Are You Proclaiming Jesus? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Be willing to face adversity, seize opportunities, establish common ground, speak to the common need, and testify of His truth and grace.
SCRIPTURE: Acts 13:13-41
Last time we were together, we talked about how living your life deliberately pointing people to Jesus is a vital and serious part of the Christian life. Today is what we commonly refer to as Palm Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem, before He was crucified, being praised as the Messiah, the Savior of the World. In our study of the book of Acts this morning, we’re coming to the first recorded sermon from the apostle Paul, where he proclaims Jesus in the same way. So, last time we talked about how important it is that we share the gospel. This morning, we’re going to look a little bit at how we do that, and what we’re sharing.
This passage is fairly lengthy, so we’re going to move through it together again rather than read it all in one chunk. Before we do so, however, let’s pray and then consider our equally lengthy gist statement☺️.
Here’s the gist. What does this proclaiming of Jesus look like? Well, in part it means we need to be willing to face adversity, seize opportunities, establish common ground, speak to the common need, and testify of His truth and grace. Now, let’s break that down as it’s established in our text. First, we need to→
I. Be Willing To Face Adversity & Seize Opportunities (13-15)
Let’s read 13-15, “13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 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. 15 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.”
This is a sort of introductory passage for the sermon Paul is about to preach. However, it gives us the context under which the sermon was delivered, and I really think it also provides some context for our proclaiming of Jesus, as well. First, we need to→
Be Willing to Face Adversity. Where I’m getting this from might not be immediately apparent. At least, it wasn’t to me until I started studying this passage. But what we’re given as a summary statement of their travels, actually marked a fairly treacherous journey. To get from Paphos to Perga and then over to Antioch of Pisidia (This is one of 16 Antiochs, by the way! Not to get confusing☺️.) was an incredibly dangerous route. It required going through dangerous mountains, and swampy, flood-prone areas. Not to mention, it was inhabited by robbers*. It’s speculated that Paul might have even contracted malaria on this journey. Either way, most scholars agree that 2 Corinthians 11:26 where he references these kinds of dangers was written largely in reference to this stretch of travel!
To add insult to injury, Paul and Barnabas also experience abandonment, as John Mark decides to leave them. We’re not given a reason for this departure, though many have been proposed. What we can say with confidence though is that this had to have been a fairly tense situation as it led to Paul and Barnabas’ separation later when they couldn’t agree on whether or not to take John Mark on their next journey.
This wasn’t a stress free trip. They faced adversity. If we’re serious about sharing the Gospel, we need to be willing to face hardships, as well. We also need to→
Be Willing To Seize Opportunities. We’ve talked about this before, so I’ll just recap here. They went into town looking to share the Gospel. Because this was their purpose, they sought opportunities that gave them an opening. Synagogues provided this because traveling teachers were customarily asked to share in this setting. Our world is not the same, but if we’re serious about sharing Jesus, we’ll also be serious about looking for and seizing chances to do that. This might sound super vague, but the reality is if you’re looking for chances to tell people about Jesus, you’ll find them. If you’re not, you won’t.
So, we see we should be willing to face adversity and seize opportunities. Then, Paul starts to preach, and we’re given some insights into how we should actually be sharing this good news. And the first thing I want to note is that his sermon points to our need to→
II. Be Willing To Establish Common Ground & Speak To The Common Need (16-23)
Look at 16-23, “16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand [to get their attention] said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, [Jews and interested Gentiles] listen. 17 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. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 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. 22 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.'[This would be a separate sermon for a separate day, but just take a second to note what made David a man after God’s heart. He listened! Now, up until this point, they would have been tracking right along. This is what they’re used to hearing--messages that revisit their rich and blessed history, and reminders that it was God who had done these wonderful deeds amongst them. Notice how often he points them to God’s activity! After laying this out, he cuts to the chase and gives this transition they probably didn’t see coming.→ ] 23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.” (emphases added)
I want to make two observations here. First, from this sermon and the others recorded in scripture, we see that we should→
Be Willing To Establish Common Ground. Paul knows his audience. He’s speaking to a group of Jews and Gentiles who had come to worship with them. He knows how important their history is to them, and rightfully so! Therefore, he starts by using this history to point to Jesus. In essence, he says ‘everything in our history was pointing to this! We were made great. We weren’t great in ourselves!’ He’ll later reference several passages from the Old Testament, which they held dear, that also pointed to the truth of who Jesus is and why He came.
We have to remember this. When we share the Gospel, we’re speaking to real people who need Jesus. They’re not notches for our spiritual belts. We aren’t going out just to make converts to our way of thinking. We’re going out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing (Psalm 126:6) because these real people who have real minds and real dreams and real passions are really dying and going to Hell. If we don’t care enough to talk to them and not at them, we’re not sharing the gospel for the right reasons.
We also see here that we need to→
Be Willing To Speak To The Common Need. While there is always the danger of skipping this first point and not actually caring enough about people to meet them where they are, there is an equally dangerous tendency to just stop there. We talked about this at length last time, but just being good, friendly people is never enough. People need Jesus--all people, everywhere. So regardless of their starting point, this is their ultimate need. We have to talk to them about this!
