Sunday Morning Service

Acts 14 (Click title for audio access)

"The End Of Journey #1  •  10.2.11  •  Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship

Intro.

- Think back to the last time you made a major change in your life. What elements in your mind were involved and how radical did you have to be with yourself to accomplish that goal?

- As you consider that question, I might suggest that what we observe in this chapter will sound very similar to that season in your life.

- Chapter 14 represents the final leg of the first missionary journey. On the surface, what we see here is historical survey, without much in the way of teaching.

- What we see lived out in Paul and Barnabas' lives are incredibly instructive and prayerfully, equally inspirational toward what it will take to fulfill God's call in your lives today.

Text

•  Acts 14:1,2  :  "Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren." : Iconium, known as Konya today, was connected to Pisidian Antioch by a Roman road, separated by about 100 miles.

- This city was known for it's fruitfulness, boasting orchards of plums and apricots that stood out in contrast to the other cities near it.

- It's believed that the people of Iconium had a great irrigation system that set their orchards apart and made them abundantly fruitful.

- Paul and Barnabas made their trek into this city and right into another synagogue. As you will recall, the last synagogue was not very hospitable, but that did not deter them.

- Failure in the past did not keep them from reaching out again. They were obligated to share the message with their people first, the people of God.

- There is no room for our personal defeatism in the practice of our faith!

- That person or that group of persons are unique individuals who may be ready to receive God's message, regardless of our past experiences.

- And sure enough, that's what happened here. A great multitude of Jews and Greeks believed. They were receptive to the Gospel call.

- What if they had not continued in their call? That would have been a tragic mistake!

- At the same time, unbelieving Jews did their job in reversing the damage. First, they stirred up the Gentiles. They excited them, upsetting and agitating them.

- Then, when they were thoroughly upset, the unbelieving poisoned the mind of the believers. Literally, they evil affected their minds. They bent their minds in an evil way against the brethren.

•  Acts 14:3-7  :  "Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there."  :  Paul and Barnabas were not going to leave these new believers there. They stood to defend their Lord.

- In the face of this opposition, they courageously stayed there a long time. That is the first character trait I would have you hear. It takes courage to fulfill God's call in our lives.

- It took courage to stand in the face of growing opposition, preaching a message that when preached correctly is extremely polarizing.

- This takes courage just to stand, much less to stay for a long time! The Lord bore witness to the word of His grace. Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly in the Lord, God spoke boldly on their behalf!

- He endorsed them because they were speaking of the word of His grace! It was the right message, so God approved and worked on their behalf!

- He showed miraculous works through their hands, signs and wonders. These were done, not to draw a crowd or to draw attention to these servants, but to give credence to their message.

- Even with these miracles, the city was divided. This tells us just how strong the opposition was in Galatia. There was a deep schism in the town and it led to violence against the Apostles.

- Literally, there was a violent wave coming in the direction of the Apostles and when they found out they fled to Lystra and Derbe. Lystra was 18 miles from Iconium, Derbe another 12 miles.

- You might ask "Where was their courage now?" They fled knowing that it was better to be messengers than to be dead meat!

- Where Iconium was lush and fruitful, Lystra was a barren level place used for shepherding.

- Once again, to whoever was there, Paul and Barnabas brought the gospel.

•  Acts 14:8-10  :  "And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!' And he leaped and walked."  :  You'll notice that there is no mention of a synagogue. Lystra, by all accounts was a thoroughly pagan city with minimal Jewish presence. As a result, Paul is out in the streets.

- In that day, seeing a cripple begging in the streets would have been a very common scene. This Lystrian man had always been this way but this day would change his life.

- When he heard Paul, something about his listening gave Paul the impression that he could be healed. In that moment, faith was being born as the gospel was being proclaimed.

- When we share the gospel, Paul asserts in Romans 10, that faith will come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Paul looked at him and called him out.

- He did this publically and loudly, leaving no room for fear of failure: "Stand up!"

- All Luke tells us is that he went from sitting and unable to walk, to leaping and walking! These sorts of miracles were given to the Apostles so that their message would be heard.

•  Acts 14:11-13  :  "Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes."  : The people spoke to one another in their own dialect, distinct from the speaking of other Greek colonies, which was not immediately known to the Apostles.  

- Their theology revolved around the Greek mythological gods of Zeus and Hermes. Zeus was the chief god among the Greeks and Hermes was his chief speaker.

- In this area, there was a popular myth revolving around Zeus and Hermes, who had come to Lystra before and found no hospitality, save one elderly couple.

- In anger, they destroyed the city, but spared the elderly couple. When the Lystrian people saw the miracle that had taken place, they believed that these gods had returned!

- They assigned these men with their god titles and began to get a worship service going!

- I can truly say that I hate when this happens! Paul's miracle here caused belief, but not in the God of the Bible. The people instead attributed Paul's power to Zeus!

•  Acts 14:14-18  :  "But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.' And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them."  :  This was a grievous moment for these men. For any true servant of God, it is the worst offense when people give them credit! No man of God ever wants that.

- As true as that is, there is a significant temptation here. When the enemy cannot destroy you through persecution, he'll try to ruin you with pride!

- They ran out and did all that they could to keep them from doing this. They explained that they wanted to glorify God and call them to repent from their sin of idolatry.

- This was why they had come: To turn people from their useless or vain things! That is an apt description of what every friend and family member of yours holds onto.

- What are vain things? Religions that teach there is another way to God through performance, which every religion on earth teaches. Christianity alone teaches that the way to God is Christ.

- Christianity is not about doing for God. It's about what has been done for us by God!

