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The gospel transformed a former persecutor into a tireless missionary who refused to stay comfortably in the tool shed while the harvest waited—what drove Paul to keep going through beatings, stonings, and mobs? In Thessalonica and Berea, two cities heard the same message of a suffering and risen Christ, yet one erupted in jealous hostility while the other responded with noble eagerness. What does this sharp contrast reveal about the power of God's word to disrupt society and the daily habit that marks true followers today?
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/the-mob-mentality
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📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/the-mob-mentality
#mlcc #church #churchonline
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LearningTranscript
00:00So this author, I wish I had his name, but I think he's talking about his particular church
00:05himself. So he's describing his church. So again, if I had the name, I'd give it to you. I'm not
00:10sure who it is, but he's describing his church. And this is what he said. He said,
00:15many churches today remind me of a laboring crew trying to gather in a harvest while they sit in
00:21the tool shed. They go to the tool shed every Sunday and they study bigger and better methods
00:27of agriculture, sharpen their hose, grease their tractors, and then get up and go home.
00:33Then they come back that night, study bigger and better methods of agriculture, sharpen their hose,
00:39grease their tractors, and go home again. Then they come back on Wednesday night and again study bigger
00:44and better methods of agriculture, sharpen their hose, grease their tractors, and get up and go
00:48home. They do this week in and week out, year in and year out, and nobody ever goes out into the field
00:55to gather in the harvest.
00:59He said, you can't gather in the harvest
01:01while sitting in the tool shed.
01:04Somebody's got to go out into the fields
01:06and work if the harvest is to be saved.
01:09And we've been looking at the apostle Paul
01:11and Silas and Luke and Timothy
01:13and all these guys.
01:14And Paul in particular,
01:15he was not a guy that sat in the tool shed.
01:18He got out because he knew the harvest was great.
01:21The fields were wide unto harvest
01:22and he knew that God had called him
01:24to go out and witness mostly to the Gentiles,
01:28to be the apostle, to the uncircumcised,
01:30to witness.
01:31He didn't stay in the tool shed.
01:33He was just one man.
01:35You say, well, what can one man actually do?
01:38Edward Everhow once said,
01:40I am only one, but I am one.
01:43I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
01:46And because I cannot do everything,
01:47I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
01:52Paul says, I can't do it all,
01:53but I'm doing what God has called me to do.
01:55And that is to go preach the gospel
01:57to all of these places.
01:58And he experiences all of these things
02:00that are happening to him
02:01that we've been reading about
02:02in the book of Acts so far.
02:04He was willing to go and do what God called him to do,
02:07even though he was only one man.
02:09And I was thinking about it this week.
02:10And we talked about,
02:12he was run out of Damascus
02:14when he first got saved.
02:15He had to go out of the window
02:16and let down by a basket to the ground.
02:18And then he was,
02:20they threw rocks at him at Lystra
02:21and killed and left him outside the city as dead.
02:23He wasn't dead.
02:24He gets back up and goes inside.
02:25We just read at Philippi,
02:27he's beaten with rods.
02:28And I'm thinking to myself,
02:29why does he keep going?
02:32I mean, why you've been escorted out of town
02:35because a mob wants to kill you, first of all.
02:38Someone threw rocks at you so hard,
02:39they thought you were dead.
02:41And then they beat you with rods
02:42and threw you into prison.
02:43Why would you continue to go?
02:45And the thought that came into my head was this.
02:48He was one who had persecuted the church of God
02:51and brought people to death.
02:53And when Jesus Christ redeemed them
02:55on the road to Damascus,
02:56his heart was so full of gratitude,
02:58he could do nothing else.
03:01He was so grateful that God took him
03:03from being a murderer of God's people
03:06to one who proclaimed the gospel
03:08and saw people harvested in.
03:10Has to be part of it.
03:12Just as heart full of gratitude.
03:14That's what kept him going.
03:15And he knew that God had called him,
03:16although one person,
03:18to do this work.
03:20So as we come to chapter 17 of the book of Acts,
03:22hopefully you have your Bible with you.
03:23You can open and take a look.
03:24If not, there's one in the chair in front of you.
03:26But this is God's word.
03:27We want to look at it together.
03:29We're going to see two churches.
03:30And what we're going to see is this.
03:31Faithfulness to the word of God
03:33has the power to create radical social upheaval.
03:37And believers must search this powerful word daily
03:39to discern the will of God.
03:41Two separate churches, two separate events
03:44wrapped up in this thought right now
03:47that the gospel has the ability
03:48to radically transform a society
03:51when believers are living out their faith.
03:53It makes a difference in this world.
03:57We see the missionary team preaching
03:59in two separate cities.
04:01Both of them, it starts off good.
04:03I mean, both of them,
04:03the reception is good at first,
04:06three Sabbaths at Thessalonica,
04:08at first in Berea,
04:09the welcome is great.
04:10And then it turns hostile.
04:13It turns deadly at a certain point
04:15in both of the cities.
04:17Now, if you remember last,
04:19they just came from Philippi.
04:20They came from Philippi.
04:22And at Philippi, they,
04:25you can look at the map up there.
04:26So they went from Troas over to Neopolis.
04:28And then they were at Philippi last week.
04:30That's where they were beaten
04:31and thrown into prison.
04:32After they got out of prison,
04:34they went back to Lydia's house.
04:35They strengthened the believers.
04:36Then they left and you notice that you'll see
04:37up on top left Thessalonica.
04:39So they head off to Thessalonica
04:41and then we'll end today when they're in Berea.
