Promise Fulfilled June 30, 2019
Overview
Promise Made, Promise Fulfilled
Paul's sermon in Pisidian Antioch is bracketed by a single, unwavering claim: God keeps His Word. "Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised" Acts 13:23, and again, "we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors, he has fulfilled for us their children by raising Jesus" Acts 13:32-33. The whole sermon presses one searching question to the heart: do we trust the promises of God?
Notice how Paul preaches. He offers no theological innovation, no creative reframing—just the ancient prophetic Word connected faithfully to Jesus Christ. The residents of Jerusalem and their leaders heard the prophets read every Sabbath yet failed to recognize the Messiah, and in condemning Him they fulfilled the very words they did not understand Acts 13:27-29. Beneath every line of Paul's preaching rest the prophetic promises: the Suffering Servant despised and rejected Isaiah 53; scorn heaped upon Him Psalm 109; the crowds staring and casting lots for His clothing Psalm 22; vinegar to drink Psalm 69; not a bone broken Psalm 34; laid in a rich man's tomb Isaiah 53. Even the manner of death—crucifixion, never a Jewish form of execution—validates the prophetic Word. Paul then drives the argument home with Psalm 2 and Psalm 16: David died and saw corruption, but the One whom God raised up saw no corruption. Promises made; promises fulfilled.
We know the sting of broken promises. Peter swore he would never deny his Lord, and did. Israel told Joshua, "We will serve the LORD" Joshua 24:21-22, and faltered again and again. Friends, spouses, coworkers, children—and we ourselves—have spoken words that actions did not honor. Like a steady tap on a nail, repeated disappointment can wear us down until we grow leery of any promise at all. So the question rises: will God break His promises too? He cannot. To break His Word would be to violate His own perfect being. Every promise of Scripture finds its yes in Jesus Christ 2 Corinthians 1:19-20—in the cross that bore our sin, the empty tomb that proved the sacrifice accepted, and the Word joined to water that washes us clean.
With a track record like that, we can face each new day with the catalog of God's promises spread before us: His presence, His guidance, His provision, His redemption, His ongoing work to sanctify us. Here is the practical encouragement: train yourself this week to name His faithfulness aloud. When wisdom comes for a perplexing problem—promise made, promise fulfilled. When food is set before you at lunch—promise made, promise fulfilled. When God opens a door to witness to a neighbor or coworker, when you see Him drawing someone to faith, when you notice Him transforming you to look more like Christ—promise made, promise fulfilled. And He is not done yet. This is the worshipful posture of the Christian life: connecting the dots between the Word He has spoken and the steady, daily evidence that He keeps it.
Transcript
The two brothers were having a serious discussion in the grocery store. 0s
It was one of those discussions that as you passed by them, as they were doing their shopping with their parents, 6s
you could tell that it was an ongoing conversation. 13s
It seemed like it came to a head, however, in the serial aisle. 18s
As the one brother looked at his other brother, 23s
Zindex Finger was extended. 27s
They looked and he wagged that index finger and said, 30s
You promised you promised. 36s
Oh, what was the backstory there? 45s
What was it that led to that discussion there, 48s
reaching its pinnacle in front of the serial? 53s
Obviously, it was something to do with a promise, not fulfilled. 58s
That's a theme for today, isn't it, 66s
as we continue on in the 13th chapter of Acts. 69s
We see this part of Paul's sermon bracketed by reference to the promise. 72s
Look at me, please, at verse 23. 80s
Of this man's posterity, and he was speaking of David there, 84s
God has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus as he promised. 89s
Jump down now into verse 32. 100s
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors, 104s
He has fulfilled for us. 113s
The theme is the promise of God. 120s
The question simply this. 124s
Do we trust in God's promises? 130s
Do we trust in God's promises? 136s
And we're in a section here in the 13th chapter of Acts that we've entitled, 142s
this little three-part series within the Acts series, 147s
Paul's proclamation, it's a fantastic sermon. 150s
The first part of his sermon focused as we studied last week on the 155s
Providential Care of Almighty God. 159s
In other words, how God provides for us, how he cares for us, how he guides us, 162s
God's Providential Care that, of course, reaches the pinnacle point in the 169s
cross and the resurrection. 175s
Now he's shift the second part of the sermon. 177s
And the second part has to do with the promises of God. 181s
And it leads us to that question. 187s
Will we indeed trust in God's promises? 189s
As Paul continues to preach here, Paul gives an incredible example of what it means to be a 194s
faithful, proclaimer of the Word of God. 199s
The faithful preaching of the Word of God is always going to be word centered. 202s
It is going to be formed by the very Word of God. 208s
The sermon is going to take the shape of the text. 211s
There should be no theological innovation or no theological creativity in a sermon. 217s
No, the preacher has one call, and that is to pass along faithfully the ancient text and the meaning. 224s
And the here should be able to connect the dots between what the preacher is saying and what the word says. 237s
To where the here says, I see the connection there. 247s
As the Scripture is exposited, as the Scripture is explained, Paul gives an incredible example of this as he is preaching. 253s
