Tell me more... Would you mind repeating that please?

Have you ever heard something that sounded so good and that it seemed to meet a need that you know you have.

It was something that prompted you to ask …

1. Can you say that again?

2. What was that?

3. Can you say that one more time, please?

4. I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.

5. Can you go over that once more?

Would you mind repeating that please?

Well this is one of those cases in today’s text for the Gentiles at Antioch in Pisidia… starting in Acts 13:42...

Acts 13:42-44

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

They wanted to get a better understanding of the word that Paul had preached on the prior Sabbath day.

They thought that they heard what Paul later clarified in his letter to the church at Ephesus…

Ephesians 2 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Paul’s sermon (the sermon in Acts 13:16-41 circulated in the city for a week…

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16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:

“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.

17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.

18 And for about forty years he put up with[b] them in the wilderness.

19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance.

20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.

24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.

27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.

29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

30 But God raised him from the dead,

31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.

32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,

33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,

“‘You are my Son,

today I have begotten you.’

34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,

“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,

37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.

38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

39 and by him everyone who believes is freed (Justified) from everything from which you could not be freed (Justified) by the law of Moses. ...

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Acts 13:45 “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.”

After carefully examining Paul’s message during the prior week many of the Jewish leaders concluded that Paul’s teaching regarding Jesus Christ was not in their best interest. They saw Christianity taking from them potential Gentile converts.

Paul preached… God’s grace through faith alone, for salvation. (Justification)

Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are (Jewish for example) or what we do (following the Jewish Law), but because of the work of Christ.

Our best efforts can never be good enough to earn salvation, but God declares us righteous for Christ's sake. We receive that grace through faith alone.

John 19 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Acts 1 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

When we are justified by Christ by faith in his finished work we must also witness first to the ones closest to us.

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

Prevenient grace is the grace of God that goes before salvation. It speaks of God's initiative in bringing men to a saving knowledge of himself. If a man seeks God, it is only because God has first sought him (Jn. 6:44)

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Despite the opposition a new local church was founded…

What did they hear that made them want to hear more?

Was it… ?

1. God loves you and has plan for your life. John 3:16

16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

2. (Tell me more) Sin will destroy you. Romans 6:1

1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

3. (Tell me more) Christ Jesus died to save you. Romans 10:8

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

4. (Tell me more) Repent and believe the Gospel. Luke 24:46-49

46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for[c] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

5. (Tell me more) Be Baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14-18

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.[b] 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

18 even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

6. (Tell me more) Abide in Christ and his body the Church.

(John 15:1-5)

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

7. (Tell me more) Go make disciples. (Matt 28:19-20)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

They heard and finally understand the favorable results of God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus and rejoiced…

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord,

Conclusion: This is what they heard when the message was repeated!

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils, and snares

I have already come

This grace that brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home

When we've been here ten thousand years

Bright, shining as the sun

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we first begun

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind but now I see