Bread of His Presence

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we seek the Lord Jesus Christ (our Bread and our Life) in His Word today.

Paul in Ephesus— In our study of the book of Acts, you will remember that Paul has recently embarked on his third missionary journey, which started (just like the previous two) in Antioch, which was his home base where he pastored alongside Barnabas and three other men of God. But after spending some time there, he departs, and travels through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. And finally he comes back to the town of Ephesus, where he had left Priscilla and Aquila not too long before this; after he himself had spoken at the synagogue there and then left for Jerusalem. But now, upon his return, he finds a group of John the Baptist’s disciples and wins them over to Jesus Christ. They are baptized in the name of Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, the signature mark of every true child of God.

The Nucleus of The Ephesian Church— And so we see that there is a strong nucleus begun in the church in Ephesus. We have Aquila and Priscilla there, a group of believers that Paul himself had led to Christ (including these 12 disciples of John), and then we have whoever Aquila and Priscilla have led to Christ. So the church there in Ephesus is off to a good start.

The Beating Heart of Asia Minor— But before we begin to work our way through the text, I need to kind of help set the scene a little bit, because the city of Ephesus was a very interesting city. [The city of Ephesus probably ranked with Corinth as the two most important cities on the road east from Rome. In the eastern division of the Roman Empire, the three main cities would be Antioch, Alexandria and Ephesus.] But Ephesus was the beating heart of Asia Minor, being a commercial center at which four main roads crossed. And so it was a place caravans would come to trade. But it was also a port city, because although it was three miles inland, the Cayster River flowed into Ephesus and (though it had a dredging problem and had to be dredged periodically) it was navigable by ships, which would also come to trade. Now that is not the case today; because [over the centuries, sedimentation gradually filled in the inlet around the city…{And so}…The coastlines moved seaward, and the ruins of Ephesus are now some 8 km inland from the coast.] But back then it was accessible via the Cayster River; and all this served to make Ephesus a lavish, rich, and fascinating place to be. And it had quite an immense population because of this. Everywhere you went, the markets glistened with the art of that world and the air was described as “salubrious”, meaning it was healthy or wholesome.

John’s Vision— Now John the Apostle was here, and in fact would later be exiled from here to the Isle of Patmos, which was off the coast just a little ways. And interestingly, when he wrote the book of Revelation, we find that in chapter 18 the Lord gave John a picture of the wealth, commerce, and sophistication of the world. It’s very possible that Ephesus came to John’s mind in relationship to that picture. In fact, listen to…

Revelation 18:12 (ESV)— 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,

A Picture— Now that is not a description of Ephesus, but it was a description that very much matched Ephesus and may have brought Ephesus to John’s mind as he pondered the picture God had given him.

A Dark Place— But keep in mind that Ephesus was also a dark place because it was the center of worship of Diana or Artemis, whose temple was the centerpiece of Ephesus. And she was to be worshiped in and through prostitution, orgies, and that kind of thing. Ephesus was also a haven for criminals, who flocked to Ephesus for sanctuary. It was also a place entrenched in sorcery, witchcraft, magicians, and exorcists. And so talk about being a place of spiritual warfare. Suddenly Paul’s letter (when he wrote back to the Ephesians) makes a little more sense. He writes in…

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)— 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Spiritual Warfare— And we will see that it is in Ephesus that those evil forces come to a head against Paul and against the message of the Gospel. But Paul arrives in Ephesus. And he sets up leather-working business (the literal translation of the word), which probably included the making of tents. And this was because it was his custom not to make himself a burden, but to support himself. We know this because when he’s getting ready to leave Ephesus, he writes in…

Acts 20:33-34 (ESV)— 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

Not A Burden— And so we see that not only did he support himself, but he also was even able to support others. He worked hard in order to not be a burden and also to have the means to help others. And that just gives us one window into the heart Paul; his kindness and love towards those who needed help. That is why he worked.

The Central Word— Now although Paul had to work, that wasn’t where his heart was. No, the driving force and the very center of his ministry was without question the Word of God. It says in verse 20: So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. And then when he eventually leaves Ephesus, he will say to the elders of the Ephesian Church…

Acts 20:32 (ESV)— 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Saturated With The Word— Everything Paul did was centered on helping to bring people into an understanding of the scriptures (in this case the Old Testament); what it foretold about the Christ, how Jesus is the fulfillment of all those Messianic hopes, and how now all can experience forgiveness from God through Jesus and have fellowship with God in and through Him. And what we have to understand is that the reason we will see such a strong Church built up in Ephesus; the reason why we will see Satan defeated in such an incredible way in the upcoming verses is because Paul saturated this Church with the teaching of the Word of God. Now why did the word of the Lord continue to increase and prevail mightily? Because it was proclaimed. Now that may seem obvious and simplistic. But at the same time it is easy to forget. The Word of God has the power to change people, but in order to do that it needs the hands and feet of faithful Christian ambassadors who will bring it to them. And that is what we see Paul doing in verse 8. It says…

Acts 19:8 (ESV)— 8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Stayed Three Months— Now one of the things important to note here is that Paul had already formed relationships with many of the Jews attached to the synagogue there. When he had left Ephesus before in chapter 18, it says in verse 20: they asked him to stay for a longer period. Now that must have been so refreshing to Paul because (think about it) every other synagogue he has gone to the unbelieving Jews have gotten angry and sought to drive him away. But this group doesn’t. They not only don’t set themselves against him, but are actually eager to hear what he has to say. And so he comes back and stays with them for a period of three whole months, which may not seem long to us but was unusually long for Paul, who sadly had become all too familiar with rejection. But these Jews were different. They were hungry.

Speaking Boldly— Now you might ask what Paul did for those three months. Well, it tells us that he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly. Now the Greek word translated as “spoke boldly” is actually a single word in the Greek (παρρησιάζομαι); it is a type of speech that is bold. It is the same word used to describe the speech of Apollos in 18:26. And here it is in the imperfect tense, which simply means it is ongoing rather than being finished or completed. And so the text is better translated “and he was continuing to speak boldly.” And this is one of the signature marks of apostolic preaching by the way that we see occurring again and again in the book of Acts. In chapter 4, verse 29 the disciples (after a bout with persecution) pray to God for boldness and God gives them (and continues to give them) that boldness. And as time progresses they just keep getting bolder and bolder. And it is a boldness that is both strong, yet meek; powerful, yet not bullheaded and needlessly offensive. It is the kind of boldness that aligns with 1 Peter 3:15, which says…

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)— 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Now this kind of boldness is for you and me as well. Paul says that each and every one of us needs to have in our lives this boldness that comes through our faith in Christ. He says in…

1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)— 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

2 Corinthians 3:12 (ESV)— 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,

And so let us be bold. Let us proclaim the Word of God powerfully, with gentleness and respect, knowing that as we do God will be sowing seeds in people’s hearts that will bear fruit unto salvation. Let’s do so. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we seek the Lord Jesus Christ (our Bread and our Life) in His Word today.

“In the hole he goes”— Just recently I read of [Three small siblings {who} had a pet sparrow, which, to everyone’s disappointment, died. The children were very sad, and they decided to give the dead bird a really good burial service. Their families were faithful members of the church, so the children had some ideas of how to go about it. The first step was to dig the grave in a carefully chosen spot in a corner of the yard. Then they solemnly prepared for the actual interment. One child held the sparrow over the grave, and another recited, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and in the hole he goes.”] Now sadly, I’m sorry to say, the knowledge of many people regarding the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) often does not rise too much above this child’s understanding.

We Don’t Talk About…— Every week, my family has movie night on Fridays. And not long ago we watched one of the new Disney movies, Encanto. And it was very fun and entertaining. And the music is very memorable. And one of the songs is “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. And that is the refrain that you hear over and over again, “We don’t talk about Bruno, no no no no”. It’s quite catchy, no matter how much you might want to “Let it Go!, Let it Go!” But in thinking about it, I feel that if you were to replace the word “Bruno” with “Holy Spirit” or “Holy Ghost”, the song would fairly accurate. “We don’t talk about the Holy Ghost, no no no no." And I wonder why that is. I think for many of us, we just don’t understand the Holy Spirit. We get the Father (at least we think we do; though I think our understanding of Him is also very warped at times; we think we get the Son (though honestly, if you don’t understand the Father, you won’t understand the Son either, who came to reveal to us the Father); but the Holy Spirit is the one I feel we understand the least. What or who is the Holy Spirit? What role does the Holy Spirit have to play in our day-to-day lives? Those are questions I hope to be able to at least scratch the surface in answering today. And our passage today provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Because here in Acts 19, verses 1-7, we find Paul (now on his third missionary journey) coming back to Ephesus and encountering a group of men who (through him) receive the Holy Spirit. It says in…

Acts 19:1a (ESV)— 1 And it happened that while Apollos {(whom we talked about last week)} was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus.

