The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now, these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
– Acts 17:10–11
Is that not an incredible passage? An incredible picture of these Berean people receiving the Word with eagerness.
Acts 17:10–11 Shows Us the Eagerness of the Berean People for the Word of God
They were hungry for the Word, which was different than the reception that we see in many other places, specifically in the synagogue. But these Bereans receive the Word with eagerness, and we’re examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Oh, may that be true of our lives. May that be true of our families. May that be true of our churches, that when we gather together, just picture the difference.
People gathering on Sunday with their arms crossed and just saying, “Okay, let’s hear what the Word says and think about what we want to do with it, whether we want to obey it, whether we’re going to let it change our lives.” Maybe even just casually listening to it with no real expectation of being transformed by it.
And then picture a room full of people and a gathering sitting on the edge of their seats, taking notes, soaking in the Word. Eagerly hearing it and asking God, “Transform my life according to it. Give me power to share this Word with others.” Which one describes you? Do you receive the Word with eagerness? And not just on a Sunday gathering, but today, do you open the Word and just eagerly want to hear what God has to say to you and eagerly want to respond to whatever he says?
Acts 17:10–11 Encourages Us to Engage the Word with Eagerness
No matter what that means for your life, no matter what it may cost you. Eager to pass on what you hear to others. Oh God, give us Acts 19:11 like eagerness in receiving your Word. God, forgive us all for times that we have not received your Word, not sought your Word, not opened our ears and our minds and our hearts and our lives to your Word for days when we have neglected your Word. For times when we’ve heard your Word taught and just listened to it casually instead of eagerly. Got to help us to eagerly receive your Word, to examine your Word, to understand what it is saying, to devour it, to digest it, to meditate on it, to memorize it.
God, make us a people who are eager for your Word like this and transform our lives according to it. Oh God, we want to be shaped by your Word. We want to know you more through your Word. We’re eager to know you. Lord, we’re eager to glorify you through your Word. We’re eager to experience the joy that you promise in your Word. We’re eager for your promises and your commands and your instructions, your exhortations to us in your Word. God, give us a Spirit-driven eagerness for your Word, and we pray for that kind of hunger among all these people groups that we pray for on this podcast. God, may they receive your Word with eagerness.
Praying for the Arem People
We pray for Berea to be true among the Arem people of Vietnam and the Arem people of Laos.
God, we pray that this small people group would eagerly receive your Word. We pray that we as your church will be faithful to proclaim it to them. Raise up laborers to go to them with your Word. And we pray today, all of us uniting together for the Arem people of Vietnam. That they would be reached and saved by your Word. Oh God, we pray all of this according to your Word in Acts 19 and Acts 17:10–11. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
