Marks Of The Messenger (Part 2) Series

Marks Of The Messenger Part 2

Acts 14:1-28

This week I watched an interview of a mom who's son was one of the servicemen who was killed in the tragic shooting here in our home town. She experienced what no serviceman's family wants to experience: the arrival of a death notification officer on her front door to deliver the devastating news of her son's death.

Like me, you've probably watched that scene reenacted in movies or TV shows as they portray what must be an emotionally traumatic experience. Out of curiosity I researched that process this week. As you might expect, in our US Military Manuals there is very specific protocol that must be followed when the death notification is delivered to next of kin. Everything from what kind of clothes are to be worn, what specific words are spoken, who accompanies the notifying officer to the front door step of the next of kin, who wait's in the car while the notification is given - all of it is clearly spelled out. Why are they so careful about HOW they deliver the news? Because of the gravity and weight of the news to be delivered, the WAY in which it is delivered is of great importance.

Such is the nature of the news the apostles were delivering in the passage before us today. Such is the nature of the news that we’ve been given to deliver. So it stands to reason, the WAY in which we deliver the news is of great importance.

This morning we return to Acts 14 to part 2 of a message I began last week I entitled "Marks of the Messenger." We're right in the middle of our series through the Book of Acts and here in chapter 14 we will see the conclusion of Paul's first missionary journey. This journey began back in Antioch of Syria when they set sail for the island of Cyprus. They preached from one end to the other of that 140 mile long island and then set sail across the sea to Pamphilia. From there they traveled by foot across treacherous terrain to Antioch of Pisidia. It was in Antioch of Pisidia in Chapter 13 of Acts that we have the first recorded sermon of the apostle Paul.

Preserved for us in chapter 13 is the crux of Paul’s gospel message – the "WHAT" of his message. In Chapter 14 we have the HOW, the WAY in which he proclaimed it. Chapter 14 finds them in several cities in a region known as Galatia. It’s likely that Paul’s earliest epistle, the book of Galatians – was written to these churches that were established on this first mission journey.

The first city they came to in the region of Galatia was Iconium. We considered their time in Iconium last week. And in that account we saw the first mark of the messenger. Namely, we discovered that...

I. They Were BOLD In Their PROCLAMATION

We identified this character trait of boldness last week because of the fact that chapter 13 concludes with them being driven out of Antioch of Pisidia, by the Jews from the very synagogue where they were asked to speak. The Jews there stirred up the whole city against them and drove them out.

But as soon as they arrive in Iconium it’s the same song, second verse. They go right back into a Jewish synagogue and proclaim the same message – that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. They already knew this message would be met with a hostile response, but they boldly proclaimed it anyway. We came around 3 ideas with regard to their bold proclamation in Iconium. The first was this, as we boldly proclaim the gospel, we

A. Walk through the OPEN DOOR

they entered together into the Jewish synagogue

Paul had an open door of proclamation because of his Jewish resume, because of his Hebrew credentials. He utilized that for kingdom purposes.

Just because there may be opposition or hostility on the other side of an open door of ministry, don’t presume that the door is closed. Many times God will call us through open doors of ministry with full knowledge that there’s a likelihood of difficulty on the other side. We don’t judge a door’s openness based upon the reception we may receive on the other side.

B. Speak the word of GRACE

speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace

Their bold proclamation was a word of grace. They speak a word of grace. Yes, we teach the whole counsel of God; yes that counsel of God includes the righteousness, the holiness, the wrath and justice of God. But the fundamental aspect of what we speak is a word of grace. Fundamentally what we have to offer people is the grace of God.