The Jews of Corinth
Acts 18:1-17
February 24, 2013

As you know we are dealing with Paul’s second missionary journey.
And over the course of the last couple of weeks
We are dealing with the opposition Paul has faced on this trip.

• The first part of this trip caused us to easily recognize the sovereign hand of God.

• The second part of this trip causes us to recognize the sinister hand of Satan.

We saw Paul deal with the Jews of Thessalonica and their mob mentality.
• They were not noble-minded.
• They were not truth seekers.
• They were simply jealous of Paul’s success and therefore sought to kill him.

And we face our mobs today.
Any time a group of people reach a senseless level of aggression
And just close their ears to reason and seek to stop the truth.

We see them.
And from Paul we learned how to deal with them: ENDURE

They ran him out of Thessalonica
So he went to Berea and once again preached in the synagogue.

Of course in Athens Paul met a different kind of opposition. These men would not have been considered ignorant, indeed they were just the opposite.

• These were the philosophers of the day.
• They were the critical thinkers, the questioners of their time.
• They were too sophisticated to form a mob.

The problem was they were too sophisticated to listen to Paul.
• They called him an “idle babbler”
• They called God a “strange deity”
• They called the gospel “strange things”

And they put Paul basically on trial before the court of human opinion
With the goal of humiliating him.

And we are familiar with mockers.
Men who are too educated or intellectual for the gospel.

And since the gospel runs contrary to the wisdom of man,
We often encounter this type of opposition.
Thankfully Paul showed us how to deal with the mockers of our time: PREACH THE GOSPEL
• Paul didn’t argue on a philosophical level
• Paul didn’t argue on a scientific level
• Paul didn’t argue on a rational level
• Paul didn’t argue on an intellectual level

Paul simply related the truths of God.
God is creator
God deserves worship
God demands repentance
God will judge

Paul taught us that we don’t have to look smart in their eyes
To deliver the truth.

Well, tonight we come across the third group of opposition:
The Jews of Corinth

And these men are MALIGNERS (blasphemers)

And we run across them too.
These are people who have heard the truth, know it to be the truth,
And then reject it anyway.
And not only do they reject it, they verbally and openly attack it.

And Paul shows us how to deal with them as well.

#1 THE OPPRESSION
Acts 18:1-17

Last week we saw that Paul had an INNER OPPRESSION.
He saw the idols of Athens and had a burning in his heart to address it.

Here Paul still has an inner oppression, but you can’t call it anger,
HERE PAUL IS FACING DISILLUSIONMENT.

We actually do ourselves a disservice when we put men like Paul on such a pedestal that we think them unable to struggle as we do.

Paul was a man.
Now he walked by the Spirit and therefore accomplished great things,
But he was a man none the less.

And all throughout Scripture men who serve God struggle.

Charles Spurgeon:
“It were better to break stones on a road than to be a preacher, unless God had given the Holy Spirit to sustain him. The heart and soul of a man who speaks for God will know no ease, for he hears in his hears that warning admonition, ‘If the watchman warned them not, they perished, but their blood will I require from the watchman’s hands.’ Is the infallible revelation of the infallible Jehovah to be moderated, to be shaped, to be toned down to the fancies of the hour? God forbid us if we ever alter His word.”

Spurgeon himself suffered with severe depression for much of his life.

• We cannot forget how the prophets in Scripture were treated.
• We cannot forget what sort of opposition Jesus promised to the disciples.

F.R. Maltby said, “Jesus promised His disciples three things: they would be absurdly happy, completely fearless, and in constant trouble.”

The reality is that it is a hard job
To be God’s spokesman or to lead God’s people.

Consider the cries of some of the men of old.

Moses
Numbers 11:11-15 “So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? “Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’? “Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. “So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”

Joshua
Joshua 7:7 “Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan!”

Elijah
1 Kings 19:4 “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”

Job
Job 3:1-4 “Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said, “Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’ “May that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it.”

Jeremiah
Jeremiah 20:14-18 “Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy. But let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon; Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant. Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?”

Jonah (although wrongly)
Jonah 4:1-4 “But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”

Even when Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;”

Spurgeon had it right.
It is a hard job, and at times this job takes its toll on the messenger.
That is precisely what we see here in the life of Paul.

Let me help you see what his life has been like of late.

It all started with a genuine desire to return to the mission field
And see how those churches were doing.

It all seemingly went downhill from there.
• A Divided Team
• A New Destination
• Physical Abuse & Jail Time
• 2 Hostile Evacuations
• A Separated Team
• A Public Mocking in Athens
• 53 mile walk, alone, to Corinth (the scariest city in the region)

It is almost like “Murphy’s Law”
“What can go wrong, will go wrong.”

• At this point Paul is financially broke. (that is why he is working)
• Paul is also afraid.

(9) “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;”

He actually told the Corinthians in his first letter:
1 Corinthians 2:3 “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,”

• It is not a stretch to say he was lonely.
• And we know he was burdened.

It is not recorded in the Acts account, but we learn from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians that Timothy and Silas did join Paul in Athens.

But as soon as they arrived,
He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica
And Silas somewhere else in Macedonia (probably Philippi)

WHY? He was heavily burdened.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.”

Not only that, but now Paul was in Corinth.
• To help you understand, Corinth was a cross-roads city.
• It was also a port city
• It was also home to Aphrodite’s temple

It was so immoral and so dangerous that the term “Corinthianize”
Became synonymous with sexual immorality.

And Paul was in this violent, immoral city,
All by himself and on his last emotional nerve.

Paul had reached a real low point of disillusionment.

And that is seen here in the first 4 verses.
(READ VS. 1-4)

I can identify with Paul here, as most can in one way or another.
• He loved to preach.
• He was entrusted with the gospel.
• And on the Sabbath he still fulfilled his calling to do that.

But quite honestly, there were times
When he would just as soon be making tents.
(I can retreat to my woodshop pretty easily)

PAUL IS NOT ALONE
I often think of Peter, after his denial, even after the resurrection.
Peter decides to return to his former occupation.

John 21:3 “Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.”
The Greek there indicates that Peter was returning to fishing,
Not just going for an outing.
Of course Jesus re-routed all the fish in the sea, and ultimately appeared to Peter and three times told him to “feed My sheep”

Peter was no longer a fisherman, Peter was now a shepherd.
Well, Paul was no longer a tent maker, Paul was church builder.

And God is about to help him out.

The Oppression
#2 THE OPPOSITION
Acts 18:5-8

Verse 5 here actually put an end to Paul’s oppression.

“But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”

HOW DID THEIR COMING HELP?

Timothy came from Thessalonica:
1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

Silas came from Philippi
Philippians 4:10-14 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.”

• Through the Thessalonians Paul received emotional comfort.
• Through the Philippians Paul received financial help.

Both proved to be exactly what it took to re-energize this missionary.

When they arrived Paul was revitalized
And went right back into full-blown ministry.

So the oppression is over, but the opposition is about to pick up.

(6) “But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

So there you have those MALIGNING JEWS OF CORINTH.
They “resisted and blasphemed”

“resisted” translates ANTITASSO
It means “to arrange in battle against”

In some ways these men were like the Thessalonians with their militant style, the only difference is they were more organized.

But aside from just resisting, they also “blasphemed”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
It means to speak out against.

These men didn’t just reject Christ, they reviled Him.
They spoke against Him, they maligned Him, they verbally attacked Him.

• At times we come across people who neglect the gospel.
• At times we come across people who get angry, but don’t know why.
• And at times we come across people who are actually hostile toward Jesus.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THOSE PEOPLE?
How do you respond to them?

Exactly like Paul did.
“he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Jesus said:
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Matthew 10:14-15 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. “Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”

Jesus said to depart.
There is no use arguing with a mad dog or a dirty pig.

And it has amazed me in our day how many think that this is
“SO UNCHRISTIAN”.

I thought we were supposed to handle and accept abuse.
We are. When it is aimed toward us.

Jesus did that.
1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Jesus even allowed Himself to be blasphemed.

But you know what He didn’t allow?

He didn’t allow the Holy Spirit to be blasphemed.
Matthew 12:32 “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

If someone attacks you personally, sure you have to die to self
And endure it, just like Jesus did.

But we don’t have to just stand there and let the world attack Jesus.
We don’t have to treat that like it’s ok.

• Would you let them malign your spouse?
• Would you let them malign your kids?
• Would you let them malign your momma?

Then why in the world would you let them malign Jesus?

Paul wouldn’t.
They started out against Jesus, and he said that was enough.

Paul was filled with a righteous indignation.
And honestly I think at times we have far too little of this.

I’ve been studying the Holy Spirit lately.
And one of the things I have noticed about Him is that
When we are filled with Him we take on His emotions.

Could be compassion…
Could be mercy…
Could be joy or love…
But it could also be indignation:

1 Samuel 11:5-6 “Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and he said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry.”

There are some things that should anger us.
(Was Jesus not angry when He saw what the chief priests were doing to His Father’s temple?)

