It’s in the Bible!

(A Message to the Members)

(Preached Wednesday Evening,May 27, 2020)

”But some Jews were jealous…”

(Act 17:5, GNT)

A Sermon was recently preached through this ministry in which King Saul’s slight alterations of God’s Word (and therefore direct disobedience to it) resulted in

his jealous attempts to destroy a young preacher, and
his murder of God’s people in the process,
with his only justification of these evil deeds being that he sought to preserve his kingdom, his dynasty, his rule over the congregation of God.

Horrible! Are such acts, so wickedly done, repeated? Yes, they are. In churches too ingrown, in pastorates too overbearing, in attempts to serve God corrupted into ulterior motives to serve oneself. Yes! Religion gone wrong is a fact and a warning that, still today, delights to press its heel upon the necks of those who dare turn away from all that disagrees with the Savior’s words in John, chapter 8, verses 31 to 32.

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Are there any more examples, other than King Saul’s, in the Bible? Are there any other such stories of the established church fighting against reformed, returning, repentant men and women willing to follow what Christ said, what the Bible dictates instead of what our Lord called, “the traditions of men?”

Yes, and here is one such example taken from the pages of the New Testament. Listen to this story. It is given here in the Good News Translation instead of the King James’, in an effort to help you never forget that

Searching for and then attempting to actually do what the Bible really says to do, will so often lead you into direct opposition with those you thought were among the best of our Lord’s own.

[In Thessalonica]

“Paul and Silas traveled on through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue. According to his usual habit Paul went to the synagogue. There during three Sabbaths he held discussions with the people, quoting and explaining the Scriptures, and proving from them that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from death. “This Jesus whom I announce to you,” Paul said, “is the Messiah.” Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas; so did many of the leading women and a large group of Greeks who worshiped God.”
“But some Jews were jealous and gathered worthless loafers from the streets and formed a mob. They set the whole city in an uproar and attacked the home of a man named Jason, in an attempt to find Paul and Silas and bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city authorities and shouted, “These men have caused trouble everywhere! Now they have come to our city, and Jason has kept them in his house. They are all breaking the laws of the Emperor, saying that there is another king, whose name is Jesus.” With these words they threw the crowd and the city authorities in an uproar. The authorities made Jason and the others pay the required amount of money to be released, and then let them go.”

[In Berea]

“As soon as night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the synagogue. The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true. Many of them believed; and many Greek women of high social standing and many Greek men also believed. But when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul had preached the word of God in Berea also, they came there and started exciting and stirring up the mobs. At once the believers sent Paul away to the coast; but both Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.” (Acts 17:1-14, Good News Translation)

Thessalonica. What was it about this place? They seemed to be just a bit too high up in the world for their own good. Full of the things of the earth and fighting to retain a “religion that denied that power thereof.” Ah, as it is written,

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:5)

And so we shall turn away from such folly but not until we allow God to use even this to “work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) No, not until we learn of the importance of a) searching the Scriptures, b) not allowing our enemies to stop us, and c) then going forth to sound out to the world the very truths we have gained.

I. Searching the Scriptures

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

A. Be more noble than…

B. Receive the Word with all readiness of mind.

C. Search the Scriptures daily.

D. Confirm whether those things are so (i.e. what is, what will be, and especially what He would have you do).

II. Censoring the Scriptures

“But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.” (Acts 17:13)

“Thessalonica was formerly the metropolis of Mecedonia; it is now called solonichi, and is the best peopled, and one of the best towns for commerce.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, pg. 620)
“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews.” (Acts 17:1)

A. Hunting instead of helping to spread the Gospel.

B. Harming instead of helping to spread the Gospel.

C. Jealously hating instead of helping to spread the Gospel.

III. Sounding the Scriptures

“For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8)

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.” (Acts 17:1-4)

A. “Go ye therefore,” (Matthew 28:19)

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. (Acts 17:1)

B. “And teach all nations,” (Matthew 28:19)

“And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures. (Acts 17:2)

C. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19)

“Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.” (Acts 17:3)
“And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.” (Acts 17:4)

D. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

Conclusion (Beginning):

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)

OUTLINE:

It’s in the Bible!