Gospel Opportunities

I dunno if you guys remember where we’re up to in the story, so let me give you a quick catch up, like the first 30 seconds of a TV show episode to remind you what important things happened last time.

The Gospel is spreading! Jesus said :

Acts 1:8 ESV

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.”

And things are happening like Jesus said! The Gospel is going forth, people are hearing about Jesus and repenting, putting their faith in the Son of God.

So we’ve done Jerusalem - check.

We’ve done Samaria - check.

Ends of the earth? Not quite.

So Paul and his mates, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit had begun a missionary journey to take make some headway on getting the Gospel to the end of the Earth.

They’d set out from their home church in Antioch, and last week we heard about their time on the Island of Cyprus, where they’d capped of a preaching tour with the conversion of a Roman proconsul. Now our story picks up with them sailing to the mainland of what is now called Turkey.

b) Missionary Travel

So in the first section of our passage we see that they traveled through a a town called Perga, near the coast. While they were there a fellow who’d been travailing with them called John Mark decides he’s had enough and heads home. We’re not told why, we don’t know the circumstances. However, this event, which is kind of brushed over here, becomes a point of conflict between Paul & Barnabas latter on. Something about the way or the reason the John Mark leaves the missionary group leaves Paul with a bad taste in his mouth.

Regardless, those left push on and trek over the mountains to the town of Antioch. Now if you’re following along you might be thinking, hang on a sec, I thought Antioch was where they came from!

You’d be right! There are two Antioch’s in the region! The more well known one is where their home church is that sent them is from which is north of Damascus and Jerusalem to the east, and the place they’ve just arrived at in the region know as Galatia (hint: this is the area where Paul send his letter called Galatians!).

So they trek

So they trek the 160km or so to Pisidian Antioch. Their first port of call is the local synagogue. They are Jewish missionaries, with a message about the arrival of the Jewish messiah, so it’s a natural place to go!

Maybe these Jewish folks will be excited to hear about their long awaited Christ?

c) Missionary Opportunity

It’s kinda like going to Church on a Sunday morning, but instead of Sunday it’s a Saturday, and they only have the first part of the Bible.

Paul & company head in and sit down. There’s a couple Bible readings: one from the Torah (first 5 books) and one from the Prophets which could mean essentially anything else in the Old Testament.

But look at what happens: Paul is presented with an opportunity to share the Gospel, read from halfway through v14-16.

Acts 13:14–16 ESV

but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.

Acts 13:

This is a pretty standard church service with bible reading, prayers and preaching.

They probably saw that these were serious Jews, the may have heard the Paul had rabbinical training, and they probably didn’t get a lot of opportunity to have visiting preachers, so they say “if you have a message you’d like to share with us, please do!”

So Paul grabs this Gospel opportunity with both hands, takes to the pulpit and begins preaching a cracker of a sermon.

2. The Sermon

This second section, which makes up the majority of our text today is a summary of Paul preaching to the synagogue made up of Jews and people were on the road to becoming Jews. Now being a thoroughly Jewish congregation Paul preaches a sermon particularly aimed at Jews. If i was to get up and preach this same sermon at a Christmas carols event, or other public gathering, it would probably make no sense.

But for Paul’s hearers this sermon addresses their hopes and expectations but with an answer they weren’t expecting.

a) Sermon: Story of God’s Works

In the typical style we have seen with Peter & Stephen’s sermons earlier in Acts, Paul starts with a brief history of the people of God. He wants to set the stage for the arrival of Jesus by giving an overview of what has happened.

But, Paul doesn’t just say “This happened, then this happened and the this.” Instead, he set the history of God’s people as the the story of God’s work. Let’s read this opening part of Paul’s sermon together and keep your eyes peeled for what God does for his people:

Acts 13:17–25 ESV

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. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 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. 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.’ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 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.’

Acts 13:17-

Paul set his retelling of their History as the work of God. But it was all leading up to something. The story climaxes with David, the best king that Israel had ever known. This was a great King, a warrior king who was loved by God, a “a man after my heart, who will do all my will”.

That’s the kind of King you want, a king who is like God, want what God wants and who will discharge his office to bring God’s goodness and justice into reality under his reign.

Up to that point, David was the best King god’s people had ever had. And God promised David that his royal linage would never fail. God entered into a covenant with David saying:

2 Samuel 7:16 ESV

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

Yet that wasn’t the reality for God’s people, living in communities like this one in Pisidian Antioch, spread across the middle east and northern Africa. They were minorities in a foreign land, not living under an anointed king in a reign of blessing.

