Shabbat Shalom everyone. I'd like you to open your Bibles please today to the book of Acts as we are studying through the book of Acts and we have arrived to Acts chapter 17 and we would like to begin today in the first 14 verses of Acts chapter 17 and as we have mentioned before the book of Acts really deals with the Acts of the Holy Spirit of God, Ruach HaKodesh, through the apostles, the Shlichim, the Hebrew apostles, as the Spirit of God was using them in the ministry of the gospel throughout the then known world, where the gospel was preached now beyond the borders of the nation of Israel, to every creature that is upon the face of this world.

And I would like this ministry meeting to speak about the first 14 verses of Acts chapter 17. And I begin with verse 1. Now, when they had passed through Ampipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Shabbat days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that the Messiah must need have suffered. And risen again from the dead, and that this Yeshua, whom I preach unto you, is the Messiah. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of a devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

But the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the base of sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also, whom Jason had received. And these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other, they let them go. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scripture daily whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed also of honorable women, which were Greeks, and of men not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people, and then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea.

But Silas and Timothy abode their steel. And I'm stopping here in the 14th verse of Acts chapter 17. Now, as we continue in the study of the book of Acts of the Holy Spirit of God through the apostles, we discovered that the apostle Paul, Shaul, experienced various trials and challenges in his life. Things were not smooth as we would think that perhaps the service of the Lord will be easy for the apostle, but apparently, as we have already seen it in the earlier parts of the book of Acts, the apostle Paul, Silas, and others who served with him experienced many difficult times as they were journeying and sharing the message of the gospel well we just finished in act chapter 16 we have seen them being placed in jail in.

Philippi and as you remember at midnight they were singing praises unto God imagine as we have spoken about it in our last ministry meeting that they were singing and praising God while they were in bonds in the prison in jail and the Lord used Paul and silence in the preaching of the message of the gospel and that jailer in philippi became a believer in Yeshua the Messiah where he asked him this question sirs what must i do to be saved and apostle Paul said to this philippian jailer as we read this in verse 31 of chapter 16 believe on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and you shall be saved you just believe and you're going to be forgiven you're going to be saved you and your house you believe you're going to be saved your house believe they are going to be saved just faith in the Lord Jesus the Messiah well he finished with philippi if you remember that he end up at the end they had to depart because of the problems that eventually Paul had and now.

In chapter 17 he continue in his second missionary journey and he's moving about beloved brothers and sisters in in act chapter 17 actually there are three cities that apostle Paul is visiting today in this ministry we are only going to talk about two cities namely teslonika and berea and of course in the rest of the chapter 17 he arrived to the city of Athens in Greece and there he also preached the message of the gospel. But today beloved brothers and sisters I would like us to see what have happened to the Apostle Paul on the journey now as he arrived to the city of Thessalonica. You know we have two epistles that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

First Thessalonian and 2nd Thessalonian. These two epistles that were written, we find them later on in the Scripture, are a reflection and a result of the event that occurred right here in Acts chapter 17. What we see here in verses 1 to 9, the ministry of the Apostle Paul in. Thessalonica. What a man he must have been. A man that was called by God to serve, to go from place to place establish and assemblies through the preaching of the gospel and how the Lord used this man who was totally sold for our Lord Yeshua the Messiah so notice that first of all look at the traveling the journey that he did about 100 mile journey from philippi to teslonika today a Thessalonica is actually it's called Saloniki and this is by the way where my mother was born in Saloniki Greece before she was about three years old and she arrived to Jerusalem with her parents immigrated to Jerusalem that was many years ago over about nearly 90 years ago when they arrived back to Israel the city of Saloniki that is known today but it's called here Thessalonica and here we see in verse 1 when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica here's the first thing we find in verse 1 the journey that they have taken Paul arrived to Thessalonica and beloved brothers and sisters again as we have emphasized.

This again and again in our teaching of the Scripture that Paul had a principle that he followed in accordance with Romans chapter 1 and verse 16 he always have gone to the Jew first to his own brethren you remember Roman 1 and verse 16 where he said i am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone to believe he said but then he says to the Jew first and also unto the Greek or unto the Gentile so he's arriving to Thessalonica in verse 1 and immediately we find out that the Holy Spirit of God placed here in verse 1, there was there a synagogue of the Jews.

