1. INTER-TWINING of ACTS & GALATIANS ACTS 13 – TODAY’S SCRIPTURE & THEMES
-GOD draws SAUL/PAUL more fully into GOD’S STORY
-GOD’S GREAT HISTORY-STORY GOES ON
-JESUS IS GOD’S WONDERFUL NEXT CHAPTER
GOD’S DIVERSITY & GOD’S ONENESS
-YOU are INVITED more fully into GOD’S STORY TOO
-DON’T MISS IT

2. Prep for the 1st “Journey” Sermon (1)
-Saul ends up ISOLATED - 10 years mostly in Tarsus (Acts 9-11) -Antioch – Empire’s 3rd largest city and a colony – becomes the site of 1st truly multi-cultural church (Acts 11-13). A Roman “BRIDGE” city from West to East -Barnabas decides knows whose help he needs – SAUL of Tarsus – Acts 11

3. Prep for the 1st “Journey” Sermon (2)
-Together – Barnabas and Saul carry a large financial gift from Antioch to Jerusalem during a major famine – Acts 11
-ANTIOCH is becoming the “BRIDGE” Church (Acts 11-13)
A multi-cultural and multi-ethnic Leadership Team is formed in Antioch (Acts 13:1-3) GOD’S DIVERSITY in JESUS!

4. PREP Acts 13:1-3
1In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

5. Prep for the 1st “Journey” Sermon (3) THE LEADERSHIP TEAM – COMPOSITION (a)
Barnabas – a Jew from Cyprus (4:36) which was very Hellenized and Romanized. Still uses his Jewish name.
Simeon - who is called “Niger” – “Blacky” a Latin nickname. Uses both his Jewish name, and his Roman/Latin nickname which probably describes his skin color “Blacky.”
Lucius – uses his Latin (Roman) name - is from Cyrene which has usually been located in Africa - probably also black African (and perhaps a Roman citizen?)

6. Prep for the 1st “Journey” Sermon (4) THE LEADERSHIP TEAM – COMPOSITION (b)
Manaen who was raised in the extended household of a very wealthy and powerful half Arab, half Jewish, culturally Roman family – “the Herods”
Saul – still at this point using his Jewish name – a privileged Roman citizen - a former Pharisee from a fairly well off, educated, strongly Jewish family who lived in a city that was partially Roman and partially middle eastern Gentile.

7. Prep for the 1st “Journey” Sermon (5) THE LEADERSHIP TEAM – MEETINGS – Acts 13
Send money to Jerusalem (Acts 11)
worship, fast and pray
Respond to prophetic input of Holy Spirit & “laid hands”
Send Barnabas and Saul off to other Roman cities to preach
Barnabas home of Cyprus (Shaul becomes Paulus)
Then Psidian Antioch in Roman Province of Galatia
GOD’S ONENESS in JESUS

8. NOW – PAUL’S 1st “JOURNEY” Sermon Acts 13:16-41
Will it be a diverse philosophical theology?
Will it be complicated? People often think Paul is.
NO – it will be simple and straightforward – GOD’S ONENESS:
The Meaning of Human History is GOD’S STORY in Action
Summarizing that Story as God moves toward Jesus
You are Invited to be a part of GOD’S GREAT HISTORY!
Don’t Miss it!

9. Acts 13:15-41 – Summary (Luke) of a Summary (Paul) which I (Ron) will now Summarize!
15After 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: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God–fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.”
- GOD’S ONENESS & GOD’S DIVERSITY – ALL invited to ONE STORY!

10. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY SAUL’S 1st JOURNEY SERMON (1)
THE GOD OF ISRAEL CHOSE our Jewish forefathers (Acts 13:17a) GENESIS
& GOD SAVED/PROSPERED them “in Egypt” (Acts 13:17b)
- GENESIS!!!
Then GOD SAVED THEM “from Egypt” (Acts 13:17c)
- EXODUS

11. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (2)
God took care of (and endured) them for 40 years IN THE WILDERNESS (Acts 13:18) – LEVITICUS & NUMBERS & DEUTERONOMY
God gave them the land of Canaan as our Inheritance from God (Acts 13:19) JOSHUA
God gave them “Judges” (Acts 13:20) – JUDGES & RUTH

12. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (3)
God gave them a “King” Shaul (Saul) because they demanded one (Acts 13:21) – 1 SAMUEL
God removed that king and gave them King David who was more faithful to God (Acts 13:22) – 1 & 2 SAMUEL

13. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (4)
God promised David that he would send a Savior for Israel from David’s descendants – (Acts 13:23a) - REST OF THE OT
God kept this promise in JESUS in our time– (Acts 13:23b)
– 4 GOSPELS
God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus in our time (Acts 13:24-25) – 4 GOSPELS

14. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (5)
Brothers: Jews or God fearing Gentiles – God’s gift of Salvation through Jesus is for you (Acts 13:26) – ACTS & rest of NT including “GALATIANS”
It is True – many of our Jewish leaders (my friends & me) ignored the prophets that they read every week in our worship services – and ARE MISSING WHAT GOD IS DOING, and fulfilled those prophecies by encouraging the Romans to execute JESUS (Acts 13:27-29) GOSPELS

15. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (6)
BUT GOD – raised Jesus from death – many of his followers saw him (Acts 13:30-31) – 4 GOSPELS, ACTS, CORINTHIANS, 1 JOHN, etc.
AND GOD – has enthroned Jesus over history just as God promised in the OT – Psalm 2 “You are my Son…rule the nations” - for example. (Acts 13:32-37) – entire NT

16. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (7)
GOD INVITES YOU TO JOIN GOD’S GREAT HISTORY/STORY and OFFERS YOU:
FORGIVENESS FOR SINS
SALVATION (rescue and wholeness)
a RIGHT-RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (justified) that goes beyond what God offered in the Torah - in the areas the Torah was never able to offer it
(Acts 13:38-39) – ENTIRE NT

17. SUMMARIZING GOD’S HISTORY/STORY (8)
BE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT!
(Acts 13:40-41) – ENTIRE NT

18. COMMUNION INVITATION (1)
All who wish to draw closer to Jesus are welcome to Jesus’ Table – as both Acts and Galatians proclaim
YOU are invited to GOD’S GIFTS of FORGIVENESS, SALVATION, and a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD through JESUS
You Do NOT WANT TO MISS these Gifts God offers through JESUS

19. COMMUNION INVITATION (2)
Let’s pray that New Covenant Fellowship, and each of us personally, will be God’s Story and God’s Bridge in our time
Let’s unashamedly go out to be a part of the story God is writing in human history