And Paul jumps from the high point

So Paul hints at their expectations, from their history: God gave them the promised land, and a great King, but now it’s all gone. And they’re waiting for restoration!

Then Paul drops that Good News bomb:

"Of [David’s] offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.”

And Paul jumps from the high point

Bam!

Jesus, is the promised one, from David’s linage, He is Savior.

Not only that, God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way! John was a mighty, well known prophet, but he was merely the opening act for the main event!

Having announced Jesus as the awaited “promised one,” brought be God to Israel, he proceeds to tell them some of the details about the Promised One, and the salvation that he brings:

Read it with me:

Acts 13:26–31 ESV

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 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. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 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. But God raised him from the dead, 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.

Acts 13:26-

Paul gives them the cliff notes of the life of Jesus, he gets straight to the point: Jesus was misunderstood, he was unjustly killed and he was raised from the dead.

The rulers in Jerusalem didn’t understand what Jesus had to say, because they didn’t understand what the prophets had said about him. If you don’t understand the prophecies about the coming Messiah, then you’re bound to miss him when he arrives, and that’s exactly what happened.

They didn’t know what they were looking for, and misdiagnosed Jesus as a blasphemer and troublemaker then killed him. Yet, in that very act of condemning Jesus to death, they were fulfilling the very Scriptures they failed to comprehend.

SO they killed Jesus. But this didn’t thwart God’s plan, God raised him from the Dead! He is the death conquering Promised One, who chilled out with his mates after the authorities had offed him.

Thins is the kind of Promised One you want: You can try and kill him if you like, but in three days he’s back again. Death is nothing for him.

I dunno about you guys but I’ve grown up playing video games where you always get another go. You try and take on the bad guys, and if you you get killed, you just get another turn, and another, and another until you win.

I’ve also watched soooooo many Tv show and movies where they kill off a character, and just when you least expect it! Pop! They’re back from the dead! Cause they either didn’t die, or there was some magic happenstance when they’re able to be brought back.

In reality, death doesn’t work like that. Dead is dead. Because we are removed from the reality of death, we don’t experience it so readily in our lives.

For most of us funerals are a rare occurrence.

When deaths do occur in our families, they’re usually out there in the hospital, or in the sanitized halls of aged care facilities.

Our media has taken the potency out of death.

But death is permanent. Death is nasty. Death is Boss that you and I can’t defeat, we don’t get to have a do-over and another go and another go. It stands as the unbeatable master who will one day get everyone.

It got my several of my grandparents through cancer. It got my grandmother through a stroke. Death claimed my unborn siblings. It took Laura’s Grandmother, uncles and aunt. Death snatched our friend and Rhonda’s husband Peter away. Death took Sarah P’s Grandmother. Death steals our friends through suicide. Death plucks our children from our arms. Death stalks us, ready to pounce.

There’s 1 chance at life. And if you run into any problems, well death doesn't care, he’ll take you “early”.

Friends, death is the ever present fate waiting for us, and the Jews of Antioch. Even more so for them because they don’t live in a world of antibiotics and workplace health’n’safety. Then Paul turns up and says , “hey, let me tell you about a guy who just comes back to life when you kill him”. Death can’t hold him. Death has no sway on him. The combined might of Jewish and Roman authorities cannot stop him.

Friends, death is the ever present fate waiting for us, and the Jews of Antioch. Then Paul turns up and says , hey, let me tell you about a guy who just comes back to life when you kill him. Death can’t hold him. Death has no sway on him. The combined might of Jewish and Roman authorities cannot stop him.

He is from the Living God. He is from the line of King David. He’s the guy the Scripture’s promised would come.

Paul says in v

b) Sermon: Assertions & Proofs

This Jesus has come as the fulfillment of God's promises. God made promises to the Fathers of Israel, and now, Paul says, God has given us the fulfillment of those promises.

Look av v32-33:

Acts 13:32–33 ESV

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

-33

Paul is an emissary of the good news. He is there in that synagogue on that day to bring the the great news that God’s promises are being fulfilled, even in their lifetime. How are the promises fulfilled? Through raising Jesus. This is the sign.

Paul the goes on to give a few examples, from the scripture about how Jesus was promised and fulfilled those promises.

Firstly he references , which refers to the messianic King. Jesus is descended from David, so he can lay claim to this passage as the Son of God, and Son of David.

Next, Paul references Isiah 55:3, where the the promised Davidic King is given God’s love and leader of God’s people.

