“The City Wholly Given to Idolatry”
(A Message to the Ministers)
(Preached Saturday Evening, July 18, 2020)
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.”
(Acts 17:16-17)
Introduction:
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.” (Acts 17:16)
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1)
I. He “disputed … in the synagogue with the Jews.”
“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” (Acts 17:17, NIV)
A. You must dispute with the established leaders in the church!
B. You must dispute with the established christians in the church!
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1)
II. He “disputed … with the devout persons [“God-fearing Gentiles” – NIV]!”
“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” (Acts 17:17, NIV)
A. You must reason with the moral lost people in the church!
B. You must reason with the immoral lost people in the church!
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1)
III. He “disputed … in the market daily with them that met with him!”
“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” (Acts 17:17, NIV)
A. You must reason with people outside the church!
B. And you must include reaching out to and reasoning with…
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.” (Matthew 25:42-43)
1. The hungry (“ye gave me no meat”) – give them meat!*
2. The thirsty (“ye gave me no drink”) – give them drink!*
3. The stranger (“ye took me not in”) – take them in!*
4. The naked (“ye clothed me not”) – clothe them!*
5. The sick (“ye visited me not”) – visit them!*
6. The imprisoned (“ye visited me not”) – visit them!*
*Do all of this for them but… remember to always do it in the name of Jesus with the understanding that your intention is to help them to come to Jesus.
Conclusion:
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3)
And now be moved, be preached to, be recommissioned now through this enhancement of what has just been said by our brother Paul, who we follow through the Word of God as he follows Christ:
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of [to preach unto you of, to make videos unto you of, to sing songs unto you of, to do whatever it takes to bring unto you of]… the common salvation, it was needful for me to write [and preach and create and to give all that I had to give] unto you, and exhort you [in the most profoundly convincing way that I, in my own weakness, could possibly find to do, that ye should do what?]… that ye should earnestly [which according to google.com means, “with sincere and intense conviction; seriously”]… contend [fight, war, dispute, debate, convince everyone that you can for what?] for the faith which was once [only once: Christ having died for you once and having saved you once from sin forever, and in doing so our Lord has delivered this faith unto you, and you, and you, so that faith in his death, burial and resurrection might by you be] delivered unto the saints.”
Go forth then, o’ ye men and women, ye ministers, ye servants of the Lord Jesus Christ! Arise! “Go forth!” Whether by being prepared for 8 to 12 months to be sent out by this ministry here at the S.A.L.T., or by being awakened in your existing ministry outside of ours… Go forth more fearlessly than ever before and dispute, and contend, and fight, and reason… do whatever it takes within the bounds of and through the divinely given inspiration of Holy Scripture to deliver this faith… “unto the saints.”
Hallelujah! Christ is coming again… soon!
OUTLINE:
“The City Wholly Given to Idolatry”
“Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.” (Acts 17:17)
I. He “disputed … in the synagogue with the Jews!”
II. He “disputed … with the devout persons!”
III. He “disputed … in the market daily with them that met with him!”
WORSHIP: