Acts: A Religious Witness

If you have your Bible, it's turned with me to

Acts seventeen. This morning, we're back in our study in

the Book of Acts. It's been some time, so we

took a break kind of through Thanksgiving through our Psalm series,

and we to a Christmas break and then we've just

had a wonderful time. Hasn't it been good to be

in Matthew and just listening to Jesus teach us preach

to us on his sermon on them out And now

we're just getting back into our series and Acts. And

so we started this a year or so ago and

it's just good to be back. I hope that it's

kind of it's really exciting for me to hear you

church members say, hey, pastor when we getting back to Acts,

and so there's it's good to for you guys that

have a hunger. It's good to hear that. And I'm

excited to be about being back in Acts. This morning,

Acts seventeen were starting verse one. In just a minute,

read through verses nine. The title of my sermon is

a religious witness. Now, over the last few weeks, as

we're working through Matthew, we've really been looking at Jesus's

sermon and Jesus' sermon, he really encouraged us. He really

challenge us about what we're investing our life into. Right,

what are we storing? He would use the term we're

storing our treasures somewhere. We're either storing treasures on earth

or storing treasures in heaven. Right, he really charged us

about not storing treasures on earth, but storing treasures in heaven.

He talked about seeking things. He used also the analogy

that we not are we storing, but we also are

seeking things. We can either be seeking things on earth

or were seeking things in heaven. And he really encouraged us.

He challenged us. He taught us that we should seek

heavenly things. And one of the things that he described

to us in Matthew that on ways that we seek

the things of heaven is through prayer. Right, he taught

us how to pray. We looked at that. Devin did

a marvel sermon on how Jesus teaching us to seek

heavenly things by seeking him in prayer. We talked about

seeking heavenly things through giving to the poor. Right, the

importance of giving and storing up treasures by giving to

those in need. Around us talking about how we are

seek things in heaven or store up treasures in heaven

by fasting, really treasuring God, having a hunger for the Lord.

So I want to ask you this morning. That's what

we've been looking over the last few weeks or even

the last month, and so let's ask this one. How

you doing? Now? We're not just to be hearers, right,

We're to be doers of the word. How you doing?

How'd you do last month? Did you give to someone

in need? Not that you might be seen, but that

you might be your Father might who in secret might

see you giving to those in need around you? How'd

you do in prayer? Do you have a greater commitment

of just spending time with the Lord's secret time of prayer,

getting along with the Father seeking to things of heaven?

How about fasting? Not all can do fasting with health

issues and medicines, but many of you can. Did you

spend any time fasting last month? I charge you. I

really push you back on that, because I think it's

not I don't want to sus. Just people who come

in here a sermon, not do it right? Just come

hear the word of God. Here, Jesus speak to us

and just leave unchanged. Right, We're to be people hear

the word, but respond, So I challenge you, well. One

of the things that also Jesus taught us and want

to see we see in the New Testament one of

the ways we seek righteousness and store treasures in heaven

is through also sharing the Gospel. I see Paul talk

about that. We see in his writings. We see Jesus

do that. We see Jesus command that to his disciples

as his final command before he sends to the Father right,

go and teach them all things, baptize them, and they

the Father right. Go therefore to all we see Acts

one eight, you shall be my witnesses, right to Jerusalem,

to Judea, to Sa Marria, to the ends of the earth.

We see one of the ways that we invest in

eternity we seek the things of heaven is sharing the

Gospel with people around us, being the light in the darkness.

And this morning we want to look at as we

come to Act seventeen. Acts is the understanding of acts

is that early acts of the early Church or the

first Church. And we see one of the acts that

Paul sought of, of making a heavenly investment, seeking the

things of heaven, storing up treasures in heaven. Was to

share the gospel. That was a regular part of his mission,

and it was it was the mission of the early

Church was to take the gospel to Jerusalem, to Judea,

to Sameria, to dense earth. And we have chrono. I

mean we have looked through that as we just walked

through the book of Acts. Well, as we come to

chapter seventeen, Paul is on his second missionary journey. He's

now going to a new area. This is area of

what we would know is Europe today, but he's going

through an area called Macedonia. And we looked last time

we were here and looked at him starting in Macedonian Philippi.

