Preparation Is Everything
Text: Acts 17:1-9
Introduction
1. Illustration: Several centuries ago, a Japanese emperor commissioned an artist to paint a bird. A number of months passed, then several years, and still no painting was brought to the palace. Finally the emperor became so exasperated that he went to the artist's home to demand an explanation. Instead of making excuses, the artist placed a blank canvas on the easel. In less than an hour, he completed a painting that was to become a brilliant masterpiece. When the emperor asked the reason for the delay, the artist showed him armloads of drawings of feathers, wings, heads, and feet. Then he explained that all of this research and study had been necessary before he could complete the painting.
2. To accomplish anything of importance in this life it is going to take preparation.
A. Musician
B. Artist
C. Engineer
D. Doctor
E. Lawyer
F. It all takes preparation to succeed.
3. This is especially true in our spiritual lives. It will take preparation to...
A. Witness
B. Opposition
4. Let's stand together as we read Acts 17:1-9.
Proposition: Being a successful witness will take preparation.
Transition: Are you...
I. Preparing To Witness (1-4).
A. He Used The Scriptures
1. Paul is living proof of the need to prepare yourself to witness to others.
2. Luke begins this chapter with "Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue."
A. After Paul, Silas, and Timothy left Philippi, they proceeded westward on the Via Egnatia.
B. The next two towns of any size, each about a day's journey apart, apparently had no Jewish synagogue; and so they pushed on to Thessalonica (one hundred miles from Philippi), "where there was a Jewish synagogue."
C. Thessalonica was one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in Macedonia, with a population of over 200,000.
D. This is the first city where Paul’s teachings attracted a large group of socially prominent citizens.
E. The most important Roman highway (the Egnatian Way)—extending from Rome all the way to the Orient—went through Thessalonica.
F. This highway, along with the city’s thriving seaport, made Thessalonica one of the wealthiest and most flourishing trade centers in the Roman Empire.
G. Recognized as a free city, Thessalonica was allowed self-rule and was exempted from most of the restrictions placed by Rome on other cities in the Empire.
H. With its international flavor, however, came many pagan religions and cultural influences that challenged the faith of the young Christians there.(Barton 533).
3. Here is where we see Paul's preparation. In vv. 2-3 it says, "As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.”
A. Again Luke draws attention to Paul's "custom" of going to the Jew first and taking advantage of their background and of the opportunity given by the synagogue to teach.
B. For three successive Sabbaths, Paul "reasoned with them," undoubtedly following the same pattern as in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:16-41).
C. As always he opened with Scriptures that prophesied the Messiah, explaining them fully.
D. That is, he set them out in such a way that they clearly showed it was God's divine purpose for the Messiah to "suffer and rise from the dead."
E. As in Antioch also, he showed that none of these prophecies could apply to anyone but Jesus.
F. Therefore, "this Jesus" truly is "the Christ," the Messiah, God's anointed Prophet, Priest, and King (Horton, 291).
G. Now let me ask you, how could Paul do this without preparation?
H. Paul could use the Scriptures to tell these people about Jesus as the Messiah if he had not studied the Scriptures?
I. I would contend with you that Paul put in the time in the Scriptures, so that he could use them to minister to others.
4. Then look at the results, "Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women."
A. The result of the ministry of Paul and Silas was the conversion of several Jews and God-fearers
Fernando, NIV Application Commentary, 458).
B. It is obvious that after the three weeks preaching in the synagogue, Paul and Silas continued to preach and teach in the city, probably in Jason's house (v. 5).
C. First and 2 Thessalonians show that Paul covered all the great truths of the gospel.
D. However, both letters show the Thessalonians were loving, self-sacrificing people who suffered persecution and stood true, but the death of some believers brought questions about the Rapture and about the Second Coming (Horton, 292)
E. But their preparation along with the power of the Holy Spirit brought them results!
B. Bible Training
1. Illustration: George Muller, who established many orphanages throughout England in the 1800’s, once said... "I believe that the one chief reason that I have been kept in happy useful service is that I have been a lover of Holy Scripture. It has been my habit to read the Bible through four times a year; in a prayerful spirit, to apply it to my heart, and practice what I find there. I have been for sixty-nine years a happy man; happy, happy, happy."
