Gospel Wins and People’s Losses
Acts 17:1-15
Digging Deeper
KEY QUOTES
“Jesus Christ, the cosmic King of the universe, has come and, through His death and resurrection, is making all things new."
“When God works, the church will see Gospel success, victories and wins.
And such success will infringe upon the unhealthy jealousy and zeal of idolatrous people, and as they experience loss, they'll become miserable and seek to create a mess to win back the control they have lost."
Paul and his missionary team spread the Gospel from city to city. The success of the Gospel and the gaining of numbers of new believers was causing friction in the cities where Paul went. A number of Jews were particularly adamant about stopping Paul and the spreading of the Gospel. They were jealous and incited troublemaking mobs to create chaos and civil unrest.
Throughout his ministry to these cities, Paul kept his plan the same. He went to the synagogue and used scriptures to teach, reason and prove the truth of the message he was bringing about Jesus Christ. He was able to point out the prophecies that pointed to Jesus. His converts included Jews and prominent Greek men and women.
Today, even as in the days of Paul, when biblical truth is preached and taught, opposition occurs. Some are jealous of people being saved. Some don't like that the Gospel sheds light on sin in their lives. Some want to avoid being under any authority or being held accountable for how they live their lives. Some feel that becoming a believer is too high a price to pay, and they don't want to change their lives.
But we know that making a decision to follow Jesus is the most important and life-changing decision any person can make. So, like Paul and his team, we need to boldly proclaim the Gospel despite opposition and suffering. We can count on opposition, but we know that God is in control of the situation, and we are fulfilling His mission to redeem a people from all peoples to reflect God's glory (his characteristics, attributes and nature) in all spheres of life.
WHAT NOT TO MISS:
Main Point
Gospel Wins Cause Some People's Losses
Gospel Victories Cause Some People's Misery
Gospel Success Can Cause a Mess
Not everyone is happy when the Gospel comes to a city or a community.
Not everyone is happy when someone trusts Jesus and their life is radically changed.
Not everyone is happy when someone who trusts Jesus leaves one place of worship to go to another.
Jesus knew this.
His death on the cross was because His successes, His victories and His wins caused some powerful people's losses and misery, and their response instigated a mess.
Jesus warns His disciples, “If they hated me, if they mistreated me, they will do the same to you."
I. The Process of Gospel Success/Victories/Wins
Go (live on mission, strategies are put in place, visions and dreams occur)
Do (declare, decide, demonstrate the Gospel)
See (people come to the Lord, lives turned right-side up, opposition and trouble occur)
Definition of the Gospel:
Jesus Christ, the cosmic King of the universe, has come and, through His death and resurrection, is making all things new.
Part 1: Declare (Proclaim) the Gospel (Acts 17:2–3)
Reason—converse, discuss, argue, inform or instruct.
Explain—open the Scriptures, interpret.
Prove—set before, demonstrate.
Part 2: Decide on the Gospel (Acts 17:4)
Understanding the Options:
Green-Ready (Some Jews, God-fearers, prominent women, Lydia)
Yellow-Caution (These people need something: more info, to be freed from some form of enslavement)
Red-Reject (Some Jews)
Part 3: Demonstrate the Gospel
Holiness
Unity in diversity
Care for others
Miracles and signs
Joy
Sacrifice/Suffering well
With every Gospel success, Gospel victory and Gospel win, there is a loss, a misery and a mess.
Going back to the law of Gospel motion: For every Gospel action, there is an attempt by the world, the flesh and the devil to have an equal and opposite reaction.
II. The Messiness (Misery/Losses) Caused by Gospel Success (Acts 17: 5)
Why the Gospel can cause a mess.
GREEN—those who are disconnected and/or loosely affiliated with any religion.
YELLOW—those who are affiliated but open.
RED—those who are radically rooted and committed to their religion.
Many Christians are open to other religions, ideologies and philosophies that are coming into the mainstream. These Christians are loosely affiliated. As believers, we need to know what we believe and hold firmly to it, because this growing segment of the population that is loosely affiliated with anything is ultimately looking for what is true. We know this truth, and the source of it.
Those who are radically rooted and committed to Judaism and Caesar (and Rome) reacted to Gospel success by being jealous.
Jealous (Acts 17:4-5)
Five key identifiers of unhealthy jealousy or zeal:
Jealous people are easily angered and agitated when they encounter friction against the very thing they are zealous for. (Acts 17:4-5)
Jealous people seek to build a coalition to defend what they are zealous for.
Jealous people break all forms of reason, logic and rules to eliminate what they perceive as a threat.
Jealous people will embellish perceptions and truth to try and rally more to support their cause of trying to eliminate the threat.
Jealous people will go out of their way to try and end the threat.
Unhealthy jealousy and zeal expose:
The weakness of one's idol:t It cannot defend itself.
Believers never have to get unhealthily jealous or zealous for King Jesus. He can defend
Himself. We are called to be:
Witnesses
Ambassadors
Salt/Light
Preachers/Teachers
We must allow the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit—go to work redeeming a people from all peoples.
When God works, the church will see Gospel success, Gospel victories and Gospel wins.
Success will infringe upon the unhealthy jealousy and zeal of idolatrous people and, as
they experience loss, they'll become miserable and seek to create a mess to win back the
control they have lost.
That is why Gospel success can cause a mess. Let us pray for Gospel success, but bear in mind that, with Gospel success, there will be a mess.
LIFE APPLICATION
This week, be aware of Easter and that many will come to church to celebrate for various reasons. Be bold and ask those who seem open, or that the Holy Spirit impresses on you to ask, to attend Northland Church Easter services with you. Pray for those who come to Easter services and that they will be open to hearing the message and making life-changing decisions to become a believer or to grow in their faith. Let every person coming through the doors of Northland Church feel God's love and be embraced by the Northland family's warm and sincere welcome and caring.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Where is a place that you can go where you feel peace and comfort when things are difficult?
What situation did Paul and his missionary team encounter as they continued to share the Gospel?
Why was there such opposition and jealousy to their preaching by the Jewish leadership?
How did Paul and his team handle this opposition?
What are your thoughts about the mistreatment and suffering of Christians today?
DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE PASSAGES
Day 1: Preaching: 1 Corinthians 9:16; 2 Corinthians 10:14-16; Romans 10:15
Day 2: Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12-13
Day 3: Mistreatment: John 16:33; Philippians 4:13; Genesis 50:20
Day 4: Suffering: 1 Peter 4:12-19; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:24
Day 5: Salvation: John 3:16; Romans 19:9-10; John 14:6
PRAYER
Lord, during this week before Easter, I pray that you would open my heart to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to those searching or hurting who need to hear the good news about Jesus. I ask for boldness in sharing my faith with others and that many would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If I face opposition and suffering, give me your power and wisdom to be a witness as I am faithful to proclaim the precious Gospel message.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
-The Triumph of Christianity by Rodney Stark
