Impacting Cities for Christ
Acts 18:1–17 (ESV)
Recurrent Thought
Impacting Cities for Christ is grounded on the conviction of actualizing effective strategies.
Introduction
There is a Strategy Paul regularly executed to Impact Cities for Jesus. The Key target was to plant and develop a growing community of discipled believers. This was replicated in most of the cities he went to with apostolic team. Acts 18:1–17 is a powerful passage on how God used Paul to transform one of the most corrupt cities of the ancient world.
Why Cities?
A City is a human settlement were larger (dense) populations of different types (diversity) reside to take advantage of collected resources for their existence. Cities are centers of concentrated population and therefore, to reach the world with the gospel means an understanding of how to reach Cities.
Breakdown of Cities
- Cities break down due to the Multiplier effect of Sin large population and diversity
- Dense population with diversity creates all forms of segregation and violence
- Cities become places of spiritual vises such as materialism, pride, arrogance etc. Babel is an example of the priced that comes from the creative power of humans (Gen. 11:4)
- Cities are places of spiritual restlessness and brokenness
God’s View of Cities
- He loves Cities for they are habitation of People
- He asks for people to Pray for Cites (Ezekiel 22:30)
- He asks the Church to effectively penetrate the Cities with His light (Math. 5:14)
Corinth, the City
When Paul arrived in Corinth, he entered one of the most sinful and influential cities of the Roman Empire. The city of Corinth was a place of great wealth, immorality, and spiritual confusion, much like many modern cities today. Corinth was a commercial hub, wealthy, powerful, but morally bankrupt. The word “to Corinthianize” became synonymous with immorality. Yet it was precisely in this environment that God called Paul to plant a church that would later impacted the entire Roman world. Like Corinth, our modern cities Lilongwe, London, Lagos are centers of influence and sin. Our cities are full of sin, injustice, and despair — but they are also full of people whom God loves and calls His own. Like Paul, let us stay, speak, and serve until our cities are filled with the light of Christ.
God’s purpose has not changed: He still desires to impact cities for Christ through ordinary people who carry an extraordinary gospel.
After “For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” (Acts 18:10).
This is an interesting text. In one sense, it is a word of assurance informing him not to despair for he has other believers. The same message he gave Elijah when he cried that he was alone. However, it may imply that there are so many unreached persons that need to be reached; and “When God says, ‘I have many people in this city,’ He’s also saying, ‘I’m sending you to reach them.’
Here are few Basic and strategic Ways in Impacting Cities (Not exhaustive)
- City Impact is done through Faithful Partnerships (18:2-3)
- Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, fellow tentmakers, people of the same trade and partnered with them
- City Impact is effectively done through Partnership.
- No one person, denomination, or network can impact a city alone. It demands partnerships of all kinds
- Partnership is of all sheds and at different levels. God used faithful laborers, not famous personalities, to start His church.
- Paul’s tent making opened doors for friendship, discipleship, and influence.
- One major way to impact the City is to be deliberate to present the gospel through workplace ministry.
- God wants to impact our cities not only through pulpits, but also through workplaces. Your integrity and diligence at work can speak louder than words.
- Before we change the cities with our words, we must impress them with our work.”
- Daniel served faithfully in Babylon’s administration and gained respect that gave him influence for God (Daniel 6:4).
- Cities are Impacted When Churches discern Points of Entry
- Paul’s entry into many cities was through the Synagogue.
- These assemblies consisted of people with the similar background of belief, culture, etc.
- He took advantage of the common scriptures and taught the Gospel of Christ from it. But almost inevitably he was thrown out of the synagogue.
- His being thrown away was never a negative, it was a process of advertising through it. It is like todays social media. All activities have potential to advertise a person.
- The key is for the Believers to find Keys of entry in the communities where they are found adequate time of their day
- Application: Compassionate support when communities face catastrophic situations is also a Key Entry Point to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- Application: Understanding the Digital Space and its significance in Preaching the Gospel of Christ. Social Media when effectively used is the Key Entry into the community of the Youths. How does the Church in the City Space use Social Media?
