Savage Street Church of Christ

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05072017TheLordHasManyPeopleInOurCityActs18DonRuhl

The Lord Has Many People in Our City 

We do not know the hearts of people, but the Lord does

Acts 18

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • May 7, In the year of our Lord, 2017

Song Leader and Song Suggestions: Kevin Michael – Songs of evangelism

Persuasion: 

1. Acts 18.1–3 | Finding Other Believers
   
   1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
   
   1. Paul headed for Corinth.
      1. Who ever would have thought that a church could be established there,
      2. that a Corinthian could ever open his or her heart to the biblical message?
         1. While there, he found fellow Jews, a married couple,
         2. who were also converts to Christ.
            1. They went to Greece, because
            2. Claudius Caesar had ordered all Jews to leave Rome.
   2. Also, they were tentmakers just like Paul.
      1. Paul had some financial backing from congregations, but
      2. he did not know how far he would travel nor for how long.
         1. Therefore, he could carry only so much money.
         2. Times would come up when he would have to support himself.
2. Acts 18.4 | Reasoning and Persuading
   
   4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
   
   1. Paul reasoned because Christianity is logical.
   2. He reasoned in the synagogues,
      1. knowing that the Jews already accepted the one God, Yahweh or Jehovah,
      2. they already knew the Scriptures,
      3. they already knew the prophecies and promises,
      4. they already understood the righteousness and holiness of God,
      5. they already knew of Judgment.
3. Acts 18.5–6 | Compelled by the Spirit
   
   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.”
   
   1. Finally Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia,
      1. where Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi were located.
         1. They brought much needed assistance, and funds.
         2. [Phi 4; et al]
      2. With them there, he could now devote his entire time to evangelizing.
         1. The Spirit compelled him.
         2. He continued testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
   2. While verse 4 indicated that some Jews and Greeks had been persuaded,
      1. as usual some Jews were not persuaded, but
      2. opposed Paul and blasphemed what he preached.
         1. They have to know that their blood was on their own hands,
         2. Ezekiel 18
            1. Paul shook out his garments just as Jesus instructed.
            2. He then stated his intention,
               1. something that would fire up the Jews,
               2. that he was going to the Gentiles.
4. Acts 18.7–8 | Jews and Corinthians Believing
   
   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. 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.
   
   1. Paul left the synagogue and did not go far.
      1. He went right next door, because
      2. the man who lived next to the synagogue worshiped God.
   2. Then the ruler of the synagogue, Crispus and his family, believed on the Lord.
   3. Truly, many of those Gentile Corinthians
      1. heard what Paul preached and taught.
      2. They believed what they heard, and
      3. finally they submitted to baptism.
5. Acts 18.9–11 | Do Not Be Afraid
   
   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.” 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
   
   1. How many times did Paul face opposition and violent persecution?
      1. He had received opposition in Corinth.
      2. Had he started to grow fearful? Was he apprehensive?
         1. One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a night vision,
            1. that he should not be afraid, but
            2. that he should speak and not keep silent.
         2. The Lord explained
            1. that He was with Paul, and
            2. that no one would attack him there, because
               1. the Lord had many people there,
               2. perhaps people who would soon convert to Christ.
   2. Paul actually stayed 1 ½ years there, and
      1. now we have two valuable letters in the Bible that he wrote to them.
      2. Paul taught the word of God in the Sin City of the ancient world.
6. Acts 18.12–17 | Do Not Bring Religious Disputes to the Civil Courts
   
   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.” 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. 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.
   
   1. Around ad 51–52, the Jews captured Paul and
      1. brought him before Gallio the proconsul of Achaia
      2. with the charge that he was teaching people
         1. to worship God contrary to the law, the Law of Moses.
         2. What did the Roman government care about such a thing?
   2. Therefore, Gallio interrupted Paul before he could get started, and
      1. said that if it were a matter of wrongdoing or a wicked crimes,
      2. he could put up with them.
         1. However, it was not of those matters.
         2. He did not know the Law of Moses.
            1. How could he judge in it?
            2. He told them to take care of the matter themselves.
   3. Yet, the local Greeks then found Sostenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and
      1. beat him right in front of Gallio, and he did nothing about it,
      2. although it was certainly a matter of wrongdoing and a wicked crime.
7. VII.Acts 18.18–21 | Heading for Jerusalem
   
   18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; 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; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.
   
