“What light, what power, what a treasure does this gospel bring with it!
How excellent are its truths, its precepts, its promises!” ~ Matthew Henry
In our house and family of five for the
past two weeks someone has been sick! Am
I ready for some good news? Oh YES! There are days things get the best of us and
we are ready to hear some good news! In
our passage today Paul brings good news to the Church at Antioch. Let’s listen in on Paul’s sermon as we read
and study Acts 13 together on this Sabbath day.
Scripture – Observation – Application -
Prayer
S:
“… on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue … After the reading of
the Law and the Prophets, the leaders [of the worship] of the synagogue sent to
them saying, Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation or consolation or encouragement for the people, say it …
we are bringing you the good news
(Gospel) that what God promised to our forefathers … And so the Word of the Lord [concerning
eternal salvation through Christ] scattered and spread throughout the whole
region … And the disciples were continually filled [throughout their souls]
with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Acts
13:14-15, 32, 49, 52
O:
Paul got up and preached a word of encouragement. “The bare reading of the Scriptures in public
assemblies is not enough; they should be expounded, and the people exhorted out
of them. This is helping people in doing that which is necessary to make the
word profitable, to apply it to themselves.” ~ Matthew Henry
How?
He recounted their history and how God led and protected them and gave
them the Gospel as follows:
1.
God
has brought to Israel a Savior as promised (v. 23)
2.
God
raised Him from the dead (v. 30, 33-34) “The resurrection of Christ was the
great proof of his being the Son of God.” ~ Matthew Henry
3.
Repentance
is available to all the people (v. 24) “We
are justified [made right], not only by him as our Judge but by him as the Lord
our Righteousness.” ~ Matthew Henry
4.
Forgiveness
and removal of sins is for everyone who believes (v. 38)
5.
We
are given right standing with God (v. 39)
6.
We
serve God’s will and purpose and counsel in our own generation (v. 36) Matthew Henry says, “ … the Lord raises up
instruments for his work, from various places and stations in life … It is by
the Spirit of Christ that his ministers are made both able and willing for his
service, and taken from other cares that would hinder in it. Christ's ministers
are to be employed in Christ's work, and, under the Spirit's guidance, to act
for the glory of God the Father … [may we] serve our generation according to
his will; and when death comes, may we fall asleep in him, with a joyful hope
of a blessed resurrection.”
A: I
am reminded that God keeps His promises, that He is powerful, that at any point
if I am walking contrary to His ways that He offers us a chance to turn back to
Him and be forgiven and made right and that He has a plan and purpose for each
one of us for such a time as this.
P:
Thank you Heavenly Father that You provided a Savior as You promised and
that death could not keep Him in the grave.
Thank you for resurrection power that is available to our lives
today. Thank you that you give us
forgiveness for sins and right standing with You. May we serve You and seek to do Your will and
purpose. Through Christ Jesus, Yeshua
the Messiah I pray. Amen & Amen.
Discussion question:
What part of this message brings you the
most encouragement today?
"We
were not born for ourselves, but there are those living around us, to whom we
must study to be serviceable.” ~ Matthew Henry
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