Why Paul’s Preaching Shook a City — and What We Can Learn Today

/ Al Ngu, MDiv / Leave a comment

When Paul preached in Antioch of Pisidia, something extraordinary happened. Acts 13 records that “the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord” (v. 44).

Imagine that — an entire city drawn, not by entertainment, but by the Word of God. What made Paul so effective and anointed that people came by the thousands to listen? And what can we learn from him in a day when many hearts have grown dull to truth?

Let’s look closely at what made his ministry so powerful.

1. Paul preached Christ at the center

Paul’s sermon (Acts 13:16–41) wasn’t about self-help or moral advice — it was about Jesus.

He showed how every promise and prophecy pointed to the crucified and risen Christ:

“We bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this He has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus.” (vv. 32–33)

Paul didn’t present Christ as an accessory to life but as its fulfillment. And wherever Christ is exalted, the Spirit bears witness (John 16:14).

Lesson: The message that glorifies Jesus always carries divine power.

2. He preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit

Paul wasn’t on a personal mission. He and Barnabas were “set apart by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:2–4). His words had weight because heaven had authorized them.

This is why the crowd responded — the Spirit Himself was drawing them.

Lesson: Real anointing doesn’t come from technique or talent, but from deep communion with God. The Spirit still empowers those who depend wholly on Him.

3. His conviction gave authority

Paul spoke with burning conviction. When he proclaimed forgiveness through Jesus (v. 38), people felt the truth of it.

The Spirit confirms what the preacher truly believes.

Lesson: People are rarely moved by words that have not first moved the speaker. When the gospel grips us deeply, it grips others through us.

4. His life matched his message

After the meeting, “many Jews and devout converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who urged them to continue in the grace of God.” (v. 43)

Paul wasn’t only preaching grace — he lived it. His gentleness, patience, and humility gave credibility to his words.

Lesson: The greatest sermon is a life transformed by the message it proclaims.

5. He carried love for souls

Paul’s heart beat for people — Jew and Gentile alike. When some rejected the message, he didn’t respond with offense but with love, turning to those still hungry for truth (v. 46).

Lesson: True evangelistic power flows from compassion. Revival begins with tears for souls.

6. The Word itself carried power

Notice the phrase: “to hear the word of the Lord.” The people didn’t come to hear Paul — they came to hear God through Paul.

Lesson: When Scripture is opened in faith and simplicity, God Himself speaks. The power was never in Paul’s eloquence but in God’s Word, made alive by the Spirit.

7. The Spirit confirmed the Word with joy

By the end of the chapter, Luke writes:

“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (v. 52)

That’s revival — not just crowds, but changed hearts overflowing with joy.

Lesson: The Spirit not only convicts — He renews. He seals the preached Word with inward delight and transformation.

Recovering Paul’s Fire Today

If Paul’s ministry shook a city, it wasn’t because of personality or cleverness — it was because he combined truth, holiness, and the Holy Spirit.

We can, too.

Here’s how:

Stay in deep communion with the Spirit before speaking. Preach Christ crucified and risen as the center of every message. Let your life reflect the grace you proclaim. Fill your messages with Scripture, not speculation. Love people sincerely — not as an audience, but as souls. Expect the Spirit to move when you open your mouth in faith.

When the gospel is preached this way, cities still gather. Hearts still burn. The Spirit still falls.

May we, like Paul, “continue in the grace of God” and preach until our generation says again,

“We must hear these things again next Sabbath.

A Pastor’s Journey: Between Fire and Form

/ Al Ngu, MDiv / Leave a comment

Personal Reflection

As a church planter and pastor for over ten years in a charismatic discipleship-making movement across the world, I have come to deeply appreciate the dynamics of power and presence in Spirit-filled worship. In moments of adoration, yearning, and longing, there is often a tangible freedom where the Spirit of God moves profoundly among His people. These encounters have shaped my understanding of worship as more than form—it is an encounter with divine reality.

Yet, alongside those powerful moments, I also experienced seasons of theological dryness—times when my heart burned with passion, but my mind lacked the structure and depth to sustain that fire. That changed when I encountered the ministry of Dr. Timothy Keller. His teaching, rooted in Reformed theology yet deeply pastoral and culturally perceptive, opened my eyes to a new dimension of God’s truth.

Attending his services in New York City and later enrolling in the Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in New York, I began pursuing a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies. It was there, under the influence of Keller’s vision and RTS’s rigorous theological training, that I experienced a profound renewal of both mind and spirit. Eventually completing my Master of Divinity at RTS Orlando, I found myself transformed—no longer ministering merely from zeal but from a deep reservoir of truth grounded in the sovereignty and grace of God.

This fusion of Reformed theological depth and charismatic passion has redefined my ministry. It has given me a renewed calling to sow seeds of biblical truth and reap a harvest of spiritual transformation in the heart of New York City. My journey has convinced me that the power of the Spirit and the depth of the Word are not opposing realities—they are partners in the same divine mission.