Revive Us Again | Week 15 | Acts 18

Acts 18 and the Call to Revival

Where would I be without Pastor Kettle? I don't think everyone knows how true that statement is. That's very true. All right, so we're going to be in Acts chapter 18, and we'll consider verses 4 through 5.

You have the context read in your hearing. This is the 15th message throughout this series. Let's look at that text, Acts chapter 18, verses 4 and 5. And he, speaking of Paul, reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade the Jews.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the Word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. Now the reason why Paul was there every Sabbath is that Paul had a full-time job, tent making, working with leather.

And here we see that when the Sabbath came, Paul was occupied with the Word of God, testifying to the Jews at the synagogue that Jesus was the Christ. Our overarching theme for this series has been Revive Us Again.

And I am fairly confident if we could take a worldwide poll throughout the church and ask them, do you want revival? I'm almost convinced that everyone would say yes. But if we laid out the work that needs to be done for revival and put that on a poll, I'm fairly convinced we would be upset with the results.

Everyone talks about wanting revival, but no one wants to put their hand to the plow and not look back. G. Campbell Morgan says this about revival. Revival cannot be organized, but we can set ourselves to catch the wind from heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.

And ladies and gentlemen, being obedient is how we set the sails. God has told us what to do. We see this pictured in the Old Testament for the Israelites to go and be a light to the nation, and they were disobedient.

They were disobedient. They were not a light to the nations. They did not listen to the Word of God. And in the New Covenant, the church is called to be the light of the world. And we're called to not hide this light under a basket, but to let it shine so that all man can see.

And if you're out looking in the world today and you're saying, man, this is awful. Our world is falling. You know whose fault it is? The church's fault, because we have hid the light under a basket. We need to set ourselves.

And it starts with removing the basket and being the light of the world as Jesus Christ calls us to be. Our theme for this Lord's Day in this chapter is that Jesus is the Christ. Just like Paul, you and I are supposed to testify to all people that Jesus was the Christ.

If you're here today and you're not fully convinced that Jesus, this Nazarene, is the Christ, I'm hoping to convince you with reason, to show you from the Scriptures that it's true. He is the Christ. It cannot be anyone else.

In our outline, I'm going to attempt, now I say attempt, to recreate this message that Paul may have preached that day in the synagogue. I'm going to do so by giving you two ways that Paul may have presented this message.

The first way would be by prophecy. Paul speaking with the Jews, he's going to go through prophecy to show them about the Christ. And the second way is by the title Christ. He's going to show them what the Christ is in title.

Paul’s Passion to Reason About Jesus as the Christ

As we transition, I want to talk about the passion of Paul to reason with people about Jesus being the Christ. If you remember, Paul was a Jewish Pharisee who hated and attacked Christians for believing that Jesus was the Christ.

Oh, you believe Jesus is the Christ? Here, let me arrest you and bring you to the courts where they can kill you. That was Paul's mission. When Stephen came to the synagogue, which Paul was at, Paul, along with others, took place in this killing of Stephen by putting Stephen to death by way of stoning.

They saw Stephen as a blasphemer. Paul was not someone who could be reasoned with concerning Jesus being the Christ. It was foolishness to him. I made mention at the conference that believing that God took on flesh, lived a life that we could not live, died the death that we should die, was buried and rose again on the third day, that it's not logical.

Paul, in his reasoning, understood that what they were presenting to him is not logical. Something had to happen to Paul in order for him to be convinced, and that is the new birth. And now we see through this new birth, Paul going to synagogues, reasoning with them, with the Word of God, that Jesus is the Christ.

His reason for reasoning would come from his being able to now love God and neighbor. He's now able to keep those ten words that he thought he was keeping as a Pharisee. His passion had to do with his now new love for God and neighbor, him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, truly able to keep God's law.

The Christ Foretold Through the Prophets

Let's look at that first point, by prophecy. Now by prophecy, this is what I mean. Paul is taking the Jews down memory lane, right? They know these prophecies. They know what it says. They've been taught this their whole life.

And all he's going to do is he's going to walk them down memory lane. The first one that he takes them to, he reminds them that the Christ, or Messiah, however you want to say it, will be a descendant of Abraham.