There is wait to his preaching. 268s
There's a gravitas to it. 270s
You see the fingerprints of God's promises all over his sermon and resting underneath as he moves sentence by sentence in his sermon. 272s
Resting underneath all that he is saying are the very prophetic promises that God has given. 282s
So the here then, what they are hearing is truly the Word of God. 291s
Not the preachers opinion, not what he is thinking about a certain subject, but what you are hearing is the very word saturated word of God. 296s
What Paul does here in this section is he puts a workshop on about how to preach. 307s
Look at verse 26. 314s
My brothers, you descendents of Abraham's family and others who fear God to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 317s
That is a very similar greeting to what occurred at the very beginning of his sermon. 333s
So when he comes back and he repeats it, what he is doing here is he is highlighting this transition point. 340s
In other words, I'm moving into my second point. 349s
I'm re addressing my hears in a similar way. 352s
And he anticipates a question. 356s
He anticipates a question of the people. 359s
The question is simply this. 362s
If Jesus is the Messiah, then why didn't the religious leaders recognize him? 365s
If he's the Messiah, why didn't the religious leaders recognize him? 376s
He answers the anticipated question. 383s
Verse 27. 385s
Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, 389s
they fulfilled those words by condemning him. 403s
Jesus said in John 5, you searched the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life and it is they that testify on my behalf. 408s
So week after week in the synagogue, week after week they would be hearing the proclamation of the prophets and they never make the connection with what the Messiah is going to look like. 422s
Say and act. So they wind up them fulfilling the prophecy of the people that would condemn the Messiah. 438s
It's the prophetic word of Isaiah 53 that undergirds what he's saying. 453s
The prophet Isaiah said he was despised and rejected by others. 458s
The prophetic word, it undergirds go on into verse 28. 466s
Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 473s
The prophetic word underneath it. Isaiah 53 again by a perversion of justice he was taken away. 483s
Jesus the spotless lamb of God did absolutely nothing wrong. 491s
Absolutely nothing wrong. It was a perversion of justice that he winds up on the cross. 496s
Paul is preaching and what's undergirding what he's saying, but it's a very promises. 501s
It's the very prophetic word of God. He goes on. 29. 506s
When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 512s
Notice the phrase. 523s
When they had carried out everything that was written. 525s
Let me just give you a sampling. 532s
The prophetic word tells us that the Messiah would have scorn heaped upon him. 535s
That's Psalm 109. 542s
That the crowds would stare at him. That's Psalm 22. 544s
Again in Psalm 22 that the people would cast lots for his clothing. 548s
In Psalm 69 it tells us that they would give him vinegar to drink. 553s
In Psalm 34 it tells us that not a bone of his would be broken. 558s
In Isaiah 53 it says that they would lay the Messiah in the tomb. 564s
That's a sampling here. 570s
And when you pondered also from this perspective that the scripture's point to the fact that the Messiah would be crucified. 574s
Jews never crucified anybody. Jews stoned people. 582s
They never ever crucified anybody. 586s
So the fact that the Messiah would wind up on the cross is simply the validation of the word that points to the fact. 589s
Not a bone of his is going to be broken. 600s
That is going to be the crucifixion that occurs. 603s
You see underneath the sermon, undergirding it, are the very prophetic promises of God. 608s
Paul is preaching and what is he preaching. 616s
He's simply preaching what the people heard constantly in the synagogue. 619s
He's connecting it to the Lord Jesus Christ. 623s
He keeps proclaiming the promises. 627s
No theological innovation. No theological creativity. 634s
Just delivering the message. 639s
It goes on verse 30. 643s
But God raised him from the dead and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from 647s
Galilee to Jerusalem. 653s
And they are now his witnesses to the people. 656s
That's first Corinthians 15, isn't it? 659s
That tells us that more than 500 people, including Paul himself, saw the resurrected Lord Jesus. 662s
Verse 32. 667s
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors. 669s
He has fulfilled for us their children by raising Jesus. 674s
As also, it is written in the second Psalm, 679s
You are my son today. 683s
I have forgotten you, but gotten that's incarnation and resurrection. 685s
And to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption. 691s
He has spoken in this way. 695s
I will give you the holy promises made to David 35. 698s
Therefore, he also said in another Psalm, 705s
You will not let your holy one experience corruption that Psalm 16. 708s
For David, after he had served the purpose of God that his own generation died, 713s
was laid beside his ancestors, experienced corruption. 719s
But he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. 723s
The very breath of his sermon, the very heartbeat of the sermon. 729s
It is all the prophetic promises of Almighty God. 734s
He connects the dots for his hears. 739s
So you see what you heard in the synagogue? 743s
It's fulfilled here. 746s
What you misunderstood, don't you understand it is the Lord Jesus? 748s
He connects the dots promises made promises fulfilled. 753s
Then you shift to human promises. 767s
Peter, Lord I will never deny you. 772s
Prometheus. 780s
Jesus says yes you will. 783s
And Peter does just that. 788s
Deneysen. 792s
