Well, I invite you to turn this morning in your Bibles that are in front of you to the book of Acts. The book of Acts chapter 17. We're continuing our study in this book. And this morning in Acts chapter 17, we're looking at two places that Paul visits. And the next week we come to the great place in Athens, the Areopagus. And I look forward to delivering that. For now, there are two wonderful sections here that we will consider. Acts chapter 17. And if you're a visitor and are looking for that page number, 1178 in that Bible in front of you. Let's give our attention this morning to the word of the Lord. We'll begin at verse 1 and read through verse 12. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, this Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women but the Jews were jealous and taking some wicked men of the rabble they formed a mob set the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason seeking to bring them out to the crowd and when they could not find them they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authority shouting these men who had turned the whole world upside down have come here also and jason has received them and they are all acting against the decrees of caesar saying that there is another king jesus and the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things and when they had taken money as security from jason and the rest they let them go the brothers immediately sent paul and silas away by night to Berea. And when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of god was proclaimed by paul at berea also they came there too agitating and stirring up the crowds then the brothers immediately sent paul off on his way to the sea but silas and timothy remained there those who conducted paul brought him as far as athens and after receiving a command for silas and timothy to come to him as soon as possible they departed there is the reading of God's Word. I'll be looking at verses 1 through 12 this morning. It is without a doubt that how we hear the Word of God is absolutely crucial to the message of Acts, what Acts is showing us. It really does give more attention to hearing the Word than any other book in the Bible. The great obstacle that is set before hearing the Word of God, hearing from God Himself, is the barrier of the human heart. It's like a giant blockade to what God is communicating to us, and we are raising barriers all the time against us, against the Word, by the instigation of the devil. We'll look at that. And Acts 17 is probably the most prevalent section or chapter in the book that addresses this particular issue of hearing the Word of God. How do we hear the Word? What is hearing? And that is very important. You see, we come to worship this morning and we generally approach the Word of God in about, in our day, as casual a way, even though some of us have suits on, right? In about as casual a way as is possible. And because of that, the consequence is we do not profit from the Word of God as we should. We say things like, well, how did you like the sermon today? Right? Well, I didn't like it. I liked it. Why did you like it? I don't know. I liked it. Is this about taste buds? What is this? Right? It could be my fault. It could be a boring sermon. But have you ever thought about how much is given to the importance of hearing the Word of God. I've always been taken by Jesus' words Himself when He said this very statement about hearing, consider carefully how you hear. He continued, with the measure you use it, it will be measured back to you. So in other words, however you give yourselves to hear that's what you should expect to get out of it there's a correlation there it's really important and we'll look at that this morning i want to uh show you this this morning from acts chapter 17 and i hope you understand and think a lot more about when we come up to the lord's house to listen how important it is uh to prepare our hearts and to think about what it means to hear the word of God as we come to chapter 17 Paul is now moved from Philippi we spent this time looking at Lydia and the Philippian jailer we now move from Philippi and Luke narrates the journey along the Roman road as now we come to a few important places and ultimately here as we're studying now Thessalonica he had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia we don't have much record of this but as they come to Thessalonica here we have the standard approach of the apostle that he would go and he would enter into a Jewish synagogue the journey from Philippi to Thessalonica was about a hundred miles they had come to Thessalonica another important city it was the the capital of the Roman providence of Macedonia so another key place an important place that the spirit had sent them and it's important to note that the theology of Thessalonica was that the emperor was to be revered as the universal savior in fact we have records and know that when he gave benevolent things to the people that was to be proclaimed as the good news from the universal savior so it's really interesting isn't it that here we have Paul bringing good news from the savior the true savior well this is um this is where we are and paul would stay here at least they say about a month first thessalonians tells us you notice here that in these three sabbaths he's reasoning with them paul here we know from first thessalonians set up a shop in the agora the marketplace as a tent maker his lodging was at a a man's house named jason now here in Thessalonica they had this synagogue of the Jews and as Paul usually did he would go into the Jews and into the synagogue and have opportunity to speak about the Messiah. He goes in three consecutive Sabbaths as it says an interesting little phrase that he reasoned with them from the scriptures. Reasoning