There are some things that should anger us,
And one of those things is when people verbally malign Jesus.

Paul had enough.
He shook out his garments –
Symbolic of not wanting any of their filthy dirt on him.

And he said, “Your blood be on your own heads!”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

It comes from Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 3:16-21 “At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. “Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. “Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. “However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.”

Paul mentions it again later in Acts.
Acts 20:25-27 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”

That is what Paul is referring to here.
I did all that I was required of me, you are on your own.

He voiced his displeasure at their opposition.
He said, “From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

BUT (and you’ll love this) HE STILL MAINTAINED THE LOVE OF GOD

(7) “Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.”

DON’T YOU LOVE THAT?
• Paul is pulling out!
• He is gone!
• He’s done with those Jews!

He walked right out the front door
And into the house right next to the synagogue.

That is a tremendous picture of both the indignation
And the long-suffering of God.

He voiced his displeasure, but did not totally cast them aside.
In fact Paul still maintained such a ministry
That even the synagogue leader was eventually saved.

(8) “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.”

But I think you get a good idea
Of how to handle those maligning blasphemers.

• To the mob – we endure
• To the mockers – we preach the truth
• To the maligners – we rebuke and depart (always open to their repentance)

Now, let me show you one more aspect of the story.

The Oppression, The Opposition
#3 THE OPPORTUNITY
Acts 18:9-17

Remember now what Paul is up against.
Sure, he has been revived by the coming of Timothy and Silas,
But he is still in a hostile city with a hostile synagogue right next door.

This is a very intimidating place to be.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE HONESTLY
YOU WERE SIMPLY AFRAID TO PREACH THE GOSPEL?

That is where Paul is.

But notice God open a door of opportunity for Paul.
(9-10) “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

WHAT A STATEMENT!

“Do not be afraid”
“go on speaking”
“do not be silent”

WHY?
“I am with you”
“no man will attack you”
“I have many people in this city.”

I’ve actually had a moment similar to that.
When we went to Africa the first time, I was terrified.
I was pretty sure I was going to die over there.

Beyond that we had been told that wild animals shouldn’t be an issue,
But where we were going was known to have a large mamba (snake)
And scorpion population.

Carrie’s prayer before I left didn’t help much, “I know he will come home; I don’t know when or in what condition.”

And in all our studies before we left, all I could ever get from the Lord was be willing to suffer, be faithful to preach, proclaim My name.

So I was pretty stressed.

We flew from Lubbock to Dallas and then from Dallas to St. Louis.
And on that flight I opened my Bible and this is what I read:
Luke 10:17-20 “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Pretty good huh?
I think I know how Paul must have felt!

God had just written Paul a blank check and told him to settle in,
And get ready for revival!

People were about to get saved
And Satan would not be allowed to do a thing about it!

And Paul took advantage!
(11) “And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

And that is really all we need to know, but it isn’t all we want to know.

So Luke shows us how God kept His promise.
(READ 12-17)

• There we have Satan testing the metal of God.
• And notice that Paul didn’t even have to speak.
• God fought this battle and God handled the enemy.

Paul was in the midst of a vile and dangerous city
And yet God had placed him in a bubble
To be able to preach the gospel without fear.

Praise God for that!
Was their oppression? Yes
Was their opposition? Yes

But neither of those things indicates a lack of opportunity.
God opened a door in the midst of those things
For one of Paul’s most fruitful mission moments ever.

And with that we are encouraged in regard to facing opposition.
• God delivered Paul from Thessalonica
• God delivered Paul from Athens
• God delivered Paul from Corinth

In fact Paul got so used to God’s deliverance,
At the end of his life he wrote to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:16-18 “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul certainly believed what he wrote when he said,
“If God be for us, who can be against us?”

When you face opposition,
• Be ready to endure against the mob.
• Be ready to preach to the mockers
• Be ready to rebuke the maligners

And at all times watch for God to open doors
You didn’t even think were possible for Him to open.

After all, this is His mission.

The Men of Athens
Acts 17:16-34
February 17, 2013

We are presently in the middle of Paul’s second missionary journey.

• It started with a disagreement.
• That disagreement led to division.
• And the trip was finally orchestrated through diversion.

God supernaturally led Paul, Silas, and Timothy into Europe.
We call it “The Macedonian Call”

And the first part of Paul’s trip in Macedonia
Was certainly a tribute to the SOVEREIGN PLAN OF GOD.
• God led Paul to Macedonia
• God opened Lydia’s heart
• God sent the earthquake to free Paul

God was moving and Paul was working with Him.

The second part of this trip focuses on the SINISTER WORK OF SATAN.

As we said last week, the trip ends while really highlighting
Three groups of people who opposed Paul in one way or another.

• We have the Jews of Thessalonica
• We have the Men of Athens
• We have the Jews of Corinth

We saw the Jews of Thessalonica last week.
Their opposition came in the form of a senseless mob.

• They weren’t noble-minded like the Bereans.
• They didn’t search the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.
• They weren’t concerned about righteousness or truth.

Their only objective was defending their tradition.
So they gathered wicked men, they stirred up the crowds
And they had Paul run out of town.

And if you remember their accusation was priceless.
Acts 17:6 “When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;”

They saw Paul as on who had “upset the whole world”.

And what a great compliment to be given to a Christian!
We aren’t here to turn the world upside down,
We are here to turn the world right side up.
We understand that the world is passing away and also it’s lusts.
We understand that this whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Absolutely we are trying to “upset the whole world”

But the world hated it and opposed Paul.
We learned that when you upset the world the only thing to do is endure.

And that is precisely what Paul did.
Run out of Thessalonica, Paul just preached in Berea.

Of course those Jews from Thessalonica followed him
And Paul was run out of Brea too.

And now we get to the second group of opposers.
We find them in Athens.

These men aren’t mob formers.
These men are mockers.

Not only does our message upset the whole world,
But our message is foolish to this world.

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

• The message of the cross was not conceived in the mind of man.
• The message of the cross is not understood by the intellect of man.
• The path to salvation is not learned in the schools of man.

It is a message that flies in the face of human logic.

Of course that is why the Christian is commanded:
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

That is why Paul told the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”

And because that is true of the gospel,
Christians can expect a certain amount of scorn and ridicule
From the educated elite of our society.

And incidentally folks, just as we have all seen our share of mobs,
We have also seen our share of mockers.

And probably what bothers me more than anything is
The poor way much of Christianity has sought to respond to them.

In too many circles Christians have sought to
Try and argue the educated on their own terms.

There has been a real push toward what is called “apologetics”.
Now that word merely indicates a “defense of the faith”, and that is good.

Jude told us to “contend earnestly for the faith”

The question is: HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
• When faced with the intellectuals of our day…
• When faced with the educated elite…
• When faced with the PhD’s of our time…

HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO ARGUE WITH THEM?

Many have sought to do so on their terms.
• We see Christians seeking out scientific proofs of the doctrines they believe.
• We see Christians seeking out philosophical proofs of the doctrines they believe.
• We see Christians trying to prove Christianity with solid evidence.

And the idea is to be able to go on Larry King or Oprah or Dr. Phil
And be able to speak of our faith in an educated way
And deliver solid proofs of our faith.

Some say this is the way to win the argument
And make Christianity relevant.

It seems more to me like this is how many Christians
Are trying to keep from looking foolish.

But the reality is looking foolish was always part of the plan.

We were not put here to prove that we aren’t as crazy as we sound.
We were put here to bear witness to truth that will always look foolish.

And the way we bear this witness is not by winning a scientific argument.

1 Peter 2:15 “For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

The reality is that men were never argued into the Kingdom of heaven.
They are only led into the kingdom by the truth of God
And the conviction of the Spirit.

And tonight we have the privilege of seeing a man
Come up against the intellectuals of his day
And give us a prime example of how to deal with them.
So let’s look at our text. – 3 things
#1 THE OPPRESSION
Acts 17:16-21

In the previous text we talked about the oppression of the Thessalonian Jews.
They sought to oppose and squash Paul.
But that was outer oppression.

This oppression is totally opposite.
Here Paul faces and inner oppression.

(16) “Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.”

The word “provoked” literally means “to become angry or infuriated”

It is very similar to the fire Jeremiah had in his bones.
Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.”

As Paul walked around Athens, before he had any conversations,
He felt a very severe and serious oppression of the soul.

Paul saw a “city full of idols”

And you have to understand the oppression.
Indeed every Christian should feel such an oppression at idolatry.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

Isaiah 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.”

God doesn’t share His glory,
And yet all over Athens people were giving the glory that belongs to God
And ascribing it to their false man-made deities.

These people didn’t even realize what they were doing,
But it was a heavy oppression upon the heart of Paul.
And this inner fire forced him to speak up.

(17) “So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.”

Paul sets out to speak, not only to the synagogue (which was his custom),
But also to all the idolaters on the street.

