Paul now brings the conclusion of the matter before these two governing authorities, asking them to consider the gospel and respond appropriately by believing the message:
“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:27-29 (NIV)
By proclaiming the gospel message to both small and great, we are proclaiming “nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen” (v22), sharing both the Scriptures and our transformation stories about the power of the cross.
By proclaiming the gospel message we are speaking ”true and reasonable” words (v25)
By proclaiming the gospel message we are asking our hearers to believe the message, turn from Satan to God, from darkness to light, receive forgiveness of their sins and embrace the amazing transformation that looking to the cross always brings: “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am” (v29)
Question 6: What are your thoughts on proclaiming the gospel? Do you have any struggles or questions about proclaiming the gospel as described in this lesson? Please share.
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Miles writes, "I have been asking God to embolden me to proclaim his gospel daily it should be of 1st importance in my life. I find myself often not thinking about the importance of proclaiming it because of the busyness of the workday and things I need to get done. Please God help me to proclaim the Gospel today."
Peter writes, "We have been given a simple message: the message of the gospel of Christ. It isn't up to us to try and convince or sell or promote it. God will not let His WORD be wasted. We are ambassadors for Christ with no message of our own. Once I realized that it is God who changes minds and hearts the pressure to "perform" to give the presentation in exactly the right way was presumptuous and needing simple faith."
Alex writes, "The message of the cross of Christ, the gospel, is the message of salvation and sanctification. It is the message of freedom. The message of the way, the truth, and the life—the only message of life that we have because it is the message of the Author of life, Christ Jesus Himself. I am so thankful to be able to share the gospel with others, as our Lord provides opportunities, and I have an opportunity every day here in SCF. I am very thankful for this ministry and our focus on Christ and Him crucified!"
Friend, let us continue to proclaim the message of the cross within the church to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen. And praying for all, whether it takes a short or a long time, that those who hear the gospel message might meet their own death and resurrection and experience the power of Jesus' death, have their eyes opened, their sins forgiven. This means they will be removed out of the darkness and the "power of Satan to God" and find true and lasting freedom, healing in Jesus’ wounds, and lifelong joy of walking in the Spirit!
As we bring this lesson to a close let’s do so by looking at what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass and see how all Scripture points to the coming Messiah’s suffering; “that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23 NIV). Notice the following passages of Scripture and see the powerful message of the cross/resurrection of Jesus:
“For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you” (Deuteronomy 18:15 NIV). ”Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:2 NIV). Because of His great love for us, God’s only Son came to this dark world and lived a perfect and sinless life before God the Father. He then went to the cross and offered His back to those who beat Him, His cheeks to those who pulled out His beard; He did not hide His face from mocking and spitting (Isaiah 50:6 NIV). He came as “the True Light” for those walking in darkness (bondage to sin and unbelief), and through His substitutionary death, He forgave our sin and nailed it to the cross, shining the light of God’s favor on all who believe this message (Isaiah 9:2). “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zechariah 12:10 NIV). “In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day” (Amos 8:9-10 NIV). “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:14-16 NIV). “Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14 NIV). “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5); He was pierced and suffered but will bind up our wounds with His nail-pierced hands and “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence” (Hosea 6:1-3 NIV). Dear friend, this is the love of God stretched out and held on the cross for you! This is the love of God pierced and stricken for you! Sin is so ugly that God poured out His entire wrath on His own beloved Son so we could live in His presence forgiven and free from sin's power!
This is the message we proclaim in our churches that many more may die with Christ and be raised to live new lives free from sins slavery and Satan’s power, having turned from the power of Satan to God Acts 26:18 (NIV). “So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.” Acts 28:23 (NLT) “...that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23). Question 7: When we are preaching, teaching a bible study or Sunday school class we are “saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass.” How might this lesson help the church to focus on the message of power to crucify and raise to life? Please share your thoughts.
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Miles writes, "Even in the church the attention shifts from the gospel to all the things we as sinners need to work on and grow in but that ends up making us feel not good enough because we fail. If we focus on only the gospel the good news it what turns us from darkness to light from Satan to the power of God. The Gospel is the power of God."
Alex writes, "The message of the finished work of Christ on the cross is the ONLY message that has the power to crucify our old self and to raise us up to newness of life! This is the way that the triune God planned and purposed from before the foundation of the world in order to purchase a people for Himself out of bondage, to be His forever, a love-gift from the Father to the Son, and from the Son to the Father. This is the true and highest message of love that we have.
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
1 John 4:9-10
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
This is the message that brings glory to God and to God alone! All other man-centered messages (works righteousness) give at least some of the glory to man; this is robbing God of His glory and our triune God shares His glory with no one.
John 17:1-2
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
So we preach Christ crucified—just like the apostles whom Jesus personally taught and commissioned to start the church.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The gospel *is* the message of the church! If we are not preaching the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and sanctification of saints, then we are not preaching *the* message of Christianity. A cross-less message is not a Christian message. Praise the Lord for the clear and powerful message of the cross for the salvation of people and the glory of God!"