Water into Wine - A Sign of Celebration: At a wedding in Cana, Jesus performed his famous miracle of turning water into wine. This served as the first sign to the disciples of who Jesus is and what the kingdom is like where he is King. And what does this miracle teach us? Turning hundreds of gallons of water into the best wine at a wedding feast is a wonderful sign of celebration. Recorded on Jul 23, 2023, on John 2:1-12 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So this month, we’ve started a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this theme from various parts of the Bible throughout the year. But this year we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. So far, we’ve made it through chapter 1, which really has served as an introduction for the whole series. This morning, with the start of chapter 2, the author, the Apostle John, kicks off the public ministry of Jesus with the famous miracle of turning water into wine. Now, I know it’s the summertime, so if you missed any of the sermons so far, you can always go back and watch online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, with turning water into wine, we’ll see the first of seven signs in John’s gospel, which reveal who Jesus is and what the kingdom is like where he is king. And this first sign at the very start of the ministry of Jesus sets the stage for what his unique and world-changing ministry would be all about. And the message here is so surprisingly good. The way of Jesus, becoming a disciple of Jesus, the life that is found in Jesus’ name — none of this is easy, but it is so very good. The first of the seven signs is a sign of celebration which ought to be received with joyful praise and surprised thanks. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 2:1. Let’s jump right in.

John 2:1–5 (NIV), “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”” Let’s pause here. Ok! Just like the Godfather movie, the public ministry of Jesus starts with a wedding. Chapter one ends with a few men starting to follow Jesus as his disciples. We saw last week that Peter, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, and John the author all started following Jesus initially because of the testimony of John the Baptist. But after they spent some time with him, they started bringing others to him, convinced that he was the Messiah or the chosen one sent by God. If we look at a map, we can see that this happened in the southern region of Judea to the east of Jerusalem in the wilderness beyond the Jordan River. That’s where John the Baptist’s ministry took place. Here in chapter two, the author says they attended a wedding in the small town of Cana in the northern region of Galilee.

Jesus and the Disciples: The ministry of Jesus included calling men and women to become his disciples. In fact, everything that follows in John's gospel must be seen through the lens of discipleship — of learning to follow Jesus and helping others do the same. But as we see in this passage, the journey of faith often starts when someone says, “Come and see.” Recorded on Jul 16, 2023, on John 1:35-51 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So this month, we’ve started a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this theme from various parts of the Bible throughout the year. But this year we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. We started this series/theme by meeting two different men named John. First, we met John the Apostle, the author of this gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus. John was an ambitious and hot-tempered young man with the nickname Son of Thunder. But John found a new life with Jesus and was changed so much that by the end of his long life, he was known as the Apostle of love. Second, last week, we met John the Baptist, who was a wild man. John lived in the desert wilderness and dressed and ate like it, too. But John was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. And he did that very effectively. Today, we’ll move from the ministry of John the Baptist, preparing us for the coming of Jesus, to the very start of the ministry of Jesus. And the author introduces the ministry of Jesus in his gospel by showing how Jesus would call people to follow him. Last year, we spent the whole year focusing on learning to follow the unique way of Jesus. If you missed either of those sermons, you can always go back and watch online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, we’ll see the start of the journey for several of the first followers of Jesus. And what we learn from this passage will not only help us see how to follow Jesus but also how we might help our friends or loved ones follow him, too. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 1:35. Let’s jump in.

John 1:35-39 (NIV), “35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.” Ok, let’s pause here. So John the author/apostle says the day after John the baptist (the John mentioned here) testified that it was Jesus was the Messiah, and the one he was sent by God to prepare the way for — the next day, John was there again, meaning in the wilderness to the east of the Jordan River, with two of his disciples. At this time in Judea, the model of a rabbi and their disciples was common,