Ephesus— Now [Ephesus was the capital and leading business center of the Roman province of Asia (part of present-day Turkey). {It was} A hub of of sea and land transportation, {and} it ranked with Antioch in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt as one of the great cities on the Mediterranean Sea.] And it is here that Paul would be staying for a little over two years and would write his first letter to the Corinthians in order to help to counter several problems the church in Corinth was facing. And we will see later that during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul will write a letter to the Ephesian church (the book of Ephesians). And so we see that Paul kept his promise to return to the Ephesian church that he had made back in 18:21. When he had left them, they had been spiritually hungry to hear more; and now that he is returning he is hoping that the Jews will still be eager to hear. And when he arrives, it says in the rest of verse 1…

Acts 19:1b-2a (ESV)— There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

Now the answer to this question is absolutely critical because it is the Holy Spirit who marks us believers in Christ. Paul in fact writes to the Ephesians, saying in…

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)— 13 In him {(Jesus)} you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Our Sanctifier— But the Holy Spirit also has another role. Not only does He mark us as believers and children of God, but He is the One who sanctifies us, re-molding and re-shaping us into the very image of Jesus, leading us out of the old way of the flesh into the new way of the Spirit. Paul writes of this clearly in…

Galatians 5:16-25 (ESV)— 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. {Now these “disciples” did not yet have the Holy Spirit in their lives. And so it says in…}

Acts 19:2b-3 (ESV)— And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.”

Hadn’t Heard— And so Paul comes to this group of disciples who we see have a faith, but a faith that is incomplete, because not only had they not heard of what had happened at Pentecost (the Holy Spirit being given) but they say that they have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. Now this does not mean that they had not heard of the Holy Spirit or even that they were not expecting the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. No. They would have known about the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament, which has clear teachings about the Holy Spirit of God and promises that He will one day be poured out (Joel 2:28). But they also would have known about the Holy Spirit in and through John the Baptist (whom verse three says they were baptized by); because he said very clearly that the Messiah/Lamb of God would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16). And so all this phrase means is that they were simply ignorant of the fact that this expectation had been realized at Pentecost. They were Old Testament Saints still waiting for that promised gift of God, not knowing that it had actually already come. In fact, F.F. Bruce translates their answer, “We never even heard that the Holy Spirit is available.” And so these men were disciples of John the Baptist who had received John’s Baptism, which was an outward sign of repentance from sin, but was not a sign (as it is now) of new life in Christ. John’s Baptism looked forward in anticipation to the atoning work of Christ. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit looks back at the atoning work of Christ, resting on its completion. Well, these men had apparently believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but (like Apollos) they needed to come to understand the significance of his death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. And so it says in…

Acts 19:4 (ESV)— 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

Start With Jesus— Now notice that Paul doesn’t explain to them about what it means to receive the Holy Spirit. Instead, he talks to them about the person of Jesus. And this is for two reasons. First of all (like we already talked about) they already knew who the Holy Spirit was and were anticipating His coming. But secondly (and this is what is key for us) Paul begins with Jesus because it is only in and through Jesus that we can receive the Holy Spirit. You have to start with Jesus; because it is in and through His atoning work alone that we are reconciled to God, given the Holy Spirit, and consequently are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ. That is why if you have somebody in your life who is living in darkness; who is making bad choices; who seems bent on self-destruction (and I have known people like this), the best thing you can do is bring them to Jesus. Draw them to Christ with your words and actions; inspire them to Christ with your testimony of what He has done for you. Drive them to Christ with your prayers. Whatever it takes, if you can get that person to Him, He can reconcile them to Himself and give them the One (the ONLY One) who has the power to change a human heart. And that is what Paul does here. And they believe. And it says…

Acts 19:5-7 (ESV)— 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

A Unified Church— Now this does not mean that speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation. But in the book of Acts (for every people group that received Christ) it was given as an outward sign in order to both ease the spread of the Gospel, but also as a sign to the Church that God was the one bringing this new people group into the fold. [And in each case apostles were present to verify that all received the same Holy Spirit in the same way. That having been completed, Paul could write to the Ephesians, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:4–5). From then on, the Holy Spirit would come to every heart at salvation, as the epistles teach.]

A Sad Discord— Now I find it amazing how the Holy Spirit, who was the means of bringing the Church together in the book of Acts, has since become the center of much controversy and division. And what is worse, in our day and age (perhaps because we don’t really understand the Holy Spirit; who He is and what He can do in us) we neglect Him. We know He’s there and acknowledge Him occasionally, but don’t know what it means to truly know the One who abides in us and be fully surrendered to Him. And what is so scary to me about the modern church (as somebody I read recently pointed out) is the fact that our churches are [so rigidly programmed that it seems we need no longer depend on Him—yet Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing.”]

95%— [The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”] Let me ask you this, do you truly know the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in your life? Are you abiding in constant communion with Him and allowing Him to keep you in God’s Holy way?

A Monopoly— Once [A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign. Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?” There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D. L. Moody.”
Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly on your life?] Do you have the Holy Spirit? If not, He is available to you know in and through faith in Jesus Christ. And if you are already a believer, is the Holy Spirit more than just in you? Are you fully given over to Him in utter and complete surrender? If not, give yourself to Him today; let Him have a monopoly on your life; and in the world He will make you like Christ and use you in amazing ways. Surrender to Him today. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today as we study the Word of God together; specifically in the book of Acts. Last week we found in our study of the book of Acts chapter 18 that Paul has now begun his third missionary journey. And he had come to the city of Ephesus. Now with him were Priscilla and Aquila (a Jewish couple who were companions of his in ministry). Now Paul had to leave in order to make it to Jerusalem for Pentecost, where he wanted to complete his vow. And he leaves Priscilla and Aquila to carry on the work of building up the Church there. And he promises to return. But meanwhile, while Priscilla and Aquila are there, a Jewish man from Alexandria, Egypt by the name of Apollos comes to Ephesus. And it says…

Acts 18:24b (ESV)— He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

γραφή— And while it may be obvious to some, I want to make sure it is clear that we are talking about the Old Testament scriptures, not the New. The word “scriptures” that is used here is the Greek word γραφή. And whenever that word occurs in the New Testament, it always is referring to the Old Testament. Apollos is an Old Testament scholar who is skilled at teaching Old Testament scripture. But all of that eloquence and knowledge and giftedness (which we expounded upon last week) was based on his natural ability, not on his having the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; because he was not yet a Christian. Now of course every gift comes from God, but Apollos did not yet have the fruit or gifts of the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ. Now some say he was a Christian because of the very next phrase, which says of Apollos…

Acts 18:25a (ESV)— 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord.

“instructed in the way of the Lord”— That has led some to conclude that (because Jesus is Lord) that Apollos had already been instructed in the Christian faith; and his knowledge simply was not yet as full as it needed to be. However, many who take that interpretation fail to take into account the fact that that phrase the way of the Lord is not a new phrase coined by Christians. No, it is a phrase used throughout the Old Testament beginning all the way back in the book of Genesis, the very first book of the Bible. It is a very broad, general term for Old Testament instruction in the things of God; the standards that God has set for people to follow. There is no reason to infer from that phrase that Apollos was a Christian. It is way too general a phrase.

κατηχέω— Plus look at the word that precedes the phrase the way of the Lord; the word “instructed”.  This may help us to understand what kind of knowledge Apollos had. The Greek word is κατηχέω. And κατηχέω means to teach orally by repetition. By the way, what word does κατηχέω sound like? Catechism. And what is a catechism? It’s a method of teaching in which you learn orally by repetition; you read a line (the question) and then you read the answer. And then you go on to the next. It is something you repeat over and over again until you have it ingrained in your brain. And so this is how Apollos learned the way of the Lord. Now having said all this, we do see that phrase the way of the Lord funnel in and become more focused in…

Isaiah 40:3 (ESV)— 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

A Fruit of John’s Ministry— Now who is that a prophecy of? John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. That is where the knowledge of Apollos had stopped. He did know at least something about Jesus, which we will see in a minute. And that may be because of the ministry of John the Baptist; it is possible that (because Alexandria was such a center of learning) that some of John the Baptist’s disciples came there during Jesus’ earthly ministry and proclaimed that He was the Messiah. It is even believed by some that Apollos may have been a disciple of John the Baptist. We don’t know. But he apparently had learned at least a little bit about Jesus and His teachings because it says in…

Acts 18:25b (ESV)— And being fervent in spirit,[a] he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

An Incomplete Knowledge— And so while Apollos may have known some of the basic facts about Jesus he may not have yet known about Jesus' atoning work on the cross, His resurrection, or the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But whatever the case, his knowledge was incomplete. Now everything he said was true, but he did not yet have the rest of the picture.

