SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Thessalonica: Paul reasons from the Scriptures (vs 1-9).
• (A). Paul’s Method and Message:
• (a1). He ‘reasoned’ with them (vs 2a)
• (a2). He ‘explained’ or opened these passages (vs 2b)
• (a3). He gave evidence (vs 2c)
• (a4). He ‘announced’ or proclaimed. (vs 2d)
• (B). The People: Response (v 5-10):
• (b1). Some Believed (vs 4)
• (b2). Some Rejected (vs 5)
(2). Berea: the people examine the Scriptures (vs 10-15).
(2a). The Bereans Character (vs 11a)
(2b). The Bereans Enthusiasm (vs 11b)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Who is it?
• 10 Surprising Facts About this man.
• He went to work in a factory aged 12.
• He dreamt of being an actor.
• He wrote his first novel when he was only 24.
• He didn't grow a beard until he was in his forties.
• A portrait of his wife was once mistaken for this man in drag!
• He founded his own charity.
• He encouraged other writers - even women!
• His pet made a surprise appearance in his novels.
• From 1837 to his death in 1870, he was one of the most famous people on the planet.
• He wrote A Christmas Carol in just 6 weeks!
• Source: 10 Surprising Facts About Charles Dickens
• https://dickensmuseum.com/blogs/charles-dickens-museum/10-surprising-facts-about-charles-dickens
Quote:
• Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors.
• One of his great books (‘A Tale of Two Cities.’),
• Starts with this famous opening paragraph,
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
• TRANSITION: For the apostle Paul and his companions,
• It was, “the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
• In the sixteenth chapter of Acts, Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy in the city of Philippi,
• They experienced Prison (the worst of times),
• But also a miracle escape and new life as people came to faith (the best of times).
• You may have noted last week that in chapter 16 verse 40b,
• The “we” suddenly becomes, “they.”
• For the time being, Luke and Timothy stay behind in Philippi.
• Paul and Silas (in Chapter 17), move west,
• They pass through two cities (vs 1) tells us, without preaching?
• And they ended their 100-mile journey in two other cities - Thessalonica and Berea.
• Hence my title, or reference to, ‘A Tale of Two Cities.’
• Now the big picture in these verses is:
• In Thessalonica Paul reasons from the Scriptures (vs 1-9).
• In Berea the people examine the Scriptures (vs 10-15).
(1). Thessalonica: Paul reasons from the Scriptures (vs 1-9).
Thessalonica a Key City:
• Today Thessalonica is called Salonika.
• It has become the second largest city in Greece.
• In Paul’s day it was the capital of Macedonia,
• And it was also a centre for business, rivalled only by Corinth.
• The main street of Thessalonica was part of the Ignatian Way.
• This road connected the eastern and western portions of the Roman Empire,
• So, living in Thessalonica was like living next to a motorway:
• It was also a busy seaport.
• Making it one of the major trade routes in the region,
• So, it was an ideal place for evangelism.
(a). The Apostle Paul: Method & Message (vs 2-3)
“As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.”
Quote: A couple of well-known sayings are,
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail “.
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago”.
• TRANSITION:
• T
• The apostle Paul had a goal and a plan.
• He always went first to the synagogue (to the Jew).
• When they rejected him and his message, he went out into the marketplace (Gentiles).
• Notice verses 2-3.
• We can see the apostle Paul’s strategy for evangelism in four words found in verses 2-3.
(A1) HE ‘REASONED’ WITH THEM.
• “He reasoned with them from the Scriptures,”
• That means he dialogued with them through questions and answers.
• He opened up his Bible (Old Testament).
• And had some logical and rational debate.
ILL:
• A lot of what I do in Church is monologue (Joke: not monotony!),
• By that I mean it is one-way, I speak, and you listen.
• We know from the Bible and from history that preaching is Biblical and important.
• But we also need times of discussion, a chance for questions and answers,
• That is something we tend to do in house groups or mid-week meetings.
• This afternoon/evening at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park, London,
• Some Christians will be preaching, but most of us will be in dialogue.
• That is debating and talking to Muslims by reasoning from the scriptures.
• At times it gets very heated, but it can also be very effective,
• But I make sure I always go prepared -each week I swat up to be ready!
• I prepare for Speakers Corner like I prepare for a sermon.
• I do my research; I prepare my argument and I think though any objections.
• I know from experience that, “If I fail to plan, then I plan to fail “.
(A2) HE ‘EXPLAINED’ OR OPENED THESE PASSAGES,
Ill:
• In a few weeks’ time Penny and I,
• Will be watching a play on the life of Phineas T. Barnum.
• His story is popular due to the success of the film, ‘The Greatest Showman’ (2017).
• The hit movie starring Hugh Jackman,
• Phineas T. Barnum was the circus magnate and visionary who rose from nothing.
