building. What is happening with us? We are currently in a lockdown and our church building is closed to in-person worship service. Some people are really struggling with this. Some congregations have taken the stand that the only way to remain faithful is to continue to gather for physical worship services in the church building. Not only are they willing to risk the spread of COVID-19, they also are willing to be fined by the government as a result of their disobedience.

I do not want to get into the debate over these issues but I will say something. I would prefer to meet in our church building with our people, singing songs and praying prayers. I would especially love a potluck after the service. But I don’t believe that is wise at this time. It is not out of fear of the government but out of love for people and a desire to keep people safe.

But it is also because of something else. Like my namesake, Stephen, I believe that God is bigger than the building. I love our church building but God is not limited by these walls. He is active in our homes, in our workplaces and yes on the internet. For those who worry that a lockdown will stop the ministry of the church, you need a bigger picture of God.

But it is not just about a building. This problem didn’t start with COVID-19. We put all sorts of limits on God. “God can only work through certain types of worship music.” “God can only work through certain types of Bible translations.” “God can only work through certain types of people.” Too many people have bought into these lies.

We need to let God out of the box. Not just the box of a physical building but the box of our own personal preferences or expectations. God is far bigger than we can imagine. Heaven is his thorn and the entire earth is his footstool. What would happen if we truly comprehended that truth? How would it change we do church and how we live as the church?

Conclusion

Stephen got in trouble. He got in trouble for telling the truth. He looked back over biblical history. He reminded people how God was not limited to Jerusalem. He spoke to people from Mesopotamia to Egypt and beyond. Yes it was good to have a way to focus our worship, whether in a tabernacle or a temple. But those structures were not limitations on God, even if it might be more comfortable for us if they were.

What if COVID-19 was a blessing and not a curse? What if God used this terrible pandemic to free himself, not just from our church buildings but from all of the human limitations that we place upon him? What if this was what we needed to reminded about big God really is?