You will know the truth

Bottom line

We need to make knowing God’s word a priority!

Opening Line

Have you ever been around someone who was extremely intelligent?

Introduction

As I think back on my days in college, I realize that I rubbed shoulders with some insanely smart people and I didn’t know it. I had a friend that worked with the teenage dorm before I did and he was one of the easiest going people I knew. He would come to our dorm and we would play ridiculous games, laugh it things that were incredibly immature. I always looked forward to any opportunity I got to spend with this guy.

He graduated my second year in school, and a bunch of us attended the ceremony because it turned out he was valedictorian. As we sat in the crowd and they introduced my friend to come up with give his speech. As part of the introduction, they would give their grade point average because that is what determined valedictorian status. He graduated with something like a 4.2 or something. If you don’t know how the collegiate scoring works, 4.0 is a perfect score, and he graduated with above perfect. If there was extra credit to have, he had it. This was the same guy that would moon us from his window as we walked from the school to our dorm.

The students were one thing, than you consider the professors. One of the profs we had graduated high school at the age of 14, finished his bachelors by 17 or something insane like that. When he would speak in our class or chapels, he would bring his Greek New Testament and read out of it as if he was reading English. No one knew until one day he left his bible on the podium and someone grabbed it for him, only to realize the title was in Greek.

The guy I studied hebrew under would finish every class by saying, “Does anyone have any questions, comments, insults, things to thow?” Unbeknownst to any of us, he was one of the leading experts in Ancient Near Eastern languages. He could read Hebrew, Ugaritic, and another one more fluently than I can read English I think.

I think of these men and women that I used to rub shoulders with in college, and I study Acts 7 and the testimony of Stephen before the council and I can’t help to be in awe of the depth of understanding.

Then I think about the state of the church today, primarily in the area of how well we know our Bibles. I can’t help but to be concerned. I worry that we have become so dependent on our devices that we can’t even find half the books in the Bible if we can’t type it into the search.

Believe it or not, I’m not actually anti-technology. I think there are some brilliant advances in technology that have really enhanced our ability to know and study the word. But there is a huge difference between simply reading the word and actually knowing it.

Main Point

You need to know the word.

Why it matters

When you really know it, your mind readily recalls it when you need it most. When you’re having a discussion or really need some truth, your first instinct isn’t typically to pull out your phone and search up the bible verse that applies to this particular situation. You are probably more prone to fall back on what you already know.

What you are going to see this morning as we dive into chapter 7 is a man who really knew his stuff. Stephen is standing before the council, needing to defend himself. He doesn’t have his bible in front of him, and there’s no iPhone with ChatGPT in his hand. This is simply his knowledge of the word, and the Holy Spirit in him making the connections. What we are going to read over the next couple of weeks is called by some a masterpiece of logic and theological understanding. The craziest part: he was just a waiter, making sure the widows all got their fair share of the provisions.

Scripture

Acts 7:1 NLT

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”

Remember last week in Acts 6, it said that Stephen was debating with a group of Jews and they couldn’t refute any of this arguments. In response, they hired some men to lie about him, claiming he was speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses.

Just so you understand the gravity of these accusations, they witnesses are basically accusing him of undermining the entire Jewish faith. You can understand why the religious leaders may be a little wound up.

Acts 7:2–7 NLT

This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live. “But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet. God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.’

Knowing God’s word means knowing his promises

Stephen starts with such an interesting comment. He is being accused of speaking against the Temple, and by extension Jerusalem, the city where God placed his name. So he starts by reminding the council, the religious leaders, that the start of their faith wasn’t even in Jerusalem. Their forefather Abraham actually encountered God for the first in a foreign land, where the people worshipped a moon goddess.

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But look what Stephen says about Abraham in verse 5. He didn’t own even one square foot of land. Abraham was a wondering nomad his entire life. He didn’t even have a son at this point in the story. The only thing that he actually had was a promise, and the promise was that he would have a son, and the descendents that would come would fill this land.

Then God makes another promise, and that is that his descendents would live in a foreign land, be oppressed, enslaved for 400 years, and then they would come out and worship in the promised land. So God told Abraham that what was in store for his family would be equal parts blessing and suffering.

