Acts 13:13-41

Well, good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotion. This is where every day you and I, well, a few of us, we get together, we get into God's Word, and we Yeah, we read God's Word together. We grow in our love for the Lord together. Do you know what we'll get through this year? What? All the way from the book of Acts to the book of Philemon. Yeah, from Acts to Philemon.
So why don't we go ahead and pray and we'll get into the Lord's Word. Father, we thank you so much for this day and we thank you for your Word. We pray now that as we read your word that you would care for us, watch over us, teach us Lord in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright, so we are at Acts chapter 13 from 13 through 41.
It's a big one, but it's all one sermon, which is why I decided to do this in one, because it is very fun to listen to half a sermon. Nope. So we're going to do both. Unless you like stop and then you just have to wait until the next day, like an episode. Yeah, we won't do that though. All right. So why don't you go ahead and read 13, 14, and 15.
Now when Paul and his party set sail for the Paphos. From Paphos. They came to Perga in Philemon. No, Pamphylia. Pamphylia. And John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga. From Perga. Perga. They came to Antioch. Antioch, yeah. in Poseidon. Aren't you glad I gave you the easy one? Yeah. Poseidon, yeah.
And went into the Saigon synagogue. And on the Sabbath day and sat down and after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rules of the synagogue, said to them, saying, men, men and By then, if you have any words of exhortation for the people, say on. All right, so they're Paul and his party. So that's Paul and Barnabas and John Mark. They just preached the pro-council, Servius Paulus.
And guess where they're going now? They're going to leave the island of Crete, or sorry, the island of Cyprus, and they're going to go north to what's now Turkey, it's Asia Minor. And do you want to know why they might go there? Why? Most scholars think they're going there because the pro-council, the governor of that area, you know what he has up there? What? That's where they got family land. So he believes and so it's pretty likely that he's sending them, hey, why don't you go where I know other Jewish people are and where other people might listen to you.
But John Mark doesn't go with them. No. John and Mark or John Mark? Well, we call him John Mark because his first name is John, but his surname is Mark. So the other name people will call him by. He's the same one that wrote the Gospel of Mark. Yeah, but Mark is also known as John, or John is also known as Mark.
Kind of like Saul is also known as Paul. Do you want to know why he might be called Paul instead of Saul? Good guess, but nope, nope, that was a good guess. Nope, not because Saul was the king of Israel. Actually, this Saul. is a Benjamite, too. Oh, there's a Saul in this one, too? Yeah, Saul, the apostle.
He's also known as Paul. This would give you really nice... Paul is his... Yeah, he could be. Paul is his Roman name, his Latin name. Because you wouldn't at that time want to be called Sol Luce, because a Sol Luce was the way that like a prostitute would walk around. So would that be very good to be known like that? Nope.
So anyway, so they go up to Antioch in Thessidia. This is... You know how many Antiochs there are? At this time, there are 16 cities called Antioch. So it's really important to know which Antioch you're talking about. So this is Antioch in Pisidia. So they're going to Antioch in Pisidia and they go there and there's synagogues.
There's a synagogue and there's rulers of the synagogue and they say to Paul and Barnabas, yo dudes, you got something to say? Say it. So now we're going to read what they said. So I'll read the I'll read this part and then I'll let you start reading down here. OK. All right. Verse 16.
Then Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said men of Israel and you who fear God listen. The God of this people, Israel, chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm he brought them out of it.
Now for a time of about forty years he put up with their ways in the wilderness, and when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their land to them by allotment. But after that he gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they asked for a king. So 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 for them David as king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will. From this man's seed, according to the promise, God has raised up for us a Savior, Jesus.
After John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel, and as John was finishing his course, he said, Who do you think I am? I am not he. But behold, there comes one after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose. men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the Lord of this salvation has been sent. Okay, let's stop there and before we get too far into the sermon, let's ask ourselves, what is this about? All right, so the first part, verses 16 through 25, what's he going through? What's he telling them?
Yeah, it's it's this whole story right he saw them a whole bunch of stuff, but it's a story Right he called their fathers Notice it's I have this underlined right God Chose our fathers and then it's God who exalted the people and made them strong it's God who brought them out of Egypt and It's God who put up with their ways in the wilderness.
It's God who destroyed the seven nations of Canaan. It's God who distributed their lands by allotment. It's God who gave them judges. It's God who gave them Saul. It's God who brought Saul down. It's God who raised up David. It's God who gave David a testimony. And it's God who has raised up for Israel a?
Savior. And his name is? Jesus. So Paul is going on this whole journey all the way from Abraham, all the way to David, and now to Jesus. So God did this, and God did this, and God did this. Who's the hero in this story? Well, I think his name's been said over a hundred times in this book. Anyway, God. God. Yeah, it's God, right? And so now he's going to talk directly to them. So now the history part's done and he's going to talk to them more about this Jesus, the Savior. So you stopped right here after, to you this word of salvation has been sent.
For those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor even the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them, ask Pilate in condemning him. And so they found no cause for death in him. They asked Pilate that he should be put to death. Now, when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
But God raised him up from the dead. Okay, so what is that saying? Jesus is risen from the dead. Yeah, so he gives them more history about what happened in Jerusalem. And so they're in Antioch, in Pisidia, way up here. Jerusalem is way over here. And so they might not have heard about all this, so he's telling them the history. Right? So even though they read the prophets every week in the synagogue, did they understand the prophecies? Nope. Did they realize that this was Jesus Christ, the Savior? Nope. And so they did something wrong. They asked for Herod to do what? Or for Pilate to do what? to kill him. That's right, to put him to death. But even after they killed him and put him in a tomb, what did the hero of the story do? That's right, God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.
