We continue in the book of Acts as it serves to guide and lead us through the contrasting receptions of the Gospel spoken by Paul found in Thessalonica and Berea, and inviting us to consider the early Christian movement's enduring influence on societal norms and beliefs.
Witness the power of the Gospel as we delve into the actions and convictions of the disciples post-resurrection, underscoring their journey to spread Christianity's message far and wide. Paul's mission encapsulates the essence of this transformation, challenging traditions and cultural structures with a revolutionary message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. As we contemplate the historical and contemporary impact of these endeavors, we recognize the cultural shifts they have prompted, reinforcing the Christian message's revolutionary nature across various contexts.
Concluding our expedition, we emphasize the value of conversation and debate in the search for truth—a theme echoed in Paul's engagement with Athenian philosophers and relevant to intellectual discourse today. With heartfelt gratitude, we extend an invitation to join our mission in sharing God's word through our podcast. The journey through the Acts of the Apostles continues, and we eagerly anticipate further enlightening discussions aimed at deepening our collective understanding and connection to the scriptures.
We continue in the book of Acts as it serves to guide and lead us through the contrasting receptions of the Gospel spoken by Paul found in Thessalonica and Berea, and inviting us to consider the early Christian movement's enduring influence on societal norms and beliefs.
Witness the power of the Gospel as we delve into the actions and convictions of the disciples post-resurrection, underscoring their journey to spread Christianity's message far and wide. Paul's mission encapsulates the essence of this transformation, challenging traditions and cultural structures with a revolutionary message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. As we contemplate the historical and contemporary impact of these endeavors, we recognize the cultural shifts they have prompted, reinforcing the Christian message's revolutionary nature across various contexts.
Concluding our expedition, we emphasize the value of conversation and debate in the search for truth—a theme echoed in Paul's engagement with Athenian philosophers and relevant to intellectual discourse today. With heartfelt gratitude, we extend an invitation to join our mission in sharing God's word through our podcast. The journey through the Acts of the Apostles continues, and we eagerly anticipate further enlightening discussions aimed at deepening our collective understanding and connection to the scriptures.
Welcome to the Be Disciples podcast with yours, kyle Morris, dakota Smith and David Glavin. This is episode number 110. 110. 110 and we'll be studying the book of Acts. We'll be in chapter 17 today. Welcome to the podcast. Please follow us on our social media accounts. We're also now doing this on video on YouTube and so you can go to at Ottawa Bible Church on YouTube and you can also follow our church on Facebook and Instagram as well as our Be Disciples podcast social media platforms. But a lot of our content is going to be on YouTube. At Ottawa Bible Church You'll be able to see sermons, different church services, other types of educational material for Ottawa Bible Church, so check that out. Welcome to the podcast, guys. Welcome.
Speaker 2:Welcome. Hey, last night just this needs to be said we had an awesome prayer meeting here at the church. I don't know, it's probably about 60 people or somewhere around that and people dove in and they were praying and it just felt like our church is starting to get the hang of it or starting to find the rhythm of praying together, which takes time and trust. But that was a big praise just from last night and to see the vulnerability and the transparency of the body. I don't know about you guys, but I'm coming off the high of that last night and just really thankful for our church.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, our church, like any other church, has both needs and things that we're looking forward to, and so, you know, some of those are illnesses and real struggles and things that are going on in their personal life, and I felt like people recognize the need to come together as a church and to pray about it and to pray together and to bear that together and to encourage one another. And so I thought it was great. David worship team did a great job getting us into that place of worship to be able to pray. And then, yeah, just I felt like the body really came together last night and prayed and that is super uplifting and encouraging that people would let us into their lives, we would hear their hearts and we could pray for different things. We prayed for missions, we prayed for the lost, we prayed for the future of our church, we prayed for our country and all different things that we prayed over. But it was good to just see the heart of the people.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. It's a great way to start the month and I love evening services like an evening worship, prayer together at the end of the day, and it was just a great feel. I didn't get to stay. I went to go help with the get ready for youth group, but just the worship and being here specifically to pray together as a congregation, I just think it's very powerful and I think it's been going well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, on the topic of prayer, next week I'm excited we're going to have Dr Jeff Chang from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the assistant professor of historical theology at the school, but he's also the curator of the Spurgeon Library and so he knows all about Charles Spurgeon and so he gets the opportunity to look through all the material and see all kinds of cool stuff from that time. But he's going to come on and actually talk about Spurgeon. On prayer, one of the influences for this prayer meeting is Spurgeon, because he held a prayer meeting every week and so prayer was really important to be just consistently in prayer with the body, come together and do that. And so that's some of the inspiration that I had reading some Spurgeon on only a prayer meeting, some of his notes, and then just looking at prayer meetings through history. So he's going to come on and speak into that a little bit more. So I'm excited for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all of those credentials are Q4. You need to be here and to listen in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be great. He's an extremely humble guy and I've loved the conversations I've had up to this point with him, so it'll be a lot of fun to have him on the podcast. But let's get going, guys. Let's get into the book of Acts, let's pray and then we want to jump back in and see what Paul's going, where the Holy Spirit's leading Paul and Silas and the ministry continues.