Everywhere around the world, where there were more than 10 Jewish men located in one area, one city, one town, there will be establishing a synagogue. Now, apparently, Thessalonica was not a small town. Thessalonica apparently was the capital city of Macedonia. It was a very large city, and it was a central city. Many have come. To and fro many business people have come in and came out it was a very central location the capital city of macedonia and apostle Paul came there to that city to share the message of the gospel and to establish an assembly a local church in that city and he began beloved brothers and sisters after a journey of 100 miles he began with the synagogue of the Jewish people and so what does he do and please follow me in the next verse you find out the custom that he had as we have said earlier that he has a manner in which he would go first of all to the synagogue and so in verse 2 it says look at this expression and Paul hears this expression as his manner was it was a manner in which he acted all the time he went unto them to the synagogue and for three Shabbat days he reasoned with them out of the Scripture now can you imagine now the apostle remember it was his.

Manner it was his custom coming to the synagogue being a man who are very well taught from the word of God he coming to the synagogue remember every Shabbat day the Scripture is being read the Bible is being opened the Torah the nevi'im the k'tuvim the law the prophets and the writings are being opened remember there is no new testament here because the new testament was not yet brought forth it was not written as yet the apostle Paul is just arriving to Saloniki to Thessalonica and he was coming to the synagogue and for three Shabbat days he reasoned with them out of the Scripture that word here for reason it come from the word to dialogue we find it very true with our own family and our own people when it comes to sharing concerning the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah we need to have a dialogue we need to reason with our brethren concerning the person of Yeshua the Messiah but not only to reason with them merely without the Scripture.

It's reason from the word of God from the Hebrew Scriptures the law the prophets and the writing So the Apostle Paul spent three Shabbat days. He took the time to come every Shabbat to the synagogue. And when the text of the Bible had been read, he began to share and to reason and to dialogue with his Jewish brethren concerning the person of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. That word, brothers and sisters, the word Scripture is a very important word. I would like you for a moment just to turn with me to Matthew chapter 21 back when Yeshua was still here on earth when he lived among our own people look what Yeshua is saying when he's speaking with his own Jewish people Matthew chapter 21 and verse 42 when he was speaking to the leaders of Israel Jesus Yeshua said unto them did ye never read in the Scriptures the stone which the builders rejected the same has become the head of the corner it is in the Scriptures my dear brothers and sisters my dear fellow man he would say to our own people years ago when he was here on earth it is in the Scriptures chapter 22 of Matthew and verse 29 Yeshua continue and he says Jesus answered and said unto them ye do err because you are not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God it is the word of God it is the Bible it is the Scriptures Yeshua is speaking from look at chapter 26 of the gospel of Matthew and there also Yeshua is speaking Matthew chapter 26.

And towards the end in verse 54 but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be just like the Messiah Yeshua the apostle Paul came to the synagogue in tessalonica and he brought out he presented the things of God out of the Scriptures Matthew 26 verse 56 Yeshua continued to speak when he was here on earth among his own people the nation of Israel he says but all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled again and again he taught and he spoke out of the word of God out of the Hebrew Scriptures and that's why it is so important for every believer to read the Bible to read God's word and when we discuss with someone the things of God as the apostle Paul dialogue with these his own brethren in the synagogue he discussed with them he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures and what did he reason with them beloved brothers and sisters this is exactly what verse 3 is telling us in act chapter 17.

And that is precious it says in verse 3 opening and alleging that the Messiah that Christ that Christo the Mashiach must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Yeshua whom I preach unto you is the Messiah you see what the Apostle Paul did and that is so important beloved brothers and sisters for us if we are going to share the gospel and tell people about the need of a Savior we have to come back to the word of God we have to open the Scriptures and we have to show from God's word in the power of the Holy Spirit of God that the Messiah must suffer and then rise again and that this Messiah who suffered and risen is none else but the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

And you can just imagine, I think if there is any subject that really touch our hearts, if there is any subject that move us, is not even much the subject of the glory of the Messiah or the creation of the Messiah, that he created all things and so on. That does not move our hearts as much as the subject of the sufferings of the Messiah. If there is anything that really moves our hearts to accept him, is to think of the suffering of this person, the price that he had to pay, the rejection that he had endured, the suffering that he had suffered, first of all, by the hand of men, sinful men.