A New Map— I remember once Tanya and I were on our way to visit my parents in Kentucky. And we had been following GPS; not on our phones but on an actual GPS unit that (in the good old days) you bought as a separate unit. Ours was a TomTom; and I remember you even had to pay to get the maps it contained updated. Oh how things have changed. But that night I remember we got to about twenty minutes from where my folks were living but the GPS suddenly showed that were were going off-road, even though we were definitely still on the road. And the directions suddenly went all wonky and we lost our way. Now what had happened is that some major road revisions were made (actually a new road), but (because we hadn’t updated the map on our TomTom) the TomTom was still operating with the old map, which of course did not match up with the current roads. We needed a new map. Well, the same was true of Apollos. He was preaching the Old Testament the best he knew how, but he likely did not yet have the new information he needed concerning the atoning work of Christ. And so he couldn’t get people to where they needed to go. Well, here’s where the providence of God comes in. Because one day he goes in to the synagogue to preach. And it says in…

Acts 18:26 (ESV)— 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Gentle Instruction— Now I love how Priscilla and Aquila see someone who does not yet fully understand and are courageous enough and loving enough to try to help to point him in the right direction. And they do very lovingly; because note that they do not rebuke him publicly, which would have just confused the Jews he was preaching to. No, they quietly pull him aside (maybe even taking them home with them for a Sabbath dinner) and tell him what he still needed to know about Jesus and also about the coming of the Holy Spirit. And I also love how teachable he was. He didn’t brush them off, but seems to have eagerly received the knowledge that they had to offer. And that may have been the secret to some of his incredible knowledge, by the way. He was humble enough to be taught. He didn’t have an I-already-know-it-all attitude.

Not Familiar With The Sensation— Some time ago my wife and I watched the show Downton Abbey. And in it there is a highly-opinionated mother. And once another character in the show asked her, “How does it feel to be wrong?” And she (always quick on her feet) responded (puffing up like a peacock), “Wouldn’t know, my dear. I’m not familiar with the sensation.” Now let me tell you, a person who has that kind of attitude, who can never admit they’re wrong or that their knowledge is deficient in any way, can learn very little. If you want to know it all, then you have to truly believe and posture yourself as if you don’t. Because only those who remain teachable and humble actually  become true know-it-alls.

Apollos’ Conversion— Well, this was Apollos’ spirit. He humbly received their instruction. And it was at this time that he became a convert to Christianity, received the Holy Spirit, and then went out to proclaim the message of the Gospel. And he may have even gone back to the synagogue the following Sabbath to share with the Jews the rest of the story. But he didn’t stop there. Like any person who has received the Good News of Jesus Christ and placed his/her faith in Him, Apollos was eager to help spread the Good News about Jesus; and he is therefore eager to cross into Achaia. And the Ephesian church already highly recommended him, because it says in…

Acts 18:27a-28 (ESV)— 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. {And in the following verses we see that immediate fruit is born out of his ministry. It says…} When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

A Powerful Witness— And so we see that Apollos quickly became a monumental force for the kingdom of God. We see in the very next chapter that Apollos ministers for a time in Corinth. And hardly any time has gone by at all before Paul writes back in 1 Corinthians to the Corinthians (who are quarreling and becoming faction-oriented) and says (1 Cor. 1:10-12, 3:4-6, 22, 4:6)…

1 Corinthians 1:12b (ESV)— …one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” {Then in}…

1 Corinthians 3:5 (ESV)— 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Quickly Esteemed— And so what happened is that (perhaps because of Apollos’ great gifts) [Some of the Corinthians became more enamored with Apollos than with His message.] And so they became faction-oriented. Now these factions were not Apollos’ fault any more than they were Paul’s or Peter’s. But I mention it here because of how remarkable it is that at this very early stage of Apollos’ ministry, he already had become so highly esteemed, to where he (though not an apostle) is placed right after Paul and even before Cephas. It is amazing to see how mightily God was at work through him.

Three Elements— And there were three elements to this that are directly relevant to us. First, he had pursued and gained a solid understanding of the Word of God. Secondly, he was skilled in his presentation; he took time to hone in his skills in presenting the Word of God in a way that would be effective. But there was also something else; and we see it in verse 25, which says that he was fervent in spirit. In Greek it literally means boiling in spirit. The only other time that word is used is in…

Romans 12:11 (ESV)— 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Hearts on Fire— Some of my favorite movies of all time (watched them many times over) are the Rocky movies. And in those movies one of the things Rocky demonstrates (though sometimes it has to be re-kindled) is a heart on fire; the burning heart. And that is what this word means; and it is what is lacking in the chests of many Christians today. What the world needs most are men and women of God whose hearts are on fire for Him; who have a determination and drive (purified and directed by the Holy Spirit) to serve the Lord with all of who they are; with their hearts, souls, mind, and strength. Men and women who are mighty men and women of the word who know how to bring its truth to hungry souls. If we have hearts like that, the world will have no other recourse but to acknowledge that we know and walk with He who truly is the Savior of the world.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today as we study the Word of God together. You know, I don’t know how you are in the are of gratitude, but I have had the Lord point out to me numerous times how poor I often am in this area. I don’t usually forget to thank people. But for some reason I do often forget to thank God for both answered prayers, but also even just the everyday blessings. You know, devout Jews thank God every morning for the gift of life. And lately I have been trying to change the way I start my day; to thank God for His gift of life and acknowledge my dependence on Him the moment I wake up in the morning. Now I mention this because when it comes to the life of Paul, I am amazed how much he always managed to live in that grateful orientation of heart. Here in Acts chapter 18 we find him leaving the city of Corinth for Syria (where Palestine is). And he does so with his companions Pricilla and Aquila. But when they reach Cenchrea (the port town of Corinth) Paul has his hair cut on account of the fact that he had taken a Nazirite vow, which was a vow of special devotion to God that Jews would sometimes take as a symbol of thanksgiving to God for a special blessing they had received from Him. And Paul had received a special blessing; the fulfillment of God’s promise to both protect him and bless his ministry in Corinth. But now that his vow has been completed, he has his hair ceremonially cut and will eventually complete the ceremony (where you would burn the hair) when he eventually arrives at Jerusalem. But what is remarkable to me is that, as he’s moving around from place to place now, he is carrying around this lump of hair with him (a symbol of his thanksgiving towards God) which he hopes to be able to offer at the temple in Jerusalem. And this week that caused me to stop and ask myself what symbols there are in your life and in mine to remind us to live in constant awareness and thanksgiving for what God has done for us. Something to think about. Now in verse 19 it says…

Acts 18:19a (NKJV)— 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there;

Dropped Off— Left who there? Priscilla and Aquila. It’s funny how Paul always seems to be dropping people off. It must’ve been such an adventure to follow Paul, because you never knew where he might place you. He’s dropping off Timothy and Silas here and there; and Priscilla and Aquila are getting dropped off places and then picked back up later. You never knew where you were going to be when you were with Paul and where Paul might place you and then leave you to carry on the work. And here he places them in Ephesus. It is about the year 52 and its not until year 57 that they appear again in Rome. So they could have remained here as long as five years. But what is awesome to see is that Paul writes back to the Corinthians, saying, “The church has been established in their house.” So once again, we see how effective Paul’s ministry strategy was. Now while Paul is here in Ephesus, it says…

Acts 18:19b-23 (NKJV)— but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; {(and now we know why Paul is in such a hurry to get back to Jerusalem. There is a festival in Jerusalem; during which he wants to complete his vow as an expression of thanks to God. We don’t know what feast it was; very possibly the Feast of Pentecost, which would be extraordinarily significant because it was also during Pentecost that the Holy Spirit had been given, who would empower all Christians to live in such a way that the Nazirite vow only anticipated. But whatever feast it was, Paul no doubt turns these new Ephesian converts over to Priscilla and Aquila for further discipleship and then says)} but I will return again to you, God willing.” {And he leaves. But he does keep that promise to return, which we will see later. But for now it says:} And he sailed from Ephesus. 22 And when he had landed at Caesarea {(that’s the Mediterranean seaport west and just a little north of Jerusalem)}, and gone up and greeted the church {by which Luke means “the church in Jerusalem”, because you always go up to Jerusalem because of how much higher it is than everything around it. You don’t have to mention the city; the preposition gives it away. And it is here in Jerusalem that Paul no doubt went through all the rituals related to his vow, after which it says}, he went down to Antioch. 23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey— And what this means is that Paul has now started his third missionary journey. Where did he go? All the places he went on his second missionary journey? Where were those places? Well, they were all the places he went on his first missionary journey.

Start With A Few— A famous missionary once said this: “No man has the right to hear the gospel twice until every man has heard it once.” Let me tell you, that is absolutely false. Paul (not to mention Jesus) would totally disagree with that principle. Paul went back to the same group of people three times. And that’s because the kingdom of God isn’t built by people running all over the globe, frantically trying to quickly share an overly simplified version of the Gospel at least once to every person. No, the way you change the world is like Jesus did; like His apostles did. Start with a few, pour into them. Give them the full Gospel; declare (as Paul says in Acts 20:27) the whole counsel of God. Take time to show them how to bring all of their lives under the authority of Christ; train them to disciple others. And then they will go and do likewise. And God’s kingdom will grow not a mile wide and an inch deep, but will grow exponentially both in scope, but also in depth.

Back To Ephesus— Now, as I said, this marks the beginning of Paul’s third missionary journey. But at this point the narrative shifts away from Paul back to Ephesus, from which he had recently departed and left Priscilla and Aquila to carry on the ministry there. And Ephesus was a very pagan city, as it was the center of worship of the Greek goddess Artemis, whose Roman name was Diana; a multi-breasted fertility god whose temple there in Ephesus was so magnificent, it [was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.] However, during Paul’s time we see that while the city had been an important political and commercial center, at this time it had lost some of that importance and [was turning more to the temple to support its economy.]

