The Prospering Gospel (Acts 28:17-31)

The Prospering Gospel

you might have thought I said, “prosperity gospel”

which says Jesus wants to make you healthy and wealthy

it’s a prevalent “gospel” in America

that preaches that God wants believers to be:

physically healthy

materially wealthy

and personally happy

BUT when cancer, job loss, or accident, what does that mean?

not enough faith?

too much sin?

what about Paul at end of Acts?

not enough faith?

too much sin?

irony—no sin but in prison BECAUSE of his faith

prosperity gospel (interestingly enough is not so much about the gospel as it is about the individual)

when life is all about you, then your circumstances determine success

yet, how do you explain things when you are like Paul (in chains for nothing he did illegally)?

how does the prosperity gospel explain real life?

cancer? accident? tragedy?

what does God have to say about the prosperity gospel?

hint:

life is not about you

He has bigger plans than expanding your bank account

the universe does not revolve around you with God being your bellhop or servant

it is quite the reverse

let’s let the last chapter in Acts shape our understanding

on the gospel and prosperity

specifically the gospel prospering in your life

background

Paul’s voyage to Rome (27:1-28:16)

map

Paul finally made it to Rome

Pew Bible offer 1,114

28:17-22

defense and explanation (28:17-20)

local leaders

hope of Israel (Messianic hope)

no letter from Judea, but interested to hear (ἀκούω) more (28:21-22)

sect — everywhere it is spoken against

fork in the road—more like a Y (only 2 choices)

how would they respond?

hearing (audible noise) vs. listening (understand and act upon)

“hear” in OT = obedience

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

“That is, to hear God without putting into effect the command is not to hear him at all.” Eugene Merrill

consequences to hearing but not listening

teachers

erupting volcano science project due tomorrow for major grade

—grade

do it enough and the college you dreamed about won’t consider you

boss

presentation on shipping department’s cost analysis due tomorrow

—job

unemployment line with family wondering how gonna pay house note

God of the universe

get off the throne of your heart and let Jesus rule

—eternal separation

wish forever that you would have taken Jesus seriously

do you seek to hear the truth of the gospel? (28:17-22)

seek the light or hide in the darkness

applying to life today

OR know truth but stick head in sand

duplicitous life

lie: you will be giving up so much “fun” to surrender to Jesus

freedom comes in submitting to Christ

28:23-24

expounded

“to explain something, presumably by putting forward additional or different information—‘to explain, to make clear.’ ” LN

testifying

trying to convince — persuade

about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets

hearing is listening is responding

some were convinced — persuaded

others disbelieved — refuse to believe—BDAG

do you respond to the truth of the gospel? (28:23-24)

initial response

and keep responding to the truth (ongoing aspect for all followers of Jesus)

let HS continue to penetrate closets of your life (spring/spiritual cleaning)

Communion

baptism can never be only indicator for salvation

I know I’m alive not because I have a birth certificate, but because I’m breathing

2 Corinthians 13:5

28:25-28

some individual Jews believed

but as a whole Jews have rejected Jesus

mostly because they expected Jesus’ 1st coming to be like His 2nd coming

hearing but not listening evidenced by not acting

5 times ἀκούω

Jews wanted to hear but didn’t really listen

because Biblical hearing = responding

Isaiah 6

hearing the message but not acting on it is the same as not hearing

the Gentiles would hear/listen (meaning they would believe with responsive hearts)

have you considered the high price for rejecting the truth of the gospel? (28:25-28)

Acts 17

you cannot declare ignorance

now high handed sin

eternal consequences

thrice holy God

only right to pay for your sins forever

trust Christ while there is time

28:30-31

Dr. Luke doesn’t end with “and they lived happily ever after”

he doesn’t end with Paul or Peter, but with the real hero — the gospel

the gospel has triumphed, not Paul

the gospel is prospering, but Paul is still a prisoner

“Again and again the apostles and Paul are depicted in extreme circumstances—in prison, under sentence of death, stoned by angry mobs. Always they were delivered, never for who they were but always for what they proclaimed. It was not the apostles who triumphed in Acts—it was the gospel that triumphed. Stephen is the prime example. He gave his life for that witness. But out of the tragedy of his death, the gospel triumphed—spread to Samaria, and all Judea, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. There is a triumphalism in Acts, but it is not a human triumphalism. It is a God-triumphalism, a triumph of his word in Christ. Nowhere is this clearer than in the shipwreck narrative. Paul was delivered, but he was delivered to bear witness. He was still a prisoner in chains when he bore his witness in Rome. The book closes with his bold, unrestricted proclamation in the capital city. The gospel had reached its ultimate destination as set forth in Jesus’ commission to the apostles (1:8). It had reached the “ends of the earth.” It had triumphed. But Paul remained under arrest.” John Polhill

having trusted the gospel, what are you doing with it? (28:30-31)

the gospel is not something to receive

then put in a drawer

are you building your life around the gospel?

not Sunday morning only

and go about your life as if the gospel did not exist rest of week

Luke 6:46-49

growing disciple

in the Word

in prayer

in obedience (putting on Christ and putting sin to death)

are you sharing the gospel?

no matter the consequences

“His ministry was authenticated by his sufferings. Nothing proves the sincerity of our beliefs like our willingness to suffer for them.” Stott

did you share the gospel with someone this week?

will you this week?

EMPOWERED

28:31

with all boldness

candid (with no concealment of truth)

clear (with no obscurity of expression)

confident (no fear of consequences)

without hindrance

though Paul was still bound

his mouth was open for Jesus Christ

though Paul was chained

the gospel was not

that is the prospering gospel

you have same HS despite your circumstances

when life is all about God’s glory and not your happiness,

success is defined differently

not about how healthy and wealthy you are

but about the gospel of Jesus thriving no matter the cost

Acts 20:22-24

is the gospel prospering in your heart no matter your circumstances?

is the gospel prospering as a result of your witness?

present Susan Naron (Nair-en)