“EBC Needs a Few Troublemakers” Acts 17:1-9
If you paid any attention to the sign, as you turned in this morning it may have shocked you. The title of the message is “EBC Needs a Few Troublemakers.”
I know what you’re thinking, “Pastor, you’ve been in the sun too long! The church has enough troublemakers already! We sure don’t need anymore!”
But according to our passage, that's exactly what the enemies of the church called the Christians at Thessalonica.
Look at the last half of verse 6, in the NLT. “…"Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted, "and now they are here disturbing our city, too.”
Elim Bible Church needs troublemakers like those found in Thessalonica.
We need a few troublemakers ready and willing to rock their world in much the same way the Thessalonian believers rocked theirs.
We need troublemakers who will bring life and light into a world of death and darkness.
We need troublemakers who bring love instead of anger and hatred.
We need troublemakers who will rescue those in bondage to sin.
The believers at Thessalonica took a world that was twisted & broken by sin, and moved that world, from the path of self-destruction to the glory road.
Let me ask you, this morning; Are you ready to be a troublemaker and change your world?
Are you ready to turn your world upside down for Jesus Christ?
I want to look at some key ingredients that enabled the Thessalonian believers to change their world for Christ and I believe will help us change ours.
The 1st thing that enabled these Christians was their:
1. INTEGRITY. Look at verse 4.
Luke tells us that Paul's preaching was successful in Thessalonica and the evidence is that many believed on Jesus.
The people of that day were looking for something “real.”
People of the 21st century, your family, your co-workers, your neighbors are looking for something real!
The world in which Christianity was conceived was a world filled with immorality. Paul and his team faced many of the same issues the 21st century church faces.
In his day, many were happy with the immorality and if you look around our world you’ll see, for the most part, people are happy with the immorality that’s plaguing our nation.
These Christians were causing trouble in their world by doing something unheard of in that pagan culture and the people didn't know how to react to someone living a life of integrity.
These troublemakers were literally imitating Christ.
1 Thess. 1:9 tells us that these Christians had "turned to God from idols to serve the living & true God."
What our world needs, today, is a fresh dose of integrity rising up from the lives of Christian men/women.
Our world is facing an integrity crisis and the church needs to stand up and display the characteristics of these early believers.
We need a few trouble makers in the church today!
D.L. Moody said that you can tell a person's character by what he/she does in the dark.
"The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out." What would you do if you knew no one would ever know?
I ask that question because Christians are no exception. Many are guilty of cheating on taxes. Christian students cheat on tests at the same rate as those living without Jesus Christ. Lying at the drop of a hat! Living in sexual sin. Accepting the world’s standard, as couples professing to be Christians living together and expecting God to bless that union.
A man wrote a letter to the IRS saying, "Dear Sirs, I can't sleep. Last year, when I filed my taxes, I lied about my income, so I’m sending this check for $325. PS--If I still can't sleep, I'll send you the rest."
We are in a presidential election season and people seem to believe that a person's character doesn't reflect on the kind of job he/she will do in public office. The highest office in the land should be filled with honor and integrity.
Going back a few years, I’ll remind you of the sex scandal that took place in the white House and people just brushed it off. Decisions are made, based on “what’s in it for me” rather than what is good for the people. When we look at politicians, today we’ve seen many brought before the ethics board for questioning. I hope, as you listen to the political hogwash that people are spouting this year that you will do some research as well as soul searching and be more concerned with the integrity of the man/woman than you are with their popularity among those who are unconcerned about integrity!
In recent years we've seen a lot of preachers suffering from a lack of integrity. They lie steal and cheat in the name of Jesus
Coaches have been fired & athletic programs have been put on probation, key players brought up on charges, simply because of a lack of integrity.
Just look around and you will see that we are quickly becoming a nation that doesn't know what the word "integrity" means.
Let me tell you what Integrity means “The state of being unimpaired; soundness or wholeness.”
