Asian Christian Church | Edmonton, Alberta

Devotional

Day 1: Voice in the Night Vision

Paul shivered in Corinth’s night air when Jesus’ voice cut through the darkness: “Do not be afraid. Keep speaking.” The city bristled with temple prostitutes and hostile leaders. Yet Christ promised protection – not from discomfort, but from destruction. His reason? “I have many people in this city.” Paul stayed eighteen months, planting seeds in hard soil. [55:22]

Jesus still speaks through Scripture when fear tempts us to silence. He sees His hidden servants in every hostile workplace, school, and neighborhood. Our courage comes not from changed circumstances, but from Christ’s concrete promise: “I am with you.”

Where have you muted your witness to avoid conflict? Name one relationship where Jesus is asking you to “keep speaking” truth in love this week.

“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’”
(Acts 18:9-10, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Christ to reveal one person He’s preparing to hear His truth through you.
Challenge: Text one Christian friend today with Paul’s exact words from Acts 18:9-10.

Day 2: Washed in Corinth’s Shadows

The Corinthians knew filth. Temple prostitutes prowled Aphrodite’s shrine. Sailors squandered wages in brothels. Yet Paul declared, “You were washed!” Former idolaters and adulterers now carried Christ’s purity. Their baptismal waters didn’t erase memories – they transformed identities. [01:03:51]

Sanctification isn’t self-improvement. It’s Christ’s resurrection power breaking chains we cannot. When culture says “Embrace your desires,” Scripture says “You were bought with a price.” Our bodies became temples when the Spirit moved in.

What habit or relationship still echoes your “old self”? How can you physically demonstrate your body’s sanctity today?

“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
(1 Corinthians 6:11, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve believed Satan’s lie: “Did God really say…?”
Challenge: Delete one app/media source that conflicts with your purity in Christ.

Day 3: Tentmakers Under Claudius’ Decree

Aquila’s calloused hands stitched tents beside Paul’s. Exiled from Rome under Claudius’ edict, they found purpose in shared labor. Their workshop became a church plant. Every stitch proclaimed: “Even emperors cannot stop the Kingdom.” [50:17]

God uses ordinary work to build extraordinary legacy. Your office cubicle, construction site, or kitchen table can be holy ground when done “as unto the Lord.” Persecution may displace us, but never disqualify us.

What mundane task have you dismissed as spiritually insignificant? How might Christ transform it into Gospel work?

“Because Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome, Paul went to see them...he stayed and worked with them, because he was a tentmaker as they were.”
(Acts 18:2-3, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific tools/skills He’s given you for Kingdom work.
Challenge: Write “Colossians 3:23” on a sticky note and place it where you work.

Day 4: Blood on Their Own Heads

Paul shook dust from his cloak as Jews hurled abuse. “Your blood be on your heads!” The synagogue leader Crispus watched, then believed. While opponents raged, the Spirit moved next door. [51:03]

Rejection never negates God’s redemption. Some hearts harden; others break open. Our task isn’t to convince, but to faithfully proclaim. Eternal consequences rest with hearers – and the God who judges justly.

Who have you avoided witnessing to because you fear their reaction? What if your obedience plants seeds another will harvest?

“Then Paul left the synagogue...Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord.”
(Acts 18:7-8, NIV)

Prayer: Intercede by name for someone currently opposing Gospel truth.
Challenge: Share one Bible verse with a non-believer before sunset today.

Day 5: Bought Bodies in Brothel City

Corinth’s temple prostitutes whispered, “Your body, your choice.” Paul thundered, “You’re not your own!” In a culture obsessed with sexual freedom, he called believers to radical belonging: “Your body is Christ’s member.” [01:08:20]

Modern culture still exchanges truth for pleasure. But our bodies aren’t playgrounds – they’re resurrection vessels. Every act of purity proclaims: “Jesus owns me.”

What part of your daily routine most needs to reflect your body’s sacred purpose?

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit...You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)

Prayer: Ask the Spirit to highlight one way you’ve treated your body as “yours.”
Challenge: Set a physical reminder (wristband, note) declaring “Not My Own” today.

Sermon Summary

Joshua’s charge stands at the front door: “Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua’s call to “be strong and courageous” names both the fear and the temptation to shrink back and then grounds courage in God’s presence, not in human ability. Baptism then tells the same story in water: death to self, burial, and rising into the abundant life only Christ gives. That baptism goes “deeper than that” as immersion into the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit, forming “extreme forgivers,” people who refuse to carry wounds and who bless instead of retaliate. The Great Commission ties courage to mission and promise: all authority given to Jesus, a command to make disciples, and a pledge, “I am with you always.”

Acts 18 puts courage on the street. Luke shows Paul in Corinth, partnered with Priscilla and Aquila, reasoning weekly, then devoting himself fully to preaching. Opposition grows abusive, yet the text gives a midnight anchor: a vision from the Lord—“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent, for I am with you.” That word keeps Paul in a hard city for eighteen months, because God has “many people in this city.” Gallio’s courtroom shows how rulers vary—some hostile like Claudius, some dismissive like Gallio—while the mob targets Sosthenes. The gospel does not bow to the mob or to censorship; the church does not hide its lamp.

Corinth’s moral fog brings Paul’s sharper word in 1 Corinthians 6. Sexual immorality is named alongside greed, idolatry, theft, and slander; “that is what some of you were.” Union with Christ reframes the body: believers are members of Christ and temples of the Spirit, so freedom is not license and desire is not a god. The command is simple and strong: flee. The sanctity of human life and the scriptural laws for sex and marriage marked the early church as radical and costly—think Valentine losing his head to honor marriage—and they still mark faithful Christianity now.