And so I imagine him taking them to Genesis chapter 12, verses 1 through 3, and then verse 7. I'm sure he read it all the way to verse 7, but because we have to fit this in a timely manner, which says, now the Lord said to Abram, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to a land that I will show you, and I will make you a great nation.

And I will bless you, and I will make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse. And listen right here, in you, in Abraham, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Verse 7, then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, to your offspring I will give this land. So he built there an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him. There will be an offspring that comes from Abraham that will bless the nations.

This is one of the first, I would say second, but the first in the line of Abraham, prophecy that's come of the Christ. They knew that someone was coming from Abraham, that the land would be given to, and that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed, and they knew him as Messiah, as the Christ.

The second one that he pointed, he might have pointed him to, was that this Christ, figure this offspring, he would be a descendant of Isaac. So I imagine that he took him to Genesis chapter 6, verses 2 through 4, which says, and the Lord appeared to him, speaking of Isaac, and said, do not go down to Egypt, dwell in the land which I shall tell you, sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.

For you, for to you, and to your, here it is, offspring, I will give all these lands, and I will establish an oath that I swore to Abraham, your father, and I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven.

I will give to you, the offspring, all the land, and in you, and in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Again, it mentions this offspring. When Abraham was credited with righteousness, he was taken outside to look at the stars, he was told to number the stars, to see if he was able to number the stars, and he was told by God, that so shall your offspring be.

As numerous as the stars in the sky, he says, that's how numerous your offspring is going to be, and it's going to bless every nation. Abraham believed God, and was credited with righteousness. And all this had to do with this one offspring that was prophesied, that passed through Abraham to Isaac, and it was known that this offspring was going to be the Messiah, or the Christ.

The third one I imagine he pointed him to was, he would probably have said something like, the Messiah will come from the family of Jacob. Genesis chapter 35 verses 10 through 12 says this, and God said to him, your name is Jacob, no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.

So he called his name Israel, and God said to him, I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your body. Think of David, the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you.

I will give you the land to your offspring after you. Again, this offspring. Then I imagine he might have said something like this. He will come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis chapter 9, I mean 49 verses 9 through 10.

This is Jacob blessing Judah. He says, Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouches as a lion, as a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Right here, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor shall the ruler staff between his feet until tribute comes to him, and to him, speaking of this one coming from Judah, this Messiah figure shall be the obedience of the people.

That this Messiah, this Christ is going to be a king, and once he is crowned, all the nations owe him obedience. Then I would imagine him saying something like this. The Messiah will come from the family line of Jesse.

Isaiah chapter 11, verses 1 through 2 says this. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. This branch, this stump, this shoot, this stump, this branch that bears fruit is coming from Jesse, and it says the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, upon this Messiah figure, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord.

Then I imagine him saying, he will come from the household of David. Second Samuel chapter 7, verses 12 through 13 says this. God's speaking to David, and when your days are fulfilled, and you lie down with your father, speaking of when he dies, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body.

I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name. Think Hebrews chapter 3. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. That this Messiah is going to come from Judah, to the house of Jesse, to the house of David, and from David, crowned king.

And when he's crowned king, his kingdom shall never end. Matthew chapter 1, we see these scriptures fulfilled. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 1. Please be gracious to me, because it's naming some names, right?

Who in here can actually read all the names correctly? Give me grace. Look at chapter 1, verse 1. To see the fulfillment. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Verse 2. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob. So he starts with Abraham, and he works his way down. The father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah, and his brothers. And Judah the father of Perez, and Zerar by Tamar.

And Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Abinadab, and Abinadab the father of Nashon, and Nashon the father of Samnon. And Samnon the father of Boaz by Rehab, and Boaz the father of Obedab by Ruth, and Obedab the father of Jesse.

Remember the root of Jesse. And Jesse the father of David the king, and David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, speaking of Bathsheba. And then it goes on and on, and it names the names all the way till we get to Jesus Christ.

And look at verse 17. All these generations from Abraham to David was 14 generations. A biblical generation is 40 years. And from David to the departure of Babylon, 14 generations. And from the departure of Babylon to the Christ, 14 generations.