doesn't really capture it the way that it should. They disputed with them from the scriptures it's important Paul's goal was to open up the scriptures of the old testament and he would they would have public disputing meaning of the Hebrew texts and Septuagint we know that was often read in fact he would tell Timothy that this was his responsibility that the word of God is profitable and we love to say for training and righteousness but it also says for correcting, for teaching, for rebuking. Paul would later say to the Corinthians, for casting down every lofty argument against the knowledge of Jesus. And I raise this today, and I think it's important because most of us are under the assumption that Christians today shouldn't be arguing about anything. And we have gone on that assumption, and that whole spirit has prevailed in the church today, and the result is we're not fighting much for anything it's the wrong religion if we think that christianity is not about disputing and and arguing from the scriptures the truth of jesus sure you can do that in love but that is exactly what we find the apostles doing christianity is not simply being tucked away in our comfortable homes never saying anything is right or wrong that's not what christianity is we've always been called to contend earnestly for the faith now paul is doing this for one great reason they're reading the bible wrongly they're reading the scriptures wrongly you'll notice in verse two that they have the scriptures open and he is doing something very purposeful we've seen over and over in acts he is explaining he's proving he's reasoning he's arguing as he taught what notice what it says here it was necessary for christ to suffer and rise from the dead saying this jesus whom i proclaim to you is the christ he is the messiah this is a huge moment again that keeps being pressed down upon us about the apostolic ministry and what they did in Christian ministry, which is meant for us to take and learn from as they pass the baton to us. They are doing just what Jesus taught them to do on the road to Emmaus. And I say this because I still am not sure that we have confidence in this as we should after Jesus rose from the dead he is walking on the road to Emmaus and the eyes of the disciples had been blinded two of them and remember that they are troubled because he's died and they didn't believe that he would rise as he said he's not here and he said to them oh foolish in heart and slow to understand all that the prophets have spoken ought not the christ to have suffered and died and enter into his glory and rise on the third day this is this was the whole message he was proclaiming then he said this and this is what i want to focus on because this is exactly what's in paul's head in thessalonica this is what i told you when i was still with you everything must be fulfilled that is written about me. Where? In the law of Moses, in the prophets, this is Luke 24, and in the Psalms. It's all about me. All of it. It's talking about me. Then, he opened, and I quote, their minds so that they could understand the scriptures so a closed mind says it can't be about jesus where is he i don't read his name but when the mind is opened by the spirit you begin to say i see him everywhere that's what happens i see him everywhere and this is going to be important because this sermon is about how you here this is um a crucial section then he said this in luke 24 46 this is what is written from the law the prophets and the psalms the messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and heart of the ministry and said jesus repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at jerusalem you're witnesses of this i'm going to send you what my father has promised but stay in the city until you've been clothed with power from on high this is what you're going to go do you're going to go preach me when the holy spirit comes to all the nations now it really should be for us by now an offense when the church is not preaching jesus and it's become storytelling time and entertainment time and joke time you should rise up in righteous revolt against it because paul did he took this very serious this is how people are saved people are dying the biggest issue of the hour is forgiveness of sins you got to be forgiven to your sins you need a savior we can't play fast and loose with this we don't have time to play fast and loose with this this is how they thought so they knew that that the mind had to be open to this to be saved so they didn't use the old testament just for a bunch of moral lessons they didn't do that with it as important as application is and we do that we apply it but the heart of it has to be what paul said woe is me if i'm not doing the great aim of ministry preaching jesus so that people can be forgiven of their sins that's that's the heart of it your job disciples said jesus is to do this you're you're ambassadors you're you're postmen you're delivering letters for me and you can't divide those letters up and say i'm not delivering this is exciting for when you begin to see it you begin to say wow now i see jesus everywhere the whole bible's opened up to me i see i see him i see what's being foretold i see it in the story of joseph and i see it everywhere i see it in melchizedek i all the old testament is telling us this i read psalm 22 and i hear the sufferings of christ the cross the mission the love of god the gospel which he wants to communicate to you so that you have life so this is what they're doing he's arguing from the scriptures proving that all these stories it was necessary for jesus to to suffer, to die, to rise. Jesus, He preached. Now, history has shown us that it is sort of default mode to go away from all of this. In Reformed circles, there was a great recovery of Christ-centered