Thessalonica then offers a living picture: the gospel came “not simply with words but with power,” creating joy in suffering, turning people from idols to the living God, and knitting a church that shared “not only the gospel… but our lives as well.” True Christianity, courageously lived, thrives in a hostile world. The Spirit supplies power, the word sets the path straight, generosity breaks money’s grip, and mission sends ordinary saints into neighborhoods as salt and light while Christ brings the increase.

Key Takeaways

1. Courage grows from God’s nearness God repeatedly ties “Do not be afraid” to “I am with you.” Courage does not deny risk; it relocates confidence from self to presence. Daily surrender becomes the doorway where fear yields to companionship. The vision to Paul in Corinth still answers the urge to go quiet. [55:22]
2. True Christianity thrives under pressure Hostility does not choke real faith; it prunes it into fruitfulness. Acts shows abusive opposition, fickle rulers, and a steady witness that keeps speaking. Thriving looks like fidelity to the whole counsel of God and trust that God brings the increase. [47:48]
3. Holiness orders bodies and desires Union with Christ makes the body a member of Christ and a temple of the Spirit. Freedom is real, but not everything is beneficial, and desires make cruel masters. Fleeing sexual immorality is not panic; it is wise allegiance to the One who bought a people at a price. [65:53]
4. Historic love protects life and marriage The early church built hospices and orphan care because every image-bearer mattered, and guarded marriage because covenant shapes desire toward holiness. That witness cost saints like Valentine more than comfort; it cost blood. The same costly clarity is still the church’s path today. [69:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[44:00] - Joshua’s “Do not be afraid”
[44:44] - Two kinds of surrender
[45:01] - Baptism: death and new life
[45:30] - Daily surrender in practice
[46:15] - Great Commission and promise
[46:56] - Immersed in Triune life
[47:27] - Luke-Acts: one continuing work
[47:48] - Courageous church in a hostile world
[48:31] - Power promised by the Spirit
[49:28] - Trust the Lord, not self
[49:59] - Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila
[50:41] - Opposition and turning to Gentiles
[55:22] - Vision: keep speaking, I am with you
[58:38] - Gallio’s court and the mob
[61:24] - Sexuality then and now
[62:46] - “That is what some were”
[65:53] - Bodies as members of Christ
[68:20] - Temples of the Holy Spirit
[69:27] - Sanctity of life and marriage
[70:54] - Valentine’s costly fidelity
[72:00] - Thessalonian letters from Corinth
[73:28] - Joy in suffering, shared lives
[75:35] - Declare glory among the nations
[76:44] - Prayer and generosity
[80:53] - Sent as salt and light

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Joshua 1:9 (ESV): “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Acts 18:9-10 (ESV): “And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.’”
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV): “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Observation Questions

In Acts 18:9-10, what specific instructions and promises does the Lord give Paul during his vision in Corinth?
According to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, how does Paul describe the relationship between believers’ bodies and the Holy Spirit?
The sermon highlights that “fleeing sexual immorality is not panic; it is wise allegiance” [01:05:53]. What practical examples of “fleeing” does the passage in 1 Corinthians 6 imply?

Interpretation Questions

Why does God repeatedly pair commands like “do not be afraid” (Joshua 1:9, Acts 18:9) with reminders of His presence? How does this connection shape our understanding of courage?
The sermon states that “union with Christ reframes the body” [01:05:53]. How does 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 challenge cultural views of personal autonomy and self-directed desires?
In Acts 18, Paul stays in Corinth for 18 months despite opposition. How does the Lord’s promise in verse 10 (“I have many in this city who are my people”) redefine success in ministry?

Application Questions

What practical step could you take this week to actively rely on God’s presence (rather than your own strength) in a situation where fear or discouragement creeps in? [55:22]
The body is called a “temple of the Holy Spirit.” What is one habit, relationship, or choice in your life that needs to change to better honor this truth? [01:08:20]
The early church’s defense of marriage and life often came at great cost. Where do you see opportunities to stand for these values in your community, even if it’s uncomfortable? [01:09:27]
Paul’s daily surrender included trusting God’s plan over his own comfort [45:30]. What area of your life (career, relationships, finances) feels hardest to surrender daily? How can you invite others into this struggle?
The Thessalonians shared “not only the gospel but our lives as well” [01:14:28]. How can your small group deepen relationships to reflect this kind of sacrificial community?

Sermon Clips

44s

“If you claim to follow Christ and fail to carry these two truths forward, you're practicing a version of Christianity that's never existed. I wanna say that again. If you claim to follow Christ and fail to carry the sanctity of human life forward and the scriptural laws for sex and marriage forward, you're practicing a version of Christianity that has never existed until now. It's what we would call heresy, cultic, whatever you want. This is how things get turned upside down.”

48s

“And the the simple saying is true. True Christianity, courageously lived out, will thrive in a hostile world. By thrive, I don't mean that we may explode numerically, but we will understand the power of God, and that will be more than enough for each of us individually and as a church. And we will serve one another and care for one another and teach what we can to others, and we will trust that God will work in the midst of that because he brings the increase. That's true Christianity. We have to live it out courageously, not cutting out parts of scripture we don't like or are uncomfortable with, or make some people more uncomfortable these days than they may have been in the past.”

35s

“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well. That's what the church is meant to exemplify. That we it's not that we just gather once a week, but when we gather, we really share life together. We love one another, and we are aware of where each are at in love, praying one for another, doing what we can to encourage and support each other. We share the gospel and we share our lives.”

35s

“Folks, I'm not making this stuff up. It's in the bible. Right? We know that. You see it. And that is what some of you were, he says to the Corinthians. He says you understand who Jesus is and you have begun to hear the message that there's a way to be a man and a woman. That marriage is for men and women. And that is the only place for sexuality. Fornication is sex before marriage. Adultery is sex during marriage. It's wrong.”

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