Jesus, the Lamb of God: Before we get to Jesus, we must be prepared to see him. This was what the ministry of John the Baptist was all about: to prepare the way for the Lord. John did this through a baptism of repentance and his testimony about Jesus, the Lamb of God. But John's ministry is still needed. Why? It's only when we behold Jesus and see him for who he truly is that we can find the life-to-the-full that God created for us to live. Recorded on Jul 9, 2023, on John 1:19-34 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So, last week, we started the new annual theme of Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. As I said last week, normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under our annual theme from the whole Bible. But this year, we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’ll go slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. And last week, we kicked off this series/theme by working through the prologue of John’s gospel. We met the Apostle John, an ambitious and hot-tempered young man, one of the Sons of Thunder. But John found a new life with Jesus, and eventually, he was changed so much that by the end of his long life, he was known as the Apostle of love. We said that reading through John is like walking through an art gallery. John has curated many different artistic images and portraits under one theme. And the theme is all about who Jesus is, what God has done and is doing through him, and the reality of the new life, eternal life, a life to the full that is possible when we believe. If you missed the introduction, you can always go back and watch it online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, we’ll meet another man named John, not the Apostle, but the baptizer. And this John, John the Baptist, had the special God-given task to prepare the way for the coming of the Christ (Messiah). And John the Baptist’s ministry is fitting for us even to this day. Because before we get to Jesus, we must be prepared to see him. We must first understand that God had promised that Jesus would come. Second, we must have a realistic view of our own sin and struggle that we need help; we need a savior. Third, and finally, as John encourages us to do, we must behold Jesus. We must really look at him and listen to him. We must carefully consider his words and deeds and meditate on what all that says about who he truly is. But if we do this, if we prepare ourselves and if we walk through this gallery that John has prepared for us, we just might find the life-to-the-full that God created for us to live. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 1:19. Let’s jump in.

John 1:19-23 (NIV), “19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,

Jesus, the Word of God: Many people sense there must be something more to life, but what could it be? There once was an ambitious, hot-tempered young man named John whose life was dramatically changed by his friend, Jesus. John came to believe the new life he found — a real life, an eternal life, a life to the full — is available for all who believe. And this is what John's gospel is all about. Real life is found by faith in Jesus' name. Recorded on Jul 2, 2023, on John 1:1-18 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus' Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John's life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God's power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So today, we have the privilege of starting a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Now normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this one annual theme from the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, but this year, we’re going to do something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going to slowly (chapter by chapter and verse by verse) work through the gospel according to John. This morning, I have the task of introducing this whole series, but we’ll also jump into the beginning, or the prologue as it’s usually called, which John uses as an introduction to his gospel. So, as we kick off this new theme, you might be wondering what John is all about and why we should care about what he has to say today. And those are good questions, but I’d like to start with a few questions for you. How do you feel about your life? Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, that something was still missing? I know I’ve had those questions over the years. Not that good things haven’t happened; certainly, many good things have happened in my life. But still, many people sense there must be something more to life, but what could it be? Well, a long time ago now, there was a man named John who was one of the closest friends of Jesus. John was an ambitious and hot-tempered young man when he started following Jesus. So much so that Jesus called John and his brother James the “Sons of Thunder.” At one point, John wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy a city that wasn’t very receptive to their message. He was ready to fight for the kingdom of God. But by the end of his long life, John became known as the Apostle of love. It really seems as if everything about his life had changed. He saw himself no longer with the hungry ambition to sit at Jesus’ right or left hand in glory but simply as the disciple that Jesus loved. And he came to believe that God was not only loving as part of his character but that God himself is love. And he came to believe and teach that the main marker of a Christian, the most important thing that distinguishes the life of a disciple of Jesus, is their love for one another. If you grew up with John and met him later in life, you’d wonder, “How did this happen?” Well, how did John experience this kind of radical change in his life? It was Jesus. Jesus turned John’s life upside-down. Jesus set him on a different path and walked with him until John understood and believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have a new life, an eternal life, and have it to the full. Of course, this is what Jesus does. So why should we care about what he has to say today?