And then ultimately by the hand of a holy and a righteous God. When we think about these, brothers and sisters, our hearts are moved with response towards him. His love, his grace, his ways in which he was willing to come down to this world to suffer for sin. You know, one of the chapters that is really moving our hearts, I would like you to turn there, that really depict the sufferings of the Messiah, is Isaiah chapter 53. If you just turn there for a moment, because remember what we read in Acts chapter 17, that he opened the Scripture. He really explained to them from the word of God.

And he alleged, alleged means he was proving to them that the Messiah must means suffering. He had to suffer. Isaiah chapter 53 is one of the favorite verses that many Bible teachers use in the presentation of the gospel. Allow me to read a couple of verses there in Isaiah 53 and verse 3 on. Just listen, brothers and sisters. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we heed, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs, and he carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken and smitten of God and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripe we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before a shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living.

For the transgression of my people was he stricken. You see when Isaiah was writing this message to the nation of Israel, he was really speaking concerning the Messiah who will come in a future day, but he was speaking as if it has happened already and Israel the nation has come to a point when they recognize that he was the Messiah who suffered for them. And in a sense, beloved brothers and sisters, Isaiah in the 53rd chapter is voicing the voice of the remnant of Israel who will cry in a future day at the end of the tribulation. And they will say these very same words, all we like sheep have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way, but the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all. The sufferings of the Messiah. We just read earlier in our reading, Psalm 22, where David prophetically cried and he says, my God my God why have you forsaken me why God you forsake me and this is really the cry of the Messiah on the cross when he says my God my God why has thou forsaken me the sufferings of the Messiah without pastor Paul needed to expound he needed to dialogue with his Jewish brethren he needed to explain this to them he needed to prove this to them from the word of God it is so sad that many today don't realize the importance of the sufferings of the Messiah they set this aside they are only looking for the future glory when he's going to come and set his place as the king of Kings and Lord of Lord but they don't realize that the basis of the future restoration of this world restoration of the people of Israel is the sufferings of the Messiah that's why the Apostle Paul says he must need suffer he had to suffer and I would like to suggest today.

That he suffered in a twofold ways he suffered by the hands of men when they mocked him when men rejected him And I cannot tell you, beloved brothers and sisters, if Yeshua the Messiah will appear today here, right on that street here, he will experience the same persecution that he experienced 2,000 years ago in the land of the Bible, in the land of Israel. Because man's heart didn't change man by nature did not want the Lord Jesus the Messiah to reign over him man by nature reject God and they will put him again to a cross and they will reject him again had he come if he would be here today in the same way but of course he will no longer suffer because he suffered only once never to suffer anymore but the second aspect of the suffering is no longer by the hand of wicked hands of men but he suffered by the hands of God this is where God had to judge sin sin must be judged if he would judge you and me because of our sin and sins we will never see the light we will be eternally lost but he judged the just one he judged the Messiah the Mashiach he judged the son who became a man when he placed him on a cross and he laid upon him every sin that ever entered into this world the whole sin question from Adam sin in the garden all the way till today the sin question.

And the sins of man the Messiah had to suffer on the cross for where God has judged his son, the Messiah, on the cross. And that's why when he cried on the tree, he didn't say, my father, my father, in Psalm 22. No, because there his father was acting as a judge. And he says, my God, in Hebrew, Eli, Eli, lama shvaktani, why have thou forsaken me? And God judged him because of the sin of this world. And that's why with Apostle Paul, wherever he had gone, he spoke of the suffering of the Messiah. And brothers and sisters, for us, just get a hold of it.

When we think of his suffering for us, it should move our hearts to say, Lord, for my sin and sin, you suffered and died. For my sin and sins, you have paid the price that I could have never paid. But Paul didn't stop there. Remember, he's dealing with the Hebrew Scriptures, with the Jewish people, his own brethren in the synagogue in Thessalonica. No New Testament, no Brit Hadashah, only the Tanakh, the Old Testament, to prove to them, telling them, listen, I'm explaining, I'm proving to you, I'm opening the Scripture to show you from our own Scripture that the Messiah had to suffer. The rabbis over the years have developed two types of messiahs.

