SERMON OUTLINE:
Preparation (vs 16-25)
Declaration (vs 26-37)
Application (38-41)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• "Just one more thing..."
• Was the TV detective Columbo's catchphrase.
• Columbo, was a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department
• When you first saw him on screen,
• Lieutenant Columbo looked like a he had been sleeping rough in a shop doorway!
• He wore a scruffy crumpled beige raincoat,
• He had a bumbling, clumsy manner,
• He was overly polite, and he was always chomping on the same short cigar.
• At key moments in the show,
• He would often leave the room making the criminal feel he had gotten away with it,
• Only to return with the catchphrase "Just one more thing."
• Where he would ask the critical important question.
Columbo was played by the actor Peter Falk (1927-2011),
• Now not a lot of people know this,
• But in real life Peter Falk had a glass eye.
• When he was just 3 years old, he had an operation to remove a cancerous tumor,
• As a result of the operation, he lost his eye.
• In spite of his missing eye, he was a pretty good high school athlete.
• And one baseball story he loved to tell.
• In one game, after being called out at third base,
• He removed his glass eye and handed it to the umpire and said, '
• “Here. You'll do better with this.''
• TRANSITION: In sport we all feel our team is getting a rough deal!
• And what we all want is the correct decision.
• (Actually, that is not true, what we want is an advantage for our team).
• I guess when it comes to life,
• There are people we have met or know of that need a new pair of eyes.
• Our own Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson,
• Could do with a fresh set of eyes to help him see life clearly!
• There seems to be a famine in our country, and also worldwide,
• For people who tell the truth and people who practice what they preach!
In our last study (vs 4-12):
• We saw how the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus.
• Turned from the false teaching of Elymas the sorcerer.
• And discovered the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• The apostle Paul, with Barnabas,
• Now move on to Perga in Pamphylia to share the truth of the gospel there.
• John Mark leaves them, and we will look at why in a future study,
• When we get to chapter 15 verse 36.
Note:
• Verse 14: “From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.”
• I love these throw away lines in the Bible.
• They remind us they went to real places and encountered real people,
• The book of Acts really is a history book of the early Church.
• In that one throwaway line, if we look a little deeper,
• We discover that journey was 100miles north and 3,600feet up,
• For them to get to this important city.
• Now they may have had a Roman road to travel on,
• But it was still a physically demanding walk.
• His strategy was to go to strategic cities, plant Churches in them,
• And those Churches would then evangelize the villages around them.
Note:
• This section divides into three sections.
• Verse 16, verse 26 & verse 38
• Each section starts with the words, K.J.B.: “Men and brethren”
• The N.I.V. translates slightly differently:
• “Fellow Israelites” & “Fellow children of Abraham” & “my friends,”
(1). Preparation (vs 16-25)
Ill:
• We have a saying, “Horses for courses.”
• Meaning people should be chosen for jobs or roles,
• Based on their particular experience, strengths, or skill set.
• TRANSITION: That is also true for preachers.
• You must know who or what audience you are speaking to.
• For example, we have some very good speakers on a Sunday morning,
• But when I have invited same of those speakers,
• To our outreach men’s event called ‘The Net.’
• They ‘die-a-death’
• Because their style and approach make them, ‘square pegs in round holes!’
• TRANSITION: In this book notice how the apostle Paul changes his style and content,
• Depending on who he is speaking to.
• This is his first recorded sermon in Acts chapter 13.
• It is very different to the one he preaches, for example in chapter 17 in Athens.
• Here in chapter 13, he starts preaching in the Synagogue,
• Verse 14: “On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.”
• He is speaking to Jewish people, who know the Old Testament.
• In chapter 17 in Athens, he is speaking to Gentiles unfamiliar with the Bible,
• And his approach and content and style of sermon will be very different.
So, speaking to Jewish people, in a Synagogue who know the Old Testament he says,
“Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct[a] in the wilderness; 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.
“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Saviour Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’”
Ill:
• A boy in a history class was asked the question,
• “Why were the early days of history called The Dark Ages?”
• He replied, “Because there were so many Knights.”
• Another child was asked the question,
• Who invented fractions?
• He replied, “Henry the 1/4th.”
• Another child was asked the question,
• Where was the Magna Carter signed?
• He replied, “At the bottom of the page.”
• TRANSITION: We might not be brilliant at history,
• But the apostle Paul knew his history.
• The apostle Paul will prepare his Jewish congregation for the message of Jesus,
• By remining them of their history.
• He gives a quick ‘Readers Digest’ type of history lesson
• From the Abraham to John the Baptist,
• He makes it clear that all that happened was to prepare the people for the Messiah.
In this speech/sermon he makes two clear points:
• FIRST: The Messiah would come from David’s line.
• SECOND: A prophet would announce his arrival.
• i.e., The apostle Paul references Genesis (vs 16b):
• "Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God”
• i.e., The apostle Paul references Exodus (vs 17):
• “He made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country”
• i.e., The apostle Paul references Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy (vs 18).
