Acts 17:1-9

· INTRODUCTION: (MAKE SLIDE FOR ILLUSTRATION!) Good morning Church! Would you turn with me to Acts 17? I don’t know about you, but this week I could use soem hope! Between the events in Macomb, Nashville, North Carolina and other things in our world, like the tornado in Little Rock, things can feel hopeless. In times like this, I think it is such a deep blessing that we can come together and worship together, remembering where our hope lies. And even further, isn’t this just the perfect time for Easter? Easter after all is when we remember the ultimate hope that we have; hope because of Jesus actions on the cross! (Announcements- Easter invitations, Easter events, Living Water concert at 2). Would you please stand with me for the reading of God’s word? (Read, Pray, Drink).

· I know this isn’t a typical palm Sunday message, so I want to talk about why I think it is so important that we discuss this passage this week.

o I want you to picture a crime scene with me; it feels a little extra fitting since Hope and I watched some murder-mystery movies this weekend. As two detectives work on the case, they may put together a timeline of what happened, or a cause-effect type of a chart. (ABC1)

§ For instance, “Mr. Body made him angry, SO THAT’S WHY THIS OTHER MAN WANTED REVENGE, WHICH IS WHY HE KILLED MR. BODY WITH THE CANDLESTICK IN THE PARLOR!”

§ What they are doing is tracing events and trying to make it make sense.

o (ABC2) I want you now to think of Easter in this same way. Thikn of a line with two end points. The first is creation and the second is the end times, but as you can see on the screen, we’ll call them more broadly the Old Testament and the New Testament.

§ In the middle is Easter. The first half points towards Easter, showing us what led up to the events that take place involving the crucifixion and the second half shows us what comes OUT OF EASTER!

· So, when we remember palm Sunday, we look at what comes BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS!

o Ultimately, it, like everything on our timeline that is before Easter, points us towards EASTER!

o (ABC 3) Acts 17 comes AFTER THIS EVENT, but a helpful pair of questions about this event is WHY DOES IT MATTER? AND WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

§ The only reason that Acts 17 happens or matters is because of the events on EASTER!

· So, just as passages about Palm Sunday show us our need for Jesus and how we should FOCUS ON JESUS, the events of ACTS 17 show us our need for Jesus in every way!

o To simplify this down, as we look at scripture, we either look TOWARDS THE CROSS IN THE FUTURE, or we look BACK AT THE CROSS; but regardless of what we look at; the focus WILL ALWAYS BE ON JESUS!

o So this palm Sunday, let’s take a minute and consider two questions today, Why is it worth it to serve Jesus and What does this mean for us this Easter Season?

· BODY: Another week, another city. Before we dive into our passage this week, let’s build some context. Thessalonica, our city for the week, is about 100 miles southwest of Philippi.

o It is actually the capital of Roman Macedonia. Thessalonica was an extremely wealthy port and commercial hub. Lots of business went through Thessalonica. Similarly to Philippi, it was a very Roman-centric city.

§ In fact, by 476 AD it would be the second most populated city in the Roman empire. It was in some ways a co-capital with Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire.

§ Although not as devout in Roman ways as Philippi, Thessalonica had its own challenges and resistances to the gospel as we will see this week.

o So how do we end up getting to Thessalonica? Well, if you remember, last week, we saw Paul and Silas thrown into prison despite committing no crime. They were accused of disturbing the peace.

§ After being beaten and imprisoned, we saw Paul and Silas praising God and praying in their cell. The Lord sent an earthquake and they were freed from their chains and their bonds.

§ The jailer came rushing in, afraid that all the prisoners had escaped. Instead of escaping though, all the prisoners had remained in their cells!

· The jailer fell down before Paul and Silas and ended up hearing the gospel and having his life transformed entirely!

o That’s quite the turn of events!

o The next morning, Paul and Silas were freed, although Paul did not accept the first attempt.

o Paul made the magistrates come and publicly acknowledge their mistreatment, which created in essence, a hedge of protection around the Christians in Philippi.

o Then, Paul and Silas, ENCOURAGED THE BELIEVERS AND LEFT!

· That’s what brings us to Acts 17:1, where we read about their journey to Thessalonica. We read, “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.”- Acts 17:1

o Amphipolis was a very important city historically that was on the decline. Alexander the Great had famously used it as a staging ground for his invasions into Asia. Basically, Paul and Silas are traveling the coastline as they make their way southwest into the main part of Greece.

o Apollonia likewise was a city started by the Romans as a colony that was about 6 miles off the Adriatic sea.

§ Apollonia was known for its philosophers. The Greek text makes clear that Paul and Silas pass through these cities and continue on. They may stop overnight, or have a conversation, but this is not where they are aiming to go.

· They have a city in sight; THESSALONICA!

o Thessalonica was a major city as we have said and unlike Philippi and likely these other cities, Thessalonica has a synagogue.