They say because they see Scriptures that shows us Messiah suffering but they also see Messiah coming in glory so they develop the teaching of the two messiahs Messiah ben Yosef Messiah son of Joseph that is the suffering Messiah and Mashiach ben David this is the reigning Messiah Messiah son of David not understanding that there are not two messiahs there's only one Mashiach one who came once to suffer and he's going to come again to rule and to reign but before he's coming to rule and to reign he had to suffer because of the sin question so the apostle continued from the Hebrew Scripture and he's not only dwelling about the sufferings of the Messiah but he continued and he says in verse 3 that the Messiah must need to suffer but he said and risen again from the dead you see if the Messiah suffered by the hand of men and suffered by the hand of God and died and remain dead, he couldn't help us.

He couldn't deal with the question of the human problem, the human sin. That's why God raised him from among the dead. The truth of the resurrection is fundamental to the Scripture, to the word of God, to our salvation. That's why the Bible oftentimes speaks about the resurrection of the Messiah. Not only that he died he was buried but on the third day he rose again you know what happened when he rose when God raised him from among the dead it was his approval of the work of the Messiah on the tree God now can say sin question have been dealt with now the one that's paid the price is now resurrected and ascended and placed at the right hand of God at the pinnacle of the universe where God said to him in Psalm 110 sit down at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool and so it says here that the Messiah reason and again I would like to say that Paul had to take Scripture in order to prove that the Messiah was resurrected the same Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 10 the apostle Paul may have opened that Scripture there on that one of the Shabbat days and he says listen beloved Jewish brethren of mine he says look at verse 10 it says it pleased Jehovah to bruise him he has put him to grief.

Yes he had to judge him when you shall make his soul and offer him for sin then he says he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand in other words this expression of he shall prolong his days it speaks about the resurrection of the Messiah he will not remain in the grave he will not remain in the tomb but God will raise him from among the dead and he shall prolong his days another one he shall live and not longer remain in the grave as Psalm 16 said you shall not leave thine holy one to see corruption in other words he will be resurrected from among the dead.

This is very precious, brothers and sisters, and therefore the resurrection of the Messiah is really a proof that you and I who believe on him are reckoned as justified. Romans 4.25 says, he was delivered for our offenses, but he was raised for our the justification. And Paul is speaking to his brethren in the synagogue in the city of. Thessalonica, and he's emphasizing to them the Hebrew Scriptures of the promises concerning the sufferings of the Messiah, as well as the resurrection of the Messiah. But now notice what he does in the same verse 3 of Acts chapter 17. Not only that he suffered, not only that he was resurrected but this one that suffered and resurrected is none else but this Jesus that i'm preaching unto you this Yeshua that i'm preaching to you notice in verse 3 at the end he says and that this Yeshua whom i preach unto you he is that Messiah and none else today there are many, many who claim to be the Messiah you will go to New York City today go among the people that following the Hasidic Jewish people they believe that Mr.

Schneerson was the Messiah a rabbi a respected rabbi who died but haven't resurrected and they still believe that he is the Messiah there are signs in Israel prepare for the coming of the Messiah but Schneerson have died and he was buried and heaven resurrected but there is one that rose from among. The dead and his name is Jesus, his name is Yeshua this is the one that the Scripture was speaking about he is that promised Messiah he is that one he wanted them to recognize that brothers and sisters so he dialogued with them he explained this to them he reasoned with them and he proved to them from the Hebrew Scriptures that Yeshua is truly the Messiah that's why for us today it's so important to stick to the Scriptures to the word of God so we truly can explain to others concerning the person of the Messiah let me just one more verse to read here in connection with that in Luke chapter 24 if you will turn to Luke chapter 24 and Yeshua himself before he left this scene he spoke to his disciples there and he said these words Luke chapter 24 verse 25 26 and 27 he said unto those two who went down to Emmaus all fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken art not the Messiah to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself see that's what Yeshua did in his life here on earth here is after his resurrection before his ascension he shared with these two who went down to Emmaus very discouraged he said to them listen don't you think that the Hebrew Scripture definitely speaks about the sufferings of the Messiah don't you realize that he opened to them the Scripture he began to speak with Moses Moshe rabbenu this is the first five books of Moses he went to the prophets the nevi'im from Isaiah all the way to Malachi Malachi and he expounding to them the things concerning himself look at the next verses verse 44 in Luke 24 and he said unto them these are the words which I speak unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses that's the law and in the prophets that's the prophets.

