Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

(Hidden: Why are we studying Acts?)

If you have your Bibles, please turn to Acts 1.

We are about 2/3rds of the way through the book of Acts and we have hopefully learned many important truths from its pages.

If you are in Acts 1, we need to be reminded of Jesus’ words in verse 8.

Acts 1:8 (ESV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts is a critical book, for it is the hinge that connects the Gospels to the letters in the New Testament and it is critical because it helps us understand three important truths.

It helps us

Acts helps us...

understand our mission

You might wish to highlight or underline your Bibles.

Our mission is located in the phrase, “you will be my witnesses.”

Our mission is to declare Jesus’ great love everywhere we go.

You might write a number “1” by this mark because it is the first important truth, our purpose in life.

Second, Acts helps us...

understand the role of the Holy Spirit

You can mark up the words “Holy Spirit” and “power” and mark them with a number “2”.

Our mission can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit who gives us power to be about our father’s business.

As we will see in this morning’s text, Paul would have given in to fear had it not been the power of the Spirit living in him.

Finally, Acts helps us...

understand how to work together as a church

You can mark up the three times the word “you” appears and mark those with a number “3”.

Jesus was speaking to the 120 or so disciples who were with him on the mount just before He ascended into Heaven.

“You” means the local church, for these disciples banded together and became the first church in the world.

They could only accomplish their mission if they worked together and kept in step with each other through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This early church and and the churches they planted encountered very hard things!

We have read about how they worked together to overcome famine, severe persecution, false doctrine, bickering, quarrels, racial tensions, and many other challenges.

Acts is critical for us study and to be intimately familiar with because Satan uses these same pressures against us today.

We need to be a church who clearly understands our mission, who are completely filled by the Spirit, and who overcome mighty obstacles by working together.

So, where did we leave off?...

(Hidden: Where did we leave off?)

Paul was on his 2nd missionary journey and had been travelling in Macedonia, modern day Greece.

You might remember from Acts 17 that in Thessalonica, Jews formed a mob and tried to harm Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

That mob pursued them to Berea and in Acts 17:14, Silas and Timothy remained for a short while and were able to teach and build up those churches while Paul went on to Athens.

(SLIDE: Image of Acropolis near Mars Hill)

In Athens, Paul used cultural conversations to spark an interest spiritual things.

God is not an unknown God, but instead he declared that, “God is not far from us.”

He is intimately involved in the affairs of His children.

God wants to be known, that is why Jesus came as a baby and why his earthly mission was to die on the cross to forgive sin.

Forgiveness of sin removes all barriers to the relationship with God and mankind!

We continue our study in Acts 18 this morning and Acts 18:1 informs us that Paul “left Athens and went to Corinth.”

(SLIDE: MAP)

(What was Corinth’s culture like?)

Corinth was positioned about 46 miles to the West and was a leading Greek city.

Its population was at least 20 times larger than Athens with at least 200,000 people residing there.

Corinth worshipped the goddess Aphrodite and so sexual immorality abounded in the city.

In fact immorality, dishonesty, and drunkenness were so abundant that the phrase “to live like a Corinthian” described a person who lived a debased life.

Paul had been separated from his ministry team, then in v 5 they join up again for what was to become an intense year and a half (v11) of ministry in Corinth.

at about 50 A.D.

I am going to jump around in the text this morning, so I think it is important we read our whole passage at one time, then you will be able to see how everything connects.

Please stand for the reading of the Word, Acts 18:1-17 (READ FROM MY BIBLE)

(What was Paul’s ministry in Corinth?)

Paul continued representing God to the ungodly.

In verse 6, we find that he was occupied by teaching the Word.

(What is the key verse for the ministry in Corinth? )

Then something remarkable occurred… the Lord, Jesus, directly spoke to Paul in a vision.

This vision found in verses 9-10 are critical to understanding the ministry in Corinth in 50 A.D. and are key to understanding our mission for 2022 and until the Lord returns!

You might wish to highlight this verse.

We read....

Acts 18:9–10 (ESV) And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

This is remarkable because God didn’t send an angel like He did to Zechariah, Joseph, and Mary.

Jesus himself was the one who appeared and spoke to Paul.

Who did Paul love and follow?

Jesus.

Who did Paul hear on the road to Damascus?

Jesus.

4. Why did Jesus appear here?

Why did Jesus appear here?

Why not send an angel?

First, God does what He wills, Jesus could have sent an angel and have accomplished the exact result, but Paul loved Jesus, he had suffered much violence for the sake of Jesus and it pleased Jesus to personally comfort Paul in this way.

Second, Paul was afraid when he came to Corinth.

Maybe the intense persecution at Thessalonica and Berea still troubled him or maybe Paul knew Corinth would be a hard city to minister in.

When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians about five years later, he admitted his fear...

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (3 slides) And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

He was weak with fear and much trembling.

Certainly, the mob who opposed him in verse 6 also provoked Paul to fear when they angrily opposed, cursed, and insulted him.

Why else did Jesus appear personally?

Paul would be tempted to be afraid in the months ahead.

Paul needed to prepare for the challenges that were ahead.

This is where I am going to jump around in the text.

I think if we are going to accomplish our mission, we need to consider each element of verse 9, the first of which is...

Do Not Be Afraid

Why?

What was there to be afraid of?

As I have already stated, Corinth was plagued by sexual immorality, strife, religious diversity, corruption, and a deep love for selfish gain and worldly things.

Paul wrote about all those struggles in first Corinthians.

The Corinthians struggled with such a diversity of sin.

In fact, if there is any sin a Christian ever struggles with, 1 Corinthians addresses it in some form or fashion!

Paul was about to face much hardship.

Jesus was telling Paul and us...

Do not be afraid of what the government can do to you.

This is the first lesson Paul was reminded of when he arrived in Corinth.

Do not be afraid when the government rejects God.

(18:2)

Do not be afraid when governments deny Romans 13 by trying to usurp God’s throne, by trying to become gods themselves.

Claudius the Roman Emperor, rejected God (v2).

Claudius, by commanding all Jews to leave Rome was essentially telling them, “you are not my people.

You do not belong in Rome, and I don’t want you influencing my people with your faith.

Don’t be afraid of the government because God has a purpose in hardship.

In verses 2-4, Aquila and Priscilla were in Corinth because of the Roman government.