Searching The Scriptures Daily Series

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES DAILY

Text: Acts 17:10-15

Introduction

1. Illustration: The Bible is something more than a body of revealed truths, a collection of books verbally inspired by God. It is also the living voice of God. The living God speaks through its pages. Therefore, it is not to be valued as a sacred object to be placed on a shelf and neglected, but as holy ground, where people’s hearts and minds may come into vital contact with the living, gracious, and disturbing God. For a proper perspective on Scripture and for a valid understanding of revelation, there must be constant interworking of these factors; an infallible and authoritative Word, the activity of the Holy Spirit in interpreting and applying that Word, and a receptive human heart. No true knowledge of God takes place without these elements. — James Montgomery Boice

2. Let me ask you a question this morning, are you a Berean Christian?

3. What is a Berean Christian? Someone who searches the Scriptures daily to receive strength, guidance, and insight.

4. Read Acts 17:10-15

Transition: A Berean Christian is…

I. Daily in the Word (10-12).

A. Searched the Scriptures

1. One of the major things that we learn from the Book of Acts, and especially from the missionary journeys of Paul, is that God often used persecution and difficulty to spread the Good News of Jesus!

a. When we fail to see that in our own lives, we miss the big picture of what God is doing.

b. For instance, ever since we made the decision to leave the UMC and join the CMC, as difficult as that was, we have experienced growth and God is doing great things in and through us.

c. Such is the case with Paul in Berea. Unlike in previous stops, when he got to Berea, he found the people eager and hungry to know more about the Gospel of Jesus.

d. In fact, these people, instead of rebelling and causing trouble, went home and searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.

e. This was a major step in the right direction. However, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t problems, but this time it came from the outside and not from the people in Berea.

2. Luke begins this section of Paul’s journey in v. 10, where it says, “That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.”

a. Luke tells us that the believers in Thessalonica, who had been hiding Paul and Silas from the rioters, under the protection of darkness, sent Paul and Silas on to Berea.

b. The term “believers” refers to the men and women of Jewish and Gentile descent, who had been lost in their sin, but had come to the light of Jesus.

c. They came to Christ, received forgiveness of their sin, and began walking in the light of Christ.

d. Once the two missionaries arrived in Berea, they did what they always did, they went to the Jewish synagogue and told the people there about Jesus.

3. However, the reception they received in Berea was a pleasant surprise from what they had been receiving. In v. 11, Luke tells us, “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.”

a. Berea was about forty-five miles south of Thessalonica toward Athens. When they got there, they found the people there to be “open-minded.”

b. The word open-minded means “noble,” or “generous - free from prejudice.”

c. In other words, they hadn’t already made up their minds about what Paul and Silas were saying. Instead of forming a mob and running them out of town, they did something more constructive.

d. They went home and searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul was telling them the truth.

e. What a great audience! They were teachable, open to hearing the truth, they did their homework, and they honestly longed to know the truth!

f. Is that what you’re doing? Do you go home and search the Bible to see if what I am saying is true? Is this Holy Book a part of your daily lives?

g. Unfortunately, for too many Christians, this book is not a part of their daily lives.

h. We should pray and make that a part of our daily routine, but if we are not reading the Scriptures, we are like an eagle with one wing, and we will never get to where we need to be like that.

i. We need to be like the believers in Berea and checkout the Scriptures for ourselves.

j. If you don’t have a Bible, tell me, and I will buy you one. It’s that important to me to know that my flock is feeding daily on the Word of God!