Now he's leaving Philipi. He's going to a new area

called Thessonaiica. Thessonika is actually the letter to Thessalonians. Is

the church that was aren't from this passage we're looking

at this morning. So if you ever wondered where, if

that's all I could come from, it came from, if

that's the only as it came from Acts seventeen in

Paul's second missionary journey, Well, Paul taught the ports of

share in the Gospel. You know a few years ago,

if you remember, actually in twenty nineteen, we did a series,

we did a little evangelism emphasis and it was called

Who's Your One? You remember that, it's five years ago

we did that. We gave out little book cards and

book marks and we asked them to put in your

Bible and we asked you to write down one person

that you would you just really desire to see them

come to know the Lord. Do you remember that? We'll

just think about that. Maybe maybe you weren't a part

of that. But I want to ask you tonight or tonight,

I don't get my mornings. The night's mixed up. I

want to ask you this morning, who is your one?

Who's that one person in your life? And I don't

want limit to one, It may be several. Who is

those people in your life that you would like to

come to another Lord? Think about that person? Maybe if

you have notes, you take notes, tray of that person's

name in your notes. This morning, I want you to

think about something when you think about that individual, what

is their background? Are they did have religious background? Did

they grow up in church? Did they not grow up

in church? Did they what denomination did they come from,

what was the background of their understanding of Christianity. How

familiar are they with scripture that they don't know scripture

at all? Or do they know a lot of scripture

this morning, as we come to Acts, and we're going

to see this over the next few weeks, Paul as

he took the Gospel to people, as he shared the gospel,

he had different approaches according to who he was sharing with.

As people who he shared the Gospel with, who came

from religious backgrounds, he would share the Gospel a certain way.

Is in two weeks from now, we're going to be

in Athens. Not we're not taking a trip to Athens,

but the book the Bible, we're going to His going

Father is going to be in Athens, and he comes

to people who are Biblical illiterate, They have no Bible understanding,

they have no understanding of Judaism, and his approach to

sharing the Gospel with them is totally different. And so

this one, as we examine this passage of Scripture, Paul

was sharing the Gospel with people of religious backgrounds, and

these are and as he shares the Gospel with them,

his approach is different and I want us to examine

Paul's gospel witness to religious unbelievers, and I want us

to understand how how can we share the Gospel with

our ones? Maybe today, as you look at their name

that you've listed, maybe they come from religious background, Maybe

they grew up in church, maybe they have some scripture.

But even though they grew up in church and they

know little scripture, maybe they even came to our academy here,

or they have some background, they're not saved. And when

you think about it, as you share the gospel, what

are things that you and I must do as we

share the gospel with people who have religious backgrounds. So

let's stand together, and let's look at God's word together

to get together, and let's look at how all witness

to those of religious backgrounds religious unbelievers. Now it says

now when they had passed the and Pelitius in at Polonia,

Hopefully I don't have to say those again, they came

to Thessonaika and where the synagogue the Jews and Paul

went in was as was his custom on three day Sabbath.

The reason with them from scripture, explaining and proving that

was necessary for Christ's suffering. Arise from the dead, saying

this Jesus, whom I proclaimed to you, is Christ. And

some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,

as did many devout Greeks, and not few of the

leading women. But the Jews were jealous, taking some wicked

men of ramble, they formed a mob, and they set

the city in the uproar, and they attacked the house

of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd,

and when they could not find them, they dragged Jason

and some of the some of the brothers before the

city authorities, shouting, these men have turned the world upside

down and have come here also, and Jason has received them.

