Acts 17:10-15

· INTRODUCTION: Good morning GPC! It’s great to be back together today. Would you turn to Acts 17 with me? Acts 17, we’ll be looking at verses 10-15 today. As you’re turning there, I just want to highlight a few announcements. (VBS, NEWSLETTER, New Members Class, secret church week of May 8-12, etc.)

o Would you please stand with me as we read God’s word? THIS IS GOD’S WORD! (Read passage, pray, you may be seated).

· Have you ever had to study for a really hard test? Recently, Hope and I were cleaning out some boxes of college papers and we found some old tests. I got looking at a few of Hope’s tests and they were really hard!

o Anatomy and Physiology and Organic chemistry are no joke! Similarly, I had some very difficult tests, like in Greek. As you study for a test, you pour so much energy into it.

o You study and study, you learn and you learn and then the test comes and you execute!

For instance, in my 2nd semester of Greek, we were given John 17 and were told to translate it, along with some grammar questions. Let me give a few examples of the questions. (SLIDE)

Slide 1- ἐλάλησεν- parse- Aorist Active, Indicative, Third Person Singular- Aorist because of the PREFIX, 3 PS from ending (SIGMA, Epsilon, Nu), Active Indicative because of the stem. So to know this, you just had to memorize a few hundred verb form.

Slide 2- ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσὶν καθὼς ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκτοῦ κόσμου

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

Now you just have to know all of these words and these verbal forms.

If you mess up one part, it will all be wrong.

Slide 3- One of Hope’s test questions- TPN- I won’t even try to explain this one. I HAVEN’T STUDIED IT and it is WAY OVER MY HEAD!

The point is simple; for a hard test, we must study! Studying is how we learn! Hope and I couldn’t swap tests even though they were around the same time. Why? Because I didn’t know the material for her class and she doesn’t know Koine Greek!

I always used to tell my students that tests were not a bad thing, instead, I encouraged students to think of tests as another way to learn. This isn’t just unique to my teaching career, that was something that our professors talked about with us in my Education classes.

§ It always struck me as a bit funny. Here were these professors with no interest in God, who were essentially giving us a parallel between what we did at school and what happens in a Christian’s life.

· See, we are to be in scripture to study and to grow, so that we can stand strong in times of testing. But, even as we are tested, we find ourselves growing further!

o Today, in Berea, we are going to see the importance of studying scripture. But, I want to challenge us that scripture is not just to be studied as a textbook for life; instead, as we study scripture, I want to encourage us to see it as an act of worship, because it is!

§ In our passage today, there are 3 P’s that I want us to keep in mind.

· We don’t just see positives in our passage, so I want us to keep these three P’s of living in a challenging world in mind.

o We are to: PRAY, to PERSEVERE and to PROCLAIM!

Pray

Persevere

Proclaim

§ One of my favorite things is that we see our need for scripture in each and every one of those things. Our Main Point today could be summarized as:

· We are to PRAY SCRIPTURE, to PERSEVERE, which is helped by spending time in scripture, and we are to PROCLAIM which involves scripture!

· BODY: As we dive back into Acts, we get to see what I think is one of the most convicting passages of Paul’s missions trips. So often, the account of his time in each city reads similarly, but there is something extremely different about Paul’s time in Berea.

o As we read in Acts 17:10, it doesn’t start the best. If you recall, Paul and Silas are fleeing for their lives from Thessalonica! “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

§ Paul and Silas are chased out of town by a mob and the brothers send them to Berea, a town about 45 miles Southwest, further inland. In modern-Greece, Berea has been renamed Veria, but it is still a city.

· Berea was and still is a farming community. It is known in Greece for it’s ability to grow grains, something that is somewhat rare in Greece.

o It’s kind of a regional breadbasket that fed Thessalonica and even Philippi to an extent.

o Many Bereans were farmers, or worked in business related to farming; something that we can relate to in this area!

· It was also a city known for its religious interest! It was a major place of worship for Romans and Jews alike.

o When Paul and Silas arrive, look at what they do! They don’t take time off as we might expect, they GO TO THE SYNAGOGUE AND PREACH AGAIN!

§ Remember, in Philippi they were beaten and thrown in jail for this message and in Thessalonica they flee for their lives, after another mob forms and wants to take them to court.

