"Devoted" - Preaching at Harderwyk - Acts 26 - September 5, 2021

Resources For "Devoted" Series From Each Harderwyk Preacher

I. New For This Week

Generational Difference on Faith-Sharing - CLICK HERE for some fascinating research by the Barna Research Group that includes and explains - and enlarges - this infographic.  

Notice in particular the last statement - "If someone disagrees with you, it means that they're judging you." - and how Millenials are four times move likely to agree than Boomers.

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Deconstructing Our Culture's Catechism -  CLICK HERE for the video by Tim Keller of that name.  In Celebration, we took a moment to compare and contrast one statement of our "Culture's Catechism"  - How can you experience "Happiness?" - with Heidelberg Catechism #1 as an example of what Dr Keller is speaking about.

II. From The Commentaries On This Passage

NT Wright in Acts For Everyone beautifully summarizes the details of Paul’s defense before Agrippa in Acts 26 this way:

“But God has been with Paul, and the sum and substance of his whole message is this, drawn together in a packed formula in verses 22b and 23. This time there are five elements (it’s Luke’s fault this is so dense, by the way).

First, Paul’s message is a message rooted in Israel’s scriptures. The prophets, and Moses, told the story, and the story has now reached its climax.

Second, Paul’s message is (of course!) a message about Jesus as Messiah. He is the fulfilment of Israel’s hopes, great David’s greater son. Psalms, prophets and all are called in to bear witness to this.

Third, it is a message about the suffering Messiah, both the necessity of that suffering, within the long plan of God set out in the scriptures, and its interpretation. He ‘must’ suffer, as Jesus insisted both before and after his death (Luke 9:22; 24:26, and elsewhere); and that suffering will, ‘according to the scriptures’, be redemptive and atoning.

Fourth, he would be the first to rise from the dead. Luke never tires of reminding us that the point of Easter is that it is the beginning of God’s new world. The first apostles were announcing ‘the resurrection of the dead—in Jesus’ (4:2). That was Paul’s message too.

Fifth, and most importantly, this was a message about God’s light shining on all people alike. This is not simply an addendum to ‘the gospel’, a bit of ‘outworking’ which doesn’t really affect, or doesn’t deserve to stand with, the central statement of the whole. The point of the good news, for Paul, Luke and the whole New Testament, is precisely that, since this is the fulfilment of the Israel-shaped plan of the creator God, the whole created order is at last summoned to worship.

Oh, and sixth, not stated in this list but foundational to the whole, because it is how it all came to Paul in the first place: this Jesus, the scripturally promised, suffering, risen and missionary Messiah, is the human, glorious face of the one true and living God. What we call ‘christology’—the question about how we are to speak of Jesus and God in the same breath—had been second nature to Paul ever since the day he met Jesus.”

III. Ongoing Resources

1) Spiritual Formation Resources Page - CLICK HERE - This is still a work in progress, but be a part as we look to build

2) Scotty Smith’s Heavenward Daily Prayers - CLICK HERE to see the daily prayer blog of Scotty Smith.  You will see an option to have them delivered to your email inbox each day as well.  

3) Simple Lectio Divina Overview - CLICK HERE for a simple introduction of the spiritual practice of a more personal way of experience the Word through contemplation and reflection.