I wish I had enough time to walk through that math with you. It would freak you out on how accurate this stuff is. Matthew is saying that Jesus fulfills these prophecies. Jesus fulfills these prophecies.

Matthew is saying that Jesus is the Christ. If you follow that line of thinking, Matthew is telling us that Jesus is the Christ. Turn with me to Luke chapter 1. Look at verse 30. Luke chapter 1 verse 30, we'll read a verse 34.

We'll give you a second to turn there. Verse 30. And the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus.

He will be great and he will be called the son of the most high. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom.

Listen, there will be no end. Verse 34. And Mary said to the angel, how will this be since I am a virgin? I also imagine him taking these Jews in the synagogue, telling them that this Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.

Micah chapter 2 verse 5, chapter 5 verse 2. It shows you my dyslexia. Chapter 5 verse 2 says this. But you, O Bethlehem of Ephraim, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who will be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient of days.

Think Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, so on and so forth. The ancient days. It's been foretold and he's going to be born in Bethlehem. The fulfillment of this was found in Matthew chapter 2 verse 1. Matthew chapter 2 verse 1 says this.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus was born in the right family line, David. He was born in the right place, Bethlehem.

Therefore, fulfilling what was spoken about the Christ. And I'll add this. He was also born at the right time in history. That is before the city of Jerusalem and this temple was destroyed. Now I don't know if Paul preached this portion that day.

I would imagine him doing so. There's portions in other parts of the scriptures where it seems like he's alluding to this. This speaking about the destruction that's coming upon Israel in 70 AD. I add it because his coming was prophesied in that time period.

The time of the Messiah was predicted. That's why whenever Jesus comes and when you read the Gospels, Matthew and Luke, people are looking for the Messiah to come. They knew it was time for his visitation because Daniel was told that from the departure of Babylon, we've seen 14 generations.

He was told it would be 490 years, seven weeks of 70s. Daniel chapter 9 verse 26 says this. And after the 62 weeks, now if you're reading Daniel, you got to go back to 24 and you find out that it mentions just one week.

One week is seven years. 62 weeks. You got to add another seven years to it, which makes it 68 weeks. I don't have it all written down in front of me. And after this, an anointed one shall come and be cut off and have nothing.

So right here, it's speaking of an anointed one who is going to come and will have nothing. Speaking of him being put to death. And the people of the prince. And we're going to see here later that the prince here is speaking of Jesus.

But our dispensational brothers take it to mean the Antichrist. We can't get into that. Who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Speaking of the Jews. And it's end shall come with a flood.

Desolations have been decreed. And the end has been decreed. All right. So he predicts the time. The time when the Babylonians released the Jews, they had 490 years. They're approaching this time period.

So they knew that any time now, this Messiah was going to come. Jesus was born around year 4 or 3 BC. He started his ministry in 27 AD. And he was most likely crucified in 30 AD. Which would have been in the middle of the last week of the 490 years.

So about 487 years into the prophecy, Jesus was crucified. So I imagine that Paul was taking them down memory lane. Showing them that the prophecies that were spoken about the Christ. Now ladies and gentlemen, we could have went through a lot more.

I had to condense it. So point number two. This would have been probably him explaining to them the Christ by way of the title. So point number two is by the title of Christ. Look at Matthew chapter 16.

Jesus walking with his disciples. Beginning in verse 13. It says, Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea and Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And we're going to dive in here in a minute about the Son of Man.

And they said to him, Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah's. Others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ. The Son of the living God.

Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I tell you, You are Peter. And upon this rock, Meaning upon that confession that Jesus is the Christ.

I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The Christian faith is built upon the truth of who Christ is. Who Jesus is. Him being the Christ. If Jesus is not the Christ, there is no Christianity.

There is no reason for us to gather. All right. These prophecies are not spoken about him. What are we doing here? Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. Nothing else matters. Verse 16. Peter says to him, You are the Christ.

The Son of the living God. Jesus says that that was revealed to him by his Father. That this is not something that he conjured up within himself. The Son of man is the Son of God. Christ is a title, not a name.