Speaker 2:So let's, let's this will be a lot of fun Before we pray. It's just also helpful to remind our people the last episode we only got through 17, verse 4 because we took more of an apologetics bent. So this is almost like a part two of some sorts before we dive in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we're going to cover more verses today, because we kind of just took four last week. But we're going to cover a lot. But that's okay because Paul's on the move and the Holy Spirit, especially, is on the move. So let's check it out. Let's pray, father, we come before you today humbly, that this means of communication would be an opportunity to glorify your name, that people would hear and know you through the podcast, that this podcast isn't about us but it's about you.
Speaker 1:This is your word. This is the word that you have given us to study, to learn from, to know more about who you are, to be equipped in the way that we should live our lives, because we believe that the Bible is fully sufficient for the Christian life and that studying acts helps us understand the movement of the Holy Spirit, lord, and how you move through your people and how you engage the world with the gospel, and what it means to go and reach more people. So be with us today. We can discuss. Thank you for all those who are listening in. We pray over your lives that you would become more equipped to be disciples of Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 2:Amen. So we start out in chapter 17, verse 1, paul at Thessalonica. And just before reading, I think it's always helpful to remember that the book of Acts always prepares you for the epistles in the New Testament. So when you read about the affection that Paul had for the church at Thessalonica, like right away, 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1, and even in chapter 2, you start to understand why he feels such a way towards them, because the book of Acts speaks of the history that they've had together. So keep that in mind, maybe put this on pause and go and read a couple of verses in 1 Thessalonians. But here we go. Verse 1, now, when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews, and according to Paul's custom, he went to them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead and saying this Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. That's where we stopped last week. Verse 5, but the Jews and we were kind of joking before this morning's episode, like how many times have you seen a phrase like that? Oh, but the Jews, right there they are again their rejection of Jesus, and we still pray for them today. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar and attacking the house of Jason. They were seeking to bring them out to the people and they did not find them. They began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting these men who have upset the world Interesting statement, have come here also and Jason has welcomed them. And they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another king, jesus. They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things Verse 9, and when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them. I think it's appropriate to go to all the way to verse 15.
Speaker 2:The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea and when they arrived they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now, these were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica. What a contrast, for they received the word with greater eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, along with a number of the prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed, by Paul and Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then, immediately, the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea, and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now, those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens and, receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. Okay, guys, so a little bit of drama here in the first 15 verses. We read this last week, but we didn't speak of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there seems to be a pattern wherever Paul goes people get upset and it's because Paul carries something with him. Yeah, the gospel.
Speaker 1:The gospel, that's the word, yeah, and that's what he brings. And so Paul brings the word, paul teaches the word. We discussed last week that this word that he was teaching, that he wasn't just proclaiming the gospel, but he was reasoning, he was persuading, he was having conversation with him. He wasn't just all about like I'm preaching and leaving, like he sat there and would ask people, would ask questions, and then he would engage, and so this was not just like dive in, preach, dive out. And so, because of this, it stirred the people, especially the Jews, who are not seeing Jesus as King, and something that's super ironic is who did they lean to as the King in this situation? Caesar. This is odd to the point where they would go to and say that Caesar was more important than this Jesus, or more important, and elevate Caesar to a place where they would use them in their argument when the Jews and the Romans were not friends. So this was very interesting.
Speaker 2:And they certainly didn't bow down to Caesar. So when it's convenient for them they claim the name of Caesar. That's the issue, yeah.
Speaker 1:And that happens, yeah, not just here, but today.
Speaker 3:It's not odd for them, I mean because they've done it before with Jesus, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when's the last? They drag Jesus out into the public? Yeah, right, I mean, they're same kind of behavior as before. So this isn't new, but it is because the gospel is there. Same reason, and that's something that we see as this pattern Paul goes to Thessalonica, paul goes to Berea. Same things are happening, a pattern is starting to take place and Paul seems to be the focus, more than Silas and Timothy, for the person that's bringing this message. Not that Silas and Timothy aren't, but Paul seems to be the guy that everybody's pointing to. It's this guy, paul.
