"Chutzpah" July 14, 2019

Overview

Chutzpah: The Boldness at the Heart of the Gospel

Chutzpah is a word often used to describe audacity or nerve—sometimes with a negative edge, but at its core it means a confident, unflinching boldness. Scripture is filled with it, and nowhere more obviously than in the book of Acts, where the disciples proclaim Christ with remarkable assuredness. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas arrive at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, are invited to share a word, and Paul preaches a short but powerful sermon: God's provision for Israel throughout her history of rejection and rescue, the promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and an exhortation to receive forgiveness and freedom that the law of Moses could never give, and to continue in the grace of God.

The seeds took root. The next Sabbath, Acts 13:44 tells us "almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord"—including many Gentiles crowded into a Jewish holy space. The same officials who had asked for a word the week before were now "filled with jealousy" and began contradicting and blaspheming Acts 13:45. This was not a new pattern. Mark 15:10 reminds us it was out of envy that the chief priests handed Jesus over. Jealousy is a ferocious sin—Proverbs warns that no one can stand before it Proverbs 27:4—and here it drove the leaders to reject the very Messiah their Scriptures promised, fulfilling Paul's earlier warning from Habakkuk Acts 13:41: "Look, you scoffers, be amazed and perish."

Rather than shrink back, Paul and Barnabas spoke "boldly" Acts 13:46: the word had to come to the Jew first, because to Israel were entrusted the oracles of God Romans 3:1–3. Paul was unashamed of the gospel, "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" Romans 1:16. When it was rejected, they turned to the Gentiles in fulfillment of their commissioning Acts 13:2 and of Isaiah's promise that God's servant would be "a light for the Gentiles" Acts 13:47. Notice: the leaders were not declared unworthy because they thought too lowly of themselves. They judged themselves unworthy by refusing the salvation set right before them.

Chutzpah is at the heart of the gospel itself. That God would save the world through something as humiliating and horrific as a cross is audacious good news. That sinners gather week after week to receive Christ's body and blood for the forgiveness of sins is audacious. That the Holy Spirit, poured out in baptism, empowers ordinary believers to carry this word into a counter-cultural world is audacious. We are imperfect in our sin, yet God places His righteousness upon us and in us through the blood of Jesus—and then sends us out as missionaries with His word on our tongues. That takes nerve. That takes chutzpah. And by the Spirit's gift, it is yours. Go this week and live boldly in it.

Transcript

So there was a little old lady who was selling pretzels on the street corner day after 0s

day selling pretzels just a dollar of pretzel and every day a young gentleman would pass by 6s

and pretty soon after he saw this woman sitting there day after day he had a generous heart 11s

and thought he would give her a dollar. He didn't want a pretzel but day after day he would 18s

put a dollar into her jar and they never spoke a word to each other. He never took a pretzel 23s

but he always put that dollar in her jar. This went on for three years and at that end of 29s

that third year he put a dollar in her jar and she kind of cleared her throat and said, 37s

mmmm, young man, I've raised my prices. Pretzels are now a dollar 25. That took a lot 43s

of nerve. That took what we like to refer to as some hutspa. A lot of nerves, some boldness. 52s

There's a certain negative connotation that can go with that word hutspa, you know, kind 61s

of a cheekiness or an audacity but really hutspa is a boldness. It's a shirtiness. It's the 66s

self confidence in what they're bringing to the table and really we find a lot of hutspa 76s

in scripture. The book of acts itself is filled with hutspa with the disciples going out 84s

and proclaiming things in such a bold manner with a lot of nerve, a lot of assuredness 92s

in what they are proclaiming. The entire book of acts is one bold story after another. The latest 100s

story that we've been studying in chapter 13 follows the disciples as they branch out and we see 110s

as Paul and Barnabas are sent out on mission to speak and proclaim the gospel to the Jews and the 118s

Paul and Barnabas end up at a synagogue and they're invited to speak a word and Paul stands up 131s

and he speaks a word. First he tells the Israelites and the Godfiers that is the Gentiles who have 140s

converted to Judaism. He tells them of the provision that God has had for the Israelite people 149s

throughout history and he shows them the cycle of the Israelites where they reject God turning away 156s

from him. God brings retribution down upon them. They of course turn and repent and God 164s

rescues them. This happens over and over and over again and then ultimately God's greatest provision 172s

is through a Savior his own son Jesus Christ and then Paul continues by showing the Israelite 181s

people using scripture how Jesus really is a promise made by God and a promise fulfilled by God. 189s

So we have the provision we have the promise and then he wraps up his sermon with a beautiful 201s

exhortation to turn to Jesus. He proclaims that Jesus through Jesus sins are forgiven that through 209s

Jesus freedom righteousness can be found that there's no way to earn freedom under the law of 219s

Moses and then and then he urges his hears to continue in the grace that salvation through Jesus Christ 228s

brings and he urges them to continue in the grace the steadfast love and mercy of God. 237s