04:43But he writes in first Thessalonians,
04:44he says this,
04:46but though we had already suffered
04:47and been shamefully treated at Philippi,
04:49as you know,
04:50we had boldness in our God
04:52to declare to you the gospel of God
04:54in the midst of much conflict.
04:56So they leave Philippi after being beaten.
04:58You imagine they're still bruised.
05:00It still hurts.
05:02I mean, you ever run into a table
05:04or stubbed your toe
05:05and for weeks the thing hurts?
05:07I'll leave a mark.
05:08Well, I'm sure they had marks on them.
05:10So they're beaten at Philippi.
05:12They moved down to Thessalonica.
05:15So that's where we find ourselves
05:16in verse number one of chapter 17.
05:18They're moving to the city of Thessalonica.
05:22So now when they had passed through Amphipolis
05:25and Apollina,
05:26they came to Thessalonica
05:28where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
05:30Typical pattern of Paul.
05:31He would go in and preach at the synagogue.
05:34And Paul went in
05:35and as was his custom
05:36and on three Sabbath days,
05:38he reasoned with them from the scripture,
05:41explaining and proving
05:43that it was necessary for the Christ
05:45to suffer and to rise from the dead
05:47and saying,
05:48this Jesus whom I proclaim to you
05:50is the Christ.
05:51So you remember,
05:52there isn't a New Testament at this time.
05:54He's opening up what we know
05:56as the Old Testament at this time
05:57to show them
05:58the Messiah had to suffer.
06:00It was a divine must
06:01and he must rise again from the dead.
06:04So he was showing them
06:05out of the Old Testament.
06:06He was proving it to them,
06:07explaining it to them.
06:09Verse four.
06:11And some of them
06:12in the synagogue
06:13were persuaded
06:14and joined Paul and Silas
06:15as did a great many
06:17of the devout Greeks.
06:18So that's God-fearing Greeks
06:19and not a few of the leading women.
06:22So that phrase,
06:22not a few is so awkward.
06:24It simply means a lot.
06:26Not a few means
06:26there was a lot of the leading women
06:28that came to faith.
06:29So not a few means a lot.
06:31Okay?
06:31Not a few of the leading women.
06:33But,
06:34there's a transition here.
06:37Contrast.
06:38But the Jews,
06:39that's the Jewish religious leaders,
06:40were jealous.
06:42And taking some of the wicked men
06:43of the rabble,
06:45they formed a mob,
06:47set the city in an uproar,
06:49and attacked the house of Jason.
06:51This is like a 200,000 man city.
06:53There's a lot of people in this city.
06:55They set the city in an uproar
06:57and attacked the house of Jason.
06:59Now, probably,
07:00I'm guessing they're staying
07:01at Jason's house
07:01or there's some connection to Jason
07:03because they go immediately
07:03to Jason's house.
07:05Seeking to bring them,
07:06that's the missionaries,
07:07out to the crowd.
07:09And when they could not find them,
07:11they were somewhere else,
07:12they dragged Jason
07:13and some of the brothers,
07:14other believers,
07:15before the city authorities,
07:16shouting,
07:17these men who have turned
07:19the world upside down
07:20have come here also.
07:22And Jason has received them,
07:24bad guy.
07:25And they are,
07:26that's my commentary,
07:27by the way,
07:27and they are all acting
07:28against the decrees of Caesar
07:30saying that there is another king,
07:32Jesus.
07:33That's sedition.
07:35That's sedition.
07:36That's treason.
07:38And the people
07:38and the city authorities
07:40were disturbed
07:40when they heard these things,
07:42rightly so.
07:43And when they had taken money
07:45as a security from Jason
07:46and the rest,
07:47they let them go.
07:48That's Jason and the brothers
07:49because Paul and Silo,
07:51we don't know
07:51where they're at right now.
07:52So they moved
07:54from the Philippi
07:57to Thessalonica,
07:57about a hundred miles.
07:58Would take them
07:59a several days journey
08:00on foot,
08:01maybe shorter
08:01on horses.
08:04But we're talking
08:05about a few nights
08:05overnight
08:05as they're traveling
08:06down to Philippi.
08:08Thessalonica
08:08is the second largest city
08:10in Greece.
08:11It's like 200,000 people.
08:12It's a big city.
08:13So Paul was known
08:15to pick
08:15huge metropolitan areas.
08:17He would go in
08:18and evangelize them
08:18and then he would say
08:19it's your responsibility
08:20to evangelize
08:21the surrounding towns
08:22and villages.
08:23So he went to the major
08:24metropolitan places
08:25and said it's your responsibility
08:27to go out.
08:28And it happened well
08:28in Thessalonica.
08:30They did just that.
08:321 Thessalonians 1.8 says,
08:33For not only has the word
08:34of the Lord
08:35sounded forth from you
08:36and Macedonia
08:37and Achaia,
08:38but your faith in God
08:39has gone forth everywhere
08:40so that we need
08:41not to say anything.
08:42So they were doing
08:43exactly what he wanted
08:43them to do
08:44is evangelize
08:45the metropolitan area
08:46and let the believers
08:47reach the surrounding
08:49cities and villages.
08:49Makes good sense.
08:51Makes good sense.
08:52Thessalonica was a free city
08:54which means they were
08:55given the right
08:55of self-governing.
08:56They're under Roman rule,
08:57yes, but they have
08:58full authority
08:59to govern themselves.
09:00They're a free city.
