Acts 13:13-52

Well, I should warn you, this morning I'm not just going to preach a sermon.

As if that weren't bad enough, I'm actually going to preach a sermon on a sermon.

So, it's going to be doubly worse this morning.

I'm kidding.

I promise you this.

I promise you that this sermon is far from boring.

Not mine, but the sermon that we're going to look at in Acts 13, Paul's synagogue sermon

that Luke records for us here.

I mean, just listen to an outline of this sermon.

This is what Paul has to say to them and to us.

That the long story has come to its climax, and that your greatest problem has been solved,

and that the future is breaking in.

Those are huge claims.

That the climax to the story has come, that your problem is solved, and that the future

is breaking in.

Aren't you at least a little curious about how that could be?

Well, let's look then at how Paul begins.

This is Acts 13.

Let's pick up in verse 13.

Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey, and Luke picks it up like this.

He says,

Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay

in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted army led them out of it.

And for about 40 years he put up with them in the wilderness, and after destroying seven

nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance.

All this took about 450 years.

And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of

Benjamin for 40 years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and

said, I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart who will do all my will.

Of this man's offspring, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.

Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

And as John was finishing his course, he said,

What do you suppose that I am?

I'm not he.

But behold, after me, one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I'm not worthy to untie.

The novelist Flannery O'Connor once said,

In the long run, a people is known not by its statements or its statistics, but by the stories

it tells.

Now you might think, well, she was a novelist.

Of course she would say that.

But think about it.

You know, in the ancient Near East, in the third and second and first millennia B.C., there

were kings and kingdoms who amassed great military strength and built massive buildings and conquered

and ruled vast empires, statements and statistics that could fill volumes.

But of all those kingdoms that came and went, there was one little people whose political

independence was actually pretty short-lived in comparison.

And whose military might wasn't actually much to speak about.

And whose architectural achievements were pretty small.

And yet, it's that people that we remember.

Why?

Because what they had was this powerful story.

The true story of the one God who created all things and who made humanity in his image.

And who after the ravage of human idolatry and rebellion, who, when humans had gone their own way into misery,

was going to make things right.

The story to the story of the one true God.

The story to which the people of Israel held fast and held forth was that this one true God had put into motion a rescue plan.

A plan that through one family, salvation, total healing and restoration would come to the whole world.

That's the story Paul is retelling in these verses.

And when you look at it, what a gripping and, quite frankly, really gritty story it is.

Verses 17 through 22 take us from Abraham through the Exodus, from the wilderness to the promised land, from the judges to the kings, and through it all,

God was taking the initiative in grace to call and preserve a people through whom his blessing would come to every nation on earth.

And as the history went forward, God's promises more and more began to converge and narrow on the hope of a king.

A king in the line of the great King David.

Now, if you go back to the beginning of the story, these promises actually began in Genesis.

That's where Paul begins.

God tells Abraham, in your offspring, the world's going to be blessed.

That's Genesis 22, 18.

And then isn't it interesting that a thousand years later, in 2 Samuel 7, when God makes his promise to David,

that he will establish his house and his throne forever,

again, he picks up the language of offspring.

I'll raise up your offspring after you, and I will establish his kingdom forever.

Coincidence?

Well, nearly all the Hebrew prophets saw the connection.

That what God promised would happen through the offspring of Abraham would be fulfilled in God's renewed promise through David's offspring.

That this coming king would not only restore Israel, but unleash God's blessing, his healing and restoring reign into the whole world.

And friends, we could go through the prophets and cite passage after passage after passage,

where that connection is made between this worldwide blessing that God promised to Abraham,

and what God would do through his coming Davidic king.

Isaiah 55, that we read earlier, is just one of them.

Come, Isaiah says.

Come and drink.

Come and eat.

Come and be made totally new.

Why?

Because the king at last has come.

Now, you can imagine, as Paul's sort of recounting the story, the whole synagogue sort of nodding in approval.

Yes, that's right.

That's our history.

That's right.

But imagine how surprised they must have been when he concluded this sort of well-worn narrative

with what he says in verse 23 of this man's offspring, David's offspring.

God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.

Can you imagine what that must have been like?

How many jaws dropped?

How many eyes grew wide?

How many people who were sort of drifting off to sleep suddenly jolted awake?

What did he just say?

Did a murmur start to ripple through that ancient synagogue?

Or was it so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop?

What did he just say?

Well, he just said that the story, the story of the one true God, the creator God of heaven and earth,

and the covenant God of Abraham and David, that God has done it.