And in the Psalms that's the writings concerning me all these things that have been written in the Hebrew Scripture spoke about Yeshua the Messiah his suffering his rejection the price he paid and yet the second coming that will be yet in the future at the end of the tribulation period when the church age has ended and the tribulation period will happen and at the end of the tribulation he will come again to restore Israel his people back to himself so it has to happen And the Apostle Paul reasoned with them in the synagogue in Thessalonica for three Shabbat days. Maybe, brothers and sisters, he took one Shabbat day, the sufferings of the Messiah.

The second Shabbat day, the resurrection of the Messiah. And maybe the third Shabbat day, he says, this Yeshua is that Messiah. And he zero in on the fact that this Yeshua that is rejected that he preaching is truly that promised Messiah today what a joy to know that you and i have accepted him as our Messiah as our Lord and as our Savior but there are many today especially i'm thinking about those of our own families who know the Scripture who read the Bible and yet their eyes are being closed because they do not open their hearts to the person of Yeshua. And that's why they can't see him.

Paul said that until today they have the veil of Moses upon their eyes in the reading of the Scriptures in the synagogue, even today. Beloved brothers and sisters. So here we have the first three verses. The arrival of Paul to Thessalonica, the men in which he would go to the synagogue to share the word of God and thirdly the reasoning in the synagogue for three Shabbat days concerning the suffering the resurrection and the Jesus is truly that promise Messiah now look at the response whenever you preach the message of the gospel there is always more than one response the first response is very positive very nice to read because it says in verse 4 some of them believed and they concerted with Paul and Silas in other words some of the Jewish people in that particular synagogue in Saloniki in Thessalonica they believed simply believed what he shared with them they saw it from the word of God and they believed here are some Jewish people who believe in that city of Tessalonica.

But not only some Jewish people, because apparently in that synagogue there were some devout Greeks. Those were proselytes or God-fearers, Gentiles, who believed in the God of Israel, who attended synagogue meetings, learned the things of God from the. Hebrew Scriptures. And when Shaul Paul came and preached the word, they also have accepted that he was the Messiah, that Yeshua was the Messiah. And the third group that we find here in verse 4 is some chief women. And it's always taken note of it that women seem to open their hearts. We find it often in biblical history, in New Testament history, even in our own days, that many of the women, we often find much more women are open to the things of God, attending meetings and listening to the word of God.

And it is interesting to see that these women have opened their hearts and accepted the Messiah. It says, chief women, not a few. In other words, there were quite a few of the women that have accepted Yeshua, the Messiah. So this is the positive reaction to the preaching of the Apostle Paul. But oh boy, look at the next verse. Because the next verse shows us that there are those that responded in a very negative way. This, as you can see, it's the work of the enemy. The work of the enemy always blinding the minds of many. Because it says there, in verse 5, But the Jews, which believe not, see, apparently there were various Jewish people who did not believe in the message of the gospel, they were moved with envy.

And they took unto them certain lewd fellows of a baser sort, and they gathered a company, and they set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and they sought to bring them out to the people. Apparently, there are those who were envious. You see, they have seen that the message of the gospel affected many of their own brethren, the Jewish people, many of the God-fearers Greeks who were there, and many of the women. So they were envious. And you know how Satan does that all the time? When the work of the Lord is going on, when the preaching of the gospel is continuing forward, the enemy comes right alongside and opposing the message of the gospel.

It happened again and again in the preaching of the gospel. The enemy is constantly come. Every time you sow a seed, the enemy come and sow another seed to cause confusion, to cause rejection of the word of God, the seed of God from growing to cause havoc among those that belong to the Lord. So there was envy and jealousy is that which has caused so much problems. So what did they do? They apparently took unto them some lewd men. These are vile men. It says of a base of soul. They were rebels. They got themselves a few rebels, a few evil men, and they used them to go to oppose the work that Paul and others have been doing in the city of Thessalonica.

