June 13, 2010
Morning Service

Acts 17

 

Review:

1.       We are now into Paul’s second missionary trip.  This time he takes Silas instead of Barnabas, because of a big argument over taking John Mark with them.  Paul said no, and Barnabas said yes, so they split company.

2.      The writer of this letter, Dr. Luke, is now in the company of Paul, and Silas.  So God chose to reveal to us the things that happen in Paul’s travels rather than Barnabas’s.

3.      The church is growing by leaps and bounds.  In chapter 16;

·         We meet Timothy who’s father is Greek, and Mother a Jew.  Timothy is uncircumcised, and Paul takes him to be circumcised to eliminate arguments with the Jews.  Paul throws us a loop here, for in chapter 15 we saw that the council at Jerusalem said that this was not necessary to be saved.

·         In chapter 16 Paul is called by God, in a vision, to go into Macedonia.  Macedonia is located just above Greece, in Europe.  This is the first time the gospel has gone into Europe.

·         While in the city of Philippi, they met a woman from Thyatira, Lydia, a seller of purple, which is in Asia Minor, or Turkey.  Luke makes a very important statement concerning Lydia’s conversion.  “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.”  Lydia was converted, and her whole household was baptized.

·         Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a girl that had been following them, and crying out “that these men are the servants of the Most High God, and show us the way of salvation.”  This caused the people that she worked for to become very upset, and brought Paul, and Silas before the magistrates, and they were beaten, and cast into prison.

·         While in prison God worked another miracle, and loosed the bonds of all in the prison.    Another wonderful statement is made in this conversion.  “Sirs, what must I do to be saved.”  And this led to the conversion of the Philippian jailer, and his household.  It says, the same hour of the night that he and his household was baptized.

·         Paul and Silas are released from jail, and they return to Lydia’s house, they encourage the brethren, and leave, and now we find them in Thessalonica.

 

LET’S BEGIN CHAPTER 17:

Act 17:1-15 KJVR  Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:  (2)  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures,  (3)  Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 

• Thessalonica, this is where Paul will later write two letters addressed to these people.
• Paul is using the Scriptures to convince the people that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God.
• That Christ must have suffered, and risen from the dead, and that this Jesus is the Christ. 

No doubt Paul used all the Scripture he could in his arguments, such as:

(1) That he corresponded with the prophecies respecting him in the following particulars:

(a)    He was born at Bethlehem, Mic_5:2.

(b)    He was of the tribe of Judah, Gen_49:10.

(c)    He was descended from Jesse, and of the royal line of David, Isa_11:1, Isa_11:10.

(d)   He came at the time predicted, Dan_9:24-27.

(e)    His appearance, character, work, etc., corresponded with the predictions, Isa_53:1-12.

(2) his miracles proved that he was the Messiah, for he professed to be, and God would not work a miracle to confirm the claims of an impostor.

(3) for the same reason, his resurrection from the dead proved that he was the Messiah.  Psa. 16:10.

• As I have said before, the resurrection is the clincher.   

(4)  And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. 

• So here we see the results of Paul’s preaching:  Some of the Jews;  of the devout Greeks a great multitude;  and of the chief women not a few, which means many of them believed.

 

 

 

(5)  But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 

• Here again we see the unconverted Jews stirring up the people against Paul, and his company.

(6)  And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;  (7)  Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.  (8)  And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.  (9)  And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. 

• Aren’t you glad that we can sing of Jesus being the Lord of Glory, King of Kings, the great I Am, the Alpha, and Omega, the beginning, and the end.
• This was very serious to these people, they could have possibly been put in jail, and even killed for this thought.

(10)  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.  (11)  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 

• Berea, one step closer to Athens, and Corinth.
• We might wonder why Paul keeps going into people that he knows some of them will reject what he is saying.  Well, these people worship Almighty God, and He is the one who has sent Paul with this message.  If you recall when Jesus sent out His first disciples He told them not to go in the way of the gentiles, but only to the Jews.  So the Jewish people get first chance at hearing this message.  We know now that the gentiles are now accepted by God in this glorious gospel message.
• These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
• Now all they had was the O.T. Scriptures, so they were searching for the Prophecies concerning the Christ. 
• These were more noble;  why?  Because they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily.
• This is what God will think of us if we have these characteristics, and habits.

NOW LOOK AT THE RESULTS:

(12)  Therefore many of them believed;

• The same thing will happen to anyone that will take the time to read from God’s holy Word.  He will open you heart to be receptive to the knowledge that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the very Son of God.

also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 

• And many of the Grecian women, and men believed.

(13)  But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.  (14)  And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still.  (15)  And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

• We see the Apostle run out of another town.
• However, there is this gospel song that says, ( I just feel like something good is about to happen, I just feel like something good is on it’s way.) 
• This is just how I feel when I think of what is about to happen in Athens Greece.  We are going to finish this chapter 17 this evening if it is God’s will, and we will see another sermon of the Apostle Paul.

 

Father, just as you have opened the hearts, and minds of these people, we would ask that You open the minds of our loved ones, and friends that we have been praying for.  Amen.