We Can Always Count on the Lord!
The Book of Acts - Part 61
Acts 18:1-11
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - October 5, 2014
*Ben Franklin once said that the only sure things were death and taxes. But that's not necessarily true. I'm still looking for the rapture! When you get down to it, the only sure things are the things of God. God's Word is sure. God's goodness is sure. God's love is sure. God's judgment is sure. (1)
*And as we look into God's Word tonight, Christians, we can see some more sure things about our God, things we can always count on about our Lord.
1. First: We can count on the Lord's provision.
*In Philippians 4:19 Paul tells Christians that our God "shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." We can count on our God to provide everything we need in life. And one of the greatest things He provides is other people. The Lord will put new people in our lives, new Christians to help us, support us and work together with us in serving the Lord.
*We saw this truth last week in the opening verses of Chapter 18. Here Paul was on his second missionary journey and he went down from Athens to Corinth. There Paul met fellow-Christians Aquila and Pricilla.
*Verses 1-3 tell us that:
1. After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
2. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
3. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
*A.T. Robertson reported that the deportation in vs. 2 happened about 49 A.D. And it happened because the Jews were in a constant state of tumult about Christ. Some of the Jews were rioting in opposition to Christianity, and the Jews were already unpopular in Rome, so the Roman Emperor simply had them all expelled. (2)
*That was a terrible thing for those families who were uprooted, especially because most of them were totally innocent of any wrong-doing. But Romans 8:28 says "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." That Scripture is always true! And God used that decree to bring Aquila and Priscilla together with Paul.
*Church, they wound up being some of the closest Christian friends Paul would ever have. William Barclay explained that "There is no more fascinating pair of people in the New Testament than Aquilla and Priscilla. When Paul left Corinth and went to Ephesus, Acts 18:18 tells us that Priscilla and Aquila went with him and settled there.
*The very first incident related of Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus was typical of their godly lifestyle. Apollos had come to Ephesus. He was a brilliant Bible scholar, but Apollos did not yet have a full grasp of the Gospel. So, Aquila and Priscilla took him into their house, gave him their friendship and instructed him in the faith (Acts 18:24-26). From the very beginning Priscilla and Aquila were people who kept an open heart and an open door.
*Another time we hear of them, they were back in Rome. The banishment of Jews by Claudius was no longer in effect. And like many other Jews, Priscilla and Aquila had gone back to their old home. (3)
*We know that Aquila and Pricilla were back in Rome because Paul sent greetings to them in the closing part of his letter to the Christians in Rome. In Romans 16:3-4, Paul said:
3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4. who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
*How wonderful it is to have friends who are even willing to risk their own necks for our lives! And Church: That's the kind of friends God provides for us.
*Here in Acts 18, God also provided more new friends for Paul. We know this because in vs. 4, Paul "reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. Then Paul was reunited with his old friends on the mission team, so vs. 5 says "when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ."
*In vs. 6-7, under the leadership of the Lord, Paul gave up preaching at the synagogue. But when Paul left from there, God surrounded him with other people who cared. So, vs. 7 says: "He departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue."
*Next in vs. 8, we see many more of the people God put in Paul's life: "Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized."
*Then down in vs. 10, one of the most comforting things the Lord said to Paul was this: "I have many people in this city." These were people who cared for Paul, supported him, encouraged and loved him. They were the kind of people we have right here in our church. I see them in action almost every day.
*And these people who helped Paul were not perfect people, not by a long shot. We find this out pretty quickly when we look at Paul's letters to the Corinthian church. These Christians weren't perfect people. But they were good, godly people. They were the kind of people who will bless our lives, the Lord's people.
*And we can count on the Lord to put people like that into our lives, people who are not selfish and self-centered, but are looking out for others. God will connect us with people who are looking for ways to bless and help other people, especially when they are going through hard times. And by the way, God wants us to be like that too!