Apollos— Now it is in Ephesus that we meet an extraordinary man; a man who happened to come there at the right time for Priscilla and Aquila to minister to and lead to Christ; a man by the name of Apollos. It says in…

Acts 18:24a (ESV)— 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.

Alexandria— And so we see that Apollos is from Alexandria, which of course is in Egypt. There was actually a very large group of Jews living in Egypt during this time, estimates running in at around 1 million. You had four different sections/quarters of the city that were populated by Jews. And it is important to remember this whenever we think about the flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus into Egypt. We always have this image like they were strangers in a foreign land, when in reality (although they were outside of Israel) they were living in and amongst a very significant Jewish population. And this is relevant to our discussion of Apollos, because although he was in Egypt, we will see that he is still very much a part of Jewish society and education. And Alexandria in general was an Egyptian city that was very much centered on education. In fact it was [the most learned city in the Greco-Roman world.] It boasted of both a university and a library; the library containing almost 700,000 volumes. And we’re not talking printed, but hand-copied volumes; a massive treasury of very valued knowledge. And this man Apollos had been raised there in Alexandria and we see was very educated, being especially grounded in the principles and practices of Judaism and especially in the scriptures. It says in...

Acts 18:24b (ESV)— He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

an eloquent man— And the phrase “eloquent man” is actually a translation of a very unique word in the Greek; in fact it doesn’t occur anywhere else in scripture. It is a word that combines the idea of learning with eloquence. And so what it tells us is that not only was the content of his preaching rock solid, but his presentation (his skills and giftedness as an orator) were tremendous. In fact, he may have been a much better speaker than Paul was, which might be inferred from 2 Corinthians 10:10, in which Paul says…

2 Corinthians 10:10 (ESV)— 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

δυνατὸς— And so it seems that Paul’s writing was where he shined best. His physical presence wasn’t very impressive and his oratory skills even less so. Now that’s not to put down Paul. But it does help us to understand the power and might of this man Apollos. He was a very gifted speaker, but even more so, he was (the text says) competent in the Scriptures. Now that is a very boring translating of a powerful Greek word. The word translated “competent” is actually the word δυνατὸς. It means “mighty”. In fact δυνατὸς is where we get our English word “dynamite”. And so here is a man who knows how to rightly divide the Word of Truth, but also how to deliver that truth in a powerful and compelling way. He is eloquent, dramatic and dynamic. You never fell asleep and fell out of a window, and died on impact while listening to Apollos. By the way, that actually happened during one of Paul’s messages, which we will see when we come to chapter 20. But nothing like that ever happened with Apollos. You were wide awake for every one of his messages. He was eloquent and mighty in the scriptures.

Mighty In The Word— And let me tell you, we need more men and women of God who are mighty in the scriptures; who have saturated themselves with the Word of God and can accurately teach it, defend its truth and be able to safeguard it against those who might want to twist it to their own ends. Now you and I want to be able to do that, but that kind of knowledge and ability comes at a cost.

Give The World— There was once a [young man who came to a Bible teacher after he taught and he was so overawed by the teaching and the strength of the man and his teaching and the – and the ability and the power and the knowledge. And he said to him, he said, “I just was so thrilled by your teaching.” He said, “I’d give the world to be able to teach the Bible like that.” And the man said, “Good, because that’s exactly what it will cost you.”] And you know, he’s right. Christ can use anybody, but the extent to which He can use you may be limited by your dedication and willingness to pursue the knowledge He has already made available to you in His Word. If we want to be effective, we must first know Him; and the only way to know Him is in and through prayerful engagement with His Word. And so let that be our challenge this week. Let’s be intentional about making time to engage with God in and through His Word so that He might equip us with everything we need for life and for ministry. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In recently weeks we have been discussing Paul’s ministry in the city of Corinth. It was a city that was so lost to paganism and idolatry that Paul probably wondered if it was possible for God to do anything there at all. But then Paul receives a vision in which God gives Him a command and a promise. He commands Paul to speak boldly (so there’s that faith element, which almost always comes first) and then promises to protect him. And so Paul takes that step of faith and lo and behold God steps in; because though some of the unbelieving Jews sought to get the proconsul (Gallio) to prosecute Paul, Gallio does the complete opposite and sets a precedent that Rome was not going to get involved in Jewish affairs (which they saw Christianity as being, seeing it as just another sect of Judaism). And so God kept His promise. But not only did God protect Paul, but He also blessed his ministry, as it tells us that Paul was even able to establish a church there in Corinth; a church that bore tremendous fruit. And this is a reminder to us that when things seem darkest and we feel the most broken, it is then that God is often able to produce some of His greatest fruit. One of the greatest verses in scripture that you and I can ever lean on actually comes from one of his letters to this Corinthian Church. It says in…

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)— 9 And He {(“the Lord”)} said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God Always Comes Through— What a wonderful reminder that even we we might feel we have nothing left to give, God still promises to use us and come through for us. Now because of this reprieve, Paul was able to stay in Corinth and minister without any hindrance. It says in…

Acts 18:18a (NKJV)— 18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria,

Syria— Now Syria is where Palestine is. But remember that Paul’s all the way over in Greece. And that’s no small distance. And so what he had to do was he had to get on a boat and sail about 15 miles which, when you consider how slow boats were during this time, it was a fairly long trip. And it’s interesting that it tells us…

Acts 18:18b (NKJV)— and Priscilla and Aquila were with him.

Priscilla & Aquila Come— Now the only way Paul would have allowed this was if there were others who could take on the responsibility of pastoring the Corinthian Church. And so the fact that the church there no longer needed him and no longer needed Pricilla and Aquila tells us how Paul was building up that church. Did he preach and teach? Yes, we are told that in verse 11. But just as importantly we see that that included training church leaders. And that is so key, because the way you know your church is doing well or not is by answering a simple question: What would happen if my pastor (like Paul) left for a prolonged period of time? Would the church fall apart because he had absorbed all the focus and ministry? Or would the church carry on as usual (completely un-phased) because he had given proper attention to the discipleship and training of new leaders? That’s one of the strength of Paul’s ministry, which of course is a reflection of the ministry of Jesus. Invest in the few to reach the many. That is how the Church is built up. So we see that Paul leaves with Priscilla and Aquila. And Priscilla and Aquila don’t abandon their leather-working & tent-making business. They simply pick up and move it. And all three make their way to Cenchrea. And it says of Paul in…

Acts 18:18c (NKJV)— He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea,

“hair cut off”— Now this is kind of an unusual event to have recorded for us in scripture. We don’t typically think of haircuts as a big deal; unless of course men it’s your wife who has gotten her hair cut; and then it is a big deal and you better notice. But even so, why do we have THIS haircut recorded for us for all Christians to read about for the rest of time? We know that the Holy Spirit inspired and guided Luke to include only what He wanted; but it seems like such an odd thing to focus on. This is further seen when we note that at this time Cenchrea (and we know this from Romans 16) had a church. But the Holy Spirit skips any mention of that church and jumps right to the haircut, only using the location of Cenchrea to signify where it was that Paul’s haircut took place. But we begin to see the significance of this when it says of Paul in…

Acts 18:18d (NKJV)— for he had taken a vow.

The Nazirite Vow— And so we see that this haircut has to do with vow; a special kind of a vow that we find in the Old Testament (and which described in detail in Numbers 6:1-21) called the Nazirite Vow. It was a special kind of vow taken when a Jew wanted to thank God in a special way for some blessing that he had received from God. Now what had Paul received from God? Well, he had received a promise from God (in a vision) to protect him and bless his ministry. And so (like any good Jew whose heart is filled with gratitude towards God) Paul wants to express his thankfulness. And the Nazirite Vow was the best ways he could of think of to do that.

Origin of Nazirite Vow— But what is a Nazirite Vow and where did it come from? Well, no one knows exactly where the Nazirite practice first came from. The directives given in Numbers 6 didn’t actually establish the practice, but rather regulated it in order to bring it into harmony with the larger body of the Mosaic law. It was likely around for much longer.

Meaning of “Nazirite”— But we are well-equipped to tell what it means; because the term “Nazirite” [comes from the verb nāzar, to “separate,”]. And so the Nazirite is someone who has separated themselves from certain things so that they might be more fully devoted to God (cf. Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). And those things the Nazirite was to abstain from were the eating of meat, partaking of the grapes of the vine (which included abstaining from drinking wine), and coming into any contact with a dead body (even the body of a close relative). And the key physical trait that distinguished the Nazirite was that the Nazirite would allow his hair to grow for the full length of whatever was the period of his vow. The typical period for a Nazirite Vow was 30 days, though some went for 60 days, some for 100 days, and some were for life. We have only three examples of Nazirites who were Nazirites for life: Samson (Judg. 13:5, 12-14), Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11), and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). Now we don’t know how long Paul had been under this Nazirite Vow; perhaps he began when he started making preparations to leave Corinth. But whatever the span of time, he was abstaining from meat, the fruit of the vine, and anything dead. And he’s allowing his hair to grow long.