Paul and Barnabas were in the synagogue. The synagogue, the people of the synagogue, the Jewish 248s

leaders, they wanted a word from Paul and Paul brought that word and he brought that word with a lot 254s

of Hutsboth. It's a fun word to say. It really is and what was their reaction? If we look at verse 42 262s

his hears as Paul and Barnabas were going out the people urged them to speak about these things again 273s

the next Sabbath. The seeds had been planted. The word was proclaimed and it was starting to take 280s

hold. Paul's sermon lasted maybe maybe five minutes but the Holy Spirit was already transforming 290s

hardened hearts, softening them, preparing them to be open to receive that word of forgiveness 299s

to receive that word of salvation through Jesus Christ. They were receiving the word of God and they 306s

wanted more and so they asked for Paul and Barnabas to come back. Come back, tell us more, 313s

teach us more, speak these words more on the following Sabbath. So a week goes by the next 320s

Sabbath day comes about and Paul and Barnabas returned to the synagogue once more and this is where we 328s

pick up in our text for today with verse 44. The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to 336s

hear the word of the Lord. Now this statement is a slight exaggeration. It wouldn't have been the 345s

entire city that turned out but Luke's report here of Paul and Barnabas, they're returned to the 352s

turnout really was and this is very important and it matters for a couple of reasons. First of all, 364s

it means that the space in the synagogue was very crowded. It was more crowded than the typical 371s

Sabbath day. Second, if a large crowd had gathered, it means that there were a lot of Gentiles 378s

that had come to hear. They had heard about Paul and Barnabas. They had heard of this word 387s

being spoken and they wanted to know more. The strict Jewish officials would not have been pleased 394s

to be surrounded by Gentiles. If you recall, Gentiles were unclean. They were supposed to be separated. 402s

It was a breaking of the ceremonial Jewish law. In Leviticus 20 it says, you shall be holy to me 411s

for I, the Lord and Holy and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine. 418s

The Jewish people were supposed to be separated. They were supposed to be holy and here they were 428s

amongst an unclean people in their holy place, hearing a word. But when the Jews, 434s

verse 45, when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and blaspheming. 443s

They contradicted what was spoken by Paul. The Jewish officials were not pleased to be surrounded 450s

by the unclean in their holy space, but they were even more upset by the word that was being spoken 458s

by Paul and by Barnabas. Let's think just for a moment, think back. All the way back to verse 15, 465s

these Jewish officials that are so upset. Now on this Sabbath, a week ago, it was those same 474s

officials inviting Paul and Barnabas to share a word. Verse 15 says, the officials of the Synagogue 482s

sent them a message saying, brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, 489s

give it. The official had asked for a word and they got a word. The following Sabbath, the two men, 496s

were back. The people had crowded in to hear them once more and how did the leaders react this 507s

time? They were filled with jealousy. All jealousy, that's the sin that can just dig in deep and take 514s

hold. It can drive a person absolutely crazy. It takes hold like none other. In Proverbs, 527s

we're warned against it. Proverbs 6, for jealousy arouses a husband's fury and he shows no restraint 537s

when he takes revenge. Proverbs 27, Rath is cruel. Anger is overwhelming, but who is able to stand 544s

before jealousy? No one. The Jewish leaders saw the crowds gathered. The crowds filled with 554s

gentile and the Jewish leaders were filled with jealousy and then their mouths were filled with 565s

blasphemy and their blasphemy was a rejection of Jesus Christ. Their blasphemy was a rejection 575s

of Jesus as the promised Messiah straight out of Scripture and they didn't want to hear it. 584s

They wanted to reject it, turn it away, turn it out. But rejection, born out of jealousy, 594s

was nothing new for the Jewish leaders. In the gospel of Mark, we hear that it was out of jealousy 603s

that the chief priest had handed Jesus over. Out of jealousy, the Jewish leaders, the chief priest 612s

handed Jesus over to be crucified to hang on across the most detestable curse that can be had 623s

for a man. jealousy drove the Jewish leaders to crucify the Messiah and when Paul and Barnabas spoke 632s

a word of forgiveness, they spoke of freedom in Jesus Christ, they spoke of freedom from seeking 642s

righteousness through the law under Moses. Wow, jealousy, once again, was the driving force for the 649s

leaders in the synagogue. They were losing control. They were losing control over the people. 658s

They were losing control over the teaching and as we see, they were really losing control 665s

of themselves. They had lost control of the soul rights to righteousness under the old covenant. 672s

It was no longer just for them. All these Gentiles that were slushed in there with them. 683s

We're hearing a word of rescue, a word of promise from God under a new covenant 692s

through the blood of Jesus Christ. These Jewish leaders had become the very scoffers that Paul had 703s

learned about in his sermon the week before when he was quoting the prophet Habeckic, verse 41, 712s

if you want to read along, look you scoffers, be amazed and perish for in your days. I am doing 720s

a work, a work that you will never believe even if someone tells you. They were for warned, 727s

they're fulfilling scripture. They're fulfilling their own scripture by not believing the work 736s

that had been done and was being done by God through Jesus. The Jewish leaders are blaspheming 745s

the very word of God. And instead of bowing out, instead of shrinking back and giving the 756s

synagogue over, giving the proclamation over to these Jewish leaders, what do Paul and Barnabas do? 766s

