The Evangelism of Acts

Today on Renewing Your Mind. We want to have a New Testament church first century church. Everyone talks about that great then you need to have a preaching church because at first century church was lit up with strong gospel preaching, but undergirding the preaching of the gospel were the doctrines of sovereign grace documents rooms biblical doctrines that describe God's will review and saving his people today Dr. Steven Morrison Texas to the book of Max two shows the many gospel sermons in that book, and that indeed God is the author and instigator of salvation we come in this session after the book of acts, which is a remarkable book and because it is the most evangelistic book in the entire Bible. As it traces the spread of Christianity light like a burning fire throughout that part of the world. Churches were planted, souls are won to Christ the gospel was preached. It was so evangelistic as the gospel spread from Jerusalem all the way to Rome. In the course of a 30 year period of time in the book of act is really a book of preaching evangelistic preaching.

Do you know that one out of every four verses in the book of acts is a sermon or powerful witness that Paul is giving. We want to have a New Testament church first century church. Everyone talks about that great then you need to have a preaching church because at first century church was lit up with strong gospel preaching, but undergirding the preaching of the gospel were the doctrines of sovereign grace. Jesus had said I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. And Jesus did build his church as the word of God was preached and it is this truth of the sovereignty of God in salvation, that in no way douse the flames of their excitement to preach the gospel. In fact, it was pouring gas on the fire of their heart to preach the gospel with even greater boldness. So in this session I want to trace the sovereignty of God in salvation through the book of acts for us in the midst of this powerful proclamation of the word of God to be in chapter 2, verse 23 Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost and just remind you 3000 souls were saved as a result of this heralding of the truth in chapter 2, verse 23 Peter did not hesitate to speak of the sovereignty of God in salvation.

He said this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, right there in the midst of an evangelistic sermon, Peter talks about foreordination.

He talks about predestination and these truths were used by God for winning the lost of faith in Jesus Christ are part of plowing up the soil so that the message of the person in the work of Christ can be planted the seeds be planted, but I want you to see that from the very outset, Dr. Lucas. He records this does not hesitate to put high theology into this book because Peter preached with high theology, we come to the end of this chapter asked to verse 47 as the church was beginning to grow by leaps and bounds and we note at the end of verse 47 that this explosive growth by conversions. It was the Lord who was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

It wasn't Peter. It wasn't John. It wasn't the disciples. It wasn't there church growth strategy was a sovereign God of heaven and earth. It was honoring the ministry of the word of God, and it was God himself who was building the church and we come to chapter 3 in verse 16. Very interesting verse.

It would be easy to pass over Peter as he preaches on the occasion of the healing of the lame man the crowd gathered around and Peter use this as an opportunity to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ. In verse 16, something that might slip our attention.

Peter said on the basis of faith in his name. His name refers to Jesus Christ and all salvation necessitates faith in Jesus Christ. It is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know and the faith.

Now watch this which comes through him. Faith is in him, but is also through him the faith that we exercise in Christ is a faith that has come from Christ and is used through Christ and worst Jesus is the author and perfecter of saving faith in the faith that you used, to call upon the name of the Lord was the faith that came from and through Jesus Christ. It has to be this way because we were spiritually dead in trespasses and sins that we had no faith. God had to give us the faith, in order to believe in Christ was we continue to work our way through this book, chapter 5 in verse 31 acts chapter 5 in verse 31 Peter is standing before the Sanhedrin. He is between a rock and a hard place and Peter and the apostles answered. After they've been told to stop witnessing in the name of Jesus you think that back Peter Dan Peter had no reverse gear.

He said we must obey God rather than men, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death. Great preaching gets to the you you putting to death by hanging him on a cross. But God has raised him from the dead. Now look at verse 31. He is the one whom God exalted to the right hand as a prince and a Savior.

Please note, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. What is repentance come from to come from the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ascended Christ seated at the right hand of God the father.

