The Less Noble

Introduction

Well, by a show of hands, how many of you can confidently say that you’re good with names? That you meet somebody one time and their name is just locked in. Now, from whenever you’ll see them again, you’ll be able to recall that. I did not see a single hand of somebody who’s good with names. Usually the rebuttal from that is I’m good with faces. I can remember faces, but I’m not good with names. I am neither. I’m bad with names and faces. I’ve been here now coming up on six and a half years, and there’s some of your names I can’t even remember. I’ve got most of you. It’s usually the siblings that I have trouble with. I can’t tell Sean and Dawn apart still. I get that confused.

But other than that, I’ve got everybody’s name down pretty good. You know what I’ve learned about that? I’m bad at names. I used to attribute that to poor memory. I’m bad at names. Somebody introduces themselves, tells me their name, and I forget it. But what I’ve really learned about myself is it’s not so much memory. Oh, I’ve got a bad memory. But that I wasn’t paying attention when somebody said their name.

I’ve realized that sometimes someone will introduce themselves and they could turn right around and say, now what’s my name? And I wouldn’t be able, because that wasn’t a memory problem. Well, I wasn’t paying attention to what they said. And so this morning I want to talk to you about paying attention. I want to talk to you about listening. Hopefully, that’s what you’re doing right now, listening to the message that’s being presented. You may have heard the philosophical question raised. What about those people in some isolated part of the world who will never get to hear the gospel? Maybe they’re in such an isolated place that the Bible and preaching will never get to them. What will God demand of those people? Have you heard that philosophical question?

I think we may sometimes miss the point with that philosophical conundrum. And rather than worrying about those things that God will deal with rather than us, we really need to be thinking about what about us? What about we have heard the gospel? What will God demand of us? Because the fact that you’re here this morning and you are listening to gospel preaching makes demands of you.

God now is putting expectations and demands upon you as listeners.

If you will turn with me in the New Testament to the book of Acts, chapter 17. And verse 11. Acts 17, 11. To good Bible students, that verse kind of rings a bell. Oh, I remember, or I ought to remember what that verse is about. And you probably know if I told you this morning, we’re going to start in Acts 17, verse 11, and we want to talk about the residents of a certain city. You could probably all guess who we’d be talking about, but I got a feeling you’re going to be wrong. Because Acts 17, verse 11 says this. Speaking of the residents of Berea, were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they receive the word with all readiness and search the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Some translation says these were more noble than those in Thessalonica. We turn to Acts 17, verse 11 often to talk about that, well, sometimes we call the Berean spirit or the Berean mindset that we ought to be like those Bereans. We ought to be noble or fair-minded like them, that we need to search the scriptures, listen and search the scriptures whether those things are so. But this morning, I’d like to not talk about these fair-minded or noble Bereans. I want to talk about the Thessalonicans. I want to talk about the less noble. If he says these in Berea were more fair-minded or more noble than those in Thessalonica, then I want to talk about those who were less fair-minded or less noble. What made them that?

And of course, the point of this lesson is a negative lesson in the sense that we should not be like them. We should be like the Bereans. And we could do a sermon about those Bereans and the qualities that made them noble or fair minded. But I want to look at it from the negative standpoint. What made these Thessalonicans less noble? What made them unfair minded? And maybe we can make some application to us as listeners and the demands that God makes upon us. Paul had gone, if you look in Acts chapter 17, verses 1 and 2, Paul had gone into the synagogue there in Thessalonica, as he often did and reasoned with them, it says, Read with me, verses 1 and 2. When they, Luke, had left them on this second missionary journey.

Luke had left and stayed behind in Philippi. And so he says, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews, then Paul, as his custom was, went into them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures. And so Paul is there in Thessalonica. He is preaching to them. He is reasoning from those Old Testament scriptures. And it will go on to say that some of them, verse 4, some of them were persuaded. Now, the some, the them that’s being talked about there, would obviously be the Jewish audience who would have been in those synagogues. Some of them were persuaded, and a great multitude of devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women joined Paul and Silas.

But is always the case when the gospel is preached in the book of Acts, there is a positive response, but unfortunately there’s also a negative response. Verse 5, but the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people. Many rejected the message. They became jealous of what had happened. Jealous of, I think, God himself. These obstinate Jews would think of these Christians, he is our God. You cannot co-opt him and try to make him your God. And so maybe they were jealous of God, and not in a good way, but they were also jealous of their followers.

They were stealing away some of these Jewish adherents and making them Christians. And so they were jealous of that. They were jealous of the attention that the apostles, Paul and Silas and others, were getting in preaching the gospel and the growing popularity of that. And because of that, they rejected the message and even violently rejected the message. Well, let’s talk about these in Thessalonica and what made them less noble. But before we do that, let’s make this subtle but important observation that when we talk about the Bereans being more noble or more fair minded than the Thessalonians, those in Thessalonica. It’s important to note that he’s not talking about, he’s not drawing the distinction between two churches or between two groups of Christians. The Christians in Berea were fair minded, but so were the Christians in Thessalonica.

