Appeal to Scripture

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I have a distinct memory of sitting at a table in a dining hall at Virginia Tech with two other guys. One of the guys was named Brian—he was on the staff of a campus ministry that I was involved with, and I was in a discipleship relationship with Brian—he was mentoring me in the faith. I can’t remember the other guy’s name, but he was a fellow student who had filled out a survey saying that he was interested in learning more about God. So Brian—the campus ministry guy—had contacted this guy and set up this lunch meeting, and Brian invited me to come along to learn.

So we had finished eating; pushed the plates aside; Brian turned the conversation toward spiritual things. The other guy said he was open to hearing about having a personal relationship with God, and I’ll never forget what Brian did next. (By the way, my wife says I have a photographic memory; I don’t think I do, because I forget lots of things. But certain things really are like high-definition videos in my mind, and for some reason this is one of those things). Brian reached into his jacket pocket, and he pulled out a small, brown, leather Bible with a snap on the cover. He started explaining what sin is; who Jesus is; why Jesus went to the cross; and for every point he made, he was showing the guy verses from the Bible to back up what he was saying.

So there I was—the protégé—I think I chimed in a little, but I was mostly watching. And I remember thinking: “I like that Brian has that Bible open. Because he’s asking this guy to make a huge decision, and he’s not basing his appeal on his own opinions or his powers of persuasion; he’s basing his appeal on what’s in that book—that 2,000-year-old book that has stood the test of time.” So this guy whose name I can’t remember was completely locked in on what the Bible was saying—you could tell he was taking it seriously. And that day, he decided to turn from his old life and put his faith in Christ. It was a sacred moment.

And I think God preserved that image in my mind because he never wanted me to forget that when I’m sharing this faith with other people, my authority—my gravitas—my power—doesn’t come from me; it comes from Scripture. And the same is true for you.

We’re taking this winter to walk through the book of Acts, which is the account of how the early church grew, despite all kinds of opposition. Clearly, there was something supernatural happening. And I’m convinced there’s something supernatural happening today. In our country; all around us, there’s something happening. Some people are calling it “revival,” because we’re seeing a level of interest in God that we haven’t seen in years.

There’s a missionary The Chapel supports named Chris West—he’s a Northeast regional director for Cru—the college campus ministry. In his February prayer letter, he wrote this:

Ten years ago Cru canceled the Northeast Winter Conference. We simply were not drawing enough students. And the staff were burning too much time and resources to be there. Now in 2025 we decided to attempt a relaunch. The conference planners set a modest goal of 200 students. And as the event drew closer we saw a dramatic surge of students registering. The skies opened up, the Lord moved, and by the time we arrived in New Haven on January 31st, the Lord prompted nearly 700 students to be there. Some of the Northeast staff leaders who had been laboring for many years were brought to tears.

This is not the Bible belt! These are students from colleges like Rensselaer and Colgate and the University of Albany, meeting in New Haven, CT, of all places! There’s something happening. Here at The Chapel we’re getting ready to add a third service on Sunday morning because of all the people that are showing up and being baptized and coming to faith. Revival is happening.

So how do you respond to all this? Well, you can be suspicious of it; you can stand on the sidelines and critique it; or you can be part of it. You can take personally the words that Jesus spoke to his followers in Acts 1:8…“You will be my witnesses.” So can say, “Look, I might not understand this revival thing, but I’m not going to miss this moment. I’m going to use my voice to be a witness for Christ.” If you do that—if you choose join with God and be a witness—you need to know what my mentor in the dining hall knew 37 years ago: the power of your message doesn’t come from your personality or your charisma; it comes from Scripture. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Today’s passage is from Acts chapter thirteen. Saul the Christian-hater has become Paul, the Christian leader. He’s been sent out with a guy named Barnabas on what we now call the First Missionary Journey. Here’s what happens—Acts 13, starting in verse 14—this is God’s Word…

14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

“‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’

34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

35 So it is also stated elsewhere:

“‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’

36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 “‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”

42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. This is the Word of the Lord.

So here’s the question for today: As a witness for Christ, why should I appeal to Scripture? As a witness for Christ, why should I appeal to Scripture? Three reasons.

First, because Scripture Makes Sense of People’s Stories. So Paul and Barnabas show up in this place called Pisidian Antioch, which is in modern-day Turkey. On Saturday they show up at the local synagogue; they go through the first part of the service, and then the leaders offer them the opportunity to say something. Which was a typical courtesy for visiting teachers.

