Are Your Tags Hanging Out? (Acts 17:15-34)

“For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.” (Galatians 3:27, Amplified Bible)

So Sunday was my turn in the piano rotation during worship service. Being Easter, church was packed.  About mid-service, as I sat at the piano – with my back to the congregation – I realized that I had forgotten to take the tags off of my new dress and sweater. I thought, ‘Could I discreetly rip off these tags so I don’t further embarrass myself?  Wait … Nicole is sitting behind me.  Surely she would have said something if they were hanging out.  Right?  Maybe that means they’re tucked in…. So how can I (again) discreetly reach my arms around to my shoulder blades to check? …’

Since I’m sure you all have a similar story, I’m hoping that you will be able to relate to our lesson today.  Turn in your Bibles to Acts 17 and read verses 15-34.  (That’s right; we finished Acts 17 this week!)  I’ll be here waiting when you’re finished …

… As you read, after leaving Berea hurriedly, Paul arrives in Athens and waits for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him.  While waiting, Paul’s spirit is provoked by the city’s complete saturation in idolatry.  When in Acts 17:16, Luke says that the city was “full of idols,” remember that includes in the synagogue itself.  Paul can’t stand it any longer.  He begins preaching Jesus and His resurrection to anyone who would hear him – first in the synagogue and also in the marketplace.

I find it interesting to compare how Paul and the Gospel were received in different cities – especially by those who refused to be convinced about Jesus.  Looking back just in Acts 17, the unbelieving Thessalonians were down-right hostile (vs. 5).  In Berea, on the other hand, we don’t see any conflict until the Thessalonians showed up (vs. 13).  To me that says that the unbelievers in Berea either were well out-numbered by believers or were more-or-less indifferent to Paul and his teaching.  Now in Greece, the Athenians seem neither hostile nor indifferent; rather they were curious, wanting to hear any and all new ideas (vs. 18-21) … simply for the sake of hearing them. Thinking back to shopping for that dress and sweater, the Athenians made a sport out of window-shopping for new religious ideas.

Like any good salesperson, Paul knows that the first step to completing this transaction is getting the Athenians away from the window and into the store.  We can learn a lesson from Paul here in how he approached the Athenians.  Paul doesn’t lead off with a direct rant about the inadequacy of their “gods.” This would have offended them, causing their minds to close immediately to his message.  Rather Paul uses the Athenians’ curiosity as well as their acknowledgement of an “unknown god” as an open door to invite them in and to tell them about the God (unknown to the Athenians) Whom Paul served.  Instead of attacking them outright; Paul contrasted God the Father with all of the others that the Athenians wasted their time worshiping (vs. 22-29).

Continuing our shopping analogy – when Paul concluded his message, the curiosity of some was satisfied by what they had seen through the window. These people mocked Paul and were ready to move on to see what was in the next window. Others however, including a judge of the Areopagus named Dionysius, saw something in Paul’s message worth exploring further (vs. 32, 34). This time just hearing the latest trend in religion was not enough for these people. They were enticed to do more than window-shop on that day, and so they followed Paul wanting to learn more of this Jesus Whom Paul preached.

Acts 17:34 counts Dionysius and Damaris (a woman) among those who “believed (became Christians).”  Remember/look back at Galatians 3:27 (quoted at the beginning of today’s post).  In becoming Christians –Dionysius, Damaris, the apostle Paul, … even you and I – we have all clothed ourselves Christ. Maybe, like Dionysuis, we saw Christ while out window-shopping and just couldn’t keep ourselves from running in and claiming Him right then-and-there. Maybe like a pair of shoes I bought a few summers ago, we visited the store time after time – checking every time to see if Christ was still waiting, wanting to try Him on one more time before we decided if following Him was worth the cost (Lk 14:26-33).

Friends, if we never did anything beyond walk by the window or briefly try Him on … if we never took the steps necessary to complete the transaction, then we may never have known that the price was already been paid.  The gift of salvation is free – paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ (Rom 5:15-16).  As Paul said in Gal 3:27, “you have put on Christ,” but have you fully committed to Him by taking off the tags?  Tags are a way out – temporary ownership.  Whether left on intentionally or out of forgetfulness, they say, “I want the option of returning this.”  I ask you today, Do you intend to return Jesus Christ? Have you put Him on only temporarily? I beg you to take off whatever tag is still giving you the option of backing out! Jesus has claimed you as His for eternity. Will you claim Him likewise?

