SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/28/2018
10:10 AM
My Worship Time Focus: They were Pleased
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 13:42
Message of the
verses: “42 As Paul and Barnabas
were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to
them the next Sabbath.”
What we will be looking at in this SD is “The Initial Reaction”
of what happened after Paul gave his sermon.
This is the name of the first main point from John MacArthur’s
commentary and we will look at his short introduction to this main point: “The preliminary response to Paul’s sermon by
the synagogue audience was favorable, though that attitude would soon
change. Four features of their initial
positive response stand out.” We are
looking at the first positive response in our SD for today.
What we see in verse 42 looks really good because the
whole town wanted to hear more from Paul and Barnabas, and it is no wonder
after what they heard in the powerful sermon that Paul gave. We have mentioned that the preaching of the
gospel can give two different reactions and as far as the initial reaction it
was positive. Paul did a systematic sermon
beginning with Abraham and going all the way up to David and then to His
greatest son Jesus Christ. John
MacArthur writes “The ability to arouse people’s interest is the mark of a good
preacher. In Acts 17, Paul again
displayed that ability:
‘10 The brethren immediately
sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went
into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those
in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.’
Paul’s persuasive preaching
drove the Bereans back into the Old Testament to verify for themselves that
what he preached was true. Paul’s speech
on Mars Hill to the pagan Athenians so stirred their interest that some said to
him, ‘We shall hear you again concerning this’ (Acts 17:32).”
I have mentioned the preaching of the late Billy Graham
in a previous sermon and his preaching was so powerful that shortly after World
War II when he wanted to go to Germany for a crusade they would not allow him
to come there because they had heard before and during WWII a powerful man
speak and were not ready for another even though this man’s message was certainly
one they needed to hear.
So after the powerful preaching of Paul the people in
this town wanted to hear him again.
However for them to delay a decision to accept Christ was dangerous as
we will see, and it was true of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians found in 2
Corinthians 6:2 “for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU,
AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE
ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION.’” What Paul
quoted to the Corinthians was true and it is still true today, for if you hear
the gospel do not wait to accept what Christ has done for you so that as you
confess the fact that you are a sinner and accept what Christ has done for you
then as Paul says, “you will be saved.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: It was a little
over 44 years ago when as far as I remember heard the gospel for the first time
and it was very soon later when I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior
and Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to reach out through my Spiritual
Diaries and also with divine appointments that the Lord gives to me to tell
other about Christ.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Cherubims” (Exodus 37:9).
Today’s Bible
question: “What nature did Christ take
upon Himself?”
Answer in our next SD.
2/28/2018 10:35 AM
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