The Truth Divides

Transcript

GR 1610
07/03/11
The Truth Divides
Acts 13:42-52
Gil Rugh

I want to just take this time to share a couple of things that relate to what we have been doing in the book of Romans and also what we're doing in the book of Acts. Talking about the gospel and the focal point of the gospel in God's work in the world today. And I just want to share some things with you that will tie to that, I'm afraid in a negative way, but where evangelicalism is in its thinking today. Some of you may be more familiar with some of these things than others.

One article that is titled “Top Evangelical, Catholic and Mainline Bodies Issue Evangelism Rules.” So just think about that. The top evangelical, Catholic and mainline bodes issue evangelism rules. What do those three have in common when it comes to evangelism? Evangelical, mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders convened in Geneva to announce the release of a historic document on the ethics of Christian evangelism. The World Evangelical Alliance, and the United States branch of that is the National Association of Evangelicals that you may be more familiar with. The World Evangelical Alliance said, the title of the document is “Christian Witness in a Multireligious World: Recommendations for Conduct,” is the first document to receive unanimous endorsement from the World Evangelical Alliance, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic church and the World Council of Churches. The three-part document states that its intent is to encourage churches, church councils and mission agencies to reflect on their current practices for their witness and mission among those of different religions and among those who do not profess any particular religion. The president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, that's the Roman Catholic organization, said the text will help us reduce unnecessary tensions and present the truth of God in a credible way to the world around us. Now how is this head of the Roman Catholic Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue going to help us present the truth of God in a credible way? I mean, they are actively undermining and opposing the truth of God.

They said concerning this, this is reading on down in the article. This is the comment by a man who was head of the National Association of Evangelicals. It suggests that evangelicals are beginning to see their place as classic Christians in the broad scope of the Christian faith globally. We are seeing each other for who we are rather than who we are against.

Another comment, I think the fact that the World Evangelical Alliance is engaging with the World Council of Churches and the Catholic Church here indicates that they are becoming more willing to embrace interreligious dialogue. On the other side I think the World Council of Churches and the Vatican, for them to make the statement that witnessing is in the nature of the church, marks a significant adjustment. Now are evangelicals scratching for something? The World Council of Churches and the Vatican make the statement witnessing is in the nature of the church. That marks a significant
adjustment for them. What do you mean by witnessing? Are we talking about the clear presentation of the gospel?

The dean of the school of world missions at Asbury Theological Seminary sees an even more significant adjustment in what is not in the document. Probably the Catholics engaged in the greatest concession by omission here. Sacramental expression. Omitting sacramental rites from the essence of evangelism is a huge statement from the Catholic Church and an indication they are willing to give up an important part of their tradition in order to meet evangelicals in the middle. Is that what we're working toward as true Bible-believing Christians, to meet with Roman Catholics and members of the World Council of Churches which is about as liberal as you can get? But hopefully we can meet in the middle. On what? Is that how you evangelize the world? By coming to a compromise that everybody will agree with?

Love, respect and gentleness get a lot of attention in this document, which denounces “all forms of violence, even psychological or social, including the abuse of power” in Christian witness, along with “all arrogance, condescension and disparagement.” And one of the men quoted here is the executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. And he says he appreciates this document as far as it goes. The professor of evangelism and leadership at Wheaton College, they all have to say, there are things we would like to be different but he said he likes the spirit of the document.

Understand, this is all empty, meaningless words. I like the spirit of the document, which means what? He said, I am amazed that careful work was done among groups who do not have a history of such good-spirited cooperation. This is an encouraging sign. The collective wisdom of Christian traditions is a valuable asset to us as well as an affirmation of the gospel. They will know you are My disciples by the love which you have for one another. We haven't even come to the root issue of who is a disciple. The fact that you have Roman Catholics, World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance. Sad state of affairs, the comments from the professor of evangelism and leadership at Wheaton College.