§ It may seem like it’s time to lay-low, to let all of the anger of the jewish people in this region blow over. But that isn’t how Paul and Silas feel!

· Paul and Silas go to the synagogue to PREACH THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!

o They go to preach the gospel! They want to tell the people of Berea about what Jesus did for them!

· The meat of the passage today is in verses 11 and 12. Listen to what they say! “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”- Acts 17:11-12

o Instead of fighting Paul and Silas, the Jews in Berea welcome them and hear what they have to say. As Luke says, they “receive the word.”

§ But they don’t just “RECEIVE THE WORD!”

· THEY STUDY IT EVERY DAY TO INSPECT IT!

o The word used here is “ἀνακρίνοντες” an active present participle. Those are the fancy parts of speech, but here’s the important part. This word can mean study, but also INVESTIGATE AND THAT’S REALLY A HELPFUL SYNONYM!

§ The Bereans don’t just scan over the scrolls to see what Paul speaks on; they don’t just follow along, or hear him, they INVESTIGATE WHAT IS SAID!

§ THEY ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL!

o I want to draw a parallel between this and what we read in Romans 10. In Romans 10:17 we read, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

§ The Bereans are hearing with their ears, and then they go and study the scriptures to see if it lines up! They are living proof of Romans 10:17! We see that when we read verse 12!

o Many give their lives to the Lord, many jews, Greek women, and many men!

§ Jews and Gentiles alike are moved by the word of God!

§ They hear it, they study it and the Holy Spirit works in their hearts, leading them to faith!

· Let me propose that in this is a key lesson for us about evangelism!

o It’s critical to proclaim the gospel and it is CRITICAL that we help people understand scripture!

§ (PICK UP BIBLE) THIS IS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD! IT’S BETTER THAN ANY WORDS OR ANY PRESENTATION THAT WE CAN HAVE! People don’t need us, they need THIS!

· And trust me, I can’t overstate the importance of this!

· When I was in Trinidad and Tobago, we had the chance to bring some bibles into the country. We found out that the shipping charges were cost prohibitive for most believers to get a copy of the bible! Mind you, T&T is a first world country, it isn’t poor, but the costs were THAT HIGH!

o The Lord really put on my heart to bring some Bibles with us, about 30, and I’m so glad we did!

o See, while down there, we had the chance to give non-believers Bibles that we could read with them and we had the chance to give BELIEVERS their own BIBLE for the FIRST TIME! In fact, before we left, every Bible we had brought had been given out to someone who WANTED TO READ IT!

§ I’m not kidding you when I say that there were many tears shed when these believers would receive a Bible! (SLIDE)

§ I’ll never forget, three of my friends I made down there were brothers. They were 20, 18, and 16 and were pressed into service at this church as Deacons due to a complete lack of qualified men. One of the brothers, the oldest, was riding his bike to an internet café everyday after work so he could study the Bible.

§ I pulled him aside one day and gave him a Bible and I’m not kidding you when I saw he WEPT! Why? BECAUSE NOW HE HAD THE WORD OF GOD WITH HIM AND THERE WAS NO NEED FOR POWER OR INTERNET!

§ NO ONE COULD TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM!

§ THE WORD OF GOD IS POWERFUL! IT IS A PRIVILEGE AND A GIFT THAT WE CAN STUDY THE WORD OF GOD!

§ I hope we don’t underestimate that! But, if we are honest, we don’t take studying scripture as seriously as the Bereans did! Rarely do we study scripture with such deep passion and intentionality, as either the Bereans, or as we studied for a test in school!

§ And do you know what a shame that is? The study of scripture is NOT JUST A WAY TO LEARN; IT IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP!

· That’s one of the things that makes scripture different than any other book! As we read it, not only do we learn, we WORSHIP GOD!

· Likewise, as the Berean’s read scripture, they are WORSHIPPING GOD! AS MY FRIEND IN TRINIDAD STUDIED SCRIPTURE, HE WORSHIPPED GOD!

§ Jonathan Edward’s once said, “He that sees God, he has an immediate view of God’s great and awful majesty, or his pure and beauteous holiness, or his wonderful and enduring grace and mercy.”- Jonathan Edwards

· As we study scripture we see GOD! AS WE SEE GOD, WE ARE STRUCK BY THE PERFECTION OF OUR GREAT GOD IN EVERY WAY AND WE WORSHIP OUR AMAZING GOD!