Speaker 2:He's bringing this, yeah, Maybe on a funny note. If it's funny, I feel really bad for Jason, Like this guy just got wrapped up in this. He gets dragged away and then Paul gets out and it's like oh OK, well, you know, you're following Jesus.
Speaker 1:Here's the money, here's the place, like get out of this or not, get beaten.
Speaker 2:And Jason is mentioned in multiple letters. I think he's also mentioned in first Thessalonians I'd have to double check on that but he is mentioned in Romans 16, 21. So Jason is this individual who seems to be a devout believer, and we don't know the exact extent of his relationship with Paul, but obviously he has enough of a relationship to be persecuted and to be associated with Paul. So just something to consider there. I also think it's interesting that they don't just have an issue with the fact that they are saying there's another King, jesus. But did you notice the other statement in verse 6? These men who upset the world have come here also.
Speaker 2:This is a very Gary Habermas-like statement, but sometimes you have to find the indirect evidences in order to discover evidences for the resurrection. Like, indirect evidence says a bunch and so while this may come from someone in opposition to the gospel, it's still right out of the horse's mouth. One of the ways that you know the resurrection was true is you just got to follow the disciples' footpath, their footsteps. Where did their feet go? If the resurrection wasn't true, then they would have stayed at home and Jerusalem cowered the rest of their life, been disappointed that they had believed in Jesus, and he was not the prophet they had expected, was not the Savior and Messiah that expected. But what changed? Well, what changed is Jesus rose from the grave and that made them go. Well, now we can go throughout the known world proclaiming this message. So it did turn the world upside down Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, their words are very interesting. Here you upset the world, and mine even says men who turned the world upside down yeah, the known world, the known world, but I mean turned it upside down in the sense of like they're preaching a message of salvation because of the resurrected Christ. This would upset the Jews, this would upset the Romans, this would upset anybody who doesn't repent and believe. It's such a different way of thinking. It isn't that religious type of good deeds, good works, live a good life, you'll get into heaven. Any sort of religion that does that.
Speaker 1:Paul is preaching putting your faith in Christ. That it's not about your works or how much money you have or whatever you've done. It's just about what Jesus has accomplished, because you can't accomplish it on your own. So there's a freedom that Paul is preaching that disrupts society, that disrupts their thinking. It disrupts the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It disrupts these Jews and Thessalonica. It disrupts the Roman thinking of their gods and who they serve Caesar. So it's a disruptor and it's disrupting today. That's why there's so much pushback against Jesus in the gospel because it disrupts power, it disrupts authority, it disrupts all of those things because it puts all the authority on the one who gives authority. That's right, and that's the turning the world upside down here in Thessalonica, and it's following the pattern that Gamaliel said, I mean in the Council.
Speaker 3:He said listen, if we're fighting against these men and it turns out that it's of God, then we're fighting against God, but if it's not, they'll scatter. And it's almost like Paul was following that pattern and trying to scatter them before his conversion and it just didn't work. Jesus came to him and said hey, what are you doing?
Speaker 2:You know, what I think is interesting on that note is our world will say oh, that's oppressive. You're bringing your Christianity into another culture and in fact we just visited a place in January that actually carries that very view. This Appetistas, yeah they have signs up.
Speaker 2:They have signs up. No religion here, because whatever you're going to bring is going to ruin our culture. But if culture could save, then I think that'd be correct. It'd be oppressive If culture by itself could save. But culture can't save, and so it doesn't matter the culture that you belong to, it doesn't matter the governmental authority that you have over you, it doesn't matter where you come from, where you're going, your background, ethnicity, age, whatever. The authority is Jesus, and this is the one message that should invade and not oppress. It's the message, the freedom of the gospel, which removes us from all oppression, sin, other people, whatever it might be like. The gospel saves more than anything else. So that's something to consider.
Speaker 3:How often have we heard that? Back to your question. How does this apply to us today in our church, or where do we see this? And how often do we hear in the church today when the Lord is trying to change something, when the Spirit is moving leadership, or there's a movement in the church that's trying to go in the direction of the Spirit, that's trying to follow Scripture, and they say this is changing the culture of our church and it's going against what we've always done, and I think that's unhealthy, especially when we look to, if we're holding on to something that is keeping us from following the Lord. So it does happen today. We can become legalistic with the Scripture and our Christian faith, just as the Jews did with the law in their day, and we can create we do create a culture, an unhealthy culture of legalism and unhealthy practices in our church cultures. It's a certain thing.
