As we continue in our study of Acts this week, we’ll look at Acts 13:13-43. Paul and Barnabas continue their missionary journey and much of the passage is taken up by a sermon Paul delivers to the people of Antioch in Pisidia. What we find in his sermon is a reminder of what makes Christianity so compelling, so unique, and so trustworthy compared to other worldviews and religious systems: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

The resurrection is the hinge of all human history, the great before and after. Before there was death and darkness, after is light and new life! As believers we are resurrected people, looking forward to eternity with Christ yet sure of that hope even now. This passage is an invitation to live in the confidence of the miracle of the resurrection. 

Pastor Matthew McCleary, Associate Pastor

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Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

Chapter 13 begins the gospel going to the end of the earth. For centuries prior to the book of Acts, the scriptures told us that God’s grand purpose was that all nations would praise Him and know Him. Jesus said that when he was lifted up, he would draw all peoples (different nations) to himself. Acts 13 tells us of the first missionary endeavor, which became the launching pad through which God would be praised by all nations. This is still God’s heart today. We still have many people groups who have never heard of Jesus, nor do they have scripture in a language they understand. 

Acts 13:1-12

Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

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Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

Chapter 12 of the Book of Acts wraps up with Herod dying, Saul and Barnabus completing their mission in Jerusalem and heading back to Antioch.  Luke divides Acts into two parts and Chapter 12 is the end of the first portion.  The good news of Jesus Christ dying and being raised from the dead as the ultimate sacrifice for sin has been proclaimed in Jerusalem and beyond, primarily through the leadership of Peter.  The second portion of Acts will highlight Paul's missionary endeavors. As we recap the first 12 chapters to see how God has worked through His people, we see that the Word of God has increased and multiplied in 4 ways - the spoken word, the written word, the silent word, and the Living Word.  It's as vital and vibrant today as it was for the early church.  How can we as individuals and corporately continue to see God's word increase and multiply?

Acts 12:20-25

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Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

Acts 12:1-19 raises a natural question. The church prayed for both James and Peter, but James was killed by the sword, while Peter was miraculously delivered. Why did these two apostles receive such different outcomes when the same group of people were praying for them. These types of questions in our own lives can make it difficult to pray. We can feel discouraged. We can grow cynical. We can grow resigned to the fact that, God’s going to do what God’s going to do. Yet, even with the inevitable disappointment with James, the early church continues to fervently seek God in prayer. They pray for Peter. One of the things we learn from the early church was that prayer was so baked into their regular rhythms, that it wasn’t something that was contingent upon them getting the answer they wanted. While this didn’t necessarily make it easy when their prayers seemed to go unanswered, these rhythms did keep them in regular communion with God where they were constantly seeing answers to prayer. 

Acts 12:1-19

Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

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Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

Persecution of Christians became the catalyst by which God’s Word spread, missionally minded churches were formed, and unity was realized.

Acts 11:19-30

Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor

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Pastor Dave Pack, Senior Pastor