Sermon: Confronting The Powers

Posted by admin on 09-Jul-2008

CONFRONTING THE POWERS
(Acts 15:36 – 18:22)

A Message by Rev Dr Vincent Leoh on 6 July 2008

THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG!
Acts 15:36: Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”

WHEN DIVISION BECOMES MULTIPLICATION (15:37-39)
Notice that the result of this separation was two missionary ventures, not just one. We realize that in the plan of God, two teams were supposed to leave Antioch. One accomplished the redemption of a man, the other the evangelization of a region.

The Second Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul

I.  THE FOUR CONTROLLING POWER IN OUR LIVES (Acts 16:11 – 18:17)

Each city has a controlling power. Worldliness takes a different form in the four cities.

1. PHILIPPI: SECULAR CITY - WORLDLY POWER AND MONEY (16:11-40)

2. THESSALONICA: RELIGIOUS CITY – POWER OF WORLDLY RELIGION (17:1-9)

3.  ATHENS: INTELLECTUAL CENTER – POWER OF WORLDLY WISDOM (17:15-34)

4.  CORINTH: SIN CITY – POWER OF WORLDLY PLEASURES (18:1-17)

II.  TURNING OUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN (Acts 17:6)

1.  CHRISTIAN VALUES – POWER OF THE CROSS

Acts 17:6: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here…” “These men who have turned the whole world upside down have come here too” (NKJV).
“Many people believe if they were rich or famous, it would make them happy. Take it from me, that is not the case. The harder I worked to be richer or more famous, the bigger the hole got in my heart. Not until the Lord said it was time to come home did that emptiness in my heart finally heal.”  (Chuck Norris, June 29 2008)

“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8 NIV).

2. BELIEF SYSTEM: POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

“They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus” (17:7).  They are saying that someone else is in charge. They speak of Jesus and name him Sovereign.

Focus on the Greatness of Christ:
Philippi: Name of Jesus Christ (16:18). Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (: 31)
Thessalonica: This Jesus is the Christ (17:3)
Athens: “raising Him from the dead” (17:31) the resurrection (: 32)
Corinth: Jesus is the Christ (18:5)

III.  GOD’S EMPOWERMENT IN OUR STRUGGLES (Acts 18:9-11)

Paul’s Pain and Struggles:  On the second missionary journey, Paul went to Philippi, where he was beset by a mob, beaten with rods, clapped into jail, and locked in stocks. In Thessalonica he was attacked by his countrymen in another mob scene and driven out of the city. They continued their opposition in Berea. He then came to Athens and preached in that great intellectual center, where he was derided, ridiculed and regarded as a fool. He finally landed in Corinth, alone and scared.

1 Cor. 2:3 – “came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
2 Corinthians 6:4-6; 4:8-9  Run out of four cities that we know of, imprisoned once, stoned nearly to death once. He felt powerless, ineffectual, discouraged, depressed, and defeated. He felt whipped.

MINISTRY IS A STRUGGLE . REASONS FOR DISCOURAGEMENT
1.  The Large Strain of the Work.
2.  The Little Success of the Work.
3.  The Lonely Service of the Work.

EMPOWERED TO KEEP GOING

1. The Partnership Of Friends (18:1-5)
2. The Positive Results (18:6-8)
3. The Promises Of God (18:9-11)
Promise of Presence: “I am with you” (: 10a)
Promise of Protection: no one will attack you to hurt you” (: 10b)
Promise of Power: “for I have many people in this city” (: 10c)

IV.  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED  (18:18-22)

 


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