Sermon Tone Analysis

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day

Intro

What does it mean to be the sent people to God?

For the first seven chapters, which we have been looking at, we only see the gospel in Jerusalem and Judea, but because of the execution of Stephen and then the persecution that ensued, the great body of Christians in Jerusalem were scattered.

As they went out, for the first time the church finally became a church in mission, which is what Jesus always wanted them to be.

The term mission, by the way, comes from the Latin word that means to be sent.

The word mission today is almost everywhere.

Everybody has a mission statement.

Every organization has a mission statement.

People create personal mission statements.

But I think in English, originally, the word mission really belonged to the Christian church.

So the question comes up …

What was the mission of the earliest church?

Keller, T. J. (2013).

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2012-2013.

New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

Organic Mission - Notice that it says everyone was scattered with the exception of the top clergy!

Everyone who were scattered were preaching the word!

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Acts

Opening Prayer

Message

What if something you think is true is not?

When would you want to know?

Would you want to know?

Context - Who Saul is and was at this point in our journey

Character study on Saul.

We are brought back to the persecution found in that we opened up with.

Saul is a member of the Pharisees (the ruling class of Jews)

Saul is from a respectable family, with full Roman citizenship within the Empire.

Zealot shows up in His zeal to Christian extermination

Zealot

a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

• (Zealot) historical a member of an ancient Jewish sect aiming at a world Jewish theocracy and resisting the Romans until ad 70.

Acts 9:

Divine Interaction with Jesus

There are two charistics that mix well with this understanding of Divine interaction

Bright light expressing the divine nature of God’s Glory shining all around.

and the Communally held understanding of God can be seen, so it is not surprising the effect that the light has on Saul, causing blindness.

“Who are you, Lord?” drives how an understanding that this was an interaction from above, but unsure who was speaking and why?

The Revalalation from Jesus himself was signifiagent

What was this so significant to Saul?

Saul never wanted to not please God, the realization that he was persecuting the very Divine he thought he was defending was more than he could bare.

Many stories have been told: Demanding punishment before the guilty party is determined.

Tell a story...

Acts 9:7-9

Just stunned unable to do anything...

no doubt still overcome by shock and probably by penitence as the enormity of his action increasingly dawned upon him

Everything he thought was true was false.

The truth literally had overcome him

Acts 9:10-

Clearly God had set Saul aside for a purpose.

What was this purpose?

Acts 9:17-

Ananias is faithful even though the ask does not make any sense.

Divine Healing

A new believer

Luke emphasizes how Paul was no sooner converted and called to be a witness to Jesus Christ than he began to fulfil his commission

Acts 9:20-

“At Once” - eutheos (at once, immediately, without delay)

A process of growth

“Yet Saul grew” - enedynamoo (strengthen, become stronger)

The is a process of moving from point A to point B. The point her is that the journey or more specifically the mission begins now!

EUTHEOS!!!

Acts 9:

Helping grow the Church

Application

The truth is worth investigating.

Before you dismiss Christ all together is it not worth you time to determine for yourself.

What does God’s pursuit of Saul mean for us and our understanding of God pursuing us?

When it comes to the mission of God, we learn a little about what it means to be actively engaged in His Missions.

The time table for serving and getting to know Jesus is immediate.

Gifting looks different, but service does not!