Title [Acts 18:5-11] Preach the Word
Text: Acts 18:5-11
Title: Preach the Word
1. We were caught by the Word and preached the gospel (5).
This means a state of being full of the Word. A person who is full of the Word cannot bear it unless he vomits it. Jeremiah confessed, “When I say that I will no longer declare the Lord, nor speak his name, my heart is on fire and my marrow burns, and I am exhausted and cannot bear it” (Jeremiah 20:9). This is the state of being caught up in the Word. A person who has received grace by deeply reading and meditating on the Word of God can feel the Word living and working in his heart. This is because the Holy Spirit works by moving and influencing those who hear the word. Such a person can preach the gospel passionately and impress those who hear it. May we all become witnesses of the gospel. However, I hope that we will not be forced to carry the gospel according to our will, but go forth enthusiastically and preach the gospel. To that end, like Paul, I hope that we will become servants of the Word.
2. The gospel was preached with God's comfort and encouragement. (9-10)
Even if we preach the gospel by holding on to the Word, we cannot achieve completely satisfactory results. When Paul preached the gospel in the synagogue, he had to hear the voices of the Jews opposing and slandering him, and even faced a situation where he had to give up evangelism in the synagogue (6). The witnesses of the gospel must overcome these difficulties. Please do not forget that God's comfort and encouragement are a great strength. God came to Paul in a vision to comfort and encourage him. ① “Do not be afraid, do not be silent and speak” (9). ② “As I am with you, no one will be against you to harm you” (10). ③ He said, “I have many people in this city” (10). Such comfort and encouragement from God are a great strength to the servants who preach the gospel. When we are truly caught up in the Word and face difficulties while preaching the gospel, there will surely be such comfort and encouragement. I hope that you will gain strength like Paul and become believers who continue to testify of the gospel.
3. Cooperators and fruits became a great strength for the gospel witness (5,7-8).
When Silas and Timothy, who were staying in Berea, joined, Paul received great strength (5). When it was impossible to preach the gospel in the synagogue, we made it possible to preach the Word in the house of a man named Tido Justus, who lived next to the synagogue. Titusus was a Greek, but he was a godly man who feared God. In this way, God helps the witnesses of the gospel through godly co-workers. In addition, Crispus, a synagogue leader who was knowledgeable in the law, believed in the Lord with his family, and many people heard the word and believed and were baptized. Just as the fruits give great strength and joy to farmers, the fruits of evangelism are great joy and strength to evangelists. Let's work together to share the gospel with each other. Through the fruits, God will show that the labor of witnessing the gospel is not in vain. I hope that they will become believers who spread the gospel more powerfully while experiencing the fruits.
4. He stayed for a long time and preached the gospel (11).