Where There is Unity There is Strength

Paul Needed Help in Athens

• Paul needed help because the city was given wholly to idolatry Acts 17:16
• Paul’s spirit was stirred in Athens while waiting for Timothy & Silas Acts 17:16
• Paul sends for Timothy & Silas for help right away Acts 17:15
• Paul sends for Timothy because Timothy had the power too I Cor 16:10

The Idolatry Of The City Of Athens

• Athens was the chief city of Greece famed for its learning Acts 17:15 Ref C
• There is no record that Paul established a church in Athens
• Even though the city had Paul & two powerhouses (Timothy & Silas), they still couldn’t get a breakthrough in the whole city
• This was because of the satanic powers
• The satanic powers had a stronghold over education
• One can rely on education so much that they don’t pray
• Education is good because, Paul had a Ph.D. but, he knew he needed the power of God
• However, they were able to start a church in Corinth nearby
• Paul wrought no special miracles in Athens, for they did not believe Acts 19:11-12
• The ground in Athens was harder to break than in Corinth, and Corinth had problems mentioned in two epistles

We Need Help To Fight This Good Fight of Faith

• You may need help in your local church, jurisdiction, & organization
• We need help to fight this good fight of faith I Tim 6:12
• It is a spiritual battle, be strong in the Lord Eph 6:10
• You cannot fight this battle by yourself
• You got to have help in your church & jurisdiction because  of these strong holds  Eph 6:12 
• One can chase a thousand & two can chase ten thousand Deut 32:30
• We need strong elders James 5:14
• Strong means you can pray in the Spirit when you pray Jude 20
• We have a system of bishops, elders, and pastors to help one another
• We are helpers one to another
• We need help in the church I Cor 12:28

The Opposition in Ephesus Was Idolatry

• We need the power of God to fight against principalities Eph 6:12
• They worshipped the idol Diana in Ephesus Acts 19:24 
• This idol had breasts all over her body Acts 19:27RefN
• Those who worshipped her believed she was the mother and a nourisher of all creation
• Witchcraft, voodoo, & burning incense comes with these idols
• This was church work, fighting against all this idolatry Eph 6:10-12

Our Opposition Today Is COVID19

• Our satanic opposition today is COVID19
• Satan is using the virus to come against the church
• Staying home to have church online is not the same as in-person
• All churches (denominations) are having trouble getting people back into the church
• You have to pray to not get that mind
• Satan wants the churches to shut down
• Ask the Lord to keep you
• Through all this, we need to have a spiritual mind and watch the attack of the enemy against you and against the church

Paul’s Method In Starting Churches

• Paul receives the vision of a man in Macedonia saying, come over into Macedonia and help us Acts 16:9
• This church in Macedonia (Philippi) was during his 2nd missionary tour
• Paul often visited churches to see how they were doing
• Church work is spiritual work
• Once again, they had opposition through the fortune teller Acts 16:16
• The city was under the influence of the spirit of divination (fortune-telling)
• Paul leaves Corinth to Ephesus Acts 19:1-2
• Paul would go to the synagogues because he knew they knew the scripture & he would start with the Jews first

We Need The Power of God To Fight Against The Principalities

• My preaching and teaching came not only with enticing words I Cor 2:1-5
• An anointing should come with the title Eph 4:11-12
• If there is no anointing with the title, that is coming up short
• Obedient means to convince them to believe Rom 15:18-19
• You got to teach and preach with a made-up mind
• You got to be convinced first before convincing others
• If you become obedient to the faith, you become a believer
• What causes believers to believe? Mighty signs and miracles
• Special miracles make believers