· That opens a door for the gospel as Paul and Silas demonstrate in verses 2-3, “And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”- Acts 17:2-3

o Paul and Silas often began their ministry in a synagogue. Remember, a synagogue was a gathering place for Jewish people that had begun during the exile.

§ In some ways at this time a syngagogue was like a local church crossed with a community center. In a world where it was isolating to be a jew, a synagogue was a location where friendships could be made, where one could learn about God and where one could be made.

· I want to be clear on that because Paul and Silas are more than welcome here! In no way are they just coming in uninvited.

· As Paul and Silas come in, we see the attention shift to Paul. Paul reasons with the Jewish people in Thessalonica for 3 sabbath days!

o Paul is detailed in his reasoning as he seeks to show the truth about Jesus death and resurrection to the Jewish people through the scriptures!

o Paul shows specifically that this was NECESSARY! Why are they even in Thessalonica? BECAUSE OF THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS!

§ Have you thought about that yet this easter season? All of the suffering of Jesus was necessary!

§ The betrayal of the people of Jerusalem who welcomed him and then condemned him to death was necessary!

· The beatings, the mocking, the literal torture, was necessary!

· Jesus DEATH was necessary for you and I! And just think about it; as Jesus underwent this suffering it was out of love for you and I!

§ But just as his death was necessary, so was his RESURRECTION!

· That’s how we are forgiven! Through faith in that!

o And for 3 sabbath’s in this new city, Paul reasons with the Jews, SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT JESUS DID!

· Paul is patiently explaining and reasoning without any guarantee of how his message will be received.

· So why does he do it?

o He does it because this is the most important message that anyone COULD EVER HEAR!

Listen to what John Calvin says about this, “And, surely, there is no more apt or effectual way to prove the office of Christ, than when men, being humbled with the feeling of their miseries, see that there is no hope left, unless they be reconciled by the sacrifice of Christ.”

· In verse 4 we see the end result of Paul’s faithful service! We read, “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”- Acts 17:4

o People come to know the Lord! The Lord rewards Paul and Silas’s ministry! They persevere, they continue to faithfully share the gospel even when they do not have an immediate response and the Lord works!

§ Let’s be clear, part of ministry is being patient. We can’t always expect immediate results! Our calling is not that, it is to faithfully serve the Lord!

§ Ministry is about faihtufllly trusting God, not always immediate response! In fact, often there are dry periods in ministry. About a month ago I mentioned David Livingstone. He only saw one man come to faith in Jesus in about 27 years of missionary work! That’s patience!

· Paul and Silas labor, and I do mean labor! Think about it; they’ve been beaten, imprisoned, forced to leave the church they love and planted in Philippi and they now spend 3 weeks intensely laboring!

o These sabbath day conversations are work! They are faithfully ministering and serving God!

o In turn, Jews and Greeks come to know the Lord!

§ Think about how amazing that is! Jews and Greeks; seemingly enemies, and quite literally historic enemies, have accepted Jesus as savior!

§ Literally from all walks of life, we are seeing people coming together in Christian Unity loving one another and most of all, LOVING JESUS!

o It’s a beautiful picture and I really believe, just a small taste of what heaven will be like when we gather together praising Jesus in every language joining together in unity!

§ It’s the fulfillment of Acts 1:8! Remember, we said at the very beginning of our study in Acts that Acts 1:8 was like a thesis statement. It says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

· For a group of fishermen and young men from Israel, Thessalonica had to feel like the end of the earth!

o It’s so different! But it’s exactly what God promised!

o Or think about what Paul writes in Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God has highly exalted him (Jesus) and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

§ The Jews and the Greeks are part of EVERY TONGUE! THEY ARE PART OF EVERY KNEE THAT WILL BOW!

· What a beautiful image!

· So why do Paul and Silas do this work as missionaries? Why should we continue on in this gospel-centric ministry?

o Because it’s WORTH IT! It’s worth it to carry the gospel to all those around us!

· Not everyone is so impressed by this diverse group of new believers! In verse 5 we read, “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.”- Acts 17:5

o The jews are once again filled with jealous. This is a part of the spriritual warfare that is very clearly being fought during this great event! Spiritual warfare is extremely real and is still going on today!

o We battle this too! Paul fought this throughout his life. There’s a reason that he covers it so heavily.

§ Famously, Paul discusses putting on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6, but that is far from the only place where he talks about putting on the armor of God!

· Instead, we also see it addressed in 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians 2, 1 Peter 3, 1 John, 3 John, Jude and Revelation and that’s far from an exhaustive list!

§ We will face opposition! This is nothing new! Paul and Silas understand what it is to fully entrust their lives to the Lord, knowing that it is totally out of their control.

· But we don’t have to be facing death to face spiritual warfare!

· It might be a gripping depression, or anxiety, it might be a topic that causes fighting in your marriage, it might be a thorn in the flesh, it might be discouragement, or even something as simple as disappointment! And let me tell you, it is right here in Hancock coutny! This morning, all around us a war is being waged, not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities and cosmic powers, against the spiritual forces of evil as Paul says in Ephesians 6!

o Satan attacks us and although often remaining spiritual and emotional, here, it becomes PHYSICAL!

o Let’s be clear, the church in Thessalonica faces heavy persecution. If you want to read more about persevering through trials, let me recommend 1 and 2 Thessalonians to you!