And we declare to you glad tidings, that promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled for us, their children, and that He has raised up Jesus. So what's the good news that they get to tell them? That Jesus made disciples, which is us, and raised Jesus from the dead. Well, that's the big part, right? That God raised Jesus from the dead. That's the news he wants to tell them, right? He's raised up Jesus. This is the glad tidings that they're telling them, the good news that they're declaring to them. God fulfilled his promises. And so you might say, well, where'd he promise that? Well, he said it in Psalm 2, as it is also written in the second Psalm.
You are my son, today I begot you. So, this is interesting. Paul is saying that God fulfilled this in Jesus' resurrection, but do you remember what God said at Jesus' baptism, what the Father said to Jesus? You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. But it says here, you are my son, today I have begotten you. So how does that work? When did Jesus become the son of the Father? Was it as baptism or was it as a resurrection?
Almost always. Always. Boom. He's always been the son. But here, what Paul is getting at, you want to know? Paul is saying here that as at the resurrection, It's the Father begetting Him. He's raising Him back to life. He's giving Him life again. And He's exalting Him to His right hand. This is His coronation birth. This is his coming back to life. He's fulfilled the promises.
And that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption. He has spoken thus, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Therefore, he also says in another psalm, you will not allow your holy one to see corruption. Was Jesus's body decayed? No. because he rose from the dead. Did David see decay? Yes. But David wrote this. No. You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption. So is David talking about himself or someone else? Jesus. That's right, he's talking about Jesus. You want to read this part 36 through 39?
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep was buried with his brothers and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that though this man preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and by him every one who believes is justified from all things which you could not be just justified by the law of Moses. Okay, so he's saying, hear what we just talked about, David died. Nope. After he had served his generation, he died and he was buried and what happened to his body? It decayed. It decayed, saw corruption.
But this man, therefore let it be known to you brethren that through this man, who's the this man? Jesus. Jesus, through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. How do you find forgiveness of sins? Through Jesus. That's right. And that's exactly what it says in verse 39. And by him, everyone who believes is justified, declared righteous. If you believe in Jesus, are the scales against you? No. No. Because Jesus is perfect. And so if you believe in Jesus Christ, what does God count people who believe in Jesus Christ? More than just as his home perfect Right because Jesus is perfect and we are justified in Jesus we're forgiven of our sins And he says hey, he's talking to Jews.
You don't want to keep that. Okay, so he's talking to Jews here And he's telling them listen up And by him, everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. They could work all their lives trying to keep all the Ten Commandments, but guess what? It never happened. Yeah. When we study the Ten Commandments in family worship, do you sit there and go, Oh yes, I always keep the Sabbath day perfect. What about honoring mom and daddy? I've got slings for that a few times. Yeah, what about being a peacemaker, not being angry or having a murdering heart?
Nope, can't keep that one. What about coveting? Nope, can't keep that one. Kind of hard, huh? Both tables of the law. Right, are there times that we love our stuff more than we love God? Yep. Yeah. And so we could never be justified by the law of Moses. but if we have faith in Christ. Can we find forgiveness? Yep. Can we be declared righteous? Yep.
That's exactly what this is talking about. Beware therefore. So he warns them now. It's almost like he's staring them straight in the eyes. And he says, beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you. Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe. Though one were to declare it to you." He's telling them. You might be those who hear the word, but don't believe it. It's kind of a dangerous thing, isn't it? It's kind of one of those hard things that, you know, when we did membership class, do you remember that? And did I warn you guys during membership class not to take things lightly?
Yeah. That you need to wrestle in your heart whether you actually believe or not? Yep. That's what he's saying here. Did you know people can sit in church for years and hear the Bible preached, hear about Jesus every single week? and yet have their eyes blind and their ears shut and their hearts hard. Yeah. It's kind of sad. Yeah. Should we pray for those people? Yep.
You want to pray first and I'll pray next? You can pray first and you can pray last. I can pray first and I can pray last? Okay. Let's go ahead and pray. Father, we pray that we would have faith in Jesus Christ. We pray that we would follow after you. Lord, we pray that you would indeed take out hearts of stone and give hearts of flesh.
We thank you for sending us our risen savior, Jesus Christ. We thank you that you have not allowed our holy one to see corruption, but indeed he has risen up into heaven. And at his resurrection, he was witnessed by the apostles for many days and that their testimony is true.
Lord, we pray that you would save people. We pray that you would convert people. We pray that we would cling to you and that we would follow after you. Lord, thank you that this is a message for both Jews and for Gentiles. Lord, thank you for your mercy and your kindness in Jesus Christ. We pray that you would let us believe.
I don't know who's listening to this right now, but Father, I pray for those who do not know you. I pray that they might come to know you. I pray that your spirit will work mightily in their hearts, that they would confess Jesus Christ, that they would hold only to Him. Please, Lord, let them know that the promises are true and that the King lives. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, you ready to say goodbye? Bye. Bye. The Lord bless you and we'll see you tomorrow. Bye.
Thanks for listening to this week's message from God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in rural southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue, Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.