09:01And that's why
09:02this accusation
09:04of sedition
09:04is serious
09:05to the city officials.
09:09While in Thessalonica,
09:10Paul then
09:11worked as a tent maker.
09:12He worked his trade.
09:13And you say,
09:14well, how do you know that?
09:15Doesn't say in the text.
09:16Well, he told us
09:16in 1 Thessalonians
09:17that's exactly what he did.
09:181 Thessalonians 2.9
09:20For you remember,
09:21brothers,
09:21our labor and toil
09:22we worked night and day
09:24that we might not be
09:25a burden to any of you
09:26while we proclaim
09:27to you the gospel of God.
09:28So while he's in Thessalonica,
09:30he's doing his tent trade too.
09:31He's making tents.
09:32So he's there
09:33for a little period of time,
09:34more than three weeks.
09:35It looks like just three weeks.
09:36It's more than that actually.
09:38He followed his normal plan
09:40of preaching first
09:40in the synagogues.
09:41Paul did.
09:42He went to the synagogue first
09:43and then he would go
09:44to the Gentiles after that.
09:45But he Jew first
09:46and then the Gentile.
09:47That was his practice.
09:49He reasoned with the Jews
09:50and those in the synagogue
09:51about the death
09:52and resurrection of Jesus.
09:54Those two aspects,
09:55which is interesting.
09:56He focused on the death
09:58and the resurrection
09:59of the Messiah
09:59and pointing that
10:00this Jesus is the Messiah
10:01that I'm proclaiming to you.
10:03He explained it to them.
10:05The word is means
10:06he opened it up to them.
10:07The idea was that
10:08their understanding
10:10could be opened up
10:10that the Spirit of God
10:11could work on them.
10:12He explained it to them.
10:14That word opened
10:15is used in three other passages here.
10:17Let me just show you
10:17the exact same words.
10:18The idea of opening up
10:20to understand.
10:21And they said to Luke 24,
10:2324 and Acts 16,
10:24they said to each other,
10:25did not our hearts
10:26burn within us
10:27while he talked with us
10:28on the road?
10:29That's the two
10:29on the way to Emmaus.
10:30While he opened
10:32to us the scriptures,
10:33he explained it
10:34with the idea
10:35of understanding.
10:36That's what the word opened.
10:36He opened,
10:37he explained it
10:38with the idea
10:38of understanding.
10:3920 of verse 45,
10:41then he opened their minds
10:42to understand the scriptures.
10:44And then Acts 16
10:45with Lydia,
10:45we see one who had heard us
10:47was a woman named Lydia
10:48from the city of Thyatira,
10:49a seller of purple goods,
10:50who was a worshiper of God.
10:51The Lord opened her heart
10:53to pay attention
10:54to what was said by Paul.
10:55Same exact word.
10:56He's opening up
10:57for their understanding
10:58to realize that the Messiah
10:59was spoken about
11:00in the Old Testament
11:01of dying
11:02and raising again.
11:04And this one is Jesus
11:05whom I proclaim to you.
11:07So Paul set forth
11:08before the Thessalonians
11:09one Old Testament proof
11:11after another.
11:12He just piled
11:12one after another
11:13saying,
11:14here, look at this,
11:15here, look at this,
11:15here, look at this,
11:16here, look at this.
11:16He just kept piling it on.
11:18Saying, here,
11:19this proves
11:19that he is the Messiah.
11:21It proves
11:22that he had to suffer
11:23a divine must.
11:25He didn't come
11:25just to give us
11:26good teaching,
11:27which he did.
11:27He came to suffer
11:28for us and die.
11:30The divine must,
11:31he had to suffer.
11:33It was all out
11:34throughout the Old Testament.
11:35Think of Isaiah 53.
11:37Isaiah 53,
11:38the Messiah must suffer.
11:40He had to,
11:41it was a divine must.
11:42I mean,
11:43that's the same message
11:43Jesus was preaching too
11:44that he had to come
11:45and suffer.
11:46Luke 9, 22,
11:48saying,
11:49the Son of Man
11:49must suffer many things
11:51and be rejected
11:52by the elders
11:52and chief priests
11:53and scribes
11:54and be killed
11:54and on the third day
11:55be raised.
11:56It's the exact same message
11:57Jesus preached.
11:58He's preaching
11:58the same message.
12:00And these ones
12:01coming to faith,
12:02some of the Jews,
12:02but many Gentiles
12:04came to faith.
12:04In fact,
12:05many if not most
12:06of the converts
12:07were Gentiles.
12:08A lot of Gentiles
12:09came to faith.
12:10The Jews,
12:11a few,
12:11but not so many
12:12more Gentiles
12:12came to faith,
12:13especially leading women.
12:14Lots of them
12:14came to faith.
12:15We know that
12:16in 1 Thessalonians 1, 9,
12:18for they themselves
12:18report concerning us
12:20the kind of reception
12:21we had among you
12:22and how you turned
12:23to God from idols
12:24to serve the living
12:25and true God.
12:25Many of them
12:26were Gentiles
12:26that came to faith.
12:27Some Jews,
12:28but many of them
12:28were Gentiles.
12:29And the missionary
12:31team preached
12:31three Sabbaths
12:33in the synagogues
12:34and after that
12:34they basically
12:35were banned
12:35from the synagogue.
12:36They couldn't
12:36preach anymore.
12:36So only three Sabbaths,
12:38but they went out
12:38probably to Jason's house
12:40or somewhere else
12:41and they kept teaching
12:42all the time things.