And they were all acting against the decrees of Caesar,

saying that there is another king, Jesus. And the people

in the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things,

and when they taking money as security from Jason and

the rest, they let them go. Let's pray together, Father,

or we thank you Lord for your calling to us

distoric treasures, and not on earth but in heaven, to

seek the things not of earth, but to seek things

in heaven and God. One of the things that you

call us to seek, his souls. God, You've placed on

our hearts to day people that we love about the

people that we love, people we care about, friends, family members,

co workers, neighbors, classmates that don't know you. And God,

one of the things that you call us to seek

today is to seek to share the Gospel with them. So, Lord,

as we examine Paul's method of sharing the Gospel with

people of religious background, may we examine our method, we

examine our how we are sharing. And Lord, I pray

that we would be moved by your word. May we

be inspired by your spirit and God, may we be

Lord affected so much that God, we would respond that

we would not just be hearers this morning, but God,

we would be a church of doers to hear your

word and respond the Lord to the movement of your

spirit in our life. So Lord, we pray, and I

pray Lord this morning for what I cannot create, I

cannot manufacture, I cannot persuade, and that is a movement

of your spirit in us. Today. Lord, move us that

we might go and share with people that we love

about the good News of Jesus tonight. Today, Lord, we

love you in your name, we pray, Amen, you may

be seated Sharing the Gospel with those of religious background

requires several things, and we see that this morning in

Pulse Message and Pulse outlying of what Paul did in

Theessonaika One. It requires first gospel persistence. So we come

through this pass of scripture. You see the two cities

that it lists that Paul travels through. Again. He was

in Philippi and he left there, and there was a

road called the Nation Way, which is a major road

through through that time. And he would get on that

road and he would travel through these major cities in

this area of Macedonia. There were three, I mean, there

was four capital sub capital districts, and Macedonia was one

of the capital cities, and so was one of these

other cities. One city was thirty three miles from Philippi.

Another one was twenty seven miles in Macedonia. I mean,

Theessanaika was roughly seventy five mile journey on that road

from Philippi to Theessonaika. It's interesting the passage tells us

that Paul travels through the city. He doesn't stop. Maybe

he stopped for one night. Most scholars believe that Paul's

goal When we see this through different parts and Acts

as we come later on Acts nineteen that Paul's commitment

was take the gospel to the major cities like The'sonaika,

with the understanding that when if he reached this city

for Christ, this city would then in turn become a

hub that would take the gospel to the surrounding cities.

So you would say, why did he pass through these

other two cities and not stop and start a church there.

And it's really believed that because the gospel had been

in Philippi and it was only twenty seven miles away

from one of the city, he expected the church at

Philippi to take the gospel to the cities around them.

So Paul continues and he travels. We see that he

comes to Thessonaika. Thestonaika was the capital city of this

area for one of this subdistrict. It was one of

the greatest centers of business. It was only rivaled by

the city of Carinth in the area. In this European area.

It was located on several trade routes. It provided a

lot of wealth in This city had an excellent harbor.

It was predominantly a Greek city, although it was really

controlled by Rome. It was called a free city which

ment had elected the citizens that was kind of governed them,

that had their own mint. They made coins. Population of

the cities roughly twenty to one hundred thousand people. The

Bible says, he comes in this major city, and what's

Paul do. Look at the passage scripture. He says that.

Then they came in Thessanaika where there was a syn

of God of the Jews, and Paul went in, went in.

He went into the synagod, as was his custom. So

it was standard procedure for Paul. As he went into

a city, he would find out if there was a

local syne good, and that's where he would start. He

would go into synagod and he would begin sharing. And

what's the idea? There? Where the idea? There was among

every syne good there were people who had they had

they were religious, they had background of Judaism, they knew

the scripture, they had some basis this understanding of the

God's word. There would also be there in every sin

of God. And we see this throughout acts is what

we call God fears. God fears or Greeks or unbelievers

who would go to who were who not converted to Judaism,

but who would go to the Senate God just because

they had a desire for God. They had a desire

for the God of the Jews. They weren't willing to

convert to Judaism, but they were seeking the God of Israel.

They were seeking. And so Paul knew that if I

go to the syn of God. And also there was

a custom in the sen of God if it was

on a Sunday, on a Sabbath day, if there was

a guest, they would from another town who was a Jew,

they would invite that guest to share. So Paul capitalized that.

He goes into the city and he knows if he

goes to the sin of God, there are gonna be

Jews there who know God's word. That he knows there

are gonna be people who God fears there who are

seeking God. And so this is a great opportunity. He

knows if he goes there, they're going to invite him

to speak. So he's like, man, this is great. I

got people who've got a little bit of thirst, they

got a little bit of hunger for God, that have

a knowledge of God. It's got a good foundation. And

he went there first. That was his custom. Every city

that we're going to see from the future, unless there's

not a syna good, he's going to go there first.

And so Paul goes into this synagod, and Scripture says,

look at the passage. And he went in as his custom,

and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them, three sabbath.

You know what it means. It means he did it

for three weeks. You know, he didn't go to Sabbath.

And he on the first Sabbath he went in the

sen of God and he went and he said, you

know what, well, well, I didn't get any converts today.

I guess this is as bad, this as a dud.

Let's just go into the next city. Paul says, you

know what, I think I need to stay a little

bit longer. He went back. In the next Sabbath, which

is a Saturday, he reasoned with them again, and then

the third week he reasoned with them again. Week in

and week out, he continued to go in the sen

of God and continue to share the gospel. You see

the gospel. If we're going to take the gospel to

religious people, listen, and it requires persistence. Sometimes we think, well,

I shared with them one time, and they didn't get it.