1. They Were Not Teachable

He’s not talking about those who accepted the message, talking about those who rejected the message. So these less noble were these obstinate, violent Jews who opposed the message. And I’ll talk about two characteristics of those Thessalonians that made them less noble or made them unfair minded. The first thing is they were not teachable. They were not noble because they were simply not teachable. Unlike those in Berea. Those who believed, look at verse 4 again. Those in Thessalonica who believed heard Paul’s teaching and were persuaded. Some of them were persuaded, it says. But the unbelievers did not accept that message. They did not believe.

Look at verse 7. They had gone and they tried, remember according to verse 5, they they caused this uproar. They went to the house of Jason. It appears that Paul and Silas, and maybe these companions were staying in Jason’s house. And they they bring them to go to Jason’s house to bring out Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas aren’t there, and so they just grab Jason. And they say of these people in Acts 17, verse 7, Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus. Did they really believe that? If so, I would argue they weren’t really listening. Not closely, at least. Did Jesus claim to be a king? Yes. Would these apostles and teachers and preachers have honored him as king?

Not just that, king of kings. But was he really setting himself up as another king opposed to Caesar? Was it not Jesus who said, pay taxes to Caesar? Give honor to Caesar. This same apostle Paul would write at least twice in his epistles that we were to honor the king in various ways. Do we really think that Paul was writing about honoring the king and submitting to the higher powers would be preaching a different message in Thessalonica? No. So I would argue to you that one of the reasons that made these people less fair minded or less noble is because they just simply weren’t listening to the message. Not giving it an honest ear, at least. If they were saying these people are teaching decrees opposing Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.

And of course, we can’t help, and that’s what the writer is wanting us to do, to contrast that attitude with the Bereans’ attitude in verse 11, that they listened and they searched the scriptures. Now, what’s important about those Bereans, as opposed to those in Thessalonica, is not just that they listened. And not just that they believed and they just accepted the message. Whatever you say, Paul, we’re going to believe it. That’s not the way they’re portrayed. It says they sought the truth by examining and comparing what Paul was preaching with the scripture. So we’re not saying that here’s your two choices reject the message or just accept it sight unseen. No. They gave it an honest hearing, an honest examination. They didn’t just say, well, this man Paul, he’s got some popularity.

People in other cities are listening to him. So whatever you say, Paul, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. That wasn’t their attitude. That’s no more commendable than just rejecting it. What they did is they said, wait a minute. You’re preaching from the scriptures. Let’s make sure what you’re saying really is from the scriptures. And they examined those things. Our attitude, turn with me, hold your finger there, or put a bookmark in Acts 17 if you’re inclined, and go to the book of James. This should be our attitude. This was the attitude of the Bereans. It was not the attitude of those in Thessalonica. James chapter 1, we’ve examined this text before, but look at it again. James 1 verse 19, he says, So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

We’ve made this observation again in the past. That when he says, be swift to hear and slow to speak, he’s not talking about everyday conversation. He’s not saying when you’re talking to your friends and family and co-workers, listen more than you talk. Now that’s probably pretty good advice, but that’s not what he’s saying. He’s saying, be swift to hear. What did he talk about in verse 18? Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. We’re to be swift to hear the word of God and slow to speak when it comes to the word of God. Verse 20, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

What does? The word of God. And so we need to listen to it. And so our attitude needs to be like this is that we’ll listen, that we’ll be teachable, we’ll be movable by these things. I think of the attitude of that Ethiopian eunuch when Philip confronted him on the road back home, and he said, Do you understand what you’re reading? Our attitude needs to be of that of that Ethiopian who said, How can I? Unless somebody guide me. Our attitude needs to be that of the psalmist. When the psalmist said, Lord, teach me your statutes. We need to be teachable. We need to be humble enough to be able to say, I’m going to listen. I’m not just going to accept what you say, preacher or teacher, or church, or booklet, or whatever, but I’m willing to listen.

And I’m willing to examine, and I’m willing to be taught the truth. You know, the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy, as he was preparing his younger apprentice for kind of taking up the mantle of responsibility of preaching the gospel. He had to warn Timothy. When he said, verse 1 of 2 Timothy chapter 4, I charge you, therefore, before the God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the word. Preach the word, Timothy. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching. There have been volumes written about those seasons. What’s the season? In season and out of season. Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season.

Why is the word seasonable? Well, it seems to be in the context of what he’s saying here is that there’s going to be seasons or times or audiences where it’s going to be accepted. People are going to sometimes you’re going to be in Berea, Timothy. And those people want to be taught. They want to hear the word of God. But then you might go to the next door to Thessalonica, and the word sometimes there’s out of season. They don’t want to listen, some of them at least. They don’t want to be taught. But you just preach the word in season or out of season, when they like it and when they don’t. And he goes on to give this warning in verse 3 for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine or sound teaching, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they’ll turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

Timothy, there’s going to come a time, a season in which people don’t want to hear. They’ll close their ears to the truth and they’ll be drawn to something that they want to hear, but you preach the word.

