Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980510.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XXXIX: Why God Lets His Servants Get CRUSHED En Route To Service To Those In Darkness
(Acts 17:1-18:11 with 1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the most perplexing facts in God's work is His occasionally taking gifted, motivated servants and allowing them to get crushed before they serve in particularly needy, spiritually darkened people groups.
    2. Acts 17:1-18:11 in light of 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 explains God's reason, and encourages us as follows:
  2. Why God Lets His Servants Get CRUSHED En Route To Service To Those In Darkness.
    1. God clearly led the Apostle Paul along with a vision to go to Macedonia to evangelize, Acts 16:6-10.
    2. However, once there, Paul went through a series of crushing events only to end up in Corinth far away:
      1. Paul's ministry in Thessalonica of Macedonia produced with mixed results, Acts 17:2-5.
      2. With the holding of Jason in a bond, the believers sent Paul off of the main road down to the country town of Berea to get him away from the persecuting Judaizers, Acts 17:6-10a.
      3. Well, though Berea was south of Macedonia where God had led, finding himself relocated, Paul took opportunity to evangelize in that town, and some believed , Acts 17:10b-12.
      4. However, the troublemakers from Thessalonica chased Paul down in Berea and caused the brethren there to send Paul by ship down to Athens where the troublemakers didn't have much clout, 17:13-15a.
      5. Acts 17:15b tells us that Paul sent word to Silas and Timothy who were left behind to come to him as soon as possible. From 1 Thessalonians we learn of real pressures that weighed on Paul at this event:
        1. Paul knew God sent him to Macedonia from the Acts 16:9-10 vision, so he was burdened about it.
        2. Yet, Paul had been sent out of Thessalonica so quickly under great persecution, and that after leading so many to the Lord that he worried about the faith of these new, persecuted believers.
        3. Thus, He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica when he left Berea for Athens under duress so as to see how they were holding up though he himself had been forced down into Athens, 1 Thess. 3:1-2:5.
        4. Apparently, Paul told Timothy get back to him in Athens from Thessalonica as soon as possible to give him news about the welfare of the new believers back in Thessalonica, Acts 17:15b.
      6. While waiting for Timothy, Paul was troubled at Athen's idols, and started to evangelize, 17:16-17.
      7. However, only a few believed even when Paul had ministered before the Areopagus, 17:19, 22, 32-34.
      8. Hence, Paul left Athens and limped 30 miles west into Corinth, an incredibly wicked city, 18:1, 5a.
      9. We know from 1 Corinthians 2:1-3 that Paul ministered in Corinth in a weak state due to stress.
    3. Yet, God had long ago carefully planned for Paul to have this plight so he could work well in Corinth:
      1. Since the Corinthians were so spiritually blind, they needed a clear understanding of God's power. Accordingly, God wanted Paul to be so pressed out of measure that the Corinthians could clearly see the contrast between Paul's human weakness and the great power of God in his preaching, 1 Cor. 2:4-5.
      2. God's plan to achieve this crushing of Paul is astoundingly intricate: (a) 100 years before, the Roman leader, Cicero had been forced to flee Thessalonica to the "out-of-the-way town of Berea" due to failure in administration, cf. G. C. Morgan, Acts, p. 399; Burns, West. Civ., p. 220. (b) Thus, the believers at Thessalonica had this historical precedent to follow in sending Paul south to Berea to hide him from his pursuers on the main road that ran further west. (c) The Bereans only followed the direction initated by the Thessalonians, sending fugitive Paul further south to Athens where they knew the Judaizers of Thessalonica would have no clout, and Paul could find solace. (d) When Paul left Athens to limp over into Corinth 30 miles away, God gave Paul a vision, revealing that Corinth was right where he wanted him after Macedonia, for God had many people there ready to believe, Acts 18:9-11.
      3. Thus, God's intricate plan, arranged in eternity in view of Cicero's flight to Berea had led Paul to get into Macedonia to begin getting crushed. That way he could be made into an effective vessel of the Gospel to the many deeply darkened people of Corinth who needed a crushed servant of God to see the power of God in the midst of that crushed human, and thereby believe his Gospel for salvation!
Lesson: God's allowing His beloved servants to experience emotional, mental, physical or spiritual CRUSHING does not arise from some sadistic bent in God, but from His infinite love for deeply needy, blinded UNSAVED people who need crushed saints t o show them His power!