preaching years ago and we were all talking about that. We were excited about that. Since then, that's really died. and there are shifts happening. The talk is all different. We now hear that this is not enough, and we now hear that looking after we had a recovery and were great works talking about this, now already it's as if it's been shelved, and we haven't seen quite the results that we want, and so we're judging the ministry. We're all back to it based on results, so there's got to be something more to this. There's got to be something more, And lo and behold, we're pulled away from the message of forgiveness. I preached at Calvin this week. I didn't preach, but I gave a chapel. And I was able to go in and just purely and simply give the gospel. And I was so encouraged by the teachers who walked up and said, we assume we get this, but we're not hearing it. So, we have decisions to make, don't we? We have decisions to make. I am impressed with how relentless these guys are. They don't give up with it. They're focused. They're relentless. They're doing it in the most difficult of situations. All under pressure. All under threat. Now, everything that we have seen flows out of this message of Christ and Him crucified. what it did the implications of the gospel the consequences of the gospel was now homes started being opened up that's where hospitality is talked about we're seeing it we're seeing that Lydia opened up her home and we're seeing as the message went out as people heard it these were the consequences well here we are back in Thessalonica and you say as we've come to this point nothing will happen until our hearts have been changed and born again through the word of truth, as Peter said. Till we are born again by the Spirit to hear the word of God, to hear this gospel. And that's exactly what this shows us. As Paul was faithful in preaching Jesus, it drew out a mixed response in Thessalonica. It's shocking when we look at who responded and who didn't. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many devout Greeks and not a few leading women. Paul would later write to the church in Thessalonica in chapter 2 and he would say this, we thank God also continually because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is. The word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. That's a great statement. That's a wonderful statement. What's interesting about this is, look at who responded. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas. Who? A great many of devout Greeks and not a few leading women. It's interesting words he chose to describe these people. The word means those of high standing, the prominent, the positioned, the privileged in society responded. But in verse 5 we read, the Jews were jealous. And what did they do? They went down, taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob and set the city in uproar. So understand exactly what's happened here. When the Jews saw that the privileged, the high social status people of society were responding to the gospel, when they saw the elite women, when they saw the socially accepted women, when they saw the men of high standing in society, the privileged, here was the tactic of the jews down at the agora the marketplace were the malcontents were the agitators they were furious over all this they were furious more of the rich so they went down to the marketplace and they gathered the wicked men of the rabble the agora men the marketplace men the word has overtones of all the malcontents of society in Thessalonica it was used in greek lingo the word to refer to the loafers the lowlifes who did nothing with their lives so in other words these people were doing nothing with life and the jews saw that they went down to the down and the outs they went to those who despise the high status of greco-roman society who despise their wealth and the Jews gathered these people and formed a mob against them. They formed a mob against Paul and Silas who are standing there with all the privileged high status people who were responding. Now I stood back from this and thought this is a real tactic I haven't studied yet in Acts. This is something that's new that I see. Remember Paul would say we're not ignorant of Satan's devices as to what he's doing and how he's working. We're really in a study of tactics. I almost named, titled the sermon this, a study in tactics. But I thought it's all about attitude is better. So, tactics. We've seen that Satan loves to divide Jew and Gentile racially. But here's a strategy of Satan I don't think we can miss. Satan has now begun a class warfare. He's ignited a war between the classes. Between the privileged and the high status and who are considered the low of society. He's a master at ripping us apart. Just a master. And the Jews used this warfare, used this to bring the greatest charge against the ministry of the gospel. They dragged one of the social elites out of his house, Jason. who was the host of Paul. And this revolting poor class has a moment to stop all of this and get a piece of the pie. So lo and behold, they take his money. They bribe him to shut Paul up, to put a silence on Paul's preaching. So much so that Paul and Silas have to leave by night. It's this out of hand. The Jews, of course, used it in every way they could, saying and seeing what happened. They've gathered the highly stratified of society and the influential of a society. And look at what they're doing. Here was the charge the Jews used. They're trying to bring a revolution against Caesar with a new king, Jesus. This was one threat Rome never messed with. They put it out right away. It disturbed the whole city, it says. And it's a really important point to stop this morning and say, look at how Satan is working to stop the hearing of the gospel. Keep that in front of