Why The Hair?— Now why was the hair (of all things) chosen as the outward symbol for the Nazirite? Well the word nēzer in Hebrew (which contains the original idea of nāzar) means a “diadem”. What is a diadem? A crown. Where does a crown go? On the head. And so the hair was seen as the crown, the ornament of the head (6:5; cf. 2 Sam. 14:25-26). And so [the Nazirite is {seen to be} a “crowned one,” because “his separation to God is on his head” (Num. 6:7). Now long uncut hair (though ordinarily not thought appropriate for a Jewish man to have) was nevertheless a symbol of strength and abundant vitality (see 2 Sam. 14:25-26). But for the Nazirite there was also a spiritual side to it, because it was an outward reminder that he was dedicated to God; that he belonged to God in a special way. It was a diadem not just because having long hair was luxurious (as every hair product commercial will tell you) but because he had become crowned with God Himself. And so Paul is, in a posture of thanksgiving, living under a symbol of gratitude, sanctification, and awareness of the presence of God in His life. Now you and I may never take a Nazirite Vow, partially because we are not Jews. But nevertheless, shouldn’t there also be in our lives symbols of thanksgiving and consecration? What can I do to demonstrate (to consummate with my actions) the love and devotion I say I have for God? That is something worth taking the time to answer.

Closure of the Vow— Now at the time of the end of the vow, what would happen (and this is no doubt what Paul did) was he would bring an offering to the temple and would then [cut off his “dedicated head of hair” (i.e., the hair that had grown during the period of his consecration) at the door of the Tabernacle {(though we see Paul cut his off earlier)} and…put it into the fire under the sacrifice on the altar.….When all the service was concluded the late Nazirite was again at liberty to drink wine (Num. 6:20).]

A Priestly Life— Now all this may seem kind of strange to us, but when we understand the purpose of this practice (being consecrated to God in a special way) and how the Nazirite was considered to be “holy to the Lord” (as Numbers 6:8 says), we see that there is a lot of significance in this for us as well. It is interesting that two Jewish philosophers (Philo and Maimonides) describe the Nazirite as being similar in their standing with God as the priests themselves. The only difference was that Nazirites had no official service at the sanctuary and their time of dedication was temporary and voluntary. But the Nazirites were to live a priestly life during the period of their vows, being free of anything connected with death or the sinful pattern of this world. They were to live during the period of their vow lives of self-surrender to God. Now this is incredible, because you will remember that on Sinai, God gave Moses a vision of what He wanted Israel to become. It says…

Exodus 19:3-6 (NKJV)— 3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I [a]bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

A Picture of Sanctification— And so we see that God’s goal, of which the Nazirite’s sanctification was a picture, was that all people might become His priests; that they might be consecrated to Him and live lives holy/set apart to Him, free from anything that might defile. And that cleansing was to be not temporary (like the Nazirite Vow) but permanent. In fact, listen to Paul talk about this when he writes to the Corinthian church in…

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)— 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

Us Set Apart— You see, Paul saw it necessary that every Christian live lives set apart to God. Now although this was simply a vow (a work) that the Nazirite gave, we have to recognize that [it was also a work of the Spirit of God which dwelt in the congregation of Israel]. Because the prophet Amos describes [the raising up of Nazirites along with prophets as a special manifestation of divine grace”]. And anywhere in Israel’s history where they were doing really well spiritually, there was an abundance of Nazirites. When Israel was the sickest spiritually was also when there were the fewest Nazirites. There was usually a strong strong correlation between the two.

Few Set Apart— And the same thing is true in our nation. Our nation is more spiritually weak now than it has ever been. And that is not because of a lack of Christians. It is because many of the Christians we have are not yet fully given over to Jesus Christ. We are looking forward to future crowns in heaven, but are not wearing in this world the diadems of lives sanctified and set apart to God. We are not living as sojourners in this world. We are living as permanent residents. But Paul definitely saw himself differently; and he certainly was not a permanent resident of this world or really any place in this world. He was constantly moving from place to place, his eyes set on the Kingdom and doing what he could to grow that Kingdom.

Be Set Apart— And you know, that is how you and I need to live; not necessarily as Nazirites, but as people set apart, recognizing that we have been called out from the world to be holy unto God. Let us commit to allow God to make us holy unto Him, in every way. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Acts chapter 18 we have been taking a look at Paul’s ministry in Corinth. And it has been a tough season for Paul. Paul has been facing a lot of rejection, particularly from his own people. And so he no doubt was going through a time of deep discouragement. But God  came to Paul in that season and gave a promise. It says in…

Acts 18:9-10 (NKJV)— 9 Now 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.”

Promised Fruit— And so we see that Paul is encouraged by God's promise to be with him. But he is also encouraged by the fact that he will be safe because he is not alone there in Corinth. God has many people in this city.

SATAN WANTS YOU TO FEEL ALONE— Now I have found that one of Satan’s chief strategies that he works upon Christians is the feeling that we are alone. Because out of that feeling he can get us feeling depressed and can suppress our desire to push forward. What Satan doesn't want us to figure out is that there are other people just like us going through similar things; people who can be an encouragement and a strength to us. One of Satan's greatest strategies is to divide and conquer. And he does that first by driving apart people who are already in a relationship with one another, but he also does that by keeping people apart who might be able to pour grace and love and encouragement into one another's lives. And that is what he no doubt wants to do here with Paul. He wants Paul to feel alone, afraid, and therefore to go into protection mode. But God, defending Paul against that temptation, quickly stomps that snake and says “Don’t be afraid. First of all, I’m with you, which is enough in itself. But also you are surrounded by unknown friends you haven’t met yet who fear my name (or will soon, through your ministry) and who are going to be a source of protection for you.” And so instead of clamming up or leaving, Paul continues his ministry. It says in…

Acts 18:11 (NKJV)—11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Converts in Corinth— And Paul’s ministry bore tremendous fruit. He established a church there in Corinth. And just a few of those [who became Christians in Corinth were Phoebe (Romans 16:1—Cenchrea was the port city of Corinth), Tertius (Romans 16:22), Erastus (Romans 16:23), Quartus (Romans 16:23), Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11), Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14), Stephanas and his household (1 Corinthians 16:15), Fortunatus (1 Corinthians 16:17), and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17).] Now the church in Corinth was not full of mighty and noble people (1 Cor. 1:26–31), but rather with sinners whose lives were transformed by the grace of God (1 Cor. 6:9–11). And not only was Paul’s local ministry fruitful, but also his ministry of writing was as well, as during this time he also [wrote two letters to the believers in Thessalonica (the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians).]

The Unseen Hand— Now I would love to see the many ways that God protected Paul during this time. But you know, Paul probably knew very few of them. He probably didn’t realize until he got to heaven the many ways God had His hand over his life. And the same is true of us. We don’t get to see all the things we have been spared from; or the “could have been” disasters. And therefore Luke (the great historian) shares only one example of God’s protection over Paul that he could clearly see and communicate; and it is one that is enormously significant, for reason’s we will see in a few moments.

A New Proconsul: Gallio— But first, the “governor” (proconsul) of Achaia (modern Greece) was a Roman senator by the name of Gallio. He served from A.D. 51-52 and was the brother of Seneca the philosopher. And when he comes into power during this time, the unbelieving Jews see this as an opportunity to try to manipulate Rome into declaring this new “Christian sect” illegal. And so they break the law [by attacking Paul and forcing him to go to court.] It says in…

Acts 18:12-13 (NKJV)—12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”

The Best Speech Never Given— And what they were really charging Paul with was his [promoting a religion not approved by Roman Law.] And you have to understand that if you are going to understand the miracle of what will soon take place. They want to make Paul (and Christianity) the enemy of Rome. And this seems to be their go-to strategy, because [This was not the first time that fanatical Jews had tried to prove that Paul was breaking the Roman law.] They had tried similar tactics also in Philippi (Acts 16:19-24) and then in Thessalonica (Acts 17:6–7). But Paul knew his rights as a Roman citizen and was more than ready to defend himself. And he opens his mouth to deliver the best speech never given. That’s right, Paul never had a chance to deliver it; because while God had commanded Paul to speak in verse 9, here He seems to step in and basically says, “Paul, I got this one.” And we see this in that instead of Paul making his defense, Gallio (the ROMAN PROCONSUL) makes his defense!!! It says…

Acts 18:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.