12:44So they stayed
12:44more than three days
12:45or three weeks,
12:47much more than three weeks.
12:48Another way we know
12:49why they stayed
12:49more than three weeks
12:50is that the church
12:51at Philippi
12:52sent two special offerings
12:53to Paul
12:54while he was
12:55in Thessalonica.
12:56That takes time.
12:57Look at Philippians 4.
12:59And you Philippians
13:00yourselves know
13:01that in the beginning
13:02of the gospel
13:02when I left Macedonia,
13:04no church entered
13:05into partnership
13:05with me in giving
13:06and receiving
13:07except you only.
13:09Even in Thessalonica,
13:10you sent me help
13:11for my needs
13:11once and again.
13:13So at least twice
13:14they sent him help.
13:15So he stayed there
13:16more than three weeks,
13:17a considerable more time
13:19than three weeks.
13:22And after they preached
13:23this message
13:24of hope
13:25and salvation
13:26and peace
13:27with God,
13:29what do the Jews
13:30do,
13:30the religious Jews?
13:32They are mad.
13:34They're furious mad.
13:37Why?
13:38I don't,
13:38why would you be jealous
13:39of something like that?
13:41I don't know,
13:41maybe because they're
13:42stealing people
13:43from the synagogue.
13:43You know,
13:44jealousy is the fear
13:45that someone,
13:46something which we possess
13:47will be taken away
13:47by others.
13:48Maybe.
13:49But they become jealous
13:50of the team
13:51so much so
13:52that jealous
13:53has turned
13:53into hostility.
13:56So they go
13:56to the marketplace
13:57and they find
13:58wicked men
13:59of the rabble.
14:01It's a phrase.
14:02It means they're
14:03ill-bred,
14:05coarse,
14:06class,
14:07loafers
14:07who frequent
14:09the marketplace.
14:11They,
14:12they,
14:12they were people
14:13that didn't have a job
14:14and would hang around
14:15the marketplace
14:15and they would
14:17cause problems.
14:18Lazy,
14:19good for nothing
14:20we would say.
14:21You should be working
14:22during the daytime
14:23but these rabble rousers,
14:24no,
14:24they just hung around
14:25the marketplace.
14:26They were,
14:26they were coarse,
14:27they were loafers.
14:31They were,
14:31they were people
14:32that wouldn't work.
14:35So this act of resistance
14:36from this,
14:37this rabble,
14:38it turned into a mob.
14:40It wasn't just like
14:41they got this rabble
14:41and all of a sudden
14:42they're doing a little bit
14:43of hostility.
14:43They turned the city
14:44into a riot.
14:46A mob is an interesting
14:47thing.
14:48There's a great book,
14:48actually it's a PDF
14:49on the psychology
14:50of a mob.
14:51Fascinating.
14:52I think it's written
14:52in the late 19th century
14:54but it's really interesting
14:56that a normal person
14:58in his normal activities
14:59would do certain
15:00normal things
15:01but once you get
15:02into a mob,
15:03all of a sudden
15:04mob mentality,
15:05you take over
15:06the mob mentality
15:07and you find yourself
15:07doing things
15:08you wouldn't normally do.
15:09That's what the mob does.
15:13Bill,
15:13Bill Buffard said
15:14the crowd is in all of us.
15:16It isn't an instinct
15:17or a need
15:18but for most of us
15:19the crowd holds out
15:20certain essential attractions.
15:22It is like an appetite
15:24something in which
15:25dark satisfactions
15:26can be found.
15:28Mob violence
15:28has less to do
15:29with poverty
15:30or oppression
15:30he believes
15:31than with abandoning
15:33individual will
15:34to the larger
15:35ominous power
15:36of the crowd.
15:37People wouldn't normally
15:38do certain things.
15:39You get them in a mob
15:40they are going to do them.
15:41They're acting contrary
15:42to the way they normally act.
15:43That's what the mob does.
15:45It sucks you right in
15:46this mob mortality.
15:48So they just
15:49hey,
15:51we've been watching mobs
15:52for the last several weeks
15:53on television
15:53haven't we?
15:54We've seen it.
15:55We've seen people
15:56that probably
15:57would never do
15:58some of the things
15:59that they're doing
16:00inside of the mob
16:01are automatically
16:01doing things
16:02that the mob is doing.
16:03They wouldn't normally
16:04do that
16:04but they're sucked into it.
16:06We saw that the mob
16:08attacked a home
16:09two suites
16:10thinking that the federal
16:11agents were there.
16:11They trashed the foyer.
16:13They broke windows.
16:14They spray painted
16:15all over the place
16:16simply because they thought
16:17federal agents
16:18were in the building
16:18and the mob rushed in
16:19and attacked.
16:20It was a violent thing.
16:22Why?
16:23Because they lose their mind
16:24in a mob
16:25for some reason.
16:26Mob mentality
16:27takes over.
16:29So they were lodging
16:30apparently with Jason
16:31because that's where
16:31the city went to find them
16:32was at Jason's house
16:33and they brought up
16:35three charges.
16:36They couldn't find
16:36the missionaries
16:36but they brought up
16:37three charges
16:38of the missionaries.
16:39The first charge
16:40is this
16:40is that they're troublemakers.
16:42They're troublemakers.
16:44They're stirring up
16:45sedition in our city.
16:47Political agitators
16:48if you want to say it
16:49like that.
16:50They're troublemakers.
16:53The charge
16:54with it
16:54the missionaries
16:54were causing
16:55a radical
16:56social upheaval
16:57and the phrase is
16:59they turn the world
17:00upside down.
