April 3, 2016
Evening Service

“This letter, more than any other of Paul’s, is characterized by simplicity, gentleness, and affection…here there is no controversy.”   - W. Graham Scroggie

This is believed to be Paul’s first inspired letter he wrote to the churches.  He is able to consolidate an unbelievable amount of doctrine and teaching into this relatively short discourse.  Teachings on the Rapture and Jesus’ Second Coming are the highlights of this encouraging and uplifting letter.

It is written from Corinth around the years 50 or 51 AD, a short twenty years after Jesus’ ascension.  Thessalonica was a prominent and prosperous seaport along with being the capital of the Roman providence of Macedonia.  It had an estimated population of perhaps 200,000 people in the first century.  It had a sizable Jewish population and their teaching of one God had attracted many Gentiles who were very disenchanted with the paganism of the Greeks.  That made them quite receptive of the message of salvation Paul brought to them during his Second Missionary Journey.  Tonight we will look at this account in Acts Chapter 17 to set the background for the letter addressed to the church there.

In Chapter 16, Paul and Silas had visited Lystra recruited a young man by the name of Timothy to accompany them on their journey.  It was there Lydia and her household were all saved.  It was also here that Paul cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl, which angered her master that profited from her.  Paul and Silas had “laid many stripes on them, and were thrown into prison.”

This is where the account of the Philippian jailer’s conversion happens.  At midnight in the prison, Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God when an earthquake came and all the prison doors were opened and all their chains fell off.  The jailer awoke thinking they were all gone, drew his sword to kill himself.  Paul however called out to him and stopped him saying that no one had escaped.

Acts 16:29-31 Then asking for a light he rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  (30)  And leading them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  (31)  And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household.”

·         After being released from prison, they encouraged the brethren and moved on their journey.

 

Acts 17:1-3 And traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.  (2)  And according to Paul's custom, he went in to them and reasoned with them out of the Scriptures on three Sabbaths, (3)  opening and setting forth that Christ must have suffered, and to have risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus whom I preach to you is Christ.

 

 

·         No doubt Paul used many of the OT scriptures that have we looked at in our recent studies showing how they were fulfilled by Jesus.  Paul’s unique background of scripture study as a Pharisee made it easy for him to explain to them that this Christ of the OT was indeed Jesus of Nazareth.

·         Notice it was his custom to enter into the local synagogue and seek out opportunities to preach the gospel message.  The response he received was mixed.

Acts 17:4-5  And some of them believed and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, both a great multitude of the worshiping Greeks, and not a few of the chief women.  (5)  But the Jews who were not persuaded becoming jealous, and having taken aside some wicked men of the market-loafers, and gathering a crowd, they set the entire city in an uproar. And coming on the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the mob.

·         Notice what caused the uproar.  It says a great multitude had decided to embrace the gospel message; but the Jews were jealous of this.  They went and got some of the trouble makers from the marketplace and incited a riot.  This sounds very familiar to what we have just studied in Luke.

 

Acts 17:6-9 And not finding them, they drew Jason and certain brothers before the city judges, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too,  (7)  whom Jason has received. And these all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”  (8)  And hearing these things, they troubled the crowd and the city judge.  (9)  And taking security from Jason and from the rest, they let them go.

·         What a wonderful unintended compliment they had paid Paul’s ministry team.  They had “turned the world upside down.”  For some that is a great thing, but for others it is not so welcome.

·         In our own ministries we will find people with whom we try to share our faith will become enraged with our making waves in their “status quo.”  They like the world they have created and don’t want or see the need for anything to change.

·          They can get very upset with you, not realizing, just as they didn’t with Jesus, that you only speak with them out of love.  We must be able to discern that spirit and go on our way, but continue to pray for them and trusting God that the seed you planted one day will take root.

·         Always remember, it is God who adds to the church, not us.  Their receiving the message does not depend upon our ability or inability to present it.  They will not come if the Spirit does not call them.  We are commissioned simply to be faithful to our calling and trust God for the results.

 

Acts 17:10-11 And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. They, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews.  (11)  And these were more fair minded than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were so.

·         Notice a couple of things here.  Paul did not stop and pout or sulk about the trouble that had occurred.  He simply returned to fulfilling what God had called him to do in another town. Do not let failure drag you down or cause you to slow down or even quit.

 

Mat 10:14  And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

 

 

·         Secondly, look at how the Jews in Berea received the Word; “with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to see if those things were so.”  They were hungry for truth and not only listened, but prayed and studied on their own to build their faith. (Romans 10:17)  Our reading and studying of the scriptures needs to go above and beyond what we do here on Sundays and Wednesdays.

·         How would we describe ourselves on how we receive the Word?  Are we quick to forget and move on?  Or does it stir up that hunger within us to read, study, and pray more.

·          I have found hunger for the food is the opposite of the hunger for the Word.  The more food I get, the less I want it.  The more Word I get the more I desire it!

·         It was this difference of the reception between the two towns that caused Paul concern about those left in Thessalonica.  It was because of his concern about their progress in the faith and their steadfastness in the face of suffering and persecution that he later sent Timothy to “establish and encourage them.”  It was after Timothy’s return and favorable report that Paul wrote this letter to them.

 

Next week we will begin this letter and learn how Paul both encourages and challenges the church there (and us) to grow in their faith in the face of persecution.

 

Lord, may we always be ready to receive Your Word and be willing to line up with it no matter the cost.