I think this is why James 1:2

James 1:2 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

The Bible never promises that if you follow Jesus that you will never again experience suffering or trouble. Even God’s promised people had to experience hardship before they experienced blessing. I don’t say that to discourage you but encourage you. I know that it is easy to assume that when hard times come, either God has abandoned you or you’re doing something wrong in life. Actually, sometimes, not always but sometimes, it is actually an indication that you are right where you need to be. More importantly, God has not abandoned you, but he is right there with you through it all, just like he was right there with Israel through it all. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20

Matthew 28:20 NLT

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

If you have your Bible, you need to underline, highlight, do something to the second half of that verse. I am with you when? Always. Only when you are being obedient and perfect? No. I am with you ALWAYS! That is a promise.

If you don’t know God’s word, and don’t really study it, you can miss out on knowing the promises he has made towards you.

Acts 7:8–10 NLT

“God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation. “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.

It is all about Jesus

Stephen then moves from Abraham to Joseph, which is probably one of the most well known stories from scripture. Joseph and the coat of many colors. Well one commentator actually pointed out that Joseph is actually a picture of Jesus. Watch how their stories coincide. Joseph’s brothers were envious of him. Pilate recognized that it was out of envy that the religious leaders brought Jesus to him. Joseph was sold for 20 silver coins, Jesus was betrayed for 30 silver coins. Joseph suffered for a crime he didn’t commit. Jesus died for our sins, though he himself never sinned. Joseph was thrown into prison. Jesus descended into hell after his death. Joseph was miraculously released from prison. Jesus was miraculously raised from the dead. Joseph rose to be ruler over all Egypt, and Jesus ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God.

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Most importantly, just as Joseph was rejected by his brothers and ultimately became the means by which they were saved from famine, Jesus has been rejected by the Jews but will ultimately be the means by which they are saved from their sins. The stone the builders rejected has become the cheif cornerstone.

If you’re not looking, it is easy to miss these really significant details. But when you are looking for them, you begin to realize that the entire Old Testament points towards Jesus, a fact that the council that Stephen is standing before is not pleased about.

Acts 7:11–16 NLT

“But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food. Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some. The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors. Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.

Now just a point of interest. I know some of you have probably read Genesis 46 recently and noticed that it says that there were 70 in Jacob’s family, but Stephen says there were 75. So why the descrepency? This is what some would consider a contradiction.

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Alas, it is not a contradiction, simply a clerical note. In the Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament, it records that there are 70 members in Joseph’s family. When the Hebrew manuscripts were translated into Greek, the Greek translators elected to change the number to 75. The reason for that being that Joseph actually had 5 grandsons through Manasseh and Ephraim. The Hebrew didn’t include them in the numbering, the Greek did. When we get to the New Testament, many of the New Testament authors will quote the Greek Septugint, since many of them are writing to a Greek audience.

So in a way that only the Bible can, both numbers are true.

You can trust God’s promises

The whole thing with Joseph started with two dreams. The first one, Joseph basically told his brothers that one day they would bow down before him. The second one, he told his dad that he would also bow down before him. Then he couldn’t figure out why his brothers didn’t like him.

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But here is the important part. Joseph knew those dreams were from God, and even though he was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and then forgotten about in prison, he always knew God was him. Many years later, the dream came true, and the brothers were bowing before him.

Transition to Application

So, just so you know, Stephen just told the story of Genesis 12 to 50 in 15 verses. If you were put on the spot like he is, could you do that?

Main To Do

Way back in Acts 2, we looked at the fact that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. I asked back then, what would it look like to be devoted to the word of God? I believe Stephen is showing us why it is important.

Why it matters

So instead of relying on conventional wisdom, he is putting his faith completely into the word of God. Why wouldn’t he, Jesus said that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. That is another promise, one that Stephen is relying on.

Its not just knowing the word. It is putting your trust in it, trusting that the truth found in these pages will actually change your life. It is always these words to renew your mind, so that you can know the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

It being able to recall one verse that keeps your mouth shut and your ears open to what is happening around you.

Closing Line

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Church, it is time to know the truth.

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How can you prioritize knowing God's word in your daily life?

How can we encourage one another to engage more deeply with the Bible?

What are some specific promises of God that you find most comforting?

In what ways can the church today improve its understanding and application of scripture?

How does knowing the word of God influence your decision-making during difficult times?

What practical steps can you take this week to deepen your biblical knowledge?

How do you feel about your current level of biblical knowledge compared to where you want to be?

What resources or tools have you found helpful in studying the Bible?

How can your community group support each other in becoming more knowledgeable about the Bible?