Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
I wonder if you’ve ever experienced the joy of settling down after you have been on the move for a long time? Perhaps your employment took you on the road every week for several days or for prolonged periods of time? Perhaps your military service separated you from your family for an extended length of time? Perhaps you had a season in your life when you moved often, changed jobs often, and then finally one day you were able to settle down for a while. It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it, to put down some roots when you’ve been on the move! That’s what we’re going to see the apostle Paul do today.
I left you yesterday in the big, busy city of Corinth. Paul had arrived here from Athens, not long ago. Recently Timothy and Silas had arrived from Macedonia and there was a wonderful reunion as these three friends and traveling companions had been separated for quite some time and so much had happened during that time. In Corinth Paul has made some new friends with Aquila and his wife Priscilla, and Paul has moved in with them helping them with their tent making business, a trade that he had learned as well.
The local Jewish Synagogue had rejected Paul, even though the Synagogue ruler Crispus and his whole family had trusted in Paul’s teaching about Jesus, and they had been baptized. A new church of Christians was now being formed in the great city of Corinth!
The next significant event Dr. Luke records for us is this: “One night the Lord Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and 1/2, teaching them the word of God.“ (Acts 18:9-11) Do you see two very exciting and significant things here my friends? First, Paul has another vision from God! You may recall Paul’s life was entirely turned upside down when he had his first vision, with the resurrected Jesus, while he was traveling to Damascus to arrest any Jesus followers there. Acts 9 tells us that story in great detail and Paul referred to that event often in his preaching. That vision was life transforming for Paul.
Then again in Acts 16 we have the account of Paul receiving a vision of a man from Macedonia calling Paul to come and help them, and Paul had interpreted that as God sending Paul and his traveling companions to Philippi and other cities in Macedonia.
Now, in Corinth, Paul has a third vision, and this time Jesus is assuring Paul that God is watching over him in Corinth. Do you see the promise Jesus made? “I am with you, and no one is going to harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
Now, I have several questions for you and me to consider as we apply Paul’s vision to ourselves, no matter where you live in the world.
1. Are you confident God is watching over EVERY detail in your life? Are you confident God is with you, right where you are?
Psalm 33:18 is another Scripture promising this: “The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love…”
2. Do you sense God has a purpose for you at this stage of your life and as you fulfill your God given purpose, can you see the difference God wants to make in your world through you?
3. Do you believe there are more people who love God in your city than you know about? Do you believe God is working, even right now, to draw others in your city to Himself?
For Paul those words were so powerful that for the first time in more than a year, Paul understood God was inviting him to put down some roots and stay for an extended time in this great city of Corinth! Can you imagine how that made Paul feel, and what good news it was for Timothy and Silas who had recently come from Macedonia to join Paul in Corinth? Can you imagine what wonderful news it was for Aquila and his wife Priscilla, and Titius Justus and Crispus and their families?
We can also imagine it didn’t take long and there were others, probably many others, who heard and trusted the Gospel Paul was preaching, and then engaged with Paul, Timothy and Silas for ongoing, daily, deeper teaching and discipleship as they became mature followers of Jesus Christ in Corinth.
Now my friends, I’m happy to tell you something else very significant happened with Paul, Silas and Timothy during those 18 months in Corinth. It appears Silas and Timothy had brought Paul quite an extensive report of what had transpired in Thessalonica and Berea after Paul had left them to come to Athens.
Among other things Silas and Timothy reported that the new Christians had many questions and they’d done their best to answer those questions. One of those questions which seemed to keep bubbling to the surface in Thessalonica was the question of WHEN Jesus Christ would be returning and how the Christians should prepare for His return?
Their report was used by the Holy Spirit to stir deeply in Paul to write a letter back to those dear people who had trusted in Jesus Christ during the three weeks Paul had been in Thessalonica. The Holy Spirit of God wanted to bring clarity to those dear people in Thessalonica about their confusion related to the return of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
We have that letter in our Bible as 1 Thessalonians and because we are following this second missionary journey of Paul chronologically, tomorrow we’ll sit with Paul and Timothy as Paul begins writing this exciting letter to those dear first Christians in Thessalonica. It’s a powerful letter and one which will bring great encouragement to you no matter where in the world you live today, for I’m sure you might be asking the same question regarding the return of Jesus as we see things changing so rapidly in our world.
For today let’s pause with Paul, Timothy and Silas, while they are talking about Thessalonica and this vision Paul has just received, and I urge you to reflect back on your life to a time God urged you to put down some roots and stay for a while in one place. And what did you see God do in your life and in that place during the time you were there?
Take some time to thank God for that experience. Enjoy remembering how God led you to put down those roots. Celebrate how your life changed in that time and pray for some of the people you remember in that place. Tomorrow, I’ll meet you right back here with Paul, Silas and Timothy as Paul begins that great letter we know as 1 Thessalonians, and here’s a song to help us in these moments of thanking God reflections…
Today’s Scripture is Acts 18:9-11.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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