… If you have read this as one who has never put your trust in Jesus, I would be honored to lead you in a prayer to accept Him as your Savior.  As Paul told the men of the Areopagus, “He has fixed a day when He will judge the world righteously by a Man Whom He has destined and appointed for that task …” (Acts 17:31). 

Dear God, I come to You in Jesus’ name.  I have heard Your call on my life.  I was created in Your image, and I thank You for Jesus the Christ! I believe that He came to earth, lived among men, and died in my place.  I believe that You raised Him from death to life so that I, too, can be where You are.  Come now, Lord, and let Your Holy Spirit be with me where I am.  Amen.

If you prayed that prayer with a believing heart, then – brother or sister – I am humbled to be the first to welcome you into the family of God.  I’m sorry that I do not have any fancy pamphlets to offer you as to how to begin your Christian walk, but I would recommend that you find a Bible-based church and a pastor who can be there to hold your hand while you take your first steps in the faith.  I look forward to meeting with you in fellowship again – either in Sunday school or through this blog.  God bless you!

Two Against One

“Keep watch and pray…  For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matt 26:41, NLT).  In the second half of this verse, Jesus points out two parts of a human being – the body (also known as the flesh) and the spirit.  Often we use the words spirit and soul interchangeably, but Hebrews 12:4 tells us that “the word of God … is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit…”   Our soul relates to our mind, intellect, and personality.  Our spirit is that new creation born within us as a result of receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior (John 3:6).  As we have talked about our identities in Christ, it is our spirits that perfectly display each aspect of that identity.  Try to recount (without looking ahead) the different parts of your identity in Christ.  You can recite them … write them down … whatever works for you.

Here’s my attempt – without cheating (beforehand) or editing (afterward).

• I am a part of Christ’s body – that is, in the marriage relationship of Christ and His bride, the church (Eph 5:29-30).  
• I am set free from the power of sin that leads to death (Rom 8:2).
• There is no condemnation (Rom 8:1).
• We are all one in Christ Jesus – neither male nor female, slave nor free, Jew nor Greek (Gal 3:28).
• I am sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13).
• I have been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:13).

I missed:

• ŸI am being (more and more progressively) brought under Christ’s authority (Eph 1:10-11).
• Through Christ, I am the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).
• In the third bullet point, I should have included that no condemnation awaits me.

How did you do?  For those of you who are saying, “She didn’t tell me I needed to say/memorize the verse addresses.”  Don’t worry about it!  I included them for the sake of verification and also to encourage you to connect the address to the description as well.  If you could only remember one or two, well then, at least you have a foundation to work from.  For those of you who couldn’t list any of those above … if you are already my brother or sister in Christ, then it has been my privilege to point out to you some of the traits we share!

We may never look like each other in our physical bodies, but we have identical spirits – the very Spirit of God (1 Cor 3:16).  The key to being able to consistently walk (physically) according to the direction of the Spirit is to get two against one.  Our minds are either in agreement with our spirits or they are in agreement with our flesh.  Going back to the opening verse, “Keep watch and pray…  For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matt 26:41).  Jesus had been begging Peter, and James, and John to “keep watch.”  This required mental clarity.   When Jesus returned, he found all three asleep.  Their minds had agreed with their bodies, choosing sleep over what their spirits desired – focused prayer.

So how in the world does this relate to this past Sunday’s lesson?  Honestly as I began writing today, I wasn’t sure that it would, and yet here we are.  Turn to Acts 17 and read verses 10-12.  Luke (the writer of Acts) describes the Bereans as “more open-minded than” the Thessalonians (Acts 17:11).  Reason being?  “They listened eagerly to Paul’s message.” (vs. 11).  In Thessalonica, however, not all of them listened, and then only “some … who listened were persuaded…” (Acts 17:4).  The Bereans had their minds in agreement with their spirits, and as a result their bodies followed suit in that “they searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.  As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.” (Acts 17:11-12, emphasis mine). 

