1 Habits From Thesalonica Series

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+ Chariots of Fire

- 1981 British Film

- Nominated for 7 academy Awards - Won 4 Including Best Picture

- Eric Liddell born 1902

- Called the "Flying Scotsman”

- Sees running as a way of glorifying God before traveling to China to work as a missionary

- At 22 competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris

- He represents Scotland against Ireland, and preaches a sermon on "Life as a race" afterwards.

- Eric’s sister Jenny (Cheryl Campbell) worries he is too busy running to concern himself with their mission work in China

- Eric tells her he feels inspired: "I believe that God made me for a purpose... (the mission), but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

- Refused to race on Sunday, with the consequence that he was forced to withdraw from the Men’s 100 meters, his best event.

- He was good at the 400 meters but not expected to win

- The day of 400 meters race came, and as Liddell went to the starting blocks, an unknown man slipped a piece of paper in his hand with a quotation

- 1 Samuel 2:30, "Those who honor Me I will honor."

- He not only won the race but broke the existing world record

- He returned to North China where he served as a missionary, like his parents, from 1925 to 1943

- War broke out between China & Japan

- Japan took over the mission station

- Liddell was placed in an interment camp

- In 1945, he died at 43 as a result of a brain tumor, to which being overworked and malnourished probably hastened his death

+ Haven Music - “He Is No Fool”

+ Paul the Apostle

- (born A.D. 10, died A.D. 67?)

● > Roman - Power force of the day

- Paul could be, go, and do as he pleased

● > Greek - Steeped in culture, he could convey his ideas across the Hellenized world.

● > Tarsus - Acts 21:39 - Meeting place of West & East

● > Educated - Taught under Gamaliel was the most prominent rabbi of the day

● > Pharisee - Popular with the people & Influential

- Strictest of the Jews adherence to the law

- Separated to a life of purity

- Had it all

- 2 Cor 11:23 Calls himself a fool

- Spent 20 years on his missionary journey’s

> 2 Co 11:23-28 (TLB) . . . . I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again and again. 24 Five different times the Jews gave me their terrible thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. 25 Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I was in the open sea all night and the whole next day. 26 I have traveled many weary miles and have been often in great danger from flooded rivers and from robbers and from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the hands of the Gentiles. I have faced grave dangers from mobs in the cities and from death in the deserts and in the stormy seas and from men who claim to be brothers in Christ but are not. 27 I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food; often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28 Then, besides all this, I have the constant worry of how the churches are getting along:

> Paul was beheaded at Rome age 57?

- What made him the way he was?

- The habit of the heart changes everything

- It was Christ & People

+ Map of 2nd Journey

1. Be Consistent

- Established a pattern & rule of life

- Acts 17:1-2a — When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them,

2. Be Clear

- Initiate a Dialogue

- Seek first to Understand, then to be Understood.

- Acts 17:2b — and three sabbath days reasoned with them

- Reasoned Greek dialegomai ; to have a dialogue discussion

3. Be Correct

- Speak from God’s perspective.)

- Acts 17:2c — out of the scriptures,

4. Be Certain

- Carefully answer the Questions people are Asking

Acts 17:3a — Opening and alleging,

5. Be Committed .

- Always move toward God’s purpose in the Cross.

- Acts 17:3b — that Christ must needs have suffered and rise from the dead.