From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised Acts 13:13-23
Paul was always ready with a sermon. Are you? I remember being in Dominican Republic on a surgical mission trip and my friend Jehosophat came running up to me and excitedly said, "Come with me!" He had somehow arranged for us to share the gospel to an assembly at the public school. He turned it over to me to preach and he would interpret. I wasn't prepared but God gave me the words to speak. I talked from the account where Jesus heals the 10 lepers but only one had healing of his soul. I related it to why we were there, not just to offer temporary healing but the healing that lasts forever. Paul was prepared for whatever audience he would come upon. When he spoke to the Jews, like in this case, we get a glimpse of his method.
First he would build them up as Jews and get them on his side. He'd talk about them being the chosen people and their rich heritage with God fighting for them against all foes. Then he would develop their pattern of rebellion against God and their unworthiness compared to God's faithfulness and goodness to them. Certainly, unless they were in denial they would have to admit that their years of wandering in the wilderness, the age of Judges, and their choice of a king, in particular Saul, were not their finest hours. Then, after establishing that God loves them and they have failed God, he presents Jesus as the Messiah who came to fix their relationship with God.
When we present the gospel, likewise it starts with God. Contemporary Christianity makes it all about us but that's got it backwards. God is our perfect creator who made us to be in a relationship with Him but we ruined it. Our sins separate us from a Holy God just like germs separate us from an operating room. But God sent His Son Jesus to wash away our sins with His blood on the cross - but Paul will get to that next. Suffice it to say Rom.3:23 says that we've all sinned and are separated from the glory of God. If I was sharing this to Paul's audience, I might use the example of the person who touched the ark and died, Uzziah entering the Holy place and getting leprosy, Aaron's sons getting killed for offering unauthorized fire or Moses being hidden from God's presence so he wouldn't be consumed. I would probably use Habakkuk 1:13 which says, "Your face O Lord is too holy to look on sin".
Are you prepared to grab a mike and start preaching?
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