17:01That's what it means.
17:02A radical
17:03social upheaval
17:05and isn't it true
17:06when the gospel message
17:07comes into an area
17:08and people believe
17:09the gospel
17:09and live the gospel out
17:10it changes society.
17:13I remember a place
17:14that the churches
17:15were praying
17:17against a brothel
17:18that came to town
17:19and they were praying
17:20that the brothel
17:20would shut down
17:21and one of the pastors
17:23started preaching
17:23revival evangelistic sermons
17:25and most of the town
17:27came to faith
17:27and guess what?
17:28The brothel shut down.
17:30we have the ability
17:32to change society
17:34radical social upheaval
17:36in the sense of righteousness
17:37and good.
17:39That's what their complaint was.
17:40They're troublemakers.
17:41Second is
17:42they're acting against
17:43the decrees of Caesar.
17:46Judaism was a known religion.
17:47Christianity was a
17:48was an illegal religion
17:50in that day.
17:50It was not accepted by Rome.
17:52So to preach Christ
17:53was a crime against Rome.
17:55And the third one
17:57and probably the most
17:59serious one is
17:59there is another king
18:01other than Caesar.
18:03That's sedition.
18:05That's treason.
18:06That's why the city officials
18:07couldn't tolerate this
18:08because they could lose
18:09their status as a free city
18:10if they allowed
18:11this sort of sedition
18:12to take place
18:13in their city.
18:16The accusation
18:17was the same one
18:18that Jesus received
18:18that he was disturbing
18:19the peace
18:20and promoting treason.
18:22Luke 23.
18:23And they begin
18:25to accuse him
18:25that's Jesus
18:26saying
18:27we found this man
18:28misleading our nation
18:29and forbidding us
18:30to give tribute
18:31to Caesar
18:32and saying that
18:33he himself is Christ
18:34a king.
18:35Exact same accusation.
18:37Troublemakers
18:38rabble rousers
18:40there's another king
18:41other than Caesar.
18:42Exact same message.
18:44This is a serious accusation.
18:48The charges
18:48sedition against
18:49the emperor
18:50could not go
18:51unnoticed.
18:51Serious.
18:54If the emperor
18:55found out
18:55they would lose
18:56their status
18:56as a free city
18:57for sure
18:58that Jesus
18:59is king
19:00was the message.
19:01John R. Stott
19:02said
19:02the kingship of Jesus
19:04was unavoidable
19:05political implications
19:06or has unavoidable
19:08political implications
19:09since
19:09as his loyal subject
19:11we must refuse
19:12to give to any ruler
19:14or ideology
19:15the supreme homage
19:16and total obedience
19:18which we are due
19:19which are due
19:19to him alone.
19:20he alone
19:21deserves our top
19:22allegiance
19:23of all
19:24before anything else
19:25our allegiance
19:26is to him
19:27he is our king
19:28and to preach
19:29that was sedition
19:30in Thessalonica.
19:32Jesus is king
19:33must have been part
19:34of Paul's preaching
19:35while he was preaching
19:35in Thessalonica
19:36that part of it
19:37because that was
19:38their accusation
19:38against him
19:39that Jesus was king
19:40that's sedition.
19:43Well let's see
19:44let's go to
19:441st Thessalonians
19:45and 2nd Thessalonians
19:46and see
19:47did he talk about
19:48this kind of stuff
19:49he talked about
19:50the coming of Christ
19:51the parousia
19:52is what the word is
19:53the coming of Christ
19:54he talked about it
19:54six times
19:55in 1st Thessalonians
19:56let me give you
19:57just two here
19:582.19 and 3.13
20:01but what is our hope
20:03or joy
20:03or crown of boasting
20:04before our Lord Jesus
20:06at his coming
20:07his parousia
20:08is it not you?
20:10so he's talking
20:11about the coming of Christ
20:11the parousia of Christ
20:133.13
20:14so that we may
20:15establish your hearts
20:16blameless and holiness
20:17before our God
20:18and Father
20:18at the coming
20:19the parousia
20:20of our Lord Jesus Christ
20:22with all his saints
20:22you say
20:23well what
20:23what big is that?
20:24well the word parousia
20:25actually has a very
20:26important meaning
20:27it's more than just
20:29he came
20:29it's a bigger word
20:30than that
20:31matter of fact
20:32it's defined like this
20:33in the theological
20:34lexicon of the
20:35New Testament
20:36in the Hellenistic period
20:38it refers
20:38except in commonplace
20:40uses
20:40either to a divine
20:41manifestation
20:42or the formal
20:44visit of a sovereign
20:46his joyous entry
20:47into a city
20:48that honors him
20:49as a God
20:50so when Paul's
20:51talking about
20:51the parousia
20:52of Jesus Christ
20:53what's he saying?
