Steve Webb  0:00  
Paul did something entirely different. 

Steve Webb  0:03  
It's the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. My name is Steve Webb and I'm your OG Godcaster. It's gospel Saturday. and our reading today is x 17 and 18. The website is Lifespringmedia.com. and I'll have contact information at the end of the show. Before we read, let's pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, Lord, we love you and we thank you so much for your word. We pray God that as we read today, you would teach us that you would touch our hearts and touch our minds. We pray this in Jesus name, amen. Okay, are you ready? Let's begin. 

Steve Webb  0:43  
Acts chapter 17. Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, and came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue, Paul went into the synagogue as he always did. and on each Sabbath day for three weeks, he talked with his fellow Jews about the scriptures, he explained and proved that the Christ must die and then rise from the dead. He said, This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Christ. Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas along with many of the Greeks who worshipped God and many of the important women, but some others became jealous. So they got some evil men from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot. They ran to Jason's house looking for Paul and Silas wanting to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers to the leaders of the city, that people were yelling, these people have made trouble everywhere in the world. and now they've come here to Jason is keeping them in his house. All of them do things against the laws of Caesar saying there's another king called Jesus. When the people in the leaders of the city heard these things, they became very upset. They made Jason and the others put up a sum of money, then they let the believers go free. That same night, the believer sent Paul and Silas to Berea, where they went to the synagogue. These people were more willing to listen to the people in Thessalonica. The Bereans were eager to hear what Paul and Silas said and studied the scriptures every day to find out if these things were true. So many of them believed as well as many important Greek women and men. But the people in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, too. So they came they're upsetting the people and making trouble. The believers quickly sent Paul away to the coast but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea the people leading Paul went with him to Athens. Then they carried a message from Paul back to Silas and Timothy for them to come to him as soon as they could. While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy and Athens, he was troubled because he saw that the city was full of idols. In the synagogue, he talked with the Jews and the Greeks who worship God. He also talked every day with people in the marketplace. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him saying, This man doesn't know what he's talking about, What is he trying to say? Now there said, he seems to be telling us about some other gods, because Paul was telling them about Jesus and His rising from the dead. They got Paul and took him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said, please explain to us this new idea you have been teaching, the things you are saying are new to us. and we want to know what this teaching means. All the people of Athens and those from other countries who live there always use their time to talk about the newest ideas. Then Paul stood before the meeting of the Areopagus and said, people of Athens, I can see that you're very religious in all things. As I was going through your city, I saw the objects you worship, I found an altar that had these words written on it to a God who is not known. You worship a God that you don't know. and this is the god I'm telling you about. The God who made the whole world and everything in it is the Lord of the land in the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands. This God is the one who gives life, breath and everything else to people. He does not need any help from them. He has everything he needs. God began by making one person in from him came all the different people who live everywhere in the world. God decided exactly when and where they must live. God wanted them to look for him and perhaps search all around for him and find him. Though he is not far away from many of us. By His power, we live and move and exist. Some of your own poets have said, For we are His children. Since we are God's children, you must not think that God is like something that people imagine or make from gold, silver rock. In the past, people did not understand God and He ignored this. But now God tells all people in the world to change their hearts and lives. God has said it David that he will judge all the world with fairness by the man he chose long ago. and God has proved this to everyone by raising that man from the dead. When the people heard about Jesus being raised from the dead, some of them laughed. But others said, we will hear more about this from you later. So Paul went away from them, but some of the people believed Paul enjoined him. and among those who believed was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Dan Morris and some others. 