Lastly he references the prophecy in that God would not let his anointed Holy One "see corruption”. Corruption has to do with dying, experiencing death, distance from God and possibly the decay of the body.

So the Psalm predicts that the promised one would not be left in the grave, or be divided from God in death. And Paul links this right to Jesus, to show how his Resurrection from death is the fulfillment of these verses. God’ didn’t abandon him to the grave, or leave him there, but instead rose Jesus from the dead.

And just in case you thought this verse was about David, Paul says nope!

Acts 13:36–37 ESV

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

Acst 13:36-37

David served God’s purposes, but he died. He’s gone to the grave. Not Jesus, he couldn’t stay dead!

c) Sermon: Conclusion & Challenges

So what doe this mean for Paul’s hearers? Why is this good news that Jesus rode from the dead?

It means that there is now forgiveness of sins. There is freedom, not only from death, but freedom from everything that the old Law failed to deliver.

Acts 13:38

Acts 13:38–39 ESV

Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

They lived under the burden of a system of Law that couldn’t fully deal with their problems. The Law from the Torah can’t deal with their deliberate sins. It is geographically confined to the temple in Jerusalem, hundreds of kilometers away. It is Law that requires continual sacrifice to make people clean in God’s eyes. It’s a Law that cannot change the heart.

But Paul says they can be free, free from Sin. Free from condemnation. Free from the Law’s limitations.

Imagine that! These people who have for hundreds of years tried to be justified, to be right in God's eyes, by following the heavy burdens of Law have just been told, “Jesus brings forgiveness of sins and right standing with God through believing in Him.” He provides freedom of the soul.

Paul hold out to these folks the opportunity for freedom through Jesus Christ.

This is Good News, this is Gospel!

Their long awaited anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah, has arrived, triumphing over death and bringing the forgiveness of sins!

And that forgiveness, that freedom, that burden-lifting is for you here today too!

Brothers and sisters, I don’t know what burdens you have some in here with this morning but I’m pretty sure your’re carrying something.

Perhaps, You’ve come here thinking that you’re not worthy, that what God offers is nice, but not for me, I’m too far gone.

Maybe you feel the crushing weight of your sin this week, that you just can’t seem to shake. You’ve been fighting it so long, and it just crushes you, grinds you week after week.

Maybe you feel the regret of things left undone: I should have been better, I should have spoken out, I should have made more of an effort...

Perhaps you are buckling under the burden of living a life pleasing to God, striving to do what God says at every turn and feeling like you fail him every second bend?

Perhaps you are thirsty, parched, as you wait for something, or someone to fulfill your deepest longings.

Perhaps you are buckling under the burden of living a life pleasing to God, striving to do what God says at every turn and feeling like you fail him every second bend?

Brother and sisters, Let it be known to you that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by any other method.

If you believe in him you will receive freedom, forgiveness and life. He will not magically take away your suffering, he will not always fix your problems, he won’t always give you want you think you want, but he will cleanse you of all your guilt, he will forgive you for your smallest and greatest sins. He will free you from enslavement to sin and burdens of Law.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

He will make you right and good in God’s eyes. He will give you resurrections life, so that even if you taste death, it will not be your permanent home.

But this Good News, this Gospel comes with a warning: Don’t take this lightly. Don’t dismiss it blindly.

It’s easy to raise objections “Show us God”, “prove it” “why doesn’t God show himself?”

He did already. Throughout History, and he had it recorded over thousands of years for our sake. He sent heaps of prophets and messengers, and he sent his only Son, witnessed in history and shared with you, even today by my mouth. I am telling you, in a long line of people who have shared this message, a message that doesn’t change: Repent and Believe in Jesus, Son of God for eternal life.

The Israelites, the Jews, had countless prophet’s come and tell them about their impending doom and they refused to listen. Paul references Habakkuk in his sermon, warning them to listen because the consequences are dire.

Israel Didn’t listen to Jeremiah, or Habakkuk. The only listened to what suited them. And it was their downfall!

It’s easy to say “if only someone had told us, we would have listened!” But what’s the reality? We never listen if we don’t want to. Even if someone came back from the dead to tell us this good news, we would find a way to dismiss it...

If you don’t listen to this message, it will be your downfall. It will be like walking around in a burning building while the fire alarm goes off. You can block out the warning alarm, but that’s not going to stop the building burning and the fire consuming you.

Jesus is a way out. He’s not merely the fire escape, but fire retardant. He cannot be destroyed, and when this world has been consumed by fire, it will be remade for his chosen people.

3. The Responses

a) We want to hear more

Let’s keep moving. We’re up to the third section of the passage, the responses to the Gospel.

