NOTE REGARDING WEEKLY BULLETIN:

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the Reno County/State of Kansas stay at home order we will be cancelling all activities until the order is lifted. When the order is lifted we will reevaluate.

You can join us Saturday evening at 6 pm for our Drive In Service or join us online on our Facebook page at 10:30 every Sunday.

HAVEN BAPTIST CHURCH

MAY 16th MESSAGE NOTES - Acts 18:12-17

1)  GOD TELLS PAUL, "DO NOT BE AFRAID...I AM WITH YOU!" IN ACTS 18:9-10

• God promised to protect him from opposition
• The most important part of this promise has very little to do with the opposition and everything to do with GOD PROMISING TO BE WITH HIM!
• Knowing God was with him is where Paul's hope throughout his ministry and that is where our hope should rest as well!

REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH YOU!

2) WHAT DOES "CONTRARY TO THE LAW MEAN"?

• In this context, the Romans controlled religion. They had laws that prohibited new religions and allowed the established religions to practice under certain requirements.
• The Jews were claiming that Christianity was a new cult. That it was not a part of or affiliated with Judaism in any way.
• Gallio, the Roman proconsul, didn't see things that way! It was a problem between two groups of the same faith, therefore it should be handled by them and not the Romans.

THERE ARE 2 REASONS THIS WAS A BIG DEAL FOR CHRISTIANITY:

1) It legitimized the Christian faith in the eyes of the Romans

-This would make it easier for Paul to spread the faith in other areas under Roman control and beyond!

-It showed continual progress towards what Jesus had commanded them to do:

"Make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you and surely I am with you

always, to the very end of the age"

JESUS IS PROMISING TO BE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO OBEY HIM AND DO HIS WORK!

2) It supported the truth behind the message

• It supported the connection between the OT & NT
• It was the promises of God (OT) & the fulfillment of those promises (NT)

IMPORTANCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The OT pointed us to the gospel message
• The OT exposes our sin and points us toward our need for a savior
• The promises of God are empty unless they are filled - the NT fills those promises!

3) The disciples were "contrary to the law" because Jesus was "contrary to the law"

• It was no longer about a performance that was never good enough
• It was no longer about following the rules
• It was no longer about what YOU could do

Instead....

• It was the final act of the final performance that made us good enough
• It was about following the RULER instead of the rules
• IT was about what was done for you, not by you

In John 19 Jesus says on the cross, "It is finished"

What is finished? The fulfillment of the Old Testament. The fulfillment of all of the promises. The completion of the story started so long ago that pointed to the day a savior would come. The story that proved Jesus is the sinless son of God!