Acts
Scuba divers are trained to follow the bubbles. When a powerful wave or a sudden current disorients you, your inner sense of direction becomes useless. Panic makes you kick harder in the wrong direction. But bubbles always rise. They tell you which way is up, even when everything else feels upside down.
To understand our passage for this Sunday, we must understand that the gospel does not arrive gently. In Acts 17:1–15, the preaching of Christ turns entire cities upside down. Some people respond with rage, fear, and violence. Others respond by opening the Scriptures and searching them carefully. The difference is not in how shaken they are, but in what they follow when they are shaken.
In a world filled with confusion, turmoil, and cultural upheaval, Christians are not called to follow their hearts. As the prophet Jeremiah warns us,
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Instead, we are called to follow the Word of God, which alone can tell us which way is truly up. This Lord’s Day we will see why the Bereans were called noble—not because the gospel left them comfortable, but because when it turned their world upside down, they followed the bubbles of God’s truth rather than the panic of their own hearts.
To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Acts 17:1-15, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 55:8-9, John 7:17, Romans 12:2, Hebrews 4:12, and this article titled Don’t Follow Your Heart.
As we gather to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “All You That Fear Jehovah’s Name,” the Acclamation of Praise, “The Lord is My Salvation,” and the Hymn of Response “It is Well with My Soul.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
Sermon Information
Text: Acts 17:1-15
Title: Which Way Up?
Outline:
- Expect the Gospel to Turn You Upside Down (vv. 1-7)
- Refuse to let Your Heart Guide You Down (vv. 5-9)
- Allow the Word of God to Guide You Up (vv.10-15)
Sunday's Bulletin
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