Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Gospel for Moral People Sermon Recap

The Gospel for Moral People
Sermon Recap
6/16/2013
Acts 13:13-53

Listen to past sermons at http://www.bridgepodcast.com . Watch past sermons at http://www.bridgechurchonline.tv


In this sermon recap we will see how Paul presents the gospel to a non-Christ-centered religious crowd. Then, in Acts 14 at The Bridge  next week, we will see how Paul does evangelism with a non-religious pagan audience.

Audience: Religious people. Jew and Gentile God-Fearers.

The Big Idea: God has always taken the initiation of grace in the history of his relationship with his people

SEE ACTS 13:13-23

The History of God’s Relationship with his People: 

  1. He chose our fathers (vs. 17) 
  2. He patiently endured them in the wilderness (vs. 18) 
  3. He gave them all their leaders and deliverers (vs.17-22) 
    • Moses 
    • The Judges
    • The prophets
    • The kings 
  4. He promised and then gave them the savior, Jesus (vs. 23) 
This survey of Israel’s history demonstrates that God has a plan for history, and we need to sense a connection to that plan. Jesus is the goal of history, and as we are in Jesus, we are in the flow of God’s great plan of redemption.

Key: God’s favor has never been earned, has always been graciously given, and has always been mediated through great leaders who saved the people by God’s gracious power 

SEE ACTS 13:24-37 

The Case for Salvation in Jesus
  1. Jesus’ life and death fit the predictions of a messiah 
  2. The greatest prophet, John the Baptist recognized Jesus as messiah (vs. 24-25) 
  3. There were eyewitnesses of the bodily resurrection (vs. 31) 
The Heart of the Gospel
  • Christianity is Christ (vs. 27-30) 
    • His person and life 
    • His death 
    • His resurrection 

NOTE:  In calling the cross a tree, Paul drew on the idea from Deuteronomy 21:22-23. In that passage, it says that God curses a person who is hanged from a tree. Paul wanted to communicate the idea that Jesus was cursed so that we could be blessed (Galatians 3:13). 

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—(Galatians 3:13, ESV) 


Key: The heart of the gospel message is not that a teacher has come to show us how to save ourselves, but that a Savior has come to die and be raised for us. 

SEE ACTS 13:38-39 

The Promises of the Gospel 
  •  Forgiveness of sin 
  • Approval by God 
  • For those who trust in Christ 
    • Justification by faith alone 
Jesus does not only forgive us, but we are also justified by Him. Forgiveness takes care of the debt of sin, but justification puts a positive credit on our account before God. 


SEE  ACTS  13:40-52 

SIDE  NOTE: Continuing in grace is as important as beginning in grace; we must never leave it as the basic principle of our relationship with God. Far too many only think of grace as the introduction to the Christian life, but God wants grace to remain as the foundation for our life with Him. 

Responses to the Gospel 
  1.  Some reject (vs. 45-46) 
    • The only way to be worthy is to admit you are completely unworthy.
    • Since some considered themselves worthy of eternal life, they were not worthy of eternal life.
  2.  Others accept (vs. 48) 
    • They do so because God has been at work overcoming their rebellion 
    • This is a complete denial that salvation can be by goodness and morality and religiousness. 
Key: When we reject the gospel, it is done so freely. We are not forced to do so — we are responsible for what we have done. But if anyone accepts the gospel, it is because God has been at work in their lives. After we believe we have no one to praise but God! 

What now? 
  1.  Trust Jesus 
  2.  Live for Jesus
  3.  Keep on keeping on amidst life’s circumstances
NOTE ON SHAKING THE DUST OFF: If Jewish people had to go in or through a Gentile city, when leaving the city they shook the dust off their feet as a gesture saying, “We don’t want to take anything from this Gentile city with us.” In this sense, Paul said “I don’t want to take anything with me from you Jesus-rejecting religionists.” 

Where the gospel of grace is preached, it will offend the non-Christ-centered religious, and they may oppose it.

Paul and Barnabas had joy that contradicted their circumstances. 

The joy a Christian has lies far beyond earthly circumstances that always changes. 

How do we keep going as a believer? By recognizing:
  1. We have a father (God)
  2.  We have a brother (Jesus) 
  3. We have a helper and comforter (Holy Spirit)
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