§ Likewise, listen to what Owen Strachan says about this concept. “Scripture is not a dry and dusty book from which we must detach ourselves to truly know God. Rather, ‘The word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). It grabs us by the collar and reveals to us the holy mind of God… We study (scripture) to know God because we love him.”- Owen Strachan

· Why study scripture like the Bereans? BECAUSE WE LOVE GOD AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO WORSHIP GOD!

· There’s good reason for the believers to be actively investigating and studying scripture!

o Similarly, there’s good reason for us to be doing the same! We see this example of the power of scriptural study not only in the New Testament, but also in the book of Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 8, Ezra reads the law to the people of Israel!

§ Why? Not just to give empty rules, but to encourage WORSHIP! This action in Nehemiah 8 is all about worship! Just like how our reading of scripture can be about worship!

§ Nehemiah 8, actually goes a step further and says that not only did the people hear the word of the Lord; the reading of the scriptures, there were then priests who explained it! In some ways, Expository preaching comes from NEHEMIAH 8! That matters!

· Even in our preaching on Sunday morning, what we are doing is WORSHIPPING GOD!

§ Our study of scripture, individually and corporately is pointless if it is not an act of worship! It is not merely about gaining head knowledge, we want to see our hearts transformed!

Listen to what Kevin DeYoung says in his book “Taking God at His Word.” (SLIDE)

He says, “This is the necessity of scripture in a nutshell: We need the revelation of God to know God, and the only sure, saving, final, perfect revelation of God is found in scripture.”- Kevin DeYoung

We need scripture to KNOW GOD MORE FULLY because of it!

· That’s what we see in Berea. People studying scripture and knowing God more fully! They are prepared for the tests that will come! They will continue to grow during these tests because they HAVE A FIRM FOUNDATION!

· Verse 13 in many ways provides the perfect contrast. Remember, in thesssalonica the Jews did not study the scriptures. They did not seek to worship God! Instead, they sought out how to destroy the early church! In verse 13 we read, “But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.”- Acts 17:13-14

o Once again, we see Paul persecuted by the Jewish people; this time, the persecution does seem to center on Paul alone.

§ But I want to propose that there is a deeper lesson and application here than “another round of persecution.”

o In Berea we see people who are shaped by scripture, who are transformed! We see people who study scripture as WORSHIP, people who genuinely want to know the Lord!

§ In Thessalonica we don’t. When something negative happens, look at the different responses!

§ The Bereans band together and help one another, RELYING ON GOD DESPITE THEIR NEW FAITH. When the Thessalonian Jews face a hard time, they LASH OUT! THEY SEEK MAN-MADE COMFORTS!

· In this case it is revenge, but I think this is something that is true today too! The comfort today may not be revenge, but it may be pornography, drugs, alcohol, unhealthy relationships, money, position, or many other things!

· This issue we see in Verse 13, which is just a manifestation of sinful rebellion against God, is something that we see today! Romans 1:18-32 talks about it!

o Sinful people pursued sinful passions and pleasures DESPITE KNOWING THAT GOD WAS THERE and eventually, God gave them over to their sinful passions and pleasures!

§ It isn’t fun to talk about, but it’s extremely real!

§ The Thessalonians rebel and show it through violence, but all around us today, we see mankind’s rebellion against God too!

· So what do we do with it? How do we live in this situation?

o This is where our 3 P’s come in!

§ First, pray.

· We know from Paul’s letters that he PRAYED FOR THESE BELIEVERS AND THE CHURCHES THAT HE LEFT BEHIND!

o PAUL WAS A PRAYER WARRIOR! In the hardest of situations, what should we do? We should pray! When words fail, when we have no idea what to do? PRAY!

o Think about the example of our savior as He prepared to go to the cross. What do we see? He goes to the Garden and HE PRAYS!

§ Or think about what Paul says in Ephesians 6:18, right after he finishes the so-called, “Armor of God.”

§ Paul wrote, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

· PRAYER MATTERS!

o So, in the hardest times, when everything seems hopeless, PRAY!

§ Secondly, persevere.

· In the context of Paul fleeing, we see three different groups persevering. First, the Thessalonian believers like Jason that we saw dragged into court, persevere. That’s why we have 2 letters to them!

o Secondly, Silas and Timothy and the Berean believers persevere despite the danger that they face!

o Finally, Paul perseveres. He leaves Berea but he does not GIVE UP ON THE GOSPEL!

