Title: God's Hand to Help Paul
Contents
God's Help to Paul
Acts 18:1-8
After this, Paul left Athens and came to Corinth, where he met a Jew from Pontus, who was called Aquila. Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome, so he and his wife Priscilla were a newcomer from Italy. Because they had the same business, they lived and worked together, and their business was to make tents. Every Sabbath Paul preached in the synagogue and exhorted Jews and Greeks. Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, and Paul was caught by the word of God and preached to the Jews. They testify plainly that Jesus is the Christ, and they oppose and blaspheme. Paul dropped his garments and said, "Your blood will be on your heads, and I am clean, and after this I will go to the Gentiles." When he entered the house, the house was next to the synagogue, and Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all the house, and many of the Corinthians heard it, believed, and were baptized.
This week, I'm going to have a topic called "God's Hands Helping Paul".
I will proclaim the word of God.
The word that is proclaimed in your heart
I pray that you will become the words of living power.
I will share a greeting of love with the front, back, left and right people.
Today is a good day. It's a fun and happy day.
Obtaining the spiritual food of heaven through worship,
Outdoor worship in the afternoon
I hope that the saints will have precious fellowship and fellowship with nature.
The Acts of the Apostles, in which the text we read today, is written in another word
It can also be called “Acts of the Holy Spirit” or “Acts of the Gospel.”
The reason is how the Gospel was preached through the Holy Spirit in Acts,
Wherever the gospel is preached, sinners accept the gospel and
This is because the changes that occurred are documented in detail.
Korea was not originally a Christian country.
Moreover, at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, through the policy of isolation
It was not easy for foreign cultures to enter.
When Paul was about to go to Asia to preach the gospel
When the Spirit of Jesus did not allow it, the gospel went to Europe.
You will pass through the UK to the US.
And the gospel comes to Korea from the United States through China.
So, in the early days of the gospel, because of Joseon's national isolation policy,
American missionaries suffered many persecutions and martyrdom.
But I believe that the blood of this martyrdom was not in vain.
Because of the blood of that martyrdom, many churches were built in this land.
Now that we have become a country that spreads the gospel to the world, what a blessing it is.
Paul's missionary journey with the invisible God
You should be able to see that there was a work of the Holy Spirit.
The invisible work that was at work in Paul's ministry at this time
As we look at God's hand, we want to receive grace together.
Let's read verses 1 and 2 together.
“After this Paul left Athens and came to Corinth, where he met a Jew from Pontus, who was called Aquila. Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome, so he and his wife Priscilla were newcomers from Italy. go to”
Paul left Athens and went to a region called Corinth.
There, with a man named Aquila,
This is the scene where he meets his wife, Priscilla.
Paul, who preached the gospel alone in a place called Athens,
During prayer, they move to an area called ‘Corinth’.
The city of Corinth was a port city, and trade flourished.
It was a city that was morally corrupted by wealth and luxury.
But God wanted to establish the Corinthian church here.
Paul was sent.
At that time, a Jewish riot broke out in Rome and the city was in chaos.
So Claudio, the governor at the time,
The expulsion of the Jews from Rome takes place.
At this time, Priscilla and Aquila, who were in Rome,
They had migrated to Corinth.
this couple
He could not understand why this had happened in his life.
There are times in our lives that we do not understand.
But all of that is for us who believe in God.
Trust me it's never a coincidence.
Romans 8:28
We know that those who love God, according to his will
All things work together for good to those who are the called.
Proverbs 16:9
Though a man plans his way in his heart,
It is the LORD who guides his steps.
We believe that God values one soul more than the whole world.
He even changed the circumstances to save his chosen soul.
Please believe that it also allows you to meet new people in unfamiliar places.
I also experienced this kind of hand of God in the military.
He made me suddenly transfer from my company to another company,
It was there that I met the pastor who preached the gospel to me for the first time.
Do you want your life to be smooth and easy?
Sometimes in your life when God is still and at peace
You will create an environmental storm.
To a place you never wanted or thought of
guide you too
You will also meet people you never thought possible.
But don't be afraid of change.
Through change, God will accomplish new things.
Believe in God's providence and plan
Thank you for God's hand.
Let's read the words from the last part of verse 2 to verse 4 together.
When Paul went to them, they had the same business, so they lived and worked together, and their business was to make tents. Every Sabbath Paul preached in the synagogue and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
At that time, Paul was unmarried and was in an unfamiliar place.
Because no one knew, the issue of food, clothing, and shelter
I had to figure it out on my own.