That’s what Paul does here. He tells them Jesus fulfills their desires for a Savior. The savior they were looking for is the Jesus they needed! God started a work in them and rescued them because they needed rescued, again and again. Still, they wanted more rescuing...and needed more rescuing. Even David though, who was called a man after God’s own heart, was not the Savior they needed. He was a faithful, but deeply flawed follower. The Savior they needed was Jesus!
He’s also the One we need! If we’re honest with ourselves, we’re all naturally looking for someone to fix everything that is wrong with our lives. We might look different places for this. We might look to politics, or activism, or family. Many of us are probably looking to ourselves to just get it all together. BUT, the fact of the matter is this: the savior we’re looking for is the Jesus we need! When we share the Gospel, telling people about Jesus is the crux of what we should be doing. He’s the One who saves!
After establishing this, we next are given an example of how we should→
III. Be Willing To Testify Of His Truth & Grace (24-41)
Let’s start by looking at this need to→
Be Willing To Testify Of His Truth (24-36). “24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 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.' [Paul talks here about the ministry of John the baptist. This was a “forerunner ministry” which the Old Testament talked about. When John was baptizing people, he made it very clear he was not the one that could save them. He was just a messenger. Paul is doing the same thing here. When we go out sharing Jesus, our attitudes should be the same. We don’t go out to save that which is lost. We go out telling people about the One who can actually do that! That’s how he continues→] 26 "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 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. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 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. [Everything the Old Testament had predicted about the suffering Savior was fulfilled in Jesus, and those who should have known better were unwittingly used in this fulfilling.] 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 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. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 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.' 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, "'You will not let your Holy One see corruption.' 36 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, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. [Here, he’s using scriptures they would have recognized to point to Jesus’ divinity and resurrected and eternal life as well as the kind of life we can have in Him!]” (emphases added)
So, in this passage, he uses prophecy fulfillment and references to eye-witnesses to point to the reality of Jesus. In essence, he’s saying, “God said this would happen, and it did!” When we share Jesus, we can’t share Him as a philosophy which may or may not have a lasting impact, but as the real Savior who was really God in human flesh and really came and really died and really rose again to save the souls of all who would believe in Him and give Him control of their lives! He’s not a philosophy; He’s a real Savior who really saves! We should be willing to point to this truth, and we should also eagerly→
Be Willing To Testify Of His Grace (38-39) Grace is all over this passage, but let’s just look at 38-39, “38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” This is not our due. It’s our need, and it’s His grace! Everyone reading these words needs grace, and Jesus came to free you from yourself and the sins you could not escape by any other means! This should be our message!
Then, in closing, let’s→
Listen To This Final Admonition (40-41) “40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 "'Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.'” What’s he saying? Don’t miss this!
And that’s a picture of what our proclaiming of Jesus should be like.
TAKEAWAY
Since our points were kind of “takeaways” in themselves this morning, I just want us to conclude by asking ourselves this long, multilayered question.
1. Am I willing to face adversity, seize opportunities, establish common ground, speak to the common need, and testify of His truth and grace? Does this define who I am? Am I prepared and willing to do this today?
(*Note: As an interesting aside, Antioch of Pisidia later becomes the seat of Roman efforts against Mt. Robbers.)
What Kinds of Reactions Should We Expect When Sharing The Gospel? (PM Lesson Outline)
(Note: This is only an outline.)
GIST: Reactions will vary, but we should rejoice in the privilege to be both bearers of and partakers in the good news!
SCRIPTURE: Acts 13:42-52
Tonight, I just want to walk through the reactions we see to the Gospel being spread and talk through the implications these have for our lives (which should be spent sharing the gospel).
Excitement→ “42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 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. 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.”
-Source: Jesus and His Word
-Response: Continue in Grace. Keep living for Him and following His direction and guidance. (Oh, how we need to remember this as we take every step!)
Resentment→ “45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.”
-Source: Jealousy (Don’t let this be true of us when we see God moving in the lives of others!)
-Reaction: Arguments and Insults (This is not productive dialogue.)
Varied Opportunities→ “46 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. 47 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.'"”
-Source: God’s Direction & Purpose.
-Points: If a door is closed, don’t take that as a sign to stop sharing the Gospel. Go to everyone, but don’t limit your scope by only going where you’re expected.
Salvations→ “48 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. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.”
-Source: God’s Amazing Grace.
-Point?: Appointed and Believed. God’s grace and sovereignty paired with human responsibility.
Persecutions→ “50 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. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.”
-Source: God’s Movement
Reactions: Anger/Fear from the Persecutors and Continued Serving from His People (Shaking the dust off your feet was symbolically stating “you’re unclean”. This was used to point to their continued need of the Savior they had rejected.)
Joy→ “52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."”
-Product: Joy
-Source: The Holy Spirit!
TAKEAWAY
Like this morning, I want to let our gist be our takeaway this evening.
1. Reactions will vary, but we should rejoice in the privilege to be both bearers of and partakers in the good news!
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