Concludes. What's valuable about the document is that Christians are letting the world know that they are intending to be respectful, loving and transparent in their approach to missions, and that they do not intend to be seen as violent or coercive. And he hopes it communicates to Christians, too. If it causes some groups to give a little more pause to the way they consider others, especially a lot of the real nasty, uninformed rhetoric that is out there, if it somehow calls people to be temperate in speech, that is a good thing. Are true born again Christians really nasty, intemperate, uninformed, violent, coercive in their presentation of the gospel? Maybe the World Council of Churches would think they are because we claim Jesus Christ and the necessity of faith in Him and there is salvation in no one else, and you are lost without Him.

If that were a unique case, here is a book and it was published by Moody Press. One of the writers is associate professor of spiritual formation at Wheaton College. When you see spiritual formation, you ought not to see yellow lights, you ought to see red lights. Spiritual formation is just bringing in mysticism and all of that junk and trying to wed it into Christianity. There are some good things in the book, that's what makes it dangerous.

Here is what one of the authors who is being interviewed says. I've sensed that evangelism is not something we do in isolation from God. We don't take Him to anybody, He is already there and already more interested in that person than we are. And somehow engaged with that person. We're not just speaking the gospel to an uninterested audience, we ask questions, listen to the answers and let the person give us information that allows us to go deeper. All of a sudden in the process of sharing, the message gets velcroed to a high felt need, and in that particular moment we realize we have been participating with God all along and He has shown up. Does that help you? I haven't seen anything that I recognize as familiar coming out of the book of Romans or of Paul's procedure in the book of Acts. I mean, we don't take God to anyone? He's already there and He's more interested in that person than we are, somehow engaged with that person? We just ask questions, listen, all of a sudden in this process of sharing the message gets velcroed to a high felt need and in that moment we realize God has shown up? Moody Press publishes it? Sad.

I'm not done. Any wonder I can't sleep at night? “Putting Evangelism on Hold.” There was a meeting, the global faith forum, a conference for Muslims, Jews and Christians. It began with everybody singing, Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. That old children's chorus with body motions. There is nothing uniquely Christian, Muslim, or Jewish about it, though it is uniquely evangelical in its silliness. The pastor of this church, a large megachurch that was sponsoring this conference, multi-faith conference, told the people there, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, that He will come again. We say, if we just read that statement, I believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, that He will come again. He organized this conference to be multi-faith so the people could discuss openly and frankly the differences of the three Abrahamic faiths. Only one of these has a true connection to Abraham. The conference spent relatively little time on theological differences, more on trying to clear up stereotypes we have of one another. The leader of the conference repeated often his desire not to compromise his faith, but attenders kept wondering if merely participating in such an event where mutual understanding was the keynote was to compromise.

So when you set up a conversation in which conversion is never a real possibility and yet which genuine love and respectful love is clearly evident, well is it an event worthy of an evangelical's time? I suspect this experiment will slowly catch on because in the end we may have no choice. The old evangelistic model, one-way communication framed by the effort to persuade seems increasingly manipulative in the modern world. Instead Robers, the leader of the conference, is trying to reimagine evangelism by initially taking the Great Commission off the table and working first on the great commandment—listening to and serving those of other faiths.

This is where all these things come down to. You remove the Great Commission, the presentation of the gospel up front. We're going to be in Acts, we'll see how Paul handles this. It's a denial of Christianity. Sad what it comes to. So keep these things in mind as we go through Acts 13 and see Paul's ministry with the gospel.

Let's pause for a word of prayer. Thank you, Father, for the richness of your Word. Thank you for the truth that is unfolded in the pages of your Scriptures. I would ask as we look into this portion of the truth that you have provided for us, this history of beginning days of the church and its outreach to the Gentile world, that the Spirit would take these truths and make them alive to our hearts and minds. Give us a greater appreciation of the beauty and simplicity and message of the gospel that you have entrusted to us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.

