Embracing God's Revelation: The Call to Humility

 

Summary

In the seventh chapter of the Book of Acts, we find Stephen, the first Christian martyr, standing trial before the Sanhedrin, accused of blasphemy for preaching that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. Stephen's defense is a profound recapitulation of Jewish history, focusing on figures like Abraham, Joseph, and especially Moses. He argues that the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish leaders mirrors the historical pattern of their ancestors rejecting God's messengers. Stephen emphasizes Moses' role as the one through whom God gave the law and who prophesied the coming of Christ. This highlights the continuity of God's revelation through history, culminating in Jesus.

The uniqueness of the Jewish people, Stephen argues, lies in their relationship with God, who spoke to them and gave them the living oracles. This divine communication set them apart from other nations, which relied on human wisdom and failed to understand the divine. The sermon underscores the futility of human efforts to comprehend God through reason alone, as God is infinite and beyond human understanding. Instead, true knowledge of God comes through revelation, as God has spoken through prophets and ultimately through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The message is clear: humanity's hope lies not in its own wisdom but in receiving and submitting to God's revealed word. This revelation is the foundation of the Christian faith, offering salvation and a new life through Christ. The call is to humble oneself, become like a child, and receive God's word with faith, acknowledging our limitations and the need for divine guidance.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Pattern of Rejection: Stephen's defense highlights a historical pattern where God's messengers, like Moses, were often rejected by their own people. This pattern culminates in the rejection of Jesus, showing a continuity in human resistance to divine truth. Recognizing this pattern helps us understand the importance of being open to God's message today. [05:17]

2. The Uniqueness of God's People: The Jewish nation's significance lies in their unique relationship with God, who spoke to them and gave them His law. This divine communication set them apart, illustrating that true greatness comes from being aligned with God's purposes. This calls us to seek our identity and purpose in God's revelation rather than worldly achievements. [13:08]

3. The Futility of Human Wisdom: Human efforts to understand God through reason and philosophy are ultimately futile, as God is infinite and beyond human comprehension. This underscores the need for divine revelation, which provides the true knowledge of God and His will. Embracing this revelation leads to a life of wisdom and fulfillment. [35:10]

4. The Power of Revelation: God's revelation through the prophets and ultimately through Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. This revelation offers salvation and a new life, calling us to receive it with humility and faith. It challenges us to trust in God's word rather than our understanding. [40:03]

5. The Call to Humility: To truly receive God's revelation, we must become like little children, acknowledging our ignorance and dependence on God. This humility opens us to the transformative power of God's word, leading to a life of victory and purpose. It invites us to surrender our pride and embrace God's wisdom. [53:50]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:08] - Introduction to Acts 7:37-38
- [01:33] - Stephen's Trial and Defense
- [02:58] - Accusations of Blasphemy
- [04:36] - Stephen's Historical Recapitulation
- [05:30] - The Case of Moses
- [07:25] - Moses' Divine Commission
- [09:01] - Moses and the Law
- [10:30] - The Uniqueness of the Jewish People
- [13:08] - The Church in the Wilderness
- [15:15] - The Secret of Israel's Greatness
- [18:06] - The Advantage of the Jews
- [21:00] - Relevance to Modern Times
- [23:32] - The Need for Wisdom
- [26:39] - The Rejection of God's Answer
- [30:06] - Human Efforts to Understand God
- [35:10] - The Greatness of God
- [40:03] - The Power of Revelation
- [53:50] - The Call to Humility

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Acts 7:37-38

Observation Questions:
1. What was Stephen's main argument in his defense before the Sanhedrin, and how did he use Jewish history to support his point? [05:17]
2. How does Stephen describe the role of Moses in relation to God's law and prophecy? [09:01]
3. What does Stephen identify as the unique advantage of the Jewish people according to the sermon? [18:06]
4. How does the sermon describe the futility of human wisdom in understanding God? [35:10]

Interpretation Questions:
1. Why does Stephen emphasize the pattern of rejection of God's messengers throughout Jewish history, and how does this relate to the rejection of Jesus? [05:17]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the Jewish people's uniqueness is tied to their relationship with God, and how does this apply to Christians today? [13:08]
3. How does the sermon explain the necessity of divine revelation over human wisdom in knowing God? [35:10]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of humility in receiving God's revelation, and how is this illustrated through the example of Moses? [53:50]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you might have resisted a message from God. How can recognizing the pattern of rejection in history help you be more open to God's message today? [05:17]
2. How can you seek your identity and purpose in God's revelation rather than in worldly achievements? What steps can you take this week to align more closely with God's purposes? [13:08]
3. In what areas of your life are you relying on your own understanding rather than seeking God's wisdom? How can you begin to embrace divine revelation in those areas? [35:10]
4. What practical steps can you take to cultivate humility and become more receptive to God's word, like a child? [53:50]
5. How can you incorporate the practice of listening for God's voice in your daily routine? What changes might you need to make to prioritize this practice? [39:38]
6. Identify a specific area where you struggle with pride. How can you surrender this to God and seek His guidance instead? [53:50]
7. Think of a person in your life who may be resistant to God's message. How can you gently share the importance of divine revelation with them, using Stephen's example as a guide? [05:17]

Devotional

Day 1: Recognizing Patterns of Rejection
Stephen's defense before the Sanhedrin highlights a recurring pattern in Jewish history: the rejection of God's messengers. Figures like Moses were often dismissed by their own people, and this pattern culminates in the rejection of Jesus Christ. This historical continuity of resistance to divine truth serves as a cautionary tale for us today. It challenges us to examine our own openness to God's message and to be vigilant against the tendency to dismiss what we do not understand or what challenges our preconceived notions. By recognizing this pattern, we can strive to be more receptive to God's voice in our lives. [05:17]

Acts 7:51-52 (ESV): "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered."