An Unexpected Advocate— And so Gallio was not the fool these Jews took him to be and [immediately saw that the real issue was not the application of the Roman law but the interpretation of the Jewish religion, so he refused to try the case!] And so while [The Jews tried to force the Roman proconsul to declare the Christian faith illegal, …Gallio ended up doing just the opposite. {Because} By refusing to try the case, Gallio made it clear that Rome would not get involved in cases involving Jewish religious disputes. As far as he was concerned, Paul and his disciples had as much right as the Jews to practice their religion and share it with others.] Now it may come as a surprise, but that kind of response is very typical of the relationship between the Roman and Christian Church here in the book of Acts. Yes, the apostles were forbidden to preach (Acts 4:17-21; 5:40), but that was by the Jewish council, not a Roman one. In fact there is no evidence in the book of Acts that Rome ever did this. Actually, the opposite seems to have been the case. We see [in Philippi (Acts 16:35-40), Corinth, and Ephesus (Acts 19:31), the Roman officials were not only tolerant but almost cooperative.] And this was partially because of Paul. He [knew how to use his Roman citizenship wisely so that the government worked for him and not against him, and he was careful not to accuse the government or try to escape its authority (Acts 25:10-12).] Now this was not the end of the matter. It says in…

Acts 18:17 (NKJV)— 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

Sosthenes Beaten & Redeemed— Now what in the world is this all about? And who is this guy Sosthenes? What happened to Crispus, who is described as the synagogue ruler in the beginning of the passage. Well, remember Crispus had been converted to Christianity by Paul. And you can imagine how outraged many of the Jews were. What seems to have happened is that Crispus was removed from his position and replaced by a new synagogue ruler, a man by the name of Sosthenes. And it is this man who is attacked by the Greeks, who beat the tar out of him right in front of the proconsul, who simply looks the other way. Now we don’t know exactly who was doing the beating. [The mob could have been Greeks venting their feelings against the Jews for causing turmoil, or the crowd may have included some Jews. In any case, they beat Sosthenes for losing the case and leaving the synagogue worse off than before.] Now the irony here is that [If this is the same Sosthenes mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:1, then {apparently he too got converted, and the Jews had to find {yet} another ruler for their synagogue!] I would love to know how that all came about. Maybe somebody was there that day to pick Sosthenes up off the ground; maybe a Christian. Maybe it was Paul himself or Crispus who helped to wash his wounds, using it as an opportunity to share the love of Christ.
    But whatever the case, what this shows us is that no matter how much Satan opposes us, because God is with us, those oppositions simply become God’s opportunities to do something great. And so the central thrust of this passage is that God is both with us and is protecting us sometimes in seen but most often in unseen ways. And knowing that can give us the courage to “Fear not!” and speak boldly the name of Jesus.

John Paton’s Unseen Army— [John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.]

Never Alone— Now you and I may feel alone when we live out Christ’s call to be a light in the world. But what scripture always reminds us of is the “fact” that God is with us. And though He won’t always shield us from pain and death, we can rest assured that His perfect plan for our lives will come to fruition if we (like Paul) remain obedient to speak out. And many people will be forever changed by your commitment to Christ.

Psalm 121:7-8 (NKJV)
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Let us therefore trust in the Lord this week. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. Today we will be continuing our study of Acts chapter 18. So if you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me there. You will remember that Paul has (most recently) entered into the city of Corinth, the political and commercial center of Greece. And it is here that he works as a tentmaker alongside a Jewish man and woman (Aquila and Priscilla) who themselves have been driven out (as all the Jews were) from Rome. And so during the week they make leather tents (and perhaps other leather items as well) and sell them. But on the Sabbath Paul would reason in the synagogue with the Jews and Gentiles who had gathered there to worship and persuaded some of them of the truth of the Gospel. Now Silas and Timothy eventually arrive. And 2 Corinthians 11:9 tells us that they do so bringing financial aid. And this allowed Paul to be more freed to devote himself fully to preaching the Gospel. But enemies had set themselves against Paul; and Paul had faced the rejection of many of his own people, most recently here in Corinth. And so it is a time of discouragement. And he may be wondering how he is ever going to do what God has called him to do. But God gave Paul an amazing promise that extends to you and me as well. And today I would like to take a look at that promise.

Remembering 9/11— You know, most of you (myself included) remember right where you were when you heard the news that terrorists had hit the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11. It’s a day we will never forget. But recently I read (I think for the first time, though I had seen part of it before) the 911 call from United Airlines Flight 93, where a very terrified passenger by the name of Todd Beamer was frantically telling the dispatcher about the hijacking of their plane. And the dispatcher confirmed for him what he had already heard, that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center and that both towers were gone. “Oh God —help us!” he said. She told him that a third plane was taken over by terrorists, who crashed it into the pentagon; and his plane may also be part of their plan. Then Todd, in shock, asked the dispatcher (whose name was Lisa) to call his pregnant wife (whose name, surprisingly, was also Lisa) and their two boys, tell them what happened, and tell her that he loves her and will always love her; and to tell his boys that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. Later in the call another dispatcher joins in the conversation.

Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..

Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..
Let’s Roll……………………

Thou Art With Me— And of course we know that Todd and the other passengers succeeded. They (at the cost of their own lives) were able to overcome the terrorists and crash the plane, saving God knows how many lives in what is no doubt one of the greatest acts of heroism in American history. Now I cannot imagine how afraid Todd and those passengers must have been. Yet they were somehow able to rise above that fear and take action. And the secret to that courage might be found in the last words Todd prayed from Psalm 23: for thou art with me. I don’t know if there are any more encouraging words in scripture than those; to know that in the midst of whatever we face, God is with us. Perhaps that is why God has seen fit to interweave this promise throughout all of scripture. He says in…

Genesis 28:15 ESV— Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Joshua 1:9— "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Isaiah 41:10— "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 43:2 ESV— When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Deuteronomy 31:6— "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Zephaniah 3:17— "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

Matthew 28:20— "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

A Promise That Carries Us— It is this promise of God to be with us no matter what that can help us to carry on His work in the face of the most intense trials and persecutions. And it is no surprise that it is this promise that God gives to Paul as he is no doubt discouraged from his having faced rejection and adversity in just about every place he has been ministering in, most recently from his Jewish brothers there in Corinth. And so God comes to him by night and appears to him in a vision. It says in…

Acts 18:9-10 (NKJV)— 9 Now 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.”

A Dark Situation— Now the reason that God said this was because remember that recently Crispus, the synagogue ruler, converted to faith in Christ in and through the ministry of Paul. And that was great, because it opened up more opportunities for Paul to evangelize. But it also brought more opposition from the enemy. The unbelieving Jews in Corinth were furious at Paul's success and set themselves against him and his ministry with the aim to silence and get rid of him. Now Luke does not give us much detail on this, but it seems that between verses 8 and 9 the situation has become especially difficult and dangerous for Paul; so dangerous that Paul may have even been thinking about leaving Corinth altogether, as he had been forced to do from some of the other cities he had ministered in. But, as we have been talking about, God always provides encouragement when we need it most. And that encouragement can come through His Word, through the ministry of other people, or even directly from God through prayer. But no matter how He does it, God speaks to us when we need Him most. And God tells Paul that because He is with him, he doesn’t need to be afraid, but can speak freely without feeling like he needs to keep silent in order to be safe.

Fear Not— Now there have probably been times in your life when you have heard God speaking a soft and tender “Fear not!” into your life to quiet your heart and give you peace amidst the storms of life. “Fear not!” [is the way He assured Abraham (Gen. 15:1), Isaac (Gen. 26:24), and Jacob (Gen. 46:3), as well as Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:15–17), Daniel (Dan. 10:12, 19), Mary (Luke 1:30), and Peter (Luke 5:10).] And that is how God assures us as well.

“it is a fact!”— [British preacher G. Campbell Morgan used to read the Bible each week to two elderly women. One evening, when he finished reading the closing words of Matthew 28, Morgan said to the women, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise!” and one of them replied, “Young man, that is not a promise—it is a fact!”]

Paul Experiences “Immanuel”— And that was definitely a fact for Paul. [Jesus had already appeared to Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1–6; 26:12–18) and also in the temple (Acts 22:17–18). Paul would be encouraged by Him again when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11) and later in Rome (2 Tim. 4:16–17). Our Lord’s angel would also appear to Paul in the midst of the storm and give him a word of assurance for the passengers and crew (Acts 27:23–25).] And this really shows that the title we call Jesus by (especially during Christmas time), “Immanuel—God with us” (Matt. 1:23) is a name that our Savior really lives up to.

And I want to tell you today that Jesus is with you. And therefore you can take courage. One hymn speak this Word of God into our lives like no other:

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.”

Know this week that Christ is with you in whatever you are facing; and that, if you abide in Him, He will do His work through you. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So good to have you with us today as we study the Word of God together. You know, one of the men who has had one of the most tremendous impacts on history was a man by the name of John Wesley; not only for the content of his teaching, but also for his absolute persistence in the midst of some of the most intense rejection, persecution, and trials.

Wesley’s Journal— Not long ago I was reading an excerpt from John Wesley’s diary. In it he writes...
Sunday, A.M., May 5    Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday, P.M., May 5     Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out."
Sunday, A.M., May 12    Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19    Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
Sunday, P.M., May 19    Preached on street. Kicked off street.
Sunday, A.M., May 26    Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2    Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, P.M., June 2    Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

The Big Picture— You know, some of the greatest people in all of history; the people that God was able to use the most, were those who never gave up in the face of trials. People who didn’t let persecution make them bitter, but just said, “Jesus, I don’t know why this is happening to me, but I know that you are in control and will work this out for your glory.” John Wesley didn’t see the big picture of where those rejections he had encountered would lead. He didn’t need to see the big picture. All he needed was to say to God as Jesus did, “Thy will be done” and trust Him with the rest.