Joshua, Joshua 24. 794s
The people say to Joshua, 798s
We will serve the Lord. 800s
The Scripture says, then Joshua said to the people, 804s
You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord to serve him. 808s
And they said, we are witnesses. 815s
And you see the track record of the people. 820s
They don't exactly live out the promise. 825s
Do they? 829s
Human promises. 833s
It's the hurt that is felt when the friend breaks the promise. 838s
When the coworker breaks the promise. 847s
When the neighbor breaks the promise, 852s
when the spouse breaks the promise, 854s
when the child breaks the promise, 856s
there can be a deep hurt there, can't there. 860s
And like a steady tapping on a nail, 867s
it can wear down with the nail as making contact with, 874s
to where one becomes leery about the promise. 880s
Why do self-reflection? 889s
Broken promises that perhaps have occurred in our own lives? 894s
Those broken promises of words that should have been carried out. 900s
But actions that, well, it should have been taken. 907s
Those things where we promised. 912s
But the promise wound up broken. 918s
It's the pain of experiencing the broken promise. 925s
And it can be the pain of the self-reflection on the promises broken. 930s
And we can say, 942s
will God break his promises? 946s
Will God break his promises? 955s
Two. 959s
Look again, please, at verse 23. 964s
Of this man's posterity, 968s
God has brought to Israel a Savior. 972s
Jesus as he promised. 977s
Verse 32, 984s
and we bring the good news that what God promised to our ancestors, 985s
He has fulfilled for us. 991s
First part, providential care, second part of the sermon, 1000s
promises made promises fulfilled. 1005s
Beloved, if we doubt the promises of God, 1008s
look to the Lord Jesus. 1012s
For all of the promises of Holy Scripture drive to the promise 1016s
that is made in the Lord Jesus. 1021s
The Lord Jesus, going to the cross and bearing our sin upon him. 1023s
The Lord Jesus, paying the sin that. 1028s
The wrath of God being placed upon the Son. 1031s
The reconciliation that occurs to the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1035s
The promise of the empty tomb that the sacrifice has been accepted. 1039s
The promise that the victory of the cross and the empty tomb, 1044s
the word is put with the water and we are washed in it. 1048s
When there is doubt with regard to the fulfillment of the promise of God, 1053s
we look to Jesus. 1059s
What did we study last week? 1061s
From 1 Corinthians, the 1st chapter. 1063s
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you. 1066s
So, vannis and Timothy and I was not. 1072s
Yes and no, but in him it's always yes. 1076s
For in him, everyone of God's promises is a yes. 1081s
Beloved, you have experienced 1092s
broken promises by others. 1095s
Beloved, you have broken promises. 1099s
But God never breaks his promises to you. 1107s
Never. 1116s
He can't. 1119s
For God to break his own promises, 1122s
would mean that he would violate his very being. 1124s
He would then be other than perfect. 1129s
He cannot violate his own being. 1132s
He cannot break his promises. 1137s
With a track record like God has, that gives us confidence for future living. 1142s
Doesn't it? 1149s
That gives us confidence to face each day with the catalog of God's promises before us. 1151s
The catalog of his promises, of his presence, his guidance, his leading, 1160s
his care, his provision, his redemption of us, his promise to sanctify us on and on goes the list. 1166s
So we approach each and every day with the catalog of the promises of God before us. 1175s
The question then is, will we trust those promises? 1182s
By the grace of God, he empowers us. 1191s
He lifts us up with his word of forgiveness when we fall short. 1195s
He continues to raise us up and continues to shower us with his promises. 1200s
Showering us with his promises. 1208s
Here's my encouragement for you this week. 1211s
My encouragement for you is by the grace of God to be constantly reflecting on all of the promises that he is 1215s
constantly fulfilling in a simple day. 1224s
And when the Lord brings that to that reality in your life, I pray that you will say verbally, 1231s
Promised made, Promised of Field, Promised made, Promised of Field. 1242s
And so when the wisdom comes for the perplexing problem, Promised made, Promised of Field. 1249s
When you have lunch today and you see his provision set before you, Promised made, Promised of Field. 1258s
When you go to work or into the neighborhood or in your relationships that you have with people and God brings about opportunities for you to witness to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1267s
You say, Promised made, Promised of Field. 1279s
When you see the reality that God will indeed bring people to faith, where and when it pleases him, and when you see that happen, go ahead and say, Promised made, Promised of Field. 1284s
When you see the transformation in your own life, where you see that which you've been struggling with, 1297s
and you see God at work in you transforming you to be more and more like Jesus Christ. 1305s
Say, Promised made, Promised of Field, and he's not done yet. 1313s
You see, that then becomes the worshipful attitude as we approach each and every day, where we take the application of the sermon that the spirit gives to Paul, 1318s
undurgurited by the word, and we say, God help me to do the very same thing, where I can connect the dots in my life with your incredible provision, your incredible promises, and your incredible fulfillment. 1330s
And so this is what I pray that we will say, all throughout this week. 1346s
Oh, I am. 1353s
Promised made, Promised of Field, and I have a sneaking suspicion that we're going to be saying that in all of a lot this week. 1357s
Hard way. 1372s