They didn't respond. Maybe it's just maybe it's me. Maybe

they're not open to it. No, Paul didn't just stop

when they resisted. He was persistent as a witness. And

if we're going to be believers who continue to vest

in the Kingdom of God, it's going to take persistence.

It's going to could take us continuing to go, continuing

to write down their names, continue to look at ways

that I'm taking the gospel. It's interesting as we look

at Thessalonians. If you read the Book of Thessalonians, Paul

tells us a little bit about his time and Thesanike

as he went in the city the first time. Scripture

says that not only did Paul work diligent and share

in the gospel, Paul actually worked. You know one of

our hindrances, You say, Pastor, I know this is what

I need to do, but I'm just so busy. You know,

I got my work, and I work forty hours a week,

and it's just hard. I mean, I just don't have time.

I don't have time to make time to share the gospel.

Can I tell you? In First Theestonians, too, it tells

us that Paul, when he went into Theessonians, he didn't

want to take a donation to be a speaker, to

speak before them. He didn't want to do that to

be a hindrance. So Paul worked as a tent maker

to support himself for those three weeks. Paul says in

first cessons too, you remember, brothers, our labor and toil,

we work night and day, that we might not be

a listen, a burden to any of you while we

proclaim to you the gospel of God. You know what

that tells us. Paul from Monday to Friday, worked day

in and day out, working as a tent maker. On

the Sabbath day his day off, guess what he did.

He went into the sabbath and reason with them. He

was persistent in taking the gospel to the lost around him.

Heard about a young man he was listed in an army,

and he went into the barracks. His first night. There

were fifteen men also in the barracks. They were guy

their time off, their relaxing. So many of them were

playing cards and gambling. Before he retired. He wasn't a

part of any of that. He got beside his bed

and began to pray, got on his knees and he prayed.

Those guys didn't like him praying around them. And as

they're praying, playing cards and gambling, and they began yelling

at him, throwing their boots at him. So he went

on night after night. Finally, a few nights later he

decided to go to the chaplain. He went to the chapelain.

He told him what happened, and the chaplain said, well,

you're not home now, young man. He said, these men

have just as right to be in those barracks as

you do. And it makes them mad hearing you pray

as that the Lord will hear you. And as you

as you're praying in your and and and they're gambling

and do this, he says. He I don't think you

should provoke them. He says, the Lord will hear you

praying in your bed just as much as he hears

you laying it. I mean, praying on your knees beside

the bed, say he said, Just get in your bed,

pray to yourself. Don't provoke them. So a few weeks

later went by and he didn't hear from the man.

Suddenly he saw him one day and he pulled the

young man to the side and says, well, what happened?

He says, well, he said, did you take my advice?

He said, how did it go? And he said, well,

he said, I got in my bed and I started praying.

On the second day, I felt like a whip puppy.

I wasn't bold enough to stand before to pray before

my Lord, no matter what I would take. So he said.

Third night, I got down on my knees. He said,

two people got saved. And he says, now we've got

a little prayer study going, and we're praying for all

the other ones in the barracks to get saved. Hey,

I tell you many times, when we get a little push,

we get a little resistance, we just throw our hands

up and says, maybe this is not for me. I

tell you that more than ever today we need bold Christian,

brave Christians, not weak Christians who will say, you know what,

God's called me to take the Gospel to my one

and I want to be persistent, and I'm going to

go and I'm going to keep going. You know, the

Bible says and Paul telling Timothy, a young pastor, I

charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus,

who's the judge of the living the dead, by his

appearing of his kingdom, preach the word, be ready in

season and out us even reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete

patience and teaching. Timothy, do the work of an evangelist,

fulfill your ministry. Can I tell you, believers today, we

need to do the work of an evangelist. We need

to be ready to ask you today, how persistent are

you and cheering the gospel in twenty nineteen five? Five

years ago you put that name for some of you,

you put a name on your card. How many times

did you share the gospel with them in five years? Once? Twice,

three times? Can I tell you we need to be persistent.

God's put you in their life, and God's called you

to go. God's called you to share. We need to

be persistent. Sharing the Gospel with those religious brad gown

requires persistence, gospel persistence. It also requires a gospel presentation.