- Vain things are what the Greek gods represented: Power in Zeus, wealth in Plutus, sleep or recreation in Morpheus, the intellect in Coeus, the arts in Apollo.

- Has anything changed? We have the same idols without the ridiculous names! In that time, their mission was to turn them from these useless things to the living God!

- Our mission is to turn men and women from worshipping vain things to the main thing: Jesus!

- The God that you know and love is living. He is not a statue without feeling or power. He gave men everything to enjoy, not to worship.

- All the things that men worshipped, the heaven, the earth and the sea, were all made by the true and living God! They had worshipped the creation, rather than the creator!

- God let them walk in this error, not giving them a ceremonial or written law but kept pointing to himself by giving good things.

- He gives good things that we cannot manufacture, such as the rain cycle and the harvesting of crops.

- Beside that, where do those wonderful good feelings come from, when we are satisfied and filled with gladness? That comes from God!

- People want to point the finger at God for every bad thing that ever happens, yet they will not turn around and attribute every good thing in their lives to the goodness of God!

- Every satisfying conversation, every amazing friendship, every belly laugh, every perfectly grilled steak, every human connection, every amazing discovery comes from God!

- These people could not see it. They blindly continued to set up their worship service.

•  Acts 14:19,20  :  "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe."  :  Paul and Barnabas are doing all that they can to keep people from sacrificing to them and then on the other front, here comes the Jews from the previous towns.

- They followed the apostles for over a hundred miles of travel, not because they believed in God and wanted to hear more, but for a deadly purpose of ridding the earth of them!

- Remember that the city had been divided in their thinking. This group tranquilised the crowd long enough to turn the crowds to their side.

- They persuaded the crowds, who then turned on the nearest Apostle, which in this case was Paul. It's likely that Barnabas was pulled away, but Paul stayed, trying to convince them.

- Stoning was a barbaric, torturous way to execute a person. When they were convinced that he was dead, they dragged him out and left him for dead.

- The disciples pulled him to safety and with great physical pain they got up and amazingly, Paul went back into the city! Notice the second principle: Commitment to their mission.

- We've seen that in every city, they preached in the synagogues and in the streets. When they were kicked out, they preached in the next city.

- Here, Paul has been stoned and gets up and says, "I wasn't done yet!" That is commitment!

•  Acts 14:21,22  :  "And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.'"  : On their return to Derbe, the mission went significantly better. They preached to the whole city.

- The outcome was many disciples. We talk much about evangelism, which is vital, but the end of evangelism is not to make converts, but disciples!

- Disciples are taught ones, who are first taught about salvation, the eternal life offered by God, then about sanctification, the life that He would have us live here!

- Notice that they returned to every city that they had been to, no matter how they had been treated before.  Many had believed in these cities.

- Their last memory they had been of the Apostles leaving, in fear for their lives.

- Paul and Barnabas made sure that they had a new last memory of them! The new disciples had been weakened by the experience of seeing Paul and Barnabas suffer.

- Therefore, they came back to strengthen their weakened souls. The word "strengthen" means to "more fully establish" or "render more firm."

- These disciples needed to understand the nature of the decision that they had made. They needed more information about the life of God.

- They called them to continue in the faith. The word speaks to perseverance of mind and action. Hold fast. Stay true to the faith that was delivered to you!

- What a word for us to hear today: Persevere! Stay the course! Hold fast! Be committed.

- They may have thought that something was abnormal. God was on their side, so why was this happening? Paul's message to them was that tribulation was the path to the Kingdom of God.

- They are to walk through a multitude of pressure situations! Pressure will come from every avenue and in every way. They will come from within and the fear and anxiety that we face.

- They will come from without, when people persecute and level their hatred against God toward the nearest Christian, which might just be you!

•  Acts 14:23-26  :  "So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed."  : The Apostles sought to organize the leadership of each church that they had begun.

- These people were "presbyteros," men with age and experience in the things of the Lord.

- This was not done through human ingenuity or through human methods. This was done as it should always be done, with prayer and fasting!

- Nothing has the potential to make a church soar, than to have properly appointed elders. Alternatively, nothing has as great a potential to make a church sour!

- Paul and Barnabas were passing through. They were not going to stay, so they commended or committed these elders and these churches to the Lord that they had believed in.

- The sense is that they entrusted these churches to God. "Lord, here they are. Please take care of them and give them what they need to be yours!"

- From there, they returned the way they came, including a stop in Perga, where they preached the Word of God! Remember that they did not initially preach the gospel there.

- They went straight from dock into the region of Pisidian Antioch. Whatever kept them from preaching then was not hindering them now. The preached in Perga!

- This represents our final principle: They were courageous, committed and the worked until their mission was completed!

- From there, they made their trek back to Antioch in Syria where they began their mission. Two years have passed and what a story that they had to tell.

•  Acts 14:27,28  :  "Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples."  :  What an amazing report that they had to offer! They told their story and they told what God had done. God had allowed them to suffer, but God had also opened the door of salvation!

- Listen to Paul's voice. He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. That was an open door!? For all the opposition and difficulty, God won the day and many were saved and discipled!

- Often, we are saddled with how difficult our story is, and we miss what God did through that difficulty. What did he effect? He opened a door of faith to someone who was shut out before!

- And here's one for you: On this first missionary journey, in the same city that Paul was stoned in, God was raising up a very valuable family that would eventually serve in an amazing way.

- Timothy and his Grandmother and Mother respectively, were beginning to learn God's ways!

Conclusion

- To follow God's call in your life, it will take courage, commitment and a desire to let the Lord complete what He began in you by cooperating with Him.

- This is what Paul and Barnabas show us. This is what Christian life is all about.