He is the one who gives repentance and he does so to all the elect. I also want to draw your attention to their something else that is given by Christ and his forgiveness of sin, the one who gives the forgiveness of sin is the one who gives repentance in order to receive the forgiveness of sin from him, through him to him are all things that he is the Savior in every sense of the word that he is the Savior. As verse 31 says in that he secured our salvation through a sinless life in a substitutionary death, but he does more. He is ascended the right hand of God the father, and even now that his work of salvation has been completed.

He continually is granting repentance so that we can believe upon him and he's also then granting forgiveness of sin, the one who freely gives forgiveness of sin is a gift is the one who freely gives repentance as a gift as well. No man can repent on his own allowance you to come to chapter 9 and verse 15 acts chapter 9 and in verse 15 is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road and it should go without saying that the entire narrative of his conversion as he has letters and hand traveling to Damascus to apprehend the believers and drag them back to Jerusalem.

Christ appears to him and Saul of Tarsus is suddenly converted.

I mean this is the prototype for every conversion is a sovereign grace and what is said to Paul in verse 15, really.

The Lord said to Ananias go for he is a chosen instrument of mine to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and sons of Israel got a chosen to be an instrument to preach the gospel will in order to be a converted preacher yet to be chosen for salvation as well. And that's implied here in the total package of this but there can be no misunderstanding. At this point, but that salvation is from the hand of a sovereign God who chooses whom he will convert in acts chapter 11 and verse 18. As we continued to walk through this book. Acts 11 and and and verse 18 we read when they heard this, referring to the gospel. They quieted down and glorified saying, well then God has granted to the Gentiles also, the repentance that leads to life, that this just double_so we just said earlier that God must grant give the gift of repentance before anyone can believe in Jesus Christ in one remind us that this takes place in the most evangelistic book in the entire Bible that it is God himself who guarantees the success of the work of evangelism.

It is God himself who undergirds the work of missions around the world is God who is pouring out repentance to those for whom they are appointed to eternal life as well as continue our walk through the book of acts and were coming now to a blockbuster verse.

Acts 13 verse 48. I'll never forget the day when I first laid eyes on this verse and I mean like really laid eyes on this verse. It just about knocked me out of the chair. This was a verse that had an enormous impact on my understanding of how God works in salvation. Now the context of larger context is the preaching of the gospel in the cities of Galatia and there is a rejection by many of the Jews and the gospel is turning now to the Gentiles. This verse finds itself in the midst of the flames of evangelistic fervor as the gospel is going forward. Their people being one to Christ. And so in the midst of this in acts 13 verse 48 when the Gentiles heard this, that the gospel would be now being offered to them.

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord.

Now here's what I want you to see and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed that verse is so precise and so profound and so clear when asked three questions about this verse number one which comes first. Believe and then you are appointed to eternal life or you are appointed to eternal life. And then you believe, which is the cause, which is the effect. The answer is very obvious. First, God appoints to eternal life, then sinners believe as a result of that appointment being appointed to eternal life is the cause. Believing is the effect now we cannot have that flip-flopped in and reversed the Mississippi river is flowing north to south. Okay, not South to North. You need to understand the direction that this is going is top to bottom is heaven to earth. This God to man. Second question do anymore believe than those who are appointed third question do any less believe then those who are appointed. The answer is the same for the second and the third question for any thinking person as many as that's a tight little three word cluster as many as had been.

Please note in the past appointed to eternal life.

These and these only these and all of these believe what a strong statement of the sovereign grace of God will come to chapter 14 acts chapter 14 and verse 27 and we read. Not only does God grant repentance.

But God grants saving face is so we read at the end of acts 14. Here's what's happened. Paul has been sent out by the church at Antioch as a missionary. That missionary trip began at the beginning of acts 13 and now after he's made the circuit to the churches of Galatia. He comes back to the sending church to give a report is really the first missions conference. It is what it is and so is Paul comes back he gives the report in verse 27 they arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that they had done that would assess his test that God had done with them. God is the driving force of all that came about. They were merely instruments whom God had picked up to use and how Keith that he refers to God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles very clearly until God opens that door. It is a sealed shut door in the center is in unbelief and the handle is on the outside, and that that door cannot be opened by the center.