Look what happens in this passage. The Bible says and

Paul went in as his custom on three Sabbath days,

and he reasoned with them. From the scripture, this passage

shows us that Paul had a plan. He has a

presentation and he uses four words here. We want to

walk through these quickly to describe his presentation. The first

it says he reasoned with scripture. The idea of the

word here is there was a dialogue. That means that

he was this idea that the word in the Greek

means to diverse or discuss or to argue. It means

that he reasoned with them through scripture. Look at the

passage that says and for three on three savag days

he reasoned with them from the scripture. Can I tell you,

you say, pastor, I don't know what to say. I

don't know what to say. You know what? Can I

have good news for you? They don't need your word,

They need God's work. One of the greatest ways that

you can share the Gospel with someone is simply sharing

the word of God. Know the word of God. Paul

knew the word of God. And as he went with

them three weeks in a row, how did he reason

with them? He reasoned with them not with his knowledge,

but with God's knowledge, with God's word. He shared God's word.

Hey learned the Romans word road. That's a very simple

way to know how to share the Gospel the Romans Road.

Look it up. You can study it. There's many many

other gospel presentations, but no know the word. And as

you reason with them, reason them with Scripture. Just a

few weeks ago we were I was called back to

the church. I started my first ministry and a senior pastor.

There was a man there that I did a funeral for.

And as I was leaving the service at the graveside,

there was a man that came up and his mother

was and his dad were in our church. And then

their last days. I went to their home and shared

with them. And there were just a few days from dying,

and a few weeks and they were coming to their end,

and I shared. I didn't know what to say to them,

and I shared the Word of God with them. The

Lord put on my heart Matthew eleven twenty eight, with

them come to me, all who we'y in heavy laden.

And that man pulled me inside. He says, you know,

I want you to I want you to know that

I have that passage of scripture. Did you share with

my mama? I have it on a frame on the

wall in our living room, and I look up at

it every time and think about the word of God. Listen,

he didn't say, you know, you had a good quote

that day, and I framed your quote to what you

said to my mom and Daddy. I put it on

the wall. No, it was the word of God that

spoke to his heart. It's the word of God that

still is today, ten years later from when I was

a pastor there still making an impact today. Listen, it's

not your words that they need. They need the word

of God. May we be persistent, May we be prepared

with the word of God. He reasoned with scripture. He

reasoned scripture with them. Scripture says he explained. Look at

scripture there in the passage, verse three, explaining he explained

the scripture he knowly reasoned with on me explained. Scripture

tells us that he explained it was necessary for Christ

to suffer. And we see that explaining and proving that

it was necessary for Christ to suffer. You remember, and

maybe maybe you remember the story, maybe you not if

you knew, But in Luke chapter twenty four, it tells

us the two men walking on the road of emmaas

you remember, maybe you remember that story. As they're walking along,

they're talking about the events of happen, Jesus has died

and rose again. They're talking about those events. As they're

walking down the road. Script tells us that Jesus comes along,

draws near to them, right, and he asked them, what

are you talking about? And they explain, They say about

what happened to Jesus, and Jesus begins sharing with them,

And you're more what scripture tells us. The Bible says

in Luke twenty four from twenty five to twenty seven,

and he, Jesus said to them, old foolish one slow

of heart to believe all the prophets has spoken? Was

it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and

enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all

the prophets, he interpreted them in all the scripture, the

things concerning himself. You see, Listen, Paul modeled jesus evangelism. Well,

Jesus evangelism, share scripture and explain scripture, and that's what

Jesus did. That's what Paul is doing. Listen. It's not

important that we share scripture and we reason through scripture.

It's important that we explain scripture. Third, it says he

proved explaining and proving that it was necessary. The idea

and the Greek here is setting before them a case.

He's proving evidence. We setting before a case gives us

the idea of a courtroom scene and there's a two

different lawyers and they're presenting case. They're presenting evidence to

support their case. Not only did did Paul explain the scripture,

not only did he reason from scripture that he proved it.

He presented a case for Christ. He presented the case

that Jesus died and rose again for them. It's important listen,

when you share the gospel, do you explain that you

share scripture with them? You reason with them scripture, that

you explain scripture. But it's also important that you prove

to them that Jesus died and rose again for their sins. Third,

I mean fourth, here the Bible says he proclaimed. Listen

to the passage explaining is necessary for Christ is suffering

rise from the dead, saying this is Jesus, whom I

proclaim to you is Christ. You know. In the wedding

ceremony for do a wedding, at the very end, right,

we gather that dear couple together and we faced the crowd,

and we say, I now pronounce you mister and missus

such and such right, and we're proclaiming that this is

a couple. This is the idea. Here the word proclaim.