Paul’s Final Word: As we bring our biographical series on the life of the Apostle Paul to a close, it's important to see how Paul "finished the race" of his life and ministry. Though he suffered many hardships, Paul's confidence in Christ and his heavenly reward remained unwavering. Paul not only "kept the faith," but entrusted the ministry of the gospel to the next generation. What a life! Will we be able to say the same thing at the end of our race? Recorded on Jun 25, 2023, on 2 Timothy 4:1-8 by Ted Selker.

The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.

Paul's Power in Weakness: One of the most startling realizations for many Christians is that even with faith in Jesus, life can still be very, very hard. Tragedy can still strike. Godly people still suffer. The Apostle Paul knew this better than most. He endured great hardship during his ministry. What kept him going? What drove him forward? He learned the vital lesson that when you're weak, grace is enough. Recorded on Jun 18, 2023, on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 by Pastor David Parks.

The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’ve focused on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re almost done with this theme. After today we only have one more week in our series on the life of Paul before we start our new annual theme, which is Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. For most of this next year, starting in July, we’ll be working through the whole gospel of John, chapter by chapter and verse by verse. And I can’t wait for that series! I’ve been working on this for months, and I can’t wait to share what the Lord has been showing me in John’s gospel. But as we finish our series on the life of the Apostle Paul, I do hope this series has been helpful for you. We’ve seen throughout this series that everybody needs Jesus, even enemies of Jesus like Paul. However, if you hear the gospel, put your faith in Jesus, and start to follow his way by the power of the Spirit, it doesn’t just make your life a little better — Jesus changes everything. We’ve seen this transformation in Paul’s life, going from a violent persecutor of Christians to the most effective Christian missionary in the history of the world. And we’ve seen this dynamic of change/transformation in the lives of many people and even whole cities as a result of Paul’s ministry. I suspect many of us could give testimony to the changes that Jesus brought into our lives, too. However, despite all this evidence of the power of God and the truth of the gospel, one of the most startling realizations for many Christians is that even when you trust in Jesus as Lord, even when you’ve been baptized and are obedient to follow his way, life can still be very, very hard. Tragedy can still strike. Godly people still suffer. And I’ve experienced this. I’ve been wounded, I’ve had broken relationships, I’ve struggled and suffered, and I’ve tasted the bitter wine of anxiety and depression and all manner of weakness, despite trying to be faithful to God. But my life has been relatively easy compared to Paul’s life. Paul suffered a great deal after becoming a Christian, as we’ll see today. My question is this: why did Paul keep going? From a biographical standpoint, why did Paul keep traveling, keep preaching, keep making disciples, and so on, when he so often faced such terrible and even violent opposition? What drove him forward, despite such hardship? The answer is that Paul was taught a lesson by Jesus himself that sustained him through it all. Not only did Jesus help Paul learn how to survive suffering, but he gave him a source of power, even in the midst of great weakness. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to 2Co 12:1. As you turn there, let’s do a quick recap of Paul’s life. Paul was born and raised in Tarsus and received the best Jewish education in Jerusalem. He became a Christian in Damascus and eventually helped lead the church in Antioch.

Paul in Ephesus: Have you ever felt stuck? With something needing to change hanging over your head? We say it all the time: Jesus changes everything. But what can we do when change is slow in coming? The whole region was changed after the Apostle Paul spent a few years in Ephesus. We learn three essential elements from his time there for real and lasting change. Recorded on Jun 11, 2023, on Acts 19:1-20 by Pastor David Parks.

The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.