What does it say about us? What does it say about us as God’s people when we willingly miss opportunities to hear God’s word taught? When it’s announced that there’ll be a time when the Bible will be studied. It’ll be taught. Whether it’s in a gospel meeting, whether it’s in our regular assemblies, our Bible classes? What does it say about us when we just willingly absent ourselves from those opportunities? I think I know.

When I was in college, I was pursuing a degree in biblical studies. And so in their wisdom, the university and college system decided that I needed to take upper math. So I had calculus and finite math. I still said they should have taught like Bible math. How to convert Homers into eFas, and you know, that would have been far more handy. But I had to take finite math. And some of you may be saying, what is finite math? I have no idea. I didn’t know, I didn’t want to know, and I didn’t care. And my professor was full of grace because I passed that class, although I was absent more times than I was present. That’s not good. But I just couldn’t get motivated to go to that class because I didn’t like it.

2. They Were Unwilling to Change

I didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to hear it. And so I just missed it. And my professor knew. And he called me out on more than one occasion for that. I didn’t go because I just wasn’t interested. Our presence indicates our interest. And are we teachable? Are we fair-minded? Are we noble enough to say, I want to be there, and I want to hear and be taught the word of God. Those in Thessalonica, those who rejected the message, at least and violently so, were less noble because they weren’t teachable, and they were unwilling to change. And you can connect those two, can’t you? They didn’t want to change. Go back with me to Acts chapter 17 and remember the charge that was made against Paul and Silas.

Remember, they’d gone to the house of Jason. Paul and Silas weren’t there, and so instead they apprehended Jason and they brought him before the authorities, and they’re saying, We want Paul and Silas. And the reason given, notice what he says about those who Jason was housing, Paul and Silas. Acts 17, verse 6, when they did not find them, Paul and Silas, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, these who have turned the world upside down, have come here too. What a charge.

They’re changing allegiance and faith. They now say we have to have faith in this Jesus, not just in God. And they’re changing worship, they’re changing everything. We like it the way it was. They were unwilling to change. That’s why they weren’t noble. That’s why they weren’t fair-minded. They’re like the rich young ruler. Remember him who came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to gain eternal life. And when Jesus told him, the text says he went away sorrowful. Because he wasn’t willing to change. You know, the purpose of preaching. The purpose of preaching is to storm the will and to effect change in the listeners. Let’s never forget that. The purpose of preaching the truth is not just because we stand for the truth. We’re the pillar in the ground of truth.

And we’re supposed to proclaim the truth. Now, all of those things are true, but that’s not really the purpose of preaching. The purpose of preaching is to affect change in people’s lives. Look with me, go back to James chapter 1. We talked about the idea there of being listeners, being swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. Notice what James would go on to say when it comes to the idea of listening to the word of God. Go back to James chapter 1 and look at verse 2. But after saying, be quiet and listen to what God says, that’s a paraphrase of verse 19. He would say this in verse 22, but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. We read that passage that warning in 2 Timothy 4 about people heaping up teachers and wanting their ears to be tickled or scratched there.

And we just like, oh, that’s the world. They’re bad. They don’t want to listen. We want to listen. We’re here on a Sunday morning. I got up early for this. I showered and shaved and got dressed, and I’m here, and I want to hear the preaching of the word. James says, be careful. Don’t fool yourself. That going to the right church and hearing the right message is enough. He says, but be doers of the word. Coming and listening to the gospel preached, even the painful truth, is not like some kind of whooping that squares your account with God. It’s a prodding to get you to change when you leave the church building. They were unwilling, they were unnoble people. Because they were unwilling to change. What about us?

You know, sometimes the announcement is made from the pulpit, sometimes by the person making announcements, often by the preacher. Particularly in a gospel meeting, when we may have visitors in our audience, and we might say, if if we’re trying to do things just by the book, and if you see or hear anything that we teach or do that’s not in accordance with God’s will, you’d be our friend if you would come and point those things out to us. You heard that kind of announcement before? Do we really mean that? I mean, really mean that. Do I mean that? That if I get up and preach a sermon and somebody comes to me and says, Ken, you know, I don’t think that’s right. Do I get angry?

Even though God said, be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Or do I just try to set out to defend myself and defend my position? Or am I noble-minded? And I’m willing to open up the scriptures and to see not what my position is or what your position is, but what does the Bible teach? Maybe I’m wrong. And I need to be teachable. And I need to be willing to change. It’s so easy to hear a message like this and to come to the conclusion that this sermon was preached for those who are not here. But as Bible believing, God loving Christians, we need to make sure that we’re humble enough to admit when we’re wrong. And to be exam willing to honestly examine our beliefs and practices in light of the scriptures.

Conclusion

And be willing to be teachable. And be willing to change. And to be like those of which it was said, these were more noble than those. Because they receive the word and the readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily to see whether those things were so.

Can we help you as you render obedience to the gospel this morning? Can we help you as you seek to be more fair minded with God and his word? If we can help you, let it be known as together we stand and sing.