Speaker 1:And if our church culture is bad because we're not following Christ in His word and we're not building people up in His word and who he is, what happens is our church no longer has the influence in its communities to influence and to have leadership in areas such as school boards and city governments and state governments and the freedoms that we have here in this country. And so we have to go back and look man, our founding fathers, even the ones who disagreed with who Christ was, a lot of them still agreed on biblical moral values that built up this country where the tension today is at. That tension exists here in Thessalonica with the Romans and the Jews. There's a disrupter that's coming in Now in America we've got to see the amazing grace and mercy of God, amazing things that have happened in our country, from slavery being abolished to the rights of all people here in America to have this freedom that it doesn't exist anywhere else in the world and throughout history. And all of that was built upon the things that came out of scripture.
Speaker 1:And so that's why there's that tension. That's why they're fighting here. They don't know, they haven't seen that freedom in Thessalonica yet and in the Roman Empire. They eventually will see it in the Roman Empire. There will be a time where Christianity it has strong influence there, but right now it doesn't, and the Jews are fighting against it. They want to keep their religion, their traditions, their way of life, and now Paul is pushing against that with the gospel. And that's where we find ourselves.
Speaker 2:So now we get to Berea and we've got excuse me, we receive a different reception, as they're in Berea, than they did in Thessalonica. We see the boys from Thessalonica come back and persecute them again. What? In verse 13. But first we see the reception of the Bereans and how they receive the word. What does it say after they are teaching in verse 10, verse 11?
Speaker 2:Now, these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they receive the word with great eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. And you know, this does make you think of the Berean organization, those who come into hotels and they bring Bibles, you know, for every hotel room, and you know how often have you gone into a hotel room and seen a Berean Bible? And although maybe nowadays you know, the view towards that is shifting and some hotels don't want it, nevertheless, I mean, I remember being in Micronesia one time with Dr Jim Baugh, gary Howell and a couple other guys, and we're staying at this tiny, tiny little hotel just on this small Pacific Island, and the Bereans were there passing out Bibles. And I was just amazed, like these guys, they not only care about the word, they investigate the word, dr Justin.
Speaker 1:Marchegiani. Yeah, that's. I mean, we don't even we need that here in the United States, not just in Micronesia, dr Justin Marchegiani, I know, Dr Justin Marchegiani. I mean just the question here, or the information Paul is bringing, is all about Christ. I mean, his approach is different.
Speaker 1:So when we talk about fighting against authority and these things in our culture, it's just with the Word of God. And that's what the Bereans, that's what you're talking about. They're bringing Bibles because the message saves and it frees people from sin, which then in turn, changes their lives, how they're going to live, and that's what Paul's bringing. They're examining the scriptures daily. So that tells us okay, we've received the Word. We need to examine the scriptures, we need to know what it says, we need to be able to talk about these things. That's what we're doing right now on this podcast.
Speaker 1:Our Bible's open, examining the scriptures, so that we can be like Paul, who is imitating Christ, who then we can go out and proclaim the Gospel, and but we also know what comes with that, because Paul's showing us what comes with that. It stirs people up, both positively, in a way that people accept Christ, who will examine the scriptures, who will reason and who will go through that. And then there's the other side. There's going to be a stirring of the crowd. That's negative, that's going to cause issues. Both are going to happen, and so we have to continue to read and see. How is Paul handling this and what is God doing to protect Paul, to continue the spread of the Gospel?
Speaker 2:I wonder what would happen if we did some sort of analysis and I bet this has been done but some sort of like comparative analysis between the influences of neo-Marxism, you know, marxian thought, the influences of you know what happened with Mein Kampf and Adolf Hitler's writings versus the scriptures. If you think about it like the first existential question that somebody has to ask in formulating their worldview is does God exist or does truth exist? And technically they're one and the same, like before you get onto questions about creation and anthropology and morality and purpose and history and destiny and things like that, the first question is does God exist, slash, does truth exist? And with that question comes a lot of different answers because it when somebody starts formulating their worldview, they essentially says well, I believe this is truth, I believe that is true, I don't believe this is true, I don't believe that is true. And so at the crux, really, it does come down to and maybe this is repetitive, but it does come down to who actually holds the authority over the world and over every human soul. And so this gospel is being communicated as the authority, and here you're seeing those receive it with eagerness and those reject it, and I mean guys, I even see that on the university campus. It breaks my heart, because I just spent seven weeks ministering to my current class on campus and I love them all.
Speaker 2:But there's a select group of individuals who, despite all the evidence that has been put forward about the scriptures being preserved, the life of Jesus, the resurrection, despite all of those things prophecy, they're still saying well, I haven't seen enough evidence yet. And it's amazing to me what happens, like when a person is so rejecting against the gospel that they will keep raising the bar like we reach enough evidence. Oh nope, that's not enough. I'm going to keep up in the ante, not even realizing that they don't scrutinize their own beliefs like that. Yeah, their evidence for what they believe is way lower. That's right. And so when they're being confronted with the truth or another authority, all they have to do is just keep raising the standard. And there's more answers and more research to be done.
