Acts 17 (Click title for audio access)
"A Tale Of Three Cities" • 10.30.11 •
Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship
Intro.
- In Charles
Dickens' famous novel "A Tale Of Two Cities," the famous opening line
"It was the best of times and it was the worst of times," would be
appropriate for our section today.
- In our
chapter today, "A Tale Of THREE Cities" it was the best of times for
those in these ancient European cities. The gospel was marching forward.
Gentiles everywhere were getting saved!
- For the
gospel's greatest ambassador the cost for their best times, were cause for some
of his worst times. He's been kicked out and just plain kicked, yet he has
pressed on!
- In these
three cities, the Holy Spirit gives insight into the work of His Word, which
commonly invokes responses that we need to be ready to respond to. We'll begin
in Thessalonica.
Text
• Acts
17:1-4 : "Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as
his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from
the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and
rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the
Christ.' And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout
Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas." : The Apostles stayed near the coast of
the Aegean sea, traveling over a 100 miles to get to Thessalonica.
- The Via Egnatia led right into Thessalonica,
which was a prosperous city due to it being the headquarters for the Roman
navy.
- Like any city serving as a naval center,
there was a large group of men coming and going, making it a thriving town and an
excellent city for ministry.
- Paul figured that if the gospel could be
established there, the church would then reach into the smaller cities of
Amphipolis and Appolonia.
- As was his custom, Paul focused his attention
on the local synagogue. As a certified former Rabbi, Paul would have been an
exciting Sabbath morning guest.
- Luke writes this to demonstrate that in spite
of growing opposition, Paul worked hard to bring the gospel to the Jews first,
to whom the promises of Messiah belonged! This wasn't hit and miss.
- Paul spent three Sabbaths reasoning in the
synagogue. We get our word
"dialgoue" from the word that Luke uses here. Paul met the
Thessalonians in a thought for thought running dialogue.
- Paul answered their thoughts and questions
with thoughts that came from the scriptures. The Old Testament was the basis
for Paul's authority. For every question there was a scripture.
- We may not have the acumen that Paul had, but
we should strive to understand the scripture with as much passion as we have,
paying attention to understanding God's Word in it's context.
- Why? For our own trivial mastery? Not at all!
We need to have a good reason for our belief and a good for others to believe
as well! It's not enough to say, "I believe."
- We need to be careful of the words "I
believe." We are not authorities in and of ourselves.
- We need to commit ourselves to the phrase,
"God's word says." If we do not know, then we need to commit to that
answer, with the caveat, "But I will know soon when I've looked at the
Word."
- The subject of their dialogue revolved around
the Messiah. Paul in his response to their questions took pains to explain and
demonstrate that the Christ had to suffer and rise from death.
- People have real struggles with belief and
they need real answers from scriptures.
- I have told you often of the vigor that many
Jews had taken to memorizing blocks of scripture. It was equally true that many
of them simply held their favorite verses to be dear.
- A significant problem for the Jewish people
revolved around the concept of Messianic prophecies relating to suffering, as
well as to resurrection. How could Christ both suffer and reign?
- Paul set out to answer this by explanation, literally
"opening their minds" and demonstration meaning to set something
before them, akin to setting a table.
- He was exposing them to scriptures and
setting the table for their discussion with scriptural evidence that demanded
their attention.
- The Old Testament spoke of Christ's need to
suffer and to rise from the dead. Many of these prophecies are very specific in
nature, including details that weren't even practiced when written.
- There are over 300 specific prophecies that
Jesus fulfilled in His life. For those on our mailing list, I will be sending
those out this week, so that you will have them.
- Over time, Luke tells us that these people
were persuaded, because of their study of scripture, to trust in Jesus, who
they trusted as the one who had fulfilled those prophecies.
- This is often the case with gospel ministry.
It takes time, patiently availing ourselves to answering questions, presenting
thoughts that scripture presents against dissenting thoughts.
- This was the case in Thessalonica. Over time,
some were persuaded to believe.
