Paul's First Message | Justified Through Christ: Salvation to Those Who Believe
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 16 viewsAt the conclusion of Paul's first recorded message, he finds himself with mixed results, but a clear pattern of evangelism is formed.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction |
Paul, while concluding his message the crowd at the synagogue, taught a spiritual truth that was hard for them and us to wrap our minds around. He taught them of the central truth of the Gospel, justification.
39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
So, what is justification? Justification is the doctrine that God declares the believing sinner righteous (perfect) in Christ. Paul writes the following to the church at Corinth
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Whereas the law could not save them, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses, Christ could. This was a true message of hope to the Jew first and also to the Gentile in the audience. This is the same message of hope that we have before us today.
Focus Passage | Acts 13:42-52
Outline |
At the conclusion of Paul’s message, Paul and Barnabas leave with the majority of the people inviting them back to hear this wonderful news of grace. It was true soup for the their soul, the people repeatedly begged to have these things spoken to them the next Sabbath (Ac 13:42). As they left, Paul and Barnabas speak to the people and urge them to continue in the grace of God (Ac 13:43). Does this mean the people were saved? No. These people were not saved, but they were not far from it. They had been resting in the grace of the God of the Old Testament, they now needed to know the truth of the grace of that same God, the God of the New Testament, that was found in a personal relationship with Christ Jesus, And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by raising Jesus (Ac 13:32-33a).
As we see within our text, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel. Their preaching and our sharing will always bring about a response. However, that response will differ among those we share it to.
The gospel of Christ brings about different responses (vv. 44-45)
44 The next Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
Three responses to the gospel of Christ
Some will embrace the hope of the gospel - ‘…nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of the Lord...’
Some will reject the hope of the gospel
Some will fight the hope of the gospel - ‘…contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming...’
As we look at the text, the crowds that came to the synagogue (Church house) that next Sabbath, among those that genuinely came to hear this new news, this good news, there were some that rejected the gospel while others embraced it. Then there were those that while rejecting the good news of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, decided to fight against it, and were blaspheming. They wished to be injurious toward the reputation of Paul and Barnabas. They wished to defame them. This was not even an attack against the gospel or its message, as much as it was against the messenger(s). This how the enemy works. He wants to destroy the character and reputation of the one speaking. If the one speaking is in question, their message is questionable by default. This is why it is so important for Christians to be more than just Christ followers in word, but truly be does of the Word (Jam 1:23-25). Their ultimate problem with Paul and Barnabas was not their message but their popularity and influence over the people, but when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy (Ac 13:45a). Out of jealousy, these Jews began attacking the character, blaspheming, of Paul and Barnabas. Out of the jealousy these Jews began oppose, contradict, the truth being herald by Paul and Barnabas.
The enemy knows that he cannot win against the truth of the gospel. He cannot win against the hope of the gospel. However, he does his best to make you and I doubt the gospel. If he can accomplish this task, getting one to doubt, he has won. From the beginning he has tried to get God’s creation to doubt Him and His word. He wanted Eve to doubt God in the Garden of Eden, The serpent said to the woman, You certainly will not die (Gen 3:4 NASB). Within our text, he uses the same old hat tricks that he has used from the beginning. He tries to get the crowd to doubt Paul’s delivery on two sides: the validity of the message itself and the validity of the one delivering the message.
How do Paul and Barnabas respond? Do they cower down? fight back? tell them, take this? That would be the normal response. However, we see that Paul and Barnabas were wise in their response and choose to rely on the Spirit of God to do His work.
The Spirit of Christ gives confidence and direction (vv. 46-47)
46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have appointed you as a Light to the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”
The Spirit of Christ gave Paul and Barnabas confidence
We find as a testimony of Paul and Barnabas, that they spoke out boldly. That is, they spoke with confidence, frankness. Most, when being addressed by the masses or a loud voice of defiance find themselves backing down and if not backing down, at least quiet for the moment. However, Paul and Barnabas found a super natural confidence in this moment and the source of that confidence was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. As Paul told Timothy...
7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
The Spirit of Christ gave Paul and Barnabas a two-part message for the blasphemers
The attitude of the Jewish blasphemers cost them - ‘…Since you repudiate (i.e. ‘push off,’ ‘reject,’ ‘castaway’) it and consider yourselves unworthy (i.e. lack the merit for) of eternal life (i.e. justification in Christ)...’
The gospel was being extended to the Gentiles - ‘…behold, we are turning to the Gentiles...’
The Spirit of Christ was going to use the church to be what He originally intended for the Jewish people to be; light to a lost and dying world
Paul, within his closing message on the previous Sabbath had quoted the prophets Habbakuk and Isaiah, describing a work that was undeniable and not believed unless seen (Ac 13:41).
5 “Look among the nations! Watch! Be horrified! Be frightened speechless! For I am accomplishing a work in your days— You would not believe it even if you were told!
14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their men who have understanding will be concealed.”
During the time of Habbakuk the unbelievable work was that God was going to use the enemy of His people to judge His people. The unbelievable work that God was going to do during the time of Paul and Barnabas, was that He was going to use the Gentile nations to judge the Jewish people and cause them to come to salvation through their own jealous hearts.
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 if somehow I may move my own people to jealousy and save some of them.
As Paul and Barnabas speak boldly that day...
47 For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have appointed you as a Light to the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”
Receptive hearts and gospel proclaimed (vv. 48-52)
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Receptive hearts were prepared and received the gospel (v.48)
Acts (3) The Sermon’s Aftermath (13:42–52)
They were those who were “appointed for eternal life.” In this phrase we encounter the same balance between human volition and divine providence that is found throughout Acts. On their part these Gentiles took an active role in believing, in committing themselves to Christ; but it was in response to God’s Spirit moving in them, convicting them, appointing them for life. All salvation is ultimately only by the grace of God.
The gospel spread throughout (v. 49)
Opposition to the gospel continued (v. 50)
The Spirit and the gospel moved on (vv. 51-52)
Conclusion |
