Upsetting the World
Notes
Transcript
Thessalonica
Thessalonica
Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.
But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.
When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;
and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.
And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.
Acts 17:1-9
Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
Reasoning
Reasoning
Paul reasons with the Jews for three Sabbath in a row.
Using the scriptures,
he explained
he gave evidence that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead.
Basically he preach Christ crucified, Christ resurrected, and that Christ is the Messiah.
A Christo-centric message.
A Christo-centric message.
What does Christocentric mean. Christ centered. A Christocentric message is exactly what this world needs. We don’t need another “self help sermon”. We don’t need another prosperity gospel message. We don’t need another “Don’t worry be happy” sermon. We don’t need another Motivational Speech from the Pulpit. We need to PREACH CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
That is what saves...nothing else.
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD): Sociologists coined this term to describe a highly popular, secularized approach to faith. Messages often boil down to: God wants people to be good, nice, and fair; the goal of life is to be happy and feel good about yourself; and God is only around to help when you have a problem.
There are local churches in this area that preach this way. But not here.
We are not here for a thearpy session. We are not here to receive a pat on the head and be told everything is going to be alright.
We are here to prepare for battle. We are here to learn how to rightly divide the word of God. We are here to learn. how to tell people about Jesus. The Love of Jesus, the wrath of Jesus, and the Judgment of Jesus. The whole councel. Not bits and pieces, not cherrypicking the Bible.
I read a quote this week about preachers. “Preach like non-Christians are there even when they aren’t.”
Let me ask you a question...if you are a believer this morning...do you still need Christ? ABSOLUTELY
If you are lost, do you need Christ. ABSOLUTELY
Our message doesn’t change. It stays centered around Christ. That was Paul’s method. That was Peter’s method...and if was good wnough for them it should satisfy us.
And here is what happens when you preach a Christo centric message. You get Results.
Results
Results
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.
The results are consistent across Paul’s journeys. People are being saved. Christ centered preaching equals Souls saved. It is a pretty simple equation.
The Reaction
The Reaction
The reaction is the same as the results.
Preach Christ - Souls saved - Jews Mad
The Jews become enraged and form a mob and then commense to create an uproar in the city. They attacked the house of Jason. They drug Jason before the city authorities and this is their charge. "these men who have upset the world have come here also."
This is very reminiscent of what happened in Philippi.
Paul and Salas dragged to the streets and brought before the city officials.
The verbage these men use here is very interesting.
These men have upset the world.
KJV - They have turned the world upside down.
NIV - They have caused trouble all over the world.
MES - These people are out to destroy the world.
After reading that comment, I thought about this question...
Could any of us be dragged before the city Council...
Could any of us be dragged before the courts...
Could any of us be dragged before any opposition and the same claim being made of us?
They have upset the world with the gospel. they have turned the world upside down with the preaching of Jesus.
This I think is gonna be one of the biggest blights on on the fabric of this nation.
Instead of upsetting the world we have compromised with the world.
We have placated the world.
We have bowed down and shyed away and let evil become front and center.
We have let the wicked narrate the headlines and dictate the story.
We should be the ones reasoning in the town Square
We should be the ones standing up against the evils of sin.
We should be the ones vocally opposing the sin of abortion
We should be the ones vocally opposing the mutilation of our youth in the name of transgenderism.
People will denounce gential mutilation of the Islamic women and in the same breath will call for the dismemberment of penis and breasts of our youth in the name of trangenderism or gender affirming care. Let’s call it what it is. SIN. DELUSIONAL.
Do not expect me to condone your sin. or participate in your delusion.
Christians should be the ones standing up against this.
We should be the ones vocally opposing adultry.
We should be the ones vocally opposing homosexuality.
We should be the ones vocally opposing lying.
We should be the ones vocally opposing cheating.
We should be the ones vocally opposing stealing.
We should be the ones vocally opposing ...(Insert sin here)
But instead we sit quietly. We come to church one day a week hoping to get enough spiritual nurishment to last 7 days. And for some of us it doesn’t last 7 minutes. (I’m talking to me too)
Could anyone hurl that accussation against us? They are upsetting the world.
