Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 21st June 2009
Acts 13v13-52
Last week we saw the story of how Paul and Barnabas were set apart for the work of mission to the Gentiles. As they worshipped the Lord, the Spirit spoke to the church and then there was the response of obedience.
This week we see the continuing life of worship and obedience in Paul and Barnabas.
1) listen to the history v16, 17-25 (the Kingdom)
The call is made for the people to listen to the history lesson!
But what is this history? It is the story of Gods kingdom in the world.
With the history of Israel we see the story of how God rules, we see the operation of His kingdom.
God is king and he rules the whole world, but he had a special chosen people with whom he ruled more intimately.
To this people he showed his character, he revealed his salvation from Egypt to the promised land.
He dwelt in and among them during the time of the judges, Samuel, Saul and king David.
David was the one through whom Gods kingdom was particularly seen, as David was the man who did Gods will on earth v22.
It was through this man of obedience that the Saviour came into the world v23.
Then came John proclaiming the Christ.
App
· The history of Israel is the history of Gods kingdom on earth.
From Abraham right up to John the Baptist we see the unfolding of Gods kingdom rule.
· The important thing to note at this point is that it is real true history.
This is fact! Paul is establishing his case in fact. Accepted fact at the time.
Today there is debate over much of it. But we need to read it a His-story of what happened.
Our faith today is grounded in history. It is not something we just believe! It verifiable fact.
This is important because Christianity is not a matter of blind faith.
It’s not just about what I say I believe. Rather it’s about what I know to be true.
· Particularly what we know to be true is that God is King and he has been running his kingdom on earth especially through the Israelites.
2) listen to the message of Jesus Christ v26, 27-39 (the Saviour)
From establishing the kingdom of God at work in the Jewish history Paul then turns to the Saviour from Gods kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ.
V26 directly addresses the crowd: to them (us) the word of salvation comes!
V27-29 more recent history is then recounted, the death of Christ.
V30 then the great word of Gods working: Jesus was raised from the dead.
This is presented as fact, verifiable by witnesses v31.
Scripture also testifies to the resurrection: v32-35 Jesus is the promised Saviour, the one they were expecting! This is indeed Good News!
V38-39 through this Saviour there is forgiveness of all sins!
App:
Again see the importance of fact.
Jesus was killed by the Romans at the behest of the Jews.
But then God raised him from the dead!
There were human witnesses, but Paul also used scripture to prove the fact.
If God raised Jesus from the dead then it proves HE is the Saviour!
That means that in him there is forgiveness.
The law could not forgive, it could only condemn, the Saviour forgives!
The great theology of justification by faith alone is put here in summary form: v38-39!
Life under Gods rule is open to all who will trust in Jesus.
3) listen for salvation, the response v40, 41-52 (the chance to enter the kingdom)
V40-41 Paul closes with a very short application!
Tells them to consider the facts and turn to Jesus for salvation.
V42-52. The rest of the chapter records the response to the gospel that was always the case.
Some believed and were glad, other did not believe and persecuted Paul and Barnabas.
App
1) V40 watch – this is the call to repentance: how to enter the Kingdom?
This God who worked his plans through the people of Israel now calls anyone and everyone to come into his kingdom, through Jesus Christ.
There is total forgiveness of all sin through Jesus. There is life with God to be gained.
2) if you look at the facts and accept them, what then are you to do?
V43 continue in the grace of God
Live now under the authority of God. Run your kingdom, in his kingdom, that is submit all that you have control over to His authority!
sunday evening 21st June 2009
Col 2v9-12
Last week we saw the importance of following Christ as Lord. Keeping as close to him as possible and watching out that we are not stolen away by the lies of the world.
Why should we do all we can to keep close to Christ?
Because of who He is, and what HE has done for us:
1) In Christ there is fullness of deity v9
“dwells/lives” God lives in Christ. He does not live in houses made by men, the highest heavens cannot contain Him, but there he is in Christ. In what sense?
“fullness of deity/Godhead” fullness in terms of completeness, nothing of God is left out of Christ! “Godhead” – unique to this verse in scripture.
The completeness of Deity dwells in Christ. God is fully present in Christ.
In “bodily form/bodily”, another unique word, only used here in NT.
Tangible, touchable, physically! Christ has a resurrection body, in which the Deity dwells!
App:
The physical nature is good!
Christianity is physical reality affirming!
We were made in the image of God and we are to work out that image in our physical lives.
Thus the way we use our bodies is of great importance.
Becoming spiritual is not about becoming less physical but about using our physical nature in the way it was meant to be used under God.
Restraining it’s unholy desires, training it, disciplining it to become our servant in following Jesus.
2) in Christ there is our fullness/completeness v10
Just as the fullness of Deity dwells in Christ, so in Christ we have been given fullness.
That is in Christ we lack nothing. We miss out on nothing.
Because we are united with Him, “in Him”, apart from that we are lacking everything!
We are assured that we have everything in Christ because He himself lacks nothing!
Already seen he has the fullness of deity, further Paul notes He is the Head of all power and authority.
Principality/power – literally beginning, first. Christ is the first, the principal, the cause, he is first in rank, thus translated as power/principality.
Authority – he has all authority, He is the King!
Obviously His power and authority derive from the fact that he is Deity.
It is all linked, fullness of deity, thus fullness of power and authority!
App
We have all we need in Christ.
Constantly the world tells us if we only had this or that then we would be fulfilled/happy, but that is to take our eyes off Christ.
In him we are already full, complete.
He is full and complete in and of Himself because of His own nature, we are full and complete because of our relationship to Him – because we are “in Him”.
If we are feeling needy, lonely or lacking in some way it is a sign that we need to get back to Christ. We need to focus on our relationship to Him.
3) in Christ there is death and life v11-12. “Buried with him, raised with him, through faith”
· “in him circumcised”
In coming to Christ, entering into fullness, the ‘sins of the flesh’ had to be destroyed.
They had to be cut off! And who did the cutting off?
Christ, spiritually, not physically.
“Without hands” biblical term that refers to anything of divine working/origin!
This the work of God we are talking about here, this work is God’s work, nothing we do!
But how did that spiritual cutting off happen? Through the physical death of Christ.
The “circumcision of Christ”, referring to his death.
Circumcision in the OT was symbolic of membership in Israel, the circumcised were in!
Spiritually circumcision is Christ taking us in! Dying for us so that we can enter in.
· “Buried with him”
V12 you were buried “with” Christ.
When Jesus died on the cross, your sins died with him there too!
· “raised with him”
And when Christ rose from the dead, you came to life in him then too! “raised with him”
How does this whole process take place? Through faith in God.
App:
You are a new creation!
You have fullness in Christ, your sins have been cut off, and you have been raised to life!
How are we to apply all this to ourselves?
By faith! By trusting in Jesus.
Sin now has no power now to rule over us.
We need not fear our punishment, our sin has been dealt with, Jesus has died!
We are called to believe this about God: that he sent Jesus to die to pay for our sins, and that then he was raised to life again and we with Him in it all.
Live then as those who are free from the punishment of sin.
Live as those who have new lives.
The reason we are to keep close to Christ and follow in his way v6-8 is because of all that we have now just looked at!
