44. Be a Berean!

Announcements

Liam’s Birthday!

High School Disc golf

Next friday (Sept. 18th, 6pm)

Workday activity

Saturday, Oct. 4th

Random Question

What’s your go-to ice cream flavour?

Lesson

Recap

Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and Silas answer the call to preach in Macedonia and make their way into Thessalonica after having been in Philippi. Paul enters the synagogue and preached Christ to the Jews and some Greeks…

Does anyone remember how the message was received? (Not well at all, the people gathered the lewd men of the baser sort and started a mob)

So, the people attack Jason’s house, searching for Paul and his crew. They’re in great danger, and that’s where we pick up this week…

Vs. 10

What do their fellow Christians do here in vs. 10? (Escort Paul and Silas out of Thessalonica at night fall)

Acts 17:10 NKJV

10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

And they send them to Berea…

You guys have watched enough movies to know this, why would the Christians escort Paul and Silas at nighttime? Why not during the day? (This was a dangerous mission, people were ready to kill Paul)

And they knew this to be true, but they take the risk for Paul anyway. It’s amazing to think what these Christians were willing to do for Paul and the other missionaries. Here they are, putting their necks on the line so that Paul can go out safely. What an awesome display of their sacrifice for others, we can definitely learn from them.

Where do they send Paul? (Berea)

Map of Berea:

- 80km South-West

(SHOW PHOTOS)

- Known as modern day Veria, Greece. Super nice place, great climate.

- This was a perfect place to go witnessing. It was not as heavily Roman as Thessalonica or Philippi, and it wasn’t involved in too much trade. So, people would have less reason to be loyal to Rome.

Where’s the first place they go to in Berea? (Right in the Synagogue!)

What happened the last time they were in a Synagogue? (The whole town revolted and nearly killed them)

Remember how we talked about being unflinchable last Wednesday in Philippians 1? This is exactly what it was describing.

Paul is being opposed greatly here, but does he quit? (No, he doesn’t let that get to him, he presses on through the difficulty)

So, here’s Paul and Silas, in a synagogue, speaking to a bunch of Jews and Gentiles.

Picture the scene: Paul is sitting down in the middle of the room, with an OT scroll in front of him, and he just starts teaching them.

Paul: “All these Scriptures tell you of Jesus, He was our Messiah. Isaiah recounts how he had to die. David spoke how he would rise again…”

(The crowd is listening super intently)

So, he’s taking them through the Old Testament, showing them how Jesus was their prophesied Messiah…

Vs. 11

Ok, last time something like this happened, the results were horrific…

How did the Bereans react to hearing God’s Word? (Really well)

Acts 17:11 NKJV

11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

What was different about their mindset than the Thessalonians? (They were more fair-minded)

Another way to say this is that they were teachable! They responded well to new teaching.

What’s the danger of thinking we know everything? (We can’t receive correction, and we’ll be super obnoxious to be around!!)

Ill: Pastor Andy’s take on interns

- He’d take a teachable intern over a talented one…

- Describe the benefits of that at camp

Are we going to make mistakes? Absolutely. Do we ever have wrong beliefs? (Yes, for sure we do)

If we’re not teachable though, we’re going to be stubborn and refuse to believe we were wrong. And we’ll stay on the path we’re on until everything goes wrong…

Do you think we can learn anything from the Berean’s approach to the Bible so far?

Absolutely we can! They were humble enough to let their guards down, set their pride aside and open their ears.

Do any of you like to be told you were wrong? Do you like being corrected? (Nobody likes this at all!

But as Paul and Silas correct their understanding of the Old testament, do the Bereans get mad and start another mob? What doe they do? (They received the Word with all readiness)

Readiness: This has the idea of being super eager to get something…

Open tuck shop during Junior week

These Berean's were eager to hear from God, so they are intently listening to Paul…

Bereans: So you say Jesus is in the Old Testament huh? I’ve never seen it that way, but that’s so interesting! Can you tell us more?!

So what do the Berean’s do at the end of vs. 11? (They search the Scriptures daily)

Berean’s: Alright Paul, your claims are very interesting to us, we’re going to get our best men together and study everyday until we can prove whether or not these things you say are true!

Did the Berean’s immediately accept everything Paul and Silas told them? (No, they sought out the truth for themselves)

This is an attitude I think we should all have when we listen to preaching…

What do you call a person who believes everything and anything they hear? (Gullible, naive)

Ill: Many of us can be naive to what we see on the internet…

But I think it matters much more that we are not naive when it comes to God’s Word!

Should I immediately believe everything Pastor Boss says? (Yes and no)

Should we trust what he says? (YES! He’s proved himself to genuinely love the Lord and the truth)

But can you see the danger of never looking to the Bible to confirm what he’s teaching?

Ephesians 4:14 NKJV

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

It’s crucial that we know what we believe, that way we won’t be thrown around by every wind of doctrine…

Ill: Conspiracy Christians

- Nephilim

- Numbers & their meanings

Now, when I say that you need to confirm the preaching you hear with the Bible, am I saying that you need to verify every word that comes out of Pastor Boss’ mouth? (No, I hope you trust him more than that.)

But what we do need is to know God’s Word so well that we can authenticate it based off the knowledge we already have. That doesn’t mean we’ll never learn anything. Pastor Boss does an amazing job at taking hard Biblical concepts and explaining them in an articulated way. So, when you hear something you’ve never heard before, look it up!

Ill: When I said Isaiah probably died from being sawn in two… Look up Hebrews 11:37, open up a commentary about it.

The importance here is that we apply ourselves to the study of God’s Word, that we would dig deep for answers. That’s what the Berean’s did here, and they were remembered until today for their awesome attitude.

Help me out here, what should we replicate from the Berean’s example in vs. 11?

Vs. 12

What was the result of their deep study? (Many of them were saved)

Acts 17:12 NKJV

12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Can anyone notice what keyword is early in vs. 12? (Therefore)

What does therefore mean? (Because of what I just told you, this happened…)

So, because of their humility and eagerness to learn, their deep study of the Old Testament, many of them were saved.

Picture the scene: I can just imagine the crew reading the Scriptures together…

Stumble on Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53:4–5 NKJV

4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

BIG GHASP…

Berean’s: GUYS!!! I think Paul was right!!! Jesus really is the Messiah!

This happens, and so many of them were saved…

Lots of Jews

Lots of Greeks

Prominent women

Prominent men

Vs. 13

Now in vs. 13, we should almost expect this by now…

What happens? (The Jews from Thessalonica start a riot in Berea)

Acts 17:13 NKJV

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.

They hear about the revival in Berea, so they march all the way over and start a riot. Maybe they brought the lewd men of the baser sort there too… I don’t know…

Do you think we struggle with resentment a tad bit? (YEAH!)

Man did they ever hate them, so they stirred up a riot.

Vs. 14

Now verse 14, we see the fellow Christians once again being the heroes they are…

Acts 17:14 NKJV

14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.

Once again, they put their necks on the line for Paul…

Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea for a bit, but the believers sent Paul away to Athens…

Vs. 15

Acts 17:15 NKJV

15 So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Next week’s lesson is going to be super exciting, Paul finds himself in Athens… This is where all the Greek philosophers were… Plato, socrates, Aristotle, etc. And Paul is asked to share his faith in front of all of them…

Application

What can we learn from this passage today?

Be teachable/open to God’s Word

STUDY God’s Word