Slandered & Attacked

Text: Acts 18:1-23

Central Idea of the Text: Paul is greatly opposed in Corinth, but he endures through the difficulty.

Proposition: Though those who oppose Christians may hate or hurt us, the church must endure.

Purpose: All Christian disciples who hear should endure through suffering and endeavor to bring someone new to Christ.

The year was 1993, and I was at the most memorable movie of my lifetime, but not just because of the movie. The movie was memorable. Jurassic Park the OG. Stephen Spielberg. Dinosaurs. Jeff Goldblum. Richard Attenborough. Samuel L. Jackson. A classic film, highly quotable and still one of my favorites. But that particular day was more memorable.

I was the first showing of opening day, an afternoon show. And every seat was filled. That included all kinds of people, and in particular one family that brought their 3 and 4 year old's to a PG-13 movie. And if you’ve seen the movie, you know: It’s a good movie for teens and adults … not so much for the preschool set. So we were watching the movie, and of course these little kids didn’t make it through the first 15 minutes of the movie without making a good bit of noise, and at least having one trip to the bathroom with mom in a loud manner. But the other shoe dropped when the kids decided it would be fun to get out of their row and run up and down the main aisle of the theater in the dark chasing each other and hollering. They did this twice. Every person in the room was thinking the same thing .… “Um are you planning to control your kids today or tomorrow?”

On their third trip running down the aisle, it all ended when I saw the hulking silhouette of a man rise up in the aisle, and as the kids ran toward him I could simply see the outline of his large pointed finger. And it only took 5 words from him, words forever etched in my mind: “SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!” The mother sheepishly gathered the kids back into the row, and not a peep was heard from them the rest of the movie.

I’m sure we’ve all had those types of moments, when for one reason or another, we’ve wanted to use those 5 words on someone. But this week’s text very much finds Paul in the shoes of those preschoolers in the Jurassic Park theater, with intimidating Corinthians telling him to Sit down and shut up! Let’s take a look at this week’s text, found in Acts 18:1-23.

[Read text]

This is the Word of the Lord.

Please pray with me: Lord, we thank you for your word and for the example of your Saints. Even Paul could be frightened when confronted, but the voice of Jesus spoke peace and confidence, so that he could be a bold witness. God, please help your people not to be fearful, nor cowardly when we are confronted, intimidated or hated. May we consider such a badge of honor, because our savior was opposed and afflicted as well. Lead us to walk faithful as witnesses for Jesus. We pray this in His name name, amen.

This week’s text finds us with Paul moving a short distance, from Athens to Corinth. We also see this week that he is joined by Silas and Timothy as well as by Acquilla and Priscilla, which we will get to in a moment. but for the time being, we simply want to note that this focus toward the end of Paul’s second missionary journey finds him in Southern Greece, settled for a time and church planting ministry in Corinth.

Now Corinth was not just another town. Some times when we think of the wild side of Greek life on a modern day college campus, we think of binge drinking, loose sexual ethics, and the full-hedonism of “live like there’s no tomorrow” mindset in their gatherings. Now take that mindset, and move backwards in time, applying it 2000 years ago to this whole city. That is Corinthian way. There was a word that was coined in the original Greek language: korinthiazo. It was a word that was used all over the Greek speaking world to refer to the especially loose living of the Corinthians. Their temple to Aphrodite was quite famous for having 1000 prostitutes. They were known as Corinthian girls, and to worship Aphrodite would be to engage in sexual activity with them. Is it any wonder that from within this culture, even those who were Christians required added guidance. When Paul later writes his long letter of 1 Corinthians, he has to rebuke a man and who takes his father’s wife as his own and a group of people getting drunk off the communion wine. Yes, they were very Korinthiazo. But Paul told them to be different and live different. He said they ought to come out of sexual immorality and drunkenness. He said to them in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “you are not your own, you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body.” That is the kind of town we are talking about here.

And as Paul comes here, even though he has faced difficulty and trial before, the words of the text become stronger to ratchet up that tension even more. Verse 6 says that as the Jews who were hard of heart refused Paul’s message, they opposed (antitaso) and reviled (blasphemeo) Paul. These are strong terms to say that their front is quite united to oppose Paul to his face, and they are saying the nastiest of things about him (and about his mom, probably). It’s bad enough to the point that either Paul doesn’t tell Luke what they said, or he doesn’t record it. But further down, they go even further. In verse 12, it says that the Jews literally “rose up to make a united attack” against Paul to the governing authority over that region, Gallio. These long Greek words, that I won’t try to trip over, show that this is to this point the largest and most coordinated attack that has come against Paul. He is one hated dude. And it is ALL because he is talking about Jesus, calling people to follow Jesus and having great success and responses is people actually following Jesus and joining with the church.

So, when faced with this rising tide of opposition in a literally “crazy town” of sin like Corinth, what is a Christian like Paul, or like you or I going to do. These people are nuts, there is sin all around, they all oppose me in the biggest way yet. It looks like we’ve hit the wall. Except that we haven’t. But with this type of confusion and opposition, the question is begged: what will the believers need in order to endure in faithful witness. I believe todays text shows us 4 things that the followers of Christ will need to keep going. They first will need ...

A Team of Believers (v 1-4)

The pattern has been illustrated from the beginning … it is not good for the leaders of the church and those who are seeking to establish the church to go alone. Paul did it for a short time in the last chapter, and now for a short time in Corinth, Paul is alone.

Priscilla and Aquilla … coming from Rome and already believers? Aquilla is from Pontus. Look back at Acts 2:9 and origin roots of believers.

Paul Lived with them and worked alongside them. He does this until

We model this for you. Not parachuting in, but living and working among you.

You can’t lone ranger the Christian life.

Flexible Tactics (v 5-8)

As the Jews rise up in the Synagogue, the door to witness to Jews is closing because of hard hearts.

Pivot from the closed door to the open one. “If you won’t listen, then I will look for the people who will.”

Goes to house of Titius Justus. Leads to Crispus finding Christ.

Tactics in Christian living & witness: don’t keep doing the same old thing over and over expecting different results.

Applicable in obedience, tackling sin issues and in looking for open doors to sharing the gospel.

The Presence of Jesus (v 9-11)

Paul as a Superhero … Paul was afraid? Paul was afraid.

Jesus speaks

What does Jesus say?

Do not be afraid.

I am with you.

I have many who are my people .… keep seeking and speaking!

When we pause to fear, we must listen for the voice of Jesus.

Wisdom for Tense Moments (v 12-17)

When brought to trial before Galio, Paul is ready to defend himself, but Galio beats him to it.

In the moment … better for Paul to be silent and speak in his defense.

There is a time to speak up or shut up

Confrontation could result in further consequences … instead it results in their freedom and consequences for the Jewish leaders.

Summary:

When the church is opposed, she must :

Team Up

Be Flexible to find open doors

Seek the presence of Jesus

Pursue God’s wisdom in the moment.

The church is not a screaming toddler in a dark theater … but the world is greatly annoyed and angered by us.

This day and age would love for you to sit down and shut up. But will you?

They would love for you to shut up .… about sin issues. about Jesus as the only way. about the call to surrender all to Jesus and call Him Lord.

They shut you up through: peer pressure, corporate pressure, manipulation, emotional sabotage

Are you his witness? Yes or no? … Seek to proclaim that Good news you’ve received. (2 Tim 1:7, Rom 1:16, Matt 28:20)

Are you opposed? Yes or no? … Do people know you follow Jesus (The world will hate you … John 15:18 & Matthew 5:11–12 “11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” )

Are you stuck? Yes or no? … Throw of the sin that entangles (Hebrews 12:1 “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” )