Acts 13 is on the first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul, as we noted, where he in a concentrated and planned way moves out with the gospel to the Gentile world. Not just the fringes of Palestine, but now it's a focused effort to carry the gospel specifically to Gentile areas. He has been to Cyprus, moved across Cyprus and now he has come up into the region we know as Galatia. He is at the city of Antioch and there he has shared the gospel. Acts 13 is important for a variety of reasons. Not only is it the beginning of Paul's missionary journeys, but it contains the longest recorded sermon of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts. And that gives us an appreciation. Even though later Luke in recording Paul's ministry will give us summaries of what Paul said, here we get an idea. When we're just told that Paul preached the Word here, what was the content of what he was sharing. And basically as he went into the synagogue where he begins the ministry there, even though he is reaching out into Gentile parts of the world, he begins with the Jews. That pattern, to the Jews first and also to the Greeks, the non-Jews. And he began by giving them an overview of Israel's history from Abraham down to David. Then he jumped from David to Christ in Acts 13:23. From the descendants of this man David according to promise God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus. Then we have the basic presentation of the gospel that Paul said he shared wherever he went. In 1 Corinthians 15, Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, He was buried, He was raised, He was seen by witnesses.

So in Acts 13:28, they asked Pilate. They, the Jews, asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead and for many days He appeared to witnesses. You see the same facts of the gospel presented. Verse 38, therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. We noted that becomes an important issue. These churches in Galatia, because Paul will have to write a letter back to them, the letter to the Galatians and go over in some detail the freedom they have in Christ that cannot be acquired through obedience to the Mosaic Law.

Then he gave them a warning in Acts 13:40-41, therefore take heed so that the things spoken of in the prophets may not come upon you. And he quotes from Habakkuk 1:5, behold, you scoffers, and marvel and perish. For I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you. And there Habakkuk was talking about the judgment that was going to be brought upon the nation Israel by the Babylonians. Here Paul applies that passage to those who are hearing them. The danger of not believing God again. And that will result in devastating judgment.

Verses 42-52 conclude the chapter, talks about the response to the message that Paul has preached. The Word of God has been given to the Jews and to Gentiles who were worshiping with the Jews. And there has been good response. Verse 42 says, as Paul and Barnabas were going out. So they have been in the synagogue service, been given opportunity to present the message of Christ, now they are leaving. The people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath day. So there is an openness to hear this. We want to hear more about what you have been teaching us.

So now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas who were speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God. So there has been great response to the message of Christ among the Jews and among the Gentiles who were God-fearing proselytes, who had converted to Judaism. And they heard the message connecting Jesus Christ to the unfolding revelation God had given in the Old Testament and that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises given to David and His death and resurrection were part of the plan of God in providing redemption. And so there is true conversion because Paul and Barnabas, the end of verse 43, who speaking to them were urging them to continue in the grace of God. That indicates that through hearing the message and this further discussion with Paul and Barnabas, they have indicated saving faith. That they were placing their faith in the Messiah. That's how Paul and Barnabas could urge them to continue in the grace of God.

Back up to Acts 11:22-23. The situation here is that the conversion that has taken place in Antioch of Syria. Now remember we are in Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13 with Paul and Barnabas. But in Acts 11 in the city of Antioch the apostles in Jerusalem have heard that the gospel has been preached in Antioch, Syrian Antioch, north of Jerusalem and so they sent Barnabas there to check on the situation and to establish them in the gospel that they had believed. Acts 11:23, when he, Barnabas, arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord. So you see he witnessed the grace of God and so he is encouraging them to remain true to the Lord, continue in that grace.

Over in Acts 14. We're going to see after Paul and Barnabas go through various cities that we'll see in Galatia, they are going to return and revisit these cities on the way back. So they are going to retrace their steps. And we are told, verse 22, they were strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith. So to continue in the grace of God, continue in the faith. These are those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

This becomes crucial when coming back to Acts 13. Paul and Barnabas encouraged them to continue in the grace of God because later he will have to write back to these churches. Turn over to Galatians 1. And the believers in the church at Galatia, sometime after Paul and Barnabas have left, are going to get confused by Jewish teachers who claim to believe the gospel that says you also have to submit to the Mosaic Law. And they become some of those meeting in the middle, as I read you from the articles a little earlier. The Judaizers, they are meeting in the middle because they profess to believe in Christ. But they also say you have to keep the Mosaic Law. But there is no meeting in the middle.