• To create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
• It is said that at one-time Phineas T. Barnum,
• Hung a large sign over one of the exits of his museum,
• The sign simply read, "This way to the egress."
• Many people in the crowds, eager to see what an egress looked like,
• Passed through the door only to find themselves outside back on the street.
• And so, they had to pay again to enter the show once again!
• Barnum who said, “There is a fool born every minute.”
• And money meant more to him than popularity,
• His last recorded words are said to be,
• “How were the receipts today in Madison Square Garden?”
• TRANSITION: Sometimes like Barnum’s tempting sign, we need things explained,
• Otherwise, we can end up in trouble.
Obviously, the message of Jesus Christ needs to be explained:
• The Greek word translated as "explaining”.
• Means "to lay down alongside, to prove by presenting the evidence."
• The apostle set before them one Old Testament proof after another.
• Showing them again and again, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah God.
• The apostle Paul wasn’t giving his opinion or insight.
• But showing again and again from the Bible proofs as to who Jesus was and is!
Quote:
• G. Campbell Morgan.
• Who was a preacher, author and a leading Bible scholar.
• One time pastor of Westminster Chapel in London (1904 to 1919),
• Used to say, “The Christians argument is not It is written.”
• That is the argument of the cults (i.e. J.W.’s and other sects).
“The Christians argument is not It is written,
but it is written and again it is written and again it is written”.
• The apostle Paul set before them one Old Testament scripture after another.
• Showing them again and again and again,
• That Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah God.
(A3) HE GAVE EVIDENCE.
• The nuance of this word communicates the idea.
• That he placed his own illustrations alongside Scripture to strengthen his argument.
• To bring clarity I have tried to do the same,
• i.e. Barnum and Dickens etc.
Quote:
‘Illustrations are like windows that let in the light.’
Quote: Mark chapter 4 verse 34 it says of Jesus:
• NIV: “He did not say anything to them without using a parable”.
• GWT: “He did not speak to them without using an illustration”
(A4) HE ‘ANOUNCED’ OR PROCLAIMED.
“…that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.”
• Paul was careful to announce ("preach") the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
• Which is the heart of the message of the gospel.
• The kernel inside the wheat.
His message was twofold:
• FIRST: Christ died:
• We as preachers also need to explain why!
• Christ died is a historical fact.
• The reason Christ died is the key message of the Bible.
Quote:
• William Sangster (1900-1960) was a prominent evangelical Methodist minister,
• He once wrote concerning Jesus’ death:
"If He was a man, it was murder; if He was God, it was an offering.
If He was man, it was martyrdom; if He was God, it was sacrifice.
If He was man, they took his life from Him; if He was God, He laid it down Himself.
If He was man, we are called to admiration; if He was God, we are called to adoration.
If He was man, we must stand up and take our hats off.
If He was God, we must fall down and give Him our hearts."
• But Jesus himself explained the reason for his death,
• It was not martyrdom, or an example but a payment.
• He would die as “a ransom for sin.” (Mark chapter 10 verses 41-45).
• The apostle John would put it this way:
• (1 John chapter 4 verse 10):
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
• Jesus went to the cross and sacrificed himself for one main reason.
• To pay the penalty of sin!
Quote: In Christ alone my hope is found.
“In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.”
• SECOND: Christ rose again:
• ill: Dead people cannot help anyone.
Ill:
• David Seamands tells of a Muslim in Africa who became a Christian.
• When his friends asked him why he made that decision, he told them,
“Suppose you were going down a road, and suddenly the road forked in two directions,
And you didn’t know which way to go.
Then you saw two men at the fork, one dead and one alive.
Which one would you follow? I decided to follow the man who is alive.”
Quote: John R. W. Stott (1921 – 2011) was a British Anglican priest and theologian.
"Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion,
"The concept of resurrection lies at its heart.
If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed."
Note:
• When asked why do we believe in the resurrection?
• The simple answer is to say the Bible teaches it.
• For a simple apologetic answer, remember the 5 ‘Es of the resurrection.
• Execution - Jesus actually died.
• Empty tomb - the missing body.
• Eyewitnesses.
• Early records - the gospels / creeds / other historians.
• Emergence of the Church.
(B). The People: Response (v 5-10):
(B1). SOME BELIEVED (VS 4).
• As the result of their mission the reaction was mixed.
• According to verse 4,
• Three groups are attracted to the gospel:
• 1st group: "A large number" of Gentiles (non-Jews)
• 2nd group: "A number of the prominent women" responded,
• 3rd group: "Some" of the Jews are persuaded to follow Christ.
Ill:
• A Sunday school teacher asked one of her classes to recite the books. of the N.T.
• She said, “it begins with Matthew, and it ends with revolution”!