The center does he want opened because of total depravity, God must come in God must open that door and God must open a door of faith, so that saving faith would be given to the Gentiles. I want you to know until God opens that door. It'll never be opened and when God does open that door, it can never be shut. He opens a door that no man can closing closes a door that that no man can open an revelation to will come with me and at acts 16 in verse four and just get ready because this is a great text here and I'll again I love all this because it's in the context of evangelism within the context of gospel preaching and so Paul comes to the city of Philippi and by the Riverside. He sees some women who are meeting their they are sincere but their lost they are worshipers of God, though they don't know God.

And Paul preaches the gospel and there's a woman their name Lydia. So how does Lydia come to believe the gospel will notice verse 14 a woman name Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God was listening. Now the word of God has to always be preached.

No one can be saved without the written word of God coming to them. She was listening and the Lord opened her heart stop right there that obviously presupposes that it was closed and it was close by unbelief was closed by radical corruption. It was closed by the devil. It was sealed shut in her life and heart was like a tomb. But when Paul preached the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul, and that word opened. I hope you see it in your Bible.

It doesn't mean that that door is just kind of casually opened in like the doors already halfway opened and he is kind of blow on it and it just kinda opens. Now I want you to see how this word is used down in verse 26 because once you say this year and understand that when the Lord opens a hard it is a powerful work of God's grace. So you remember Paul and Silas, verse 25 are thrown into prison. It's in the middle of the night.

What are they doing they are seeing every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before the hysterics. Their singing hymns of praise to God are not whining and complaining that they're just glorifying God, even the most difficult of circumstances, and the prisoners were listening to them. They had a captive audience so verse 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake that shook the ground and shook that entire prison so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken and easily removed and immediately all the doors were opened, the very same word that you used in verse 14 when the Lord opened her heart to respond to the gospel more powerful than that earthquake was the omnipotence of God.

It was unleashed in the heart of Lydia that heart that had been sealed shut by sin and unbelief. God brought the power of heaven to bear upon her heart and in a moment. Her heart was so open never to be closed again that she might receive the gospel. I will show you something else as long as were in this text. Look at verse 19. But when their Masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and please note the verb drag them drag them into the marketplace before the authorities that were dragged is the very same word that is used in John six verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws them. It is a powerful dragging someone say all God wouldn't drag me when you're not coming because you are so obstinate you are so thickheaded you are so stiffnecked you are so uncircumcised of heart.

You are so resistant to the things of God. You are so bullheaded you are so just stubborn that God had to drag you when he brought you to faith in Jesus Christ. We have no idea of two things. Number one how stubborn our heart was before conversion and second, how powerful is the call of God that draws us even drags us to faith in Jesus Christ and overcomes our resistance will kinda acts 18 in verses nine and $10 County Court that wicked city and he has preached the gospel and guess what he created quite a stir and he has been resisted of verse six and they blasphemed him and Paul said then on out here. Eddie shook his garment and said to them, your blood be on your own heads, and he is heading out of town to go preach the gospel someplace else in the Lord appeared in verse nine that night to Paul by vision and says you can leave.

I've got my people in this town appointment. They have been saved yet the Lord's people by sovereign election. So, look what he says in verse nine do not be afraid any longer but go on speaking.

Do not be silent in other words, ramp up your preaching and nail your feet to the floor. Verse 10 for I am with you. That's all you need CAN BE AGAINST YOU IF I'M WITH YOU. ONE PLUS GOD ALWAYS MAKES A MAJORITY FOR I AM WITH YOU, AND NO MAN WILL ATTACK YOU IN ORDER TO HARM YOU, FOR I HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY YOU PREACH, I'LL BRING THEM YOU STAND UP AND PREACH THE GOSPEL AND EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE CHAOS OF THIS CITY THAT IS LIKE A LIKE A TORNADO HAS HIT TOWN YOU HOLD FAST YOUR POSITION, DON'T LEAVE YOU PREACH. I HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN.