you. What did Paul come to do? Preach Jesus. That's it. Look what's happened in society now. I felt as I was working on this sermon, I thought, I mean, I didn't even know this was here. We're living it. We're living it right now. Society is ripped apart in every single way. Every single way. It's so sad. Racially, class warfare, I mean the whole thing is right in front of you and it's just ripped everyone apart. And what is the belief system in it? What has been one of the key issues in it? Well, the belief is that all the privileged and social status of people is somehow evil. And gospel response among the privileged is only because, this is the belief system, they're privileged. But that true response and this is what some are saying now, really true response only is going to come in this life from the marginalized. Satan is working so hard in this stuff and these disparities and all these things. It should happen that the rich and the elite, when the gospel is heard, it brings them to their knees to use their resources to be a blessing in the church to the poor. The Lord wants guilt in the right place doesn't he? It's guilt for sin, not status. It's guilt for breaking God's law, not being who you are according to race, gender, or status in society or class. When that guilt is proper, the Lydias are going to open up their homes. But when people are attacked, it's pretty hard to do it. But think of what Satan loves to do then. He loves to make the rich proud so that they never bow their knee and satan loves to take the down and outs the poor and make them victims this way to become angry and embittered toward those who have responded so as who now is hearing the saddest part today is look at a society ripped apart by all this political fighting class warfare social unrest and you should start to see the real issue here in all of it which we haven't thought through and nobody's talking about here it is the whole thing has ripped us apart so that we can't listen to each other hasn't it everything's a fight and the consequence is few in this mess are hearing the one message they need we are so distracted by all this. This is what you come into church with. I know it. This is what you're immersed with all week long if you turn on that wretched news. You should turn it off, by the way. People can't hear Jesus. It's important to note here, gospel response has no favorites. In other words, all must hear regardless of status position class race together before god they must all hear their need as sinners for the gospel but this section has shown us how bad satan can rip apart people so that it stops hearing the gospel people can't hear and it forces paul and silas out and yet even then we still have the book of first thessalonians among those who did hear it was a remarkable hearing now that's the first section here the second is juxtaposed to another account that is the tactic of the holy spirit really powerful probably the most encouraging in the book of acts this section is meant to jolt us this is where we're supposed to go with it this in setting side by side with the other account is to be the one say wow this is a real solution this is a real solution look at verse 10 we read in verse 10 as it was night the believers sent paul and silas away to berea and arriving there they went into the jewish synagogue now here we are all over again deja vu another jewish synagogue but the most surprising thing happens acts is full of nuggets this way of diamonds in the rough that are meant to take us back and to study after all of this and say, whoa, this is a moment. This is a moment. Look what it says. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica. For they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. I could preach on that a long time, more than you all would want to be here. There's a direct play on words in this. They were noble in character. How so? It gives a sense of, in society, well-born people. But that's not the way the adjective is being used. The word is being used to describe an open-minded nobility. Meaning they had this real commendable attitude when it came to what they heard. Without prejudice. We stand back from this and say, this is the nobility everyone should have regardless of race, regardless of status, regardless of position. There's no barriers to this. Shouldn't be. Here's the high status to pursue. Not money, not wealth, not name. none of that here's the greatest status you can pursue in life three r's again i have my r's here's the first one they received the word with all readiness with all eagerness paul came and preached in this synagogue and their attitude was one of complete reception bring it to give that word a hearing. And to eagerly consider and to take in what he was saying. And the sense you get is that their minds were completely prepared for this word. Their minds were so prepared it was completely open when the word was spoken to them. Attitude and understanding is so important for what we're doing. I had a friend who died about two weeks ago, 50 years old. He's been to this church a few times. He lives in Montana. And he had a surprising death of throat cancer and it took him quickly. Young family, three or four children, I believe. And I remember having talks with him and what always impressed me about this man my friend was his attitude to the word of God he really believed when he came into worship that he was meeting with God and that reverence was so great that he he had such a high view of this and what was happening here that he believed the pastor was commanded to speak what only God told him to speak and to preach the Word of God, to not do any entertainment or any of that. And he would say, Pastor, I don't care if the Word is completely convicting me. I don't care if it's crushing me. I don't care