• TRANSITION: Actually, she wasn’t far off,
• Because Jesus Christ has the power to revolutionise your life.
• The message of Jesus can revolutionise a community, a city, a country.
• Look what Paul & Silas’s critics said in verse 6:
• NIV: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here”
• KJB: These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.
• We don’t know if they said these words mockingly.
• After all there was no city-wide revival in Thessalonica.
• Maybe they said them prophetically.
• Because 2,000 years after they were spoken.
• Nearly one-third or 31.2% of the world's population is considered to be Christian.
• About 2.4 billion followers worldwide.
(B2). SOME REJECTED (VS 5-10).
“But the Jews were jealous; so, they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.”
• This was a tough situation for Paul, Silas and the Christians in Thessalonica.
• Because preaching the gospel often provokes an angry reaction.
• Quote: “Preaching treason in the devil’s kingdom!”
• The toughest nuts to crack were these religious Jews.
• Religious people are always toughest, in any community.
• They are the ones most set in their ways, most prejudiced,
• The most hard-headed, the hardest to reach, because they think they know it all already.
The message of Jesus Christ often divides:
• There are those who believe.
• And there are those who oppose.
• That was the case in Thessalonica.
• Verse 5b tells us that those who opposed the message caused a riot.
Quote: Tony Campolo:
• “After the apostles preached, they caused a riot,
• After I preach people are given a cup of tea!”
• Maybe that is why they saw revival and we see lifelessness!
• Listen:
• I am not asking you to riot this morning if you don’t like the message.
• But please don’t be lethargic and languid with what you hear.
• Now because of time, Paul and Silas are forced to leave the city,
• Let’s move on to our next section (vs 10 says).
• “As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea”.
(2). In Berea the people examine the Scriptures (vs 10-15).
• Paul and Silas leave in a hurry,
• They make a 50-mile hike, on foot until they arrive in Berea.
• Today know as Veria (or Veroia) in Macedonia, northern Greece.
Note:
• The city might be different, but the strategy is exactly the same.
• They head straight for the Jewish synagogue (vs 10b)
Two things jump out at me from verse 11.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
(1a). The Bereans Character – “noble.”
• Luke describes the Berean Jews as “more noble,”
• This phrase can be translated as “more open-minded.”
We would say that the Bereans engaged brain and thought about the message they heard.
• Notice: Those who accept Paul’s message are described as,
• Men and women of “high standing,”
• The message of the gospel appealed to the intellectuals of this city.
• Women are mentioned as well as men,
• Because the gospel values women as equal as men and not second-class natives.
We are told that they were “eager” (vs 11) to hear the message.
• They could not wait to receive God’s message!
• Eagerness and expectancy,
• Makes a huge difference to what we take away from God’s word.
• Dare I say,
• Too many Christians turn up to Church expecting nothing from the sermon,
• And they go home with exactly that - nothing!
Ill:
• I love Psalm 119.
• It is the longest chapter of the Bible 175 verses.
• Almost every verse refers to the Word of God in one way or another.
• Scripture is mentioned in at least 171 of the 176 verses.
• Those verses teach us how to be eager and expect with the Word of God.
• So, your homework is to go home and read the Psalm - lol.
(2b). The Bereans Enthusiasm – “examined the Scriptures every day.”
The apostle Paul contracts these Bereans with the Thessalonians.
• The Bereans judged Paul on his message, the scriptures,
• Rather than by culture, politics or even economics (16:19).
• Many of the people that Paul encountered did not reject the message because of truth,
• They rejected it more for inconvenience!
• Quote: Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936).
• English author, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic.
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting.
it has been found difficult and not tried.”
In this city the apostle Paul found people to whom truth mattered! (vs 12)
“As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”
• Both Jews & Gentiles came to faith in significant numbers.
• Now if only the passage ended there, we could write as a conclusion,
• “They all lived happily ever after!”
• But in real life that never happens.
• We are told that news reaches Thessalonica about this revival,
• And they sent troublemakers (vs 13) to “stir up trouble!”
• The situation was serious,
• The apostle Paul had to be removed from the situation for his own safety.
• But Silas and Timothy were able to stay behind and strengthen this new Church.
The apostle Paul was taken to the coast, he caught a boat and ends up 300miles in Athens.
• On first reading it might seem the opponents of Paul and the gospel won.
• Yet, read again.
• The apostle Paul preached, people believed, and a Church was founded.
• Silas and Timothy were able to build up this new Church plant.
• The apostle Paul will move on sharing the gospel with new, unreached people.
• Once again persecution plays a vital role in the spread of the gospel.
• God turned their problems into opportunities!
Quote: C. Swindoll, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, p. 35.
“Every problem is an opportunity to prove God's power. Every day we encounter countless golden opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insurmountable problems.”
