On January 6, 1974 I preached my first sermon that I actually got paid to preach. I had preached a few times before this. But this was the first real sermon, because I was paid. I was a real preacher.  I received $30, which I took the very next day and bought Tanya a ring with which I proposed to her a few weeks later.  Some of you are thinking, “30 bucks, I always knew he was a cheap skate.”  Well, $30 went further back then. But that is not why I tell you this story.  I preached that sermon in a little church in Mt. Zion, Kentucky.  After church, this really old guy came up to me and said, “I remember when your grandfather preached here.”  He went on to tell me about my grandfather as a preacher.  That meant a lot to me, since my grandfather died when I was a kid.  It was an amazing feeling to know that I had actually preached a real sermon from the same pulpit as my farmer/preacher grandfather. There was a sense of continuity, a sense of heritage, a sense of connection to my roots. I might also note that my dad still preaches there occasionally. 

This morning I want to examine this idea of continuity as we explore Paul’s first real sermon.  Wasn’t that a smooth connection? I told you about my first real sermon and this morning we are going to listen to Paul’s first real sermon.  That to me is smooth. 

We enjoy history. Well, most of us do. You may have to have a little history to enjoy some history.  But basically we all like to feel that connection to the past.  We go visit historical landmarks.  Recently, when we went to DC to visit our daughter, Tera, we went to Mt. Vernon; the home of George Washington.  That was amazing to see his house and his furniture and his tools and farm.  It gave me as since of relationship to the “father of our country.”   We spent some time pondering the huge Abraham Lincoln.  “Wow, he was an amazing man.   We do these kind of things because we want to feel that connection to our past; that connection to our heritage.  We want to feel a part of the flow of history.  Isn’t that an odd desire?  But it is in most of us.

Paul takes advantage of this human longing for continuity and preaches a sermon all about bonding to the past.  Not only does Paul tell his audience how to join into history but Luke records this sermon for us so that we can step into this salvation history.  This morning we answer that longing.  This morning Paul will show you how to truly be connected to your real roots!  Isn’t that exciting?  Wow! This is going to be a great sermon.  Well, let’s see.

Acts 13:14-16  From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.  After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak."  Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said:

Look at this picture. It is from bibleplaces.com. It is the remains of a Byzantine church at the traditional location of the synagogue that Paul preached in Acts 13..  Recent excavations have revealed a 1st century building underneath the church which has been identified as the synagogue.  In the church a mosaic floor has been found with Psalm 42:4 inscribed on it.

Psalm 42:4  These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Wow, that is too good to be true.  The picture brings feelings of connections.  The verse is about remembering the connection of God! 

That is the setting.  Paul is standing in that place and he begins to talk about continuity. 

Acts 13:16-21  "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!  The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.  Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.”

What is Paul doing?  He is calling his audience back to their roots.  All the way back to Egypt God had chosen them to be his special people.  There is continuity to God’s deliverance.  Wow.  Let’s keep listening.

Acts 13:22-23  “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'  "From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.”

Everyone loves David, including God.  Everyone wants to be David, except for God.  Everyone wants to be connected to the amazing King David.  So, Paul explains to them that one of King David’s descendants has become the Savior!  Jesus is the promised continuity of King David.  This is getting really good. 

Acts 13:24-26 “Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.  As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.' Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.”

Here is another great Bible story; John the Baptist.  He stepped into history and caused quite the stir.  He called people to repentance and baptism.  He called people to renew their connection to God and he pointed them to Jesus and his message of salvation!  But not everyone bought it…

Acts 13:27-37  “The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.  Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.  When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.   We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'   The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.'   So it is stated elsewhere: 'You will not let your Holy One see decay.'  For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.  But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.”

That is the message.  That is the heart of Christianity.  As we sing on Wednesday night, “And that’s what it’s all about!” Jesus Christ is the promised descendant of David, who is the Savior, who was killed according to the Prophets and who, as predicted by David, himself, was resurrected from the dead!  The continuity of the Old Testament flows into Jesus Christ!  But it keeps on getting better.