And brothers and sisters, you turn with me for a moment to 1 Thessalonians. I want you to see that Paul reminds them of those things that have happened. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, Paul mentioning this in his letter. He says in verse 13, For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, Because when ye receive the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye receive it not as the word of man, but as it is the truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe. That's those who believe in Yeshua the Messiah. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which is in Judea, that are in the Messiah Yeshua.

For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews. Now, sometimes when we talk about the Jewish people who rejected the Messiah, it's hard to say it, but the Bible does say it. Those Jewish people who did not accept the Messiahship of Jesus with envy, they have opposed the message of the gospel. And they end up, brothers and sisters, persecuting their own people and other believers that have followed Yeshua the Messiah. It says in verse 15, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they pleased not God and are contrary to all men.

Notice that he's saying very strong words, the Apostle Paul is speaking about his own Jewish brethren, because of the fact that they have opposed the message of the Messiahship of Yeshua. They have caused them so much suffering because they have preached the message of the gospel to the people in Thessalonica. And he's writing to these believers at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 2 verses 13 to the end of the chapter how they have suffered because of those who opposed the message of the gospel. So we learn here that those that oppose the message of the gospel end up to do certain things that were not right they hired or they took lewd men they took rebels and they gathered together and they set the whole city in a pro and they assaulted the house of jason now this jason was a very nice man because what did he do he hosted Paul he was the host of Paul and silas who came to the city of Thessalonica.

So they assaulted the house of Jason. Now we do not know whether he was a Jewish believer from the synagogue or whether he was not. He may have been a Jewish person that hosted the apostle Paul and Silas. And then because of his affiliation with the apostle, those Jewish people who did not believe in the Messiah caused a great uproar in Thessalonica and assaulted the house of Jason. And they sought to bring them out to the people. Can you imagine how Jason must have felt when somebody come to his house and trying to find out those apostles, Paul and those who preach with him the message of the gospel, somebody coming to your house, entering in, looking for those people that have caused all this problem by sharing the message of the gospel.

And then when they don't find them, Notice verse 6. What they do, they drag Jason and a certain brethren that were in his house to the rulers of the city, to the center part of the city. And you notice what they say in verse 6b. These have turned the world upside down, have come also unto us. You see what they were saying? They were accusing Paul and Silas and those who believe that Yeshua the Messiah, they're accusing them for turning the world upside down. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, this world is already upside down. This world is so messed up with idol worship, with sin and corruption, with rejection of the Word of God.

This world is upside down. In fact, what we can really say that the preaching of the Apostle Paul is setting the world right side up rather than upside down. And the Apostle Paul was sharing the message to bring people back to the Lord in setting things in order. But they were accused of causing problems and setting the world upside down. Really, when you think about it, when God looked at this world today, you know, Psalm 14 tells us, God looked from above to see if there is anyone that does good. And he found none. All have gone astray. All have gone their own way. All have sinned.

Their mouth is an open suppulker. In their feet, in their deeds, they've done all kinds of evil things. This world is truly upside down. And the only time that this world will be right side up is when the Messiah himself is going to come and set things in order. So they rejected Jason here and a message, of course, to the Apostle Paul. Now they took this man who was the host of the Apostle Paul, brought him out, and they dragged him to the center of the city, accused him to the rulers of the city, crying to them, these men have turned the world upside down.

And then it says in verse 7 jason the one who received them and these all do contrary to the decrees of caesar saying that there is another king one Jesus one Yeshua you see when Paul was speaking and he was speaking about the Lord Jesus the Messiah he was speaking about his suffering he was speaking about his resurrection and we don't read here but he probably spoke about his second coming and you know what a precious thing concerning the second coming of the Messiah when he's going to come to reign as a king of Kings and Lord of lords you remember what they said the accusation about the cross where you're sure it says this is Yeshua the king of the Jews that was his accusation the king of the Jews and so they even tried to find fault in this by stirring up even the political realm if you will by saying they say that there is another king not Caesar but there is another king by the name of Jesus in other words that he's trying to shift or to move.