20:53God's gonna come
20:54back and be with us
20:55oh that's dangerous
20:57stuff
20:57that's dangerous
20:59that's sedition
21:00there's another king
21:01other than Caesar
21:01so we talked about
21:03the coming of Christ
21:04the parousia
21:05where the divine
21:06comes back
21:07Jesus comes back
21:08but he also talked
21:09about the kingdom
21:10Paul preached
21:11Jesus as king
21:12a direct attack
21:13on the sovereignty
21:14of Caesar
21:151 Thessalonians
21:16again
21:162
21:17for you know
21:18how like a father
21:19with his children
21:20we exhorted
21:21each one of you
21:22and encourage you
21:23and charge you
21:24to walk
21:24in a manner
21:25worthy of God
21:26who calls you
21:27into his own
21:28kingdom
21:29and glory
21:30there is a kingdom
21:31here
21:32well it's not
21:32Caesar's kingdom
21:33it's God's kingdom
21:35and 2 1 5
21:37this is evidence
21:37of the righteous
21:38judgment of God
21:39that you may be
21:39considered worthy
21:40of the kingdom
21:41of God
21:42for which you
21:42are also suffering
21:43you can see
21:44why the accusation
21:44was brought to them
21:45they're preaching
21:45another king
21:46other than Caesar
21:47because Paul
21:48talked about it
21:49all the time
21:49in Thessalonica
21:50and to defy Caesar
21:52would be complete
21:53sedition
21:53that would be
21:55complete sedition
21:56so Paul and Silas
21:58are in a sense
21:59accused of high
22:00treason
22:01against Caesar
22:02serious accusation
22:04the word is used
22:06the word upside down
22:08is turn the world
22:09upside down
22:09that phrase
22:10is used again
22:11in Acts 21
22:12that talks about
22:13high treason
22:13Acts 21 38
22:15are you not
22:17the Egyptian
22:17then who recently
22:18stirred up
22:19that's the word
22:20turned the world
22:21upside down
22:21upside down
22:22stirred up a revolt
22:23and led the 4,000 men
22:25of the assassins
22:26out into the wilderness
22:26exact same word
22:27so it's the idea
22:29that's attached
22:29to a revolt
22:30they were revolting
22:31against Caesar
22:32and the city
22:32couldn't put up
22:33with that
22:33and it was the Jews
22:35who were disturbing
22:36the peace
22:36not the Christians
22:37Christians weren't
22:39disturbing the peace
22:39it was the Jewish
22:40religious leaders
22:41that were disturbing
22:41the peace
22:42and somewhere
22:44the missionary team
22:45goes
22:45we don't know
22:45where they go
22:46they don't find
22:47them
22:47they find Jason
22:48but they don't
22:49find Paul
22:49and Silas
22:50and Timothy
22:51Luke again
22:52stayed probably
22:52in Philippi
22:53so they don't
22:54find the three
22:55missionary team
22:55we don't know
22:56where they're at
22:56I don't know
22:57maybe they learned
22:57about the riot
22:58and they left
22:58the city already
22:59not sure
23:00the magistrates
23:03demanded that
23:04Paul and Silas
23:05leave town
23:06and not return
23:07and if they were
23:08to return
23:08there's going
23:09to be severe
23:09penalties
23:10and they made
23:11Jason give a bond
23:13in other words
23:14they're saying
23:15you are no longer
23:16allowed to enter
23:17into Thessalonica
23:19until we change
23:20our minds
23:20you are banned
23:21from the city
23:22you may not
23:23go back again
23:23and this legal
23:25ban is probably
23:26what Paul was
23:27talking about
23:27in 1 Thessalonians
23:28when he talked
23:29about this
23:29talked about
23:31this legal ban
23:32in 1 Thessalonians
23:331 Thessalonians 2
23:34but since we were
23:36torn away from you
23:37brothers for a short
23:38time
23:38in person
23:39not in heart
23:40we endeavored
23:41the more eagerly
23:42and with great desire
23:43to see you
23:44face to face
23:44because we wanted
23:45to come to you
23:46I Paul
23:47again and again
23:48but Satan
23:49hindered us
23:50that's probably
23:50what he's talking
23:51about right there
23:51this legal ban
23:53from the city
23:53magistrates
23:54about never
23:54entering the city
23:55again
23:55until we give
23:57you permission
23:57and Jason
23:58had to put up
23:58a bond
23:59for it
23:59he had to put
24:00up a bond
24:01for it
24:01he posted
24:03the bond
24:03for the
24:04missionaries
24:04religious freedom
24:06was not
24:07in Thessalonica
24:09they had no
24:10religious freedom
24:10anonymous writer
24:12was talking about
24:13this passage
24:14in Acts 17
24:151 through 9
24:15these two
24:16personal workers
24:17were persuading
24:18and converting
24:19several people
24:19there were however
24:21those who were
24:22unconvinced
24:22and they complained
24:23that the preaching
24:24was disruptive
24:25and unsettling
24:26they took their
24:27views to the
24:27authorities
24:28and ultimately
24:28the two missionaries
24:29had to flee
24:30by night
24:31they left
24:32and the writer
24:33says
24:34it might be hard
24:35for us to imagine
24:36such a thing
24:36happening today
24:37we may believe
24:38that our beloved
24:39bill of rights
24:40would protect us
24:41from such
24:41outlawing of evangelism
24:43the reality
24:44though
24:44is that the local
24:45newspaper
24:46recently reported
24:47on the front page
24:48an instance of
24:49religious freedoms
24:50in jeopardy
24:50the article
24:51is about
24:5211 year old
24:53in the norm
24:53school system
24:54who was told
24:54not to discuss
24:55the bible
24:56or pray
24:57during recess
24:58not the classroom
24:59during recess
25:01because
25:02quotation
25:02a parent
25:03had complained
25:04that it was
25:04disruptive
25:05the school district
25:07further states
25:08that the girl
25:08had
25:09infringed
25:10on the rights
25:11of other students
25:12religious freedom