Sermon Transcript

So all year, we’ve been focused on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series on the life of the Apostle Paul as a case study for learning the way of Jesus. Now one of the things about the way of Jesus, and we’ve tried to make this clear throughout the last year, is that his way is a totally different way compared to the ways of the world or even the way of our lives if we chose our own way. And when you follow this different way of Jesus, all kinds of stuff changes in your life. But honestly, have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever felt like there was this thing hanging over your head that just never seemed like it would go away? I have. As a Christian, even as a pastor, I’ve had issues/struggles/doubts that took years to work through before I saw real change. Sometimes I felt embarrassed along the way, sometimes defeated. But then, in God’s timing and by his grace, I was able to see change and experience more of the fruit of the Spirit, more freedom in Christ, and more joy as a child of God. But what’s up with that? On the one hand, following the way of Jesus seems to change some things right away. But on the other hand, other things seem to take forever. I’ve talked with many people over the years who share this same perplexing experience. Do you know what I’m talking about? Have you ever felt stuck in an area of your life? We say it all the time: Jesus changes everything. But today, we’ll see how. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Acts 19:1. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well. But as we join the Apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus, we’ll unpack this in three parts, revealing three essentials for experiencing real life change: 1. The Gospel 2. Discipleship 3. Spiritual Power. So first, the need for the truth of the gospel…

Acts 19:1-7 (NIV), “19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues  and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.” Let’s pause here. So as we’ve said, the Apostle Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young Jewish man who was a violent persecutor of Christians, that is, until he met Jesus and became a Christian, which changed everything. By his early 40s,

Paul in Athens: Have you ever been nervous about sharing your faith? In the first century AD, Athens was the center of Greek philosophy, religion, and cultural influence. The Apostle Paul had the possibly nerve-racking opportunity to share about Jesus with the Athenian elite. In his famous speech at the Areapagus, Paul demonstrates that the content of the gospel never changes, but the context does. Recorded on Jun 4, 2023, on Acts 17:16-34 by Pastor David Parks.

The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’ve been focused on Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series on the life of the Apostle Paul as a case study for learning the way of Jesus. The Apostle Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then, in his mid-twenties, Paul met Jesus, and he became a Christian, which changed everything. By his early 40s, he had served as a leader of the influential church in Antioch before being sent out as a missionary to bring the gospel to other people/places around the Roman Empire. Today, we’ll see that Paul takes a unique approach in the famous city of Athens. His normal pattern of ministry, and even how he talks about Jesus, is very different from other places. But how could this be? Does the gospel somehow change? That can’t be right, can it? But, remember, the Apostle Paul was the most effective missionary in the history of the world. So if Paul used a unique approach in Athens, we need to understand why. And the secret we uncover here can make anyone more effective in sharing their faith. Have you ever tried to share your faith, and it just didn’t go well? Or have you ever been scared to talk about being a Christian because you weren’t sure what to say? Then this message is for you. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Acts 17:16. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well.

Acts 17:16-18 (NIV), “16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.” Ok, let’s pause here. For the last few weeks, we saw how Paul started to bring the news of who Jesus is and what he accomplished to other people/places, along with a demonstration of spiritual power. He started with Barnabas in Cyprus and moved north into modern Turkey. And then, on his second journey, he went with Silas, Timothy, and Luke from Turkey to Philippi in Greece. This resulted in all kinds of people responding to his message, including men and women, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, and so on, because everybody needs Jesus. However, in addition to the spiritual fruit that he saw, Paul also faced spiritual opposition, which sometimes resulted in social upheaval and even violence. Let’s look at a map. From Philippi, in northern Greece, where Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned, they were chased over to Thessalonica,

Paul in Philippi: As the Apostle Paul ventures into Europe on his second missionary journey, he encounters three very different types of people — a wealthy woman of status named Lydia, a spiritually oppressed slaved girl, and a Roman jailer. All three experience the saving power of God in Jesus' name, highlighting a simple lesson: Everybody needs Jesus. Recorded on May 28, 2023, on Acts 16:11-34 by Pastor David Parks.

The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.

