The Unstoppable Message: In Thessalonica
June 19th, 2011 (PM). By: Guest Preacher
The following is a quote from reportedly the most popular and influential pastor in the US (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IuiUOapK1w):
“He didn’t create you to be average. He didn’t create you to barely get by, to have all kinds of things holding you back. You’ve got to get the right vision. God created you to be totally free. To have peace in your mind. To walk in divine health. To have good relationships. To have plenty to pay your bills. God created us as victors… You have rights and privileges. One of those privileges is total victory.”
According to Joel Osteen ‘total victory’ is being happy and comfortable. And the more faithful we are, the easier things are.
You have to wonder how he reads the book of Acts.
God gives us joy, He gives us peace and He does love to bless us. But, being a disciple of Jesus is not always easy. In fact, sometimes, the more faithful we are the harder things are.
That is a theme that runs through Acts and something we’re going to look at tonight. More specifically I’d like us to look at ‘the cost of proclaiming the gospel’.
We’ll jump straight into the passage in just a minute. But I first want to make clear what we mean by the gospel. The gospel is this:
A good God made this world including us, and he made it and us beautiful. But we have rejected him as our rightful ruler. Whether you are a priest or a paedophile you’re greatest sin is the rejection of God as your ultimate authority. And because God is righteous he must have payment for this sin. So he sent his perfect son Jesus, like a second Adam, to die on a cross and suffer the punishment for our sin that we deserve. After three days he rose from the dead. When we cry out in sorrow for our sin – our rejection of God, and trust wholly in that sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the Bible says a great exchange takes place. Our sin, in all it’s horror, is put upon Jesus and in return we get his perfect righteousness and the hope of a resurrected eternal life.
The proclamation of this gospel is living each day in these truths. We never move beyond repentance and forgiveness – we live in it. This means our actions, words, families, homes, churches, work and lives are completely governed by the good news that Jesus has saved us and we can now live to serve him. That is the proclaiming of the gospel.
So tonight, working through this passage in Acts 17 we’re going to look at the cost of proclaiming the gospel under three headings:
- Time and Effort
- Division
- Slander
1. Time & Effort (1-3)
1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
So where’s Paul?
Paul continues on his travels and arrives at Thessalonica, having passed through Amphipolis and Appollonia. Last week Dan was talking to us about Paul and Silas in Philippi. Before that we were thinking about his first ventures into Europe. That came after he had been in Derbe and Lystra, and that was after being sent from Antioch following an important meeting in Jerusalem. And this is only a small part of what is referred to as Paul’s second of three missionary journeys, he is then taken under arrest from Ceasera to Rome. It’s kind of stating the obvious – but Paul gets around a fair bit. It’s thought that in total Paul travelled well over 10,000 miles much of which would have been by foot. That’s a bit like walking from here to Australia. That’s a lot of effort.
And Paul’s journeys weren’t like those trendy backpacking holiday packages where you pay for the privilege of apparently ‘roughing it’. No, Paul really did rough it. In his own words, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, he says this (2 Cor. 11):
23 I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
But it is not just the time and effort of physical endurance but also of persistent spiritual endurance, back in Acts 17 let’s keep reading from verse 2:
2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.
So, as was Paul’s habit, he goes to the Jewish Synagogue and spends at least three weeks ‘reasoning with them’ from the Bible about who Jesus was. I don’t quite know how that worked in the Synagogue. But I imagine Paul spent most of the day with these guys. Going back and forth, over and over: ‘What does this passage mean? Who’s it talking about? What do you think the Messiah should be like? Do you not know what Jesus did? Who Jesus is? Can you not see that he had to suffer on the cross – that he had to die? But look, the Old Testament even talks about his rising from the dead – can’t you see that?’
And the answer will have come back time and time again: ‘No. No, Paul we can’t. You’re wrong Paul. What’s the matter with you? What happened to you? You were a good, strict Jew and look at you now. Don’t you know that people are trying to kill you for saying what you are? Give up Paul, just give up we don’t want to know.’
But for three weeks Paul goes back to the Synagogue and perseveres. It took effort and it took time.