§ PAUL CONTINUES TO PERSEVERE IN HIS MINISTRY!

· Perseverance is all throughout scripture also! (SLIDE) Be it: Romans 5:3-5, Philippians 3:14, 2 Timothy 4, Galatians 6, 1 Thessalonians 5, Hebrews 12:1-2, and James 1:2-4. That isn’t an extensive list, but we see many encouragements throughout the Bible to PERSEVERE!

o So in a sinful and fallen world, in a world that seems to reject God at all times, rather than giving up hope, we should PERSEVERE!

§ Whatever comes, whatever trials, whatever rejection, let us PERSEVERE!

· Paul summarizes how we are to persevere so well in Ephesians 6:10-20.

o We won’t dive too deeply into that. But, I want to highlight that part of the ARMOR OF GOD laid out in these verses is SCRIPTURE!

o WE MUST BE IN SCRIPTURE, as we’ve seen from the Bereans, it matters!

§ Thirdly, proclaim. As these believers persevere, they proclaim the gospel! This is Paul’s plea so often! Just look at Ephesians 6:20.

· Paul is imprisoned and what is his prayer request? That he would be BOLD AND WOULD PROCLAIM!

· Paul holds the proclamation of the gospel in HIGHEST ESTEEM; just as we should! After all, as Jesus returned to heaven, what did he tell us to do? TO GO AND TO PROCLAIM!

o So when we feel discouraged by the world we live in, DON’T GIVE UP! Instead, remember the three P’s that we see in Acts 17 and in scripture! Pray, Persevere and PROCLAIM!

§ What we ultimately see in this passage is a testimony to the faithfulness of God! As Paul, Silas, and Timothy Pray, Persevere and Proclaim, they see many Bereans faithfully accept the gospel!

§ Then, we see these same Bereans standing FIRM IN THE GOSPEL! They trust in the Lord and they remain faithful to serve HIM!

· Verse 15 is really proof of the faithfulness of the Berean believers. We read, “Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.”- Acts 17:15

o LOOK AT THESE BEREANS GO! THEY TAKE PAUL BY SEA TO ATHENS! In verse 14 we see that they send him off, but then, they actually send some people with him to ensure his safety!

§ We don’t know how long Paul is in Berea, but it can’t be long! BUT WHAT AMAZING GROWTH!

§ AND WHY? BECAUSE THE BEREANS SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO GOD!

o As the Bereans go home, Paul gives them a mission. Paul tells them to send Silas and Timothy as soon as possible. Now, I don’t just think Paul is lonely; I also think that there is a significance to this!

§ Ministry is hard! It’s hard to go to a new place where you don’t know anyone and to proclaim the gospel! That’s what Paul is doing in Athens! Consider that through his journeys he always brings others with him!

§ And that matters! See, when there are multiple people ministering alongside one another, they can encourage each other! They can encourage one another and pray for one another; spurring one another on towards love and good works as we read in Hebrews 10!

· When Paul is alone, that must feel difficult! It must be easy to lose hope and to feel defeated!

· So, here’s my challenge for us. As we Pray, Persevere and Proclaim, bring someone with you! Bring your spouse if you are married, but further, find a friend who can encourage you and can remind you of GOD’S GOODNESS!

· CONCLUSION: Honestly, we’ve seen a lot today in just a few verses! They really are packed! We’ve seen the 3 P’s of reaching a world in rebellion against God, PRAYER, PERSEVERANCE, PROCLAIM, and we’ve also seen the importance of SCRIPTURE!

o As we conclude, I really want to focus in on the importance of scripture and of our studying it!

o I want to break the importance of scripture into two sections!

· If you are a believer, you need to know scripture! It is our guide, it is the WORD OF GOD, SHARPER THAN A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD!

o WE NEED THE BIBLE! WE NEED TO KNOW IT! WE NEED TO FEROCIOUSLY DEVOUR IT!

o WE CAN’T SIT BACK AND HOPE THAT A VERSE OR TWO A DAY IS ENOUGH! WE NEED TO PURSUE SCRIPTURE AND LEARNING ABOUT GOD!

· 3 Reasons to read scripture in addition to our 3 P’s.

Reading Scripture is an Act of Worship

Reading Scripture shapes our prayer lives

Reading Scripture is our guide to following God!

o Reading Scripture is an Act of Worship

§ Earlier we read a quote from Owen Strachan that said, “Scripture is not a dry and dusty book from which we must detach ourselves to truly know God. Rather, ‘The word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). It grabs us by the collar and reveals to us the holy mind of God… We study (scripture) to know God because we love him.”

· WHEN WE READ SCRIPTURE WE ARE WORSHIPPING GOD! WHEN WE EXAMINE SCRIPTURE, as we learn about God, not only is it worship, it DRAWS US CLOSER TO GOD AND MAKES US WANT TO WORSHIP MORE!

BE IN SCRIPTURE! When we think of verses like 1 Corinthians 10:31, where we are told to do everything for the glory of God, that INCLUDES STUDYING SCRIPTURE! DO IT TO GLORIFY AND THEREFORE WORSHIP GOD!

o Reading Scripture shapes our prayer lives

§ Okay, so this is really just one of the P’s, but this is just so important!

Don Whitney challenges that if you feel like your prayer life is boring or dragging, or if you don’t know where to start, GO PRAY A PSALM!

Now, what does that mean? Well, let me start by saying that we don’t have time to talk about some of the great tips there are for praying psalms, but an example that Donald Whitney gives is taking Psalm 23 and reading the first liine.

“The Lord is my shepherd.”

Let that line guide you! Pray that the Lord would shepherd you and your family! Praise God for the ways he has provided for you and shepherded you! Then, move on to the next line and repeat!

Another way to pray scripture is to pray the promises of God! To include verses like Joshua 1:9 in our prayer lives!

Scripture, the words of God can and should shape our prayer lives!

In the lobby we have 50 copies of Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney. Let me challenge each family here to take a copy and read it! I think it is so well written and challenging!

The Bereans didn’t just read scripture because it was on their to-do list, they studied it, they made sure that Paul was in line with it and they clearly grew! We saw through them the importance of the Bible and one of the wonderful beauties of the Bible is that it can and should SHAPE OUR PRAYER LIVES!

After all, when we don’t know what to say, what better place to go than to a place like Psalms to see others who have followed God and have seen God’s faithfulness.

o Reading Scripture is our guide to following God!

§ Do you want to learn how to be a better father? A better husband, mother, son, daughter? Do you want to grow in your faith?

· GO TO SCRIPTURE!

· READ IT WITH SOMEONE!

I can’t stress enough how important scripture is in our sanctification- our gradual growing righteousness. If you want to hear God speak, do you know what the best way is? GO READ THE BIBLE!

SLOW DOWN AND READ THE BIBLE! Pray as you read it! Ask the Lord to give you clear direction and clear understanding!

Here’s my challenge to each one of us; it’s pretty simple. READ THE BIBLE EVERYDAY THIS WEEK! DON’T SKIM IT, READ IT, COMPREHEND IT; listen to it if you would prefer, but BE IN SCRIPTURE EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! Honestly, just start! Do you want advice? Go to Proverbs. Do you want to read about examples of following God? Read Genesis 37-50, reading about Joseph, or Judges! Do you want to read more about Jesus? Let me recommend a gospel, maybe Mark which we just covered at Nauvoo at Night! Maybe you aren’t sure. Let me know! I’d love to help you figure out where to start! But, let’s prayerfully READ THE BIBLE THIS WEEK!

If you don’t have a Bible, take the one from the pew in front of you, or download an app like YouVersion that is a Bible app! We want you to have the Bible!

· If you are not a believer, I want to challenge you to read the Bible! We’d love to give you a Bible and to follow up and read it with you!

o The Bible is unlike any other book! There is nothing like it!

§ The Bible tells us the greatest story of all time! IN THE BIBLE WE READ ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!

· That’s what these Bereans were investigating! They saw how from the beginning of the world on, we had a need for the FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS, SOMETHING THAT COULD ONLY COME ABUT THROUGH JESUS!

GOSPEL! WE READ THIS HOPE IN THE BIBLE! (GMC SIERRA)

CALL FOR RESPONSE, PRAY!

BENEDICTION: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (REMIND THEM TO GRAB PRAYING THE BIBLE AND TO READ SCRIPTURE!)