Acts 18:1-17THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR SUPERMAN!

acts 18:1-17

Acts 18:1–17 HCSB

1 After this, he left Athens and went to Corinth, 2 where he found a Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, 3 and being of the same occupation, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with preaching the message and solemnly testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook his robe and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized. 9 Then the Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 And he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the judge’s bench. 13 “This man,” they said, “persuades people to worship God contrary to the law!” 14 As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of a crime or of moral evil, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. 15 But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them from the judge’s bench. 17 Then they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judge’s bench. But none of these things concerned Gallio.

Acts 10–28: The Gospel Unhindered Chapter Eight: This Is Not a Job for Superman! (Acts 18:1–22)

THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR SUPERMAN!

Sub: This Not a Job For Superman!

Acts 10–28: The Gospel Unhindered Chapter Eight: This Is Not a Job for Superman! (Acts 18:1–22)

THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR SUPERMAN!

Intro:

When Christopher Reeve died suddenly on October 10, 2004, I was shocked. I knew he had been almost completely paralyzed for years, but I did not expect him to die. I will always associate Reeve with his most famous role as Superman in 1978. Then he died last year in the movies. He comes back to life again in a movie this year. The Superman I grew up watching needed no help.

Yet, for all his power, Superman was trapped in loneliness. No one could know his identity, not even the lovely Lois Lane whom he loved with all his heart. Superman was the greatest American hero, not just because of his superior powers, but because he needed no help. Batman had Robin, the Lone Ranger had Tonto, Matt Dillon had Festus, but Superman worked all alone. It was the price of having the power to save the world.

But this new age Superman proves one thing that even Superman need somebody.

I. We need Companionship

Paul on His Own

I think this is how we tend to think of the Apostle Paul, without all the comic book silliness. We picture him traveling around converting the world all by himself: preaching faster than a speeding bullet, able to baptize whole cities in a single dunk. Nothing could harm him or stop him; not stoning, beating, or prison. He was never afraid of anyone—Jews, Gentiles, city people, country people, or philosophers. We think we could never be like Paul. We can admire him, but we cannot imitate him.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Paul was not a lone super hero. In fact, Paul was rarely alone, and when he was, he seemed very human. The first time Paul was on his own was in Athens. He fled Berea because his life was in danger, so he left Silas and Timothy to help the new mission churches. Paul was not very effective alone. He preached a great sermon, but he only got a small response in Athens. He doesn’t stay in Athens long. Almost immediately, he headed to Corinth to meet his friends.

Paul Surrounded by Friends

Acts 10–28: The Gospel Unhindered Paul Surrounded by Friends

Paul Surrounded by Friends

God met Paul’s needs through several encouraging events. In response to his loneliness, God gave him friends and coworkers: Aquila and Priscilla. This married couple had much in common with Paul. They were already disciples and they were trained in the same profession as Paul—tent making or leather working.

God met Paul’s needs through several encouraging events. In response to his loneliness, God gave him friends and coworkers: Aquila and Priscilla. This married couple had much in common with Paul. They were already disciples and they were trained in the same profession as Paul—tent making or leather working.

Then God blessed Paul even more by sending Silas and Timothy to Corinth with a good report from the Macedonian mission, which relieved Paul’s worry (see ). Now, Paul’s team was back together. In addition to his regular coworkers, he had new friends and colleagues. Silas and Timothy also brought a financial gift from Philippi.

II. We need Community

God Designed Us for Relationships

Too often, we read the Bible looking for heroes to admire rather than seeing ordinary people like ourselves who were tools in the hand of an amazing God. This obscures the truth and greatly limits what God can do in our lives. Paul was just like us. At times, he was afraid, timid, limited, and needed help. Paul never worked alone. In Acts and in his letters, it is clear that Paul was surrounded by people who shared in his missionary team. His letters begin and end with lists of coworkers (whom we tend to overlook in our hero worship of Paul). Paul was the point of the spear—but a point is worthless without the rest of the spear. We don’t all have Paul’s calling, but that is okay because God doesn’t work just through individual supermen and wonder women.

While God helps loneliness, he does not intend for us to just have him. After God made man and put him in a perfect environment, God still said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (God is not enough for us and says so himself). While Jesus often got away for one-on-one time with God, he spent most of his time in the company of twelve intimate friends. Even in Gethsemane, before his crucifixion, Jesus wanted three friends close by as he prayed to his Father, even though they did not understand what was happening. The greatest curse of the cross was not the physical pain, but the isolation. Jesus was rejected by his own people and abandoned even by the Twelve. The climax of his pain is when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Close:

The Joy of Living in Community

Ultimately, sin is a violation of relationships—with God or someone else. Hell is being utterly alone. It is being cut off from God and all others (which is life). Heaven is life in God’s city with God and all the saved (see ). The gospel restores relationships with both God and others. It is a word of reconciliation. The gospel creates a community the world cannot understand. God’s word of encouragement to Paul involved two relationships: 1) With God—“I am with you” and 2) with others—“I have people here.”