That the story's reached its climax, and it's reached it in Jesus.

Friend, I wonder what story you live by.

As humans, it's almost impossible not to do that.

What narrative is running underneath the sort of assortment of your days?

Maybe it's not something you've really thought about or articulated to yourself.

Maybe you've just sort of absorbed it from the culture that we live in, a story of finding personal fulfillment,

maybe in love or in achievement, or perhaps making a difference, leaving the world a better place.

But go a little deeper.

What story do you really live by?

Now, perhaps the big story that you say you believe doesn't have much room for God, or not much need for him.

And yet, doesn't your story still include those elements about the enduring value of love,

and the importance of our actions, and the concept, the very concept of making a difference?

Friends, let me ask you, do those elements really make any sense in a story where all we are is just time and chance and matter?

Do they make any sense in a story without God?

Could it be that the story that this passage is inviting us into actually makes more sense of reality as we know it,

and as we experience it, than all the other stories that we so easily absorb?

A story that actually makes sense of our longing for love, and our longing to see things put right,

and our sort of intractable valuing of what we do.

To be sure, the story that's beckoning to us here is an invitation into something so much bigger.

Something that takes us from our small desires up into something that's shot through with grandeur.

It's calling us to step into the story of God for which we were made.

At the end of the Chronicles of Narnia,

forgive me for always using illustrations from the Chronicles of Narnia,

I've been reading it to my son in the evenings,

so it's fresh in my mind.

But at the end, the very end,

Lewis describes a little stable,

a small little shed,

that from the outside looks shabby,

and tight,

and confining,

and dark.

But when the characters actually go inside,

they find just the opposite.

That it opens up into a vast world

that's actually more real,

and more fulfilling than anything they've ever known.

From the outside,

it looked confining,

but inside,

it was what they were created for.

For life,

and freedom.

So often,

Christianity from the outside

can seem like that.

A humble little stable,

maybe even a little tight,

and confining.

But if you humble yourself,

and step in,

you actually find

just the opposite.

It's not something that takes away

your best,

not something that diminishes you,

or diminishes your view of reality,

but something that finally

brings it to life.

And opens it up in ways

that you could have only dreamed.

And at the center,

bringing it all together,

at the climax of it all,

is the person of Jesus.

That he is the one

who will fulfill and complete,

not just the threads of Israel's story,

but of yours and mine as well.

That's what verse 23 means.

And think of all the other

implications of that verse.

We could probably preach

this whole sermon on that verse.

Doesn't that verse tell us

that first,

God is very faithful,

that he keeps his promises,

that after 2,000 years,

he didn't let one of them

fall to the ground,

that this is a God

that you can trust,

even if it takes a long time.

And second,

that isn't Paul telling us here

that all those promises of God

find their yes,

as Paul will say in 2 Corinthians

a little later,

in the person and work of Jesus.

That he's the center

of the Old Testament

as well as the New Testament,

that all of it led to him.

Christian,

do you read your Bible that way?

Do you read your Bible

not primarily as a long list of rules

that we have to keep

or a bunch of sort of

old, dusty, irrelevant stories,

but as the single great drama

that's come to fulfillment

for all of us in Jesus?

Another thing that this verse

means for us is that,

you know,

if the climax of God's story

has come through the events

of Jesus' life,

then what's at stake here

is actually something

that we can investigate.

We can look at the historical evidence

for his life

and for his death

and for his resurrection

that we can go to the sources

and see for ourselves.

And that's good news

if you're exploring Christianity

or if you're spiritually curious.

No one is asking you

to make a leap in the dark.

Instead, consider the claims.

Look at the evidence.

The very book that we're studying

this morning,

the book of Acts,

is actually the second part

of a two-volume work.

The first part,

the Gospel of Luke,

is Luke's own orderly account

of the life of Jesus

based on eyewitness accounts

and his own historical research

written well before the end

of the first century.

That is,

in the lifetime

of the followers

of Jesus themselves.

Luke's Gospel

is a great place

to begin

your investigation

of who Jesus is.

If you want some other suggestions

on where to begin,

there's a book stall downstairs.

I'd be happy to make

some recommendations

to you after the service.

But you know,

there's another implication

of Jesus being the climax

of this story.

And Paul alludes to it

in verse 24

with his reference

to John the Baptist.

That might have seemed

like a bit of an odd thing

to throw in there.

But you know,

we know that the news

of John the Baptist's ministry

had actually reached

all the way

to Asia Minor

where Paul is now.