Galatians 1:6, I am amazed that you are so quickly so deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel. You see they are failing to continue in the grace of God. Paul saw the danger, the attraction that the Law had for these Jews and those who were Gentiles who had converted to Judaism. You just want me to bail out and abandon the Law by trying to mix the Law with grace. You are deserting Christ and you are taking up a totally different gospel which is not really another gospel, verse 7 says.

Look at Galatians 3. The chapter begins, you foolish Galatians. Who has bewitched you? I mean, you've been put under somebody's spell that you would leave the pure grace of God for a mixture of the message of Christ and the Mosaic Law, which is not connected at all to the gospel that I preach. The only thing I would ask you, verse 2, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish, having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh? You see Paul is encouraging them, continue in the grace of God. That's how you got started, that's how you continue. The Galatians are going to get confused on that subject.

Over in Galatians 5:4, you have been severed from Christ, cut off from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the Law. You have fallen from grace. You can't mix Law and grace. And when you do, you have abandoned grace. You have cut yourself off from salvation by grace through faith. Placed yourself back in a system of works which can never save anyone.

So back in Acts 13. When we're told at the end of verse 43 that Paul and Barnabas were urging them to continue in the grace of God, this is just not a superficial summary, yes, continue in the grace. This is an urging of them to continue in the gospel, walking now by grace because Paul and Barnabas know the pressure that will be there to go back and at least try to bring the Mosaic Law into their newfound faith.

Verse 44. A week transpires. What went on during the week? I take it, as opportunity took place Paul and Barnabas would have had contact with some of these and doing what the end of verse 43 tells us. The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the Word of the Lord. Word has spread from the Jews who were there that heard and from the Gentiles who had become worshipers with the Jews. But they are out now, everybody is telling their friends, you have to come hear these men. They're talking about the Savior who has come, the descendant of David. And the Gentiles are out talking about the provision of a Savior and salvation for all of us. So it's a message that Gentiles can hear, too. So the whole city, I mean, we see the impact the gospel has had, comes out to hear this. It's new, it's exciting. So the whole city almost assembled to hear the Word of God.

Now if the whole city is assembled, this is a Gentile city so the larger number here, the overwhelming number would be Gentiles. And you see what is happening here. The Spirit of God is working and bringing Gentiles in this city to hear the gospel. This will have an impact negatively on the Jews. You ought to note at the end of verse 44 and have it underlined, they assembled to hear the Word of the Lord. That's going to become key, it's going to be mentioned three more times before the chapter is over. It's about the Word of the Lord. They came to hear the Word of the Lord. So what was Paul teaching? What was Barnabas sharing? The Word of the Lord. What would that entail? Well, read the first part of the chapter. We're back to what were they sharing? What did they come to hear? What Paul and Barnabas had been sharing with them on the previous Sabbath. Come now and hear this message. So the Word of the Lord being presented.

When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul. Indicates Paul was taking the leadership here in doing the teaching. And were blaspheming. Jews are upset. Jews have responded to this message, we're told in verse 43, many of the Jews and the God-fearers. Now this ministry of the Jews in the city, some of the Jews themselves are converted and Gentiles that have converted to Judaism, now they are responding in faith to Paul's message. Now the Jews are upset. And you see what's happening here, this division that we have already seen of rejection by the Jews. Not every single Jews, but the Jews as a group, but response by the Gentiles. So the opposition comes from the Jews. They saw the crowds, they are filled with jealousy. So they take the initiative in contradicting Paul, trying to refute what he is saying. Jesus is not the Messiah, He didn't die and be raised from dead. You are not saved through faith in Him, you must keep the Mosaic Law. They are blaspheming, speaking against God in effect by denying the truth concerning Christ. So conflict is set up.