At HTG we run something called Christianity Explored, which is for people looking into the Christian faith may be for the first time. The course was developed by a guy called Rico Tice, and he recently said this (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/05/23/
its-a-matter-of-time-exploring-evangelism-with-rico-tice/):
We have learned through… Christianity Explored and other collective approaches that something powerful happens in evangelism when you invite people to a group. Many people do not embrace the gospel because of social pressures, either from family or peers. So when we take a collective approach, we invite people not only to a new truth, but also to a new family. Here the real cost is time. Love is time… if you are going to show people that you care about relationships… and that you are there to listen… all of that requires time.
That’s why Christianity Explored is set up as it is, as a ten week course – because these things take time. Week after week the Bibles are opened and those attending are led through the Gospel of Mark while being encouraged to reason with its message.
Paul’s method of evangelism is a good model not only for Christianity Explored but for us all in our day to day encounters. Most of the people we know and talk to we see on a regular basis. Friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, etc. Yet how often do we write-off someone’s interest in the gospel after just getting to know them? These things take time and effort. And time is not an excuse for procrastination – it’s an opportunity.
Why not pick one or two people who fall into that category – someone you have regular contact with who isn’t a Christian, and start praying for them. Pray every day for them. Pray that you’ll have opportunities not only to talk with them but opportunity, and courage, to share the gospel or invite them to church. And if they so no thank you – be a Paul and persevere.
Do not be surprised if proclaiming the gospel, living a gospel-centred, cross centred, life, takes time and effort, instead, expect it.
2. Division (4-5)
The cost of proclaiming the gospel is time and effort, secondly the cost of proclaiming the gospel is division.
Paul went to great effort to reason with those in the synagogue – and his efforts weren’t in vain, so we read in verse four:
4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.
So after three Sabbaths of reasoning and reading from the scriptures the results are in:
● “Some Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas” – joined in the sense that they were happy to be identified with them and commit themselves to the message they preached.
● “as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks” – the term ‘god-fearing’ usually refers to Gentiles who respected, and to some degree followed, Judaism.
● “and not a few prominent women” – either women of influence or the wives of influential husbands.
● We also know from Paul’s later letter to the Thessalonians that at least a number of them were converted from paganism (1 Thess. 1:9).
So all good? Some Jews, God-fearing Gentiles, prominent women, pagans – all converted. Great, sorted, hunky dorey, job well done and time to move on? Sadly not. There is the small matter of the verse five riot:
5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.
The implication is that most of the Jews in Thessonlonica were not persuaded. Not only that, they went on the offensive. They round up what are referred to as “bad characters” – today probably most accurately translated as ‘yobs’. Layabouts who don’t work and only expend energy with the help of a wooden club. But it’s the Jews who are the protagonists in this episode.
Why? Well the text is pretty clear – right at the start of verse five: “the Jews were jealous…”. Why jealous? Christians weren’t exactly popular or influential. Well, they were jealous for God’s name – His reputation, as they saw it.
In their minds Christianity was at best a Jewish cult. Christians were extremists, nutters who had perverted their religion, their history, their heritage. And what was particularly blasphemous was precisely what Paul was trying to convince them of – a crucified Christ – “that the Christ had to suffer”. A Christ who had to suffer for their sin – their unfaithfulness to the God they are so zealous to defend.
So some were convinced and believed whereas others, who had heard exactly the same message from the same people, at the same time, not only weren’t persuaded but went on the offensive. There was a division. Paul says elsewhere in the Bible (2 Cor. 2:15-16a) that faithful Christian witness is to some the ‘smell of death’ and others the ‘fragrance of life’.
And then there is one of the most shocking passages in all the Bible, spoken by Jesus, which we read earlier (Matt. 10:34-36):
34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword… 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
Jesus is saying that the result of his ministry will not be global unity or universal common understanding – it will instead bring division and necessarily so. There should be a transparent difference between those who love and serve God and those who hate God and serve the devil. That means, when we’re faithful in what we say and do, relationships with those closest to us, who hate God, can be difficult.
The faithful proclamation of the gospel brings division. The cross is simultaneously the beautiful smell of life and the wretched stench of death.
[Illustration of something that the most you know/experience it the more you love or hate it. e.g. marmite.]
You cannot hide the offence of the cross. It is because of our sin that Christ hung on a cross cursed under the righteous wrath of God. We did that and that should hurt us. We should be offended, not at God but at ourselves. The offence cannot be avoided and by consequence neither can division.
