Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts Series #31

Back to the Beginning: When Church Was Church

*"Calling All Radicals"*

*Acts 17:1-9*

 

What do I mean?

Am I looking for trouble makers?

NO NO NO!

I don't have to put out a call for trouble makers, trouble makers always seem to find their way into the church don't they?

Am I calling for wierdos?

NO …

 

But I AM calling for peculiar people … radicals in the very best sense of the word

 

For we are a Peculiar People 1 Peter 2:9 says "we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people belonging to or 'peculiar' people"

Titus

 

Peculiar means - /characteristic of ONLY one person, group, or thing, distinctive … different from the usual or normal; special/

 

So I'm calling for Radicals

 

What does Radical mean?

I thought radicals were TROUBLE makers…

 

Well Let's go to Mr Webster - a Radical from the Latin /radicalis … /From the Latin /radix / which means root --- Radical means -- / /

/1- of, relating to, or prceeding from a root: as/

/  a - of or growing from the root of a plant/

/2 - or of relating to the origin/

/3 - marked by a considerable departure from the usual or traditional/

/b - tending or disposed to make extreme changes in existing views habits, conditions, or institutions/

 

So a Radical is not simply an offshoot of a branch or leaf … a Radical … breaks from Tradition or the normal which is often far from the original intent or root, and a radical come off the ROOT the place of origin

 

So, I'm calling for some people who will break from the status quo, break from tradition, break from the normal and actually RETURN to the root , what we were intended to be when we call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, part of the Church … who are predisposed to and willing to make extreme changes in the existing habits and conditions of the church, society, the hearts of men, women, boys and girls

 

So, if we're going back to the root, what's the root …

 

*Turn to Acts 17:1-9*

 

The world doesn't want to hear about Jesus

The world wants to silence the message of Christ

Satan has an evil system bent on destruction

 

They will come after you, they will lie about Christ, they will lie about you, they will "round up some bad characters", or whatever it takes …

 

So what are we going to do about it?

Are we going to be silent?

Are we going to be patient?

Are we going to be ugly?

Are we going to be fools?

Or are we going to TURN the World Upside down?

That's how the King James renders verse 6 "these men who have turned the world upside down have come here also"

"these who have caused trouble all over the world"

 

No they didn't cause trouble in a real sense of the world, they caused trouble in the sense that they challenged the worlds system of pagan beliefs,

They caused trouble for godless

They caused trouble for the forces of evil ..

 

They didn't Turn the world UPSIDE down, no, they were taking an UPSIDE down world and turning it RIGHT SIDE UP

 

Did these men turn the world upside down by violent means?

No

Did they turn the world upside down by illegal means?

No

So, how did they cause trouble all over the world?

They were RADICALS … branching off directly from the root … and I'm calling

 

*1.

A Radical Claim --- Jesus is the Christ - v 3 *

 

  *A.

THIS *Jesus

The name "Jesus" means "Jehovah Saves" - but they had been substituting other things for the thing that Jesus was to be for them.

They were creating their own Jesus

Their Job saves

Their Education saves

Their Government saves

Their Religious System saves

 

What or who is YOUR Savior?

Is it your 401K?

Your Savings account

 

We make a Radical Claim … We claim that THIS Jesus … Jesus born in a manger in Bethlehem during the Census Caesar Augustus when Quirinius was governor, born into the household of Joseph and his promised wife Mary, raised the son of a Carpenter, brother to James, Joseph, Jude, and Simon, and sisters as well (Mk 6:3), cousin to John born to Elizabeth and Zechariah, who ministered through Galilee and Judea, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate outside Jerusalem, and resurrected Three days later, who appeared to more than 400 witnesses, and ascended to the Father 40 days later … THIS Jesus … is Jehovah in the Flesh …

This JESUS …

 

- I am Radical enough to proclaim

 

  *B.

IS *the *Christ *- Messiah, Anointed one, The ONE YOU HAVE DREAMED OF

The Messiah had been expected for hundreds of years.

There were three primary things that they were dreaming of and expecting in the Messiah …

    1.

The Messiah would be like Adam and be a part of a recreation of all things, the beginning of the wonder of God's restoration

    2.

The Messiah would be like Moses who set them free from the captivity and led them into promise, so the Messiah would set them free from sin and lead them into the promise of God's presence, blessing and provision

    3.

The Messiah would be like David and rule them and protect them as a good King.

He would slay the Giant, lead them in true worship of God, direct them in the righteous way to live and go.

If you have dreamed of a recreation, a new beginning, new life, we have the Radical understanding that Jesus IS the Christ that you've been dreaming of

If you've dreamed of being released from the hold and bondage that this life and sin has on you, we are radical enough to claim that Jesus is the Messiah you have longed for

 

If you've dreamed of the protection and direction that you need in this life, Then We radically proclaim that Jesus is the Christ

 

Do we have some Radicals here today?

What else did these first century Radicals have?

* *

*2.

A Radical Group of Friends -* v 4 Jews, Greeks, Prominent Women, v 7

This was a diverse group of people that were receiving the Message of Christ and following the truth that Paul proclaimed.

They were Jew and Greek, they were Men yes but Women too, there were poor as there always were, but there were prominent men and Prominent Women

 

Remember that Radicals:  /marked by a considerable departure from the usual or traditional ;  tending or disposed to make extreme changes in existing views habits, conditions, or institutions/

 

What is the norm when it comes to Friends?

People LIKE us, people with our background, our likes and dislikes.

What is the norm in churches today?

It has been said that Sunday morning from 11:00 - 12:00 is the most segregated hour in America.

But not these Radicals … and NOT the Radicals I'm continuing to call for at New Life Baptist Church

 

How do we break with tradition, normal, habits?  

 

  A.

Jason *welcomed* them -

    1.

we ALL know what it's like to NOT be welcome … we have all experienced it

    2.

we have experienced it socially, we have experienced it ethnically, we have experienced it economically … but we do NOT have to continue the tradition, we do not have to justify being exclusionary …

    3.

we have to WELCOME people - the Dictionary defines welcome as /1 to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality 2 to accept with pleasure the presence of/

    4.

they were radical and we must be radical, not just tolerating people different from us but to pleasured to have the presence of others.

But it says that Jason Welcomed them

 

  B.

*Into* his *House*

    1.

the English definition of welcome isn't the complete definition of this Greek word used here.

NO … the Greek word (hoop-od-*ekh*-om-ahee) here is the whole phrase.

It means /to receive under one's roof, to receive as a guest/ …

    2.

If someone isn't welcome in your house, they will not feel welcome here.