I. Elijah’s Problem
a. He feels discouraged to the point of depression.
i. Captured in his desperate prayer – “It is enough now oh Lord, take away my life for I am no better than my fathers.
1. In the midst of his incredible confrontation with the prophets of Baal, in what should have been his greatest victory, he was confronted with sheer terror at Jezebel’s threat.
2. He understands that this fear is a failing, that running away represented distrust in God’s power.
b. He feels isolated
i. Twice he makes the statement – “…I, even I only, am left.” (10, 14)
ii. Even though the story demonstrates, clearly, that he was not the only faithful follower of the Lord left in Israel.
1. There was the crowd who had stood with him on Carmel.
a. “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.” (1 Kings 18:39-40, ESV)
2. There was the hundred prophets that Obadiah had hidden.
a. “and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)” (1 Kings 18:4, ESV)
3. At the end of the passage God lets him know that there are at least 7000 who are still faithful in Israel.
c. So this mighty warrior/prophet who had stood eyeball to eyeball against the king and had fought against idolatry in the face of hundreds was brought to a quivering mass of jello by the threats of Jezebel.
d. His feelings of isolation had opened his ears to the big scary voices and it had begun to set up the cycle of negativity which had finally consumed him.
i. In his book “Seasons of Life” Charles Swindoll talks about fear. He relates the story of a flight he took in a twin engine airplane in a completely overcast sky. He said: “It was like hurtling down the Santa Ana freeway at 200 miles an hour with a white bed sheet thrown over the window and the radio turned up just beneath the threshold of audible pain.” He said that all ten of his fingernails left indelible marks in the dashboard of that plane. He then goes on to give this description of the fear he felt and its effects. “Drifting in through the cracks in the floorboards or filtering down like a chilling mist, the fog called Fear whispers the omen of the unknown and the unseen. Surrounding individuals with its blinding, billowy robe, the creature hisses, “what if…what if…?” One blast of its awful breath transforms saints into atheists, reversing a person’s entire mind-set. Its bite releases a paralyzing venom in its victim, and it isn’t long before doubt begins to dull the vision. To one who falls prey to this attack, the creature displays no mercy. As we fall, it steps on our face with the weight of a Sherman tank…and laughs at our crippled condition as it prepares for another assault.”
e. Feeling alone, isolated from everything in the mist and darkness is the open door for fear, anxiety and dread to slither into.
II. God’s answers
a. So if you, like me, have found yourself in Elijah’s position: huddled in the dark of a cave all alone and feeling desperate God has some answers for us. As we explore this series we will look at a lot of situations where we simply do not feel as if God is there. Hopefully you will find the answers that he has for you just like Elijah did in that cave on that lonely mountain. We are totally individuals and I am not trying to intimate that God will deal with each of us exactly alike that would be foolish. But as we look at God tender dealings with this and other fallen servants we will see the handprint of God on our lives.
b. God took care of his body.
i. He sent an angelic messenger to feed him. This must have been incredible food because he operated on it for forty days and traveled 175 miles on foot.
1. God made us physical beings. Our physiology is as much a part of our life as our metaphysical being and needs to be cared for with the same concern.
c. God renewed his focus.
i. Firstly by asking him good questions.
1. What are you doing here? This self evaluative time is critical when we spend time with God. Meditation on the scriptures and devotional prayer time and journaling are all disciplines which teach us to reexamine our walk and evaluate our life. It is only in these brutally honest times that we can learn to grow spiritually and take the next step.
ii. Second by giving him the next steps to accomplish.
1. He was sent to anoint some people into God’s service. Through this God not only put the next step to His plan in place but also reconnected Elijah with his service. It is in our service that we find purpose, real purpose which is worthy of eternity.
d. Thirdly God reminded him he was not alone.
i. There are 7000 people in Israel who are still faithful servants Elijah. You are 7000 times better off than you thought you were – you are not alone.
ii. Finally, and most importantly he reminded Elijah of His own presence in his life.
1. In the stillness following the clamor God was standing silently.
In the fourth book of his Narnian series there is a scene where the children have come back to Narnia but it is a far different Narnia then they ever remembered from their previous experience. As they are traveling along they come to a deep gorge that appears un-crossable. As they stand there little Lucy tells the rest of the troupe that she sees Aslan, none of the rest of them see him and they refuse to follow her. Eventually they go a different direction and wind up wasting a day and a half on the wrong trail. Eventually they find there way back to the gorge, believing that following Lucy down is the only way open to them. Eventually as they trust and strp forward Aslan begins appearing to all of them.
In the midst of this Susan admits to Lucy that she had believed her before when she said that she had seen Aslan but was afraid to admit it. When Aslan comes face to face with Susan there is neat little scene.
“Then after an awful pause, the deep voice said ‘Susan’. Susan made no answer but the others thought she was crying. ‘You have listended to your fears, child,’ said Aslan. ‘Come let me breather on you. Forget them. Are you brave again?’ ‘A little, Aslan,’ said Susan.”

