Response to the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Thessalonica
Thessalonica
Accept
Accept
When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
Paul and Silas went to the synagogue for three weeks reasoning with those that were there from the scriptures all about the Messiah and the fact he had to suffer and that Jesus is the Messiah. A few Jews believed, but it seems the message was received and accepted more by God fearing Greek men and women.
These people had already been looking for truth. They had already turned their back on the Roman gods and goddesses. They had met the one true God and were learning about him, but now Paul shows them how to have a relationship with God through Jesus. They jumped at the chance. They heard that Jesus suffered and died for their sins. How he bridged the gap sin had caused in their life and if they would simple believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Lord they would be saved.
But some did not believe. In fact they did something worse.
Reject
Reject
But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
They were jealous. Probably jealous that people were following Jesus. That people were believing Paul. Maybe they were jealous that the followers of Jesus were growing quicker than the devout Jews. Maybe they were jealous of the number of Greeks following them. I really do not know, but any and all of those would make sense.
But their jealousy led them to try to mob them. It led the Jews to round up some “bad characters in the market place, form a mob and start a riot in the city.” They went to the place they thought Paul and Silas clearly with evil intent.
But they did not stop there.
Fight It
Fight It
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,
and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.
Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
They couldn’t find Paul and Silas so they attacked one of their own. They were so angry. They ripped Jason and some other believers out of their homes, and in front of the City leaders and accused them of breaking the law.
Rome had very tough laws concerning revolution. It makes sense, considering how many revolutions happened in the Roman empire. Emperors were constantly revolted against and killed. So the nonbelieving Jews accused them of inciting revolution in the name of Jesus their new king.
It causes all sorts of turmoil and arguments, but ultimately they released the believers after they made them pay.
But the believers got Paul and Silas away.
Berea
Berea
Eager, Listen and Test
Eager, Listen and Test
As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
I love that part, Berean Jews were of more noble character. They listened, they received, and they tested it through the scriptures. I love that. They checked out everything Paul said against scripture. They did not blindly follow, but they were open to God at work. I encourage you to always test what anyone says against Scripture. Study it, struggle with it, But spend time in it. It is the only way to receive and confirm the truth. But because they were eager and open to knowing God more, many believed.
So the church in Berea grew. But the Jews from Thessalonica were not through fighting.
Fighting More
Fighting More
But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.
That is almost unbelievable to me. They were not content enough that they ran them out of Thessalonica, they followed them all the way to Berea to agitate the crowds. And to get them to turn on Paul and Silas.
Opposition to the gospel will come. And sometimes it will feel like it wins, but you don’t stop. Check out what happens next.
Keep the message going
Keep the message going
The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.
Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
Again the believers help Paul to escape. They get him to Athens. Where we will pick up the story in a couple of weeks. But the gospel continues. The faithful believers do whatever it takes to keep it spreading. The opposition keep thinking they are winning but instead, the gospel is spreading quickly and over the entire Roman world.
So, even though the believers had believed they did not stop spreading the word. They knew the word had to be spread. So, they kept it going.
Bottom line for this and all of Acts is this....
How do you respond to the gospel?
Do you receive it?
Do you fight it?
Do you learn, grow and study it?
Do you reject it?
Are you sharing it?
Are you doing whatever it takes to share it?