Sunday, October 28, 2012
Acts 18-19 - The Power Of The Baptism In The Holy Spirit
Acts 18-19 - The Power Of The Baptism In The Holy Spirit this message was given on 10-21-12
Acts 18 - A Powerful Church & Powerful Letters to the Church (notes)
Acts 18 - A
Powerful Church & Powerful Letters to the Church
Most People agree that Luke wrote Acts and the Gospel of Luke. In Acts
he told how the good news about Jesus Christ spread to the world beyond
Jerusalem. The book of Acts is a case study in world missions. It is also a
model for Revival. If you study revival you will find that the book of Acts is
relived and revisited in that outpouring.
Today we will be introduced to some individuals who became part of
the ministry team that spread the Gospel, help plant churches all over the
world and worked with Paul.
Since The City of Corinth is introduced in this chapter let’s take a look
at this large city. It was a city state and located roughly half way between
Athens and Sparta. It was a major commerce center, a port city that connected
major trade routes. Corinth was also a very vile city.
The Difference Between
Athens and Corinth
- Athens was a small city of about 10,000 people while Corinth was a city of over 200,000 people.
- Athens was an intellectual & cultural center while Corinth was a commerce center that had sea trade to the Ionian Sea on the West and the Aegean Sea on the east.
- In Athens Paul ministered alone (except for a short visit by Timothy) but in Corinth he had a ministry team.
- In Athens Paul focused on Gentile philosophers while in Corinth on Gentile God fearers.
- In Athens Paul displayed brilliance in human wisdom in Corinth he ministered with displays of supernatural power.
- In Athens the Word overshadowed deeds, but in Corinth deeds supported & confirmed the Word.
- In Athens he produced little fruit while evangelistic ministry in Corinth produced a great harvest.
Paul Ministered in Corinth for about two years and he saw many people come
to Jesus and established a powerful church there. Paul wrote two powerful
letters to the believers in Corinth with some powerful revelations.
Strongholds That Existed
In Corinth
- Poseidon (Neptune in Latin) was also worshiped in Athens but more so in Corinth. This was the god of sea & Corinth had two sea ports located on an Isthmus (a narrow strip of land with sea on either side forming a link between two larger areas of land.) The sea was the source of it great wealth. Poseidon would have promised lucrative commerce in exchange for worship & sacrifice.
- Aphrodite (Venice in Latin) the god of free love had a temple on top of an 1,800 foot high mountain in Corinth. It had 1,000 slave girls who served as temple prostitutes available to all who would glorify Aphrodite and agree to serve her.
In Corinth
- Society itself promoted sexual immorality. At the time of Paul to Corinthianize meant to fornicate.
- Paul wrote 1st & 2nd Thessalonians in Corinth.
- Paul wrote the letter to the Romans six years later from Corinth.
- God gave the Apostle Paul some of the most powerful revelations to the church.
- God added to the ministry team of Paul and they worked together spreading the Gospel to the Roman Empire and beyond.
Timothy &
Silas arrive in Corinth. The last time Paul had seen them together
was when he was fleeing for his life from Berea. Athens was not on Paul agenda
he just arrived there on ship after fleeing Berea. In Acts 18:5 it says that
Silas & Timothy had come from Macedonia.
The Chief Centers
- Of Christian ministry were in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Silas & Timothy brought two things, money from those churches and good news. (2 Cor. 11:9).
- The Lord used the Macedonian churches to be of great encouragement to Paul, with their offerings and how they were progressing in the Lord.
The Reason the Jews would get so upset with the message of Paul was
because they were taught the Law, you have to do all these things to be right
with God. The message of the Gospel is that you don’t have to do anything but
believe in Jesus Christ to be welcomed into God’s presence.
Three Key
- People became followers of Jesus Christ at this time. Crispus, Justus (Gaius) and Sosthenes the one who succeeded Crispus as president of the Synagogue. Paul baptized all of these three men.
- God spoke to Paul, “don’t be afraid, but speak, don’t keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you or hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
Acts 18 - A Powerful Church & Powerful Letters to the Church
Acts 18 - A Powerful Church & Powerful Letters to the Church this message was given on 10-14-12
Acts 17 - Planting Churches (notes)
Acts 17 - Planting
Churches
One of the main
Roles of the apostle Paul was to plant churches throughout
the Roman Empire.
In This Chapter
Paul and his team end up in Thessalonica, a city in
Macedonia just west of Philippi where Paul & Silas lead the Philippian
jailer and his family to the Lord.
Paul Went To The
Synagogue
And for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the
scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and
rise again from the dead and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you
is the Christ.” and some of them were persuaded and joined Paul & Silas,
along with a large number of the God fearing Greeks and a number of leading
women.
There was
opposition to Paul and his team
The Jews became jealous and took some vile men from the
market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar and attacked the house
of Jason. They didn’t find Paul and took Jason and some believers before the city officials and told them that
they had upset the people by saying that there was another king other than
Caesar named Jesus.
