The Sunday School Lesson Evangelizing In Europe by David McGee
May 14, 2017
Evangelizing In Europe (42:34)
Referenced Scriptures: Acts 16; Acts 17:1-15
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Have you ever faced a challenge that seemed too great for the resources you possessed? What was your response? Did you attempt to meet it through your own strength or did you seek God's infinitely greater power? Hopefully, you have learned that divine enablement is available when you face difficult times.
Paul and his evangelistic companions discovered this truth as they sought to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the unreached peoples of the Mediterranean world. Their tremendous missionary successes were only possible as they relied upon the Spirit's power. As you read this week's study, determine to embrace the same strength from the Lord to meet the challenges that you are facing in your current life circumstances.
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Acts 16
1) He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.
2) The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.
3) Paul wanted to have him go forth with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4) As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.
5) So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6) When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
7) When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn‘t allow them.
8) Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9) A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us."
10) When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11) Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;
12) and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.
13) On the Sabbath day we went forth outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together.
14) A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshipped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.
15) When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay." She urged us.
16) It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.
17) The same, following after Paul and us, cried out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!"
18) This she did for many days. But Paul, becoming distressed, turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" It came out that very hour.
19) But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
20) When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,
21) and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."
22) The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23) When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely,
24) who, having received such a charge, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
25) But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26) Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone‘s bonds were loosened.
27) The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28) But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Don‘t harm yourself, for we are all here!"
29) He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,
30) and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31) They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your house."
32) They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.
33) He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.
34) He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.
35) But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, "Let those men go."
36) The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out, and go in peace."
37) But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most assuredly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!"
38) The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
39) and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.
40) They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia‘s house. When they had seen the brothers, they comforted them, and departed.
Acts 17:1-15
1) Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2) Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3) explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."
4) Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.
5) But the disobedient Jews gathered some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people.
6) When they didn‘t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
7) whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!"
8) The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.
9) When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10) The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11) Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.
12) Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and not a few men.
13) But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the multitudes.
14) Then the brothers immediately sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
15) But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.