Speaker 2:You've only had seven weeks to read it. I get it, but at the end of the day, it does come down to a hard issue. You can be presented with the facts, but what your heart is doing matters most. The Bereans their heart. They search with eagerness. They examined it, they wanted it. The other guys they're like you know we're Jews but yeah, we're kind of like Four Seizur when it's good for us and it's just amazing. The human heart is so wicked and deceitful. Be careful, because it will change what you do and how you react to truth.
Speaker 3:Well, it boils down to disobedience and it boils down to not wanting to be accountable. I mean, there's a common joke I make with my wife, and I've even said it to the kids sometimes when talking about accountability and ignorance is bliss. When I'm driving and I park somewhere or I do something and my wife points out a sign or something that I didn't previously see or know, I am like we were fine until you told me that I didn't read the sign. Why'd you have to tell me we could have parked wherever we wanted? And like that root feeling of I want to do what I want to do and I don't want to know the truth, because then I'll have to abide by it, and that's a hard thing that we're all capable of. And yeah, I mean I think illustration.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I think that's exposed in many ways. Like I don't know how many videos you guys have watched of, like you know, random guys interviewing people on the street, like Ray Comfort or something, or even just non Christian like hey, who's the president of the United States? Or who holds this position, or just basic like who was the first president of the United States? You know, just very simple.
Speaker 3:It really gets like it was yes, got it.
Speaker 1:There's people who are like oblivious to just facts of history that are pretty recent, even like facts of today that are like oh, we know who the president is, like you can say his name. So it's one of those things where people don't even want to know what's out there. Anyways, they kind of want to live in their own world. Like you said, I didn't care until that sign was pointed out to me, like people who don't want to get it pointed out, they don't want to have that information, even if it's the basic most information we have in our society that has nothing to do with the Bible. But, yeah, to be able to just ask people questions and to you start stirring them in a direction where they start getting uncomfortable or like, oh, now I have to address, like myself, like Ray Comfort does that, because he dresses sin right away, hey, have you, have you ever lied about something? Oh, yeah, I have before. Okay, well, have you ever? And he goes through all these different sins and he goes okay, so that means you're a sinner.
Speaker 1:That's right and they go. Well, yeah, and he goes. I'm a sinner too and then he works through, like recognizing the reality that we can't get ourselves out of that sin, and so just those basic things where people don't want to address that, and that's why the Jews are so upset because they're being confronted right they're being confronted with.
Speaker 1:You're wrong. Jesus came to you first and you didn't respond. And now you're all upset because people are seeing who Jesus is and disrupting your way of life. That's right, and people don't want their lives disrupted, even if it's not even a religious thing. They just don't want to be troubled. Stay out of my neighborhood, stay off my front porch. My life is fine, get out of here. I don't want you here. And some people in other cultures have signs up like the Zapatistas literally don't evangelize here, we don't want your God. And then there's other people who just you know. I saw a video today. A guy was just walking around saying hey, do you know who Jesus is? And but no, no, I'm good. No, no, no, no, no, no. They just don't want to be bothered, like the truth is being offered to them. They just don't want to be bothered. No, no, I'm good, my life's fine, but it's really not.
Speaker 2:Well, and there's also a book that Carl Truman wrote. There's two really. One is called the Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. That's the bigger book. The other is called Strange New World, which is more of the truncated version, which I would just encourage people to purchase Strange New World by Carl Truman.
Speaker 2:But he basically walks us through the systems of thought from the French Revolution onward. Like, how did we now get to this place in society today where we're propping up internal truth rather than, or internal reality rather than external reality? Like why is it that we are so? We are so coddling this internal reality that may not even be true versus what's right before us? And it's because the thoughts from the French Revolution said that you have to become your most genuine self, which means adopting and embracing everything that you feel from within. And so many people believe that we are actually undergoing the fallout effects of the French Revolution today. It's not like the American Revolution, but it's the French Revolution. And so, as a result of that, you get Marxian thought versus, you know, westernization, or specifically like the influence of Christianity and the Reformation, and all of these things come together.
Speaker 2:What I'm trying to say is that we are seeing a real battle in the heavens today over the souls of men. We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but we wrestle against the rulers and the principalities and the world forces of this darkness. And spiritual warfare always takes place over one thing it's always over what is truth Like. Spiritual warfare is not there because the demons are trying to get you to purchase a meal from Chick-fil-A rather than McDonald's or Burger King, or frivolous decisions. Spiritual warfare takes place over what's true, and that's exactly what's happening here. There's spiritual warfare going on because the truth is being confronted and people are accepting it. The world's turning upside down, and now you have the and I can Jews with an issue.
