Monday, January 12, 2009

Paul's Power-Packed Preaching

Check out this excerpt from one of Paul's powerful messages and consider what he is doing with these words. The verses below fall in the middle of the sermon (of which the notes range from verse 22-31). Note the subject and substance of this message.

Acts 17:24-25

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

In these two brief verses Paul packs in (at least) 10 things about God that I can see on the surface of the text:

1) The God (not a god, or some god, or any god, but "The God")
2)___who made the world
3)___and everything in it,

4)_____being Lord of heaven and earth,
5)_________does not live in temples made by man,

6) nor is he served by human hands,
7)___as though he needed anything,
8)______since he himself gives to all mankind life
9)_________and breath
10)________and everything.


The rest of the sermon reveals additional things about God as well as the responsibility of mankind to seek Him and to repent. It is interesting to consider the God-centeredness of Paul's message and the not-so-God-centeredness of so many messages / sudo-sermons which permeate our culture.

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