I think probably one of nation’s greatest sins in response to the gospel, is apathy. And that is a huge indictment on the church because we quite clearly haven’t been clear enough. If someone’s response to the gospel is apathetic (popularly articulated as “well I’m really happy it works for you”) they are either lying through their back teeth or they haven’t understood what they’ve been told.
It is not our responsibility to convert but to proclaim – to bring people towards the cross. If they smell life or death is out of hands. The worse thing we can do is to avoid the gospel, avoid the cross and to just try and be pals with everyone – in case we offend somebody.
Don’t fear the cross, ‘that the Christ had to suffer’ – tell people about it – it’s the only true gospel we have.
3. Slander (5-9)
Time and effort are costs of proclaiming the gospel and division is a cost of proclaiming the gospel. Lastly, slander is a cost of proclaiming the gospel.
Read with me again, from verse five:
5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
So the mob goes looking for Paul and his companion Silas to, at best, give them a good beating.
6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials,
Paul and Silas wisely disappear and the anger of the mob is turned on Jason, probably a converted Jew. Jason and some of the other believers are then dragged before local authorities and accused:
shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
So what is the accusation? They have apparently broken Roman laws by pledging their allegiance another king – Jesus. Which is a very cunning accusation because it is technically true, the Christians rightly held a higher regard of the kingship of Christ over Caesar. But the undertone of what they’re saying is this: ‘These people are troublemakers – just look at the riot they’ve started in our city which they been doing wherever they go. And not only are they troublemakers, they’re turning our peace loving citizens into their followers. They’re threatening the rule of Caesar – they probably want to overthrow him.’ That is the undertone of their accusation and it’s utterly false.
They didn’t start the riot, the Jews did. Paul never intentionally incites violence in any of his missionary activity. And it is Paul who writes the most extensive passage in all of the NT on the place of political authority in Romans 13, which basically says:
● Submit to the authorities
● Obey their laws
● They’re God’s servant to do you good
● Pay taxes and respect them
People who follow these commands would surely be model citizens not insurrectionists?! The place of political authority is in no way threatened by Christ as King. It rightly exists under, Christ as King. Caesar was not about to be overthrown.
Yet throughout history, Christians are seen as a threat – a threat because they speak of a higher authority – an authority that even kings and emperors and dictators are answerable to. And so often the weapon used against Christian’s is not just physical persecution, but slander. Jesus links the two very closely in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:11-12):
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…
There are many ways in which Christians are sidelined by Government policy and even laws in this country. But I think there’s probably a more powerful weapon at work using slander, and that’s the media.
In 2008 a Christian former Washinton corrospondant for Sky News said this in when asked if the media in America and the UK understands evangelical Christians (http://www.christian.org.uk/news/
media-is-anti-christian-says-sky-news-reporter/):
Not at all. It’s important to remember that what appears in the newspapers is not an objective summary of the significant things that happened yesterday but an ideological selection based on the prejudices, agendas and assumptions of a relatively small group of people… ‘Religion’ is viewed as obscure, life-denying and regressive.
The idea that we are created and are answerable to our creator, threatens people. And so when you live a life consistent with gospel, taking every opportunity to share the good news about Jesus in words and actions, people may respond with slander. Be that amongst colleagues and family members or more widely through the media and politics. Christianity is taken and distorted and misrepresented because the real thing threatens man’s independence.
It doesn’t make it right or acceptable, but slander is an inevitable consequence of faithfully proclaiming the gospel.
Conclusion
So there are costs to proclaiming the gospel. Time and effort. Division. Slander.
Well ‘thank you Dave’, you might be thinking. ‘What an uplifting precursor to my hot dog. How encouraging.’ Well, very briefly, let me give you three reasons why it’s these are costs worth paying:
- It pails into insignificance compared to the cross. It doesn’t really even seem right to call anything a cost compared to what Christ has gone through for us on the cross. How can we possibly shirk our faithfulness to Him in light of all that He has done for us?
- People are saved. Paul faithfully proclaimed the gospel in Thessalonica and yes he incurred the costs, but many people were saved. Lives were changed and Christ-worshipping churches were born. It is our prayer that the same would happen here, in Gateshead.
- Great is your reward in heaven. Jesus promises that those who are faithful to Him in this life will have much to enjoy in the life to come. This is should give us immense joy now, regardless of the cost.
Just like Peter and John, right at the start of Acts, we should ‘rejoice to be counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus’. (Acts 5:41)