What does this mean? Verse 46, Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. Repeatedly we're told through the book of Acts that the Word of God is spoken boldly, that the apostles act courageously. Opposition comes up, it doesn't cause them to backpedal and say, wait a minute. This isn't an effective way to reach the city, we're stirring up opposition. Let's let them know we are not here to attack them, to convert them. One of the articles I read to you earlier, the word convert is being dropped because that can give a negative idea. Well you'll note what the apostles do here, what Paul does and Barnabas does. They spoke out boldly.

And they said, it was necessary that the Word of God be spoken to you first, you Jews. To the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. You'll note there we have what is to be spoken to them first. The Word of God. The whole city assembled to hear the Word of God, verse 44. Now Paul and Barnabas are bold and courageous and say to the Jews, it was necessary that the Word of God be spoken to you first since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. Behold we are turning to the Gentiles. You repudiate it, you reject it, a word that basically means to push aside. And so it comes to mean to reject. You refuse to believe it. You have had your opportunity.

You judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. By rejecting the truth of the gospel they declare themselves unworthy of eternal life because there is no eternal life to be found anywhere else. And speaking against Christ and God's provision of salvation in Him, they repudiate the Word of God, they reject it. They pronounce judgment on themselves. Remember verse 41? Behold, you scoffers, marvel and perish. For I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe though someone should describe it to you. That judgment is coming on them. They are scoffers, they will have nothing to do with the truth of the Word of God and His salvation.

Come over to Matthew 22. And you have the parable here of a wedding feast. And you see the response that Jesus refers to. The kingdom of heaven, verse 2, may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast. They were unwilling to come. He sent out other slaves saying, tell those who have been invited, behold I have prepared my dinner. My oxen, my fattened livestock are all butchered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. They paid no attention, they went their way. One to his farm, another to his business. The rest seized his slaves, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged, sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, set their city on fire. Then he said to his slaves, the wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. You've judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, you've rejected the gracious invitation of God to His salvation.

So that's the situation back in Acts 13. You repudiate the Word of God, it was necessary that I present it to you first. Come back to Luke 24. This pattern. When Christ was resurrected from the dead, verse 45, He opened their minds to understand the Scripture. He said to them, thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day. And the repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. That's where it would start, at Jerusalem with the Jews. And we noted in Romans 1, what Paul said in verses 16-17, that this gospel was offered first to the Jews. And that becomes the pattern. You'll note the summary of the gospel is here, that Christ would suffer, rise again from the dead, and repentance for forgiveness of sins be proclaimed in His name.

That's what's going on as we come back to Acts 13. We followed the pattern that God has set down for us. We brought the gospel to you Jews. The Gentiles have joined in hearing it. But since you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. You see the awesome issue involved here. There is no middle ground, there is no room for discussion. We have presented the Word of God to you, you have rejected it. In rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ you judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life. There are no other options open here. In rejecting the message of Christ you reject any hope of eternal life. You judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. You'll note, they are responsible for their decision. That's important because in a moment we're going to see the sovereignty of God in salvation. But the responsibility for their lostness is theirs. They are accountable for their sin, they are accountable for their actions.

Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. And this will become a pattern through the rest of the book of Acts. Come to the last time, we won't take time to look through all the things leading up to it, we'll come to it. But come to Acts 28 with the close of the book of Acts. And we'll see this happening in Acts 14, 17, 18, 19. But just pick up in Acts 28:23, when they had set a day for Paul. He has been brought to Rome as a prisoner, remember. They came to him at his lodging in large numbers and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, trying to persuade them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by these things, others would not believe. When they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word. The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers saying, go to this people and say, you will keep on hearing, but will not understand. You will keep on seeing but will not perceive. For the heart of this people has become dull. With their ears they scarcely hear, they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and I would heal them. Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. And they will also listen.