The Message says
They made Jason and his friends post heavy bail and let them
go while they investigated the charges.
What Paul Said
About The Believers in Thessalonica
I Thess. 1:7-10 Do you know that all over the provinces
of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten
around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but
all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out.
Everywhere Paul
Went
- Either a revival broke out or a riot. This is because the Gospel is the great separator. It separates all other religions from the truth.
- There is no other way to God.
- Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The amazing Berean
believers are mentioned here:
- Acts 17:11 Lexham English Bible (LEB) Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures everyday to see if these things were so.
- Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there.
- Is the next stop but here Paul sees the intense idolatry of the city. But he went to the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews and the God fearing Gentiles and in the market place everyday with anyone who was there. Paul also talks with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Paul preached Jesus & His resurrection.
- The message of the Gospel is always the best way to destroy spiritual strongholds in a community.
The Areopagus
Is the result of Ares, northwest of Acropolis in Athens. In
classical times functioned as the high Court of Appeals for criminal cases in
Athens. Ares was supposed to have been tried here by the gods for the murder of
Poseidon’s son Alirrothios. In Greek the word pagos means big piece of rock.
Later, the Romans referred to the rock hill as “Mars Hill” after Mars, the
Roman god of War. It was here that the alter to the Unknown God was.
They Took Paul
Into custody and brought him to the council on Mars Hill.
What is this new teaching? Can we learn what you are talking about? Paul then
talks about the altar with the inscription, “To An Unknown God.” And preaches
the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them. (Acts 17:22-31) Some believed among them were
Dionysuis the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Acts 15-16 - Second Missionary Journey (notes)
Acts 15-16 - Second
Missionary Journey
The Missionary
Journeys of Paul…
Are some of the most amazing events in history. The early
church was breaking new ground at this time. They have just completed their
first Mission Journey and now are ready to start on a new adventure in God’s
work.
What is The Spirit
Saying To The Church Today?
How we deal with disagreement is very critical to how we
represent the Kingdom of God in any situation. Paul & Barnabas have a
disagreement about John Mark whom according to Paul had flaked out on him in
Pamphylia. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. Paul & Silas
went to Syria & Cilicia strengthening the churches.
Acts 15:36-41
What Can We Learn
About Disagreement?
Did they handle their differences well? Probably not. Did
they handle every situation in the right way? No! How about us, neither do we.
As long as we want to see Jesus glorified we will handle
conflict in the right way.
What We Find Here The breakthrough of God in the realm of breaking down wall
of differences between cultures, ethnic groups or people groups.
Paul’s Priority
Was To See People Saved even when people were preaching the Gospel out of contention
with Paul, he said, I don’t care what the motives are, all I know is that the
Gospel is preached and people are saved.
The Church Grows in Lystra Paul meets Timothy, who had a Jewish believing
mother and a Greek father. Timothy had a great reputation in the church so Paul
made him part of his team. As they passed through the cities the ministry team
gave the believers the message from the Jerusalem Council. The churches were
strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. This is God’s desire
for us, for believers to be saved daily. This will happen through you.
Acts 16:16
The Vision
The team is forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word
in Asia (Turkey). They visited Mysia and on their way to Bithynia but the
Spirit stopped them. They then went to Troas. Paul has a vision of a man of
Macedonia pleading with him to come and help.
The Team
- Sets out to sea from Troas through Samothrace and then to Neapolis then to Philippi, the leading city of Macedonia, A Roman colony.
- On the Sabbath they go to the river outside the city and spoke to the woman who was there.
- A woman named Lydia from Thyatira, a business woman who worshiped God was intently listening. Her and her family were baptized. The team stay at her house.
- Was going to prayer when a slave girl with a spirit of divination met the team. Her owners made much money by her fortune-telling. For many days she would say “These men are bond servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” Paul cast the demon out of her.
- Were brought into the market place before the rulers and the chief magistrates. They made some poor charges against them, beat them & threw them into prison.
Paul & Silas
- Are placed in the inner prison (the most secure part) and in stocks.
- At midnight are praying & worshiping God while the other prisoners heard them. Then a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison and all the doors were opened. The jailer was going to kill himself, thinking they had escaped. Paul tells him not to harm himself. He asks them, “What must I do to be saved?”
The Famous Words
- Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your house. They share the Gospel with them and they believe. The jailer washes their wounds in the middle of the night and he & his family were baptized.
- The jailer took them into his house and offered food to them and the whole house rejoiced in finding faith in God.
The Holy Spirit
- Moved in the early church in amazing ways and wants to move in amazing ways in our lives today. We need to be hungry for God to move like that today. If we are not hungry for a move of God it will not happen to us. It might happen here but those who aren't hungry for God will miss out.
- Don’t miss out on what the Spirit has for you. Be hungry for it and amazing things will happen.
Acts 15-16 - Second Missionary Journey
Acts 15-16 - Second Missionary Journey this message was given on 9-30-12
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