In fact,

a little later

in chapter 19,

we're actually going

to meet some disciples

of John the Baptist

who made it all the way

to Ephesus,

which is like on the western coast

of modern-day Turkey.

That's a long way

from Jerusalem

and the Jordan

where John was ministering.

So you see,

Paul's audience

in Pisidian Antioch here

would have been familiar

with John the Baptist's

reputation and character.

And Paul's reminding them here

that John came preaching

a baptism of repentance

to all the people of Israel

to prepare the way

for this coming one.

In other words,

John's message

was that everyone,

even good religious Israelites,

had a deep problem

that only God could solve.

And that actually brings us

to the next big point

of Paul's sermon here.

That Jesus is not only

the climax of the story,

but because of that,

He's also the answer

to our greatest problem.

Let's read verses 26 through 43.

Paul continues,

Brothers,

sons of the family of Abraham

and those among you

who fear God,

to us has been sent

the message of this salvation.

For those who live in Jerusalem

and their rulers,

because they did not recognize Him

nor understand the utterances

of the prophets

which are read every Sabbath,

fulfilled them

by condemning Him.

And though they found in Him

no guilt worthy of death,

they asked Pilate

to have Him executed.

And when they had carried out

all that was written of Him,

they took Him down

from the tree

and laid Him in a tomb.

But God raised Him

from the dead.

And for many days

He appeared to those

who had come up with Him

from Galilee to Jerusalem,

who are now His witnesses

to the people.

And we bring you

the good news

that what God promised

to the fathers,

this He has fulfilled

to us, their children,

by raising Jesus.

As also it is written

in the second Psalm,

You are my son,

today I have begotten you.

And as for the fact

that He raised Him

from the dead,

no more to return

to corruption,

He's spoken in this way,

I will give you

the holy and sure

blessings of David.

Therefore, He says also

in another Psalm,

you will not let your Holy One

see corruption.

For David,

after he had served

the purpose of God

in his generation,

fell asleep

and was laid with his fathers

and saw corruption.

But he whom God raised up

did not see corruption.

Let it be known to you,

therefore, brothers,

that through this man

forgiveness of sins

is proclaimed to you.

And by him,

everyone who believes

is freed from everything

from which you could not

be freed

by the law of Moses.

Beware, therefore,

lest what is said

in the prophets

should come about,

Look, you scoffers,

be astounded and perish,

for I am doing a work

in your days,

a work that you will

not believe,

even if one tells it to you.

As they went out,

the people begged

that these things

might be told them

the next Sabbath.

And after the meeting

of the synagogue

broke up,

many Jews

and devout converts

to Judaism

followed Paul and Barnabas,

who, as they spoke with them,

urged them to continue

in the grace of God.

In verse 39,

Paul points us

to the greatest problem

that we all have.

Look again at that verse.

Do you see the little

superscript number

after the word freed?

That's telling you

to look down

in the bottom of the margin.

And there it tells you

that that word

literally means justified.

To be justified

means to be pronounced righteous.

In other words,

it means to have

a verdict

declared over you,

pronouncing you

not just innocent,

but in the right,

totally acceptable,

totally approved.

approved.

In January,

the New York Times

ran an article

called

A Race to the Front Row.

Did any of you

read this?

And the article

was basically

about how people

in exercise classes,

in spinning classes

in particular,

have become obsessed

with getting a spot

in the front row

of the class.

I've never been

to a spinning class

myself,

but apparently

in some of the

higher intensity classes,

the instructor

will actually pick

who gets to ride

in front.

According to the article

for these avid exercisers,

a place up front

is a status symbol

akin to sitting

front row

at a concert

or a fashion show.

It shows you're fit enough

to keep up

and confident

in your ability

to lead a class.

So it's actually

become a thing,

I guess,

to strive

for the front row,

to get the instructor

to publicly affirm

that you've got

what it takes

to ride in front

of everybody else

and set the pace.

Listen to how

one person

describes the feeling

of having the instructor

select her

for the front row.

I remember seeing

the front desk staff

confer with the instructor

and he glanced over

at me

and then looked back

at them

and nodded.

I was so honored

and excited

that he recognized me

as a strong rider.

And then the article

goes on to say,

she's still starry-eyed

about it.

I kept looking at myself

in the mirror

during class

thinking,

I feel strong

and beautiful.

But apparently

at some gyms

there's a step

even higher

than the front row.

This is how

that article ends.

For those

for whom

the front row

isn't VIP enough,

one gym

has a new badge

of honor,

riding the podium,

a.k.a.

the instructor's bike.