THAT'S OUR CONFIDENCE IS IT NOT THAT THE LORDS THE LORD'S SOVEREIGN PURPOSES WILL BE BROUGHT TO FRUITION, AND THOSE ARE THE LORDS PEOPLE WILL COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST ONE LAST VERSE I WANT YOU TO SEE ACTS 20 AND VERSE 28 AND IT SPEAKS OF THE ATONEMENT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND IN ACTS 20 IS, AS PAUL IS ADDRESS THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS. HE IS SPENT THREE YEARS WITH THE EPHESIANS. THERE, THE ELDERS, AND HE GIVES HIS FAREWELL SPEECH AND HE WANTS TO TIE DOWN ALL THE LOOSE ENDS OF THEIR THINKING. IN VERSE 28 HE SAYS TO THE ELDERS. BE ON GUARD FOR YOURSELVES AND FOR ALL THE FLOCK, AMONG WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MADE YOU OVERSEERS TO SHEPHERD THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH HE REFERRING TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD HOOTED A PURCHASE WHAT HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. THE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE A BLOOD BOUGHT PEOPLE WERE NOT OUR OWN. WOULD BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE. FIRST CORINTHIANS 6 AND VERSE 19 AND 20. THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD WERE NOT OUR OWN. WE DON'T BELONG TO OURSELVES THAT WE BELONG TO THE ONE WHO BOUGHT US THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF OUR SALVATION BY HIS SHED BLOOD. AND IF HE HAD BOUGHT THE WHOLE WORLD AND THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD BE IS WHEN HE BOUGHT THE CHURCH AND IT IS THE CHURCH THAT BELONGS THE TRUE CHURCH THAT BELONGS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT A JOY IT IS FOR US TO HAVE BEEN PURCHASED OUT OF THE SLAVE MARKET OF SIN AND SATAN, AND ITS ASSIGNS SHALL SET YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED. WE ONCE WERE SLAVES OF SIN. AND YOU KNOW WHAT WERE STILL SLAVES WERE SLAVES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NO SLAVE EVER HAD A BETTER MASTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE THAT THERE WE FIND IN THE BOOK OF ACTS SHOWS US ONCE AGAIN THAT GOD HAS CALLED AND ELECTED THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO RENEWING YOUR BIKE TODAY ON WE WEB THEM IF YOU JOIN US OFTEN ON THE SATURDAY EDITION OF OUR PROGRAM. YOU'VE HEARD LEADER MINISTRIES TEACHING FELLOW, DR. STEVEN LAWSON EXPLAINED THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE AS THEIR FILLED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WERE MAKING OUR WAY THROUGH HIS SERIES, WEEK BY WEEK. IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THE PROGRAMS ALONG THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE THE THE ENTIRE SERIES. THERE ARE 24 MESSAGES CONTAINED ON THREE DVDS. WHEN YOU GIVE A DONATION OF ANY AMOUNT TO LEADER MINISTRIES. WE WILL SEND IT TO YOU. IT'S TITLED FOUNDATIONS OF GRACE, NEW TESTAMENT OR WEB ADDRESSES Renewing Your Mind.ORG OR YOU CAN CALL US WITH YOUR GIFT AT 800-435-4343 DR. RC SPROUL FELTED LEADER MINISTRIES IN 1971 BECAUSE HE HE HE SAW THE NEED FOR THE CHURCH TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS HIS TEACHING ADDRESSED MANY AREAS OF STUDY INCLUDING THEOLOGY, CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW, PHILOSOPHY, AND CHURCH HISTORY, YOUR FAITHFUL GIFTS MAKE THIS MINISTRY POSSIBLE, AND TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT TODAY.

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