Steadfast Biblical Heroes— As you and I go through scripture, we find that some of God’s greatest heroes were men and women who (at least at first) had no grasp of the big picture. All they could do was trust God in the moment. I think of Abraham called to sacrifice his son. I think of Job; about the purpose of his suffering; Joseph, sold by his brothers into slavery, then into prison because of a false accusation; but he ends up being used by God to save Egypt and the surrounding countries from famine. I think of Daniel, brought into captivity never knowing God was going to use him mightily; even young everyday couples like Mary and Joseph (Jesus’ parents); Mary undergoing rejection from of her community from a pregnancy she couldn’t explain; Joseph feeling cheated by Mary (at first), choosing to believe and obey God, and then sharing with Mary in that same persecution. Few of these men and women ever saw the big picture. But they didn’t need to. Each and every one of them were able to trust that God is good, He is in control, and He is working through their suffering to fulfill His plan. Now those men and women modeled a steadfastness, a patience, and wisdom that may at times seem unreachable to us. But these weren’t spiritual giants; they were men and women (like you and me) who simply said Lord I will trust you; I will do what you have asked me to do in the moment. And the only reason that you and I are believers today is because of men and women in the past like John Wesley who chose to remain steadfast under some of the most intense persecution, trusting in God.

Our Trust— Do we have that kind of trust in the Lord? That is the kind of faith James wants all Christians to have. He wants them to be a people who, through obedience and trust, are overcomers. And God wants to make us overcomers as well. James writes in...

James 1:12 (ESV)— 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

2 Images of Judgment— Now I say all of this because here in our passage today we find Paul facing the same kind of rejection and trials that are typical of any true follower of God. But he recognizes how God is using those trials to change his direction/focus. And that is why we see here in Acts chapter 18 a dramatic shift in the ministry of Paul. It says that after these Jews opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And here we have two very interesting Old Testament images. The first (the shaking of his garments) [was an act of judgment that said, “You have had your opportunity, but now it’s over!” Today we might say that we were washing our hands of a situation.] Now this didn’t mean that Paul would stop witnessing to the Jews, but [his primary calling was to evangelize the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-48; 28:28).]             Now the second image (the proclamation that their blood be upon their own heads) was also a proclamation of judgment. [To have blood on your hands means that you bear the responsibility for another’s death because you were not faithful to warn him. The image comes from the watchman on the city walls whose task it was to stay alert and warn of coming danger (see Ezek. 3:17–21; 33:1–9). But to have blood on your head means that you are to blame for your own judgment. You had the opportunity to be saved, but you turned it down (see Josh. 2:19). Paul’s hands were clean (Acts 20:26) because he had been faithful to declare the message of the gospel. The Jews had their own blood on their own heads because they rejected God’s truth.] And Paul is deeply pained about this (which he relays in great detail in Romans 9). And no doubt he is feeling discouraged again. But remember the key point of our passage last week: God sends encouragement when we need it most. And here we see that once again (just at the right time) God brings somebody into Paul’s life to be a friend and a support to him, a God-fearing Gentile name Titus Justus, whose full name may have been Gaius Titus Justus, very likely making him the “Gaius, my host” Paul refers to in Romans 16:23. And here we see that Justus opens his home for Paul to stay in and use as his preaching station, which was located in the perfect spot. It says in…

Acts 18:7 (NKJV)— 7 And 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.

Connection With The Synagogue— Now this was awesome because it gave Paul [continued contact with the Jews and Gentile proselytes], with whom Paul continues to share the Gospel. Now in that synagogue there was a man by the name of Crispus. And Crispus was in fact the ruler of the synagogue, which meant that it was his [job to see to it that the synagogue building was cared for and that the services were held in a regular and orderly manner.] And look at what happens after he hears the Gospel. It says…

Acts 18:8 (NKJV)— 8 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.

Another Household— And so once again, just as with Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, Lydia and her household and the Philippian Jailer and his household in Acts 16, we have yet another person and their whole household coming to faith in Christ. And this no doubt stirred the Jewish population in Corinth in a BIG way!

Pessimists, Optimists, & Realists— But once again, this reinforces the truth we have been talking about; and that is that where Satan brings opposition, God creates opportunity. Now some people are pessimists. They are the ones who only see the problems. Other people are optimists. They are those who only see the positive. Now neither of those extremes is the right one. We are not called to be pessimists; nor are we called to be optimists. We are called to be realists. Now what is a realist? A lot of people who say they are realists are merely pessimists in disguise. But the true realist is one who sees the potential in the problems. And Paul was a realist. He wasn’t blind to the dangers and difficulties of the situation in Corinth. But he saw in those problems God’s great opportunities. And so one of the things you I must always remember is to not focus on what you can’t do, but what you can.

What We Can Do— Now one of the things I love about our Church, Renton Park Chapel, (and this was really highlighted for me when Covid hit), because when our leadership met to re-group and seek the Lord as to how we were (and are) going to get through this, I loved how our team didn’t focus on what we couldn’t do. No, our team focused on what we could do; and what opportunities might arise through this pandemic that perhaps were not available (or recognized) before. And because of that our reach grew wider, not smaller. People’s giving of their time and resources went up, not down.

Be Realists— But in thinking about this passage (and this truth in particular) God’s greatest heroes were not people with great resources or abilities. They were simply realists who were willing to seek God’s opportunities in the midst of the world’s problems. And so I want to encourage you today, let us be realists who are seeking for those opportunities. Satan may try to kick you and beat you down. He may try to fill your life with discouragement, trying to get you to quit. But when he does, remember that God sends encouragement when we need it. Remember also that where Satan brings opposition, God brings opportunity. And lastly, don’t focus on what you can’t do, but what you can do. Let’s remember those three things today. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today as we continue to study the book of Acts together. I’d like to start off today by sharing with you a brief story I came across involving a very interesting spacecraft.

The Little Satellite That Could— Back [In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. {Some of you may remember Pioneer 10; others of you it may be a bit before you time (as it was mine). But} According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the {Pioneer 10} satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter's magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target. But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter's immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. "Perhaps most remarkable," writes Jaroff, "those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.” The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible. So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits.]

Paul Wouldn’t Quit— Well, Paul was not a quitter. It didn’t matter what difficulties, persecutions, imprisonments, or beatings he faced. He (just like Pioneer 10) just kept plugging away. And through him seeds were being planted that would eventually result in the world becoming turned upside down (or I should say right-side-up) with the good news of the Gospel. It says in…

Acts 18:1 (NKJV)— 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

Corinth— So we see that Paul has come to Corinth.  And he would need all his resilience and grit to start a church here in this place. A city of 200,000 people, [Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance. {But what would make it such a challenge was that} It had a reputation for great wickedness and immorality] that [was known all over the Roman Empire. (Rom. 1:18–32 was written in Corinth!)] And this immorality was largely due to the fact that on a large hill behind the city there was a temple to Aphrodite, goddess of love and war. And the way to show your devotion to her was by giving money to her temple and engaging in illicit sexual acts with male and female temple prostitutes. And that would make Corinth a real challenge for Paul because although there was great opportunity for ministry in Corinth, the church that would be founded there would always be tempted by the immorality that surrounded them on a daily basis. And that is why Paul wrote a series of letters to the Corinthians that dealt in part with the problems of immorality. [First and Second Corinthians are two of those letters.]
    Now I don't know about you, but whenever I look around me at the darkness of the world, I am often tempted to get discouraged. The news doesn't help. But, I have found that my time in the Word does. Because it reminds us that the darkness we feel is nothing new. The world has been dark since the fall. And while we are in the midst of the darkness, God has done great things; and He will continue to do great things. No matter how dark things get, God can still use His little Pioneer 10’s to change the world. And as we persevere, God will bring people into our lives who will help encourage us along the way. And that is the first point I want you to remember today. God sends encouragement when we need it most. Paul had come to Corinth alone. And yet it says in…

Acts 18:2 (NKJV)— 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.

Jews Expelled— And this is just another illustration of how God can used a very dark circumstance to work about His plan and purpose; because during this time Emperor Claudius had expelled all the Jews from Rome. And the Roman historian Suetonius wrote (mind you, 70 years later) that Claudius did this because they “were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus”. Now Chrestus was a common misspelling of Christus (the Latin for “Christ”; and so [it is commonly assumed that Suetonius refers to disturbances in the Jewish community sparked by the preaching of Christ. Writing seventy years after the fact, he wrongly assumed Chrestus (Christ) to have been in Rome instigating the riots.] However, we know it was really particular Jews who had set themselves against this new movement of Christianity. But out of this expulsion God brought Aquila and Priscilla to Corinth. And because of that they would become for Paul some of his dearest friends; friends who we read in Romans 16:3-4 would even be willing to risk their lives for him.