So this action in Acts 13 is not a final closing the door in presenting the gospel to Jews. Paul never does that. The burden of his heart was for the salvation of Israel as we saw in Romans 9-11. And he will follow the pattern of going to synagogue and sharing the gospel. And when the Jews reject it he'll say, we're going to give this message to the Gentiles. So here he says, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us. I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth. Now we'll see through the book of Acts, concluding at the end of Acts that the message is received by the Gentiles and the Jews are placed under judgment. They are under God's judgment to this day. The message of salvation is still offered to Jews and by God's grace some Jews are saved, but as we have emphasized again and again, they are a small number. The nation as a nation and the multitude of Jews remain obstinate in their rejection of their Messiah, their Savior. And primarily Gentiles are the ones responding, and the church is primarily comprised of Gentiles around the world. But we're reminded in Romans 11 that they did not stumble so as to fall. Romans 11:11, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be. By their sin in rejecting the Messiah salvation has come to the Gentiles to make the Jews jealous. And ultimately God will open the eyes of the Jews to realize, He is our Messiah, He is our Savior. We must claim him by faith, but that is yet down the road. So they are living under the judgment of God and you see that Paul is not hesitant to be clear on the judgment that comes on those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. They are lost, their only hope of salvation is Jesus Christ. If they refuse to believe in Him, there is no other way.

So back in Acts 13. Paul quotes in verse 47 from Isaiah 49:6. Then he connects this with the statement, the Lord has commanded us. We've taken this truth, and interesting, I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth. Come back to Isaiah 49. And we're talking about the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 49, and the reference ultimately is to Christ. And the quote is in verse 6 that Paul is referring to. But in the context, verse 5, thus says the Lord who formed me from the womb to his servant to bring Jacob back to Him so that Israel might be gathered to him. For I am honored in the sight of the Lord and my God is my strength. He's talking about the ministry that the coming Servant of the Lord, the Messiah, would have in bringing Jews to salvation and Gentiles. Well Paul pulls out from this section in verse 6 and says, God has commanded us to carry on this ministry. And what Paul is doing is connecting himself with the ministry of the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah. And he has continued that ministry and the salvation that was brought by the Messiah and his being the obedient Servant of the Lord is now that message is continuing. It's the message of Christ and the work of Christ that is being proclaimed. And Paul is serving as a light to the Gentiles. Paul told the Philippians that they serve as lights in the world. Jesus told His followers that they would be lights that are not to be put under a bushel. We understand that our representing Christ, we are bringing the light of the gospel to a world in darkness. We shine as lights in the darkness. And so Paul says God has commanded us to serve as light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the end of the earth because that's what God said He would do through His Servant. And then the climax of that will be the salvation of Israel that God also prophesied and promised in that context.

When the Gentiles hear this they began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord. There is our statement again. Verse 44, they assembled to hear the Word of the Lord. It was important that the Jews in verse 46 have the Word of the Lord spoken to them first. Now the Gentiles are excited and glorify the Word of the Lord, the very Word that the Jews have repudiated. This message of Christ. They are praising God for the salvation He has provided for them. You see the contrast. What a tragedy. The nation Israel rejecting their Messiah. He is a Jewish Messiah, He's the descendant of David. But the Jews repudiate Him, they judge themselves unworthy of the eternal life that He has provided. But when the Gentiles hear that this salvation is for them, they glorify God. They glorify the Word of the Lord.

And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. You have an interesting connection in this section. In verse 46, those who repudiated and rejected the Word, they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life. They are in the position they have chosen for themselves. But in verse 48 those who respond to the message are those who had been appointed to eternal life. They are the ones who believe. And you see there is not the double predestination as some in reformed theology teach because men are lost. That's their own choosing, they choose to sin, they are sinners by choice. When they hear the gospel, they choose not to believe it, which is their only hope of salvation. They are what they are and where they are by their own action. Those who are saved are saved by the gracious intervention of God. So God is not responsible for those who are lost, but He gets all the credit for those who are saved. Those who believed are those who were appointed to eternal life. As many as had been appointed to eternal life. That word translated appointed, who had been appointed, perfect passive participle, perfect tense, something that happened in the past and the result or impact continues on in the present. Passive voice, something happened to them. They had been appointed. The word means order, fixed, determined, appoint. These are those that God had appointed in the past to eternal life. They believed. You see where we need to be careful that we understand. This is what we were talking about in Romans earlier today. Salvation is God's sovereign work. You cannot save anyone, I cannot save anyone. When we go fuzzy on that we begin to think what we can do to manipulate people and do things. Like part of the articles I read you earlier that maybe we'll provide a better opportunity, maybe the Great Commission is not the way to start. How does Paul start? He doesn't go to the Jews and start talking about all we have in common and spend the next three weeks at Antioch trying to build rapport. Just come in and present the gospel. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures. He is the descendant of David, the descendant of Abraham; He is the Messiah of Israel; He is the One John the Baptist introduced to the nation as the Savior, the Messiah; He was crucified, He was buried, He was raised from the dead, He was seen by witnesses. If you don't believe in Him, you will come under God's devastating judgment.

