Are you someone who verifies things before you commit to them? Perhaps you aren’t the type of person who believes everything that you read on social media. Perhaps you double-check when your children say they cleaned their room.
Just this week, someone offered me a generator to borrow for the hurricane. It was used and had been sitting for a while. Before I hauled it to my vehicle, I thought that I better verify that it cranked.
Sometimes, it’s important to verify something. You know, that should be the case when it comes to what we hear about the Word of God. We should verify what someone teaches us about the Bible.
Today, we’re going to learn about a group of Christians in a city called Berea, who verified the teachings of Paul.
Today’s sermon is entitled “The Believing Bereans.”
Let’s pray together before we go any further.
(prayer)
Ok, so let’s get a handle on where we are in today’s passage. After all, a lot has happened this week, hasn’t it?
Last week, we ended with the Apostle Paul and the other missionaries on the continent of Europe in a city called Thessalonica. Here’s a map of the area where the missionaries are ministering. Here’s Thessalonica on a map.
Today, the missionaries are going to travel to a city called Berea, but they’re not going to stay there. Paul is later going to be escorted to Athens.
Ok, let’s look at the passage and see what’s going on. Look at Acts 17:10-15:
10 As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting the crowds. 14 Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
Ok, let’s note three occurences in this passage.
First, . . .
I. The Bereans eagerly examined.
So, Paul and Silas were sent out of Thessalonica on down to Berea.
You may recall that there was a rioting mob in Thessalonica who wanted Paul and Silas gone.
So, in this passage, they are now gone and are in Berea.
As they did in most towns, when they went to Berea, they taught in the synagogue.
Notice what Luke (the author of Acts) says about the Bereans.
Look at verse 11: “The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica . . .”
Do you recall what happened in Thessalonica? Some of the Jews there didn’t like what Paul said, so they joined forces with wicked men to have Paul and Silas arrested. They literally started an angry mob!
However, the Jews in Berea were not angry mob people. They did not join forces with wicked men. They were of more noble character.
Notice what else is said in verse 11: “ . . . they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
So, first, they received the word with eagerness.
That is, they received the message about Jesus Christ as delivered by Paul and Silas.
They wanted to hear the message. They were eager to hear the message.
Second, notice that they examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul and Silas were preaching actually lined up with what was taught in the rest of the Bible, which, for them, would have been the Old Testament.
Church, I wish we all did this more. I would love for us all to examine the Scriptures more.
We should pour ourselves into the Bible to see what God has said to us and what He has not said to us.
Let me just say, selfishly, that this would make my job so much easier. So much confusion and so much false teaching would be cleared up if we all just examined the Scriptures.
However, what’s more, the path for your life would be so much more clear if you examined the Scriptures.
Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 119:11 says, “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.”
When it comes to what God is really telling you in the Bible, don’t take my word for it; certainly don’t take a TV, Youtube, or Facebook preacher’s word for it; examine the Scriptures daily and look to what the Holy Spirit of God is telling you for you heart, mind, and life.
Notice what happened when they examined the Scriptures.
Look at verse 12. It says, “Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men.”
The word consequently is tied back to verse 11. The fact that they received the word and examined the Scriptures resulted in them believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their belief was the consequence of their examination of the Word of God.
These Bereans heard the message, they eagerly examined the Scriptures, and they believed. What a beautiful testimony about the grace of God seen in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Next, we learn that . . .
II. The Jews angrily agitated.
You might say, “What a minute, Pastor Matt! I thought the Bereans were of more noble character! I thought they weren’t an angry rioting mob.”
Well, they were of more noble character, but those angry Jews from Thessalonica just wouldn’t leave Paul and Silas alone.
Look at verse 13: “But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting the crowds.”
Someone always has to show up to start trouble, don’t they?
Things were going just fine in Berea, and the agitators showed up from Thessalonica.
You know, there’s been some agitators in our church from time to time. Agitating is aggravating, isn’t it?
God will be blessing, the church will be growing, people will be smiling, and then the agitators will come.
The agitation is such an unwelcomed guest. It’s like Hurricane Milton. We don’t want none of that!
You have some agitators in your life, don’t you? People who are bringing you down, stopping momentum, discouraging you, tempting you, causing you to fear, causing you to doubt, exhausting you, exacerbating you, and more.
Listen, brothers and sisters: Don’t let the agitators get you down!
God is bigger than the agitators. God’s mission is more important than the agitation.
Stay faithful. Stay encouraged. Stay true.
Surround yourself with encouragers. Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.
In the words of Walt Disney, “Keep moving forward.”
Better yet, in the words of Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.”
The angry Jews agitated and upset the crowds in Berea, so the missionaries had to move on, but they did not give up. The mission of God would continue.
That takes us to our final point:
III. The missionaries tirelessly traveled.
Look at verses 14 and 15:
14 Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
These missionaries had been through a lot, and they had traveled quite a bit. However, the mission continued.
Sometimes, when you’re doing the work of God, you get tired; you get exhausted, you get weary. However, God is faithful. He will sustain you.
Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
Philippians 4:13 says, “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Church, when we grow tired, we can find power in Him. When we are weary, God is faithful. When we are discouraged, God is life and joy. When we are confused, God brings clarity. Keep on keeping on. God is faithful!
Also, notice the logistical details that Luke provides in these final verses:
Paul is sent away to the coast.
Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.
Paul was escorted to Athens.
Silas and Timothy receive instructions to join Paul.
Silas and Timothy depart to join Paul.
That’s a lot of logistics, isn’t it?
Our church leadership went through a lot of logistics over the last week.
When do we close the office? Do we have church services? Do we have small groups?
We’ve done clean up at the church, we’ve tried to assess and help others with clean up, we’ve sent over 1,000 text messages. We’ve posted on Facebook.
We’ve done a lot of logistics.
Some of us are tired this week, aren’t we? Some of us get tired in our walk with God. However, God is faithful.
The missionaries tirelessly traveled, but God would continue to work His mission through them.
Let this bottom line summarize what we are learning today:
Bottom Line: God will continue to accomplish His mission through His message and His messengers.
The Bereans heard the message and were saved. The messengers were persecuted and exhausted, but they continued. Despite all the difficulties, the mission of God continued.
God will not be stopped, nor will His message, His messengers, and His mission.
Challenge yourself this week in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Devote yourself to the message.
The Bereans examined the Scriptures. What about you?
Are you devoted to the Word of God? Many of us have multiple copies of the Bible. We have Bible apps on our phones. However, are we devoted to the message? Challenge yourself this week to be devoted to the message.
Weekly Challenge #2 – Devote yourself to the mission.
Paul and Silas were devoted, weren’t they?
Now, you might be tempted to say, “Well, they were missionaries; I’m not a missionary.” Well, now, aren’t you, though?
Will you not also receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you? Will you not also be a witness for Jesus right here in Bartow and throughout the uttermost parts of the world?
Are you devoted to the mission? Challenge yourself this week to be devoted to the message.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.