Paul is proclaiming he is Jesus. He's the one who

died for you. He's the one that loved you for

God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten son, He came for you. It's important that we

do these things. You know, if you know this breaking news.

I have joined a basketball team. You know, if you

know that we are called the bumble Bees. Don't let

the name intimidate you. We even got yellow jerseys. We

are the Bethesda Bumblebees. So we have a church league

basketball league. And I joined the team. And so you know,

I'm forty seven, not as young as I once were,

but I think I got a little juice in the tank.

And so you know, but I you know, even though

I'm a little older, I feel like I you know,

I had to get ready and so I had to

be prepared. I had to play basketball in three years,

okay three years, and I'm old, and so I thought,

you know, I gotta get ready for this. So me

and Tanner and Brandon Park and we got together and

we went to a little pickup game for two hours.

Are sore for three days, couldn't already move. I started

doing some push ups at the house, trying to stretch

some old muscles, been doing my running, even working on

practicing my shot right, just trying to warm it up. Right.

This is you get to take some time. Even bought

me some new kicks, ak basketball shoes. I got me

some jab Mo rents. No, you don't know who that is.

I don't really either, but they look cool. Okay. Even

got me a little back that I can put all

my basketball things in. Put my shoes basketball shoes, because

you don't wear your basketball shoes shoes the game. You

put them in a bag and you get there, you

take them out and put them on. And so I'm

learning those things. So I got me a little basketball

bag and I put in my little bag. I got

my shoes, got me a little extra shirt in case

I sweat. I got me a water bottle. I got

me some icy hot because I'm old. I'm just kidding on.

I said. I say all that to say, you know, here,

I am starting this little basketball league and basketball team,

and I felt like it was necessary for me to

be prepared. There's things I must do to be prepared

in order to be successful at the game. I felt

like I needed to be prepared. And I say all

that to say, in our life, there are so many

things that we'll prepare for. Right We'll prepare for having

a meal for someone over and we get make sure

we have all the necessary ingredients and make sure the

meal is successful. Will prepare for our work and make

sure that we have everything we need for the next

day in our careers and make sure we're successful day

at work. We'll make sure we have everything we need

for our classes to make sure we're going to do

well in that exam. We'll make sure we're prepared for

our future and do everything we need to prepare our wheels.

Or we'll do everything we can to be prepared to

make sure we have our retirement planning ready. But we

won't prepare to share the gospel of people. We won't

do that. That's for someone else, who's your one? Can

I tell you there was a gospel persistent persistence, But

there was a gospel presentation and Paul was prepared. How

about you? How about you? This is the greatest story

ever told. And God has commissioned us. God didn't save

you to keep you silent. God saved you. Did you

might share. It's the greatest story ever told. Maybe we share.

I gotta move fast, y'all, listen faster, okay. Third is

the gospel power. The Bible says that these Jews get

stirred up after He shares people get saved. We see

in verse for and many, so many of them were

persuaded to join Paul and Silas and has then many

devout Greeks, And this is the God fears here, not

few leading women. But the Jews were jealous, taking some

of the wicked men of rabble, and they formed a

mob and set the city in the uproar and attacked

the house of Jacin, seeking to bring them out to

the crowd. And when they could not find them, they're

drag Jason to some of the brothers before the city authorities,

shouting and listen to what it says. So they formed

this mob, and we took about that in just a minute.

Formed this mob to bring them before the city authorities

and listen to what it says. Listen to their accusations

against Paul and Silas. They say, these men have turned

the world upside down. You know what it means. Hey,

these guys, these Paul and Silas, they've came from Philippi

and can I tell you they went there and they

shared the Gospel with people in Philippi and you know what,

they started church. People got saved there and it turned

that city around. That city is not what it used

to be. I'm telling you they've changed the world. Now

that came to Thassanaikah and they come here for three

weeks and I tell you, I tell you, we can't

stop them from sharing the gospel. They keep coming, they

keep sharing and listen, people have gotten saved. Their lives

are changed. There's people who didn't follow God. Now it's

following God and they're living for God. And I'm telling

you these people have changed the world. There's something about

these men. Can I tell you, listen, If we're going

to share the gospel or the religious people for unbelievers

in our world, it takes persistence, it takes a presentation,

but it takes the power of God within us that

people look at our lives and says there's something different

about her, there's something different about him. There's something in

their life that I don't have, and I'm telling you

their life is changing the world. Can I tell you

we need to have a gospel persistence, but we need

a gospel power that people see we are world changers.

