The Heart of the Gospel - Acts 7-8

 Acts 7:37-39 (ESV Strong's)

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,

The Heart of the Gospel

The above passage is taken right out of the middle of Stephen’s one and only sermon.  Stephen was selected by the church to be a “deacon” for the purpose of serving widows in the church (see chapter six of Acts).   But, he instantly started to teach and preach.  He was not limited by his “position.”   The High Priest demanded from him why he was speaking about Jesus (Acts 7:1).   At that point, Stephen begins to break down the history of the nation of Israel and comes to the part Moses played in their deliverance from Egypt and the deliverance of the Ten Commandments.   This is where we arrive, in Stephen’s message, to the above verses.   The point Stephen is making is that, like their fathers, the High Priest and the religious leaders rejected Christ “in their hearts,” just like their fathers did.   The nation of Israel was physically redeemed out of the Egypt.  But, spiritually they never left.   Notice how later in this section that Peter confronts a recent magician who thought he could purchase the Holy Spirit with money:

Acts 8:20-23 (ESV Strong's)

20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

The magician, Simon, had “professed” Christ.   But, he did not have Christ in his heart.   He simply wanted the external and failed to realize it starts with a change of internal.   The Gospel is about a change of heart.  It is not intellectual belief.  It is about having your heart changed by God and living inside out.