Theme: This message will deal with the idea of standing up under the trials that happen because we stand up for Christ. We are taught here to act rightly, wear our chains with honor and to let our testimony speak for us.
Introduction: Sometimes we get into trouble because we make a bad choice or do something that is simply stupid. Other times we suffer because we wear the name of Christ and refuse to act like the dark world that surrounds us.
Transition: Give a synopsis of the passage to this point.
I. Act Honorably
a. One of the things that we need to understand as we come to this passage is that Paul has done everything in his power to act honorably among his Jewish brethren without compromising his faith.
b. Back in Ch. 21:17 ff. when Paul meets with the elders in Jerusalem. It would have been fantastic to be an eye witness to this meeting. Think about it for a minute, James was an elder and recognized leader of the Jerusalem church. Paul on the other hand has been primarily responsible for the births of Churches all over the world. The leaders of the two major sections of this early Christian church, representing gentile Christianity and Jewish Christianity. This could have been an explosive confrontation but it seems to have been anything but that. Instead we see that Paul delivers the offering that he is bringing from the other churches to the Jerusalem church (although this is not recorded till 24:7). He then relates the incredible growth of the Church in the rest of the world. James and the other elders respond by glorifying God along with Paul at what God was doing. They then warn Paul of the danger present among the Jews in Jerusalem at Paul and suggest he make a public offering.
c. Paul’s place in Jerusalem
i. The Benedict Arnold of Judaism – A continental army General who, after taking charge of Fort WestPoint, tried to surrender it to the British. After his plot was found out he switched armies and became a brigadier general in the British army and led a couple of attacks against his army.
ii. Paul was a leader on the movement to wipeout the early Christian movement until God met him on the road to Damascus.

II. Wear our chains proudly
a. 21:33 – Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.
b. Let’s look at a few verses that demonstrates Paul’s attitude toward the chains that he wore almost constantly from here till the end of his life in Rome.
i. “For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”” (Acts 28:20, ESV)
ii. “for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:20, ESV)
iii. “May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains,” (2 Timothy 1:16, ESV)
c. Sometimes we act as if we need to be apologetic for the Christianity which dominates the center of our lives don’t we?
III. Testify clearly
a. 22:1 – Brothers and fathers hear the defense I now make before you.
b. Paul’s entire defense before this crowd is his testimony – the story of how God came into his life and remade him.
c. Paul winds up on trial before 5 different people or authorities before the book of acts closes.
i. The crowd in the temple
ii. The Jewish council (23:1ff)
iii. In Caesarea before Felix (24:1ff)
iv. In Caesarea before Festus (25:1ff)
v. “” Before Herod Agrippa (26:1ff)

Acts – Faith Explosion

Text: Acts 19:8-10
Title:

Perseverance

(5/16/10)
“And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 19:8-10, ESV)
Theme: This message is about the need to be steadfast in our evangelistic efforts. We have to show up and be there consistently in order to accomplish the kingdom which God has called us to do. Secondarily we need to know when to withdraw from those to whom we are evangelizing. When they damage “the way” we need to walk away.
Introduction: The story is told that Andrew Jackson’s boyhood friends just couldn’t understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson’s friends said, “Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now.” Another friend responded, “How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn’t they usually say three times and out?” “Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat — he would never stay ‘throwed.’ Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner.” Picking up on that idea, someone has said, “The thing that counts is not how many times you are ‘throwed,’ but whether you are willing to stay ‘throwed’.” We may face setbacks, but we must take courage and go forward in faith. Then, through the Holy Spirit’s power we can be the eventual victor over sin and the world. The battle is the Lord’s, so there is no excuse for us to stay “throwed”!

