The Holy Spirit knows something about preaching. When we examine the sermons inspired by Him, we are able to know what God wants proclaimed and how He wants it to be preached. So, in the past two issues of The Salem Story, we have looked at sermons in the book of Acts. Eight have been searched already, but there are four more that are recorded in the history of the birth and early growth of the church of Christ.
Paul from the steps of the army barracks in Jerusalem (Acts 22)
First, Paul gave something of his personal biography (vv. 3-21), i.e. how he became a Christian (v. 16) and how he came to preach (vv. 14, 15). When he said that the Lord sent him to the Gentiles (v. 21), he was stopped and threatened (vv. 22-24).
Paul before the chief priests and the council in Jerusalem (Acts 23)
Perceiving that his audience was one part Sadducees and one part Pharisees, he began this speech with “the resurrection of the dead” (v. 6). This caused a division in the assembly, “for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all” (vv. 7, 8). So, Paul’s message was interrupted again.
Paul in Caesarea before Felix the governor (Acts 24)
This lesson began with self-defense (vv. 10-13) before Paul declared that the Way was laid out by the Law and the Prophets (v. 14). Again, the apostle preached the “resurrection of both the just and the unjust” (v. 15) and followed that with even more self-defense (vv. 16-21).
Paul in Caesarea before Governor Festus and King Agrippa (Acts 26)
The final sermon recorded in the book of Acts begins with the autobiography of Paul, the preacher (vv. 4, 5). Then, quickly, Paul got to the promise of God and the hope of the Jews which is the resurrection of the dead (vv. 6-8). In ignorance, he persecuted the saints of God (vv. 9-11), but was converted to the Lord (vv. 12-15), he said. Upon his conversion, Jesus appointed him: 1) to open the eyes of the Gentiles, 2) to turn them away from darkness to light, and 3) so that they might receive forgiveness (cf. vv. 16-18). Then he called upon his listeners to repent (vv. 19, 20). He declared that he was there with God’s help and that he was preaching nothing except what “the prophets and Moses said would come to pass” (v. 22). That the Christ must suffer and rise from the dead was fulfillment of prophecy (v. 23). Paul’s message ended with a passionate plea for his hearers to “become such as I am” (vv. 27-29).
–Andy