The Questions God's Word Asks of Us
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. - Acts 13:48-49
God advances His unstoppable mission through the faithful proclamation of His Word. From Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and now to the ends of the earth, the gate-breaking force has always been the same: bold, faithful preaching that leaves men and women grappling with life's deepest questions.
In Acts 13, Paul stands in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch and preaches. The same man who once breathed out threats against the disciples now breathes out Scripture for them. And his sermon does more than share facts. It confronts every listener with eternal realities they cannot ignore. The gospel raises questions everyone must answer. Let's sit with a few of them today.
1. Will I Take God at His Word?
The journey to Pisidian Antioch was brutal. Bandit-ridden roads, flooded mountain passes, and a climb to 3,600 feet. John Mark turned back. But Paul and Barnabas pressed on, trusting where God was leading.
We face this same crossroads. Is this Bible the truth or just another book of morals? The source of life or simply nice fairy tales? If its claims are true, then everything changes. Will we take God at His word in how we love our families, spend our time, handle our money, and order our days? To do so is to humbly admit we don't have it all figured out.
2. Will I Embrace My Need for Deliverance?
Paul walks his hearers through the sweep of Israel's history, from Egypt to John the Baptist. The message rings clear: humanity needs rescue from sin. We are poor and needy. We need a Savior.
Israel was set free from Egypt yet still wandered, and God patiently put up with them. He is just as long-suffering with us. He waits for us to see our neediness, because only then can we reach for the help that is freely offered.
3. Will I Believe That Jesus Lived, Died, and Rose Again in My Place?
Jesus was the only truly innocent man to ever live, yet He was put to a brutal death and laid in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. This was no surprise. The Law and the Prophets foretold it long before. David died and his body decayed, but the Holy One did not. If Jesus conquered death, then we must reckon with His words and His work. He must be God.
4. Will I Walk in Freedom, Different From the World?
Here is the heart of the good news: through Jesus, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, and everyone who believes is freed from what the law could never free us from. Freed from sin. Freed from striving to earn God's favor. Freed from living for the approval of others.
That freedom is meant to be walked out day by day, moment by moment, by the grace of God. It looks different from the world, and it is unbelievably good.
5. The Results Are in the Lord's Hands
A week later the whole city gathered to hear. The response was mixed, as it always is. Some scoffed and judged themselves unworthy. Others, appointed to eternal life, believed and were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Even when opposition drove Paul and Barnabas out, the Word kept spreading through the whole region.
Our job is not to control the outcome. He knows who are His. We have only to be faithful: faithful to answer, faithful to act, and faithful to proclaim the good news wherever He sends us.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for sending Your Word to rescue us. Help me to take You at Your word, to embrace my need for You, and to trust fully in the death and resurrection of Jesus on my behalf. Teach me to walk in the freedom You have given, different from the world around me. And when I share this good news, free me from the burden of results, for I know they rest in Your hands. Make me faithful to answer and faithful to act. In Jesus' name, amen.
God advances His unstoppable mission through the faithful proclamation of His Word. From Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and now to the ends of the earth, the gate-breaking force has always been the same: bold, faithful preaching that leaves men and women grappling with life's deepest questions.
In Acts 13, Paul stands in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch and preaches. The same man who once breathed out threats against the disciples now breathes out Scripture for them. And his sermon does more than share facts. It confronts every listener with eternal realities they cannot ignore. The gospel raises questions everyone must answer. Let's sit with a few of them today.
1. Will I Take God at His Word?
The journey to Pisidian Antioch was brutal. Bandit-ridden roads, flooded mountain passes, and a climb to 3,600 feet. John Mark turned back. But Paul and Barnabas pressed on, trusting where God was leading.
We face this same crossroads. Is this Bible the truth or just another book of morals? The source of life or simply nice fairy tales? If its claims are true, then everything changes. Will we take God at His word in how we love our families, spend our time, handle our money, and order our days? To do so is to humbly admit we don't have it all figured out.
2. Will I Embrace My Need for Deliverance?
Paul walks his hearers through the sweep of Israel's history, from Egypt to John the Baptist. The message rings clear: humanity needs rescue from sin. We are poor and needy. We need a Savior.
Israel was set free from Egypt yet still wandered, and God patiently put up with them. He is just as long-suffering with us. He waits for us to see our neediness, because only then can we reach for the help that is freely offered.
3. Will I Believe That Jesus Lived, Died, and Rose Again in My Place?
Jesus was the only truly innocent man to ever live, yet He was put to a brutal death and laid in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. This was no surprise. The Law and the Prophets foretold it long before. David died and his body decayed, but the Holy One did not. If Jesus conquered death, then we must reckon with His words and His work. He must be God.
4. Will I Walk in Freedom, Different From the World?
Here is the heart of the good news: through Jesus, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, and everyone who believes is freed from what the law could never free us from. Freed from sin. Freed from striving to earn God's favor. Freed from living for the approval of others.
That freedom is meant to be walked out day by day, moment by moment, by the grace of God. It looks different from the world, and it is unbelievably good.
5. The Results Are in the Lord's Hands
A week later the whole city gathered to hear. The response was mixed, as it always is. Some scoffed and judged themselves unworthy. Others, appointed to eternal life, believed and were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Even when opposition drove Paul and Barnabas out, the Word kept spreading through the whole region.
Our job is not to control the outcome. He knows who are His. We have only to be faithful: faithful to answer, faithful to act, and faithful to proclaim the good news wherever He sends us.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for sending Your Word to rescue us. Help me to take You at Your word, to embrace my need for You, and to trust fully in the death and resurrection of Jesus on my behalf. Teach me to walk in the freedom You have given, different from the world around me. And when I share this good news, free me from the burden of results, for I know they rest in Your hands. Make me faithful to answer and faithful to act. In Jesus' name, amen.
Recent
Archive
2026
April
May
June
No Comments