Well, as I read you from the one article, people just don't like to hear that message today. Those appointed to eternal life will hear it and believe it. The rest will repudiate it. That doesn't mean we just coldly walk up with indifference and slap them with the gospel and go on. No, Paul would say, we beg you in Christ's place, be reconciled to God. We beg you, be reconciled to God. But we have a message to proclaim. I want to tell you about a Savior, I want to tell you about the depth of God's love to have His Son come and die for you. If you believe in Him, you have life; if you do not believe in Him, there is no hope for you. You only have a future of devastating judgment. As many as had been appointed to life believed.

Come back to John 6. Jesus speaking, giving difficult teaching. Verse 65, He was saying, for this reason I have said to you that no one can come to Me, note this, unless it has been granted him from the Father. You see the sovereign action of God in salvation? No one can come to Christ without the sovereign determination of God. Not everybody wants to hear this. As a result many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. In our day we would say, what are we doing? We're driving people away. That's what Jesus did. Even some of those who had been following Him decided this kind of teaching is not for me. They stopped short of saving faith, they turned back. You understand the sovereignty of God in this. I'm just an instrument in His hands, entrusted. I have the gospel placed in this earthen vessel, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter, so that when anything happens in the presentation of the gospel, all the credit and all the glory can go to God. Because what is there in you as a mere created being, created out of dust that could bring about the supernatural salvation of a soul? Nothing. But God placed His gospel in that earthen vessel and when anybody gets saved, it's a demonstration of the power of God. As we said, Paul boasted in what Christ did through him. Not what he did, but what Christ did through him.

Come over to 2 Thessalonians 2:13, but we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. The means that He uses, through sanctification by the Spirit in face of the truth. The work of the Spirit in setting you apart and you believing the truth. God has chosen you. We give thanks to God for you, not because you finally struggled through and worked it out or we were able to convince you and our arguments won you over. What's the foundational answer why someone got saved? God chose you from the beginning for salvation. That explains it all. What is my role? To go and tell them the gospel, your role. Why? Because that's the means God uses. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by . . . But we don’t want to get caught up. Wait a minute. You see our role, present the gospel. We think we come up with other things. That's why the church jumps from all these plans because this is the plan for growing the church. Well, that might be your plan for growing the church, my plan for growing the church. But God only has one plan for growing the church. Jesus said, I will build My church and the gates of hades will not prevail against it. And it is what? They vessels of clay go and give out the message that has been placed in them, the gospel. God sovereignly draws those who He has chosen. Why didn't He choose everyone? I don't know. The amazing question is, why did He choose anyone? Because we all repudiated Him, we were all in the process of rejecting Him. I was a sinner by birth and by choice. Why would God save anyone? He is not obligated to. Angels sinned, He didn't save one sinning angel, never will through all eternity. But He chose to save sinful human beings, even those who were His enemies. By His grace He intervenes.

There are other passages, but come back to Acts 13. As many as had been appointed to eternal life, believed. And the Word of the Lord, there we are again. The Word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. You know we only get one plan in the Scripture. There is only one methodology—go tell them the gospel. We change the methods, we don't change the message. You cannot separate the message from the method because the method is tell them the message. That's it. As soon as we say we have a different method, you've changed then God's plan because God's methodology is tell them the message, tell them the message. But they don't want to hear the message. But those appointed to eternal life will hear it. That's the sovereign work of God.