• “For about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness”
• i.e., The apostle Paul references Joshua (vs 19):
• “And he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years.”
• i.e., The apostle Paul references Judges (vs 20a):
• “After this, God gave them judges”
• i.e., The apostle Paul references 1 & 2 Samuel (vs 21b-22):
• “Until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled for forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”
I think if we were in the congregation of that Synagogue:
• We would all nod in agreement.
• Mr. F might even shout out the odd “Amen!”
• So, the apostle Paul has them on his side,
• He is playing a tune they all know and love.
• But…
• Then he adds a new strain that they have never heard before!
(2). Declaration (vs 26-37)
Ill:
A man phoned a friend and was surprised to hear the following record message:
“I am not available right now, but I thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”
• TRANSITION: I want you to notice the small but important change in these verses.
• The apostles’ words change from the third person, “they” to the second person, “you.”
• He will explain to them,
• Why their leaders in Jerusalem rejected and crucified the nation’s Messiah.
““Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had travelled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.
34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
35 So it is also stated elsewhere:
“‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’”
By using the expression, “Fellow children of Abraham,”
• The apostle is reminding them that he is one of them, a fellow Jew.
• And he will present to them from their own scriptures (the Old Testament),
• The message of Jesus.
• This is not a new message but an old one,
• It was there in our scriptures,
• e.g., Verse 33 is a quote from Psalm 2 verse 7.
• e.g., Verse 34 is a quote from Isaiah chapter 55 verse 3
• e.g., Verse 35 Psalm 16 verse 10 (Septuagint)
• e.g., Verse 41 is a quote from Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 5
• e.g., Verse 47 is a quote from Isaiah chapter 49 verse 6
• •This is not a new message but an old one,
• •It was there in our scriptures,
• But the leaders in Jerusalem did not recognize the messiah!
Question: What is the message the apostle Paul brings to their attention?
Answer: A two-fold message.
• FIRST: The cross (vs 27-29).
• SECOND: The resurrection (vs 30-34).
• That is the gospel, the good news of salvation.
• That is what is of ‘first importance’ the essentials of the Christian faith.
(3). Application (38-41)
““Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:
41 “‘Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’””
Quote: Francis Bacon.
“It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christians.”
The application of the apostle Paul’s first sermon is twofold:
• FIRST: Christ death provides forgiveness for sins.
• SECOND: We who are guilty and yet we can be justified before God.
FIRST: Christ death provides forgiveness for sins.
ill:
• A friend of mine put this video up on Facebook this week.
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/z75GOuneOog
• TRANSITION: You and I who are imprisoned by sin,
• We have addictions, weaknesses, bad habits and so much more!
• In Jesus Christ a person can be set free!
• Christ promises to forgive the past, help us in the present and purify us in the future!
SECOND: We who are guilty and yet we can be justified before God.
Ill:
• I have a confession to make, this week I stole something!
• I took it without the owner’s permission knowing that it was a wrong thing to do!
• My daughter Kathryn went back to university and in the freezer,
• I stumbled upon two Cornetto Cones! (Mini ice-creams),
• That belonged to her, part of her many Christmases presents.
• I confess that in a moment of weakness, I did take and eat the afore mentioned items.
• And if she wanted to, she could call the police and report me.
• Now, I know they are not two diamonds or two expenses items,
• But the principle is I took them without permission – I am guilty.
• Now if we went to a British Court (which we will not be doing),
• But if we did and the very least verdict might be,
• I was made to apologize and recompence her the money for two new ice-creams.
• I would leave that court a free man, but I would always be guilty!
• In a human court you can never get rid of guilt!
The apostle Paul reminds us here:
• What the Jewish Law of Moses could not do,
• What a human court in Great Britain can never do, God can!
• He takes a guilty man or woman like you and me.
• (The Bible says, “We have all sinned” - Roman’s chapter 3 verse 23)
• And he can declare us innocent!
• Verse 39:
“Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.”
• The Law always condemns and declares us guilty,
• But Christ offers forgiveness and justifies us!
Reaction to this message is twofold: acceptance and rejection.
Acceptance (vs 42-43):
“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.”
• Some people believed the message (vs 43):
• “…talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.”
• Others wanted to know more (vs 44):
• “On the next Sabbath almost, the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
Rejection (vs 45):
“When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.”
• Notice their motivation was not a desire for truth,
• But rather jealousy because of Paul & Barnabas’s popularity.
• So, Paul & Barnabas do not panic, they are not intimidated,
• They simply say, if you don’t want to listen there are plenty of others who do!
• Verse 46b: “…we now turn to the Gentiles.”
At the end of this chapter, the city is divided (Gospel does that).
• e.g., Wane at his baptism, his family said, “Get religion but not this!”
• e.g., Friends whose Orthodox or Moslem families
• Who rejected them when they got baptised for Christ.
The missionaries “shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium.”
Question: What is your response to Jesus?
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=mVpNXLV14W4EnWglbHm2i8lny2Etf7iY
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/nTHDTTcG4gY