Berea
Berea
The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
Paul and Silas go away to Berea by night. The church sent them away to escape the persecution that was going on in the city of Thessalonica.
The people of Berea, it says, were more noble minded, and they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so
I’ve told y’all this a bunch. Do Not take my word for this...Examine it for yourself.
Do you know why our spiritual tank is empty after leaving church? Because we do not do this daily. And we need to do it daily. You don’t have to come to church daily. But we do need to be in the Word.
Our witness should drive people to the scriptures and it should cause them to search to see if we're telling the truth or not, and if we're teaching the scripture and only the scripture, those ventures will be wildly successful because the truth of God will not return void.
What were the Bereans doing? They were reasoning for themselves. Paul went to the temple at Thessolanica and reasoned ewith them. He went to Berea and they reasoned for themselves.
Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
Verse 12 tells us the result of their efforts many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men
We have reasoning and results.
What was the reaction?
One word. Same.
Just like in Paul’s first missionary journey when the chased him from town to town.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
Important note… this was a 45 mile journey. 3 days walk. They chased him for 3 days. Today its about a 45 minute drive. Take the A2 Hwy South, pay a few tolls, be there in under an hour. In Pauls time...3 days.
What does that say about the intent of our enemy? He is determined to stop us from sharing the gospel. And by my estimation he’s winning. In my life and in yours.
He is trying every tactic, every ploy, every scheme, every move, every strategy, he is using every weapon in his arsenal to stop us.
He wants us finished.
He wants us disgraced.
He wants us humiliated.
He wants us deflated.
He wants us defeated.
And he will stop at nothing to complete this.
45 miles...no problem. The days on the road. No problem. We will use that time to build the mob.
I can promise you your enemy is pursuing you. I know this because he is pursuing me.
He hasn’t stopped. He has been on our heels since Oct of last year. We are 8 months into one of the most severe spiritual attacks we have ever faced. I don’t say that lightly.
I have shared this with pastor friends of mine who have encouraged me to resist and fight and stand firm. And we will becuase I will not be defeated by Satan. I will not.
I will not lose my Family because of satan.
I will not lose my Church because of satan.
I will not lose my friends because of satan.
I will not lose my business because of satan.
I will not lose my integrity becasue of satan.
There will always be aggitators.
There will always be institgators.
There will always be aggressors.
There will always be troublemakers.
There will always be detractors.
There will always be destractions.
I will stand firm
I will resist
I will pray
I will cry out to God for my Family, my church, my friends, my business, my integrity.
He will not win. He does not win. Jesus wins. Jesus wins. Jesus wins!
We celebrated the 250th anniversary of America yesterday.
What if Geroge Washington decided the war was too hard and gave up?
What if Thomas Jefferson wrote the “Suggestion” of Independance rather than the Declaration of Independance?
What if James Madison decided the Constitution wasn’t worth writing down?
What if Benjamin Franklin wasn’t there to bridge the divide between some of the delegates?
What is Alexander Hamilton and John Jay never wrote the Federealist Papers?
What is John Adams decided to stay home rather than champion independance?
I’ll tell you what would’ve happen.
We’d be playing Cricket instead of Baseball, driving on the left hand side of the road, and drinking tea and eating crumpets.
We would also be bowing down to a king and we would also be losing our country to Islamic infiltration.
And that last part...will probably be here before you know it. A muslim mayor of NYC 25 years after 9/11. That hard to believe.
But that what happens when good people go soft.
That’s what happens when hide out lights under a bushel.
This little light of mine...I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine...I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine...I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine.
All around my neighborhood, I’m gonna let it shine.
All around the world, I’m gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel...NO
Don’t let satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine.
Sometimes we need to get back to the basics. A simple little nursery rhyme to fire you up this morning.
We cannot stop preaching this gospel. We cannot stop sharing this gospel. The world depends on us. The world depends on you. Go upset your world. Go turn it upside down for Jesus.