He wanted Jew and Gentile alike
To start worshiping the true God in the right way.

But this inner oppression wasn’t the only hardship he would face.
His oppression began as an internal agitation.
Now his oppression MOVES EXTERNAL.

(18-20) “And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,” — because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.”

We clearly see this external oppression just in the fact that
They called Paul an “idle babbler”.

But you can hear their scorn in more than just that.
• They also called him “a proclaimer of strange deities”
• They actually brought him to the “Areopagus” (the place where Socrates was condemned) and basically put him on trial.

And again in verse 20 “you are bringing some strange things to our ears”.

These men are not curious.
These men are not under conviction.
These men are seeking to make a public spectacle of Paul.

This is a plot to publicly debate and humiliate him.

Notice verse 21, “(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)”

They weren’t searching for truth, they just loved a good debate.

Ever watch a political talk show on television?
(Doesn’t matter if you are more of a Fox News or NBC type person)

Fox News brings many democrats on their show.
NBC brings many republicans on their show.

And they do so because all they care about is finding the truth – right?

Wrong! The whole purpose is to get them to talk, cut them off,
And then spin their statement to make their argument look foolish.

That is what they are about to do to Paul.
Bring him and his strange views on.
We’ll listen, debate, and humiliate.

And it brings us back to the point we made a moment ago.
HOW DOES A CHRISTIAN DEAL WITH THE INTELLECTUALLY EDUCATED WHO ONLY WISH TO HUMILIATE HIM?

Well, I am thankful that Paul was in this predicament,
Because he handled this situation with flying colors.

So you see the oppression
#2 THE OPPORTUNITY
Acts 17:22-31

Here Paul gets his chance to speak.
• You won’t find him greasing the ears of those listening.
• You won’t find him trying to argue on an intellectual level.
• You won’t find him trying to make himself look smart.

You will find him boldly proclaiming the facts about God,
With a trust in God’s truth and willingness to let God’s Spirit work.

THE FIRST THING WE SEE IS PAUL’S INTRODUCTION.
(22-23) “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

Now Paul really does two main things here.
1) He acknowledges their spirituality
2) He exposes their ignorance

He could walk around the city and see that
They were “very religious in all respects”

They had idols for everything.
• This was Athens, the home of Greek mythology.
• These were some of the most mystical people on earth.

In fact, they were so mystical
They even had an altar “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”

The reality is that everything IS under the sovereign hand of deity.
We know who that deity is; they didn’t.

Now follow Paul’s reasoning.
By having an altar “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”
YOU ARE ADMITTING that there is at least one thing that you don’t know.
You are ignorant of at least one thing.
That wasn’t his evaluation, that was their evaluation.

“Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

And incidentally I think Athens
Was a pretty good foreshadow of our world today.

We also are very religious in all respects.
We also are fascinated with strange deities.

Spiritualism is very popular in our country.
Even celebrities are constantly talking about their religious experiences.

• Tom Cruise loves scientology
• Oprah Winfrey constantly spoke of spiritualism in some weird way
• Recently I read an article about Meagan Fox who likes to speak in tongues.

Oddly enough the interview was in regard to a sheer lingerie add she had recently shot; ad interview were she also dropped several F-bombs;
but in the interview she went on to say this about her experience speaking in tongues:

“It feels like a lot of energy coming through the top of your head… and then your whole body is filled with this electric current. And you just start speaking, but you’re not thinking because you have no idea what you’re saying. Words are coming out of your mouth, and you can’t control it,” … “The idea is that it’s a language that only God understands. It’s the language that’s spoken in heaven. It’s called ‘getting the Holy Ghost.'”

Our society is enamored with spirituality,
But do not confuse this with a genuine love for God or Christianity.

Spirituality is not Christianity

Christians are not seeking mystical, ecstatic experience.
Christians are seeking the righteousness only Christ can provide.

There is a major difference.

And so when Paul stands to speak to these Athenians, I think we clearly understand the relevance of what it is to speak to the mockers of our day.

Now, in verses 24-31 Paul simply gives 7 facts about God.
This isn’t a persuasive message,
This isn’t a message meant to make Paul look smart.

This is simply a message to make the unknown God become known.

Look at these 7 here quickly.

1) HIS EXISTENCE (24)
I told you that the men of Athens were very religious.
In fact, it was the center of Greek mythology.

Regardless of the gods found in Athens, one thing stood in common.
The gods were all relatively small.

Now, they would not come out and say so,
But it was evident in their theology in that each of them
Had their own temple in which they dwelled

And no doubt they would have also built a nice little cozy temple for our God too, if they only knew who He was, but Paul attacks that fallacy first.

Our God could not possibly dwell in a temple.
WHY?

He is “The God who made the world and all things in it” and “He is Lord of heaven and earth” He could not possibly “dwell in temples made with hands.”

In fact, when Solomon built that first temple for God he said:
2 Chronicles 2:5-6 “The house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. “But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?”

Even Solomon knew, the temple was not to hold God

And that is what Paul points out.
God is real, He is so real in fact
That He is the God who created everything you see.

Our God is the real God who created everything.
And “He is Lord of heaven and earth”

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

And because He is the Creator,
He is also the One this world will answer to.

SOMETHING EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND:
We are called now to submit to Christ as Lord,
But don’t treat the invitation as though it is an optional choice.

Today someone will say,
That God has given man the “free-will” to accept or reject Him.
No, He hasn’t.

“Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”

God has so orchestrated it that you will submit to Him.
You will either do it now and enjoy salvation,
Or you will do it later in the midst of destruction.

But He is real, and you will submit.

“He is Lord of heaven and earth”

His Existence
2) HIS POWER (25)

The next attribute Paul wanted these people to know about God
Is that He didn’t require any help from them at all.

Greek mythological gods all had special powers, but they all,
Like their human inventors also each had crippling weaknesses.

Hermes had a propensity to steal and was known as a cheater and thief
Aphrodite had many love affairs
Dionysus was given to drunkenness and was effeminate
Zeus was given to lust and a wandering eye, even to human women

And because their gods were beset with human weakness, there were also obvious times when their gods could need help.

But the true God is not like these.
“nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything,”

Psalms 50:10-12 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.”

The true God, is not beset with weakness,
Nor does He need anything from humanity.

Rather, “He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.”

It is not He who comes to you for help,
But it is you who should go to Him for help.

He is God, and He is powerful.
3) HIS SOVEREIGNTY (26)

Not only does the true God exist as creator of all things, and not only is He powerful, but the true God is also sovereign over His creation.

That means that the true God even determined your life.
Every human ever born was determined by God.
Where he would live, when he would live, etc.
“having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”

The true God is not controlled by His creation,
Rather He sits in control of His creation.

Jeremiah 10:11-16 “Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name.”

God is real, God is powerful, God is sovereign
4) HIS INTENTION (27)

Paul even throws in, what it is that God intends,
By placing each man exactly where He placed them.

The intention of God is that His creation would seek Him.
In fact God intends that they would grope for Him,
And as a result of this seeking that they would find Him.

The Bible teaches that there is a partial knowledge of God all around us.
Both the conscience of man, and the creation of God testify of God.

Romans 1:19-20 “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

That testimony is not sufficient to save us,
But it is sufficient to motivate us to seek the source of it.

If you see a building, then you know it had a builder.
If you see a painting, then you know it had an artist.
If you see a design, then you know there was a designer.

Everything around us points to a creator,
The idea is that we as humans would seek to know the Creator.

It is God’s intention that you seek Him and find Him.
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

God is real, He is powerful, He is sovereign, and He expects to be sought
5) HIS PROVISION (28)

Not only is He the author of life, and sovereign over life,
But it is only because of Him that LIFE CONTINUES TO EXIST.

“in Him we live and move and exist”

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

And that is not some foreign new concept.
Even the pagan philosophers in Athens had enough sense to recognize that something, somewhere had to keep life going.

“as even some of Your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’”

The point is, every man, should recognize that there is a true God
Who does indeed provide for life.

“I KNOW THAT GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH ME”
(Man in Florida airport)
WELL – DUH!

That is one of His key attributes.
He is the source of life and provider of all good things.

James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

His Existence, His Power, His Sovereignty, His Intention, His Provision
6) HIS DUE (29)

This really speaks not only of who He is,
But is also a type of invitation or expectation.

“Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, and image formed by the art and thought of man.”

Not only did Paul want them to recognize there is one true God,
Paul also wanted them to quit dumbing Him down to their level.

God is not formed in our image, we are formed in His.
God is not created by us, we are created by Him.
We do not move God, God moves us.

We know the 2nd commandment.
No graven images
WHY?

Because every graven image is an insult to the true nature of God.
What are seriously going to compare Him to?

I can explain this, if you need an experiment.
Men, go home tonight and assign a “pet” name to your wife.
I’ll give you a list to choose from.

Cow, Mule, Mare, Hen, Turkey, Pig, etc.
(Let me know how that experiment works for you)

It’s the same with God.
Isaiah 40:25 “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.”