They muster up some huts but that's what they do. We continue in verse 46. Then both Paul and Barnabas 772s

spoke out boldly saying it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. 779s

They respond with some hutspa, with some boldness. They knew it was absolutely necessary 789s

for them to bring that word of promise to the Jewish people first because they knew that it was 796s

Israel's history. Through Israel's history that the promise was held. In Romans, the third chapter, 805s

it says in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were 814s

unfaithful? Will their faithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means, Paul and Barnabas knew 820s

that the gospel would be rejected by the many in the synagogue but that didn't stop them from preaching 828s

and it didn't stop them from going to the Jewish people first. We can see over and over again 834s

throughout Paul's mission where he goes to the Jew first. He wants his brothers to be saved. He wants 840s

them to have that promise but he also knows that it will be rejected by many. He wrote in Romans, 850s

I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith 863s

to the Jew first and also to the Greek. He had to preach to the Jew first but it didn't stop him 869s

from taking it to the Gentile. He knew he needed to bring it there as well, continuing in verse 46. 880s

Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the 888s

Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us saying, I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles 895s

so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Paul and Barnabas were absolutely faithful 903s

to their call. They were faithful to the Lord to deliver that word of salvation to their brethren 911s

and they knew it would be rejected but then they were faithful to the Lord in delivering that promise 917s

to the Gentile people which was fulfilling scripture and fulfilling the call that they had for this mission. 923s

Way back in verse 2 before they set out on a journey. In chapter 13 we see this call placed on their 934s

heads while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting. The Holy Spirit said, 942s

set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. This was the plan. 948s

They were being sent for this purpose to share Jesus with the Gentile after it was rejected by the 956s

Lord. The Jewish leaders did reject salvation. We see that they didn't count themselves worthy 966s

of eternal life and you can think about that and consider today go home after hearing the good news 974s

and contemplate it and think over it and ponder it and meditate on it and then come up with 982s

that they weren't worthy of it. They were so remorseful of their sinful ways that they just weren't 989s

worthy of salvation. That's not what's going on here. They have called themselves unworthy by the fact 995s

that they continue to reject the promise of God. Paul and Barnabas are pointing out their rejection. 1003s

Pointing out that they themselves are claiming unworthiness by the very fact that they reject 1013s

the promise in God's word for them. Salvation was right there. It was open to them, 1020s

ready, waiting available and they turn away. They rejected time and time again. 1029s

Paul and Barnabas, they showed a lot of clitspa in calling out the rejection of the Lord by these 1040s

Jewish leaders. They had a lot of hutspa in the very word that they proclaimed but truly isn't 1049s

hutspa at the heart of the gospel. There is a certain audacity, a certain boldness that comes 1058s

with the cross of Jesus, something so wretched and humiliating and horrific that that is how 1068s

God chooses to save the world that something so horrifying so disgusting that makes us want to turn away 1080s

that that is actually life and hope and salvation. That's hutspa. The very fact that we come here 1091s

weak after weak to take in our Savior's body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins that 1105s

is hutspa. The fact that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to take this word out 1114s

everywhere that we go that is hutspa. It's not easy being a Christian in this world. There's a lot 1123s

that we stand countercultural and it takes a lot of hutspa to be a Christian, a lot of boldness. 1134s

We are imperfect in our sin and yet God places His righteousness upon us and in us. 1145s

That's hutspa and he empowers us to live our daily lives in that boldness 1156s

knowing with assuredness exactly who we are in Christ Jesus that we are claimed through the 1164s

waters of baptism that we have a righteousness that should not be our own yet is through the blood of 1173s

Jesus. To have that, to know that that is hutspa. It takes a lot of nerve to stand strong 1183s

proclaiming that word just as Paul and Barnabas did when it seems like it would be so much easier 1199s

to bow out to leave the scene and let everyone be to themselves. But that's not what we're 1206s

called to do and that's not who we're called to be. We are called to be a people of hutspa. 1215s

A boldness. Bold proclaimers of the word of forgiveness through Christ Jesus alone. 1224s

It's a bold message but it's one that God has trusted each and every single one of us with. 1235s

We just sent out a group of missionaries to Costa Rica. We sent out a group of missionaries to 1247s

Chicago. It takes a lot of hutspa to go out into this world proclaiming that word and yet they did it. 1254s

Empowered by the Holy Spirit. They had the words upon their tongues by the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1264s

Each and every single one of us is a missionary with that same word and that same boldness because 1272s

it does not come from ourselves. But from the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon us in our baptism. 1280s

I ask you, are you ready this week to go out there with some hutspa? Are you ready this week? 1289s

To go out there with some hutspa? Yes, because you got it. It is yours. All promise to you through 1301s

blessed Holy and sacred word of God and that is our very good news and that is a lot of hutspa. 1310s