Paul's Second Missionary Journey - Mars Hill and Corinth
Sermon Notes
1. Church planting in Athens – Mars Hill (17.16-34)
•
Where did he preach in Athens? In the synagogue and in the marketplace.
He sought out people with whom he could have a persuasive conversation.
•
Why did he preach on Mars Hill? His spirit was provoked because he
observed a city full of idols. What provokes you about the world in
which you live? What are the idols worshipped in our culture? Do they
provoke you enough to do something about them?
• What did he preach on Mars Hill?
a. He established a common point (you are very religious – objects of worship all around) and he preached about God.
1) Our God is the creator – He made the world – and He is Lord of heaven and earth
2) He does not need a place to dwell nor does He need us
3) He gave life and breath to all people
4) He is the determiner and sustainer of all nations, having made them all from one man (He is the God of history)
5) He is close – He made us to seek Him
6) We are utterly dependent on Him – “we are His children”
7) He is not an extension of us
8) He calls us to repent
9) He will judge us through a Man He has appointed whom He raised from the dead
I
believe this is how we should live in our world – seeking out people to
persuade them to believe in Jesus – are we? Are we intentional? Are we
missional?
b. Some believed, some sneered, but a new church was launched in Athens.
2. Church planting in Corinth (18.1-22)
• Why did Paul go to Corinth?
a. How did he go about God’s work there?
1) He looked for a point of contact
2) He preached for a verdict
3) His message was rooted in the Word
4) He started with the Jews but went to the Gentiles – Titus Justice and Crispus
5) God confirmed His work
6) He taught the Word into the life of the church for 18 months
Making disciples by teaching the Word and investing your life in others is discipleship.
7) He faced opposition again
For
Paul, opposition was no reason not to keep pressing on with preaching
the gospel. The same is true for the church. If it were, the gospel
never would have made it through its first years. Do you and I press on
in the face of opposition in sharing the gospel, or are we like a turtle
that goes back in its shell and hides in the face of opposition?
I
think this is also true when I think of the challenges in reaching
Muslims, especially in light of 9/11. Whether or not someone opposes us
should not in any way deter us in our zeal to advance the Gospel.
Furthermore,
if that were the case, Jesus would have never died on the cross for our
sin. In the face of the opposition of Satan and bearing the sin of the
world, Jesus pressed on to advance the kingdom – and so should we.
8) He returned to Antioch to celebrate the work of God in his home church
Why do we have a missions conference?
Application? So what?
1. He (Paul) is strategic – we should be strategic
2. He is intentional – we should be intentional
3.
He invests deeply in people through the Word (he makes disciples
through the Word – how else do you make disciples?) – we should build
each other up in the Word
4. He is not discouraged or sidetracked by opposition – we should not be sidetracked through opposition
5. He trusts the work of God and keeps pressing on – so should we
6. He celebrates the work of God with the people of God – and so should we!