Title: All For The Sake of the Gospel
Bible Book: Acts 13 : 26-37
Author: Johnny Hunt
Subject: The Gospel; Christian Living; Evangelism; Great Commission
Objective:
Introduction
Paul is about to use his "Jewish-ness" for the advantage of the gospel. There is a natural bridge from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant that is clearly seen in his heart and mind as the description of the Messiah.
Acts 9:20-22, "Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, 'Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests? But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ."
I. Declaration As Seen In Prophecy 26-37
Message becomes more personal here; moves from 3rd person (v.17 "they") to 2nd person (v.26 "you")
A. His Audience 26
"sons of the family of Abraham" - Jews "those among you who fear God" - Gentiles
Salvation is for all through the very Savior heralded by John
Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
It was proclaimed and thus made available "to everyone who believes"
B. His Anticipation 27-33a
1. Their Problem 27-31
2 Questions:
If Jesus is the Messiah, why did the Jewish leaders fail to recognize Him as such? "they did not know Him" - recognize Him
"voices of the Prophets" - those who are ignorant of the written Word will inevitably be ignorant of the Living Word!
Stephen, Peter, and now Paul addressed this issue.
Acts 3:13-14, "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you."
Acts 7:51, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."
If Messiah was rejected, does that nullify God's plan? (Far from it!) "having fulfilled them in condemning Him"
Daniel 9:26a, "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself..."
Isaiah 53:4-6, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Note: Ps. 22
Death
Burial
Resurrection
This is the gospel!
Death. 28
Psalms 69:4, "Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head..."
Psalms 35:19, "Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause."
Psalms 109:3-5, "They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer. Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love."
John 15:25, "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'"
God-ward Change: "He made Himself the Son of God" (John 19:7)
Man-ward Change: John 19:12, "From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.'"
Burial. 29
Isaiah 53:9a, "And they made His grave with the wicked..."
Resurrection. 30-31
This is the greatest truth of all the proofs that Jesus is the Messiah
Romans 1:4, "and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
2. His Promise 32-33a
Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
3. His Prophecy 33b-37
Remember, he is addressing a synagogue, so he supports his apologetics with the Old Testament. He quotes Ps. 2:7, noted as Messianic psalm that was well-known.
Speaks of His incarnation and His resurrection. He was the Son of God when He came out of the womb, and He was the Son of God when He stepped out of the tomb.
The resurrection was the convincing proof of the deity of Christ; His Messiahship. The resurrection was God's seal upon the finished, redemptive work of Christ.
v. 34 References Isaiah 55:3
Isaiah 55:3, "Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you - The sure mercies of David."
Refers to the covenant that God made with David. God promised David that from him the Messiah would come; an everlasting covenant.
Note 2 Samuel 7:12-16, "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever."
Back to Isaiah 55:3, coming from a great evangelical passage. Since Jesus, at His first coming, did not sit on David's throne, there had to be a resurrection.
v. 35 References Ps. 16:10
Psalms 16:10, "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."
Another Messianic passage for the Jews; does not refer to the Jews.
II. The Application Seen In The Invitation 38-41
Two blessings the Law could not provide.
A. Grace 38
The person they crucified is the very One through whom God offers forgiveness of sins. Here, God is giving the nation of Israel a second chance. They could still accept Christ. God had made peace through the blood of the cross.
Samuel Davies describes it:
"Such deep transgressions to forgive, Such guilty, daring worms to spare! This is Thy grand prerogative
And in this honor none shall share. Who is a pardoning God like Thee? Or who has grace so rich, so free."
B. Glory 39
"justified" - the act whereby God declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ. The Jews taught that God justified the righteous and punished the wicked (2 Chron. 6:22-23) But, God justifies the ungodly who will put his faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:20, "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Romans 3:28, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."
Romans 4:1-8, "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.'"
C. Gospel 40-41
1. Beware 40
Judgment on unbelieving sinners; rejection of the Messiah. God not only "woos," He "warns." Such a salvation as He offers is not to be spurred; the cost is too enormous and the benefits too great, the terms of acceptance too simple and the alternatives too final and dreadful. To turn down God's offer of salvation is to commit the ultimate unforgivable sin.
2. Behold 41
Quotes Heb. 1:5
These words were spoken about God's judgment that was coming on Judah. God was going to use the wicked Chaldaens as His instruments to bring severe judgment on wicked Judah. Paul uses this passage as an illustration concerning Israel's unwillingness to repent and submit to the Lord.
The choice with which Paul left his audience is the choice every person faces - accepting the salvation offered in Jesus Christ, which brings forgiveness of sin and eternal bliss. Rejecting it brings judgment and eternal damnation. God's grace and love do not cancel His justice and holy hatred to sin.
Those who reject Christ should expect sure and dreadful judgment.
