Acts 17:1-9

                                                             Acts 17:1-9

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

 

We can see a pattern in the ministry of Paul.  His initial focus was on the Jews and preaching in the Synagogues.  However, he was also careful to minister to Gentiles that were a part of the Synagogue as well as those who were not a part of the Synagogue.  This initial strategy was followed by some sort of persecution that made the team leave the city prior to their desired departure.  They would then move forward to the next location leaving a very new group of believers behind who would found a church that Paul would strive to keep track of from a distance.  

 

THE STRATEGY OF THE MISSION: When Paul and Silas leave Philippi, they go through two cities before coming to Thessalonica.  Apparently, these two cities did not have a Synagogue as the text mentioned that Thessalonica did have one.  This may tell us a few things about Paul’s strategy in missions.  First, Paul did not want to go to the cities that were closest to Philippi as the goal would be for the church in Philippi to multiply and they could easily go to these cities.  Second, Paul considered it his best strategy to go to cities with a congregation of Jews who gathered as they would have a basic understanding of Scripture, be people of high moral character, and they would be waiting for Messiah.  If he could convince a group of these men that Jesus was the Messiah, they would make ideal leaders for the church that would eventually grow in that area.  Paul never intended to become a pastor of any church he planted so he had to go to places where he could most likely identify leaders for the churches.  Local leaders are always the most effective planters of a church in a community.  It is important for us to look for faithful people in whom we can invest our lives.   

 

THE SERMON OF THE MISSION: The message of the Gospel is simply that Jesus is the Christ and that He suffered and died on the cross and rose from the dead.  The Jews were waiting for a political Messiah who would save them from Roman oppression.  However, what they and all of needed much more than freedom from any sort of oppression was freedom from sin.  God does not always give us what we want because He knows exactly what we need the most.  Paul preached this message for three weeks in the Synagogue and some Jews trusted Christ along with many devout Greeks and women.  The Gospel is for everyone: Jews, Gentiles, men, women, children.  There are no distinctions before God.  This is the message all people in all nations need to hear today.  Jesus suffered in our place, and we can be saved from our sin by trusting Him.

 

THE SUFFERING OF THE MISSION: The Gospel is not a message that is easy to hear because it is exclusive.  The only way man can be saved is through faith in Christ.  All who are trusting in their own good works or some other religious system are condemned by their unbelief.  It must not have been easy for the Jews to hear someone say that the Jews had not only misunderstood Messiah, missed the Messiah, but had had actually crucified Messiah.  When they saw many of their members as well as Gentiles following this message, they had to do something to stand up for their faith, so they resorted to dishonest accusations and raising up a mob.  When they couldn’t find Paul, they took Jason who had been hosting him.  The mission we have been called to proclaim will bring about suffering for those who proclaim as well as for those who believe.  This truth should be made clear to all as well as the fact that it is completely worth it.  Nothing can replace the wonder and glory of the Gospel.

 

APPLICATION: Form a strategy of discipleship and expansion of the church where we are.  Communicate the Gospel accurately and boldly to all different kinds of people so that Jesus is clearly understood.  Be willing to persist in advancing the Gospel in the face of suffering and hardship.  Understand that the cause of Christ is worth any amount of hardship.