Speaker 3:And we're also like. I mean, as we're talking, I'm thinking of where's the beginning of knowledge? And the Scripture tells us that it's the fear of God, the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and we don't fear. We don't fear God.
Speaker 3:You see, the Jews are appealing to the authority of Rome. They're not fearing God, they're not going, they're not coming before God in this conversation, as Paul's reasoning with them, they're appealing to Rome because they're trying to. They're trying to use the powers that are there and not the powers that they're supposed to be stand for, and that is God. And I think that that's what we all have to do when we come to a conversation where somebody is presenting the Lord, with us not thinking about the end of the day or where I want to be or not wanting to be bothered right now, but we are going to be accountable to the Lord when we stand before him in heaven. And if we don't believe that, we're not going to accept knowledge. And it has to start with that, that fear and respect for God and our accountability.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and even I've been. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, with all sorts of different things going on, especially around prayer, and just recognizing that who I'm praying to is the true authority and is in control of all things. But sometimes I'm so fearful of things that are so much less, because some of them are right in my face. Right, the reality of what's happening with my family or with whatever like that stuff's right there in your face, so you tend to just gravitate towards, towards focusing on that too much, when it's like no, I need to keep my eyes on God, because he's the one who truly is in control. I need to have reverence towards him rather than all the other things going on in life and so and that doesn't just apply to prayer, but that's everything If we're so concerned with the state of our country, no matter where you are in the world, if you're so concerned about your job or so concerned and that's consuming you, you need to put your priorities back where God's first and God's the one you're looking at, because he is the one who can take control of all those things, because he's already in control, and we lose sight of that sometimes and that causes us tons of anxiety and worry because of that. We don't put God at the forefront, we put Him a few notches below as a substitution. When we start feeling bad, oh, now I'll pray, or now I'll go to church, or now I'll start reading the scriptures. And so we need to get away from that and put the disciplines of following God first and the other things fall in line, because all that will trickle down into the rest of our lives. Following God will have such a blessing on all the rest.
Speaker 1:And even when things go wrong, we go. That's alright. I trust God because I've seen Him work and I've seen Him come through and I know His promises and we just can keep going and going and going, and so we have to put God first. Paul's doing that because he doesn't care, regardless of the cost. He's like I don't care if you kick me out of town. I was able to share the gospel. I got them engaged in the scriptures, boom deuces. I left people behind. They know what they're doing now. They've read the word. I'm going on to the next place. So the next place for Paul is Athens.
Speaker 2:That's right, and I think 16 to 21 is probably a good place to land the plane, because 22 to 34 is His Sermon on Mars Hill in Athens. You could do a whole episode in and of itself just in Paul's sermon. So we've gone from Thessalonica to Berea, to Athens Three locations. Here's the last one.
Speaker 2:Now, while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. That's one of my favorite verses in the book of Acts, verse 17. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present and also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Those are literally the atheists of the day. Epicureans and also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him.
Speaker 2:Some were saying what would this idol babbler wish to say? Others, he seems to be a proclamer of strange deities, because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Aeropagus, saying may we know what this new teaching is you are proclaiming, for you are bringing some strange things to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean. Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new. This would have been their form of entertainment. Gathering in to listen to philosophical debates I mean especially in Athens, that would have been the thing to do. They didn't have TV. This was their form of entertainment. Rome had gladiators and stuff. They'd gather around the Aeropagus and they'd argue and debate and all sorts of things and they called him the idol babbler, yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:I know this would be, at least for this area, like the pinnacle. This is like I don't know if you get a bunch of guys on stage your Dr Jordan Peterson's and your Dr Gary Habermas, and they have been on stage together and they have these discussions around who is God and what has he done, and what is true, and all these things like this. Is it Paul's doing it? He's with the top guys in Athens having these debates right here in front of people. So very similar to today where we get guys on stage and watch them debate. That's what Paul's doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I mean in a real sense there is a university like feel to what's taking place here, and I think what's really interesting is that Paul has launched into this place. He has been catalyzed into this location of Athens, one because of persecution, like if you look at verse 15, like he left and he's waiting for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. Right, but he got out of dodge because of persecution. He's also there not just because of persecution but because of provoking. You know, for us pastors, alliterations are nice. So two p words there persecution and provoking. He was provoked within him because of the idols. The city was full of idols, so it's almost like what sparked this is again their culture and their responses and he starts engaging.