   1. Seeing that the Roman government would not stop him, and
      1. that the Jews could not,
      2. Paul decided to keep on teaching for a while longer.
   2. However, he eventually had to get moving again.
      1. This time he picked up two more fellow-travelers,
      2. the teaching team of Priscilla and Aquila.
   3. Paul cut off his hair
      1. since he had taken on a vow,
      2. probably the Nazarite vow,
         1. in which you could not cut your hair,
         2. so it was a good idea to start with it short, or shaved.
   4. He was headed for Jerusalem, but
      1. as he traveled he came to Ephesus,
      2. where he left Pricilla and Aquila.
         1. Although heading for Jerusalem,
         2. he took the time to enter the local synagogue, and
            1. reasoned with the Jews there.
            2. The Jews were spread throughout the Roman Empire, because
               1. of the captivities that they had experienced,
               2. which now gave the apostles and other preachers
                  1. a place to begin preaching.
                  2. The Jews in Ephesus received Paul and
                     1. they wanted him to stay, but
                     2. he could not, although hoping to come back.
                        1. In the meantime, he wanted to get to Jerusalem
                        2. in time for the feast of Pentecost for evangelism.
8. VIII.Acts 18.22–23 | Traveling and Teaching
   
   22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, 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.
   
   1. On the move, Paul went to Caesarea, and greeted the church there.
   2. From there he went to Antioch and
      1. after spending time there,
      2. after all, this was the congregation that sent him out,
         1. he then went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia,
         2. going to the churches in order,
            1. strengthening those whom he had helped to convert,
            2. knowing that they had to remain loyal to the Lord.
9. Acts 18.24–28 | An Eloquent Man
   
   24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
   
   1. Pricilla and Aquila show that not all the Jews rejected Christ.
      1. And Luke shows us another zealous Jew, Apollos.
      2. He was from Alexandria in Egypt,
         1. where the Septuagint had been made, and
         2. he was a good speaker and knew the Scriptures.
   2. Apollos traveled to Ephesus, and
      1. he spoke there, in the synagogue, and
      2. he spoke on what he knew of the way of Lord.
         1. He had a fervent spirit and
         2. what he taught, he taught accurately, but
            1. he only knew up to the baptism of John.
   3. Then the husband and wife team of Aquila and Pricilla,
      1. heard him speaking, and
      2. they knew that he was a good man with a good heart, but
         1. that he needed more information.
         2. Therefore, they took him aside privately, and
            1. they helped him to know what came after John.
            2. Then he wanted to travel and tell others of Jesus,
               1. wanting to go to Achaia,
               2. eventually to Corinth.
            3. The Ephesian Church wrote a letter to the brethren in Greece
               1. to receive Apollos.
               2. When he arrived in that area,
                  1. he helped the brethren greatly, because
                  2. he debated the Jews publicly
                     1. showing that Jesus is the Christ of the Scriptures.

Exhortation: 

1. Reason with people and persuade them. 
   1. It is not about feelings.
      1. So far in the Book of Acts Paul and the other preachers
      2. have not resorted to feelings.
   2. Know why you believe. (1Pe 3.15)
2. Know when to quit trying to reason with someone,
   
   The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
   Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
   (Pro 26.16)
   
   1. Your time is valuable and there are people who want to hear about the Bible.
3. Why you are in the world. 
   1. A friend of mine, Randy Mabe, recently retired from preaching in Las Vegas.
      1. I know Christians who question why he would go there to preach.
   2. Look at Paul in Corinth.
      1. Why would he go there?
      2. Just think of the kinds of people that Paul said they were,
         
         9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1Co 6.9–11).
         
4. Do not fear, the Lord is with you. 
5. Do not involve the civil courts in disputes among religious people. 
6. Strengthen your fellow-disciples (v. 23). 
   1. Do not wait for others to bless you.
   2. Look outward, not inward.
7. VII.Like Apollos seek to be mighty in the Scriptures. 
   1. The world is exerting more influence over us than in recent memory.
   2. The world is tearing away our young people.
   3. They need to know the Scriptures from someone who knows the Scriptures.
8. VIII.Like the Corinthians, hear, believe, and be baptized (vv. 7–8).