Caesar aside and to take the place as a king that will produce persecution by the political realm where the government will begin to persecute those who believe in Yeshua the Messiah. You know, you and I are still blessed today to live in a country where we can still speak the message of the Word of God without to be afraid, without to be taken to prison, but you cannot do it in every country today. Many a country that you're going to come and you just begin to speak about Yeshua, the Messiah. And you're going to see how long can you speak before they're going to take you and place you in jail and persecute you.

And some lose their lives because they preach the message of the gospel. Well, here they took him, they took Jason out. They said that the twofold accusation that they turned the world upside down and they claimed that Yeshua is the king. And now notice in the next verses there, we find out now in those last verses that they made an arrangement with jason it says in verse 8 and 9 they said they troubled the people and the rulers of the city and they heard these things in other words the rulers and the people heard what the Jewish people from the synagogue who did not believe had said about Paul silas and those who believe and then finally they made an arrangement and look at the arrangement in verse 9 and when.

They had taken security of jason and of the others they let them go that expression here for security it's a promise it's a pledge it's a guarantee in other words they asked for jason to give them a guarantee that he's going to remove those people out of his house and send them away and they're going to let them go and apparently brothers and sisters they received this guarantee this pledge from jason because it says here they had taken security of jason and of the others and they let them go so now we learn that the agreement came and Paul had to leave the city of tessalonica and the arrangement was that he will not come back there anymore because Jason signed, if you will, he had give them that security, that pledge, that promise that he will send them away.

Paul knew that it was the enemy, Satan was the one that was opposing him for coming back to Thessalonica, and those people that were persecuting the believers were actually. Doing the work of Satan i'd like to read one more verse in connection with this in the book of thessalonian if you please turn with me once again to the book of first thessalonian chapter 2 and i want you to just see with me this verse 18 that Paul understood that first thessalonian chapter 2 and verse 18 Paul said wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindered us 1st Thessalonians 2 and verse 18 in other words Satan opposed the message of the gospel he used whomsoever he will to oppose Paul from coming again and coming again back to Thessalonica and when Jason gave them this security they let them go and from here on they finished the ministry in Thessalonica even though the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians he sent later on Timothy to Thessalonica but Paul had ended here the ministry of Thessalonica and he moved on and notice brothers and sisters from verses 10 to 14 the apostle Paul now going.

To the next city on his second missionary journey and where does he go to now again he's traveling about 45 to 50 miles notice it says by night verse 10 and the brethren immediately sent away Paul and silas by night into or unto berea you see here's again Paul is going he was ushered out of tessalonica by night him and silas and the brethren helped him you notice when it's called the word brethren that suggests that there was an established assembly now in tessalonica the brethren the believers in tessalonica that have heard the message of the gospel establish a local church a local assembly in tessalonica and they have helped him to go by night to move out of tessalonica now to the next city and the next city is about 45 to 50 miles journey and he's arriving to another city called berea in Hebrew it's called broa they have arrived to another city by the name of berea and again the same principle he does again it says in verse 10b when he came there he went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Again, the principle, Romans 1.16, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. So he's going again to the synagogue. And there, brothers and sisters, there was a different experience in the city of Berea. In Thessalonica, persecution. In Thessalonica, rejection of the vast majority of the city. There were believers, but there was rejection. But look at Berea, how different it was. It says there in verse 11a, the nobility of the Jewish believers in the city of Berea, in the synagogue. Look at the nobility. It says, these, the Jewish people in the synagogue, these were more noble than those Jewish people of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind.

When Paul came to the city of Berea and he went into the synagogue of his own brother and his own nation, the Jewish people, and he presented to them the very same Scripture, the Messiah suffered, Isaiah 53. The Messiah rose, Psalm 16. The Messiah is Yeshua. He is the Messiah they received it there were more nobles it says here that word here in verse 11 the word noble is a noble mind those Jewish people according to verse 11a they were the one that had been with more nobility they had their mind and their heart were more receptive they were more open to accept and to acknowledge and to listen at least they had dignity in them they listened to the word of God and you know what they have done and that is what we all need to do when somebody come to us and say to us listen i believe in this and i think this is the way and i think that he is the Messiah or that what is going to happen we need to do exactly what the bereans did it says in verse 11 and the second part of verse 11 they searched the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were truly so they searched the Scriptures again i would like to remind you beloved brothers and sisters this is the Hebrew Scriptures the.