The gym equivalent

of being Courtney Cox

pulled on stage

to dance

with Bruce Springsteen.

One rider

who started out

as a back row rider

was recently invited up.

She said she's not

the selfie-taking type,

but after class

she nonetheless

took one

and shared it

on Facebook

where it became

her most liked

picture of 2014.

She said,

you can see

the joy

and pride

in that picture.

It's like

I was chosen.

Now of course

this is a bit

of a silly thing,

isn't it?

But I think

it points us

to something

pretty deep.

What is it

about us

as humans

that makes us

crave some kind

of verdict

over our lives?

What will make

us transform

even a spinning

class

into a place

where we crave

and strive

and long

to get public

affirmation,

to get a verdict

of our worth

and worthiness?

It's probably

not spinning

for you.

It's not for me.

But it's probably

something

or someone.

Your peers,

your parents,

your spouse,

your children.

Each one of us

looks to something

as our judge

that will pass

an external verdict

over our lives,

a verdict

that we hope

will be positive.

Why is that?

Is it because

we're psychologically

maladjusted?

Did our parents

not reinforce

good self-esteem

in us?

No.

Look,

you can have

the most awesome

parents,

but you're still

going to live

your life

looking for

something

or someone

to justify you.

You see,

friends,

according to

the Bible,

we,

all of us,

have a righteousness

problem.

And it's our

biggest one.

And the fact

that we can

turn anything,

even a spinning

class,

into an opportunity

for justification

is a deep sign

that something

has gone wrong.

And this is it.

You see,

we've lost

the most important

verdict of all,

the verdict

of the God

who created us.

We were made

to have His

approval

and His delight,

to have His

word of favor

spoken over us.

But because of sin,

we've lost it.

And now,

instead of standing

under God's approval,

we stand under

His just

condemnation.

And no amount

of good works

could ever get it back.

At the end of verse 39,

Paul says flatly,

the law can't

free you.

That is,

it can't justify you.

Why?

For the simple reason

that we don't keep

the law.

That we break it

over and over

and over.

And somewhere,

somehow,

we got this strange idea

that we could build up

good works that will

cancel out our bad works.

As if any human judge

would let you off the hook

for robbing a bank

because you let an old lady

cross the street.

No,

there's no hope

of solving our

righteousness problem

through our own

law keeping.

We can't get God's

good verdict that way.

It's got to come

from outside of us.

And that,

Paul says,

is exactly what God

in Christ

has done

for us.

He lived a life

that always pleased God.

And though no guilt

could be found in him

at all,

he was condemned,

verse 27 says.

And he was executed,

verse 28.

And he was buried,

verse 29.

But though Jesus

didn't deserve death,

you see,

this death wasn't

an accident

or a mere tragedy.

No,

even this

was actually part

of God's plan

foretold in the prophets,

Paul says.

Written of him

in the scriptures

hundreds of years before.

Why did Christ

undergo such a death?

The answer is actually

found in verse 29,

but it's easy to miss.

When Jesus was executed,

it was by Roman

crucifixion on a cross.

So why in the world

does Paul call

the cross a tree?

Well, remember

that Paul is speaking here

to a Jewish audience

steeped in Old Testament

scripture.

And when Paul says

that Jesus died

on a tree,

he's actually making

an allusion

to a verse

in Deuteronomy

21, 23

that they would have

all known,

where it says

that a man

hung on a tree

is cursed

by God.

Jesus on the cross

was bearing

God's curse,

God's condemnation,

not for his own sins,

but for ours.

On the cross,

Jesus stepped

right into the middle

of our righteousness

problem,

and took the verdict

our sins deserve

in our place.

And then three days later,

God raised him

from the dead

to demonstrate

that the full

condemnation for sin

had been exhausted

and satisfied

and put away.

To declare publicly

that Jesus was indeed

God's son,

to confirm the promises

to David

and make them sure,

to ensure that Jesus,

this holy one,

would never see corruption

but reign as king

on David's throne

forever.

God foretold

all this in the verses

Paul cites

in 33 through 35.

You see,

because Jesus conquered

sin through the cross,

he then could conquer

death

in the resurrection.

Because Jesus took

all the condemnation

of sin on the cross,

he could then

break forth

into God's justification

in his resurrection.

God declaring imperfect,

innocent,

and righteous.

And that's why

Paul can say

in verse 38,

through this man,

Jesus,

through him

as your substitute,

as your representative,

forgiveness of sins

is proclaimed

to you.

