"They Were Pleased" (Acts 13:42)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/28/2018 10:10 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus: They were Pleased

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  Acts 13:42

            Message of the verses:  “42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.”

            What we will be looking at in this SD is “The Initial Reaction” of what happened after Paul gave his sermon.  This is the name of the first main point from John MacArthur’s commentary and we will look at his short introduction to this main point:  “The preliminary response to Paul’s sermon by the synagogue audience was favorable, though that attitude would soon change.  Four features of their initial positive response stand out.”  We are looking at the first positive response in our SD for today.

            What we see in verse 42 looks really good because the people in that Synagogue wanted to hear more from Paul and Barnabas, and it is no wonder after what they heard in the powerful sermon that Paul gave.  We have mentioned that the preaching of the gospel can give two different reactions and as far as the initial reaction it was positive.  Paul did a systematic sermon beginning with Abraham and going all the way up to David and then to His greatest son Jesus Christ.  John MacArthur writes “The ability to arouse people’s interest is the mark of a good preacher.  In Acts 17, Paul again displayed that ability:

‘10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.’

Paul’s persuasive preaching drove the Bereans back into the Old Testament to verify for themselves that what he preached was true.  Paul’s speech on Mars Hill to the pagan Athenians so stirred their interest that some said to him, ‘We shall hear you again concerning this’ (Acts 17:32).”

            I have mentioned the preaching of the late Billy Graham in a previous sermon and his preaching was so powerful that shortly after World War II when he wanted to go to Germany for a crusade they would not allow him to come there because they had heard before and during WWII a powerful man spoke and they were not ready for another even though this man’s message was certainly one they needed to hear.

            So after the powerful preaching of Paul the people in this synagogue wanted to hear him again.  However for them to delay a decision to accept Christ was dangerous as we will see, and it was true of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians found in 2 Corinthians 6:2 “for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION.’” What Paul quoted to the Corinthians was true and it is still true today, for if you hear the gospel do not wait to accept what Christ has done for you so that as you confess the fact that you are a sinner and accept what Christ has done for you then as Paul says, “you will be saved.” 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It was a little over 44 years ago when as far as I remember heard the gospel for the first time and it was very soon later when I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to reach out through my Spiritual Diaries and also with divine appointments that the Lord gives to me to tell other about Christ.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Cherubims” (Exodus 37:9).

Today’s Bible question:  “What nature did Christ take upon Himself?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/28/2018 10:35 AM