Tanakh the Torah nevi'im k'tuvim because no new testament in existence they open the Scriptures and they search that daily i think of the men of old that were sitting in their home and were searching in the word of God to find treasures David says in the song oh how i love thy law meaning the word of God it is my meditation all the day long all the day long searching to find out things in the word of God this gold mine in this Bible brothers and sisters there is really gold mine we don't realize that but there is a gold mine for the soul the word of God is precious you remember Paul said to Timothy study to show yourself approved and to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth there's a goldmine in the Scripture so they were reading the Scriptures and you notice he met with them on a Shabbat day but they searched the Scripture daily you see it says here they searched the Scripture daily.

They didn't wait for the Shabbat every day you know sometimes do you feel like you get up in the morning and you know you should read your Bible and you just kind of don't feel like you say i'm going to do this and I'm going to just have some other activity I'll pray later I'll read a bit later you know I'm not going to do it right now but Lord just wait for me I'll do it later and later come and you don't do that and then the time coming and you're occupied with your business with your work with your family and suddenly you know a little bit more give me I'll read a little bit later and then you don't do that and then sometimes days and weeks and months passes by and we don't read the word of God the word of God the Scripture is able to help us there's the Scripture is able to instruct us and to assist us in various needs in our life and our pastor Paul emphasized so much.

The importance of the reading of the word of God the important he said to Timothy all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be mature thoroughly furnished unto all good works and that's why these Berean were more noble than those of the Thessalonica and I emphasize the fact that they were from the Jewish synagogue they were more noble they were reading the text of the Hebrew Scripture to find out whether the apostle Paul whatever he said about Yeshua or the Messiah whether it was truly indeed the word of God so here is the result from there you see in verse 12 you can see that there were result of the studying of the Scripture and listening to what the apostle Paul says he says in verse 12 therefore many of them believed from among the Jewish people from the synagogue and then in additional to them again you find out the honorable.

Women this is like we have had earlier the chief women and then also in verse 12 at the end end of the Greeks many men not a few apparently again Jewish people Gentiles women many have come to faith in Yeshua the Messiah in the city of berea but now look at the conclusion here what happened in the end of the time of the apostle Paul in Berea again opposition but who is the one who opposed them the Jewish people who came from Thessalonica have heard the things are going on in Berea many become believers we gotta stop it you see we gotta stop that we cannot let this happen so it says in verse 13 when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge now notice that when they had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at berea they came to berea they came thither also and they stirred up the people i want to emphasize brothers and sisters that almost all the time you read of the persecution of the religious Jewish people.

When they persecute they only persecute their own brethren because they don't want their brethren to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the apostle Paul when he was persecuted he was persecuting his own Jewish brethren who became believers it is generally persecuting their own brethren and those who influence them in faith in a Messiah and what they do when they heard that in the synagogue in berea people came to faith in Yeshua the Messiah they were opposing it and they came all the way to berea and they stirred up the people and verse 14 conclude with the necessity of the apostle Paul immediately to be sent by the brethren away from the city of berea it says in verse 14 and then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea but silas and Timothy abode their steel so what we find out it is that Paul was the target and that immediately the brethren notice again apparently now there was an establishing of a messianic congregation or Hebrew christian or Jewish messianic fellowship if you want to call.

It the church was founded in berea and those brethren now assisted Paul to flee from there to go away from there to be taken away because they were ready to do whatever they could to him so he will stop the preaching of the message of the gospel that's what Satan does he seek to hinder the ministry of the word of God to spread and someone has said the more he opposed the message the more the Spirit of God working in lives of men women boys and girls and over the years look at the body of Messiah though the body is divided yet there are many who came to faith in Yeshua the Messiah both from among our Jewish people as well as from among the Gentiles in this world.

And we praise God for that. We thank him that many have come to faith in him. So brothers and sisters, I'm going to close with this remark. It is so precious again and again to bear in mind. That the Messiah had to suffer. And the reason that he suffered is because of your sins and mine. He had to pay the price for sin but he didn't stay on the cross he didn't remain in the tomb but God had raised him from among the dead and placed him at his own right hand ready to come soon to take his people home and to reign as king of Kings and Lord of lords can you say Amen for that.

Amen.