Everyone who believes,

Paul says in verse 39,

is justified,

declared righteous,

by God.

Because believing

unites us to Christ,

wherein his death

becomes a death

for our sin,

and his resurrection

becomes a verdict

over our lives,

the verdict of justification.

So friend,

how are you trying

to answer

your righteousness problem?

Paul lays out

three options here.

They're pretty comprehensive.

First,

in verse 38 through 39,

you can answer it

once and for all

through Christ.

You can finally stop

trying to justify yourself

through your own efforts,

and you can trust

wholly in Christ.

And that invitation

is for everyone.

No matter what

your background,

no matter how successful

or unsuccessful

you are

at playing

whatever game of life

that you're in,

in Christ,

God will forgive

your sins

and free you,

justify you

instantly,

utterly,

and completely.

Second,

in verses 40 through 41,

Paul gives a warning

against rejecting

the message of Christ.

You see,

you can try

to answer

your righteousness problem

by going back

to the same old things

that you've done

all your life.

You can jump back

on the hamster wheel

of your own performance

and try to find

a verdict

that will bring

your soul peace.

Whether it's

at spinning class

or whether it's

from your spouse

or whether it's

from your peers

or whether it's

from your colleagues.

Or worst of all,

you can live in denial

and try to pretend

that you don't actually

do any of that.

That you don't need

anyone's verdict.

And then you'll live

tragically unaware

of what's really going on

at the most fundamental

level in your life.

And you'll have no idea

why you can't stop

working late.

You'll have no idea

why you're crushed

with jealousy

when your co-worker

is promoted above you.

You'll have no idea

why your friendships

always seem to disappoint you

and make you miserable.

You'll live in total denial.

Having no idea

that under all of these

you're searching

for a verdict

over your life

that only God

and Christ can give.

Third, in verse 42

through 43,

Paul gives advice

to open-hearted seekers.

Maybe like these people

who follow Paul

out of the synagogue,

you're not believing

in Jesus yet,

but your interest

is sparked

and you want to hear more.

You're honestly seeking

and Paul says,

continue in the grace

of God.

Thankfully,

God works through means.

He says,

put yourself

in the path

of God's grace.

How do you do that?

You keep coming on Sundays

to hear the message

of Jesus

taught from the Bible.

You start reading

the Bible yourself.

You grab a friend

and ask them

to tell you more.

You pray

and you ask God

to tell you the truth

and to make the truth

about Jesus clear to you

and to give you

humility before Him.

And above all,

you remember

that it's all about

God's grace.

One of the biggest

barriers to belief

that we all have

is our own pride.

Our own pride

and our own desire

to want to be

acceptable to God

based on our own

performance.

You know,

at the end of the day,

you don't actually need

God to prove Himself

to you.

You need to admit

your need for grace.

So how are you trying

to answer your

righteousness problem?

Scoffing?

Living in denial?

Are you seeking?

Or are you believing?

Paul wants to see

that the one

who brought God's story

to its climax

is the only one

who can answer

that problem

once and for all.

Well, friends,

I hear the drums.

So we should end quickly.

Jesus isn't just

the climax of the story

and the answer

to the problem,

but because of that,

He's brought God's future

into the present.

The inbreaking of the future.

Let's look at 44 through 52.

The next Sabbath,

almost the whole city

gathered to hear

the word of the Lord.

But when the Jews

saw the crowds,

they were filled with jealousy

and began to contradict

what was spoken by Paul,

reviling him.

And Paul and Barnabas

spoke out boldly,

saying,

It was necessary

that the word of God

be spoken first to you.

Since you thrust it aside

and judge yourselves

unworthy of eternal life,

behold,

we're turning to the Gentiles.

For so the Lord

has commanded us,

saying,

I've made you a light

for the Gentiles

that you may bring salvation

to the ends of the earth.

And when the Gentiles

heard this,

they began rejoicing

and glorifying

the word of the Lord

and as many as were appointed

to eternal life believed.

And the word of the Lord

was spreading

throughout the whole region.

And the Jews incited

the devout women

of high standing

and the leading men

of the city,

stirred up persecution

against Paul and Barnabas

and drove them

out of their district.

But they shook off

the dust from their feet

against them

and went to Iconium.

And the disciples

were filled with joy

and with the Holy Spirit.

You see, friends,

the Old Testament prophets

all foresaw a time

when the Gentiles

would come streaming

into the people of God

and hear Luke saying,

look, it's actually

starting to happen.

Almost the whole city

shows up.