Different From The Philosophers— And the way they came together was also important; because remember that Paul had just finished ministering to the philosophers in Athens. But there were many philosophers and itinerant preachers in Corinth as well. And these philosophers and teachers preyed on ignorant and superstitious citizens there. And so it would have been very easy for Paul and his ministry to be lumped in with them and therefore misunderstood. And so it was important for Paul to demonstrate to people that he was different. And one of the ways he did this was by supporting himself as a tentmaker. And that was one of the things that made he and Aquila such a good fit. It says in…

Acts 18:3 (NKJV)— 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

A Tentmaker— Now in Jewish culture, Rabbis [did not accept money from their students but earned their way by practicing a trade. All Jewish boys were expected to learn a trade, no matter what profession they might enter.] The Rabbis used to say, “He who does not teach his son to work, teaches him to steal!” And so every boy would learn a trade that would allow him to earn a living. And Paul and Aquila were no exception. Both had been trained to be tentmakers, which is a rendering of the Greek word skēnopoios. Another possible rending of that word is “leather workers”, which is [a trade that included the making of tents, which were often made out of leather.] And in this time and place [Tents were used to house soldiers, so these tents may have been sold to the Roman army.] But this was an occupation that was well suited to Paul and his ministry because (since he was always traveling) he had to have a business that he could just pick up and move from place to place; and that is what he was able to do as a tentmaker. Now when he wasn’t making tents, Paul was sharing the Gospel. Where? The synagogue. It says in…

Acts 18:4 (NKJV)— 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

Financial Aid Comes— And we know that that was really his main reason and purpose for being there in Corinth to begin with. Now sometime during this time Silas and Timothy re-join him from Macedonia. And 2 Corinthians 11:9 tells us that they did so bringing financial aid. And this freed Paul to devote himself more fully to the preaching of the Gospel. It says in…

Acts 18:5-6 (NKJV)— 5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

When Satan Kicks— Now this brings us to point number 2, which is this: Where Satan brings opposition, God creates opportunity. Now the opposition that Satan created came through unbelieving Jews. Unbelieving Jews had been Paul’s adversaries in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:5-13) and were now (in Corinth) demonstrating the same rejection of the Gospel, beginning to once again stir up trouble for Paul and his friends (see 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Now this kind of [opposition is usually proof that God is at work, and this ought to encourage us. Spurgeon used to say that “the Devil never kicks a dead horse!”] And here we find Satan kicking because he sees the awesome power of what is happening. Wherever Christianity is going, culture is changing. People are being freed from slavery to sin and fear. They are experiencing restoration into a relationship with God and being freed from his clutches. And so Satan is trying to counteract that. And he’s no doubt hoping that Paul will get discouraged and quit; that his 8 watt strength will finally give out. But Paul remains undaunted. While this kind of opposition had forced him to leave Thessalonica and Berea, we find that here in Corinth he is determined to stay. And next week we will see his response to that opposition.

God’s Word of Encouragement to Paul— But in your own life today, maybe you feel like Pioneer 10; like your 8 watts of energy could give out at any moment. Maybe you feel the attacks of Satan against your life and against your ministry. If so let me encourage you with what Paul said God revealed to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul says the Lord said to him…

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)— …“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore {(Paul says)} I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let Christ be your strength this week and use whatever you offer Him to produce great fruit for His kingdom. Amen.

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you were with us last week, you’ll know that in our study of Acts chapter 17 we began taking a look at how Paul has been forced to flee from Berea to the city Athens, where he is awaiting Silas and Timothy to join him. And while there he has an opportunity to share the Gospel with the people there and so he is brought to the Areopagus (the council) which [met on a low hill in Athens near the Acropolis.] And it says…

Acts 17:22-23 (NKJV)— 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

The Unknown God— Now this is powerful evangelism right here. Notice how Paul does exactly what we have been observing him doing frequently in his evangelism; and that is finding that common ground, that point of entry where you can meet someone where they are at, build on what they know or believe, and then lead them into what they do not yet know. These [Athenians had built an idol to the unknown god for fear of missing blessings or receiving punishment.] And so Paul begins his witness by saying that he is proclaiming the God they do not know. Now he wasn’t endorsing whoever this god was (at least in their minds), but simply used it as a stepping stone into talking about the One true God. And he begins with that bit of Judeo-Christian theology which has (since earliest times) set Judaism and Christianity apart from every other world religion; and that is that God is not a part of creation (being conceived by and born into nature), and therefore enslaved to it just as we are. No, He is the maker of heaven and earth; and because He is the maker of all things (heaven and earth) is the Lord of all things. That is where any good Jew would begin. It’s the reality the Psalmists always pointed back to. In a world where people looked to the high places (where pagan worship was carried out in their feeble attempts to try to manipulate gods who were bound to this world), a different theology was produced by God in Israel (and it could have only come from God; it is too big for us).

Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV) A song of ascents.— 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? {Now we always get this wrong, because we think the Psalmist is finding hope from the mountain. But no, he’s looking to the mountain (the high place where all his pagan neighbors look to) and he’s saying “my help doesn’t come from there and that whole pagan system. No,…} 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. {That is what set Yahweh apart from all other in the mind of the Jew, which is why Paul (a Jew to the core) responds the way he does…}

Acts 17:24-28 (NKJV)— 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

Closely Involved— So God has created the world and everything in it (v.24) and also is closely involved with His creation. While He is not trapped within His creation (because He is transcendent) nevertheless he is close to each and every one of us. And He (Paul says) is the source of our life, an is in absolute control of our lives. It is in Him that we live, being dependent on Him; He is not dependent on us (as the pagans believed all gods were). No, we need Him. And Paul quotes from one of their own poets who talked about how all man is the offspring of a god. So, once again, another touching point.

The Media Medium— Now when we watch a secular movie or listen to a secular song that sheds light on a particular issue, it gives us (like it did here with Paul) a place to start in the conversation. Now I’m not advocating you watch every secular movie or listen to every secular song. Many (if not most) we need to say no to. But nevertheless we need to be aware of what those movies are saying because that is how this generation expresses their philosophy. And we need to know what it is they are saying so we can reflect back those things they are saying that is true, with the aim of helping them to grow in their understanding. And that is what Paul has just done here with his first point: God is sovereign because He is the Maker of heaven and earth. Now for point 2:

Acts 17:29-31 (NKJV)— 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. {So, in other words, “the gods you are worshipping are false gods that do not accurately represent the divine. That’s his second point. And his third is…} 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Judgment Day— So point 3 is that they are in need of repentance because a day of judgment is coming, a day where Jesus Himself will judge the earth as God’s ordained judge. Now this was important for these Athenians to hear because obviously [Most of them preferred worshipping many gods instead of just one,] but Paul is saying they need to repent of this because judgment from the one and only Sovereign God is coming. Now [The Greeks had no concept of judgment.] And it would take a very big piece of evidence to make them believe that they needed to forsake all the other gods they worshipped and prepare themselves for some kind of future judgment day from a one and only God. And so Paul gives them that necessary piece of evidence. He says of God: He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

The Heart of The Message— Now to the Greeks [the concept of resurrection was unbelievable and offensive]. But it is what Paul (and all the Christians) pointed back to because it happened not in some ethereal realm, but in space and time; in their very midst. And because of that (and what it meant in terms of our having the potential of a restored relationship with God) it was always the focal point of their message. Now that may be offensive to some people (as much of the Gospel is), but though Paul often [changed his approach to fit his audience,…he never changed his basic message.] He never compromised his beliefs. He kept proclaiming the resurrection, not only because he had met with many eyewitnesses to it, but because he himself had seen the resurrected Lord. However, some of the Greeks were so repulsed by this teaching (so close-minded) they were not even willing to ask further questions about this; to ask what evidence there was to support their claims that such an event had taken place (which there was much). Instead it says…

Acts 17:32-33 (NKJV)— 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, {However, while some mocked, it does say…} while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”  {So there were those who (like we said before) were intellectually courageous and honest enough to examine their own belief in light of new evidence. And so it says…} 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Bringing Truth— Now here in this passage we have seen how Paul went about bringing truth to lost people. He began with what they knew, he used illustrations they were aware of, and boldly proclaimed God’s Sovereignty, our need to repent of all idolatry in preparation for the coming day of judgment, and how our belief in that coming day of judgment is supported by the truth of the resurrection. Now if we are to be like Paul in this passage, then you and I need to recognize that we are to be bringers of these truths to our culture; because (as Paul said) time is running out. Christ is coming back and He is coming back soon. And if we are truly in Christ, then we will be moved into action as Paul was. If we really love our neighbor, we will seek to meet them where they are spiritually and help them; because we recognize that they are either going to spend an eternity with Jesus or an eternity without Jesus. Just recently I re-read one of my favorite quotes, which I have talked about in recent days. It’s from C.S. Lewis’ Weight of Glory. Listen to what he writes. He says…

The weight of glory— [The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations,—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ veer latitat—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.]

A CHALLENGE— This morning I want us to get really practical; because a lot of times it is easy to say that we are going to try harder to be better witness for Christ in the world. And that’s good, but I don’t think that that is specific enough to be practical. How can you and I better engage the world for Christ? What are some specific ways you can think of where you can bear testimony of the hope that is in you? This week, I want to give each of you a mission. Your mission is to witness to at the very least one unsaved person. I want you to: (1) Ask what they believe about the divine/god, (2) What they think about Jesus, and (3) Build on what they know, perhaps even sharing some of your own personal testimony. Who knows what God might be able to do. And so let’s do so. Amen.