Acts 17:1-9 

¹ When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” ⁸ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Boredom

High technologies have boosted the issue on boredom: social media accounts of young people and even older ones are flooded with, “I’m bored!” updates of emotional release.

Boredom is a secretive exhibit of torture reflecting eternal punishment that nobody, good or bad, would love to experience.

Boredom is the absence of excitement, diversion, or amusement.

John10:10…¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus says, “The devil is the thief who steals and destroys anything to remove excitement and enjoyment;” when joy is absent, the thief might have stolen it.

The experience of boredom is a reality that excitement must have been stolen.

To get out of boredom, allow the Lord Jesus to give life to the fullest. Billions of different human appearance, unaccounted number of animals, insects, and plants are exhibits of the unlimited creativity of our Creator. When Christ is reigning in our hearts, there’s unlimited creativeness of excitement in our life; when boredom is felt, Christ is forbidden as Lord.

Work and home for employees, school and home for students, vacation, hobbies, sports to their schedules, attending to TV, computer, and cell phones expose the reality of boredom. A multitasking person do many things because of boredom.

Paul’s social media account is published in the Bible. No updates about hobbies, vacation, sports or other activities; his updates without picture were about mission.

Was the typical routine or ordinary day of Paul or his companions boring?

1.  Custom

¹ When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

The word custom suggests typical routine; Paul and his companions normally go to the synagogue on the Sabbath. Synagogue is the ideal place to find religious Jews. During Sabbath, religious Jews would congregate in their synagogue.

A synagogue is an assembly of Jewish people formally gathered together to offer prayer and listen to the reading and exposition of the Holy Scriptures.

The word synagogue pertains to either the place or Jewish people gathered together in the place.

Going to synagogue or worship centres to find religious people to explain the Scripture is a biblical missionary strategy approach to find contacts.

When praying for intentional evangelism or outreach, we need to pray for the right place where to share the gospel to the person God has prepared.

In Romans 9:15-18… ¹⁵ For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. ¹⁷ For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Many of those who are active in sharing the gospel observed that there are people who readily accept the Lord Jesus and there are those who are not ready. It is very discouraging when you preach or share the gospel with much enthusiasm only to be rejected or worst persecuted. When discouragement creeps in the mind, the thief is trying to steal your joy, peace, or even patience.

Be alert! Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to bring much bigger fruit.

In Romans 8:6-7… ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

The word hostile includes indifference, not wanting to participate, or anything outside submitting to God’s law even doing nothing is considered hostility to God.

Let’s check our lifestyle: Laziness to pray, not wanting to read the Bible, misguided interpretation of the Bible, not allowing Christ to lead or reign in our life, entertaining the desire of the sinful mind and flesh, and many more are subtle in the eyes of men but they are considered hostility toward God.

Most people think that when there’s trouble, crisis, or difficulties they would readily claim that it’s because we are not in-tuned with God. Paul and his companions continually experience trouble, crisis in life.

2.  Crisis

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” ⁸ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Jealousy among religious leaders was the recurring problem Paul and His mission team struggled with in their typical mission routine. They continued to serve that Lord in spite of those struggles and undisclosed crises but why did the Lord let Paul experience similar crisis everywhere he went?

Have you encountered similar problem keep coming every now and then?

Acts 9:15-16… ¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 

Paul continued to encounter similar crisis because God has designed it for him. Paul did not try by his human effort to prove he can endure those struggles; he endured because God who designed such crisis in Paul’s life supplied him strength.

It is when we struggle, in crisis, during testing time, times we cannot by our human effort do things that we are able to test or prove the maturity of our spiritual life, our faith, and the power of God working in us.

With God’s grace, let us hold on to His word in Romans 8:28-30…²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

God wants us to more like Jesus; God has designed something especially for you alone. Time is coming when this earth will perish. Be more serious in earning your treasures in heaven.

The Time is coming nearer!

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