Is Paul being a bit,

or is Luke, excuse me,

being a bit hyperbolic?

Is he exaggerating a little?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

The point is,

is that God's great future

is breaking in now.

And Paul's had this

in view the whole time.

Did you catch how he addressed

not just the men of Israel,

not just the women of Israel,

but also you who fear God?

These Gentile God fearers

who hadn't quite converted

to Judaism

but were there at the synagogue.

Paul says,

it's for you too.

And here he's talking

about eternal life.

That is life

of the age to come

that has no end.

The future's breaking in now

and almost the whole city

shows up

to hear this message

of salvation.

You imagine how thrilling

that must have been.

And friend,

do you believe

that the same God

who worked powerfully then

to bring almost

the whole city

to hear the message

is the same God

who can work powerfully now

when and where he chooses.

And what's more,

this passage tells us

that in this,

that in this in-breaking future

as God's ripping open

the present

and pouring in,

we've got a part to play.

Look at verse 47.

In 47,

Paul quotes Isaiah 49.6.

Now what's thrilling

about that verse

is that in the context

of Isaiah,

that verse is describing

the servant of the Lord.

It's primarily talking

about what Jesus

would come and do.

But what does Paul do here?

He applies it to himself

and to Barnabas.

Isn't that incredible?

Paul is saying

that we now

have the great privilege

of taking part

in the very mission

of Jesus

to bring light

to those in darkness

and salvation

to those in despair.

And friends,

if our mission

is really an extension

of the mission

of the risen Christ,

how much boldness

ought that to give us?

If we come

not in our own name,

our own strength,

but as ambassadors

of one who conquered

sin and death

and brought life

and immortality

to light,

what genuinely

do we have to fear?

But Luke also shows us here

that this in-breaking future

in which we have a role

to play

is also a contested future.

In verses 45 and 50,

we see that tragically

some will still persist

in clinging

to their old stories

and refusing to see

that the climax has come.

You know,

when people are sick

and their bodies

are failing,

sometimes a sick body

will reject

an organ transplant

meant to bring it life.

In the same way,

those who persist

in living according

to the patterns

of the present age

often reject

the life-giving future

that God begins,

that He's bringing

into being

through the Gospel.

That we'd rather

have our own

self-centered stories

where our own

righteousness is praised

and our own tribe

is exalted

rather than give way

to the righteousness

of Christ

that's freely offered

to everyone

who believes.

Of course,

we know that Paul's

reaction to his fellow

Jews here

is actually to weep

and to pray

for their conversion.

We see that

in Romans 9

and we should too.

But friends,

also,

we shouldn't expect

that everyone

will gladly accept Christ

and accept us

as His ambassadors.

Following Jesus

will be costly at times.

We might lose friends

and we might lose reputation.

But,

there's one thing

Luke says

that you won't lose.

Because even though

this future is contested,

he shows us

at the very end

that this is a future

of indestructible joy.

even in trial

and hardship,

they're filled

with the Holy Spirit

and experience His joy.

These new disciples

in Christ

had something

that their circumstances

couldn't shake

and that their emotions

couldn't shake.

They had come

to know the truth

about God

and Jesus Christ.

They'd come to know

His sovereign grace.

Luke highlights it

in verse 48.

Did you catch that?

As many as were appointed

to eternal life

believed.

Now, up to this point,

Luke has stressed

the very real,

genuine human response

of the gospel demands

of each one of us.

We're all called

to turn and trust in the Son.

But now Luke

sort of fills in

the picture.

And here we see

that the fountainhead

of our desire for God

is His previous desire

for us.

that those who believe

don't have their own belief

to thank for their salvation

because even believing

is a gift of His grace.

And in that joy,

they spread the gospel

to the whole region.

And in that joy,

they endure trials

and persecutions.

And in that joy,

they glorify the word

of the Lord.

And that sort of joy

is for all

who believe.

In the long run,

a people is known

not by its statements

or its statistics,

but by the stories

it tells.

Friend, how do you want

your life to be known?

How do you want

our church to be known?

By statements

or statistics?

Things that won't last.

Or the story

of Jesus Christ.

His death

and resurrection.

His spirit.

His future.

And the joy

that He brings.

May that be the case.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Father, we pray indeed

that by Your Spirit

You would again

open our eyes

to see the beauty

of Christ.

And Lord, now as we sing

and as we give praise

to Him,

Lord, make this song

that we sing

a prayer

of response,

confession,

and commitment to You,

we pray.

Amen.

Let's stand

and let's sing together.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

AMP S tasted Him

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.