Sermons
From Genesis to Jesus
From Genesis to Jesus
Acts 13:16-41
Introduction:
1. I have never read Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby-Dick. I have eaten at the restaurant in Louisville by the same name. And that tells you a little about me.
2. I remember when I was a teenager that one of my friends brought a copy of Moby-Dick to school. She was an avid reader. I looked at the size of that book . . . it was about 3 inches thick and I thought, “I’ll never read that.” And I haven’t.
3. I think sometimes we approach the Bible that way. It is a thick book. It has no pictures and no white space. It is quite overwhelming.
4. Many of us are asking quietly, “Is there a condensed version?” After all, a history book that is written over a period of 1500 years must be long and difficult to read.
5. A condensed version is kind of what we have been trying to accomplish in these studies on Sunday evenings.
6. What I would like to do in this period is to review some of the things that we have talked about already and then consider a condensed version of some of the history as recorded in Acts 13:16ff. Our objective is to get a Big Picture view of God’s activity in the affairs of man.
Discussion:
I. Review.
A. Gen. 1-2.
1. We began our study in Genesis, the book of beginnings.
2. We noted the gracious God, the Creator, who moves from chaos to organization.
3. We observed His work of creation of man and woman in His image. Involving. . .
a. A special relationship with God.
b. A special relationship with other human beings.
c. A special relationship with the creation.
B. Gen. 3.
1. All of these special relationships were marred because of sin. Thus, God’s creation was
“wrecked.”
2. But God initiated a plan of restoration. He would rebuild, restore, make new, what had
been so radically affected by sin.
C. Nevertheless, man’s wickedness became great.
1. The flood resulted.
2. Noah and his family were graciously preserved.
3. God was still working to restore.
D. Genealogical records indicate that death prevailed, but also that God would work through
Seth and his descendants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to restore.
E. The promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) defined three elements.
1. Abraham would become a great nation of people.
2. His descendants would receive a land.
3. In Abraham’s seed all the families of the earth would be blessed.
F. Genesis and Exodus, and the rest of the Bible, continue the story of God’s activity to
restore man as originally designed and reflected in the Garden of Eden.
II. Reflections on the period after Moses.
A. Moses, the author of the first 5 books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch, lived about
1500-1400 years before the time of Jesus Christ.
B. So, there is a lot of history about the descendants of Abraham in the O.T. books (Joshua to
Malachi).
C. Some of the people were faithful to God. Some were not.
1. All the while God called the people to repentance and loyalty.
2. He promised to be faithful to His promises to restore His creation. The question was
would the people believe Him and act accordingly?
D. Restoration was always the plan and God continued to operate to move to restore (cf.
Mal. 4:5-6). Cf. Matt. 11:10ff; Mk. 1:3; Lk. 1:17.
E. From the time of the end of the O.T. to the history recorded in the Gospels, a period of
400 years unfolded. God was silent! There was no new message from prophets.
III. The N.T. opens with descriptions of expectations of God’s activity being renewed in a special way among His people. Ex. Lk. 1:46-55; 67-79; 2:25ff. There are two accounts in the N.T. where summaries of this history are given: 1) Acts 7; 2) Acts 13:15ff. This second summary focuses on the period from Genesis forward to the first century.
A. The events described here occurred in Pisidian Antioch in the Jewish synagogue that was
there, after the reading of the Law and the Prophets.
B. Verse 17, in one sentence, Paul takes us through the books of Genesis and Exodus.
C. Verse 18, in another sentence, Paul summarizes the next 40 years. The Book of Numbers.
D. Verse 19, in another sentence, Paul summarizes the next 450 years. The Book of Joshua.
E. Verses 20 and 21, in two sentences, Paul summarizes Judges, 1 Samuel.
F. Verse 22, in one sentence, Paul summarizes, 2 Samuel. He has brought us quickly to the
time of King David. (About 1,000 years before the history of the N.T. and Jesus.)
G. He then skips forward about 1,000 years (verse 23) to Jesus.
H. In verses 24-25 he summarizes the whole work of John the Baptist.
I. Verses 26-41 are very powerful. Paul has brought them up to date. What he will say
reveals his understanding of what this history means for those whom he is speaking to.
1. “To us the message of this salvation has been sent.”
2. Jerusalem and her rulers did not recognize the fulfillment of the prophets in Jesus.
3. They crucified Him and laid Him in a tomb.
4. BUT God raised Him from the dead, and He appeared to many, who are now
witnesses.
5. We are preaching the promise made to the fathers.
a. Psa. 2.
b. Isa. 55:3.
c. Psa. 16:11
6. Through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you (38-39).
7. Be careful to hear and believe (40-41).
J. With this the synagogue meeting broke up. Some investigated further. Some became
believers. Some contradicted Paul and were blaspheming. Paul and his companions
ultimately left the city. They turned to the Gentiles and kept right on teaching Jesus as
the means for forgiveness of sin.
Conclusion:
1. There is much more to the story.
2. As in any condensed version you do not get all the details.
3. But you can see from the condensed version that a decision faces each one of us. Do we believe the story? Do we believe in what God is doing and has done for forgiveness?
4. We can spend our lifetime investigating, considering, meditating on what God has done. But a decision ultimately faces us. What will I do with this information?
- 12-10-2023-Wayne-G ... nesis-to-Jesus.mp3 (11.03 MB)