2. If we want to be competent at leading others to Christ, we must first be students of the Bible.
A. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
B. If you've ever used as your reason to not share your faith with someone the phrase, "I don't know what to say!," then become a student of the Bible.
C. If you want to know how to answer people's questions about your faith, become a student of the Bible.
D. If you want to be able to deal with people's objection to Christianity, become a student of the Bible.
E. Yes God equips us for ministry by filling you with His Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit also uses the preparation you have put into studying the Word!
F. Study to show yourself approved!
Transition: Anyone that has ever shared the truth of the Gospel, especially in our day and age, is opposition. So another important thing is...
II. Preparing For Opposition (5-9).
A. But Some Of The Jews
1. Whenever you are successful someone is going to be jealous. Nowhere is that truer that when it comes to bringing someone to Christ.
2. So look at what Luke tells us next, "But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd."
A. After some time the Jews (probably the leaders) who rejected Paul's message became "jealous" of the increasing numbers of Gentiles who were accepting the gospel.
B. These Jews rebelled against what God was doing and even went so far as to forbid Paul and his companions to talk to Gentiles about their salvation.
C. When they saw that the Gentiles continued to respond to the gospel and paid no attention to them, these unbelieving Jews proceeded to stir up a riot.
D. First, they "rounded up some bad characters," marketplace loungers who were always ready to join any agitators who came along.
E. Then, with their help, they "formed a mob" and set up a disturbance that threw the whole city into a panic.
F. "In search of Paul and Silas," they then "rushed to [Gk. epistantes, "assaulted"] Jason's house."
G. But evidently the word had already gotten to the apostles and they had left for another part of the city (Horton, 292).
3. Then Luke tells us, "Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
A. Because Paul and Silas were not there, the mob "dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials."
B. There were five or six of them, and they were the chief magistrates of the city. As usual, the accusation did not reveal the real reason for wanting to get rid of Paul and Silas.
C. The unbelieving Jews and their coconspirators accused them of having "caused trouble all over the world." This was a phrase used of political agitators or revolutionaries who had caused trouble elsewhere and who upset not only the status quo, but everything.
D. Their accusations, like all good lies, bore some resemblance to the truth but were presented in their worst light. Paul and Silas were not guilty of treason against Caesar just because they declared allegiance to the King of kings, for Christ’s Kingdom is of an entirely different sort than Caesar’s was.(Barton, 534).
E. They also accused Jason of welcoming these "troublemakers" to his house and joining with them to practice things contrary to the decrees of Caesar, speaking of "another king," Jesus (Horton, 293).
4. These lies and half truths had the desired effect, "The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them."
A. These things disturbed both "the crowd and the city officials."
B. Part of their problem may have been that they knew Jason and many of the other converts and had not seen any evidence of political activity.
C. It is probable, also, that the believers who were "prominent women" (v. 4) included wives of some of these city officials (Horton, 293).
D. Apparently the city officials did not take the charges seriously, but to satisfy the crowd they "made Jason and the others post bond" (Gk. hikanon, "security").
E. This probably means Jason and his friends provided bail as a guarantee that Paul and Silas would leave the city and not come back lest there be further disturbance.
F. This was later used by Satan to hinder Paul's return (Horton, 293).
B. Expect Opposition
1. Illustration: Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again:
"Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might."
2. First, we need to remember that Jesus promised us opposition.
A. John 15:20 (NLT)
Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
B. If they persecuted Jesus...
C. If they persecuted Peter...
D. If they persecuted John...
E. If they persecuted Paul...
F. How can we expect to be any different?
3. However, He also promised that He would be in our corner.
A. Romans 8:31 (NLT)
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
B. Can anyone stand against the power of Jesus?
C. Can anyone do anything that Jesus can stop?
D. Can anyone take us away from the the love of Jesus?
E. If He is for us no one can be against us.
F. He has promised not to leave us or forsake us.
G. He has promised to be with us always to the end of the age.
Transition: Be prepared for it, but know that God will get you through it.
Conclusion
1. To accomplish anything of importance in this life it is going to take preparation.
2. This is especially true in our spiritual lives. It will take preparation to...
A. Witness
B. Deal With Opposition
3. Are you doing what you need to do to be prepared?
