99 Acts 17:13-14 TROUBLE DOGGING THE TRACKS OF PAUL AND SILAS Introduction: In this text some unbelieving Jews from the city of Thessalonica came to the city of Berea and made trouble for the Apostle Paul and Silas, who had at first been well received by the Jews of Berea. I. Looking back at some of their successes and troubles in Greece Their first effort to establish a church in Greece was at the city of Philippi. Their first convert was at Philippi a prayer meeting service out by a river. Lydia, a seller of purple dye and purple garments, had been saved. But trouble started at Philippi when the Apostle Paul cast a demon out of a fortune telling slave woman. That put an end to her fortune telling and started trouble for Paul and Silas. They were both arrested, severely beaten and thrown in jail. But God blessed Paul and Silas in spite of their trouble. During their first night in prison an earthquake came and opened the doors of the prison. God used that earthquake to open the heart of the Philippian jailor and he got saved. He and his whole household got saved and baptized and a new church was started. But the city magistrates asked Paul and Silas to leave down and so they moved on to Thessalonica. At Thessalonica a few Jews and a lot of Greeks got saved and a new church was started there. But the majority of the Jews in Thessalonica refused to believe the gospel and became very hostile toward Paul and Silas. They gathered a mob of people and stirred the anger of the mob against Paul and Silas. The mob went looking for Paul and Silas so they went to the home of a man named “Jason” who had opened up his home to Paul and Silas. Neither Paul nor Silas were there when the mob came looking for them. But as a result they fled from the city and went to the city of Berea. The Jews in the synagogue at Berea were more noble than those in the synagogue at Thessalonica in that they eagerly listened when Paul and Silas told them that Jesus is the Christ. They then searched the Scriptures daily to see if the Old Testament scriptures give evidence that Jesus is the cross. In contrast to their stay at Thessalonica, where only a few Jews got saved, many Jews at Berea got saved. This was because the Jews at Berea had an open mind to the message that Jesus is the Christ. Not only did a large number of Jews get saved at Berea, but it appears that an even larger number of Greeks got saved. Therefore, a new church not only got started at Berea, but it got off to a good fast start and very quickly had a large membership. II. Trouble dogging their tracks But soon after the tracks of Paul and Silas had made their entrance into the city of Berea trouble came and dogged their tracks like hound dogs tracking a fox. Some of the unbelieving Jewish at Thessalonica, who had stirred up the trouble back there for Paul and Silas came to Berea determined to stir up more trouble for these men of God. V. 13, “But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.” When the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica got word that Paul was preaching the gospel in Berea it infuriated them. They were not satisfied that Paul and Silas had left their city. They did not want them to go anywhere preaching that Jesus is the Christ. They did not want anybody preaching that Jesus is the Christ. They were especially unhappy about Paul, who was the chief spokesman of Paul’s group. So a band of unbelieving Jews from Thessalonica came all the way to Berea and stirred up trouble for Paul. I think that it is safe to say that they went first to the leaders of the Jewish synagogue and spoke to them against Paul. It appears that most of the leaders in the Berean synagogue now under the influence of those from Thessalonica likewise became very angry against Paul. When Paul and Silas first came to them, they had an open mind to what they said about Jesus, but now their minds were closed to the gospel and they were bitterly against Paul for saying that Jesus is the Christ. So the Jews from Thessalonica, with the aid of some of the leaders in the Berean synagogue stirred up all of the Jews in the local synagogue who had not yet believed the gospel and gotten saved. So now with the aid of the leaders in the Berean synagogue and with the aid of the majority of the membership of the Berean synagogue, the Jews from Thessalonica stirred up the Greek citizens of the city who had not yet believed the gospel message. So now, in spite of the fact that a large number of Jews in Berea had believed and were saved and in spite of the fact that an even larger number of Greeks in Berea were now saved and members of the new church, yet the great majority of the city, both Jews and Gentiles were hopping mad at the Apostle Paul for declaring that Jesus is the Christ. Things had so quickly turned and Paul was no longer whom the people wanted to hear and whom they were anxious to find out if he were speaking the truth about Jesus. Now it was dangerous for Paul to even stay in Berea. His physical well being was threatened. He was in danger of being arrested and imprisoned or worse. He was actually in danger of being killed by a huge mob of angry people. III. Mission accomplished V. 14, “And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea...” Luke says that the brethren sent Paul away. The brethren, where those Jews and Greeks of Berea who had