So Paul stands up. Did you notice what he does? He launches into a condensed history of Israel as recorded in Scripture. He says, “Look: God chose our ancestors; he made them multiply during their time in Egypt; he powerfully led them out of Egypt; he put up with them in the wilderness; and he brought them into the Promised Land. All that took about 450 years. Then God gave them judges until they asked for a king; he made Saul king; after Saul he appointed a new king named David.” And Paul doesn’t say this, but that represents about another 400 years of Jewish history. So Paul just summarized 850 years of history in about five sentences. And he’s reminding them: We follow a God who has always graciously led us and provided for us and even put up with us when we mess up. This is where we come from. This is our story.

Because listen: in order for people to act wisely today, they need to make sense of their story, and they need to see how their story fits into a larger story that God is telling.

Norma Jean and I finally visited the American Dream Mall. Have you been there? It’s crazy. It’s like a whole city. A ski slope and an ice skating rink a million stores and tons of restaurants. It was really fun. But it’s so huge that several times I had to find one of those eight-foot tall maps. You know the first thing I look for on that map? The little red arrow that says, what? “You are here.” You are here. Because otherwise, the map is just information. It doesn’t really help me. But when I find that

little red arrow, I get my bearings, and I can figure out how to get to the dumpling place (it’s on the second floor—it’s so good).

So by reviewing the biblical story of Israel’s history, Paul was showing the people, “You are here.” This is the big story God is telling, and here’s where you are right now in that story.

Wouldn’t it be exciting if we could help people do the same thing? Help them see where they are in God’s larger story? We can. Because the Bible is a powerful tool to help people make sense of their story. When my mentor, Brian, sat with that guy in the dining hall, one of his first topics was sin—and he showed the guy verses in the Bible about how everyone falls short of God’s standard, and how powerful temptation is, and how sin enslaves us. And the whole time the guy was nodding his head, like, “Definitely—I experience that all the time.” It was making sense of his life.

When people are going through depression, there are so many Psalms that resonate with that sense of loneliness and hopelessness and anxiety, and remind people they’re not alone.

When people are burning themselves out trying to get rich, Ecclesiastes teaches that those who run after money will never have money enough, and they’ll ultimately feel like they’re chasing the wind.

When someone is disappointed with romance, in John chapter four there’s a story of a woman who’s trying quench her soul’s thirst with men, but she’s empty, and Jesus helps her see she’s looking in the wrong place.

When someone is terminally ill, or even just aging, 2 Corinthians says outwardly we’re all wasting away, but there’s a deeper renewal that’s possible.

And the examples could go on and on and on. Scripture is an incredibly accurate diagnostic tool of why we experience the things we experience in life. That’s why Jesus quoted the Bible 180 times through the gospels. It’s why the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and I believe it’s why Bible sales are spiking recently. John Plake works for the American Bible Society, and he recently said, “One of the things we do know from the data is that when people experience disruptions in their life, they are more open to exploring their faith and exploring the Bible. When people are facing something they’ve never faced before, they often ask the question, ‘Does the Bible have any wisdom for me?’” In other words, life is really weird lately, and people are looking to Scripture to show them the little red arrow to guide them forward.

So here’s what this means for you: if you want to be a person of wisdom, and of true helpfulness during these strange times, you need to be a person of the Word. You need to build rhythms into your life where you fill yourself with the truths and insights and wisdom of the Bible. Let it saturate your thinking and give you a grid for understanding life. And then let that wisdom come out naturally as you talk to other people. You’ll probably never be asked to stand up in a synagogue and speak, but God will give you opportunities to help people make sense of life from the truth of Scripture. Soak it in like a sponge, and then go out and let God wring you out.

Okay: here’s the second reason you should appeal to Scripture: Scripture Makes Jesus the Main Point. So Paul is speaking in the synagogue; he gives that high-level history of Israel, right up to King David. Look what he does next—verse 23: From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. Isn’t that interesting? He moves quickly to Jesus. He gets through 850 years of history in five verses, and now he spends the next 20 verses talking about Jesus. And he doesn’t just talk about him; he quotes from the Psalms; he quotes the prophet Isaiah; he quotes the prophet Habakkuk…and he shows how every one of them was pointing to Jesus.

Because Paul knows how much these people respect and love the Scriptures, and he knows that the Scriptures are ultimately a book about Jesus.

Look what Jesus himself said to the Pharisees in John 5:39…39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. The Scriptures testify to Jesus! They lead us to Christ!

So listen—as we use the Bible, let’s make sure we’re using it to point people to Christ, not to beat them over the head. There’s a big difference.

In Kevin King’s book, Living out Loud, he talks about giving a seminar at a church, all about what he calls “turning up your spiritual volume”—talking about spiritual things more naturally. After the seminar, a woman came up to him and said, “This was so inspiring, and I realize I’ve been too quiet about my faith. My sister is not a believer, and her daughter is gay. I’ve been silent, but now I’m going to let her know my views about homosexuality.” And Kevin King said, “I realized that she had heard me all wrong.” Because the goal is not to get more vocal about moral positions—there’s a place for that, but let’s not confuse it with being a witness for Christ. The goal is to allow our genuine love for Jesus, and what he’s done for us, and what he means to us, overflow in our normal conversation.

