It is interesting to notice sermons recorded in the Scriptures and go through an exercise of reading them aloud. While the apostle Paul preached many sermons, the first recorded sermon of his, preserved for us in the Bible is the one delivered in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:13-50).
While certainly Jews were a part of the audience, a number of Gentiles who feared the true God were present as well. Paul addressed both groups. Notice he started his sermon with, “Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience” (Acts 13:16). Also in Acts 13:26 he addresses them again saying, “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.”
The word of salvation was sent to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul’s sermon includes several points that were pertinent to understanding this message of salvation. He detailed the history of the nation of Israel to the time of David of whose seed Jesus Christ came, fulfilling the promise of God (vv. 17-23). He referenced the preparatory work of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ who attested to His greatness (vv. 24-25). He demonstrated that the Jews of Jerusalem without knowing it actually fulfilled the prophecies concerning Christ in demanding His death when even the Roman procurator Pilate knew of His innocence (vv. 26-28). He marshaled the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection from the dead by many eyewitnesses (vv. 29-31). He showed how this resurrection was a fulfillment of Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10 (vv. 32-37). He declared how justification, remission of sins, is found through faith in Jesus Christ and cannot be attained through the law of Moses (vv. 38-39). He finally (using the language of Habbakuk 1:5) warned if they refused to believe the message then they would face the punishment of God as described in the prophets (vv. 40-41).
Paul’s sermon informed his audience accurately of history. Christianity is based in actual history. Sermons today ought to fill in people’s knowledge of what God has done with the accompanying evidence to prove it. His sermon included lots of scripture both summarized and quoted. God said, “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). God’s word is what people really need, not motivational speeches, jokes, or entertaining tidbits. His sermon made the way of salvation clear: what it is and is not. Sermons today should not be vague about what one must do to be saved. Finally, his sermon warned of punishment. Future punishment has never been a popular teaching but it is an absolutely essential part of the message of Christ, “Whom we preach, warning every man…” (Colossians 1:28).
Paul’s preaching caused quite a stir. Nearly the entire city assembled the next Sabbath to hear God’s word (Acts 13:44). The Jews were filled with jealousy at this turn out and contradicted what Paul said and blasphemed (Acts 13:45). Paul and Barnabas turned to the ones who would hear it, in this case, the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). We pray that more preaching today would bear these characteristics and cause this kind of stir! We pray that more would be ready to hear it!
-Mark Day
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