Sermon Tone Analysis

Gospel Motivations for Gospel Proclamation

Interrogative:

Question: What happens when flawed (15:36-41), mission-focused (16:6-10), Spirit-led (16:6-10) believers prioritize the mission and proclaim the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus?

As flawed, mission-focused, Spirit-led believers proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ, God powerfully works to disturb the graceless power of false religion (16:11-15).

As flawed, mission-focused, Spirit-led believers proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ, God powerfully works to disrupt the possessive power of the god of this world, Satan (16:16-18).

The power of God through the proclaimed gospel disturbs the unfulfilling power of idolatry (16:19)

The power of God through the proclaimed gospel disturbs the unstable power of civil authorities (16:20-24).

The power of God through the proclaimed gospel disturbs the inherent power of self pity and self-preservation (16:25-29).

The power of God through the proclaimed gospel disturbs the destructive power of a hopeless heart (16:30-34).

The power of God through the proclaimed gospel disturbs the cultural (or compelling) power of status rights (16:1-5, 20-24, 35-40).

Timothy had the right to not be circumcised as a believing Jew of mixed parentage, but he refused to exploit this status for personal comfort.

He strategically gave up the self-centered use of this right of status for the greater spread of the gospel (16:1-5).

Paul & Silas had cultural rights to better treatment as Roman citizens, but refused to exploit this status to avoid suffering for the sake of the gospel, and thus strengthened younger believers for the suffering they would experience.

They strategically gave up the self-centered use of this right of status for the spread of the gospel (16:20-25).

, , ,

Paul & Silas after suffering, chose to leverage their status as citizens and “employed [their] rights for the good of others” (Unger, 159) (16:35-40).

When it promoted the mission and the people to whom he ministered, Paul leveraged his status for the sake fo the gospel.

They strategically employed the others-focused use of this right of status for the spread of the gospel (16:20-25), and God vindicated them.

, ,

Jesus Christ himself refused to leverage his status as the Son of God to his own advantage, but took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

He becomes an example of others-focused use or disuse of rights of status for the sake of the glory of God (), and God vindicated him.

Answer developed inductively: The power of God disturbs the powers that be when flawed, mission-focused, Spirit-led believers prioritize the mission and proclaim the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus.

Answer developed inductively: The Power of God disturbs the powers that be when flawed, Spirit-led believers prioritize the mission and proclaim the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus.

Application:

Proclaim the gospel, which is the power of God unto Salvation...

…led by the Spirit...

…leveraging your rights for the sake of the mission...

…expecting opposition...

…refusing to cave to the powers of self-pity and self-preservation...

…waiting for God’s vindication of his gospel proclaimers.

Sermon

Introduction:

Auto Repair Evangelism: Our car’s air conditioner recently failed, but that wasn’t the biggest or most recent failure of the week.

I was at the repair shop twice this week, with the same two gentlemen helping me behind the counter that I have interacted with multiple times in the past.

At other occasions I had gotten to share the gospel with each of them in summary.

On these particular occasions, twice in one week mind you, I was self-absorbed and task oriented.

How I was feeling and what I had to get done was a greater priority in my mind then the two souls in front of me.

When the clear moment came, and the Holy Spirit opened a brief door, I stumbled, stuttered, spoke briefly, and just like that, the opportunity was gone.

I walked out of the garage mentally kicking myself.

Ever feel like a failure in your gospel witness?

I am sure many of us do.

And it isn’t ignorance of that task that is keeping us from gospel witness, is it?

Our Lord’s marching orders could not be more clear as to our responsibilities:

Matthew 28:18

We might fail at gospel proclamation because we lack proper motivation; or perhaps proper perspective; or we have distorted priorities; or we we are fearful of the outcome; or we just don’t think it will do anyone any good in a particular instance; or maybe we recognized our weakness and failures and think: God can’t use me.

