Don't Take My Word For It

By Matt Kennedy

Acts 17

Don’t Take My Word For It.

As I read through Acts 17 I am finding it hard to focus on just one thing to discuss. There is so much in this chapter that I love. This is hands down one of my favorite chapters in this book.

Let me focus on Paul’s visit to Berea (vs. 10-15). The main point of this section is found in verse 11; “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Paul preaches the same message everywhere he goes. He tells everyone that Jesus is Messiah, that he had to suffer and rise from the dead and reasoned with them from the Scriptures. The Bereans display an attitude towards truth that I think we all could benefit from adopting ourselves. Verse 11 says that they received the message with Eagerness and then Examined Paul’s message with the Word of God.

I ask myself how ‘eager’ I am to come to Anchor each week and worship with you all? Is that a word that describes me? Am I EAGER to hear God’s truth proclaimed or am I just coming out of a religious duty? One will keep me faithfully and joyfully coming back to corporate worship each week. The other may do the same but not with a light and joyful heart but rather with a heart that is tired and burdened with the yoke of religious duty. With this kind of heart I will soon find excuses to not bother joining the body in corporate worship… even if it is just for this one week (Not a good thing B.T.W.)

The other characteristic the Bereans had was an ability/willingness to EXAMINE the Scriptures and test Paul to see if what he was telling them was the Truth. This is so important to do. While I am convinced Tim (and any guest speaker he invites to fill in for him) is faithful to prepare a message that is true to God’s Word, those who speak are still fallen people who have the potential to get it wrong. That is why we should never let our eagerness to hear the Word hinder us from examining the Word ourselves to make sure what is being taught is Truth.

Examining the Word for ourselves does a couple of things:
1. It increases our knowledge of God’s Word.

2. This increases our joy and love for God Himself.

3. This in turn increases our Eagerness to know Him more.

4. This causes us to want to Examine the Word even more.

Do you see the pattern here? 1 leads to 2, 2 leads to 3, 3 leads to 4 and 4 takes us back to 1. This circle inevitably produces in us the noble character the Bereans had. But by all means –

Don’t Take My Word For It.

Other Plans

Acts 18

By Joe Leatherman

But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." Acts 18:6 (New International Version)

Such an interesting turn of events in Paul's life. Paul was born a Jew, trained by Gamaliel. He knew the language, he knew the culture, he knew the life style. Why did God send him to teach the Gentiles? He was perfect for the job he had, an understatement really, and yet God had other plans for him. 

The first thing that comes to my mind is Paul's faith. Becoming a christian isn't by any means a median for making your life easier or less worrisome. If that was the case we wouldn't have to make an effort to trust God. Paul, I'm sure, was quite comfortable preaching to a group which he was familiar with. Something he knew he was qualified for, something he was sure of success. 

In this situation Paul's faith isn't tested, but after he decides to go to the Gentiles God comes to him in a dream:

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." Acts 18:9-10 (New International Version)

This is something I in many ways struggle with. How do I perform what God wants me to do when I'm out of my comfort zone? This is inevitable. God has a funny and clever way of putting us in situations that we do not expect and are not prepared for. Despite the unexpected Paul was able to have faith enough and put worry aside to go and teach to the Gentiles, just as he stated, he was clear of his responsibility. 

Through day to day life I try and remember this passage, remember what Paul so humbly did without question. I try and remember this so I'm prepared for the unexpected and prepared to be uncomfortable. I want people to benefit around me from God's word, I can't always do this in a comfortable position.

When You Can't Run Away...

Acts 16
By Tim Hallman


What can you do with the people in your life who drag you down, who depress you, who despise you, who undermine your efforts to succeed, who resist you, who seem to suck the life out of you?

One strategy is to get away from them. But what if you can't, what if you're stuck around people with toxic attitudes? What if they are your family? What if they are fellow coworkers? Classmates? "Friends"?

There's a fascinating prayer that the early disciples often worked their way through - here's part of it: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." In one particular instance - after a tense encounter with the religious authorities of the city - here is what happened: After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:29-31)

Notice the theme of the prayer: for those that are threatening us - God enable us to speak into them with courage and truth, work through us to bring healing to those that threaten us, if necessary perform signs and wonders to those who threaten us that they may have a change of heart. God answered that prayer again and again and again, as recorded in the stories of the Acts of the Apostles. And he still does that kind of stuff today. If you want him to...

On one occasion, Paul and his ministry partner Silas were in the Roman colony of Phillipi. They had begun a small church there. While walking the market streets, a fortune-telling girl started harrassing them. When ignoring her didn't work, Paul spun around and cast the demon out of her. This made the owners of the slave-girl furious. A riot ensued, and Paul and Silas ended up in jail. But notice what they did: they brought healing to the girl who threatened them. Signs and wonders were brought to bear on this enslaved fortune-telling girl - for her freedom and the honor of the Lord.

A jailer was given command to watch Paul and Silas closely - these beaten, flogged prisoners were to be put in stocks. Around midnight an earthquake struck the jail, resulting in all the prisoners being free to flee. Except that Paul and Silas urged all the inmates to stay (they knew that the escaped prisoners would be caught and killed, and the jailer would be executed as well). The prisoners stayed, and the jailer was stunned. Through these signs and wonders, the jailer who had oppressed Paul and Silas became a disciple of Jesus. Paul and Silas cared about their oppressor, and healing, and baptism, and rejoicing was the result.


Who are the people who are very hard to deal with in your life?

Who are some people that seem to only make it harder for you to move forward in your life?

Who are some people in your life that think, say, and do evil with little or no remorse?

Who are some people that seem to threaten what you value?

What's your response to them when you can't get away? Join the early disciples in their prayer for those that are a threat to what is good and right and true: "Now, LORD, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."


And as you pray this again and again - keep in mind your willingness for the LORD to use you to help answer those prayers.