Dare to be Different - its easy to stand with the crowd. It takes courage to stand along. - why fit in when you were born to stand out?
The Bereans (Acts 17:11)
Acts 17:11-12 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Thessalonians
Acts 17:1-9
When Paul and Silas arrived in Thessalonica they proclaimed Jesus as Messiah in the synagogue for three weeks causing some Jews, many devout Greeks, and leading woman to believe, but raising jealousy in the Jews to the point that the new disciples were severely persecuted before the authorities
But the hard-line Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas. 5–7 They broke into Jason’s house, thinking that Paul and Silas were there. 6 When they couldn’t find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically, “These people are out to destroy the world, and now they’ve shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! 7 And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!”
Acts 17:12 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
1. Being different, you will stand out
Acts 17:11-12 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
a) Received It described those of a generous spirit, who are open-minded toward truth, not prejudiced, hostile or suspicious of others, but give others a fair hearing. The Bereans are considered as noble because they listened to the preaching of the gospel with open hearts as they pursued God and His whole truth.
b) Eagerness The Greek word, prothumos, suggests that they looked into the Scriptures with enthusiasm, eagerness, and zeal. The Greek paints a word-picture of a ravenously hungry man who devours the food set before him or an extremely thirsty man who is finally given something to drink. The Bereans were full of enthusiasm, readiness, and zeal for God's Word.
c) Examined Which translates as "properly, to scrutinize, i.e. (by implication) investigate, interrogate, determine." The King James Version translates the word variously as "ask, question, discern, examine, judge, search."
Revelation 3:16 (NIV) [16] So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
The older I am as a Christian, I realise the word OK seems to sum up my evaluation of my spiritual condition of my life. Loosing my attitude of a Berean disciple.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV) [12] So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
Church are we standing out like that of the Bereans.
Or have we fallen out
2. Their heart compelled them to be different
Acts 17:11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
- Same message - Both hearts reacts so differently - One is compelled by Jealousy while the other is with an eager heart
Luke 9:57 (NIV) [57] As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” [58] Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” [59] He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” [60] Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” [61] Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” [62] Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Jewish burials take place as quickly as possible, following a principle of honoring the dead (k'vod hamet). Only if immediate relatives cannot arrive in time from abroad, or there is not enough time for burial before Shabbat or a holiday are burials postponed for a day. Anything less is considered a “humiliation of the dead,”
Two potential disciples
- As if Jesus Stop this poor fellow from burying his father - Cannot even say goodbye - It really doesn’t matter how good things are. - If our hearts is not compelled to pursue them, no matter how hard one try to sell it, it meant nothing to the hearer. - Does the word of God compels us today? Just as the Bereans, they are compelled by the word they have learned. - Compel - Meaning Bring about (something) by the use of a driven force - Have the rooting in the scriptures, bring about to us an experience that drive our Christian life today? |
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