Reflection: Is there a message or truth from God that you have been resisting? How can you open your heart to receive it today?


Day 2: Embracing Our Unique Relationship with God
The Jewish people were set apart by their unique relationship with God, who communicated directly with them and gave them His law. This divine communication distinguished them from other nations and illustrated that true greatness comes from aligning with God's purposes. In our own lives, we are called to seek our identity and purpose in God's revelation rather than in worldly achievements. By embracing this unique relationship, we can find true fulfillment and direction. [13:08]

Deuteronomy 4:7-8 (ESV): "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?"

Reflection: In what ways are you seeking your identity in worldly achievements rather than in your relationship with God? How can you realign your focus today?


Day 3: The Limitations of Human Wisdom
Human efforts to understand God through reason and philosophy are ultimately futile, as God is infinite and beyond human comprehension. This underscores the necessity of divine revelation, which provides true knowledge of God and His will. Embracing this revelation leads to a life of wisdom and fulfillment, as it allows us to transcend the limitations of our own understanding and tap into the infinite wisdom of God. [35:10]

1 Corinthians 1:20-21 (ESV): "Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you rely too heavily on your own understanding? How can you invite God's wisdom into that area today?


Day 4: Trusting in the Power of Revelation
God's revelation through the prophets and ultimately through Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. This revelation offers salvation and a new life, calling us to receive it with humility and faith. It challenges us to trust in God's word rather than our understanding, inviting us to experience the transformative power of His truth. By embracing this revelation, we can find hope and purpose in our lives. [40:03]

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV): "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world."

Reflection: How can you actively trust in God's revelation today, even when it challenges your understanding or expectations?


Day 5: Cultivating Humility to Receive God's Word
To truly receive God's revelation, we must become like little children, acknowledging our ignorance and dependence on God. This humility opens us to the transformative power of God's word, leading to a life of victory and purpose. It invites us to surrender our pride and embrace God's wisdom, allowing His truth to guide and shape our lives. By cultivating this humility, we can experience the fullness of God's love and grace. [53:50]

Matthew 18:3-4 (ESV): "And said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where pride is preventing you from fully receiving God's word? How can you practice humility in that area today?

Quotes



He is setting out to show these people that in rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ and his message, they are but repeating what their own forefathers have done so many times in their long and checkered history. That's what he's doing, and he develops his case. [00:05:10]

The uniqueness of these people was that they had the living articles, the oracles of God. Now, that's just another way of describing the Bible, the Old Testament, and the New. What does it mean? Well, my dear friend, let me put it as simply as I can by putting it like this. [00:38:40]

The world by wisdom knew not God. It tried its best. The flowering period of Greek philosophy had passed before the Son of God ever came into this world. They'd completely failed, and those ancient nations were steeped in vice and sin and ignorance and darkness. [00:32:43]

God has spoken. I am preaching to you the word of God, not my own word. What is this? Well, this is what we call revelation. Now, this is the point, you see, at which I see people go wrong at the very beginning. They set out in a search for God. [00:40:00]

The thing that made the Jews the people that they were was that God spoke to them, and that they listened to him, that they realized that. And my message this night is that this is the only hope for any one of us. God has spoken. [00:39:50]

The apostle Paul says exactly the same thing everywhere. A dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me, he says it in 1 Corinthians 9, he says it in Ephesians 3, and then he says it perhaps in the most comprehensive definition that we have. [00:44:48]

The apostle Peter says exactly the same thing. Listen to him. We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto the power and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, what then? Well, but where are you witnesses of his ministry? [00:45:26]

The world is perplexed at this point, doesn't know, it doesn't understand. Man's got a sense that there is something outside himself bigger and greater than himself. There's a divinity that shapes our ends for a few of them, though we may. [00:25:20]

The servant of God Stephen here, I say, deals with this fundamentally initial crucial matter of our whole relationship to God. Now, there's nothing more important than this. Most people who are in trouble about the Christian faith are in trouble because they start wrongly. [00:21:28]

The Jews, he says to these members of the Sanhedrin, he says you're perfectly right in revering the memory of Moses as you are doing, but he says in effect let me remind you of how right you are. Let me proceed to show you that though you do it in a way that is unintelligent. [00:09:47]

The apostle Paul, when he visited Athens for the first time, he reminded them of this, that they were seeking for God if happily they might find him. They were really trying to find him. That is why they directed a temple in Athens which was dedicated to the unknown God. [00:29:33]

The world hasn't changed at all. Men and women today are repeating what was done by the members of the Sanhedrin, what they did 1400 years before that to Moses, this great prophet of God and this great lawgiver. Now here is the tragedy of tragedies. [00:26:21]

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Transcript
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