If you read on through verse 14 (which we did in Sunday school), you’ll see that the mind-body agreement, which the majority of the Thessalonian Jews had, led them to pursue Paul to Berea.  Their minds would not let their bodies be still. 

Where are you today?  What is your two against one?  Is your willing spirit being held hostage by your weak body because of what your mind is in agreement with (Matt 26:41)?  If that’s the way you feel, I want to encourage you today with another trait we have inherited through Christ – “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).  The key is to “let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…”  (emphasis mine).  Allow God to get your mind in agreement with His Holy Spirit and there will be no limit to what He will be able to do … through you for His glory.  Amen.

"Induced to Believe" (Acts 17:1-9)

Last week (3/10/13) and this week (3/17/13), our study in Tentmakers has found us in a now very familiar book – Acts – but an unfamiliar chapter – 17.  If you would, please grab your Bible and read Acts 17:1-3.  As you read, ask yourself the five ‘W’ questions.  Who?  What?  Where?  When?  Why?  Of course you could cheat by looking ahead, but Bible study (any study for that matter) works best when you give yourself a chance to record your own thoughts before looking at anyone else’s.

When?                                                                                                                                   

Who?                                                                                                                                     

Where?                                                                                                                                  

What?                                                                                                                                    

Why?                                                                                                                                     

When?  Who?  Acts 16:40-17:1 tell us that “they” (i.e. Paul and Silas without Luke) have just left Philippi and have “passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia” and have come to Thessalonica. 

Where?  What?  You may have included ‘Thessalonica’ in your ‘Where?’ answer, and you would have been correct (if you‘re worried about being correct), but within the city itself where did Paul go and what did he say there (see vs. 2-3)?

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                               

Verse 2 reminds us that it was Paul’s custom, when entering a new city, to first make his case to the Jews in the local synagogue.  (I wonder if that is why Paul and Silas stopped in Thessalonica and not in the other two cities mentioned in verse 1.)  The what of “his case” was the explanation of Scripture.  He spent three Sabbaths reasoning with them, showing them proof “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.” (Acts 17:3, Amplified version).

Why?  It wasn’t that the Jews were resistant to the coming of their Messiah.  They looked for Him, hoping every day for His coming, but they missed it.  How?  The Old Testament includes many prophecies that rabbis and teachers of the Mosaic Law had studied and taught throughout the centuries leading up to Christ’s first coming.  The problem was that the prophecies set side-by-side didn’t seem to fit together.  For example (just to show one of many), Daniel 7:27 describe the “everlasting kingdom” while Daniel 9:26 says that the Messiah “will be cut off.”  Early scholars couldn’t reason how their eternal King could suffer, and so (because of their lack of understanding) they largely ignored that part of the prophecy.  Jesus’ crucifixion sealed the deal for them; He couldn’t be their King.  Before Paul could get his fellow Jews to accept Jesus as their King, he had to correct the error in their theology.  Paul didn’t have to use fancy words of his own.  All he needed was the common ground of Scripture.  Read Acts 17:4 to see (and record) how the Jews reacted.

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                               

We aren’t told that they eagerly accepted Paul’s message; rather that some “were induced to believe.”  Other translations use the word persuaded here.  Like us watching an infomercial, they stopped on Paul’s channel skeptical, at first, of what they were being told and by the end, they had the telephone in their hand giving their credit card number to the operator on the other line.

Now what?  Well those who were persuaded in Thessalonica became witnesses to the truth; they had seen it firsthand in the Word of God.  It is the duty of a witness to testify … like it or not.  You and I have a duty today to testify to what we have witnessed God say through His Word and what we have seen Him do in our lives.  Some days, our job is fun; others are hard or painful.  Just ask Jason in Acts 17:5-9. 

… I’m going to have to leave it here for today.  I’m planning to write something about Jason later in the week.  If God knows otherwise, then I’ll catch up to you on Sunday at church or next week right here on Now What?  As for now, I have to get a little girl some Cheerios and chocolate milk.  Have a blessed day!!