- Legacy Media is the form that was prominent before Internet using Radio, Television, News Paper and usually one way. Social Media is more interactive and decentralized. The Church in the Urban Centers (CAN Media) must adapt and incorporate more interactive approaches to preach the Christ
- Cities are Impacted when the Church Touch People of Influence
- Paul’s clear strategy to impact Cities was to reach people with Influence
- Influence is a capacity to touch people’s lives, aspirations and destinies
- A person of Influence Steers people to critical directions and destinies
- A person of Influence stirs and inspires people to dream for themselves
- Two distinct ways of influence is through leadership capacity and through Power means. Most times Influence is commanded through leadership, affluence or any other means of Power and authority.
- Paul strategically reached out to people with leadership capacity and positions and also people with financial resources.
- And many prominent men came to the Lord Many Prominent men and Greeks (17:4, 12; 18: 8 Crispus). People of Affluence such as Lydia Acts 16:14 became catalyst for wider dissemination of the Gospel
- In this Passage we have two Leaders of the Synagogue who became believes: Crispus (v8) and Sosthenes (v17) who was later beaten for his Faith by Jews publically
- Touching people of influence sparks and entrenches the revival wider
- Cities are Impacted Under the Powerful Hand of God (18:9)
- God (Holy Spirit) is the superintendent of the City Harvest. He gives strategies, directions, commands for the sake of impacting Cities
- When Paul was discouraged God spoke and said “Be not afraid… for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.”
- God showed him the reality that he had other believers in the city. God assured him that he was not alone
- The Lord appeared to Paul in a vision. Though fearful, Paul was reminded that God’s sovereignty ruled over Corinth’s chaos. God had already chosen many to be saved.
- Opening Cities for God demands that we operate in the realm of the Spirit with signs and wonders (1 Cor. 2:1-5; Rom. 15:17-19)
- Here is the Reality of Mission Work: It is hard to preach upwards the social strata while it is easier downwards
- The Holy Spirit is the Great Democratizer for Kingdom Service (Acts 2:14-17): All Ages, Both Genders, People of all Social class strata can be used powerfully.
- The Power of the Holy Spirit gives all believers access to power and gifting that has impact more than Influence, Affluence and Connections
- The Holy Spirit is for all and should be accessed by all to level the ground for all
- You don’t need Influence, affluence, connection to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit
- Cities are Impacted Through Bold Witnesses
- Paul preached the gospel despite that the members of his missionary team had not yet arrived. “And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”
- There are lots of intimidations in the city. 18:6 shows that they opposed him and shunned in the synagogue, but he went to the neighborhood to preach the gospel.
- True city transformation requires courage. Opposition came from the synagogue leaders, but Paul continued preaching in the house of Justus, next door to the synagogue!
- He preached despite opposition and won Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue (v.8).
- Paul did not rely on political power or human persuasion. His weapon was the Word.
- If we want to see transformation, we must open our mouths and share the gospel. The city doesn’t need another opinion; it needs the truth of Christ crucified.
- Later on in 18:9 the Lord appeared to him in a vision of the night and encouraged him to be bold. Boldness was Commanded by God. Paul was commanded to be courageous.
- God encouraged Paul to keep preaching despite fear. The city was hostile, yet the Lord reminded him that there were “many people” in Corinth who would believe.
- Bold proclamation changes cities. Silence never saves a city; only the spoken gospel does. God’s word transforms hearts, families, and societies.
- Even after opposition arose, Paul boldly declared the message of Jesus Christ.
- Cities are changed when believers stop retreating in fear. God told Paul, “Be not afraid, but speak.” The gospel cannot be hidden if we dare to speak it publicly and lovingly.
- Churches must be visible to touch cities. “A silent church cannot save a noisy city.”
- History speaks of John Wesley who preached in the open fields of England. His courage turned a nation back to God.
- It is essential to be practical about this. We must Speak about Christ in our community meetings, social circles, and online platforms. Do not let the noise of sin silence your voice of truth.
- We must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. God grant us all boldness (Acts 4)
- They Prayed for Boldness and for the Lord to perform signs and wonders
- Boldness is the trigger for walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit
Prayer Time
- For All Boldness
- Signs & Wonders