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Better Together | Turning the World Upside Down | Acts 17:1-15
Scripture: Acts 17:1-15. “Turning The World Upside Down” Bottom line: Paul and Co. gives us a battle plan for turning things around (180˚) where we live, work, learn, and play. We learn from the Bereans about how to approach the truth of God, and we learn from others on what NOT to do.
“Turning The World Upside Down” (Acts 17:1-15)
Series: Better Together
Bottom line: Paul and Co. gives us a battle plan for turning things around (180˚) where we live, work, learn, and play.
INTRO
When I trusted Christ as a freshman at Clemson, my main motivation was that I wanted to make a real difference in our world. I wanted to turn the world upside-down, so to speak. Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke did too.
Episode 1 - The Power of Love
The power of God (resurrection) flows through the love (cross) of God. In receiving it we are empowered to love others sacrificially through word and deed.
The result will be 2-fold:
Movement: A great, fruitful Jesus movement of power and love.
Suffering: A great anti-Jesus movement of fear and hate.
How do we do this strategically? 4 “E’s” - Here’s 1-3:
Establish point of contact with people. Paul started with ✡️ synagogue
Expound the word (teach/preach/proclaim/share)
Christologically (Jesus is Lord/Messiah)
Boldy (conf faith)
Intelligently (reasoned, explained, proved) over emotion
with personal integrity
Expect dramatic responses
good
bad
Truth: Jesus is Lord, no matter what. #authority
Application: Our job is to proclaim the word in power and love. Casting seed in anticipation of a great harvest. Pray for harvesters.
Episode 2 - Noble Bereans
The word of God reveals the truth about God’s power of love story. It also reveals how we can enter that story personally.
The result will be 2-fold: (again)
Movement: A great, fruitful Jesus movement of power and love.
Suffering: A great anti-Jesus movement of fear and hate.
Fourth “E” - Encourage examination of what is taught. The Bereans studied:
openly
eagerly
carefully
daily
Truth: We fight not against flesh and blood but rulers and powers not of this world. #war #spiritualwarfare
Application: Our job is to proclaim the word in power and love. Casting seed in anticipation of a great harvest. Pray for harvesters.
“Body Builders” | Better Together | 1 Corinthians 12
Continuing our series , “Better Together” Pastor Darien Gabriel takes us into a study of 1 Corinthians 12 in the sermon, “Body Builders.” Pastor Darien teaches on how God has designed every Christian to have a gift or many gifts that come together to edify, that is to “build up” the Body of Christ. Bottom line: God sovereignly arranges the body of Christ with his spiritual gifts for the common good. Listen now.
Series: Better Together
Scripture: 1 Cor 12
Title: “Body Builders”
Bottom line: God sovereignly arranges the body of Christ with his spiritual gifts for the common good.
INTRO
In the early 90’s, I woke up one morning to a scratch on my eye. After putting my contacts in, I got no relief. In fact, it got worse. Soon I realized I had a real problem and I was in a new city. I had to find a new eye doctor fast.
I did. And he looked through is instrument to see white blood cells (??) attacking the infection happening on the cornea of my eye. He said I had a cornea ulcer.
My nerves told me through pain that something was wrong.
My hand covered my eye to bring temporary relief.
My brain worked hard to figure out what to do next.
My fingers did the walking through he yellow pages to find an eye doctor.
My feet propelled me to the dr. Office.
My body parts—each member—suffered together with my eye and worked in unity to serve the eye. This is how the human body is designed to work. This is also how the church—the body of Christ—is designed to work.
EPISODE 1 - Gifts
Episode 2 - Body
Episode 3 - God’s sovereign will (note how the structure of this chapter highlights the most important point of all—God is sovereignly at work in and through his body)
Episode 4 - Body
Episode 5 - Gifts
Conclusion/Applications
Believing that God is sovereignly at work in and through his body should encourage and comfort us. Does it?
Recognize that every Christ-follower has at least one spiritual gifts assigned to them by God for the common good.
Recognize that no Christ-follower has all of the spiritual gifts (or they wouldn’t need each other).
Recognize that every spiritual gift is for the common good.
Decide whether or not you really believe that we, the body of Christ, are better together and that we truly need each other.
In light of this fact, how is God leading you to be a blessing to the body of Christ THIS WEEK?