Disappointments in life

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 28 AUGUST 2022

ACTS 18 VERSES 1 TO 11

 

The experience Paul had at Corinth.  He meets with opposition in verse 6.  We see something of his attitude.  First he was in Athens then he came to Corinth. Disappointing was the word that came to my mind when I read this chapter.  Disappointments comes in many different ways.  We have known that word this past summer for many holiday makers who have had flights cancelled.  People have had to make other arrangements and choices.  In recent days we have see many young people receive examination results and there have been disappointments.  How do we handle disappointments?

The concerns - God knew about the disappointments Paul was facing.  He came to Paul after hearing what Paul said in his own heart – verses 9 and 10.  Basically he was told to stick at it.  Paul didn’t give up.  Paul stays there for a year and a half.  He was handling his disappointment – how – because God knew all about his disappointment.  He had left Athens and travelled to Corinth.  Corinth was a rich, prosperous city, a sea faring city, a busy port.  It was a very immoral place.  There was a temple to Aphrodite the goddess of love.  Paul came with the gospel of saving grace.  We should never be ashamed to take the gospel with us and present it to those who are so hard, callous, those who don’t want to hear it.  Paul said “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is power of God unto salvation.”  This gospel will change lives.  To be called a Corinthian was to be known as a drunkard and immoral man.  In Athens he met a very academic situation.  They accused him of being a babbler, a setter forth of strange ideas. Paul knew these people were intellectual philosophers, he could see the evidence of their idolatry.  Paul saw an altar one day to the unknown god.  He told the people they were too superstitious.  They needed to put their trust in the Lord as their own and personal Saviour.  The bible tells us we all have sinned, we have come short of what God requires, heaven will never be our home.  God has sent his son into the world.  “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.”  Is that your gift today?  Do you realise that you are saved by God’s grace.  Paul had to leave Athens because the people laughed at him, scoffed, mocked him when he began to preach of the resurrection.  He left a people sitting on the fence saying “we will hear you again of this message.”  They knew they were not saved, they didn’t want the message applied to their lives.  There were others who believed and were gloriously saved.  On the whole he put it down as a place where he didn’t get a great success.  Now he is in Corinth and the people turned against him and rejected his word.  Imagine what is going through Paul’s mind as he shakes his coat before them and says “your blood be on you, I am off to the Gentiles.”  God comes to him and tells him to stick at it.  Verse 9 God knows all about Paul’s disappointments.  The Lord knew all about his concerns and came to him.  Solomon put his head on the bed, he was stepping into the shoes of his father and becoming king of Israel.  He was weary.  All those thoughts were going through his head.  The Lord comes to him “what shall I do for you Solomon?”  He asked for a heart of wisdom to guide the people.  The Lord will come to you if we allow him to do that.  Maybe you are disappointed.  The Lord knows all about it.  The Lord says to us “don’t give up, stick at it.”

The comfort that Paul receives.  Whenever you lay your head on the pillow at night that is when your mind is most busy and active.  Can you imagine the comfort Paul got to hear the word of God.  Just at that point.  His mind was made up.  He was turning everything over in his mind.  Sleep doesn’t come.  He was listening and waiting.  It didn’t come with thunder but rather a still small voice “be not afraid”.  Remember Jacob running from his father’s house out in the wilderness.  He made a stone for his pillow.  He realises that God was with him there that night.  He said the next day “God is in this place and I knew it not.”  Are we caught up with things going on around us that we cannot hear God?

The challenge that God sets forth.  Paul is defeated.  In the stillness of the night God came to Paul and said “be not afraid.”  He came with encouraging words but also a challenging word.  The people had refused to listen to what Paul said.  He goes into the synagogue verse 4 every Sabbath and preached faithfully the word of God.  Verse 6 Paul said that is enough.  In the time of quietness God comes with great challenge.  “Do not be afraid, hold not thy peace.”  He was considering his failings rather than having his eyes on God.  They are on his failures.  God has to come and change that.  God came with challenge.  Paul gets his eyes of the failures and disappointments and get them on the eyes of God.  What the devil will do.  Take failures and make them gigantic.  When we get our eyes on the promises of God then we will get the victory.  Jezebel had put the prophets to death.  Elijah defeated the false prophets on Mount Carmel.  Jezebel sends word that she is determined to kill Elijah.  Fear gripped his heart and he ran away.  He got his eyes off God.  Maybe there will be disappointments for you – get your eyes on the promises of God.

The company that God promises.  God gives him a challenge – verse 10.  “For I am with thee”  Whenever the child of God hears those words we know God is with us.  Paul is in danger of making a wrong decision.  God comes exactly when we need him.  Sometimes it is a verse through which God speaks.  God is concerned about his child.  He was with him in the darkness of the night.  Are you God’s child today?  He is with you.  Maybe at that precise moment he felt so disappointed but God came with the assurance that he was him.  “I have set the Lord always before me.”

The care God gives – verse 10 “I have much people in this city.”  God didn’t say “I will make sure you have no opposition.”  God says instead the opposition will come but none will hurt you.  In Acts 4 we read of a prayer meeting when the disciples came together.  Peter and John were arrested, threatened and told not to preach unto the people.  They came to their own people and told them what had happened.  They got down to prayer.  They didn’t pray for the threat to be lifted but simply prayed for strength to preach the word.

The confidence God shares.  He had many people in that city.  He wanted to use Paul to see them saved.  Our God does not change today.  Lets not put God down because of the small numbers.  God is God and there is no change with him.