TUESDAY - JULY 28

Read. Acts 13:13-41

13 Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia. John deserted them there and returned to Jerusalem. 14 They went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath, they entered and found seats in the synagogue there. 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders invited them, “Brothers, if one of you has a sermon for the people, please speak.”

16 Standing up, Paul gestured with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites and Gentile God-worshippers, please listen to me.17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors. God made them a great people while they lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. With his great power, he led them out of that country. 18 For about forty years, God put up with them in the wilderness. 19 God conquered seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave the Israelites their land as an inheritance.20 This happened over a period of about four hundred fifty years.

“After this, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. 21 The Israelites requested a king, so God gave them Saul, Kish’s son, from the tribe of Benjamin, and he served as their king for forty years. 22 After God removed him, he raised up David to be their king. God testified concerning him, ‘I have found David, Jesse’s son, a man who shares my desires.[a]Whatever my will is, he will do.’ 23 From this man’s descendants, God brought to Israel a savior, Jesus, just as he promised. 24 Before Jesus’ appearance, John proclaimed to all the Israelites a baptism to show they were changing their hearts and lives. 25 As John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the one you think I am, but he is coming after me. I’m not worthy to loosen his sandals.’

26 “Brothers, children of Abraham’s family, and you Gentile God-worshippers, the message about this salvation has been sent to us. 27 The people in Jerusalem and their leaders didn’t recognize Jesus. By condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Even though they didn’t find a single legal basis for the death penalty, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they finished doing everything that had been written about him, they took him down from the cross[b] and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead! 31 He appeared over many days to those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people.

32 “We proclaim to you the good news. What God promised to our ancestors, 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it was written in the second psalm, You are my son; today I have become your father.[c]

34 “God raised Jesus from the dead, never again to be subjected to death’s decay. Therefore, God said, I will give to you the holy and firm promises I made to David.[d] 35 In another place it is said, You will not let your holy one experience death’s decay.[e] 36 David served God’s purpose in his own generation, then he died and was buried with his ancestors. He experienced death’s decay, 37 but the one whom God has raised up didn’t experience death’s decay.

38 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, know this: Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. From all those sins from which you couldn’t be put in right relationship with God through Moses’ Law, 39 through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God. 40 Take care that the prophets’ words don’t apply to you:

41 Look, you scoffers,
    marvel and die.
I’m going to do work in your day --
    a work you won’t believe
    even if someone told you.”[f]

Reflect. In v.13 we are introduced to John (also known as Mark or John Mark). He is very young, and his mother’s house was important to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). We do not know why he deserted Paul and Barnabas. Later we will learn that Barnabas wanted to take John on another journey, but Paul found it hard to forgive. This disagreement caused Paul and Barnabas to split company. Tradition (not found in the Bible) says that John Mark later went to Alexandria and Egypt and founded a church there. In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul writes to Timothy and describes John Mark as very useful. 

• This is the only full-length report of a sermon by Paul, and if you compare it to Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, it is very similar. Paul shares the history of Israel with God not as a way of telling them what happened, but as a way of pointing to Jesus. 
• As you read this sermon by Paul, what do you notice? What themes do you see? What image of God does Paul paint during this sermon? If you read this passage slowly, what questions come to mind? Try to think of 5 questions to help you reflect on this passage.

Pray. After you think of these questions, ask God to meet you in asking the questions and to fill your heart and mind with a desire to search for God’s presence. 

COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST


Doug. Bobby. Collier. Glenn. Adam.  Mary.  Clyde.  Linda. Betty Carolyn. Jeff. Albert. Richard. Lois. Ross. Tiny. Donald. Bill. Barbara. Andreas. Helen. Bonnie Brenner. Baker Family. Robert McKenzie Family. Kibler family. Carolyn Harlow. Jeremy. Jeff Green. Lyric. Earl Graves. Mickey Huff. Huff & Welch families. Helen Leigh. Paul Huffman. Schools, Teachers, Staff, Parents, Students. Church regathering plans. Layman family. Charlene Withrow.