Speaker 1:Well, isn't it, isn't it funny, paul's waiting for them in Athens. I'm just going to hang out here, wait for them to join me, and the spirit provoked him. You know how there's like those characters and movies and TV shows where it doesn't matter, like what they're doing, they could just be eating dinner alone by themselves, but like something always finds them and they're always in trouble and something's always happening. That's Paul. Yeah, I'm just sitting here waiting. I can't sit and wait. These people are talking nonsense.
Speaker 1:I need to get out there. Tell them the truth.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:And he just couldn't sit. Still, paul was like I have no matter where I am, no matter where I'm walking, if I hear something that's untrue I'm going to engage it. And that's Paul's heart Like I can't let people know. I have to let people know the truth. I can't let them keep living in a lie. And so Paul, yeah, he's like. So he reasoned in the synagogue, back with the Jews, which was his normal pattern.
Speaker 1:We see that all throughout chapter 17, that he normally goes to the synagogue first and then starts teaching them, but then he starts engaging in the marketplace, then he starts gaining attention with probably some of the most well respected thinkers of the day in Athens and that leads to a bigger audience in discussion with these individuals. They want to engage him. They think he's weird. They think who's this Jesus? Who's? Who's a Jew who resurrected? Who's alive, who's didn't? He died and then I was alive. All that would have been a little weird, because Greek gods wouldn't have functioned that way. One they're not even human. Some were Demigods, some would be like half God and half human and things like that. But this Jesus, fully God, fully man incarnate, this would have been very interesting to talk about, I think for an Athenian and to discuss how is this possible? Who is this Jesus?
Speaker 2:Well, in the Greek philosophers would have had. One of the pinnacle questions was this it would have been is there really a perfect man? And so that's why Luke wrote his gospel specifically to the audience of the Greeks, as one of our four gospels Matthew to the Jews, mark to the Romans, luke to the Greeks, john to the whole world. But Luke's point is this is the perfect son of God, fully, fully God, fully man, paul, likely, especially because Luke, by the way, is with him. I'm wondering now, just made that, just made that connection.
Speaker 2:Luke was heavily influenced by policies, writing acts. Luke can pick up on this and he says oh yeah, this is when Paul was, you know, there in Athens, and he's putting forth the answer to that question who's the perfect man? He's advocating for Jesus. One thing I didn't catch and I think you did catch it just in your last statement was he was sitting there, he was provoked by their idols, but then verse 17. So he reasoned in the synagogues, then he went to the marketplace, then they took him and he went to the Arapagus, so from one location to the next. I mean he's now, he's now traveling in the midst of this, this ministry. But again, this is the second, very Gary Habermas like statement what's indirect evidence that the resurrection is true? Well, most people. When they know that something is not true, they don't have the guts to go from one city to the next, knowing that persecution could be there because of what you're preaching. He keeps going and he keeps preaching a resurrected Christ.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you have to. In Acts, whenever Luke is writing and talks about the gospel, the resurrection is there. It's not just Jesus's life, it's his resurrection that Luke writes down Paul's letters. The same, the same language. The resurrected Christ is what we believe in. So there is a distinction here in the Jesus that the Bible talks about. We talked about that last week in Braves worship, one of our college ministries.
Speaker 1:The Jesus of the Bible is very is. We have to check in on that because there's going to be other Jesus is out there that people want to talk about. And we got to make sure we go back to God's word and what does God's word say about Jesus and not make up our own. And so Paul's very clear when he talks about the gospel, it's the resurrected Christ, not any other type of Christ, that's right. The resurrected one. And so be very clear if you believe in the gospel, that is the resurrected Christ who is alive today, sitting on the right hand of the Father, and will return. Not any other Christ that's been given to you, that's just a loving Christ that we should just follow his teachings because they're good and will live a good life and will maybe measure out more good than bad and get into heaven. No, the resurrected Christ paid for your sins Completely. Wipe the debt away that Jesus is the resurrected Jesus.
Speaker 2:I would say this too I'm kind of just really enjoying this section, verse 18, and also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. So again, the Epicureans. It's like they were the atheists of the day. Sometimes when you're in a conversation with an atheist, there is a time and a place to talk about scientific details and the minutiae and to get off on all the tangents and the rabbit trails and stuff like that. That's fine, but when it comes down to it, if Jesus didn't resurrect from the dead, then it doesn't really matter.
