The power of the Gospel: Acts 19:1-22

We see in this passage what can happen when the word of God is preached boldly and honestly. Paul spends two years in Ephesus, preaching first in the synagogue as was his custom. As opposition to the Gospel message grew in the synagogue, Paul began preaching in the public gathering place – the lecture hall of Tyrannus – where both Jews and Greeks heard The Word.

Through Paul’s preaching, God’s Word spread throughout the province leading many to confess their sins. Those practicing sorcery burned their scrolls at significant financial cost to themselves, thus giving up their livelihood in exchange for a sincere application of God’s Truth in their lives. “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (verse 20).

What is being preached in your church today? Is the whole of the Gospel presented week in and week out, or do you hear instead a message designed to make you feel good about who you are? Is the preaching about God or is it about you? Is the preaching in your church tailored to avoid offending people or is it focused on telling the truth, even though the truth can sometimes be painful to hear? In order to fully understand and appreciate the Gospel, we must first understand where we stand with God absent the Gospel: we stand before God as poor, miserable sinners deserving nothing more than God’s wrath and eternal punishment. Until we understand that, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins has no real meaning for us. But once we truly understand the weight and consequence of our sins, the Gospel explodes with life within our hearts and becomes for us a sweet nectar that nourishes us, reassures us, and equips us to serve the One who loves us so much. It's not about me; it's about Him. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Now, let’s go out and live it.

Reassurance in Witness: Acts 17:16-33

I have always enjoyed this passage, which describes Paul’s first visit to Athens. The Scripture describes Athens as a “city full of idols” and says that this greatly distressed Paul (verse 16). It was a city of philosophers, seeking the latest and greatest ideas. Seemingly leaving nothing to chance, they even erected an altar dedicated “to an unknown God” (verse 23). Paul’s speech to the philosophers at the Areopagus is one of his most eloquent. He beautifully describes the nature of God and His desire for relationship with us. Falling largely on skeptical ears, we are told that “some” believed and became followers of Paul while others said they would like to hear more.

The Athens described in this passage reminds me in many ways of the United States today. We consider ourselves a “progressive” nation – a nation that accepts a diverse group of religious beliefs and cultures into its borders. Sadly, many in our nation also accept the notion of relative truth: what is true for me is only true for you if you accept it as true; in the same way your truth is completely true for you if you believe it to be so, even if I don't accept it as truth. For many in the United States nothing is true of its own volition, including Scripture. I suspect that most of the philosophers whom Paul visited in Athens would have agreed with this philosophy of relative truth. This is very dangerous ground indeed, for it opens the door to sin, which in turn, can destroy a society.

Christians must read and study Scripture. We must seek God’s truth – which, by the way is eternally true for the believer and for the unbeliever. We must lovingly convey the truth to our neighbors and, just as Paul tailored his message to his audience at Athens, we must witness to the Truth in a manner that resonates with our audience while preserving the wholeness of God’s Truth – just as Paul did. It sounds daunting, but we are in good company: When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, one of Moses’ greatest concerns was that he would not have the words to convey to Pharaoh why he must let God’s people go. God told Moses “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:11-12). If we are doing God’s Will and if we are speaking God’s Truth – God’s Universal Truth – this promise extends to us as well.