Are you seriously going to compare God to a horse or an eagle or a golden calf?

And Paul is letting the Athenians know that
God deserves more than they are giving Him.

7) HIS REQUIREMENT (30-31)

And this is really what the Athenians
(and all intellectual people) need to know.

• It doesn’t matter how smart you are.
• It doesn’t matter how much you like your life.
• It doesn’t even matter if you can argue me down.

THE JUDGMENT IS COMING!

Adrian Rogers story – “It is appointed a man once to die and then comes judgment”

Not God has been merciful.
“having overlooked the times of ignorance”

But God is serious
“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.”
(It doesn’t get much clearer, and we could say a lot here)

• But the reality is that man has offended God.
• Man is under the judgment of God.
• And man is facing the punishment of God.

Man should repent
“because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the word in righteousness”

God is going to judge.
He is going to do so “through a man whom He has appointed”

That means that one man will be the standard.

WHICH MAN?
The One God raised from the dead.

“having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

• The resurrection proved the righteousness of Christ.
• The resurrection proved God was pleased with Him.
• The resurrection exalted Christ as the divine standard of judgment.

And so basically if you aren’t as good as Jesus, then you must repent.
This is what God requires.

And so clearly, Paul has given the truth to these Athenians.
• He debate philosophy
• He didn’t try to speak eloquently
• He didn’t try to look smart

When faced with the spiritual mockers in Athens,
Paul stood up and laid down the truth of God’s judgment
And the means of escaping it.

And Paul was willing to let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

The Oppression, The Opportunity
#3 THE OPPOSITION
Acts 17:32-34

You will notice that some instantly hated what they heard.
“some began to sneer”

Others rejected as well, but in a much more noble manner.
“We shall hear you again concerning this.”

WHAT MORE DID THEY NEED TO HEAR?
They were just being eloquent, not repentant.

“But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Aeropagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

So some believed, some did not.
And that is all according to the work of the Holy Spirit.

But it didn’t change Paul’s outlook.
It didn’t change Paul’s conviction.

When faced with the MOB who are concerned you are upsetting the world:
Preach truth anyway and turn their world over.

When faced with the MOCKERS who want to intellectually debate you:
Avoid the snare and give the simple truth of judgment and salvation.

Be willing to look a fool for Christ.
Give the gospel and let God do what He will.

There are all kinds of opposition,
But the believer must remain faithful through it all.

1 Peter 3:13-17 “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”

The Jews of Thessalonica
Acts 17:1-15
February 10, 2013

As you know we are now studying what is commonly called,
“Paul’s Second Missionary Journey”

It started with Division and was directed by Diversion
But we have seen the Sovereign hand of God make this trip unforgettable.

• After encouraging the cities from the first trip,
• God supernaturally guided Paul, Silas, and Timothy into Macedonia (Europe)
• Where we saw the salvation of Lydia,
• The establishment of the Philippian church
• The deliverance of a demon possessed slave girl
• The salvation of the jailor and his family.

God is working.

If the first part of this trip focuses on the sovereign plan of God, Certainly the last part focuses on the sinister plan of Satan.

When you read chapters 17 & 18, it is not hard to see what stands out.
We are given brief pictures of what Paul preaches,
But the major focus of the remainder of this trip is the opposition to it.

• First we see the Jews of Thessalanica and their use of the mob to try and stop the gospel.

• Then we see the men of Athens and their use of mockery to try and stop the gospel.

• Then we see the Jews of Corinth and their decision to malign the gospel in order to try and stop it.

We continually see opposition.
And certainly this should not surprise us.

Adrian Rogers said, “We are either in collusion with the devil
Or in collision with him.”

When we take the message of the gospel to a fallen sinful world.
We are preaching a message that:
• Dishonors the god of this world.
• Disturbs the people of this world.
• Determines the fate of this world.

Don’t expect people to simply swallow it without a fight.

And Paul is living proof of that.
He faced continual opposition.
So tonight, let’s examine this as we look at “The Jews of Thessalonica”

There are four main things this text shows us.
#1 THEIR OPPORTUNITY
Acts 17:1-4

So we know at this point Paul has been flogged, imprisoned,
And then released in the city of Philippi.
But Paul, Silas, and Timothy are now moving on.

And you will notice that “they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia”

The only indication as to why would be because they, like Philippi,
Did not have a synagogue.

Because Paul “came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.”

Thanks to Philippi, we know that Paul did not require a synagogue,
But there is little doubt as to the fact that this was his preferred way.

So Paul is now in Thessalonica.
(2) “And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures”

And this is really Paul’s comfort zone in regard to missions.
We know he was bold and seemingly fearless.
We know he was a mighty preacher.

But when you think of Paul, the first thing that you think of
Is his tremendous intellect and ability to reason out
The deep truths of Scripture.

Ephesians 3:8-10 “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”

That passage really captures much of the heart of Paul’s ministry.
God uses all kinds in order to bring about His kingdom,
But Paul seems to be that one who really had the mind
To reason out those difficult mysteries and bring sense to the confusion.

It was by no coincidence that he wrote the letter to the Romans, which carries us through the deep doctrines of depravity, justification, security, and even election.

It was by no coincidence that he wrote the letter to the Ephesians, which highlights the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.
Paul really had the mind to take the Scriptures
And reason them out for people to understand them.
Well, that is what he is doing here.

He isn’t so much preaching prepared messages
As he is reasoning from the Scriptures.

This was a “Q&A” time.
There was some debate occurring here.

Paul wasn’t just preaching, he was reasoning.

And this is an important quality.
Paul actually wrote to Titus that overseers need to be able to do this.

Titus 1:9 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

And of course the benefit of such an approach
Is that it leaves a more thorough understanding.

If I preach a sermon you may be able to fully grasp all that I say,
But if you get to ask questions and even voice your difference of opinion,
The subject gets more thoroughly covered.

Well Paul is doing that.
He isn’t trying to give this synagogue great sermons,
He is trying to give them a proper understanding.

I want you to see that, so that you can see that
The Thessalonians had a tremendous opportunity,
Not only to hear the gospel, but to fully understand it.

And we even see the areas that Paul set out to prove.
(3) “explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

Now according to that verse Paul was really seeking to drive home
Three main points to these Thessalonian Jews.

1) THE NECESSITY OF MESSIAH’S SUFFERING
“the Christ had to suffer”

2) THE NECESSITY OF MESSIAH’S RESURRECTION
“and rise again from the dead”

3) THE IDENTITY OF THE MESSIAH
“This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
Now, we aren’t given the specifics,
And we aren’t told what specific Old Testament passages he quoted,
But based on other sermons we have a pretty good idea.

• No doubt Paul used Isaiah 53 to reveal why Messiah would suffer.
• No doubt Paul used Psalm 16 about God not letting the Holy One undergo decay.
• No doubt Paul used Psalm 2 about having installed His king.

And there are many others that must have come up
During a three week debate.

But for the purpose of this text, how Paul argued is not the point.
The fact that Paul argued these three points is important.

Jews had tremendous difficulty accepting the death of the Messiah.
They had obviously overlooked the importance of Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22.

And to the Jews a dead Messiah was a ridiculous notion.

You will remember that even Peter had difficulty accepting this.
“May it never be Lord, this shall never happen to You”

Jews just couldn’t handle the necessity of Messiah’s death.
Paul reasoned that he “had to suffer” and die.

1 Corinthians 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,”

This was a tough topic, but Paul devoted three straight weeks
To proving it, explaining it, and even fielding questions about it.

Paul also spoke of the necessity of Messiah’s resurrection.

And of course resurrection is important, because if the Messiah stays dead we will forever wonder if He was successful or not.

Romans 4:25 “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

The resurrection not only indicated the defeat of death,
But also the success of the atonement.

Christ overcame.
He bore our sin, and rose victorious.

The resurrection was also the basis for which to ascribe deity to Christ.

Romans 1:4 “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

And of course this was a difficult notion as well.
One of the main issues the Jews took with Jesus
Was that He proclaimed Himself to be God.

Paul is here reasoning the necessity of Messiah’s death and resurrection.
And he is fielding three weeks worth of discussion on the issue.

And once those issues are hammered out, It was important to Paul to reveal the identity of Messiah, who is none other than Jesus Christ.

The identity matters, because these men needed to know who to follow.
They didn’t just need facts about Messiah, they needed to follow Messiah.

That Messiah was Jesus.

You can see that Paul is very thorough and complete in making sure
That the Jews of Thessalonica have a true and accurate understanding
Of not only the purpose of the gospel, but also the expectation of it.

And as we see in verse 4, his reasoning did have some effect.
(4) “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.”

Now we did get some Jews, but the majority of those who believed
Were “the God-fearing Greeks” and “the leading women”.

Some Jewish men believed, but the main success was among the others.