Sermon Transcript

The theme of our preaching ministry this year (which runs through the end of June) has been Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series on the life of the Apostle Paul. And we’re using Paul’s story as a case study for learning the way of Jesus. Because Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then, when he was about 25, Paul met Jesus, and he became a Christian, which set his life on a completely different path. By his early 40s, Paul had served for a time as a leader of the vibrant, growing church in Antioch before being sent out as a missionary with his coworker, Barnabas, and their young helper, John Mark. They had a successful trip to the island of Cyprus (with the exception that John Mark bailed and went back home), but Paul and Barnabas continued into modern-day Turkey before coming back to their home base of Antioch. We saw most of this first missionary journey last week in Acts 13, and just a reminder that if you’ve missed any of the sermons in this series, you can always go back and watch on the Church Center App or on YouTube. Well, today, we’re picking up the story of Paul’s second missionary journey. But for the next few weeks, we’ll consider his work in several notable cities, including Philippi (today), Athens (next week), and then, on his third journey, to Ephesus. But today, in Philippi, we’ll see Paul and his team have remarkable success but also cause such a disruption they get beaten up by a mob and thrown into prison. Now, in some ways, this is just normal life for Paul. But through it all, we see a remarkable poise; we see that Paul has this unusual ability to have joy (and literally keep singing!), even as life seems to be crumbling around him. This joy, regardless of his circumstances, is exactly the theme of his letter to the Philippians Paul would write later — when he was in prison once again. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Acts 16:11. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well. But today, we’ll start with a little intro passage for context. And then we’ll encounter three people in Philippi who are saved by God: first a powerful woman named Lydia, then a slave girl, and then a Roman jailer. Let’s start with the intro:

Acts 16:11-12 (NIV), “11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.” So again, this is the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. But one detail we haven’t mentioned yet is that when leaving for this journey, Paul and Barnabas had a serious problem. At the end of Acts 15, Luke writes, “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.

Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles: The spiritual awakening at Antioch produced two things: generosity toward the poor and a heart for the lost. As a result, Paul and Barnabas were sent out to bring the gospel to other people and places. They traveled to Cyprus and then to Pisidian Antioch and shared the word of God with a demonstration of spiritual power — and both Jews and Gentiles responded in faith. Paul was sent by the Spirit with power from the Spirit to all peoples. Recorded on May 21, 2023, on Acts 12:25 - 13:48 by Pastor David Parks. (Apologies for the loss of about 10 seconds of audio!!)

The Life of Paul is a new sermon series (mostly) from the book of Acts in the Bible. The Apostle Paul has a fantastic story. Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul was a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then he met Jesus, which changed everything. Eventually, Paul would become not only the preeminent Apostle to the Roman world but one of the most influential people who ever lived. Paul’s story offers a great case study of what it looks like to learn the way of Jesus.

Sermon Transcript

The theme of our preaching ministry this past year has been Learning the way of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a sermon series on the life of the Apostle Paul. Now, Paul’s story is fascinating, but for us today, it serves as a great case study for learning the way of Jesus. Because Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young man who was a violent persecutor of Christians. But then Paul met Jesus, which changed everything. He became a Christian and had to relearn everything in light of the way of Jesus. In our passage today, it’s about 15 years after Paul became a Christian. He’s in his early 40’s and has been serving the church in Antioch (about 450 miles north of Jerusalem) for a year with his friend, Barnabas, during a great period of spiritual renewal/awakening. We looked at this time last week, and we called it an unexpected outpouring of grace. For the first time, a large number of Jews and Gentiles had believed the gospel and started following Jesus. As we said, this doesn’t really mean anything to us, but in their day, this was a radical change. There was a wall of separation (social/cultural/ethnic/religious) between Jew and Gentile and now they saw themselves as brothers and sisters in the same church because of Jesus. Maybe the closest thing to this for us today would be hearing that there was a church where people on the extreme political left and right were actively loving each other and seeing themselves as brothers and sisters because of Jesus. That would be unusual, right? Maybe unusual enough to seem suspicious? I’m sure that’s how many people felt about Antioch. But that’s what God was doing. Well, today, we’ll see what happened next. And what happened next was that this gospel-centered, Jew and Gentile uniting, radically new thing that God was doing in Antioch — that started to spread. In fact, as it spread around the Roman Empire, the world would never be the same. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Acts 12:25. We’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well. But today, we’ll work through this passage in three sections. First, sent by the Spirit. Second, sent with power from the Spirit. And third, sent to all peoples.

Acts 12:25-13:3 (NIV), “25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. 13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.