Acts 13--New Ventures

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It is tempting for us to allow faith to become sentimental. The sermons by Paul and Peter in the book of Acts cut through that. The message in these sermons does not set aside true affections and passion, but it establishes them on the historical events of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In the days of Paul’s teaching, the eyewitnesses were alive and could have (and did) personal verify the truth claims of Jesus resurrection.

As we read the messages of Paul we need to remind ourselves that Luke is giving us the most important aspects of the message. When we see these messages, we see what is at the center of our faith. We see our Savior who truly died on the cross and rose again. In him is forgiveness and the justification that no one could ever attain through the law of Moses (or any other law for that matter). When we bear witness to Jesus, we need to stay with the center of the message. When we are challenged regarding the church, faith, injustice, and we are put on our heals regarding our faith, we have a counter-challenge. We need to ask people who they think Jesus is. We cannot allow them to get away with setting him aside based upon fables they have been told or the lies modern scholarship has set up. Challenge people to take a real look at Jesus and respond to Him for he is, not what they have been told about him.

Paul and Barnabas received a lot of push-back. John Mark bailed out. We will also receive push back. Don’t take it personally—it is Jesus who is offensive to them. As long as Jesus is the offense, you can still love them however they respond to your witness.

Notes: Two key moments happen in this chapter. First, the church begins expressing itself in a new form—the missionary team. It is sent by the church and reports to the church and at the same time, still is a part of the church, functioning independently to fulfill the task of the church. This will be the dominant expression of the church we will observe for the rest of the book of Acts. Secondly, the Jews reject the gospel and so Paul and his team turns their attention to the Gentiles.