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Christianity

Breaking Through Barriers: Strength For the Weary

  • Acts 18:1-23
  • God provides encouragement in many ways

When I’m weary…

  1. God provides my comfort (v1-8a)
    • Paul was run out of every city and getting tired/discouraged?
      • he entered Corinth alone, and it is not good to be alone
    • Aquila and Priscilla becomes one of Paul’s greatest friends
      • they were part of the Roman edict to leave, so they went to Corinth
      • they did life together with Paul and had community and fellowship
    • Gospel is all about relationship with Jesus!
      • Christianity is not a solo sport
        1. Comfort through community
          • Ecc 4:9-11
          • if we feel alone, God didn’t intend that
          • people often don’t see it, and we isolate ourselves in our loneliness
            • pulling back from community perpetuates the feeling of loneliness!
        2. Comfort through camaraderie (v5)
          • Silas and Timothy bring good news to Paul and lift his spirit
    • traditionally, Jews would shake the dust off their garments after visiting a pagan place, and before entering their own land again
      • Paul dusted his garments, turning their own disbelief against them
  2. God promises my confidence (v8b-10)
    • reminder that God is working through me for glory of His great name
    • mini breakthroughs and victories are sometimes needed to lift our spirits
    • 1 Cor 6:9; we see some of the people who were saved in v8
      • there isn’t a person who is too far away to be saved by Jesus
    • reminder that God needs to be working in me in order to be working through me (v9)
    • 1 Thes 3:1; this piece was written while in Corinth
    • we can put up a good front, relying on our own strengths and abilities to quench our fears…but this is futile
      • we need to stop and see that there’s something God wants to fix
      • anxiety and fear is reflecting our own insufficiency in fixing ourselves, as opposed to the peace found in letting God fix us
    • Ps 56:3
    • God is with us (v10)
      • our God is always with us
      • however, the specific promise that we won’t be harmed is reserved only to Paul and at that specific time…
    • Acts 20:20-23
  3. God provides my calling (v11-23)
    • Paul stayed in Corinth for 1 year 6 months
    • God uses unbelieving proconsul Gallio to protect Paul, essentially saying that preaching Christianity wasn’t illegal at the time
    • a lot of problems in our current countries and societies, but we’re still blessed to have freedom of speech to declare the Gospel
      • but how many of us thank God for the freedom of speech and don’t step out in faith to preach/share?
    • God is sovereign (v18-23)
      • Nazarite vow
        • abstain from drinking and haircut for a while, vowing to God his past blessings and future works; declaring God’s sovereignty
    • our weariness is battle for self control over life?
      • as you submit to God, you find freedom, rest and life
    • need daily reminder to surrender lifeĀ AND to proclaim Christ to world around us
      • your purpose is to serve and spread the Good News
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