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God's Truth: Still Fresh after Four Thousand Years
Acts 7:1-8
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - Sept. 15, 2013
BACKGROUND:
*In Acts 6-8, God gives us the story of a Christian named Stephen.
This New Testament believer was one of the heroes of the early church.
Stephen was chosen to be one of the first deacons.
Acts 6:3 tells us that these men were "full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom."
They had a tremendous impact for the Kingdom of God.
*Acts 6:7-8 gives this report:
7. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
8.
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
*For these reasons, Stephen was arrested by the religious rulers in Jerusalem, and put on trial for his life before the "Council" or "Sanhedrin."
It was the Supreme Court of Israel, but it was a kangaroo court in this case.
Acts 6:13-14 reports that these corrupt judges:
13. . .
also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
14. for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.''
*Stephen was falsely and illegally accused of blasphemy.
But here in Acts 7, he began to make a remarkable defense for the cause of Jesus Christ.
*The High Court thought that Stephen was the only person on trial that day, but by His Holy Spirit, God spoke through Stephen to put that Court on trial.
The stinging indictment from God comes down near the end of chapter 7.
But Stephen began his defense by giving those religious experts a history lesson on the nation of Israel.
*With this background in mind, would you please stand in honor of God's Word, as we read Acts 7:1-8:
1.
Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?''
2. And he said, "Men and brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3. and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.'
4. Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran.
And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.
5.
And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on.
But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.
6.
But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would sojourn in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years.
7. 'And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.'
8. Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs."
INTRODUCTION:
*There is no doubt that Stephen was a great hero of our faith, and greatly to be admired.
But does his trial have a message for us today?
The answer is certainly yes.
1.
And tonight's Scripture speaks to us first about godly wisdom.
*As Stephen began to give those religious experts a history lesson on the nation of Israel, he reminds us that we can never go wrong by following the Lord.
This is the godly wisdom we need.
*The charges against Stephen had just been laid out, and starting in vs. 1:
1.
Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?''
2. And he said, "Men and brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3. and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.'
4. Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran.
And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell."
*Sometimes we wonder what the Lord wants us to do, but He will give us the wisdom we need.
And sometimes we have to wait on His guidance, but the Lord will guide us.
And on the most important issues of life, the Lord will guide us as clearly as He guided Abraham in vs. 3: "Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you."
*We can trust the Lord to guide us too.
And we always need to follow the advice Christ's mother gave to the servant in John 2:5: "Whatever Jesus tells you to do, do it."
*For most of us, life is like it was for Abraham in vs. 4.
He started on his journey of following the Lord, but got less than halfway before he stopped.
Please listen to it again in vs. 4: "Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran.
And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell."
*For most believers, progress in our walk with Christ is also a stop-and-start thing.
Sometimes it's one step forward and two steps back.
But it doesn't have to be that way! May God help us to get in the fast lane of following Jesus!
The road may be difficult at times, but we will never be sorry for following the Lord.
*Robert Tuttle once heard this testimony from a young doctor: "Several years ago, I felt that I wanted to be a Christian.
I prayed and told Christ that I needed him, and he could have my life, but with this and this and this reservation.
Nothing happened.
I was so miserable that I went back to Christ, and I said, 'Okay, Christ, you can have all of me but one thing: I won't preach on the street.'
Again, nothing happened.
In despair, I went back a final time and said, 'All right, Christ, I can't live without you, I hold nothing back.
I'll even preach on the street.'"
*Then with joy that young doctor said: "It came!
It came!
New life surged into me.
By grace, I became more than an efficient technician in medical skills.
Now, I could minister healing to the whole person.
It was a new life; a new practice of medicine.
And you know," he said, "that has been six years ago.
And Christ hasn't asked me to preach on the street yet."
(1)
*Jesus may never ask him to preach on the street.
But even if the Lord does call that doctor to preach on the street, we can never go wrong by following God.
That's the lesson of Godly wisdom.
2. But this Scripture also speaks to us about God's world.
*We sing, "This Is My Father's World," and it surely is.
As David said in Psalm 24:1-2:
1. . .
The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.
2. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.
*Then in Psalm 50:9-12 we hear God speak to the wicked of the Children of Israel, and the Lord said:
9.
I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds.
10.
For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11.
I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12.
If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
*This is our Heavenly Father's world, so He can use it however He sees fit.
And in vs. 4-5, we see one of the key decisions God made about His world.
Here Stephen said:
4. "Then he (i.e.
Abraham) came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran.
And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.
5.
And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on.
But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him."
*This Scripture highlights the greatest geo-political issue facing the world today.
What about the Jews?
Where do they belong?
Does the Land of Israel belong to the Jews?
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