Atlantic Gospel Chapel Messages

As we continue in Acts 17, we find Paul in Athens addressing the men of the Areopagus to answer questions aroused by his preaching in the market place.  And just as we are today, we find that the people of Athens in Paul's day were very religious by nature.  But in our sin we worship things that are not God, who is the only One deserving of our worship.
As Paul presents his case before the council, he presents God as the creator of all things.  He presents God as the self-existent One who does not depend upon anyone or anything for His existence, but instead gives to all life, breath and all things.
Thank you for listening to today's message.  And as we consider the God who is, my you be blessed by the teaching of God's Holy Word.

As we enter into the Christmas season, our thoughts often go to all things Christmas.  The trees and decorations, the lights and presents.  Sunday School programs rehearse the Christmas story, and we return to passages such as Matthew 1, or Luke 2.  But what we don't often associate with Christmas is the story of creation.
When John opened his Gospel in John 1, he wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”  Later in John 1:14, he wrote, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us..."  The Second Person of the Trinity, the One who created the universe, became a man.  This is the story of Christmas.
So, as we look back to Genesis 1 at the story of creation, may we get a glimpse at eternal character and nature of God.  And may this cause us to stop and wonder, as David did, “When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established; What is man that You remember him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NASB)
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed as we consider who God is and what He has done for us through His Son.

In our modern world, the idea that life should be ordered on Scriptural principles is  often seen as a silly notion.  Belief in God is seen as quaint; but to believe that God's Word should play a part in public life is seen as dangerous.  And to insist on belief in the Bible is to de-legitimize other religious beliefs and is therefore a bigoted view.  The COEXIST bumper stickers, on which each letter is formed from a symbol representing a different major religion, is the mantra of the day.
When Paul entered Athens, we read in Acts 17:6, "his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols."  In other words, Paul ran right into a culture not that different than our own modern culture.  He observed a very religious culture with objects of worship abounding.  And to make sure their bases were covered, they even included an altar to an unknown god.  And when Paul began to speak to the crowds in the Athenian market place, he received the same response Christians receive today, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?"
As we look at Paul's response to the culture of his day, what lessons can we draw to help us respond to the culture of today?
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

As a city in the ancient world, Corinth could be compared to Las Vegas of today.  A port city, and an important city within the Roman Empire, this city was a mecca of idolatry and moral corruption.  To find a church in this city was, in many ways, a miracle in itself.
Sadly, the church in Corinth was a church with many problems, not the least of which were the divisions which existed.  What lessons can we gain from this church and Paul's handling of the issues which plagued this local body of believers?
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

Thanksgiving is something that should mark our whole life.  How often do we thank God for our existence or His many blessings in our lives?  Or how often do we thank God for our jobs or our fellow believers?  The list of things for which we should be thankful becomes a rather lengthy one.
In today's lesson, we conduct a survey of what Scripture has to say on the topic of giving thanks.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed as we consider who God is and what He has done.  And may our hearts, minds, and lives pour out in giving thanks to God.

In his play, "The Crucible," Arthur Miller made this comment, "Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets."  It is easy for us to cast stones at many of the characters of Scripture.  And perhaps one of the characters attracting the most condemnation of believers is Lot, the nephew of Abraham.
Most of what we know about Lot comes from the account in Genesis, beginning in chapter 12, where we find Lot joining his uncle as Abram leaves his land following the Lord's call.  And from the Scofield notes, we would conclude that Lot ended his life in a completely back-slidden state.
But the most important things we know about Lot comes from 2 Peter 2:4-9, in which we read that Scripture counted Lot as a righteous man whose heart was tormented by the wickedness of Sodom where he dwelt.
As we consider the character of Lot, what applications can we make to the life of the believer today?  What encouragement, as well as warnings, can we draw from this man's life?
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

Most of us have likely heard messages such as, "Five Things That Prove the Resurrection of Jesus."  In tonight's lesson, however, we turn this on its head.  Rather than looking at the evidence for the resurrection, we consider, "Six Things the Resurrection of Jesus Proves."  While there are more than these items, we focus on the following things which the resurrection prove:
The truth of the Old Testament Scripture
All authority in heaven and earth belong to Jesus
Jesus will return to judge
Salvation
God's wrath is satisfied
Death is not the end
Thank you for listening.  May you be encouraged by the Word of God and the truth and power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

There are those today who act as if Christians should not quote Scripture.  One reason is the fear that people will find us silly.  Another reason being that Scripture no longer has the power to convict.
But what does the Word of God say?  In today's lesson we continue with Paul and Silas and Timothy into Thessalonica.  Having been driven from Philippi, Acts records how they next came to this city, where Paul spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue, reasoning with them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.  The result is many believed; both Jew and Gentile.
The Jewish leaders in Thessalonica, jealous of the response to the Gospel, stirred up the city to drive out Paul and his companions.  Those who knew the Word of God best, rejected the very Scripture they claimed to uphold.
Exiled, Paul and his companions next come to Berea and again enter the synagogue of the Jews.  By contrast, the Jews in Berea are described as, "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica."  For when they heard the Gospel preached from the Scriptures, rather than reject it, they, "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily whether these things were so."
The truth is, Scripture always draws a response.  And in a world where the Word of God is rejected, the believer always runs the risk of seeming silly.  But we must also remember that the Word of God is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

Life is full of questions.  Most of the questions are trivial in nature; what cereal should I have for breakfast?  Other questions, while they may have more depth, we treat them as trivial; such as, "Who are you doing?" to which most of us answer, "Fine," even if we are not.  Some questions are life changing, "Will you marry me?" to which the answer may change the trajectory of our lives.  And still others are life or death questions, "What is your blood type?" which if answered incorrectly may result in death.
But there is one question which has eternal consequences, "What must I do to be saved?"  In today's lesson we continue our study in Acts 16 in which a Philippian jailer is faced with that question.  How would you answer the question?
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

Lamentations is one of the least preached books.  And to be honest, it is a depressing book.  Lamentations deals with the Lord's treatment of Judah, specifically, Jerusalem, for her continued rebellion to Himself and His laws.  And following an 18 month siege of the city by Babylon, Jerusalem is devastated beyond belief.
But the lessons of Lamentations are just as relevant for us today as they were during the time the events of this book took place.  First, we must come to grips that our sin deserves judgment, and the position in which Jerusalem finds itself is the direct judgment of God.  But we also see that God is righteous in His judgments and we learn what happens when God's people cry out in repentance.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed and encouraged through the teaching of God's Word.