So what happens next in our story?

We see three main responses to the Gospel. Paul has preached the good news and people respond in different ways, ways that are characteristic of Gospel responses throughout time. Let’s look at the text and see this different ways people react.

First, there is intrigue and an uncertainty. The people have a piqued curiosity, but they need to know more. Read v42

Acts 13:42 ESV

As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath.

So there are some who are interested, aren’t ready to make any moves yet. They’ll come back next week to hear more, and a lot of them bring friends too!

Then we see people who respond to the Gospel and accept the message,

Acts 13:43 ESV

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.

Acts 13:

These folks had heard enough to know that they needed this salvation. It was testified by witnesses, it was shown in the scriptures and they realized their own need. They became Christians, not turning away form Judaism, but rather turning to the fulfillment of Judaism: Jesus Christ.

b) We don’t want any of it, now get lost

But then there are those who reject the message. They get defensive, hostile and violent.

Acts 13:44–45 ESV

The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.

Acts 13:

The local religious leaders couldn’t stand the fact that people had come to hear these upstarts from out-of-town. They probably were already dubious about the message they heard, but now, they’re filled with jealousy. They’ve been servants of God in this community for years! They’ve worked hard to be faithful and to reach out to the community, to help people turn to God. It’s been hard labor! And now these fellows pop into town, and within one week they have the whole town clamoring to hear what Paul & Barnabas have to say.

I can empathize! Imagine if Steve & I have been faithfully teaching the bible over many years here and the church doesn’t see much growth, and then we get a visiting preacher in for a couple weeks who blows our socks off, seeing the congregation size double or triple in a matter of weeks, it will be hard for us to fight back the jealousy.

God uses people in different ways. God used those church leaders there in Pisidian Antioch to faithfully lead and teach those people, but they were a temporary placeholder, tiding them over till the full revelation of the Gospel. Their day was done, their need had passed as Judaism gave way to Christianity. They could either get on God’s side, as he built his Kingdom, or they could become bitter and jealous that they didn’t get to be part of starting the revival.

Their jealousy was more important that the saviour , than God’s promises, than God’s Son. They would rather have back their tiny kingdoms in their own image than accept the New Way in Christ.

c) We want to receive what God has sent

So Paul & Barnabas say “Ok, we gave you guys a chance. Your families were given the promises of God, it’s only right that you get first dibs on claiming them. But if you don’t want them, God has told us to take this message to the gentiles (Gentiles being anybody who isn’t Jewish):

Read it with me:

Acts 13:46–47 ESV

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. 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 13:46-

Those Jews thrust it aside; by rejecting it they said they weren’t interested in eternal life. But that’s ok because you know what? Paul’s making ground on taking the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth! This moment marks a distinct point in Paul’s missionary work where he turns to the Gentiles. Paul will always offer salvation to the Jews, but time and again they will prove to be resistant to the Gospel message, and yet there are hungry souls among the gentiles who will gladly receive it! Paul become the “Apostle to the Gentiles,” fulfilling the call that God had for him.

You know what? We’re making Ground on taking the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth! This moment marks a distinct point in Paul’s missionary work where he turns to the Gentiles. Paul

Look at the response in v 48-51. Again, there is some who gladly receive, and some who reject the message:

Acts 13:48–51 ESV

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. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 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. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.

Acts 13:48

The Response of Gospel proclamation is that people will believe, but some reject.

Expect persecution, misunderstanding and injustice.

God has chosen his people, and those whom he has enrolled in the rolls of Heaven will receive eternal life. God’s not standing in heaven going, “Aw man, Johnny’s not here, i wrote down his name, but he decided not to come.”

The gospel will be proclaimed to all who will believe, and when they see the beauty and wonder of Jesus through the message, they will willingly see the Lord’s salvation.

God’s Kingdom spreads, and he uses us in it, but he does the work, by his Word and Spirit.

But when we are rejected, shake off the dust and move on!

Jesus said

What now?

The Gospel message has come, of Jesus Christ, fulfillment of the Scriptures and Savior of all who will believe.

He Sets Free. He Brings Forgiveness. He Triumphs over death.

We expect that there will be differing responses to Gospel proclamation: Intrigue, Receive or Reject.

Which camp are you in?

Are you the one who receives the Gospel with Joy and the Holy Spirit?

Are you interested but uncertain? Come speak with us?

Are you rejecting the message? Counting yourself unworthy of eternal life?

Take the Gospel message out, proclaim it and see God Work through it.

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