if it's offending me. I want you to speak just what God says. That example stands out to me. He had the most reverential approach to hearing God's word. It was like Mary and Martha where Martha was restless and Martha was worried about serving and running around everywhere mad at Mary that she's not up serving. And Jesus says, stop, look at her. She's sitting at my feet listening. That's what she needs. That's what all of us need first and foremost. And that's not going to be taken from her at that hour and it wasn't. And when this man died, of cancer at 50, it didn't faze him. He had so believed the promises and been trained to. Do you realize God sends pastors to speak his word and there has to be an open, respectful hearing of it. It's not about us liking it. It's about us hearing it. And that's a discipline of the Christian life. A discipline that if it's not there, you're not going to get anything out of this. Your heart has to be prepared for it. Our attitude to it when we come to church, what our practice is, if there's no prayer, if there's no preparation, if the thought is what we're doing is not that important and Saturday night means nothing and we stroll in here at 929, I am not surprised you'll get nothing ever out of it and it's an offense to ever ask you to come back to the evening. In fact, bitterness probably characterizes what's happening. Frustrates you. These were noble. These were, they received the word with all readiness. So that was the first thing, is that they had a proper attitude and preparation to receive it, and they received it with that readiness. The second thing is, they researched the word, didn't they? I love this, because they didn't just blindly say, well, Dominic Paul said it, therefore. This is Paul, right? Notice what happens. They owned it and then it says they searched the scriptures to see if what Paul said was so. Now this proves God wants a Bible in your hands. This proves God gave you the Bible. This proves that what the Reformation gave back to you was one of the greatest gifts they could ever give because Rome didn't want you to have it. And here's the other thing. They didn't have pink Bibles, blue Bibles, army study Bibles. They had a big scroll. And they would have to fold this thing out. No chapter breaks. And they would have to go and look at the books and search in these scrolls. They didn't have any Bible programs. They would together open these scrolls and they would compare. Paul said this about Jesus. Is this passage showing us Jesus? See the attitude? I can just picture it. Them unrolling it with eager hearts to learn. I think this is a great encouragement to you to take what's said here and search for yourself. Study the scriptures. Own it. Know it. Believe it. Ingest it into your souls. Take it in. Really take it in. Believe it. Because when you go and you know it and you learn it and you study it, then it's yours. It's not just Pastor Gordon. And here's the most beautiful thing. As a result, what does it say? Many believed. As did a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. Here's the encouragement. Because of this kind of reverential, respectful, honorable, open-minded hearing, the result was faith, and people were saved. And guess what it did, lo and behold? It united together the Jews and the prominent people, and that division was not there. See? It's a solution, a real solution. They believed in Jesus. And the fruit of that began to show in hospitality and in love and in mutual understanding and respect and humility and help and love and support. These things that separate us by our differences come down with the gospel when it's heard. You see? That's such an encouragement. It really is. That when you gather on Sundays, may I ask you as a pastor to prepare your hearts to recognize that who is speaking to you to pray for me because I can be a goofball, I know that but to pray that I take it seriously and pray that I am very committed to making known the word of God without compromise to make it your practice after you open and hear the word proclaimed that you'll go back to your tables and open it with your families and talk about Jesus what you've learned ingesting it and I believe that the response in your households will be faith. If you're finding you're not getting much out of this and you're frustrated and bitter go back to square one. Ask for a soft heart from God to hear His word again. His goal in the ministry I want to close with this. His goal in the ministry is to forgive your sins. You know that? that's the goal of all this i want to stay there the goal in all of this is to forgive your sins you realize why we're going through all of this and why we're doing this is that you may come to a knowledge of the love of the son of god that far surpasses human understanding the height width and depth of the love of god god is still working god is still ascending pastors today may you be good bereans hear the word research the word receive the word believe the word because i think it's all proven in this text that it really is as you come here about attitude may god give us grace to hear heavenly father we are thankful for your living and powerful word that shatters the barriers of human hearts that we set up. We know that apart from your spirit, we can't hear. So as we've heard what is said to us today, give us a good and right and proper disposition toward your most holy word, respectful. And may it sound out in this place. And as was said about the church in Thessalonica. What a beautiful statement was said about them that they receive the word of God, not as it is the word of men, but as it is the word of God. We believe this is your power to save. Thank you for blessing us with it today for your praise and glory. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.