His name is not Jesus Christ. That's not his name. That's his name is Jesus. His title is Christ. His name would have been Jesus bar Joseph. Or Jesus of Nazareth. They didn't have last names like we have here.

He just addressed Paul. I mean, Peter, he said, he said Simon bar Jonah. Peter's father's name was Jonah. Today, the bar here has been translated into Ben. So you hear like priests that are rabbis who are, you know, Joseph Ben something like Joseph Ben Simon, like, but it's the same thing.

Their name is Joseph and their son of Simon. That's how the Jews still operate with names concerning their leaders. Jesus's name would have been Jesus bar Joseph, his earthly name. Or they would have called him by where he's from, which they did all throughout the scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the Nazarene.

The title Son of David has to do with Jesus's physical genealogy. Calling Jesus son of David expresses your faith that he was the Messiah. Oh, church, listen to me. Why have we lost that name for him?

Have you heard someone ever just in common speech called Jesus son of David? I have not. That expresses that our faith that he is the Messiah. And yet we've lost that language in the church. We've lost that language.

We've lost the language that expresses our faith that he is who the prophecy says he is, who the prophets, who the new Testament reveals him to be. By saying that you're acknowledging that he is the Davidic king that was prophesied that would keep the law and sit on the throne forever.

We've lost the lingo of saying that he is the one. Titles mean something. The title son of man has to do with the deity of Christ. While the title only begotten or son of God has to do with the humanity of Christ.

Like it seems to be reversed, right? Like I heard Steve Lawson, nothing against Steve Lawson. I love Steve Lawson, but I heard Steve Lawson preached the son of man and was referencing this to him becoming man, human.

But that's not what that's about. Son of man has to do with him being the Christ, him being deity, him being God. Son of God has to do with him taken on flesh. It's reversed. It doesn't seem logical to our thinking, but God never works with our logical thinking, right?

Turn with me to Daniel chapter seven. Daniel chapter seven, let's look at verse 13 and 14. Again, I'm just taking you down this memory lane that Paul may have taken down. Verse 13, Daniel is having a vision and he sees something.

He says, I saw in the night vision, behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man. And he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him. And to him, the son of man was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.

Remember to him shall be the obedience of the people. That was the prophecy. His dominion is a never lasting dominion. Son of David right here. It's in the text, which shall not pass away and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

We read in scripture that this is speaking about his ascension. Jesus, after his death, burial, resurrection was ascended into heaven. And then acts where it talks about, they see him basically go up into a cloud right here at the very beginning with the clouds of heaven.

It's prophesied. And when Jesus entered into that cloud, when his disciples saw him ascending into heaven, he received a kingdom and a dominion. He was crowned with glory and all the peoples of the earth were given to him.

And what does he tell the church to do when this happens? To wait until they receive power. And when they receive power, they are to go out into the world and make disciples. This is a title of him being God, him being deity, him receiving the kingdom.

John chapter three, verse 16 says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life or eternal life. We need eternal life to serve an eternal king.

Also look in John chapter 11. I want you to see right there. He's called, it's not necessarily that he's called the son of God, but we see there that for God so loved the world that he sent his son. So that's one way to express it.

But look in verse chapter 11, verse 27. Let's go to verse 25. So Lazarus has died. Jesus comes four days later. Verse 24, Martha says to him, hold on, let me see. Let's go to verse 22. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.

So Martha is speaking to Jesus. Jesus says to her, your brother will rise again. And Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. She has good theology. Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Listen to her response. Verse 27. She said to him, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God, who is coming into the world.

Son of God has to do with Jesus taken on flesh. Him becoming flesh, becoming a man, entering into time. That's what the son of God means. And she says, I know that you are the son of God. She has really good theology.

There are so many titles that we can look at when it comes to Christ, when it comes to Jesus. But here in Acts chapter 18, Paul is focusing on one title. And that is him being the Christ. The title Christ or Messiah has another way of being interpreted.

And it is the anointed one. Go back to Daniel chapter nine. We're going to read verse 24 through 27. So you can see the full picture of what I was trying to explain earlier. The angel is speaking with Daniel and he says, 70 weeks are decreed.