*But one of the greatest truths about being a Christian is that we can count on the Lord to provide everything we need. Again, as Paul said in Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
2. Church: We can count on the Lord's provision. We can also count on His presence.
*In vs. 9-10, Jesus revealed His presence to Paul in a special way:
9. . . The Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;
10. for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.''
*Now, Jesus probably won't speak to us in a vision. But we don't need a vision, because we have His written word on His presence with us! As Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.''
*By His Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is surely here with us right now. And we can always count on His presence. David was so sure of this truth that in Psalm 139, he had this conversation with God:
7. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8. If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10. Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
*The same Lord who was close by David and there with Paul is also here with us right now, even though we can't see Him.
*Vicky Marra told about going to the bank with her brother and his 5-year-old daughter, Melissa. As they got ready to leave, little Melissa ran ahead to open the heavy door. She huffed and puffed and pushed. Then she stepped back and started again. Finally, she pushed with all her might, and the door opened!
*But the little girl didn't notice that her father's hand high above her head had actually opened the door for her. At first, Aunt Vicky chuckled at her niece, but then Vicky realized that God does the same kind of thing for us every day. (4)
*Jesus is certainly here with us at church right now, but He will also ride home with us in the car. He will be right there with us at home, at work, in the hospital and wherever we go. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. We can count on God to be right here with us in the good times and the bad. So, trust in His unseen Hand.
3. We can count on the Lord's presence. We can also count on His peace.
*When the Lord spoke to Paul in vs. 9, the first thing Jesus said was: "Do not be afraid." That wasn't the first time the Lord wanted to calm the fears of His people. He has done the same thing many times.
*For example, after Moses died, the responsibility of leading the Children of Israel fell on Joshua's shoulders. And here is part of what the Lord told His servant in the first chapter of Joshua:
6. "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.''
*Some of us are old enough to remember a hit song that first came out way back in the 1930s: "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" It goes like this: "Who's Afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf?" Who's Afraid of the big bad wolf? -- Tra la la la la la"
*Those are pretty silly lyrics, but that song became enormously popular as Americans fought the hardships of the Great Depression. The song was part of Walt Disney's animated cartoon, "Three Little Pigs, which opened at New York's Radio City Music Hall in May 1933.
*Disney expected a good response but at first, critics and audiences were ho-hum about it. Then the lightning struck. After the movie was shown in other theaters, it suddenly caught on. Radio stations and band leaders were asking Disney for permission to play the song, but Disney hadn't even arranged to publish it. He had to send musicians with flashlights into dark theaters to copy down the music and words from the screen. Soon that song swept the nation. President Roosevelt said the movie was one of his favorites. You see, this was shortly after Roosevelt had told the country, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (5)
*People were hungry for hope in a very tough time. But our best source of encouragement is the Lord! That's why Psalm 46 says:
1. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2. Therefore we will not fear, Though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
*And I like what the Lord told His followers in Luke 12:32: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
*God wants to give us His encouragement. He even wants to give us the peace that passes understanding. That's why Philippians 4:6-7 tells Christians:
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
4. We can count on the Lord's peace. And we can count on His protection.
*The Lord reminds us of this truth in vs. 10, where He told Paul: "No one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."
*I am not sure why the Lord said this to Paul. Maybe it was because of the serious beating he had taken at the jail in Philippi. Maybe Paul wasn't completely over that beating and needed some extra reassurance about the Lord's protection.
*Today, we can count on the Lord's protection. Of course, this does not mean we will always live on easy street. We know that Paul would go through much more hardship for the Lord. Please listen to Paul's report of trouble from his second letter back to the Corinthians.
*In 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, the Apostle said:
24. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26. in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27. in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
*What a testimony of hardship! Being protected by the Lord does not mean that life will always be easy. But it does mean that we have the assurance that God is in control, that God is on the job, that He is taking care of us, and He will not put more on us than we can bear.
*We can always count on God! That's why in 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul could say: "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."
