Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Acts: Enlarging Our Vision

By Being people of the Word 04/19/09

Sermon Series: Acts: Enlarging our Vision

Title: ‘By being people of the Word’ pt.2   Text: Acts 17:1-15 Pt 1

Introduction:  It is amazing how little people know about the Word of God, especially here in America where virtually everyone has access to a Bible. This was demonstrated by Tonight Show host Jay Leno who frequently does "man-on-the street" interviews. One night he approached some young people to ask them questions about the Bible.

·       "Can you name one of the Ten Commandments?" he asked two college-age women. One replied, "Freedom of speech?"

·       Leno said to the other, "Complete this sentence: Let he who is without sin..." Her response was, "have a good time?"

·       Jay then turned to a young man and asked, "Who, according to the Bible, was swallowed by a whale?" The confident answer was, "Pinocchio."

Such misunderstandings while humorous are in reality very tragic.

The importance of God’s Word is reiterated throughout its pages and no more powerfully perhaps than in Romans 10:7 where it states, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Gerald Flury)

Author and pastor A. W. Tozer once said ‘A new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is . . . a book, which is now speaking.’

Transition: Open your Bibles to Acts 17:1 (pg. 846 in the Bibles under the chair in front of you.) For it’s there we will discover we enlarge our vision of God by being people of the Word.

I. Acts 17: 1-10a  Breathing Out God’s Word

Read: Acts 17:1-10a

Paul and Silas were released from jail in Philippi and told to leave town. After making sure the new Christians were OK, Paul and his evangelistic team left.

Acts 17:1 says ‘When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica…’ Those 12 words represent over a 100 mile journey…by foot. DO you think these men were committed to sharing and being obedient to God’s Word? Why? Perhaps because of God’s promises concerning His Word.

Read: Isaiah 55:10b-11 ‘…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke all believed:

·       God’s Word will not return to Him empty handed.

·       God’s Word will do what God intended it to do.

·       When you speak the Word of God, you are tapping into limitless power!

 

Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy had God’s Word, the Bible. While it was just what we know as the Old Testament, for them it was enough. Consider how much more we have…yet it doesn’t seem enough to motivate us to walk across the cubicle to talk to a co-worker about the riches of God’s Word, let alone travel 100 miles on foot.

Anyway, the group arrives in Thessalonica and Paul speaks in the local synagogue for three Saturdays. What did he do there? God’s Word tells us:

·       He reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

·       He explained and proved that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.

Here is the logic of his argument

·       The prophets, in God’s Word, spoke of a Messiah

·       This Messiah must be rejected by His people and be put to death for the sins of humanity

·       This crucified Messiah must, according to the prophets, be raised from the dead

·       Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, having fulfilled all the words of the prophets.

·       Each one then must make a choice to either accept their Messiah or reject Him.

·       To accept Him was to obtain the forgiveness of their sin and assurance of eternal life in heaven

·       To reject Him was to await the future day when Jesus will come to judge and punish those who rejected him.

As was almost always the case when Paul shared God’s Word, there were many who believed and many more who didn’t. And the ones who didn’t believe, often got mad and then violent….no different in Thessalonica.

When the angry mob came to get Paul and Silas, probably to beat them up, they weren’t home. I’m sorry but I find this funny.

·       Here you have this angry, bloodthirsty mob of lowlifes and street thugs who are looking to beat the pulp out of Paul and Silas

·       Only when they get to the place they were supposed to be, they weren’t there.

·       How anti-climatic. Something like calling someone who made you very angry with the intent of giving them a big piece of your mind and getting an answering machine.

Anyway, since they didn’t find Paul and Silas, they drag Jason, the owner of the home in which Paul and his group were staying, to the city officials. And they charge Paul and Silas with being notorious troublemakers.

Read: Acts 17: 6b-7‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are defying Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king, one called Jesus.’

The NIV doesn’t really hit the mark here with its interpretation of the original text.

Read: Acts 17:6b ‘And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…’ ESV

‘…These men have turned the world upside down…’ I need to say a few words about this. Folks, we need to be troublemakers like Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke. But we are too content wanting to be liked to cause any trouble, to ‘rock the boat’ spiritually speaking. We need to turn our world upside down…and we do it by sharing God’s Word with all who will hear.

That’s what Jesus did…think about what He said in Matthew 5, remember I spoke on that last year…let me refresh your memory.

Read: Matthew 5:3-12

The world God created, the way life was supposed to be lived, according to God’s Word, wasn’t being followed…sin overturned the way of life God intended.

Jesus, Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke and God’s church today, are working to make right what the world has made wrong…Yes, they were trying to turn the world upside down…but it was because sin had turned it wrong side up.  

This is not how life was intended to be lived. But to know that, you need to know and believe God’s Word. And when you do, you too will try to ‘turn your world upside down.’

·       Where there is darkness we need to bring light

·       Where there is hatred, we need to bring love

·       Where there is rejection, we need to bring acceptance.

·       Where there is sadness, we need to bring joy.

·       Where there is bondage, we need to bring freedom

·       Where there is death, we need to being life

(Jerry Shirley)

One person at a time.

Don’t we all have a message to share? Doesn’t the Good News of Life in Jesus apply to everyone? Isn’t this message found in God’s Word? Then remember…

Read: Isaiah 55:10b-11 ‘…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

So…be a troublemaker for God by breathing out the Word of God to all who will hear.

Well, it seems as part of Jason’s agreement with the city officials, Paul and his group would be immediately sent out of town. Not anything new for them.

Transition: And we will find that Paul didn’t let any grass grow under his sandals, he left town and immediately went to Berea. Why such urgency?

Conclusion

This strong sense of urgency was one of Paul’s defining traits. It not only shaped his life and ministry, it impacted church history. What was the basis of his urgency?

·       It was based on the fact that all humanity is sinful…every single man, woman and child is desperately lost and destined for eternal punishment. It was the urgency that the Word of God alone shows the way of salvation.

·       It was based on God’s command to preach the gospel found in the great commission. It was the urgency of obedience to God’s Word.

·       It was based on the shortness of our time. Humanity is doomed apart from faith in Jesus Christ and time is limited…your time is limited, your loved ones time is limited, your neighbor and classmates’ time is limited. There is the urgency of knowing that God’s Word tells us we all will die and we don’t know when.

·       It was based on the shortness of God’s time. Jesus is coming back to take his people home. He is also coming back to bring the wrath and judgment of God upon all who have rejected Him…and His coming could be any day. There is an urgency of knowing God’s Word tells us Jesus is coming back…and we don’t know when.

Shouldn’t we share Paul’s deep sense of urgency? Shouldn’t we  breathe out God’s Word to all who will hear, whenever God opens a door of opportunity?

That’s the passion behind our Kingdom Builders Committee and the reason we support Kingdom Building here and around the world. It’s also the reason we are setting aside 3 days next weekend to see what God does when His people develop a sense of urgency about sharing His Word with all who will hear.

It is my hope and prayer that you will attend all the sessions. Make it a God Weekend. Put off everything else, DVR/Tivo your favorite TV shows. Come out to every meeting and let God’s Word transform your life.

We enlarge our vision of God by being people of the Word.