And the Word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women. Start with the women. You know we joke, if mama's happy, I'm happy. The Jews incited the devout women of prominence. The women, and we have this from history and secular history of the time. Many of the women were attracted, Jewish women became influential and Gentile women got attracted. Often women are more religious than men and that is reflected in a variety of ways around the world. These women of prominence. And the leading men of the city. These women who had influence, influence perhaps through their husband who had prominent roles. They had become identified with the synagogue worship whether their husbands had or not, but what happens when your wife tells you, there are men causing trouble. I go to the synagogue, we've had a good synagogue, we were united, we worship God and we have these men who have come in from the outside and they are causing all kinds of trouble. Now you have your husband stirred up and he'll take care of it. And with that you have leading men of the city influenced here. And they instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.

Isn't it amazing? What did Paul and Barnabas do? Came and told them the most marvelous, wonderful message that they could ever hear and they drive them out of the city. And that just summarizes what happens. In Paul's last letter written to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:11, he said this, that he refers to the persecutions and sufferings such as happened to me at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. What persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me, they drove him out of the city. That summarizes it. But from what Paul says at the end of his life as he reflected back, there was some intense suffering going on as he is driven out of the city here. They didn't just kindly walk him to the city limits and tell him, don't come back. So the battle going on.

What do Paul and Barnabas do? Well, we'll have time to reevaluate our methods; maybe we didn't approach this the right way. You know we started off well, they wanted to hear us. Maybe we were too blunt, maybe we offended them, maybe we gave them the idea that we were always right and they are wrong. Maybe we came across as arrogant, maybe we came across too exclusive, maybe we shouldn't have told them they come under God's judgment if they don't believe. Maybe we should have just taken it a little more slowly. Do you know what they did? They shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium, which would be 90 miles away. We'll see that in our next study. They're shaking the dust off, that was a symbol. We don't have time to look at background passages, but that the judgment that comes is going to be so complete that we don't want to even have dust from this city on our feet. So it comes to represent that you are disassociating yourself from them, you are totally responsible for your actions. But there are believers left here. But you see there is no we presented the gospel clearly, we presented the consequences clearly; the fact that now they are driven out of the city doesn't mean they have failed.

In fact look at verse 52. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. People had been saved, persecution has broken out, they are continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. You know, we get caught up in looking at other things. Sometimes we present the gospel and people react negatively, we go away discouraged instead of thinking, what a blessed privilege to have presented Jesus Christ, to have told them the message of life. What an honor to be used of the Spirit as His spokesman. We go away thinking, I don't think I ought to do this. All I do is get people upset. Well if people aren't going to believe the message, they'll be upset by the message.

So they were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10? I did not come to bring peace on the earth, I came to bring a sword. I'm going to divide family members. That's what happens over Jesus Christ. Paul and Barnabas are driven out of the city. Keep in mind there is a church established here, one of the churches of Galatia. There are believers here. They are left to live now in this environment. If they are Jews, fellow Jews, fellow family members, have nothing to do with them. Put the pressure on them. But we find those who are true believers are filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

We are a savor of life to life and death to death and who is adequate for these things, Paul wrote to the Corinthians. While our adequacy is not from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God who has made us adequate as messengers of the new covenant, the end of 2 Corinthians 2 and the beginning of chapter 3. We're not adequate in ourselves. We have a message of life to life and death to death, but God has made us adequate for that ministry.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your gracious work in the world. How tragic it is that the Jews rejected the message of their Messiah as their Savior. How gracious it was of you, continues to be that you reach out and bring salvation to the hearts of those who are your enemies. There are those taken up with their sin, those by nature children deserving wrath. Lord, we are in awe of your grace, the grace that cause some to be chosen from eternity past. Lord, without that grace none of us would be saved. Lord, you have graciously entrusted us with the message of salvation. May we not be ashamed of the gospel, may we with boldness, courage, in love present the message of salvation and stand as lights in the midst of darkness of this unbelieving world. Use us to that end in the days before us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.