How Paul acquired the skill of making tents
Although it is not recorded in the Bible, Paul and Priscilla
You will meet them through your job.
Paul worked part-time.
On weekdays, I sweat and work.
On the Sabbath, they were doing the ministry of preaching the gospel in the synagogue.
Preaching the gospel on the Sabbath was an early ministry in Corinth.
It can be seen that the focus is on the Jews.
At that time, there were not many saints whom Paul had to serve.
Because the church in Corinth was not established
He worked hard to earn a living.
Although he was an apostle who had to preach the gospel, he waited for God's time.
And he perspired silently until his ministry was expanded.
Why did the apostle Paul have to sweat so much to preach the gospel?
2 Thessalonians 3:8-9
We do not eat free food from anyone, but toil and toil working day and night, so that we may not be a burden to any of you.
There seems to be a lot of difference compared to today's pastors.
A pastor who knows the value of sweat and the value of the blood and sweat donations of the saints
I will never use that offering in vain.
Rather than failing to fulfill the responsibilities of the head of the family, the family suffers
It is more beautiful to work hard for your own family and livelihood.
Rather than just solving the problem of living
Sweating is a beautiful thing in itself.
There are many benefits to be gained through prayer.
There are also many benefits to be gained through sweat.
A pastor with sweat on his face knows the value of sweat,
Face reality with reality.
I can understand the saints who work hard in the world and serve the Lord.
Through sweat you learn humility.
God expands the boundaries of the ministry
Until you attach many souls to serve with the Gospel
The life of Paul doing his best for the church and family is beautiful.
Please see verse 5.
When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was caught by the word of God and testified clearly to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
Finally in God's time
God's hand to help Paul begins to appear.
Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia to help Paul.
In Corinth, God was working hard and silently preaching the gospel.
He sent two workers to help Paul.
God helped Paul in two ways.
The first is the material aspect.
Paul received the donations from the Philippian church members through Silas.
Priscilla and Aquila joined forces to become financially independent.
You can no longer sweat for a living.
The second is the spiritual aspect.
Silas and Timothy joined forces to form a spiritual co-worker,
It is because of the absence of prayer and the Word, that we have gained more spiritual strength.
In the end, this was revealed as the power and fruit of God in the field of the gospel.
From this point on, Paul's ministry will gain momentum.
Before that, they preached the gospel to the Jews on the Sabbath, but they were passive.
Look at verse 4.
Every Sabbath Paul preached in the synagogue and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
It was recommended level. The soft is not opposed.
But the strong and primary color
You will always face opposition and persecution.
Paul, who was strengthened by the joining of Silas and Timothy,
I became more absent from prayer and the Word.
Eventually, Paul becomes captivated by the Word of God.
This is verse 5.
Paul was caught up in the word of God
I testify to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
Paul was captivated by the word of God.
He boldly spoke the word of God in front of the Jews.
From this point on, it met with opposition from the Jews.
Please see verse 6.
As they opposed and blasphemed, Paul dropped his garments and said, "Your blood will be on your heads, and I am clean; after this I will go to the Gentiles."
The powerful preaching of the gospel persecuted the Jews and began to oppose Paul.
But this is God's plan to give the Gentiles the opportunity of the gospel.
It was God's way.
From that time on, the gospel was preached to the Gentiles,
The Corinthian church is established by those who believe and are saved.
See verses 7 and 8.
From there he moved and entered the house of a man named Titus Justus, who honored God, and his house was next to the synagogue, and Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household.
Paul enters Titus Justus's family for the first time.
This was the beginning of the Corinthian church.
Individual salvation requires receiving the Lord in the individual heart.
The salvation of the family is to receive the Lord in the family.
This was an important meeting place for the early Corinthian church.
The first worship was held here, and the Corinthian church started here.
Also, the family of Crispus, who was the leader of the synagogue at the time, believed in the gospel and
Because the whole family will be saved, they will join the Corinthian church.
At that time, the socially influential synagogue leader joined the church
You must have had a significant impact on those around you.
Through the return of the family of the synagogue leader to the Lord
Many Corinthians believed in the Lord and joined the church.
In this way, God helps His servants in the gospel ministry and
Those who help to build up His body, the Church
Please trust me to put it on you.
The church is not built on the strength of one man.
We need God's help and grace.
There must be a prayer that prays with tears in an unseen place.
There must be silent service and sacrifice for the church.
Let us all love the Church, which the Lord bought with His blood.
The only way to love God is to love the church.
The way to love God is to love the saints.
I believe that your prayers of tears and labor of love will never be in vain.