Steve Webb  5:30  
Acts chapter 18. After this, Paul left Athens and went to court there he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus. He had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul visited with him, because they practice the same trade. He stayed and worked with him. They all worked with leather. Every Sabbath he interacted with people in the synagogue trying to convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. When they opposed and slandered him, he shook the dust from his clothes in protest and said to them, you are responsible for your own fates, I'm innocent. From now on, I'll go to the Gentiles. He left the synagogue and went next door to the home of tissues justice, the Gentile God worshiper. Crispus, the synagogue leader and his entire household came to believe in the Lord. Many Corinthians believed and were baptized after listening to Paul. One night, the Lord said to Paul indivision, don't be afraid, continue speaking. Don't be silent. I'm with you, and no one who attacks you will harm you, for I have many people in this city. So he stayed there for 18 months teaching God's word among them. Now, when Galileo was the governor of the province of Acadia, the Jews united in their opposition against ball and brought him before the court. This man is persuading others to worship God unlawfully, they declared, just as Paul was about to speak, Galileo said to the Jews, if there had been some sort of injury or criminal behavior, I would have reason to accept your complaint. However, since these are squabbles about a message names and your own law, deal with them yourselves, I have no desire to sit in judgment over such things. He expelled them from the court, but everyone seized sauce, the knees the synagogue leader, and gave him a beating in the presence of the governor. None of this mattered to Galio after Paul stayed in Corinth for some time, he said goodbye to the brothers and sisters. At the Corinthian seaport his sin create. He had his head shaved since he had made a solemn promise. Then accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila, he sailed away to Syria. After they arrived in Ephesus, he left Priscilla and Aquila and entered the synagogue and interacted with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he said farewell to them, though he added, God willing, I will return. Then he sailed off from Ephesus. He arrived in Surya went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After some time there he left and traveled from place to place in the region of Galatia and the District of Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Meanwhile, a certain Jew named Apollo's arrived in emphasis. He was a native of Alexandria and was well educated and effective in his use of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and spoke is one stirred up by the Spirit. He taught accurately the things about Jesus even though he was aware only the baptism John proclaimed and practiced. He began speaking with confidence in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they received him into their circle of friends and explained to him GOD'S WAY more accurately, when he wanted to travel to a Kea, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples so that they would open their homes to him. Once he arrived, he was of great help to those who had come to believe through grace, he would vigorously defeat Jewish arguments in public debate using the scriptures to prove that Jesus was the Christ. 

Steve Webb  9:17  
Well, something that struck me in today's reading was in verse five and six of chapter 18, Paul had told the Jews that Jesus was the Christ, and he was opposed and slandered. Other translations use the word blasphemed. Or they became abusive or insulted him. His response to this treatment was interesting to say the least. What do many of us tend to do today when people don't accept our message? We try to change our approach. We try even harder to convince them that Jesus is who he said he is. But Paul did something entirely different. He shook the dust from his clothes in protest and said to them, you are responsible for your own fates, I'm innocent. From now on, I'll go to the Gentiles. Paul didn't seem to fret over saving every last person he delivered the message to. Folks, we need to remember that our job is merely to deliver the message as faithfully and accurately as we can. It isn't our job to make them believe we can't. It's the Holy Spirit who convinces? Yes, we have to be prepared to give an answer when people ask questions, but we can't bring about change in the human heart. Once we've delivered the message, our job is done. Now that is not to say that we should take too casually an attitude about witnessing. Note that in verse 28, we're told that Apollo's quote, would vigorously defeat Jewish arguments and public debate, unquote. and then here's the key part of that verse, quote, using the scriptures to prove that Jesus was the Christ, unquote. What did he do? He defeated the Jews with the Scriptures, not his own human arguments, but with scripture. That's very important. Scripture is the living word of God. My own arguments are just the word of Steve, which aren't worth much, but God's word will that'll change someone's eternity. I'd love to hear what you think. If you have a thought or a question, let me know. Send a Boostagram or call the Lifespring family hotline or go to the comments page or write an email. Tomorrow we'll be epistle Sunday and our reading will be first John one through three. 

Steve Webb  11:27  
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Jingle  12:42  
Lifespringmedia.com.support

Steve Webb  12:45  
Here's how to contact me; call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1951732 at 511. Or go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com if you have a prayer request or a praise report. Remember tomorrow is our next time of prayer. If you have a comment or a question for me, go to comment Lifespringmedia.com or send an email to me at Steve at Lifespringmedia.com or you can send to Boostagram using a modern podcast app that you can get it podcastapps.com.

Steve Webb  13:24  
Sister Denise does the newsletter Michael Haner. Does this chapters Scott Snider and Jason Paschall do the show art Jason did today's and Sister Brittaney Does the newsletter. Thanks, guys. and thanks very much to anonymous SR and Michael Haner and James in Norway for helping to make this episode possible. Well, beloved, we made it through another episode. There's only 35 episodes left to this season. Can you believe it? Lord willing, I'll be back tomorrow and until then May God bless you richly My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai