Study in the Acts of the Apostles

Study in the Acts of the Apostles Presentation 27

Apostolic Preaching Chapter 13v13-41 Presentation 27

Introduction The scriptures don't conceal the failings of the servants of God. We read in v13 that John Mark the travelling companion of Paul and Barnabas had had enough of missionary service and he decided to return home. We are not told why. Perhaps the glamour of mission had evaporated and the harsh realities and discomforts of the work had begun to take their toll. John had put his hand to the plough and turned back. Presentation 27

Introduction What a disappointment to Paul in particular- this becomes clear in 15v8 when he refused to take John Mark with him on his next journey. Clearly the expansion of the early church was not without its problems. There are those today, who when faced with discouragement in Christian work say, “If only we belonged to the church of the C1st”. But the C1st church had its share of problems. And what we really need to learn is that despite these failures and discouragements God worked. We need to encourage our hearts by reminding ourselves that God is bigger than our greatest disappointments! Presentation 27

Paul’s Mandate Picture Paul and Barnabas with sore and heavy hearts making their way from Perga 100 miles up into the mountains to the town of Pisidian Antioch the provincial capital for the province of Southern Galatia. The band of three now reduced to two. Their arrival in the synagogue that first Sabbath caused a stir. These strangers were far travelled and visitors were often involved in the worship services. No sooner were Paul and Barnabas seated before they were asked "brothers if you have any message of encouragement for the people please speak“ v15. What a golden opportunity to address a large congregation. Presentation 27

Paul’s Mandate Paul could have thought, “I’m too discouraged, in the light of John Mark’s defection and as result I don’t feel like preaching?” It is easy to allow personal discouragements and disappointments to distract us from the work God has given us to do. Many of us get angry with God for allowing us to become the victim of circumstances. Had Paul done so because of the loss of John Mark and wallowed in self-pity, he would have been in no fit state to seize this opportunity for service which clearly God had given him. Presentation 27

Paul’s Mandate On one occasion, Elijah the great O.T. prophet,became so distressed by his circumstances, and was so consumed with self-pity that he ran into the desert and just wanted to curl up and die. He’d torn up the mandate God had given him for mission. He ran all the way to Horeband hid himself in a cave. And as he was drowning in a sea of self pity, God drew near and asked the question, "What are you doing here Elijah?"1Kings 19v11. In other words, “Why have you contracted out of service and allowed personal discouragement to distract you from your task?” There were many opportunities for service passing Elijah by. Presentation 27

Paul’s Mandate Have you contracted out of involvement in the life and mission of the church because of some discouragement and disappointment. Is God whispering, “What are you doing here …….? Why have you allowed yourself to be distracted from serving me?” Paul, despite his soreness of heart, had not let go of his mandate for mission. He seized every opportunity. Did the events surrounding these verses caused Paul to write to the Colossian church, “Make the most of every opportunity” Col. 4.5? Are we able to grasp the opportunities for service that God brings our way or are we Christian cave-dwellers? Presentation 27

Paul's Method What method did Paul use to communicate the gospel. In v16-38 he seems to be giving his hearers a history lesson covering a period of 1400 years! But it was much more than a history lesson. Paul is answering a question of fundamental importance. What was the reason for Israel's existence? Why did God graciously choose Israel out of all the nations of the world? Was it because he’d no concern for other peoples? Is God guilty of unjust favouritism? Paul’s answer is that Israel were the custodians of God’s promises of salvation and through this people the Saviour of the world would come. This is the history of a God who makes and keeps his promises. Presentation 27

Paul's Method Paul makes it clear that his good news is that God had fulfilled in Jesus, the historical promises found in the O.T. Incidentally, this challenges the present day attitude of some who say, "I'm not really interested in the O.T. its of little relevance to Christianity. The teaching of Jesus and the apostles is sufficient for me".Paul demolishes that argument. He makes it clear that Jesus is the fulfilment of all of the O.T. One of the reasons we study the Bible and not just the N.T. is because the New cannot be understood without the Old. Presentation 27

Paul's Method To those seated in the synagogue with a rich heritage and religious tradition Paul drives home their undeniable privilege, "to YOU has the word of this salvation been sent"v26. Jesus, the Saviour of men, is the fulfilment of O.T. promises. The message of salvation has as its focus his death and resurrection and requires a personal response. The gospel communicates God’s gracious provision to man is his desperate spiritual need. Whenever a person hears the gospel these two great realities are brought together. God’s gracious provision, a Saviour - and man’s desperate need, his sinfulness. The meeting of these two realities always produces a response. We either see our spiritual need and welcome God’s provision or, like the rulers of Jerusalem, we refuse to recognise our need and God’s provision for that need v27. cf. Jn 1.12. Presentation 27

