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God Has Spoken! (6 of 6)
The Bereans: A Compelling Example
Acts 17:10-15, Isaiah 55:10-11, Isaiah 66:1-2
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) –
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
We all live with the daily pressures of both too much information and radically conflicting messages. This could easily lead into confusion but instead it ought to drive us deeper into God’s Word. It’s absolutely essential to measure every message we receive with God’s Word!
1. Our culture (and the whole world) is characterized by deep moral confusion and the multiplication of conflicting messages. As we face these realities we must always actively remember: God has spoken!
When we consider our place in history and our cultural moment it becomes immediately obvious that there is a tremendous amount of confusion about morality. There is deep disagreement about what is good and true.
People often don’t agree about what is right and what is wrong. As Christians we need to honestly acknowledge these challenges and to lament the sad truth that far too often what is evil is called good and what is good (and true) is called evil.
Isaiah 5:20 (ESV) –
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
We live our daily lives with an overwhelming and constant flow of information! We find ourselves asking – What should I think about this? And this? And that?
God has revealed Himself in His Word. He has told us who He is, who we are and how to be saved. God has told us what our purpose is. He has revealed to us what is good and what is evil. We’re not stuck guessing because He has told us.
2 Peter 1:19 (ESV) –
“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place...”
Psalm 119:105 (ESV) –
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Without the light of God’s Word, we can’t see where we’re going. Without light we’re stumbling around in darkness. We need to remain rooted in the life-giving, life-sustaining Word of God. We’re to delight in God’s Word and seek nourishment through pondering it.
Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV) –
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
James 1:22 (ESV) –
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Luke 24:27 (ESV) –
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Matthew 4:10 (ESV) –
“Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
2. The Bereans response to Paul’s preaching paints a picture that’s a compelling example for us to follow.
We’re reminded that we’re talking about real people at real times in real places.
Acts 17:1-3 (ESV) –
“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...”
Acts 17:10-15 (ESV) –
“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.”
Paul and Silas are in the midst of a missionary journey. This is Paul’s second missionary journey around the Mediterranean and they were preaching in the city of Thessalonica.
Those who opposed Paul and Silas deployed wicked men to incite a riot. A violent mob was stirred up and they dragged Jason who had hosted Paul and Silas before the authorities.
Acts 17:10 (ESV) –
“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.”
1 Thessalonians 1:1 (ESV) –
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ...”
When Paul and Silas arrived in Berea about 50 miles away things were different. The people in the city of Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica.
Acts 17:11 (ESV) –
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
Acts 17:12 (ESV) –
“Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”
Acts 17:13 (ESV) –
“But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.”
Matthew 5:11-12 (ESV) –
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
John 15:18 (ESV) –
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”
John 15:20 (ESV) –
“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) –
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...”
John 16:33 (ESV) –
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
What happened? In response to the preaching of the Word many were saved and trouble and persecution was also stirred up.
Pause and think about the people of Berea. They received Paul’s teaching eagerly but that’s not the whole picture, they looked to the Old Testament Scriptures as their final authority! The picture here is of carefully examining the Scriptures to see if what was being taught was true.
This is a compelling picture of measuring (or checking) everything with God’s Word. We need to do this today – there are lots of messages out there that sound good and convincing but DO NOT align with God’s Word!
The call and challenge for all if us is to daily follow the example of the Bereans and examine the Scriptures rather than blindly following.
Acts 17:11 (ESV) –
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
3. We all urgently need to ask ourselves – How do I need to respond to the fact that God has spoken?
Ask – Am I following the example of those in Berea? Am I living out verse 11? Do I follow the noble path of the Bereans?
Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV) –
“It shall not return unto Me void...”
God’s Word is powerful. It will accomplish its purpose. God’s Word doesn’t return empty, it cannot fail. This is why we need to be sure to give people God’s Word. Open the Bible and show people – God’s Word is powerful it’s sharper than a double-edged sword.
Isaiah 66:1-2 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2 NIrV –
“The people I value are not proud. They are sorry for the wrong things they have done. They have great respect for what I say.”
Notice the phrase – ...trembles at my word. We need to reverence God’s Word and eagerly obey it. God has spoken!
Statement of Faith – Article 2: The Bible
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.