Matt 28:16-20

We might fail at gospel proclamation because we lack proper motivation; or perhaps proper perspective; or we have distorted priorities; or we we are fearful of the outcome; or we just don’t think it will do anyone any good in a particular instance; or maybe we recognized our weakness and failures and think: God can’t use me.

Sometimes we fail at gospel proclamation because we lack proper perspective: what truly matters in life.

Other times we fail at gospel proclamation because we have distorted priorities: what is most important in this moment.

Other times we fail at gospel proclamation because we are fearful of the outcome: will we be shamed or embarrassed.

Other times we fail at gospel proclamation because we just don’t think it will do any good in a particular instance: this person would never want to hear.

Would you turn with me to ?

This morning, I would like us to follow the steps of several men that you and I can identify with.

You may have heard of at least one of them before.

He used to be a religious terrorist, destroying lives and decimating families for a false system of religion; blasphemer of the one true God, a persecutor of the true followers of God, and insolent opponent to God himself (, ).

But that was Saul.

His name is now Paul.

He has been converted by the power of the gospel of the Risen Christ, the very One whose followers he used to persecute.

But he is still a flawed man.

One of the beauties of Scripture is how God allows us to see the ones we typically describe as “heroes” covered in warts and weaknesses.

We see the Patriarchs waffle back and forth from fear to faith.

We shake our heads as David commits adultery and murder.

We sigh as Solomon accumulates wives.

We groan as Peter, cursing, rejects ever even knowing Christ.

But he is still a flawed man.

One of the beauties of Scripture is how God allows us to see the ones we typically describe as “heroes” covered in warts and weaknesses.

We see the Patriarchs waffle back and forth from fear to faith.

We shake our heads as David commits adultery and murder.

We sigh as Solomon accumulates wives.

We groan as Peter, cursing, rejects ever knowing Christ.

blasphemer, zpersecutor, and insolent opponent (, Acts 8:3).

If you look at the paragraph right before , you will see Paul with some warts.

He is, after all, a flawed human being.

While we sometimes think we couldn’t identify with Paul, indeed, we can.

describes the wartiness of two men, Paul and Barnabas.

Two missionary giants, back from a victory at the Jerusalem council for the truth of justification by grace through faith alone apart from the works of the law, these two men prepare to return to missionary work from Antioch.

And they have a falling out.

Barnabas wants to take his cousin John Mark.

Paul can’t fathom why they would take a man who had previously deserted them.

Scripture doesn’t tell us who was right and who was wrong.

We won’t try to lay blame this morning either.

But what we do see is warty, flawed men.

Men whose flaws create a schism so sharp and deep, that they part ways.

But after parting, they both return to the mission: Barnabas takes Mark and heads to Cyprus ().

Paul takes Silas and they head to Syria and Cilicia ().

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Paul is undoubtedly a flawed man ().

But notice also...

that Paul is a man focused on the mission ().

Verse 41 ends with the phrase that Paul and Silas were “strengthening the churches” of Syria and Cilicia.

Verse 5 echos this thought as the churches in Derbe and Lystra and Iconium “were strengthened in the faith”.

And couched between these two phrases is a little note about a third edition to the team: Timothy.

Now Timothy was considered a “half-breed”.

His mother was Jewish but his Father was Greek ().

This means Timothy would not have the distinctive characteristic that set Jews off from all those around them, as a reminder of the covenant God made with Abraham.

That distinctive characteristic was circumsicion.

At this point, we must be aware that Paul’s modus operandi upon entering a town or village was to find where the Jews of that area gathered, typically a synagogue; Christianity at this point was still viewed by many as a sect, a part of Judaism, rather than something altogether different.

The fact that Timothy was “well-spoken of” and a godly young man would mean nothing to Jews who knew he had a Greek father.

They would assume he was uncircumcised, and Timothy’s effectiveness in the mission would be compromised.

So for the sake of the gospel, Paul has Timothy circumcised, and Timothy willingly submits.

Paul, Timothy, and Silas are flawed men, yes, but they are also men who are radically mission-focused.

But notice that contained in the next paragraph, there is a recurring theme.