October 16, 2022
Sermon Series: Believers Are To Sow The Gospel Seed
Sermon # 11
HUNGRY FOR THE TRUTH
Acts 13:6-12
Do you remember the Columbo’s catchphrase? “Just one more thing…”
· “Just one more thing”
· Was TV detective Columbo’s catchphrase.
· Columbo, was a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department
· When you first saw him on screen,
· Lieutenant Columbo looked like he had been sleeping in his clothes 24/7
· He wore a scruffy crumpled beige raincoat,
· He had a bumbling, clumsy manner,
· He was very polite, and he was always chomping on the same short cigar.
· At key a moment in the show,
· He would often leave the room making the criminal feel he had gotten away with it,
· Only to return with the catchphrase “Just one more thing.”
· Where he would ask the critical important question.
Columbo was played by the actor Peter Falk (1927-2011),
· Now not a lot of people know this,
· But in real life Peter Falk had a glass eye.
· When he was 3 years old, he had an operation to remove a cancerous tumor,
· As a result of the operation, he lost his eye.
· In spite of the missing eye, he was a pretty good high school athlete.
· And one baseball story he loved to tell.
· In one game, after being called out at third base,
· He removed his glass eye and handed it to the umpire and said,
· “Here. You’ll do better with this.
· In sports we all feel our team is getting a raw deal!
· And what we all want is the correct decision.
· (Actually, that is not true, what we want is an advantage for our team).
· When it comes to life,
· There are people we have met or know of that need a pair of eyes.
· Donald Trump needs a fresh set of eyes to help him see the truth clearly!
· There seems to be a famine in our nation and worldwide of telling and practicing the truth!
In our lesson today, Paul and Barnabas had sailed to Cyprus and landed in a city called Paphos. There was a man who was hungry for the truth! Sergius Paulus was a deputy who would welcome Paul and Barnabas. He was a man hungry for the truth.
We have three facts that come into play when you are hungry for the truth!
I. THERE WILL BE A DESIRE v. 7
(want, longing, hunger, thirst, need, crave)
A. The deputy had a desire to hear the Word of God
B. The deputy (proconsul) was an important man
1. He was similar to a governor but with a limited term
2. He is called prudent (intelligent, sensible)
C. This important man knew he needed God
1. He was aware of the limitations of human power
2. He desperately wanted to hear a word from the Lord
D. Do you desire to hear a word from the Lord?
When you are hungry to hear the truth
II. THERE WILL BE A DISTRACTION v. 6-11
A. Enter Elymas (Bar-jesus), who tried to distract the deputy
B. Who was this distracter?
1. He was a Jew, a False prophet, and a sorcerer v. 6
2. He called himself Barjesus (son of Jesus)
3. He tried to distract the deputy from coming to faith in Christ
C. Distraction often comes from those professing special gifts from God
D. Paul boldly rebuked this enemy of the truth v. 9-10
1. He called him a deceiver and corruptor of the truth
2. He called him a child of the Devil and an enemy of righteousness
3. Servants of God must boldly denounce sin and false teachings
E. Elymas was stricken blind for his sinful opposition to the truth
Whenever you have a desire to hear God’s Word, there will be a distraction. Some false teacher or false prophet want to distract you from hearing the absolute truth (Gospel).
When you are hungry to hear the truth
III. THERE WILL BE A DECISION v. 12
(conviction)
A. When the deputy saw what happened to Elymas, he believed
1. He saw that false teaching leads to blindness
2. He turned from false doctrine to faith in Christ
B. The deputy was astonished at what Paul said about Jesus
1. The Gospel was truly good news to him
2. The death and resurrection of Christ captured his heart
ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR THE TRUTH? When you are hungry for the truth, three facts will happen!
1. There will be a desire
2. There will be a distraction
3. There will be a decision
Responsive Reading: Acts 13:4-12
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