Amen heard of young salesmen one day and he was

disappointed he couldn't make the big seals. He went to

his manager. He says, I guess this prus He said,

you can't lead. You can lead a horse to water,

but you can't make him drink. Said to the manager.

The manager said, son, take my advice. Your job is

not to make them drink. Your job is to make

them thirsty. Listen. So it is with evangelism. Our job

is not to make them drink. Our job is that

they might see our lives, and that our lives are

so filled with Jesus that it creates in them a

thirst for Jesus. Can I ask you today, does your

life make people thirsty for Jesus? Man? There's something about

them that's different than me. I want their Jesus as

we finish up this morn and I want to walk

quickly about why people reject We see in this passage

scripture there's kind of two parts. There's how Paul presented

the gospel, shared the gospel with these unbelieving religious folks.

We see also there's second part is so many reject

these religious rejection Why so many religious reject the gospel?

They reject and we see this in this passive scripture.

They're reject They were jealousy. Look at verse five. The

Bible says that the Jews were jealous and taking some

men from wicked men. A rabbel and they foremed a mob.

First tells us that they were jealous. It speaks of

this state of jealousy. What were they jealous of? They

were jealous of Paul and Silas's influence. They were jealous

that many people were listening to their message and people

were coming to Christ. There were no doubt, no doubt.

Jealous of the power, the gospel, power that was evident

in Paul. I saw this that wasn't in their life,

so jealous. Scripture tells us that they they went and

got wicked men and these are kind of like trouble

makers we would use the term. And they got these

men to literally start a riot in the city, the

idea of wicked men, the ideas they literally got these

men to go into the streets and start screaming form

a mob. Why all over jealousy, All over jealousy. They

rejected the message of Jesus because they were jealous. Have

you ever had this happen in your life? Start living

for Jesus, get on fire for Jesus. You got some

people in your life that don't don't don't have the

same commitment to Christ that you do. A living for Jesus,

don't desire to live for Jesus. And maybe you were

really close with them, and you start living for Jesus

and then you start seeing something. You start seeing these

people drift away in a way. It even feels like

they start pushing you away. Don't answer messages and I

answer your phone calls, don't want to come to lunch

or do whatever. They just slowly start pushing you away.

You know why, because you have something they don't. You

have Jesus, and their life's not where it needs to

be and they don't want it to be your life,

and so they're jealous and as a result, they push

you away. Can I tell you today the reality is

there may be even some people in this room today,

and if you really come down to the heart of

why you've not accepted Jesus, serve jealousy. You know what

these Christians in this church. There's people in this church

and man, they got their lives in order, healthy marriages,

seems like they don't have trouble. They seem like they

got it all together life some mass and I don't know.

Maybe for some I don't know why God would do

that for them and not for me. And as a result,

I just I don't want anything to do with their Jesus.

They act all holy and mighty, and reality is many

people reject Jesus just pure over jealousy. Secondly, there are

those we see that in scripture here they're rejecting Paul

and silas of jealousy. We see that some reject Christ's authority.

I want to finish here this morning. The Bible says

that they bring this mob go in the city and

the cross a riot they bring. They can't find Paul

and Size. We know that in Tessalaika that Jason and

the believers they are USh sure Paul, they know this

is happening, to ussher, Paul and stylist out of the city.

As result, they go to Jason. Jason is the home

in which Paul and Silize has been staying out in

those three weeks. They get him and they take him

before the city authorities. I told you earlier that they

had the kind of their own elected city authorities. So

they bring them before the authorities. And look at verse

eight and it says, and when the they bring them before,

I'm sorry. Verse six it tells us the charges these

men first have turned the world upside down. That talks

about the jealousy that have and then two here it

says they've they've turned the world upside down, and come

here also, and Jason's received them, and they're all acting

against decrees of Caesar, saying that there's another king. There's

really two charges that they bring against Jason and the believers.

There one charge of disturbing the peace. They've turned the

world upside down, the PHILIPI they come here to turn

the world. They're disturbing the peace. The second accusation they

bring against Jason and the believers there is sedition, and

that is the idea that a charge of bringing up

one king is coming that's going to replace the king

that's in that's in charge at the time. There are

actually laws that were in and in place at the time,

Roman laws that swore loyalty to the caesar or the emperor,

and if you heard rumors that another king was going

to come, you were required by law to report that

to those in authority. That's what they're doing. These men say,

there's another king and his name's Jesus. You know what.

