Sacred Cows
Acts 7 Sacred Cow: A value that is mostly immune from questioning, often unreasonably so.
- It’s used to describe marriage issues.
- Business issues “Bad work habits that masquerade as values”
- “Death to all sacred cows: how successful people put the old rules out to pasture”
- Spiritual or religious issues Investigating myths, cults and traditions
- Of course, how to make a great burger!
- Politics have used the term to as “issues you don’t address”
- and even comics pick it up. This one says, “Sooo Aaron, You actually expect me to believe that you “accidentally” dropped a bunch of gold in the fire and it just “happened” to come out looking like this calf here?!?!?”
- Story of the people of Israel melting gold and making a calf.
Sacred Cow: “A savior replacement” Halie Bougher
What keeps you from seeing Jesus and what God is doing?
- What is your “Sacred Cow”?
- Stephen is asked to defend his faith against some “sacred cows” in the first century.
Read Verse 13 & 14.
- “Speak words against this holy place and the law, Jesus will 1. Destroy the temple and 2. change the customs that Moses delivered to us
- What seems like a re-telling of some biblical history is actually a direct affront to the Sacred Cows of the council he is addressing.
- Stephen then addresses the issues with a yes and no type of answer.
- Change-yes but not God’s original intent but their perspective on what God has done and is doing.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.” Matthew 23:1-3
- Showing a huge gap between the words they speak vs. what they do. But why? Why were they so blind?
- They had Sacred Cows. They trusted in things that were meant to point to the God who can be trusted.
- They made good things, God things.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. Psalm 115:4–8
- We reflect what we worship. All idols are not made of silver and gold. Not all sacred cows are actual cows.
- The three things Stephan Addresses are
- They are
- 1. The land
- 2. The law and
- 3. The temple.
- All of which have lost their original intent by God and have become “Sacred Cows”.
#1. The land, Read vs. 2-34
- According to tradition, God gave special privileges to those living in Palestine.
- The problem is it left no room for a savior. What they wanted was to be free of Roman rule. They wanted a king to be freed of Roman rule, not a savior to be freed from the rule of sin in their hearts.
- Once you get that, there are multiple areas of scripture that make more sense.
- When Jesus tipped the tables it was because those living in Palestine where taking advantage of those who didn’t and profiting from it. Spiritual manipulation.
- The women at the well. A Samaritan who worships in a different place.
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) …
“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” John 4:9 & 20-21
- Geographical Arrogance that leads to unGodly partiality.
#2. The law, read vs. 35-43,
- vs. 39. They had the law, but it didn’t save. The very person who gave us the law said, “God will raise up a prophet like me…”
- Look for another.
- Laws to not break laws. This is what they taught!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15
#3. The temple, read vs. 44-50
- The temple itself became more important than the God who dwelt in the temple. “We have the temple” with snooty pride instead of honor to the God who dwells there. Then, the gold…
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools… For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.” Matthew 23:16–22
- vs. 51-53
- Like Jesus, he addresses with vigor!
- Vs. 54
- Addressing Idolatry is usually met with offense.
- vs. 55 w/ vs. 2—-> Glory
- This section is bookended with Glory!
- Read vs. 55-60
So what does this mean for us?
- I don’t want Gods Glory to leave because of our idolatry.
- 1. The sacred cow of land. American & political pride.
- 2. The sacred cow of law. Or created extra biblical morality and legalism.
- 3. The sacred cow of the temple. How we have experienced God in the past and unwilling to think that God could do anything different.
INVITE TO THE “CAST YOUR BURDENS”
GOSPEL, REPENTANCE.
Sermon Slides