Speaker 2:If Jesus did resurrect from the dead, then they've got to address that question first. Because if you don't believe that God exists but you can't defend your position against the resurrection, then you've got to admit that Jesus rose again three days later. And then, if you could admit that Jesus rose again three days later, well, can't you believe in a God then who could create something out of nothing? Like you can go down all those tangents afterwards, but what Christianity stands and falls on is the resurrection, and if you can get people there first, honestly that's the most important argument. There's a time and a place for other arguments, but the argument is he's resurrected from the dead. He demands a response from you. Don't take me on rabbit trails about science. We'll talk about that later. Christians have a purpose for even investigating science. You don't. But let's talk about the resurrection, because if that's true, you must give an account.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when I ever asked somebody and I know you do this and David, I'm sure you do this when I ask somebody, what is the gospel, they say, oh, jesus died for my sins. And then I say and then keep going because I want them to get to the resurrection, because without the resurrection, who cares if he died on a cross?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He had to have resurrected from the grave in order for the cross to do the work that he said it would do. So, yes, he died for your sins on the cross, but he was also perfect. He was also resurrected, and people saw him. He walked this earth after his death and then he ascended into heaven. So all of that matters with the gospel not just his death, but the resurrection.
Speaker 2:There's a great resource and I'm going to be preaching on this subject for Easter Sunday, or better, resurrection Sunday, on March 31st this year On the five minimal facts that all scholars have to admit to, which took place between 30 and 36 AD. There are five minimal facts. Gary Habermas gives us these facts that all scholars have to agree to from 30 to 36 AD, and he extends it from 30 to 36 because some people believe Jesus died and rose again in 30 and others believe 33. And so you know, at most you got the six year timeframe where all of these things are undisputable, they're undeniable. So, when it comes down to it, we have to consider if he's risen from the dead, then he demands a response from my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the other question here that they ask in verse 19,. I would love for this to be the response of anybody. Just as you discuss the gospel, may we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting. If we get into a conversation with somebody where they're willing to talk, that's a type of conversation you want to be in, because you're not saying they're arguing or yelling at somebody, we're not being harsh or forceful, but there seem to be an openness to at least the question who is this, what is this teaching? And that's the type of conversations we want to have with anybody. We want it to be a true, real, respectable conversation.
Speaker 1:One way that can help you do that we've talked about this on the last podcast. Gregory Cokles book Tactics and Street Smarts helps you do this. It just helps engage people on an everyday basis asking questions, engaging them, hearing what they believe and then being able to then insert what you believe into that conversation. So, yeah, I think this style that's happening. At least the Greeks are willing to have an open forum of conversation which allows Paul to speak, and I think, as a Christian, we should take advantage of those opportunities.
Speaker 2:Well, and what a relief, because at least here Paul is only debating. Where he just came from, he's being threatened with his life for it. So Paul's like I don't care if people are disagreeing with me. Shoot, I mean, that's a little bit of reprieve from where I was just at.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now it's more of a. You know, obviously Paul believes in the spirit moving and changing hearts, but he's also like, okay, now we're in an intellectual argument, right, and Paul's extremely smart, he's the apologist and evangelist of that that we get all this stuff from, from scripture. The Holy Spirit has given him these things, and so I feel like this is Paul's arena and they're almost not recognizing like, oh, paul was equipped to do this and so he gets the opportunity to and we'll dive into that next time where we get to see what does Paul say, what does he give them, because that's going to be important and a way to equip us, as the reader, to continue to read the writings of God through Paul, through Luke as well, and to see how can we have these conversations, how can we present the gospel, how can we go through these debates, these lines of questioning. It's all in the word. We just have to read it.
Speaker 2:This is a great episode, guys. There's a lot to chew on here and I know before we dove on here we kind of had hope that we'd go all the way to verse 34. But there was. There was enough here to carry the conversation, and this is good stuff.
Speaker 3:Everything I want to say now is going into what we're going to do next week, so it's like a cliffhanger.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're prepared, I'm holding back.
Speaker 3:Hold that, I'm like no, I guess I'm gonna do that next time, next time, next time. We love David so much David's like.
Speaker 1:I only prepared the second half.
Speaker 3:I didn't do the first part. We're just not getting into what I prepared.
Speaker 1:Good, but thank you all for listening to the Be Disciples podcast and we hope that you would jump on YouTube, if you haven't already, to see us on there. We also are trying to just engage our community. The purpose of this podcast and to do the videos and to invest in it is that more people would hear God's word. If you come on the video podcast, you see our Bible is open in front of us. You can read right along with us. We want people to know God's word in our community and around the world, so we just thank you for listening.
Speaker 1:The best thing that you can do to support us is just to tell people about the podcast. We do this for that purpose only, so that people know the word, and so, thank you, follow us, invite people to it. We would love to engage with you. Comment, like, share on social media All those things help just engage more people with the word, and so thank you so much for listening. We'll see you next week as we continue our study. Next week, dr Jeff Chang, and then we'll continue in Acts, and then we plan on having more guests on the podcast time and time again as we continue to ramp up here on our video podcast. Have a blessed week.