• Acts
17:5-9 : "But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some
of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in
an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the
people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren
to the rulers of the city, crying out, 'These who have turned the world upside
down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting
contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.' And
they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these
things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them
go." : Then there were
those who were not persuaded. This is the less attractive, but realistic part
of the ministry of the gospel.
- The word "not persuaded" here comes
from the word that we get "apathetic" from. This word refers to
somebody who will not allow themselves to believe. They could see, but refused
to believe!
- You need to recognize and respect that there
are some who refuse to believe.
- When Paul came into these synagogues, that
the Jews had spent significant time and energy in evangelism. When the people
believed Paul's message, they were watching their work fizzle!
- Their jealousy caused them to consort with
what the NLT terms them "troublemakers."
- It's interesting the bedfellows that are made
from being an enemy of the gospel! These Jews would likely have otherwise
ignored these men, but here, they are partners together!
- The crowd was disturbed, which may not have
been that hard to do in a Naval town! This led to an all out assault against
the house that housed the weekly church meetings, the house of Jason.
- Whoever Jason was his home had become a hub
for the church in Thessalonica, well known even to this mob who were looking
for Paul and Silas.
- Listen to what they said of them: "These
who have turned the world upside down." What an amazing statement! Let it
be said of us!
- The gospel turns the world upside down! You
will share it and even in an apathetic environment, you are turning someone's
world upside down!
- Jason believed he was practicing hospitality.
The world called it "harboring" the church! Most other translations
have this as received, which was contrary to Roman decree.
- Only Caesar was to be accepted as King. The
Christians held to the real King.
- They brought the brothers into jail and then
released them when they had provided sufficient funds to be bailed out. This
brings us to our second city, Berea.
• Acts
17:10-12 : "Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night
to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These
were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether
these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of
the Greeks, prominent women as well as men." : The
Thessalonican believers knew that the mob would be back for Paul and Silas, so
they sent them away in haste through the night.
- Berea, known today as Verria, was 55 miles
away. Upon arrival they went into the synagogue. Same custom, similar audience,
but very different mentality.
- The people that they were speaking to were
different than the Thessalonicans. They were more "fair-minded."
These Bereans were noble minded.
- What made them this way? They received the
word with all readiness. They took in the word with a zeal for it. They wanted
God's Word.
- Where Paul had done the work for the
Thessalonicans, the Bereans did the work for Paul!
- When Paul broke open the scrolls, they were
ready with pen in hand, eager to hear from God. They were intentional about
coming to ingest the word. But it did not end there.
- They left the service and searched through
the scriptures to confirm what Paul had said. Every day, they investigated,
pointing to a judicial search and interrogated. This was Bible CSI!
- I imagine them going home with their notes
and cross referencing scriptures on their own time. When they came across a
difficulty, they came to Paul and interrogated him.
- This zeal and thirst for knowledge made them
a noble minded congregation. I would pray that that Berean spirit would invade
our church. Lord, make us hungry for your Word!
- In this group, in this fertile environment,
many believed, among them Greeks and prominent women, the word referrring to
elegant, infuential women, and men of the same caliber.
• Acts
17:13-15 : "But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God
was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then
immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and
Timothy remained there. So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and
receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they
departed." : In a world without the internet, the Thessalonicans
discovered that Paul was preaching in Berea! Their envy brought them over 100
miles to stir up trouble.
- Paul left Silas and Timothy there to continue
the work that had been started, faked toward the sea, but went down to our
third city, Athens, alone.
• Acts
17:16-21 : "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was
provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile
worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then
certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, 'What
does this babbler want to say?' Others said, 'He seems to be a proclaimer of
foreign gods,' because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they
took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, 'May we know what this new
doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our
ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.' For all the Athenians
and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either
to tell or to hear some new thing." : Paul's time
in Athens spurred an exasperated spirit when he looked around and saw the
idolatry of that city.
- If Rome was the military center of the world,
Athens was it's intellectual counterpart.