Again, a week is seven years. Seven times 70. 490 years. 70 weeks are decreed about your people. So speaking of the Jews in your holy city, Jerusalem, to finish transgressions, that's sins, to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity.

That's to atone for your sins, to bring about everlasting righteousness. For God so loved the world. Whoever believes in Jesus, right? Eternal life. That's what this is talking about. To seal both vision and profit.

And to atone for the most holy place. We read in Hebrews that Jesus went behind the veil of the holy place and made atonement. Spilt his blood on the holy of holies. And he says, Know therefore and understand that from the going out of this word to restore and build Jerusalem, the coming of an anointed one, a prince.

The anointed one is going to be a prince. Have this in mind. There shall be seven weeks. Then for 62 weeks, it shall be built again with square moat, but in trouble sometimes. Think Nehemiah, right? The book, that's what the book of Nehemiah is about.

And after the 62 weeks, you got to add the other seven weeks, the anointed one, who is the prince, shall be cut off and have nothing. And the people of the prince, so this is where they try to say it's the antichrist, but the prince was just named as the anointed one, the Christ, who is to come, the people of the prince, talking about the Jews, who is to come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

And its end shall come with the flood. And to the end, there shall be war. Desolation is decreed. Right here, verse 27. And he, speaking of the prince, this anointed one shall make a strong covenant with meaning for one week.

Remember, this is my body, which is broken for you. This is the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you. This is the covenant that Daniel is speaking about. The angel is speaking about to Daniel.

And in the middle of that week, so half of a seven year, three and a half year ministry, Jesus's ministry was three and a half years. And half of a week, he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.

Speaking of him being the sacrifice and the offering, the once and for all offering. And on the wing of abomination, one shall come one, speaking of Titus, the general Titus, who will make desolation until the decree end is poured out on the desolator.

This anointed one is Jesus. He is the Messiah. If you translate this anointed one into Greek, it's Christ, or you can translate it again, another way in the Hebrew, and it's Messiah. The anointed one is Messiah, is Christ.

Those are the three ways that you can translate it. Now, who in the old covenant were anointed with oil? The answer is the prophets, the priests, and the kings. Prophets, priests, and kings. First Kings 19, First Chronicles 16, and Psalm chapter 105, all talk about the prophets being anointed with oil.

Exodus 29, Exodus 40, and Leviticus, all talk about the priest being anointed with oil. While first Samuel 10, first Samuel 16, and first Kings 1, all talk about kings being anointed with oil. Now, turn to Hebrews chapter 1.

We're going to see all three of those named in these verses. Verses 1 through 3. Paul preaching, Luke writing, says this, long ago at many times, in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. His son fulfilling the role of a prophet. God speaks through prophets. Whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world, pointing to his deity.

He is the radiance and the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. After, right here, making purification for sins. Who makes purification for sins?

The priest. After making purifications for sins, he sits down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Having become much more superior to the angels, as his name as he is inherited is much more excellent.

Speaking of his kingship. Jesus is the anointed one, the Messiah, the prophet, the priest, and the king. One more portion in Hebrews chapter 11, showing his priesthood will be seen in chapter 7, beginning in verse 14.

Hebrews chapter 7, beginning in verse 14. As I read this, I need you to be thinking about Daniel chapter 9. Those things that this Messiah, this anointed one was going to accomplish. Verse 14. For it is evident that the Lord was descended from Judah in connection with the tribe of Moses said nothing about priest.

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek. Who has become a priest not on the basis of legal requirements concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

Remember once he takes seat, he's seated forever. Indestructible life. For it is witnessed you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. All the prophecies about him becoming king, about him becoming priest, about him becoming the prophet.

It's all an everlasting thing. It's never just for a time. It was forever. Once he is crowned, he is crowned for good. Once he receives the kingdom, the kingdom is his. And we know from the context that Paul is preaching in Acts chapter 18, that he is preaching a law and gospel distinction.

Law and Gospel in Paul’s Preaching

Go back to Acts chapter 18. Look at verse 13. Acts 18 verse 13. This is what was said against him. This man is preaching... No, this man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law. Ladies and gentlemen, Paul loved the law.