been won to Christ under the ministry of Paul and Silas --- and Timothy --- as we will see in the later part of this verse. They were the brethren who made up the membership of the new church that had been formed. Mission accomplished! At least it was partially accomplished. Souls had been saved and a church had been organized. This church would continue to preach the gospel to lost souls in Berea after Paul was gone. They would continue to teach the other great truths of God’s word. They would take up the work of the Lord as authorized in The Great Commission. They would seek to spread the gospel not only in Berea, but in all parts of the world. They would seek to establish churches in distant lands and they would teach the new converts and the new churches to obey all things whatsoever Jesus Christ had commanded. I said that their mission was accomplished, but I also qualified that statement by saying that it was only partially accomplished. Paul had, no doubt, done quite a bit of teaching to the new converts who made up this new church, but he did not get to stay long enough to leave them well grounded in Bible truth. However, God provided that qualified men, who could do the necessary teaching and get the new converts grounded in the truth would stay on after Paul left. (V. 14), “...but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.” The anger of the Jews from Thessalonica and the anger of the local people had focused almost exclusively on the Apostle Paul. This allowed both Silas and Timothy to remain at Berea long enough to teach the people, see that leaders were selected and to encourage and strengthen the members of the church so that the work would go on. They would be able carry on the work of the Lord, not only after Paul left, but even after Silas and Timothy would leave, the church would be ready to carry on the work of the Lord. Let me say just a brief word here about Timothy’s presence. Up to this point Luke had said nothing about Timothy being with them at Berea. It appears that he was not with Paul and Silas when they first came to Berea. It seems that he must have stayed at Thessalonica to strengthen and teach the young church there after Paul and Silas left. But we can be sure that he had arrived at Berea before Paul left Berea because Luke, in this verse, says clearly that both Silas and Timothy remained even after Paul left. IV. Some points that this passage drives home I want to point out to you some of the great lessons which this passage of Scripture drives home. First of all, I want to call to your attention that the Devil always opposes the work of God. He opposes the spread of the gospel message. He did his very best to stop the Apostle Paul and the preachers who worked with Paul from spreading the gospel message. He opposes God’s preachers, God’s churches and God’s individual Christians who today are seeking to spread the gospel, teach Bible truth and to carry on the work of the Lord in these modern times. The Devil dogs the tracts of every Christian worker and seeks to make trouble for him. Secondly, I want to point out to you that God always supports His work, His churches, His preachers and all who seek to carry out the will of God in this life. God, through the Holy Spirit convicts the unsaved of their lost condition and of their need of salvation. He affirms the truth of the gospel message which tells the lost sinner what he must do to be saved. There are a lot of false gospels being proclaimed in the world, but God takes a stand to support the true message. If anyone genuinely wants to know what he must do to get save, God will lead him to the truth. Through the word of God and through the Holy Spirit of God, God will help the lost sinner to know what he needs to do to go to heaven. Likewise, God supports and promotes His true churches in this world. I am aware that the Devil has a lot of false religion in the world today, but that has always been true down through the history of sinful man. But the Devil was not able to stop the spread of true under the ministry of Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke and others and God still supports the spread of true churches in the world today. We need never feel that we are fighting a loosing battle against the Devil. It is true that we are badly outnumbered, but that is no disadvantage to the cause of Christ. God is still on the side of truth and He will support His true churches. Let me say to you that the Devil is the one who is fighting a losing battle. And those who are on the Devil’s side are also fighting a losing battle. The only way that they can win is to repent of their sin and get on God’s side. Let me also say that if you are unsaved, you are on the wrong side. It is high time that you change sides and get on the winning side. You need to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Jesus to have mercy upon you and save your soul. If you are saved then what you need to do is to surrender your life to the Lord, get in one of the Lord’s true churches and get to work for the Lord. Conclusion: What man, woman, boy or girl will come and trust Jesus Christ to save your soul? What saved person will come today to present yourself for membership in this church? What church member who is out of the will of God will come in rededication to the Lord and surrender yourself to His cause?