But the main point is that everyone here
Had a genuine opportunity to hear and understand the gospel.

Ignorance is no longer and excuse for going to hell.

Their Opportunity
#2 THEIR OPPOSITION
Acts 17:5-9

And verse 5 really seems to be the point of the passage.

In spite of the reasoning.
In spite of the belief of many.
These Jews still opposed the gospel.

(5) “But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.”

Here we have a mob.
And mobs are all too common both in Scripture and even today.

Furthermore mobs are easy to understand.

1) They are moved by jealousy
They aren’t formed with spiritual interests but human ones. They start when people rise up to defend their own personal desires.

2) They are strengthened by sinners
These Jews gathered some wicked men to help them.
Because reason is not the aim, brute force is.

3) They are fueled by chaos
Their first goal was to set the city in an uproar. It’s not about order, it’s not about understanding, it’s about momentum.

And we see mobs used throughout Scripture,
And several times even in the book of Acts.

Examine the mobs that opposed Moses, there was no spiritual leading or Scriptural relevance. Selfish men simply got a multitude worked up and at the pinnacle of their momentum tried to overthrow Moses.

Consider the mob that crucified Jesus. One second they are approaching Pilate to release Jesus as their Passover prisoner, the next they are stirred up and demanding His crucifixion.

Even later in the book of Acts when Paul is in Ephesus, a mob starts because a couple of idol makers get people all worked up.

I’ve always loved this verse:
Acts 19:32 “So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.”

That is a mob.
• It has a selfish start
• It has a sinful momentum
• It has a stupid following
• And it has a shameful goal.

These men simply wanted to stop and destroy Paul and his message.

(6-8) “When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.”
Whereas Paul was reasoning and giving time for questions,
These men were not interested in truth, but winning at all cost.

Incidentally the accusation they make against Paul is a very serious one,
For this could have been considered insurrection against Caesar
Which brought a penalty of death.

But what is even more important to see here is the motive for this mob.
DID YOU NOTICE WHAT THEY SAID OF PAUL AND SILAS?

“These men who have upset the world…”

I told you earlier that the gospel:
Dishonors the god of this world.
Disturbs the people of this world.
Determines the fate of this world.

It confronts man at his deepest part (the heart)
Questions all his motives and demands repentance.

It will not let a sinner comfortably stay in his sin,
It forces man to take inventory
And often times literally turns their world upside down.

Think about it.
DID THE GOSPEL TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN?

If it didn’t, I seriously doubt you’ve ever submitted to it.

“I’ve never met a sinner yet
Who was so good that Jesus just left them as they were.”

When a sinner is confronted with the gospel,
One thing I know for sure: his life is about to change.

And I’m not just talking about his perspectives on life.

The decision to follow Christ and believe the gospel
Has caused many a man to change
Not only his perspective, but also his habits, his language, his occupation, his friends, his retirement, his location, his status, his income, and his purpose.

Jesus didn’t come to leave sinners like they were.
He came to upset the world.

Paul was a preacher of that change.

That is why they hated him.

People like things they way they are,
And if you start bringing in the element of change,
Especially if you are an outsider, get ready for a fight.

That is why there was such opposition.

And incidentally the only thing that saved Paul’s bacon was that
The mob was so carnal that they were also able to be bought off.

(9) “And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.”

But you see these Jews had an opportunity.
And they you see their opposition.

Let’s continue
#3 THEIR OPPOSITES
Acts 17:10-12

Now it looks like at this point we should just move on and
Quit talking about the Thessalonians and move on to the Bereans.

The introduction of the Bereans is not just about who they were, Rather who they were in contrast to who the Thessalonians were.

These men are referenced not just for their own introduction,
But to make a further point about those Thessalonian Jews.
You will see that clearly in a moment.

(10) “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.”

Don’t fail to see the commitment of Paul and Silas here.
God promised Ezekiel that He would make his head as hard as those he was preaching to. The same can easily be said of Paul.

This man had no quit in him.

And then comes the contrast.
(11) “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

That verse is not simply meant to credit the Bereans,
But also to condemn the Thessalonians.

Here we are given further explanation
As to the revolt that occurred in Thessalonica.

The Thessalonian Jews were not “noble-minded”.
They were base, they were ignorant, they were hot-headed.

“noble-minded” is a tough word to define.
The Greek word for “noble” is a compound word that if broken apart literally means “well, birth”; similar to the concept of a noble as opposed to a commoner.

By throwing “minded” in there we are obviously
Not talking about economic status, but intellect.

These men just had a more admirable way of thinking.
Whereas the Thessalonians were hot-headed, irrational, and ignorant,
The Bereans could keep their emotions long enough to check the facts.

They actually examined “the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

(That gives insight into what the Thessalonians did not do)

And the result of the Berean Jews was obvious.
(12) “Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”

And this should not surprise us.
We’ve always known that the gospel was the power of God for salvation.

Don’t ever be afraid to turn someone over to their Bible.
I talked to a youth minister one time who told me, that he didn’t think we should just tell people to read their Bible. Rather, we needed to tell people to read their Bible with a good commentary, because people needed to be guided in what they read.

That is an arrogant statement that totally disregards
The teaching presence of the Holy Spirit.

Now, we did study a few weeks ago that we to some degree stand upon the faith of others (like the Jerusalem council) who will study the Scriptures and hammer out what it teaches.
We don’t disregard such contributions.

But at the end of the day, you don’t ever have to be afraid
To turn men over to the Bible and fear they’ll be led astray.

They may not fully grasp it all,
But the Holy Spirit will be true to lead them to the truth.

That is what happened here with the Bereans.
• They heard Paul’s reasoning…
• They searched the Scriptures…
• They were saved.
They are the exact opposites of the Thessalonians,
Who heard, but refused to search and therefore didn’t believe.

And as I told you, this story is about them, not the Bereans,
So look at what we have next.

Their Opportunity, Their Opposition, Their Opposites
#4 THEIR OPPRESSION
Acts 17:13-15

What is the difference between opposition and oppression?
(The degree and the length)

Oppression lasts longer and is more intense.

Well here we see that the Thessalonians not only opposed the gospel,
But sought also to oppress those who preached it.

(13) “But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.”

They so resented their world being turned upside down, that they not only ran Paul out of their city, they sought to stop him completely.

These men hate the gospel.
They remind us of those Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium who chased Paul to Lystra and ultimately stoned him.

The Jews at Thessalonica are just like them.
They hate the gospel and are bent on stopping it.

The result is that Paul has to flee again.
(14-15) “Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”

The difference of course is that this time Silas and Timothy stayed behind.

But you see the type of opposition Paul is dealing with.

And this is a good reminder for us.

Peter said:
1 Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
John said:
1 John 3:13-14 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”

Even Jesus said:
John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”

If you are going to serve God in the right way, then expect opposition.
It will happen.

We come across difficult people who are settled in their way,
Who do not want to have their lives turned upside down.

But that is what Jesus does.
We cannot give them Jesus and not jostle their lives.

SO EXPECT OPPOSITION.
AND THEN, SHAKE THE WORLD ANYWAY.

That is the calling, and Paul did that as well as anyone.
He preached to people who hated it,
And when they forced him to leave, he just kept on preaching.

Now, let me show you one more thing.
Let me show you the result.

I think we can agree that Thessalonica
Was a tough sell for starting a church.
And yet one did start.

TURN TO: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Yes it was a tough town, but look at the church that came out of it.
A solid church that left idols and served God.

BUT WHAT ABOUT AFTER SEEING HOW OPPOSED PEOPLE WERE?
Did they quit then?

That was Paul’s concern.
What happened to that church after they ran us out of town?

TURN TO: 1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:13

 

What God was doing could not be stopped
In spite of the Jews of Thessalonica.

• They were hostile.
• They formed a mob.
• They ran the preacher out of town.
And the church just kept on growing.

This further emphasizes the necessity of our conviction.

Don’t let those who are less than noble-minded
Form a mob and discourage you from preaching the gospel.

Preach the gospel because God’s word never returns void.

2 Timothy 2:8-10 “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

How Missions is Supposed to Work – part 2
Acts 16:6-40 (19-40)
February 3, 2013

I realize our studies in Acts have been scattered and spread out lately,
And that makes it difficult to stay in the flow.

I do apologize for that, but hopefully things will settle in a little more
Now that Christmas and missions month is behind us.

Presently in our study we have just began Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.

Paul was preaching and teaching in Antioch
And had that familiar old fire ignite inside of his heart.
He wanted to return.

He told Barnabas, and they began to plan the trip.
• That is when the problem began.
• Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul refused because Mark had deserted them on their first journey.
• The end result was that the two parted company.
• Barnabas sailed for Cyprus, and Paul set out on foot with Silas.
• Paul did pick up Timothy and eventually returned to all of those former places of ministry.

But then Paul sought to expand their territory a little,
And this is where we picked up a couple of weeks ago.

As we studied this second trip,
I was thoroughly impressed with the obvious balance that occurs.