Transition: A quick reminder of Paul coming to Ephesus on the third missionary tour and his stay there for a period of over three years.
I. Steadfast
a. He reasoned and persuaded in the synagogue for 3 months
i. This was the longest time that he manages to keep from getting kicked out of the synagogue.
1. Don’t know how long he taught in the Syn. In Corinth but it appears to be a very short time.
2. In Thessalonica it was 3 Sabbaths.
3. In Antioch of Pisidia it was 2 Sabbaths
4. A lot of the time, the narrative does not give us how long they managed to continue speaking in the Synagogue but it usually seems to be about 3-4 Sabbaths before the Jews get upset at their message and ask them to leave.
5. Here in Ephesus the three month span that they get to remain in the Synagogue is quite long.
b. He then rented a lecture hall and continued to reason and persuade for two years.
i. Once the Jews became intractable in their unbelief he continued to evangelize the city of Ephesus by renting a hall and lecturing about Christianity to all that would show up.
1. This was done daily.
ii. I imagine that this was not a completely comfortable time. He was saying some things that all of the people did not agree with.
c. Showing up
i. The owner of what is now the largest employer in the world has said that the number one qualification of a good employee is one that shows up. As Christians we have a job, we are given a service to perform and the first thing that we have to do is to show up.
ii. Show up regardless of whether you want to. Show up regardless of how you feel. – Show up
d. Becoming steadfast –
i. Going through difficult times in our lives produces steadfastness – Romans 5:3
ii. By seeing this characteristic in more mature Christians and patterning our lives after them – 2 Tim. 3:10 “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,” (2 Timothy 3:10, ESV)
iii. By the encouragement of the rest of the body – Hebrews 3:12-14 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:12-14, ESV)
iv. Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-pianist, was once scheduled to perform at a great American concert hall for a high-society extravaganza. In the audience was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old son. Weary of waiting, the boy slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the Steinway on the stage. Without much notice from the audience, he sat down at the stool and began playing “chopsticks.” The roar of the crowd turned to shouts as hundreds yelled, “Get that boy away from there!” When Paderewski heard the uproar backstage, he grabbed his coat and rushed over behind the boy. Reaching around him from behind, the master began to improvise a countermelody to “Chopsticks.” As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ear, “Keep going. Don’t quit, son…don’t stop…don’t stop.”
II. Knowing when to Withdrew
a. Eventually Paul’s Jewish audience in the synagogue became “stubborn” and “spoke evil” of the way.
i. The word that describes their heart condition was originally formed as a medical term denoting the hardness of a skeleton or a desiccated body.
1. Sometimes we witness to people well past the due date.
a. We sometimes have more concern for themselves then they do.
b. Someone else’s heart is not ours to change, that is between God and them.
ii. We have one job – tell the truth, trust God.
b. There will be times when no matter how well we have comported ourselves, no matter how well we have testified, people will not come into relationship with the Lord. Our job is not to please the people that are in our sphere of influence but to live our lives for an audience of one.
This year when Duke faced off against Butler in the NCAA tournament, one of the Duke players – Nolan Smith came to the stadium in Indianapolis with an NCAA championship already on his finger. No, he had not played on a team that had won the big show yet, and he was not even born when that ring was forged, but his father, Derek, was on that great Louisville team that defeated the UCLA Bruins in March of 1980.
Unfortunately Derek died unexpectedly when Nolan was only 8 years old, but that doesn’t stop him from honoring his father through his own career. Nolan says that remembering his father adds an intensity to his game and the tattoo that he wears on his shoulder definitely illustrates that. It is a portrait of his father that says Watching over you, underneath it.

Transition: A quick review of where we are. Last week we left Paul in Corinth where he stayed and worked for about 18 months. Since then he has left Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila traveled to Ephesus where he stayed a very short time before he left them there and he traveled back to Jerusalem and then Antioch. After reporting to the Church in Antioch he started out again to visit the Churches in the Galatian region and made his way down to Ephesus. When he got there he was confronted by 12 people who were with the disciples in Ephesus. He asked them a couple of questions. As we ask these questions of ourselves today I would like us to ponder the depth and the nature of our spiritual walk.
I. Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
a. Is the Holy Spirit a significant part of your life.
i. The Holy Spirit enters our lives when we come into committed belief in God through His Son Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus opens us up to God working in and through our lives. – Acts 2:38;
1. He guides us into truth – John 16:12
2. He convicts unrighteousness. John 16:8
3. He adds power and joy into the believer’s life.
4. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are convinced and clear that we are in relationship with God.
5. He is our Helper
6. Our Counselor
7. Our intermediary in prayer
8. And our power in daily living
9. And Testimony.
b. So the question for us today is: Are you operating under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life or not?
i. The illustration of a digital camera. Without the power source, this marvel of modern technology is a shell a box full of all the right capabilities and none of the power needed to make it function.
II. Into what were you baptized? (How is it that as believer’s your conviction which led to baptism has not resulted in the Holy Spirit taking up residence in your life? )
a. These men had not been taught about the Holy Spirit and only baptized in order to repent of their sins.
i. They needed to have better and fuller teaching about God’s gift onto their lives.
ii. If you have not experienced the power of a life lived with the power of the Holy Spirit influencing you, maybe it’s because you don’t know enough.
1. You haven’t been taught fully that God’s gift into your life is present and ready to add power to your walk.
iii. Maybe it’s because you have not allowed Him to take over the territory of your life.