*We can always trust Jesus Christ! Preacher D. L. Moody once said: "Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in your friends and they will die and leave you. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. Trust in your reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it. But trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity." (6)
5. Christians: We can count on the Lord's protection. And we can count on His plan for our lives.
*The Lord had a great plan for Paul's life, and part of God's plan was for Paul to spend some time in Corinth. So, vs. 11 says this about Paul's time in Corinth: "He continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them."
*The Lord has a perfect plan for our lives, just like He had for Paul. As long as we are in this world, God will provide some way for us to serve Him. And never underestimate what God can do through the faithful service of His people!
*You have probably never heard of Edward Kimball, but he had an enormous impact on our world that continues to bear fruit today. In 1855, a 17-year-old boy left the family farm and went to Boston to find a job. After being turned down in other places, he asked his uncle, Samuel Holton, for a job. Reluctantly, Uncle Samuel hired him to work in the shoe store he owned.
*However, to keep young man out of trouble, that job was conditional on him attending the Mt. Vernon Congregational Church. There, he became part of Edward Kimbell's Sunday School Class. The first Sunday in class, the young man fumbled to find the Gospel of John in the Bible handed to him. But sensing the trouble, his kind teacher handed his open Bible to the boy.
*On April 21, 1855, the Sunday School teacher visited the Holton Shoe Store, and found the boy in a stockroom. Mr. Kimbell later said, "I went up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over I placed my foot upon a shoe box. Then I made my plea, and I feel that it was really a very weak one. I don't know just what words I used, nor could (he) tell. I simply told him of Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return.
*That was all there was of it. I think (he) said afterward that there were tears in my eyes. It seemed that the young man was just ready for the light that then broke upon him, for there at once in the back of that shoe store in Boston (he) gave himself and his life to Christ." (7)
*Very few people remember Edward Kimball, but that young man was D. L. Moody, and he went on to become one of the greatest evangelists of all time. Many thousands came to Christ through his ministry.
*But that's not all. Dwight L. Moody influenced Frederick B. Meyer to preach on college campuses. Meyer led J. Wilbur Chapman to the Lord. Chapman while working with the YMCA arranged for Billy Sunday to come to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend revival meetings. Community leaders in Charlotte scheduled another revival with Mordecai Hamm. Under Hamm's preaching Billy Graham gave his heart to Jesus Christ, and Billy Graham preached to more people than any man in history. (8)
CONCLUSION:
*All of these amazing things happened, because a loving Sunday School teacher in Boston led a 17-year-old boy to faith in Jesus Christ. Never underestimate what God can do through the faithful service of His people!
*The Lord had a perfect plan for Paul's life, for Edward Kimball's life, and God's got a perfect plan for our lives too! We can always count His provision, His presence, His peace, His protection, and His plan for our lives.
*So, put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and always count on Him.
(1) www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/benjamin_franklin.html
(2) WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas Robertson - Acts 18:2
(3) Adapted from: Barclay's Daily Bible Study Series (NT) by William Barclay, Revised Edition - Copyright 1975 William Barclay. First published by the Saint Andrew - Press, Edinburgh, Scotland. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA - A HOUSEHOLD WHICH WAS A CHURCH - Romans 16:3-4
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/romans-16.html#1
(4) Vicky Marra, Franklin, Ohio in Today's Christian Woman, "Heart to Heart" - Source: "Bible Illustrator for Windows" - Topic: Strength - Subtopic: God our - Index: 3806 - Date: 6/1998.2462 - Title: The Strong Arm of God
(5) Adapted from Sermons.com sermon "Where Can I Be Safe?" by King Duncan - Psalm 46:1-11 - 2005
(6) SermonCentral sermon "Earmarks of the Christian" by Steve Shepherd - Galatians 6:17
(7) Sources:
D.L. MOODY'S STORY - https://www.moody.edu/about/our-bold-legacy/d-l-moody/
THE LIFE & WORK OF DWIGHT LYMAN MOODY by Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D.D. - Chapter 5 - His Conversion - http://www.biblebelievers.com/moody/index.html
(8) John G. Davis, "On the Backs of Donkeys" - Source: Sermonillustrations.com email 03/24/2002