Acts 13:38-39   "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.  Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”

Through Jesus there is forgiveness and justification.  Here is the kicker.  Through Jesus there is continuity. The people in that synagogue in the Pisidian Antioch on that Saturday morning could connect to all the history of God.  Through Jesus they could join in the exodus from Egypt.  Through Jesus they could join King David.  Through Jesus they could join John the Baptist. Through Jesus they could join in the resurrection!  They had the opportunity to step into the flow of salvation history.  Through Jesus there was continuity to all God had done through the ages!  Now Paul gives them a warning!

Acts 13:40-41  “Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:  "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"

This is so good you are not going to believe it.  But Paul tells them they should believe it.  Don’t scoff at this.  Don’t say it is too good to be true.  Don’t say I don’t believe it.  Paul stood on that spot (picture) and offered them continuity with God. 

Now I haven’t told you the best part of this.  I haven’t told you how you can step into history.  Luke, as he quotes Paul, records something twice that we don’t want to miss.  This was a Jewish synagogue.  Paul was very much a Jew.  Jesus was a Jew.  But twice in Paul’s sermon he makes sure the folks in Los Alamos, New Mexico, understand that they too can step into history.  Did you catch what he said twice that includes you?

Acts 13:16  Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!”

Acts 13:26  "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.”

That’s us.  We are the Gentiles who worship God!  We are the God-fearing Gentiles the message was sent to.  We Gentiles can step into the Old Book.  We Gentiles can connect to all salvation history. We Gentiles can have continuity with God!  “Did you know my ancestors were delivered from Egypt?  I bet you didn’t know that I am a direct descendant of King David, on my Father’s side.  John the Baptist is a great, great, great… uncle.”  I have continuity with salvation history and so can you when you believe and are baptized into Jesus!  Wow!  Have you heard a better deal than this today?
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I have to make one more observation to make about continuity.  This is too good to skip.  Watch what Luke is doing here in Acts 13 as it connects to Luke 4.  We studied Luke 4 last year, but watch the similarities.

-In Luke 4 Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 13 Paul was commissioned by the Spirit in Antioch.
- In Luke 4 Jesus went into the wilderness and confronted the demonic powers and bested them, so also in Acts 13 Paul confronts and bests the demonic powers presented by the magician Bar-Jesus.
- In Luke 4 Jesus preached his first real sermon to his countrymen in a synagogue on the Sabbath after being asked by the leader to do so, In Acts 13, guess what? Paul preached his first real sermon in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch after being asked to.
- In Luke 4 Jesus was initially, favorably received in Nazareth.  In Acts 13 Paul was also received at first, but later was rejected.
- Paul was later stoned and thought to be dead and then he wasn’t.  Déjà vu all over again. 
- Both Jesus and Paul preached Good News. Listen to the message Jesus preached:

Luke 4:16-21 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."   Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

What is Jesus preaching?  There is continuity between the Old and the New.  Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Prophets. Jesus came to preach good news of deliverance and the Lord’s favor!  Luke obviously wants to show the continuity between Jesus and Paul. Paul was not simply preaching Jesus he was being Jesus.

But it is even bigger than that!  Luke is not just telling the story of how Paul was in the flow of Jesus.  He is telling us we too can be in the flow of Jesus.  We too can have this continuity with Jesus
-We too are filled with the Holy Spirit like Paul; like Jesus
-We too are going to face Satan and evil head on and be victorious.
-We too must step up and be witnesses to are own people.
-We too must be willing to face rejection and suffering.
-We too must join Jesus in his death and be with him in his resurrection!
-We too must preach the Good News of the Lord’s favor.

When I preached my first real sermon and felt the connection to my grandfather it was a good thing.  When we, as Americans, connect to our own heritage of great guys like George or Abe, it is a good thing. How much more is it an amazing thing to have, to really have, this continuity with the salvation history of God.  How great a thing it is, to not only feel, but to really be standing in the flow of God!