Transition: Let’s catch up to this passage a little bit from where we left off last week. Last week we were with Paul and his companions as they encountered some very different people in Philippi; Lydia, the Grecian slave girl who was inhabited by a demon, and the Philippian jailer and his family. You remember that the reason that Paul and his companions were in jail was because they were accused of sedition by the owners of the slave girl who had seen their money making machine vanish when the girl was no longer possessed. They told some lies to the magistrates who had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison. Well the next morning they decide to let Paul and Silas go. When Paul gets word that he is freed he sends back word that as a Roman citizen his rights have been severely violated and he is not going anywhere until they show up and apologize for their actions. After this event they leave Philippi and travel west by Southwest and go through Amphipolis and Apollonia and then onto Thessalonica where they establish another new born congregation. After persecution erupts there from people who had traveled from Philippi then Paul and his companions travel on to Berea where another congregation is established. Paul leaves Silas and Timothy there in Berea and travels, probably by sea south down to Athens.
When Paul goes to Athens he is leaving Macedonia and going down into Greece. Athens, although it has decreased in stature from what it once was at this time is still the leading academic center of Greece. It also the city that displays

I. Encountering the Culture
a. Opening our Eyes – What is seen
i. Paul saw a “city that was full of idols” (v. 16)
1. It would have been very easy for Paul to have simply wondered around this magnificent city and gawked like a tourist. This ancient city of Athens would have been an incredible world to behold. The Acropolis – which dominated the landscape of the ancient city – was described by one ancient writer as “one vast composition of architecture and sculpture dedicated to the national glory and the gods.” The agora was a marketplace dominated by incredible stoas. The word used to describe the city says literally that it was smothered in idols. In the Parthenon was a 40 ft. tall ivory statue of Athena with a gleaming huge spear point that was visible on a sunny day up to 40 miles away. There were statues of the entire pantheon of Greek gods constructed out of gold, silver, marble, ivory, stone and brass. Ancient Athens was literally a feast for the eyes. It would have easy to simply tour and stare instead when he looked at the cultural center of Greece he was overcome with the spiritual aspects of the culture.
2. He saw a city that was honoring everything and everyone but God the creator of heaven and earth.
b. Opening our Hearts – What is felt
i. The text tells us that “his spirit was provoked inside of him.
1. The word which is used to describe Paul’s feeling is the same one which we get paroxysm – an epileptic fit. The verb used here also indicates that this feeling was something that Paul was experiencing over and over. As he was traveling through the city surveying all of the incredible sights that this culture had to offer he kept experiencing a continual settled reaction. Robertson says that this verb indicates that he was burning up with anger at it.
2. As Paul experienced this culture, this culture with its self inflated ideals and beliefs, that pretended to be the epitome of civilization but had no connection with their maker and designer, he was jealous for God.
3. Motivation for Mission
a. Obedience
b. Compassion
c. Jealousy for the Glory of God
II. Engaging the Culture
a. Engaging our mission
i. Through what we do
1. He engaged the culture where they worshipped.
a. “He reasoned in the synagogues with the Jews and the devout people.”
2. He engaged the culture where they lived.
a. “And in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.”
3. And where they learned.
a. He went along with the stoics and the epicureans to the Areopagus.
ii. Through what we say
1. The text indicates that some of these philosophers thought that he was babbler, others thought that he was a preacher of foreign divinities.
2. But even in this incredibly foreign culture the nature of his message was – “Jesus and the resurrection.”
III. Effective in engaging our culture
a. It takes courage
b. It takes confidence