And when we lose our integrity, we have lost the fight.
When we refuse to live based on the truth of God’s Word, we’ve stopped living the kind of life that God desires for us to live.
Why do we as Christians, need to live lives of integrity?
ANSWER: In order for the non-believing world to sit up & take notice.
The 2nd thing the church at Thessalonica had that caused trouble in that immoral community was:
2. Intense Passion.
The complaint made against Paul, Silas and the Thessalonian Christians, suggests a high level of intensity.
Think about it, why else would they be accused of causing "trouble all over the world" or "turning the world upside down" if they were not intense or passionate in their commitment to Christ? Not one of them had been “All over the world” yet the passion of their service had worldwide potential, worldwide impact.
According to what Paul wrote about them, the passion of the Thessalonian church didn't die down.
[1Th 1:8 NLT] “And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,”
They already know! Why? Because Christians from Thessalonica had a faith that was so intense, so passionate that their reputation was made known everywhere.
They were sharing Christ crucified, risen, and available to all who would come.
We need a renewing of the spirit of intense passion in EBC and the church universal, today. We need it because too many Christians are kicked back in their spiritual recliners with their feet in the air. WE NEED BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
Too many preachers have no message to declare and have focused on get rich quick theology or have become nothing more than glorified motivational speakers.
We have too many people who have lost their intensity, their passion.
The message heard so often from churches today is "let's not do anything controversial. We surely wouldn’t want to bring any attention to ourselves.
We’re no longer willing to take a stand or do anything to stir the waters.
For the most part, we don't want to turn our world upside down like the Thessalonians did. Because to be a world-changer for Jesus Christ means that I have to get out of my spiritual recliner and into the world. I must actually tell people what I believe.
The 3rd thing the church at Thessalonica had was:
3. INVOLVEMENT. Participation
In this passage we see that Paul and his companions were willing to be involved in the lives of the Jews. These new Christians were willing to take part in spreading the gospel.
Look at Jason, who was willing to get involved by welcoming these Christian leaders into his home even though he knew it could mean trouble for him.
I talk to pastors and church leaders who tell me they, too have a hard time getting people involved. People would rather let someone else do the work.
There are a lot of things that we “say” we would like to see happen in EBC and in our world. But the truth is that NOTHING is going to happen unless we ALL get personally involved… unless each of us takes part.
Every church, today, has too many sideline play callers, telling the pastor what needs to be done.
What amazes me is, everybody knows what everybody else ought to be doing. The problem is they're not willing to do anything themselves.
Did you know that the best way to accomplish nothing is to do nothing?
We need you to help us if we are going to be a part of building the kingdom of God. Do you remember what I shared a few weeks ago? God said “get in the game or get off My field.” Get involved or get out of the way and let someone else have your spot. If not, prepare yourselves for a funeral because EBC WILL DIE.
There was a man who never went fishing that he didn’t bring home a limit of fish.
It was strange and people wondered how this guy could be so successful.
Another man heard of this man's great success & asked to go with him.
The two men put in early that morning and eased across the lake to a secluded spot.
The man’s new fishing partner was a warden, working undercover. He noticed that the man didn't have a fishing pole, just a net and a rusty old tackle box.
When they got to the secret spot, the fisherman opened up the old rusty tackle box and pulled out a stick of dynamite. He lit it and threw it into the water.
There was a loud explosion and a mountain of fish rose to the surface.
The fisherman started dipping the fish out with the net and put the fish in the boat.
The undercover warden then revealed his credentials and said, ‘I’m a game warden!’
Calmly, the fisherman opened the tackle box again, got out another stick of dynamite, lit the fuse & handed it to the game warden.
Then, as the fuse burned down, the fisherman asked,
"Well, are you going to fish or are you just going to sit in the back of the boat talking?"
And that’s the question I’m asking EBC this morning.
Are we going to fish or are we just going to sit in the boat talking about it?