And we said then that balance is necessary.
• You have some who are totally and thoroughly enamored with the
sovereignty of God, even to a point where human involvement
becomes unnecessary.

• You have others who are so enamored with the free will of man
that the work of the Holy Spirit is often overlooked completely.

And as we said then, both of those in their extreme are wrong.

If you take an approach that God simply does it all and remove all responsibility from man, you are following a practice that is not Scriptural.

We are commanded to go, baptize, and teach.
We are commanded to be His witnesses.

Furthermore to take such a view clearly overlooks
The obvious passions of the men of Scripture.

Take Paul’s statement to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

If Paul had only a “sovereign” view of missions where God does it all,
Then why would Paul “beg” anyone?

Listen to him talk to Agrippa:
Acts 26:28-29 “Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, ” I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”

If Paul believed God did it apart from any human effort, then why persuade this man, furthermore why even reveal what he wanted for him?

Paul even told the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 5:11 “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.”

So it is obvious that Paul understood that God wasn’t the only One
Required to work for the salvation of the lost.

Or listen to Paul’s famous treatise:
1 Corinthians 9:22 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”

Paul traveled, Paul preached, Paul pleaded, Paul begged, Paul persuaded.
He did not have some sort of sovereign only approach
Where God had to do it completely void of any effort on his part.

ON THE OTHER HAND That approach where it is all up for grabs and dependant solely on you, then you have fallen into a very dangerous form of arrogance.

To assume that you can resurrect a dead soul…
To assume that you can persuade a lustful sinner who only wants sin…
To assume that you can impart conviction of sin…
Is a dangerous arrogance.

And indeed many have such a view today.

This has been the basis for the well-crafted altar calls of our day.
Set the mood, set the music, set the lighting.

Such manipulative tricks are meant for the very purpose of
Soliciting a response from those who aren’t under conviction.

And not only is that not Scriptural,
But it isn’t the practice of the men of old either.
Yes Paul preached and begged and persuaded,
But don’t assume that he ever wanted a response apart from work of God.

Listen to what else Paul said to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

There is obviously a statement from Paul saying, I preached,
But in no way did I want to be the convicter. I wanted God to do it.

The last thing Paul wanted was to solicit a response
From someone whom God was not drawing.
Why?

Because that person will never last.
Matthew 15:13 “But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.”

Furthermore, this was clearly the theology of Jesus.
• Did Jesus labor? Yes.
• Did Jesus preach? Yes.
• Did Jesus plead and persuade sinners? Yes

But Jesus also understood that the last thing He wanted was to solicit some superficial response according to His own ability to persuade.

This is why you have Jesus preaching in parables,
Purposely hiding truth from those who weren’t being drawn.

But really, the greatest example of this is John 6.
• In John 6 Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then hides from the crowd.
• He walks on water

But He knows the crowd is responding to Him,
Not the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

And one could easily argue that the remainder of the chapter is
A sermon by Jesus meant to drive away any superficial followers.

It is this chapter where Jesus made this statement:
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The chapter concludes with Jesus giving a call for them to eat His flesh and drink His blood and believe that He descended from heaven.

The crowds agreed that this was a difficult statement few could listen to.
To which Jesus responded:
John 6:65-70 “And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?”

By the end of the chapter, Jesus had weeded out all superficial followers,
And only those who had been chosen remained.
(And we could say much more about this)

The point is the way missions is supposed to work is with both:
DIVINE POWER & DEDICATED PEOPLE

No missionary, void of the Spirit of God, will accomplish anything.
And no missionary too lazy to participate will accomplish anything either.

We need Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, dedicated missionaries.
And this is just the balance that Scripture reveals.

Now as we have been studying Acts 16,
We have been looking at that balance.

We already saw three phases of this trip and how that balance was obvious.
1) THE ARRIVAL IN MACEDONIA

In that we clearly saw God’s hand guiding the trip.
• First it was the Holy Spirit who forbid Paul from speaking in Asia.
• Then it was the Spirit of Jesus who did not permit them to enter Bithynia.
• Finally Paul received a vision of the Macedonian call and set out for Europe.

Obviously God was guiding and directing that trip,
And we never want anything but that. That was the Divine side.

The human side was that Paul didn’t quit,
• He kept trying to go,
• He kept trying to speak,
• He kept pushing and seeking until God finally made the path clear.

If God hadn’t been involved, Paul would have been in Asia.
If Paul hadn’t been involved, there would’ve been no missionary to send.

2) THE SALVATION OF LYDIA

When Paul arrived in Philippi he found no synagogue
So he went outside the city looking for a place of prayer.

He found a group of women and as he spoke,
God opened Lydia’s heart to respond to the gospel.
Obviously God did this, for who of us can communicate with the dead?
But again someone had to preach the gospel to this resurrected heart.

So God had to be at work, and so did Paul.

3) THE DELIVERANCE OF THE SLAVE GIRL

This was the spirit medium that was following Paul
Revealing that he was a servant of the most-high God.

And we saw Paul command the demon to come out
And this girl was delivered.

But where did Paul get such power?

IT WAS DIVINE POWER AND DEDICATED PEOPLE.

Tonight let’s continue and still see how God is at work
In and through a dedicated missionary.

#4 PAUL’S FAITHFULNESS IN PRISON
Acts 16:19-25

This once again would seem to focus more on
The human commitment side of the spectrum.

And this is truly one of those stories that we love,
Even if we are blown away by it.

Paul has just cast a demon out of a slave girl.
She was purchased because her demonic ability
Was very profitable for those who owned her.

But now that the demon was gone, so was this girl’s supernatural power.

And that didn’t set well with her owners.
(19-21) “But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

I told you last time that Philippi was a very Roman sympathetic town,
And the fact that there was no synagogue
Indicated that it was not a Jewish friendly town.

It may be that they tolerated Paul for a time,
But when he threatened their pocketbooks, something had to be done.
The accusation was that of causing riots and creating unrest.

You should know that this was a pretty serious offense.
Each of these Roman magistrates
Was given his authority from one in command above him.

If they were unable to stop a riot, their own position was threatened.
(This was the same motivation that caused Pilot to consent to Jesus’ crucifixion)

So Paul and Silas are in danger here.
(22-24) “The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

I don’t care who you are,
There is nothing about those verses that is easy to read.

“struck” “many blows” “prison” “inner prison” “stocks”
Those are all dreadful words.

And so if we take inventory here, Paul has done nothing
But serve God with every ounce of his being
It has caused him to be beaten, imprisoned, and put in the stocks.

And yet what we see next literally blows us away.

(25) “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;”

I can think of several pretty serious requests I would have for God
But I’m not sure of any praise songs that would instantly come to mind.

Now you aren’t going to yet see the full effect of this,
But let’s just stop for a second and take it for what it is.

We have men suffering for the gospel
And yet praising God in the midst of their hardship.
We would all sing when released, they are singing while in the stocks.

We could really at this point preach an entire sermon
About attitude and self-denial, and focus, and gratitude.

James says:
James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Peter says:
1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

Those are really easy verses to memorize, but incredibly difficult to obey.

But the reality is a missionary’s only witness
Is not just what he says in his sermon.

• A missionary also witnesses with his actions…
• A missionary also witnesses with his attitude…
• A missionary also witnesses with his response to adversity…

We have Paul and Silas here keeping focus on the mission.

And certainly that is what we ask from all missionaries.
When you face hardships, and dilemmas, and difficulties,
Be mindful of the fact that you are being watched.

Paul wrote to the Philippians:
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

He was definitely doing that here.
Allowing himself to be a very literal light in darkness.

So we have here two very dedicated missionaries.

WHERE IS THE DIVINE ELEMENT HERE?
• Well, let me ask you, where did they get such joy?
• Where did they get such perspective?

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.
Grace is a gift from God.

No man, can in his own strength, maintain such joy, praise, and focus.
There was a strength in Paul and Silas’ inner man
That allowed them to do this.

You can see the dedicated men, but you can also see the divine hand.

This is important, because it is setting the stage for what happens next.
#5 THE SALVATION OF THE JAILER
Acts 16:25-34

Here is where Paul and Silas’ joy really begins to pay off.

I really think this, (apart from the cross), may be the most amazing example of self-denial and Christian focus recorded in the Scriptures.

• Here we have two men, unjustly beaten and now in prison.
• They have already shown tremendous focus by resisting bitterness and praising God.

And now something truly amazing occurs.
(26-27) “and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.”

Boy, if all you want is to escape from prison,
Just keep your mouth shut and it will be accomplished in just a second.

It would have been tremendously easy to see this
As God’s answer to your prayer and mistreatment.
God is literally opening doors for you.

But here is the question.
WHICH DOOR IS GOD OPENING?

We would have been tempted to see the open prison door,
Paul saw that the door to the jailer’s heart was open.

(28) “But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

If you just heard a groan there, it was from all the other prisoners who couldn’t believe Paul would ruin their chance at freedom.