25:14is at jeopardy
25:15in America
25:16as well
25:16is written
25:18into our bill
25:18of rights
25:19we have
25:19freedom of religion
25:20and the free
25:22exercise
25:22thereof
25:23not in
25:25Thessalonica
25:26pray that it
25:27doesn't happen
25:28to us
25:28here as well
25:29so they move
25:30from Thessalonica
25:31by night
25:32they go to
25:32Berea
25:33about 50 miles
25:34so a couple
25:34of days journey
25:35overnight stay
25:36maybe
25:36verses 10
25:38through 15
25:39the brothers
25:40immediately sent
25:41Paul and Silas
25:42away by night
25:43to Berea
25:43okay so again
25:44they probably
25:45knew what was
25:46coming
25:46they scurried
25:47them away
25:47they moved
25:47them away
25:48there was no
25:48reason to stand
25:49up to this
25:50they moved
25:51them out
25:51and when
25:53they arrived
25:54they went
25:54into the
25:55Jewish synagogue
25:56again that's
25:56his practice
25:57now these
25:58Jews were
25:59more noble
26:00than those
26:00in Thessalonica
26:01they received
26:03the word
26:03with all
26:04eagerness
26:04examining the
26:06scriptures daily
26:07to see if
26:08these things
26:08were so
26:09so Paul's
26:10preaching
26:10they're opening
26:11up the Old
26:12Testament
26:12they're going
26:13is that really
26:14true
26:14and they're
26:15meeting together
26:15in classes
26:16or in groups
26:17talking about
26:18hey he said
26:18this
26:19is that what
26:19the Old
26:20Testament
26:20says
26:20hey he said
26:21this
26:21is that what
26:22the Old
26:22Testament
26:22says
26:23so they're
26:23examining the
26:24scriptures daily
26:25to see if what
26:25he's saying
26:26is true
26:27okay
26:27many of them
26:29therefore believe
26:29they were convinced
26:30by the Old
26:31Testament
26:31with not a few
26:33Greek women
26:34again that just
26:34means a lot
26:35of high standing
26:36as well as men
26:37but when the
26:39Jews from Thessalonica
26:40learned that the
26:41word of God
26:41was proclaimed
26:42by Paul
26:42at Berea
26:43also
26:44they came
26:45there too
26:45what
26:46agitating
26:49and stirring
26:50up the crowds
26:50what
26:51that's not
26:52your city
26:52that's another
26:53city
26:53then the
26:54brothers
26:55immediately
26:55sent Paul
26:56off on his
26:56way to the
26:57sea
26:57but Silas
26:58and Timothy
26:58remained there
26:59so Silas
26:59and Timothy
27:00stayed there
27:00at Berea
27:01Paul's being
27:02escorted away
27:03those who
27:05conducted Paul
27:05brought him
27:06as far as
27:06Athens
27:06and after
27:07receiving a
27:08command for
27:09Silas and
27:09Timothy to
27:10come to him
27:10as soon as
27:11possible
27:12they departed
27:12back home
27:13so now he
27:14leaves
27:15he goes to
27:15Berea
27:16they leave
27:17by night
27:17it's probably
27:18about a three
27:19days journey
27:19perhaps by
27:20foot maybe a
27:21little shorter
27:21with horses
27:21but the
27:24Bereans they
27:25didn't take his
27:25word at face
27:26value
27:26they said you
27:28know we
27:28don't know who
27:29you are
27:29we've never
27:30met you before
27:31you're saying
27:32stuff that seems
27:33kind of like what
27:35we've heard in the
27:35Old Testament but
27:36we're not exactly
27:37sure so they
27:38had such a high
27:39view of inspiration
27:40of the Old
27:40Testament they
27:41knew that God
27:41had spoken
27:42so they
27:43wanted to
27:43know what
27:43did God
27:44say is it
27:45really true
27:45what Paul
27:46was preaching
27:47did God
27:48really say
27:48that so
27:49they look
27:50and they
27:51examine it
27:52daily to
27:53see if that
27:54validated Paul's
27:55message they
27:56had a really
27:57high view of
27:58inspiration they
27:59believe the
27:59Bible was
28:00inspired by
28:00God that is
28:01authoritative that
28:02it guides our
28:04life and gives
28:04us wisdom
28:05they wanted to
28:07know what God
28:07had said in the
28:08Old Testament so
28:08they're searching
28:09for a daily all
28:10scriptures inspired
28:11by God
28:11so again
28:13notice they
28:14examine the
28:15scriptures daily
28:16it wasn't just
28:17week by week in
28:18the synagogue like
28:19a Thessalonica for
28:20the first three
28:21weeks they were
28:21daily looking at
28:22the word it was
28:23something that they
28:23they needed to get
28:24into to say is this
28:25really true we hear
28:27so many things on the
28:28radio and television
28:29and even from our
28:30friends and we're kind
28:31of going is that
28:32really biblically
28:32true well what's
28:34our recourse our
28:35recourse is to come
28:35to the word of God
28:36because we have a
28:37high view of
28:38inspiration we
28:39believe the Bible
28:39is verbally
28:40inspired by God
28:41without error no
28:42contradictions we
28:43come to we have a
28:44high view of
28:45inspiration we say
28:45is that really what
28:46God said is that
28:48really what God
28:49said so we hear all
28:51kinds of stuff that's
28:51what they were saying
28:52we don't know you we
28:53don't know it sounds
28:54kind of right but we
28:55got to check out what
28:56you're saying is right
28:57and many after searching
28:59the scriptures found
29:00that Paul's message was
29:01true and they
29:02believed they
29:03searched the
29:04scriptures I like what
29:07God said about these
29:08group of people here
29:09did you see how God
29:10described them yeah
29:12Luke wrote it but he
29:13wrote under the
29:13inspiration of the
29:14Holy Spirit so God
29:15describes the church
29:16at Thessalonians
29:17excuse me at Berea he
29:18describes the Berean
29:19like this they were
29:21more noble they were
29:23more noble say well
29:24what does that mean