§ Those two books are full of wisdom and insights into understanding trials and what it is to go through trials!

§ In this case, the Jewish people of Thessalonica are filled with jealousy and they reach outside of their circle to try and prove a point.

· They get troublemakers, form a mob, cause and uproar and ATTACK THE HOUSE OF JASON!

o Although this is a physical attack, we should absolutely not sugar coat who is behind this! SATAN IS BEHIND THIS!

o This is truly spiritual warfare, something that is just beginning for the Thessalonians.

· In verse 6-7 we see that, “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, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”- Acts 17:6-7

o The mob can’t find Paul and Silas, so they resort to persecuting Jason and the brothers!

§ They are dragged into court and are put up on charges that they are against-Casesar.

· Although we have a greater king than any earthly ruler, we are not to be known for our rebellious attitudes.

o Instead, as Paul challenges us in 1 Timothy 2:2 and 1 Thessalonians 4:11, we should be known for our peaceable attitudes.

o Here’s what Paul says to the Thessalonians. “aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.”

§ That really hits different when we understand the context in Thessalonica doesn’t it. Paul isn’t just pushing the Thessalonians to be active; he’s asking them to be peaceful to those very people who have INTENSELY PERSECUTED THEM from day 1!

o Do you see the contrast going on in Thessalonica? We have the believers quietly meeting, growing, Paul and Silas reasoning with the people. We see the non-believers rioting, wanting to persecute and kill.

§ Why? BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL! BECAUSE THE NON-BELIEVERS ARE DEEPLY AGAINST WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT! AND WHY IS THAT?

· BECAUSE THE MESSAGE OF JESUS IS SEVERELY OPPOSED BY SATAN!

o Truly, we don’t battle against flesh and blood, but against satan!

· So what happens to Jason? We read this in verse 8, “And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.”- Acts 17:8-9

o The people and the authorities are angry and thye have no intentions of ascertaining the truth! Instead, they fine Jason and the others and let them go.

o This is a form of blatant persecution. This is a clear example of spiritual warfare. Why would Jason and the others go through this?

§ They do it because Jesus is worth it! We keep saying that, but why is Jesus worth it. (GOSPEL!)

· In verse 10, we see that, “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish Synagogue.”- Acts 17:10

o Let’s be clear, Paul and Silas are NOT SAFE! They are in real danger ONCE AGAIN! And why? THEY ARE IN DANGER BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY PREACH!

§ And what do they preach? They preach what we just talked about! They preach the gospel; the good news that despite our sinfulness and our fallen reality, we can be saved through repentance and FAITH IN JESUS!

· The believers in Thessalonica send Paul and Silas away to Berea in the middle of the night.

o Unlike in Philippi, Paul is not able to protect these new believers; instead, they will have to fend for themselves.

§ We see how they’ve done as we read 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

§ One of the major themes of those letters is to endure, as the persecution has not ended. Another theme is an encouragement to CONTINUE LOVING ONE ANOTHER!

· See, despite all of the external pressure that could disrupt unity, the believers have found themselves drawing closer to one another and closer together!

o Even as Paul leaves, the believers are able to stand strong. And why is that? BECAUSE OF JESUS!

§ The only reason is Jesus!

· CONCLUSION: So what do we do with this passage? Well, let me give us two challenges in the form of a question. “Why is it worth it to serve Jesus? What does that mean for us this easter season?”

o These two questions come straight out of our text. Why serve Jesus? Well, we saw that from Paul and Silas today, as well as Jason. We follow Jesus because of what He has done for us!

§ We follow Jesus because that is what we are called to do; we follow Jesus because He has been SO GOOD TO US! How could we not?

§ What does it mean to follow God?

· There are two words that I want to use here; Justification (made right before God on account of Jesus death on the cross) and Sanctification (Gradual growing righteousness).

o FOLLOWING GOD IS A TWO STEP PROCESS- REPENTING AND BELIEVING- JUSTIFICATION!

o LIVING IT OUT- SANCTIFICATION- BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS!

o Three helpful questions that we can think of as we consider our faith are:

§ “HOW DO I SERVE GOD RIGHT NOW?”

§ “HOW AM I GROWING RIGHT NOW?”

§ “HOW CAN I FOLLOW MY SAVIOR MORE?”

o So what does all this mean this easter season? Well, like I said at the beginning of our time together, this passage should point our eyes to the cross! We should find ourselves totally transfixed on the work that Jesus did for us this easter season!

§ Why would Paul and Silas and Jason and the other believers go through this persecution? BECAUSE OF THE GIFT OF GOD; because of Jesus on the cross! The simple message of the gospel; the greatest news of all is why it is worth it!

· WHAT A BLESSING THAT IS THAT WE CAN LIVE IT OUT!