But you have a perspective here from Paul which is unparalleled.
Where I would have been tempted to see only my freedom,
Paul saw a soul about to spend eternity in hell.

And of course we see that it pays off.
(29-34) “And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.”

That has to be one of the greatest “feel good” stories in the book of Acts.

One minute this jailer is about to kill himself, fearing an escape.
The next minute that same jailer breaks them out of prison.

And now we see again how awesome and beautiful and exciting
This venture of missions can be!

And we also see how these missions worked.

Do you see the Divine Element?
• Of course you do, Paul didn’t open that jail cell.
• Paul didn’t cause that earthquake.
• Paul didn’t open that jailer’s heart.

And we also see the human element.
• We see men committed to praise even in dyer circumstances.
• We see men willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of another.
• We see men willing to share the gospel with an entire household.

And all you have to do in order to see the necessity of both is
IMAGINE THE STORY WITHOUT ONE OR THE OTHER.

NO DIVINE HELP.
No earthquake, no freedom, no reason for the guard to worry.

NO DEDICATED MISSIONARIES.
The jail cell opens and Paul and Silas let the jailer die so they can be free.

It really did require both.

Now let me show you one more incident on this journey
And we’ll bring this thing to a close.

#6 THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE CHURCH
Acts 16:35-40

So apparently after this man and his household were saved, Paul and Silas were taken back to jail. (I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if this was their idea)

And the authorities think they are doing Paul and Silas a favor
By letting them leave town.

But then a twist to the story develops that was not previously known.

(37-39) “But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city.”

It was not lawful to beat a Roman without a trial
And yet that is what happened.

I don’t know why Paul didn’t disclose that information before the beating.

It’s not like he never avoided a beating in his ministry.

Later in the book of Acts, Paul will use just such a tactic.
Acts 23:6-10 “But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.”

Paul used this tactic to avoid hardship.

I’m not going to just say that Paul knew they shouldn’t have beaten him,
But he took it anyway hoping for an opportunity to witness in prison.

More than likely, the crowd was so furious
He did not have a chance to disclose the information.

But he has a chance now,
And those who have beaten him are afraid,
And they actually throw themselves upon the mercy of Paul,
Asking him to leave the city.

And Paul grants their request after he does something else first.

(40) “They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.”

So Paul first makes a trip to visit this new church.

The end result here is that this young church is encouraged,
But they are also now sort of protected.

There is no way the city magistrates want to mess with this church
Because they are already at Paul’s mercy.

This new young church now finds itself in a very good situation
All because of the circumstances.

That doesn’t mean they will never face opposition.
They will.
Paul’s letter to them makes it clear that they have opponents.

But at least at the beginning this church
Is getting a chance to become grounded before they face it.

The question again is what caused that?

• Well certainly we have a dedicated missionary who instead of skipping town made sure to first go and encourage this church.

• But we also have a divine hand that orchestrated events by which this protection would be possible.

Without either, the result is not the same.

Without the divine hand:
• Paul stays in Asia
• Lydia’s heart is never opened
• Paul has no power to remove the demon
• Paul has no inner joy to maintain hope in prison
• The earthquake never occurs
• And the church in Philippi is never solidified.

Without the dedication of the missionary
• They give up and never travel to Macedonia
• They leave Philippi because there is no synagogue
• They never witness to Lydia
• They don’t confront the slave girl
• They don’t sing in prison
• They don’t care about the soon to be deceased jailer
• They have no interest in encouraging the church

And so I hope you are getting the point
And that the application to your life is obvious.

If we are to be a faithful effective church, that reaches the lost
And sees God’s kingdom grow, we need two main things.

1) DEDICATION
2) DEPENDANCE

If you think God is going to bring in the lost
Apart from your dedicated involvement, you are wrong.

We must go and share the gospel with our world.
But on the flip side, you had better go in divine power
And trust His Spirit to work in and through you.

He must convict sinners
He must open doors
He must draw the lost

We will never reach them in the power of our own gimmicks and tricks
Or with our tactics.

So tonight if you have tended to lean to the human effort side, let me encourage you to seek the Spirit of God.

Zechariah 4:6 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Submit yourself to God.
Pray to Him for lost souls.
Follow His leadership.
Count on Him to open doors.

And tonight if you have tended to be apathetic and lazy, expecting God to just do it all without you. Let me encourage you to get off the pew and start being obedient to the command of God.

“Go, baptize, and teach”
“You are His witnesses”
How will they hear without a preacher?

It is the divine balance, and it is how missions is supposed to work.
If we lose sight of one or the other, we will flounder.

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

How Missions is Supposed to Work – part 1
Acts 16:6-40 (6-18)
January 20, 2013

As you know, we are presently studying what is commonly called
“Paul’s Second Missionary Journey”

Having spent some time teaching and preaching in the church in Antioch,
Paul again felt that urge, that burning in his soul, to return to all the churches
That he had previously ministered to and see how they were.

That is part of missions.
It isn’t just about baptisms,
It is about making sure that those who start the race finish it.
Our mission is to the lost and to the church.

After all, nothing is more beneficial to mission work
Than the local presence of a strong faithful church.

So Paul set out.

We talked about the immediate difficulties of the trip.
Namely that Paul and Barnabas parted company
Over the controversy of whether or not Mark should go.

Eventually Barnabas sailed east with Mark and Paul traveled north with Silas.
Paul did pick up Timothy and the mission was on.

So we are about to begin studying the actual stops of this trip.
The first trip saw stops in Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (all except Cyprus being modern day Turkey)

This trip will see the gospel carried into Europe (modern day Greece)
With stops in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and then with a brief stop back in Ephesus (Asia) Paul concluded his trip.

And as we begin this study by looking at Paul’s time in Philippi,
I was struck with the reality of what is common knowledge to us all

One of the things that continually proves important
When discussing our beliefs or our theology is the concept of balance.

You see people get to dangerous places when they determine
To push a doctrine, even to the point of disregarding other obvious truth.

I think one area where this happens the most frequently is in the area of God’s Sovereignty vs. Man’s Responsibility.

Those are both divine truths and vitally important
As you seek to understand and live out your Christian faith.
But if one is emphasized over the other you can be in trouble.

There are many arenas in which we could have this debate,
But tonight, I want to talk about this balance as it pertains to ministry,
Especially evangelism.

To someone who takes a sovereign only approach to ministry and missions, their evangelistic strategy might go something like this.

• God is sovereign, He foreknows those who are His.
• And since His elect will come, there really is no need for urgency or concern, it
will happen regardless of what we do.

To make that the fundamental practice of your life
Will obviously leave you disobedient,
Since Scripture is clear about our commands to “go, baptize and teach”.

Now to someone who takes a “free will” only approach to ministry and missions, would say it completely different.

• Everyone is fair game,
• It is up to us to get the gospel to them,
• If we don’t they are lost, and it will be our fault.
• So do whatever it takes to get these people to respond.

To make that your fundamental practice
Will inevitably lead you to discouragement, frustration, or worse –
A manipulation of things to bring about some perceived success.

The reality is that those two doctrines must be balanced.
And they are balanced in Scripture.

God is the Savior, He must save,
And yet somehow He uses the church in that great mission.

So the reality is that missions is supposed to work through
DIVINE POWER & DEDICATED PEOPLE.

Some of the verses that speak of this balance:
1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

Philippians 2:12-13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

All those passages give both the divine element and the human element.

I would even throw in:
Romans 10:14-15 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

And both are necessary.
If you try to disregard one or the other, you will only have failure.

Take ministry WITHOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT.
That would be ministry or missions
In which believers did not do what they were called to do.

Maybe it was an unhealthy view of sovereignty, or maybe it was just laziness,
But take an instance where people just didn’t do anything.

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”

Ezekiel 22:30 “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”

All of those passages speak of the tragedy of failed human involvement.
When man dropped the ball and did not fulfill their role;
And the results were tragic.

Now take ministry APART FROM THE DIVINE ELEMENT.
This would be men who think it is all done through their own ability.
These are those who can accomplish it without any help from God at all.

Acts 8:18-20 “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

Acts 19:13-16 “But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Both of those learned that this is not a human endeavor.

The things that accompany salvation
Are NOT accomplished through human achievement.

Zechariah 4:6 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
And you understand the point.

Some would say, “Let go and let God” – that is incomplete, you are entrusted with responsibility and you have work to do.

Others say, “God helps those who help themselves” – that is incomplete as well, for it is His power that accomplishes all things.

What we are looking for then is the balance.
We are looking for the way missions is supposed to work.

And I bring that to your mind tonight
Because tonight we have a good example of that very thing.

We could preach this sermon from purely a sovereignty angle, and it is evident.
We could also preach it from purely a human angle, for it is evident to.

What I want you to see is how they worked together,
And maybe that will serve as an example for the type of balance
We are looking for in our ministry and mission.