29:25what is what does
29:26that mean William
29:27MacDonald said they
29:29had a simple and
29:30teachable attitude and
29:31a determination to
29:32test all teaching by
29:34the sacred scriptures
29:35they were more noble
29:36they were open to
29:40the word of God
29:40this idea John
29:43Polhill said Luke
29:44used a word and you
29:45can see it right there
29:46that originally meant
29:47highborn but came to
29:49have a more general
29:50connotation of being
29:51open tolerant generous
29:53having the qualities
29:54that go with good
29:55breeding so they said
29:57listen we just want to
29:58know what God has
29:58said I'm open to hear
30:00the word of God I
30:01want to hear and I
30:02want to obey I just
30:03want to know what God
30:04has said that that
30:05openness that they had
30:06there were noble about
30:07that and my friends
30:09that's what I want God
30:10to say about this
30:11church medical aid
30:12community church is
30:13noble why because we
30:15believe that God has
30:16inspired his word and
30:17we want to open it up
30:18and know what God has
30:19said to us every day we
30:21want to know we believe
30:23I want us to be called
30:24a noble church to be
30:28known as the people of
30:29the book you want to
30:31know the Bible go to
30:32medical aid community
30:32church the Bible is
30:33being taught there we
30:35want to know but the
30:37jealous Jews from
30:39Thessalonica came to
30:40Berea to cause problems
30:41for the missionary team
30:4250 miles they traveled
30:46you know you think
30:47that's no big deal I
30:48just hop in my car 45
30:49minutes depending on the
30:50speed limit I can be
30:51over there really quick
30:51in about 45 minutes
30:53they're on foot at
30:55worst on best they're on
30:56a horse that's at least
30:58two days traveling with
31:00one overnight simply to
31:02come to the city to
31:04stand opposed against
31:06Paul and his preaching
31:07and I thought to
31:08myself how they must
31:11have hated the gospel
31:12message you can't even
31:16get most people to
31:16travel 500 yards to go
31:18talk to people they're
31:20traveling 50 miles to
31:21cause another riot in
31:23another city and I
31:24thought how they must
31:25hate the gospel to be
31:26so motivated to at least
31:28spend one night on the
31:29road maybe two nights on
31:30the road expenses energy
31:33just to go cause another
31:35riot in Berea they must
31:36hate the gospel I guess
31:40you could say they have
31:40Paul derangement syndrome
31:42I thought you would get
31:46that I thought you would
31:48get that so the Paul the
31:50attack seems to be
31:51directed against Paul
31:52alone Silas Silas and
31:55Timothy don't seem to be
31:56affected it's just against
31:57Paul probably because he
31:58was the main speaker
31:58then the brothers
32:01escorted Paul as far as
32:03Athens so they got him
32:04out of there again but I
32:06thought man you must
32:07really hate the gospel to
32:08do that to travel all that
32:10distance to cause another
32:11riot so what do we learn
32:13from these two churches
32:14two simple things first one
32:15is this turn the world
32:18upside down may our lives
32:21create a radical social
32:22upheaval in our country
32:24change the directory of our
32:26nation and that's what the
32:28gospel will do when people
32:30who have embraced the
32:31gospel message living out
32:32faithfully the gospel
32:33message it changes society
32:35the word teaches us not to
32:37lie to one another the
32:38word teaches us to love
32:39one another the word
32:40teaches us to encourage one
32:42another to serve one
32:43another you start doing
32:45that it changes society
32:46turn the world upside down
32:49secondly is this be noble
32:52be noble examine study the
32:55scriptures daily to know
32:56what God has said test all
32:58things by the word of God
32:59and when I say all things I
33:01mean when I'm preaching to
33:03all things test by the word
33:04of God all things have a
33:07high view of inspiration
33:08God has spoken we want to
33:10know what he has said and
33:12maybe it's time right now to
33:13pick up a Bible reading plan so
33:15you can get into the Bible and
33:16know what God has said so
33:19that I may strengthen you in
33:20your walk let's pray father
33:21thank you these two church
33:24churches they they started
33:26off well Paul in the city
33:27and the missionary team and
33:28then hostilities arose
33:29against the gospel and how
33:30they must have hated the
33:31gospel they hated Jesus they
33:35hated Paul they would they
33:36would like to have killed
33:37him if they could have and
33:38they couldn't you protected
33:40him thank you for that send
33:41him off that he may preach
33:42in another place to carry the
33:44message not to stay in the
33:46tool shed but to carry the
33:47message out just one man but
33:49he's doing exactly what you've
33:50asked him to do so thank you
33:52father for that but I pray
33:53for us I pray that by your
33:55spirit we may live such
33:57lives that we radically
33:58transform medical ache that
34:00the city is different
34:01because we we are living our
34:03lives of faith here we are
34:05influencing the city and
34:07father also I want us to be
34:08a people that is known that
34:09loves your word that wants
34:11to know what you have said
34:12that that digs into it daily
34:14to to be fed by your word and
34:16to be strengthened to walk our
34:17faith out in this in this
34:18world so thank you may we
34:20love your word be noble although
34:23we thank you we pray in Jesus
34:25name amen
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