Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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acts 18:1-17
THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR SUPERMAN!
Sub: This Not a Job For Superman!
THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR SUPERMAN!
Intro:
When Christopher Reeve died suddenly on October 10, 2004, I was shocked.
I knew he had been almost completely paralyzed for years, but I did not expect him to die.
I will always associate Reeve with his most famous role as Superman in 1978.
Then he died last year in the movies.
He comes back to life again in a movie this year.
The Superman I grew up watching needed no help.
Yet, for all his power, Superman was trapped in loneliness.
No one could know his identity, not even the lovely Lois Lane whom he loved with all his heart.
Superman was the greatest American hero, not just because of his superior powers, but because he needed no help.
Batman had Robin, the Lone Ranger had Tonto, Matt Dillon had Festus, but Superman worked all alone.
It was the price of having the power to save the world.
But this new age Superman proves one thing that even Superman need somebody.
I.
We need Companionship
Paul on His Own
I think this is how we tend to think of the Apostle Paul, without all the comic book silliness.
We picture him traveling around converting the world all by himself: preaching faster than a speeding bullet, able to baptize whole cities in a single dunk.
Nothing could harm him or stop him; not stoning, beating, or prison.
He was never afraid of anyone—Jews, Gentiles, city people, country people, or philosophers.
We think we could never be like Paul.
We can admire him, but we cannot imitate him.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Paul was not a lone super hero.
In fact, Paul was rarely alone, and when he was, he seemed very human.
The first time Paul was on his own was in Athens.
He fled Berea because his life was in danger, so he left Silas and Timothy to help the new mission churches.
Paul was not very effective alone.
He preached a great sermon, but he only got a small response in Athens.
He doesn’t stay in Athens long.
Almost immediately, he headed to Corinth to meet his friends.
Paul Surrounded by Friends
Paul Surrounded by Friends
God met Paul’s needs through several encouraging events.
In response to his loneliness, God gave him friends and coworkers: Aquila and Priscilla.
This married couple had much in common with Paul.
They were already disciples and they were trained in the same profession as Paul—tent making or leather working.
God met Paul’s needs through several encouraging events.
In response to his loneliness, God gave him friends and coworkers: Aquila and Priscilla.
This married couple had much in common with Paul.
They were already disciples and they were trained in the same profession as Paul—tent making or leather working.
Then God blessed Paul even more by sending Silas and Timothy to Corinth with a good report from the Macedonian mission, which relieved Paul’s worry (see ).
Now, Paul’s team was back together.
In addition to his regular coworkers, he had new friends and colleagues.
Silas and Timothy also brought a financial gift from Philippi.
II.
We need Community
God Designed Us for Relationships
Too often, we read the Bible looking for heroes to admire rather than seeing ordinary people like ourselves who were tools in the hand of an amazing God.
This obscures the truth and greatly limits what God can do in our lives.
Paul was just like us.
At times, he was afraid, timid, limited, and needed help.
Paul never worked alone.
In Acts and in his letters, it is clear that Paul was surrounded by people who shared in his missionary team.
His letters begin and end with lists of coworkers (whom we tend to overlook in our hero worship of Paul).
Paul was the point of the spear—but a point is worthless without the rest of the spear.
We don’t all have Paul’s calling, but that is okay because God doesn’t work just through individual supermen and wonder women.
While God helps loneliness, he does not intend for us to just have him.
After God made man and put him in a perfect environment, God still said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (God is not enough for us and says so himself).
While Jesus often got away for one-on-one time with God, he spent most of his time in the company of twelve intimate friends.
Even in Gethsemane, before his crucifixion, Jesus wanted three friends close by as he prayed to his Father, even though they did not understand what was happening.
The greatest curse of the cross was not the physical pain, but the isolation.
Jesus was rejected by his own people and abandoned even by the Twelve.
The climax of his pain is when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Close:
The Joy of Living in Community
Ultimately, sin is a violation of relationships—with God or someone else.
Hell is being utterly alone.
It is being cut off from God and all others (which is life).
Heaven is life in God’s city with God and all the saved (see ).
The gospel restores relationships with both God and others.
It is a word of reconciliation.
The gospel creates a community the world cannot understand.
God’s word of encouragement to Paul involved two relationships: 1) With God—“I am with you” and 2) with others—“I have people here.”
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