In this text that are 6 major events that occur.
I want to help you see how they were both
The result of God’s divine plan and Paul’s dedicated faithfulness.

#1 THE ARRIVAL IN MACEDONIA
Acts 16:6-12

And of course we talked about this last week,
But it is easy to see the divine hand of God at work here.

(6) “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;”

That really is a peculiar verse and a difficult reality.
Namely because Luke doesn’t give us any explanation.

When Paul told the Thessalonians that he wanted to come to them,
But “Satan hindered us” our mind is filled with all sorts of ways
That could have happened.
But being “forbidden by the Holy Spirit” is a difficult concept.

Romans 1:13 “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.”

That is the same word KOLUO

But the end of the letter helps us understand a little.
Romans 15:20-25 “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, “THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.” For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain — for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while — but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.”

So we might understand Paul’s being hindered
As merely a greater desire to go somewhere else.

Paul attributed his desire to be one place over another
As a Holy Spirit induced desire.

And I think that fits here.
“They passed through Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit…”

You don’t find Paul trying to stop in those regions,
You have Paul passing through them desiring to go to a different place.

Paul attributed the desire to choose one region over another
As a divine guidance by the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit who directed in that way.

So we kind of understand that one, but then the next one is really strange.

(7-8) “and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.”

Now here we see that Paul did have a desire.
It was NOT HIS DESIRE to pass by Bithynia, that is where he wanted to go.

However, “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;”
Literally, “Jesus would not allow them to go there.”

I don’t know how the way was blocked.
Maybe the felt convicted…
Maybe there was just no open door…
But however He did it, Jesus directed this mission.

We know why.
• God wanted them in Europe.
• God wanted them to go to Macedonia.

(9-10) “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
And at that moment it all began to click.
This is what God was doing.

You’ve probably had incidents like that in your life.
It was that for me last year in looking for mission trips.

I felt burdened to lead one, but didn’t know where. I looked into China
But eventually was led to Peter Sierson and the Sanyati Makeover.

I can’t specifically say how God led that, but I know He did.
• Partly by giving a greater desire for Africa than China.
• Partly by Peter’s email response to be so elated for us to come.

It was just right.

And Paul knew it too.
(11-12) “So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.”

So it’s not hard to see the divine element in that.
God was at work to guide where the trip went.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT?
Do you see that at work?

Of course you do.
God wasn’t having to pick Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke up
And throw them into Macedonia.

These men were eager.
These men were traveling.
These men were looking to go.

They had a human commitment to take the gospel somewhere,
They just didn’t know where that was supposed to be.

And I can assure you, it is much easier to steer a ship
If it is moving than if it is sitting in the harbor.

There is not a doubt in my mind that the most difficult step
With any ministry or mission is the first one. (often the agreement to go)

But show me someone who will untrack and start moving,
And it is much easier to see God shape and direct their mission.

God didn’t have to pull a Jonah on these men,
They were moving, and so was God.

And together they ended up in Europe in a town called Philippi.

The Arrival in Macedonia
#2 THE SALVATION OF LYDIA
Acts 16:13-15

Now Philippi, as you noticed, was a Roman colony,
It was not heavily Jewish.

And this is further emphasized in verse 13.
(13) “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.”

In order to have a synagogue a town required ten Jewish men.
Philippi did not have that many.

The next option would have been to simply have a place of prayer
Where the women and few men could gather.

The fact that this place was outside the city
Speaks again to its Roman, anti-semitic views.

And Paul and his companions went out to this place,
Where I can assure you these women were excited
To have a traveling Rabbi come through and be willing to teach.

And then we easily see the divine element again.
(14-15) “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.”

Now we first have to remember that it was God
Who actually brought Paul and his companions here.
Were it not for God Paul would be in Bythinia or Galatia.
So God was already at work to set up this divine appointment.

Paul comes to preach and there he encounters a woman.
“A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening;”

We have here a woman from Asia, from Thyatira.
To be a seller of purple fabrics was a good trade,
Since it was a very expensive fabric.

She was also “a worshiper of God”
Like Cornelius, this would have made her a Gentile,
But not a full-blown proselyte to Judaism.

She was merely a Gentile woman who was seeking Israel’s God.
So she was listening at this place of prayer.

And then we see God at work again.
“the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”

Anyone who has ever studied the Scriptures
Knows this is absolutely essential.

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

Contrary to popular belief, salvation is NOT merely
A free will choice by every human being.

To assume that disregards the slavery that mankind is already in to sin.
Man is owned by another master
And is not capable of simply choosing to follow Christ.

He is dead in sin.

Jesus told those who listened to Him.
John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Paul said:
Romans 6:16-18 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Mankind is enslaved, he is dead,
And is not capable of simply choosing or even responding on his own.

No greater illustration of this exists than the story of Lazarus.
Mary and Martha could weep outside his tomb,
But none could talk in a way where Lazarus could hear.

There was only One who could make the dead man hear.
There was only One who could call Him from the dead.

Salvation is and always has been a supernatural work.
And so it was here.

God opened this woman’s heart to respond.
And she did.

And I love the obvious fruit in her life.
(15) “And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.”

Hospitality is a necessary attribute of Christian women,
And this woman instantly portrayed it.

And here again we see the obvious divine work of God on this mission.
Yet, we also see the human element of Paul.
• What if Paul saw there was no synagogue and moved on to the next city?
• What if Paul had failed to search for a place of prayer?
• What if Paul had decided preaching to women wasn’t worth it?
• What if Paul had decided not to deliver the gospel?

Yes God was at work, but so was Paul.
Both worked together, both were involved.

It was God at work in and through Paul.
It was Paul at work using the power of God.

This is how missions is supposed to work.

The Arrival in Macedonia, The Salvation of Lydia
#3 THE DELIVERANCE OF A SLAVE GIRL
Acts 16:16-18

Now this event seems to focus more on the dedication of Paul.

As Paul was “going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.”

This girl was a spirit medium, and very popular in her day.
Even generals wouldn’t go to battle without first consulting one.

This girl was making a ton of money for her masters.
Undoubtedly they had purchased her with this in mind.

(17) “Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

There are two possibilities here.

One is that this girl was being used by Satan to infiltrate the mission team
No doubt what she was saying was true.
She even called God by a Scriptural name “the Most High God”
And her statement was right on.

It is possible that through her proclamation
Satan was seeking to infiltrate the meetings
And then through her to wreck this newly formed church.

That is one possibility.

The other (and one that cannot be detected through reading) is that her tone was mocking and sarcastic.

This was a Roman colony and “the Most High God”
Would not have been a popular topic.
It could be that this woman was mocking Paul and his team.

And it really makes no difference.

Either way, Paul has enough.
(18) “She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.”

Whatever her motive, Paul was fed up
And turned and cast the demon out of this girl.

We know that casting out demons was an apostolic proof sign,
Used by them to authenticate their ministry.

And Paul certainly did that here.
He acted in faithfulness, he acted in boldness.
And the result was that this girl was set free from her bonds.

We don’t know what happened to her from this day on,
But we do know she no longer had a demon.
Paul orchestrated deliverance in this girl’s life.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DIVINE ELEMENT?

That should also be obvious.
Where did Paul get the power to do such a thing?

Obviously such ability is not within the scope of human power.
Matthew 12:29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”

This was Paul faithfully exercising divine power
To see this girl delivered and the threat silenced.

That is the way missions is supposed to work.

Now there are three examples, we’ll have to get to the others next time.
But it begins to become clear.

• Paul would not have been in Macedonia were it not for God.
• Lydia would not have been saved were it not for God.
• This demon would not have left were it not for God.

And the flip side is also true.

• Had Paul not been faithful, there would have been no mission trip.
• Had Paul not preached the gospel she would have never heard.
• Had Paul not confronted this girl, the demon would not have left.

You can see how the two were working together.
It was God’s Power, it was Paul’s obedience.

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

And this is true for you and I as well.

We are foolish if we ever try
To do any ministry or mission in our own strength.
We don’t have the resources…
We don’t have the knowledge…
We don’t have the power…

We can’t speak to the dead…
We don’t even know where the dead are…
We can’t do any works in our own strength…
WE NEED GOD

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord”
But by the same token.
We are foolish if we think laziness or apathy or disobedience
Will ever accomplish the goal.

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”
At the end of the day,
Someone has to actually use their mouth and share the gospel.

If not you, then who?

We can’t do it without God,
He doesn’t do it without us.

Missions is supposed to work where God’s children,
Clothed with God’s power, speak God’s message,
To God’s creation.

If you try to go out and do it in your own strength the mission will fail.
If you refuse to let God use you, the mission will fail.
Both God and you are required.

Paul seemed to understand that well,
And I encourage you to understand it as well.

You aren’t a one man show, but you aren’t off the hook either.
Be faithful and be submissive,
The result will be you in the right place at the right time,
Talking to the right person.

That’s how missions is supposed to work.

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”