They say, He's coming back and he's going to overtake

this world. And so they brought that charge against them.

There were actually Roman texts that forbid any predictions future

predictions that would affect the state of those who were

in an authority. That's what they were doing. There's a

future king coming they're talking about, and he's going to

overthrow our emperor, our caesar. And they brought this against them.

Why because they wanted their king, not Jesus as their king.

I heard a pastor described one time that all of

us have a source of authority. Source of authority means

this is the authority of our life, and we live

by this authority. The pastor says, for some the source

of authority of their life is the Bible. God's word

is the authority of my life, and I'm going to

live my life according to what God's word tells me.

That's the authority. That's what I'm going to live by.

Right for some his popular opinion, well, what does the

world say is right? What the world say is wrong?

And I'm going to follow what the world says. If

we can watch the news, just turn on to TV,

watch social media, you can see that that's many people

who are following the world as their source of authority.

Some would would have the source of authority of major rules,

meaning well, what's the majority of my peers believe, and

what the majority of my friends say, that's probably what's right,

and that's what I'm going to live for, pleasing the

peers and my people in my life. And some authority

is their self. They don't really listen to the Bible,

they don't really listen to the world, they don't listen

to what their friends say. They just they want to

be the king of their own life and whatever they

says goes. And this passage of Scripture what Paul is confronting,

I mean, what Paul is showing that many people reject

Jesus why because they don't want Jesus to be the

authority of their life. They want to be their own king.

They want the world to be their authority. They want

their authority to be their self. They want their authority

to be their friends. But they say, I don't want

Jesus because I don't want you know, I don't really

want this Jesus because I don't want Jesus to tell

me what to do with my relationships. I don't want

Jesus tell me who I should day to, who I

should marry. You know, I don't really want Jesus because

I don't want Jesus tell me what I can do

on the weekends. I want to do what I want

to do on the weekends. I want to do what

I want to do with my hobbies. I want to

do what I want to do with my time. Lord,

I don't really want this Jesus because I don't Jesus

tell me what to do with my money. It's my money.

I don't really want Jesus because I really want what

I want, It says the rejection of the Gospel, because

they don't want Jesus to be listen very simply the

Lord of their life. Can I ask you today there

may be some today and you've rejected Jesus because you're jealous.

You're jealous of what God has done for others and

what he's not done for you. And there's some that's

rejected Jesus today. You're here today, you're watching online today,

and you've rejected Jesus very simply today because you don't

want him to be the lord of your life. You

want to be the king of your life. Can I

ask you today, Jesus loves you. Jesus came and lived

and died on a cross that you might have a

relationship with him. Would you surrender your life to him today?

If you're here today and you don't know him, Today's

the day of salvation. Listen to the call of God

for you today, receive Him. For my believers here, my friends,

who's your one? How persistent are you and sharing the

gospel with them? How prepared you are you making a presentation?

And how are you resting in the power of God

within you? That they might see Jesus and have a

thirst of Jesus. Did they see in you? Would you

pray with me? Lord? We love you God. We thank

you Lord for your word. He thank you for what

you What it means to us, how it calls us,

how it commands us how it draws us. Father, Lord, Today,

all of us in this room have heard the word.

We're not ignorant to your truth. We've heard it today.

And Lord, I pray today that we would not just

be hearers, but God, we be doers today. And I

pray that be those today that would respond Lord to

your word. Say Lord, lead us now in this invitation.

We pray some need to come to this altar and

pray for their ones. I pray they be those that

do that. Or I pray they be those who would

may go home and say, God, I need to learn

your scripture better. I don't know it like I should,

but I want to be prepared. I pray they'd be

those to do that. I pray they'd be those and said,

you know what, I've got to straighten up some things

in my life because because my life is not really

reflecting you Jesus. Today I pray thee be those who say, Lord,

help me be the man of God, the woman of

God you've called me to be. That I might Lord

create a hunger and people and the lost one lost

people in my life, a hunger for you through my life. Lord.

I pray they'd be those if they're here today rejected

you because of jealousy, or rejected you because of they're

rejecting your authority. I pray THEE be those who would

surrender lord to you today. Lord lead us now in

this time of prayer. You name, we pray Amen A

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