You can convince people of your view on politics, or on vaccines, or on keto or paleo or vegan diets, or whatever you’re into. But that won't move them one step closer to heaven. Only Jesus will.

We’ve been talking about the rise in Bible sales, and the increase in church attendance and college ministry involvement. Is there anyone in your life who’s part of those statistics? Maybe you have a good friend, or a son or a daughter who’s being affected by these winds of the Holy Spirit, and they’re starting to read the Bible. The best thing you can do is to remind them that the Bible is not ultimately a book of rules or a self-help manual, it’s a book about Jesus. The written Word of God is meant to lead us to the Living Word of God. If they miss that, they’re missing the point.

As Paul spoke in the synagogue, he used the Scriptures to move the conversation quickly to Jesus. And that’s the perfect model to follow.

So as a witness for Christ, why should you appeal to the Bible? Because it helps people make sense of their stories, because it makes Jesus the main point. And then, finally…

Because Scripture Makes a Response Necessary. The whole reason Paul was in that synagogue on that day was because of something that had happened to him. Remember what happened to Paul? He thought he had life completely figured out—he was a high-level religious leader, disgusted with this upstart messianic movement called “The Way.” He had devoted himself to eliminating this annoying nuisance. Until Jesus stopped him in his tracks. And Paul realized he had been wrong. That’s a humbling thing, isn’t it? When you realize you’ve been wrong? Paul realized Jesus was alive, and that Jesus was calling him to believe in him and follow him. That’s what happened to Paul. And now, Paul stood in that synagogue, and he called all the people in that synagogue to make the same decision that he had made. Because, listen: when you encounter Jesus, a response is necessary. You can’t un-see what you’ve seen, and you have to make a choice.

Look at verse 38: 38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes (notice it’s not everyone; it’s everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. So Paul is proclaiming Jesus to them—the same Jesus who had turned Paul’s life

around. And he’s inviting them to believe so they can be “justified”—be declared righteous and forgiven in the eyes of God. He’s calling them to a response. And then, he quotes one more Old Testament Scripture. Look at verse 40:

40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 “‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”

That’s a quote from the prophet Habakkuk—one of the Minor Prophets. And the Jewish people often interpreted it in a Messianic sense. In other words, when God sends the Messiah, don’t be a scoffer. Don’t stand around critiquing and mocking, because if you do, you’ll perish. Accept him as your Messiah. Don’t miss the moment. See, Paul wasn’t just giving a nice little inspirational talk in the synagogue; he was presenting a message that demanded a response. And he desperately wanted these people to not miss the opportunity.

Let me ask you: do you carry the message of Christ with the same sense of urgency?

There’s a verse in Colossians that defines this so well. Look at Colossians chapter four verse 5: Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. That phrase “make the most of every opportunity,” in the Greek, literally says, “Redeem or buy up the time.” Did you ever play Monopoly? I’ve noticed something about successful Monopoly players. When they land on properties, they buy them. Even if it’s some low end property—like a purple one or a light blue one—you know, Baltic Ave. or something—they buy it. You know why? Because they know that if they don’t, someone else will. And they don’t know what lies around the corner—they might be in jail; they might be settling for second place in a beauty context. So when they see an opportunity, they grab it. And then they build houses and hotels and crush you.

Guys, we don’t know what lies around the corner. I keep getting reminded that life is fragile; time is so precious. So today is the day to buy up the time. To grab the opportunities to speak to the people you love about what matters most. If you don’t, someone else will grab that opportunity and fill their minds with things other than Jesus.

Scripture reminds us, over and over, that there’s a decision to be made. It’s not our role to push people to a decision, because no one ever got pushed into the kingdom of God. But it’s our role to remind them of what Scripture says: life is unpredictable, every moment is so precious and one day every one of us will stand before God…so now is the time to choose Jesus.

You know, when I rewind the clock 37 years, I’m so grateful for that moment: sitting at that table in that dining hall. I was watching a genuine example of what it means to be a witness for Christ. And a big part of what it means is that you appeal to Scripture. It make sense of people’s stories; it makes Jesus the main point, and it makes a response necessary.

And therefore, soak yourself in the Scriptures. Let your thinking be shaped by Scripture—in your personal devotions. In your small group. Did you know there’s a growing group of young adults at The Chapel who not only gather on Tuesday nights for Bible study, every Sunday right after church they have another Bible study to press deeper into the sermon. Be like them. Get hungry for the Word. And then go out and get involved in people’s lives and listen to them and talk to them about what’s most important to you. Care about them, offer to pray for them, invite them to church, and tell them about this Jesus who’s changing your life. Don’t miss the revival.