Paul's Message What specifically is the nature of God’s provision? Examine the substance of Paul’s teaching, and you will find that he concentrates on the death and resurrection of Jesus. He does not focus on Jesus’ teaching or his miracles. He preaches ‘Christ crucified and risen’. Why? Because the cross lies at the very heart of the gospel. Without it there could be no forgiveness of sins cf. v38. And God’s forgiveness is man’s MOST basic need. Presentation 27

Paul's Message Paul wasn't preaching this sermon in either the local prison, or, in the moral sewer of society. Many think themselves to be basically good and that sinners are the people that rape young girls or murder old women! Paul was preaching to church men and women who despite all their religion, were still in need of forgiveness. This most basic of needs is one thing man cannot produce. In pursuit of forgiveness some lacerate their backs with whips, others are involved in a legion of good causes. They give of their time, energy and money in their pursuit of forgiveness but all in vain. Nothing a man can do can ever erase the sin separates him from God. Presentation 27

Paul's Message It is into this black prison of human hopelessness that Paul shone the light of the gospel declaring that Jesus by his substitutionary death had secured the forgiveness of sins for all who would place their trust in him. I’m not surprised that the congregation wanted to hear more of this message. As they left synagogue that day and shook the preacher’s hand, they didn’t comment on the weather outside, or the decoration inside, they said, ‘You’ll speak about this again, we want to hear more.’ Presentation 27

Paul's Message John Donne wrote these words: God promises to forgive sins. “Does that mean all my sins? He knows what original sin is and I do not; and he will forgive me sin in that root and sin in the branches too. He knows my secret sins and I do not; will he forgive my manifest sins and those too? He knows my relapses into sins repented of; and will he forgive my faint relapses and my rebellious relapses after them? Will his mercy dive into my heart and forgive my sinful thoughts there, and shed itself upon my lips and forgive my blasphemous words there and bathe the members of my body and forgive my unclean actions there? Will he forgive that dim sight which I have of sins now, when sins scarce appear to be sins to me; and will he forgive that over quick sight when I shall see my sins through Satan's magnifying glass of desperation when I shall see them greater than his mercy?” Presentation 27

Paul's Message Donne outlines some of the questions that haunt men many men and women! We need to learn to do what Paul does here. He points to the cross and says ‘There is the measure of God’s forgiveness. There is the evidence that God cares about us more than about our sins.’ Through the years gospel preachers have stressed, “Forgiveness may be yours now. It is not given to those who are good. It is not given to any because they are less wicked than others. It is given only to those who, knowing that their sins have brought a curse on them which they cannot remove, look unto Jesus as bearing all away.” Presentation 27

Paul's Message Paul also mentions justification,"Through Christ everyone who believes is justified” v39.Justification is one of the most wonderful words in the N.T. It is a courtroom term. In court a man is justified when he is acquitted of the charges brought against him. The judge declares and treats the accused as righteous. What then is the Paul saying? In Christ, God offers more than forgiveness but will treat us as though we are righteous. Jesus’ death has established a new relationship with God for the believer whom God begins to look at him in a different light. He sees him wearing the righteousness of Christ. The justified man can approach God with confident faith. “A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing, Nor fear with Thy righteousness on, My person and offering to bring”. Presentation 27

Paul's Message Paul tells his hearers that Christ's death has established a relationship with God which the law of Moses couldn't establish. Many people misunderstand the purpose of the law, supposing they can get right with God by keeping it. They say, "I live a good life, I don't do anybody any harm, I attempt to keep the commandments." But God never intended the law to be the means through which we gain salvation. Its purpose was to show man he'd fallen short of God's standard, "by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 7v Clearly law-keeping is not the means of securing our forgiveness and acceptance with God. That can only be secured through faith in Christ alone. The gospel is as simple and profound as that! Presentation 27

Conclusion This is a glorious gospel. You might expect to find men and women falling over themselves to make it their own. But human pride and self-centredness does not easily bring itself to receive God’s grace gift. It finds the idea of something for nothing repugnant. ‘Let it be earned. Let it be deserved and merited. But not received by empty hands.’ Paul knew how human nature worked. And so he reminds his hearers that the O.T. prophets predicted that the gospel would be rejected by the very people most prepared to receive it - the Jews! cf. v41 Presentation 27

Conclusion There is a warning here for those who gather for worship week after week. We can be surrounded by a Christian heritage, Christian families, Christian friends and not benefit from the gospel, if we find it hard to stoop low and with open hands receive what we can never earn or deserve - the forgiveness and acceptance of God. Let me appeal to you as tenderly as I am able, do not despise and reject the grace of God as many have done down the centuries. Allow God to remove the burden of your guilt and draw you into a new relationship with himself. Presentation 27

Study in the Acts of the Apostles