Sermon Tone Analysis

acts 19

Sub:

Intro:

I.

The Reasoning

8 Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God.

Luke emphasizes three facts about Paul’s proclamation of the gospel in the synagogue of Ephesus:

a. His Commitment

Paul attended the synagogue services and proclaimed the gospel for three months, perhaps on twelve Sabbath days and an unknown number of meetings held during the week in the synagogue building.

b.

He’s Convincing

he taught instructional discourses on the gospel with question and answer sessions; he sought to “convince” (πείθων) them concerning the truth of the gospel.

The imperfect tense of “spoke freely” emphasizes the continuous preaching activity in the synagogue for the duration of three months, while the consistent focus on information and on his effort to persuade his audience

c.

His Content

The “kingdom of God” is the reality of the fulfillment of God’s promises concerning Israel’s restoration and the salvation of the world—a reality brought about by the life, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus, Israel’s Messiah and Savior of the world, and a reality that grows as a result of the Spirit-empowered work of the apostles and the churches.

Paul does not teach general scriptural truths but specifically about Jesus, about his royal rule as the exalted Savior and Lord, and about coming to faith in Jesus in order to share in God’s kingdom.

Paul did not speak about some social Gospel issue.

Rather Paul spoke about spiritual matters.

So many churches today have left the spiritual message to preach a social message.

"The kingdom of God" involves one's soul, their eternal destiny, Christ, and the Gospel.

II.

The Resistance

II.

The Resistance

9a.

But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd....

“But when some were hardened and did not believe”

a.

Some Stubborn

John G. Butler wrote, “Notice it was just some, not everybody, that made it impossible for Paul to continue on in the synagogue.

It only takes some of the church members, not all of the members, to cause enough problems that a work cannot continue on productively in church.”

It doesn’t take many to stir up much trouble in the church.

Luke tells us that some of the Jews in the synagogue were hardened and did not believe.

Word Picture is:

Hardening the heart like a gristle.

The inevitable reaction against Paul went on even in Ephesus though slowly.

Disobedient (ἐπειθουν [epeithoun]).

Imperfect tense again, showing the growing disbelief and disobedience (ἀπειθης [apeithēs]), both ideas as in 14:2; 17:5, first refusal to believe and then refusal to obey.

This word speaks of a heart hardened against God.

The word is in the imperfect tense in the Greek language which shows that the hardening was a process.

John MacArthur wrote, “Over the course of Paul’s three month ministry in the Ephesian synagogue, some hearts gradually hardened against the gospel.

When the truth is rejected repeatedly, it hardens the heart.”

The word of God was clearly, consistently, and courageously presented to these folks and yet they gradually hardened their hearts to the word of God.

The “some” in the synagogue in Ephesus may have endured the teaching for a while, but their true colors came forth.

They may have put up with it a while, but they had had enough.

ILL: People often use breath mints.

Breath mints can do the job of covering up a problem for a little while but they don’t address the problem.

There is a new product out called “Breath Assure” which is different from a breath mint.

Breath Assure is not designed to be sucked on like most breath mints in order to change the taste in the mouth.

It is designed to be swallowed so that it can enter the stomach and release oils that address the movement of the food and the effect of decay in the stomach that works its way up into the mouth.

Most of the time, in order for real change to occur, the heart has to be fixed first.

The Jews hardened heart finally came out.

They refused to believe the gospel and be saved.

They had covered up for three months, but they could cover up no more.

b.

Some Slandered

Now these Jews are aggressive opponents of Paul and seek to injure his influence with the crowd.

Note “the Way” as in 9:2 for Christianity.

Now these Jews are aggressive opponents of Paul and seek to injure his influence with the crowd.

Note “the Way” as in 9:2 for Christianity.

The Jews were not passive in their refusal of the gospel.

Some of them were hardened to the message of the kingdom of God and they then became belligerent.

They didn’t set in silence—they spoke in strife!

They began to speak evil of the Way before the multitude.

Evil: kak-ol-og-eh'-o to revile -curse, speak evil of.

This word speaks of the intent of their hearts in attacking Christianity.

Many in our world speak evil of the “Way” today!

They slandered the message of salvation—the Messiah and the Lord!

They spoke evil of the One who gave His life for them so that they could be saved!

They had the same message that the rest of the Jews heard!

Those who believed and was saved didn’t hear a different message!

Joseph Parker points this out, “Every sermon makes us worse or better.

Here you have the same city, the same preacher, the same doctrine, but not the same result.”

It’s a danger for us to: hear the Word of God, be convicted by the Holy Spirit, to be drawn to the Son of God, to be exhorted to believe and obey and refuse to believe.

Those folks are slowly, but surely hardening their hearts to the word of God! Luke tells us that those who were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way did so before the multitude.

They did not take Paul aside and rebuke him privately, but they resisted him publicly.

They sought to poison the rest of the crowd.

They sought to sway the rest of the people in the synagogue.

III.

The Relocating

9b.

.....he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

10 And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord.

Paul was a man totally committed to helping believers and to reaching the lost.

This is seen in the schedule he kept.

People took a siesta between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. because of the heat in that part of the world.

Therefore, Paul...

• worked in secular employment in the morning hours up until 11 a.m.

(; ).

Paul was a man totally committed to helping believers and to reaching the lost.

This is seen in the schedule he kept.

People took a siesta between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. because of the heat in that part of the world.

(William Barclay.

The Acts of The Apostles.

"The Daily Study Bible."

Philadelphia, PA: The Westminister Press, 1956, p.155.) Therefore, Paul... • worked in secular employment in the morning hours up until 11 a.m.

(; ).

• taught during the hours when Tyrannus was not using the school (11 a.m. - 4 p.m.).

• taught in the homes of believers in the evenings (, ).

He literally labored for the Lord day and night.

All his energy, mind, body and soul were committed to the cause of Christ and His kingdom.