The Object of our Faith is both FACTUAL and FALSIFIABLE

Introduction

As we continue in our series through the book of Acts (The Church Sends), we see Paul on his 2nd journey having left Philippi and visiting the cities of Thessalonica and Berea.

Luke does not always record every detail about each of Paul’s visits to a location.

There is no reason to repeat the same content every time

Instead he emphasizes specific parts of the visit that are significant to the message of the Church’s expansion.

In blank he focused on

In blank he focused on

In blank he focused on

Often it is a matter of perspective:

Just because there are different details of the same event does not mean there is a contradiction

As was his custom, Paul would go first to the synagogue to speak to the Jews. If the city did not have a synagogue then Paul would go to the Gentiles or find local Jews (like he did in Philippi). Paul follows that same pattern in these 2 cities.

In each of the two cities, Paul addresses the Jews in the synagogue, BUT the response is different.

The Big Idea: “The Object of our faith is both FACTUAL and FALSIFIABLE”

In Thessalonica (1-9)

The Proclamation of the message (1-3)

Beginning in verse 1… (read 1-3)

Paul passes Amphipolis and Apollonia, possibly because they were smaller cities or because there was no synagogue located there.

Arriving in Thessalonica he goes into the synagogue. He does this for next 3 Sabbaths (spent 3 weeks there)

Luke tells us that Paul: Reasoned with them from the Scriptures

Explaining and Proving the message

Explaining:

“to explain or make evident”

Proving: literally “to lay side by side”

“to establish evidence to show something is true”

On a jury trial, the prosecutor laid out the case on the table

The Message:

That the Christ must suffer (die) and be raised from the dead AND

That this Christ IS JESUS

It is here that we come to the first point: The Good News of Jesus is Factual!

Factual implies it is truth, accurate

Paul used the Scriptures as his source of authority

We should too. Whenever sharing the Gospel message, we need to use the Scriptures. It is the basis for our belief.

Paul explained the message of the Gospel to them.

First, he needs to know the Gospel before he can properly share it

Jesus is the RIGHT message..the ONLY message

Peter reminds us that we need to be ready to give an answer to those who ask us about our faith

Giving people an answer about the Gospel requires knowing the answer and preferably knowing how to share the answer

Second, he laid it out before them for them to see for themselves

Third, the Gospel is always centered around the work of Jesus Christ

His death

His resurrection

Jesus is the RIGHT and the ONLY message

The entire Bible is about Jesus

At Shadowbrook, we talk about how in our gathering we read, sing, preach, pray, and see the Bible. Yet the Bible is about Jesus; so, we could say that we read, sing, preach, pray, and see Jesus.

Sharing the Gospel takes effort

The Response to the Message (4-9)

read verse 4...

Proclaiming the Gospel will yield varying results: (here we see) - read verse 4

Belief: (Jews, Gentiles, all genders)

Some were persuaded and joined him

Persuaded: “to convince”

A great many devout Greeks (gentile proselytes) believed

not a few leading women believed

Rejection - read verses 5-6

they were jealous (resentment and envy)

formed a mob by taking wicked men of the rabble (“worthless loafers from the street”)

Jewish leaders declared Paul and his companions as those “men who have turned the world upside down”

In Berea (10-15)