- Paul again went into the synogogues to meet
with those who believed in the One true God! Even here when the city was fully
pagan, Paul first sought out the Jews. He was committed to them!
- He dialogued with the church and in the
marketplace. It isn't long before he met up with these Philosophers who lived
in Athens.
- Epicureans believed that pleasure was the
greatest good, while the Stoics believed that keeping their emotions at bay was
the way in which to live.
- The people who heard Paul listened, but with
very different responses. Some called Paul a "vain babbler" referring
to a seed picker or beggar, who grabbed attention from any who would give it.
- Others spoke about his content, being the
Lord and His resurrection. The Athenians just heard it as another interesting
topic! They heard this as they heard any new thing!
- Their response to this was much like any
intellectual group today, who love to hear any new stimulating puzzle. Some
people today just like something new to think about or figure out.
- This group invited Paul to the Aeropagus,
Mars Hill, to speak to the audience.
• Acts
17:22,23 : "Then Paul stood in the midst of the
Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very
religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your
worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I
proclaim to you:" : Paul's
first statement was that it was obvious that they were very religious. In our
vernacular today, one might say, "I see you're spiritual!"
- Here's a lesson for us: If being religious,
spiritual or devout was enough, then Paul would have left the Athenians
alone! Religion is not enough and
is indeed a blasphemy against God.
- Any system that proposes a way for man to get
to God, by Man's invention, is an insult and no matter how devout or noble it
seems, it is an ultimate tragedy in it's nothingness!
- They were religious, but they were divorced
from the life of God, even if they built a statue to honor the one that they
did not know.
• Acts
17:24-28 : "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord
of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He
worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all
life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every
nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their
preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should
seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though
He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our
being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His
offspring.’" : Paul begins with the beginning. The God
that they do not know is the one that created everything and is bigger than
their temples!
- God wanted their hearts and their beings, not
some temple offering. God made all of the earth and God made each of them! He
gave them their dwelling places so that they would seek Him.
- He makes one of the most amazing statements
in scripture. In Him, all live and move and have their being! As humans, we are
made in His image!
- Epimenides, one of the contemporary Athenian
poets, had spoken of humanity's roots in God. Paul is affirming that truth.
• Acts
17:29-31 : "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to
think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped
by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but
now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on
which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.
He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." :
Paul's argument is that they were all complex living beings. If we are
like that, how much higher and how much more is the God that made us.
- These gods that were in Athens were gold,
silver and stone, all thought up by men and all made in his image! Before Jesus
came to this Earth, God allowed this ignorance.
- God allowed them to live in their thinking,
but now that Christ had come and become the Savior of all men, there was now a
command to repent.
- That Savior that would bring them to
salvation, would be a judge that would condemn them in their unbelief. That God
proved when He raised Christ from the dead.
• Acts
17:32-34 : "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some
mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter.' So Paul
departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them
Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them." :
The resurrection from the dead became the dividing issue. Some heard it
and mocked.
- "How could you believe in something so
ridiculous!? Who has ever been raised from death?"
- There will be some in your life who will mock
you in the same way. No matter how reasonable you are, no matter how solid your
scriptural point, they will mock what they refuse to believe.
- Others reacted with a desire to hear it
again. "That was really interesting. I'd be interested in listening
again." The gospel demands a response, not a repeat performance!
- The Gospel is not some new puzzle to figure
out. It is an invitation to life with God, demanding more than mental assent
and understanding.
- Preaching is meant to evoke a decision about
Christ, not tickle ears and entertain!
- Paul left them, but when he left, there were
two that followed after him. Dionysius was from that very area, in fact being
one of the judges who governed what was heard at Mars Hill.
- This woman, likely a woman of ill-repute
named Damaris also believed, as well as others.
Conclusion
- The Gospel is
hard work. It requires patience and a commitment to His Word. Some will
exasperate you, some will encourage you and others will just be entertained by
you!
- But in each
city, Paul's journey teaches us one thing: When there is much planted, some
will produce!
- This week, if
you share something, something MIGHT come. If you share nothing, nothing WILL
come!