The Truth about Spiritual Warfare

· Introduction: Good morning GPC! Would you turn with me to Acts 14? Acts 14:1-7 is our passage today. While you turn there, let me highlight a few announcements. (New Member’s Class, Nauvoo at Night- Ken speaking, Parenting class? Check out our sermons on Youtube and on our blog.). Would you stand with me for the reading of God’s word?

o This is the HOLY WORD OF GOD! (Read, pray, you may be seated, drink).

· One of my favorite pastors to read about is Charles Spurgeon. I’ve shared before, but I actually have a little Spurgeon bobblehead on my desk. Charles Spurgeon had by all accounts an extremely successful ministry and is sometimes called the “Prince of Preachers.”

o But, Spurgeon also had a deep struggle with depression.

o His struggle was honestly life long. One of the wonderful things about spurgeon is he had a well-rounded understanding of depression and its causes, especially when you consider that his ministry started before the US CIVIL WAR!

§ Today, our passage is going to talk about spiritual warfare and we are going to consider what it means.

o Spurgeon is someone who I think went through a lot of spiritual warfare. As I was working on this sermon, I found a list of 11 things that contributed into Spurgeon’s depression. Let me read a few examples that I think can be classified as spiritual warfare, or are things satan could use to tease or depress Charles.

§ Listen to this Newspaper quote about him, “Charles Spurgeon “is a nine days’ wonder, a comet that has suddenly shot across the religious atmosphere. He has gone up like a rocket, and ere long will come down like a stick” (The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, April 28, 1855)”

§ Or listen to a quote about his fame. “When I first became a pastor in London, my success appalled me; and the thought of the career which it seemed to open up, so far from elating me, cast me into the lowest depth, “

§ Let me read two more. He says of loneliness, “This loneliness, which if I mistake not is felt by many of my brethren, is a fertile source of depression.”

§ And finally, after preaching to a crowd where someone yelled out that the building was burning which led to a panic and multiple deaths, he uttered these words, “There are dungeons beneath the Castle of Despair as dreary as the abodes of the lost, and some of us have been in them”

· Despair, loneliness, mockery, depression. All of these things discouraged Charles Spurgeon and they can discourage us, making us not want to continue on!

· It’s in those moments that it can be easy to say, “Why do I feel this way?” and “LORD, WHERE ARE YOU?”

o Our answer to these questions is simple. It’s also our main point today. Our answer is, “The Lord is faithful to us even in times of intense trial and spiritual warfare.”

· BODY: This week as we continue to examine Paul’s first missionary trip, we see that he has moved on. Remember, last week as we closed out our passage, we saw that Paul fled from Pisidian Antioch.

o He was facing threats and persecution and he left, with a strong rebuke of the people, done by shaking off the dust of his sandals at them.

o When he left, he went to Iconium. Iconium is also in south-central Turkey, very similar to Pisidian Antioch.

· In verse 1 we read, “Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.”

o Once again, when Paul and Barnabas go into a town, they start by going into the Jewish synagogue. Similarly, they also share the gospel effectively.

§ Remember, many believed, but God is the reason! God is giving them the gift of Grace and belief as we saw last week.

§ I want to make a note here on the message that Paul and Barnabas preach.

· Simply put, we don’t know what it said! Luke doesn’t tell us! Why? Because that isn’t the main point!

o The main point in this passage is what comes after the message.

o The end result of this is that many, Luke says, “A great number” believe!

§ Luke also specifies that this includes both Jews and Gentiles. Last week we saw how Paul and Barnabas said they were sent for the Gentiles.

· But we also talked about how this does not stop them from preaching to all people! Even though their emphasis will be on gentiles, they are aiming to preach to ALL who will listen!

o The same thing should be true of us as we seek to do ministry! We may expect to reach one group of people, or another, for instance, Mormons in Nauvoo, but we should never hesitate to tell the gospel to ALL WHO WILL BELIEVE!

§ George Whitefield, like I said, I’ve been reading a ton about him, had a ministry with orphans in Georgia. It was funded from England though.

§ At one point in the the late 1740’s, Whitefield was preaching in England. His purpose? THE GOSPEL!

· That night, someone approached him wanting to both support him financially, which was always a need, and also to support the orphanage.

o It wasn’t his purpose for that message, but God worked in people’s hearts!

o In the same way, Paul’s purpose may not be to reach the Jewish people, but he will be faithful to preach and to let GOD DO THE WORK!

· The events of verse 1 must have felt like such a breath of fresh air for Paul and Barnabas! Let’s look at verse 2.

o “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”

§ Does this sound familiar? It should!

§ As the gospel spreads, there is an effort to create disunity and to stop the advance!

· We will talk more about this idea of spiritual warfare in a few minutes, but this is an example of it!

§ Look at the word that Luke uses for what the Jews and Gentiles do. They POISONED their minds!

· Another translation would be, “MADE THEIR SOULS BITTER!”

· The Jews and the Gentiles who do not believe are ANGRY AND THEY WANT REVENGE!

o We can’t miss this! It isn’t because Paul and Barnabas have done anything to them that is sinful; it’s because they are jealous!

o They are jealous and angry that they are losing control and power! Their influence is being taken away!

§ They are PRIDEFUL and SELFISH!

§ They aren’t so much concerned with anyone else, as they are with their own influence!

· Here’s an honest reality for us. It’s really easy for us to fall into this trap! It’s easy for us to care more about how something is done, or who is in charge of something than it is that it gets done!

o This is a normal human reaction and response, but underneath it is really an attitude that, “I know better and can do better.”

o Paul and Barnabas have to deal with this!

o The crowd is turning against Paul and Barnabas. What would you do? There are two options. The first is the easy route; to leave; while the second is the HARD route and that’s to dig in and to persevere.

§ We all hit these moments in life where we can either take the easy route or take the hard route and stand for what is right!

· Listen to what Luke wrote. “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

o THEY DON’T RUN, THEY DIG IN! They stand up and say, “We aren’t going anywhere! We are here for the glory of God! You can try to shake us, but you WILL NOT SUCCEED!”

§ Oh that others would say that of GPC! Oh that we would show how we are going to STAND FOR JESUS!

§ Paul and Barnabas remain for a long time. They take the hurt, they take the pain, they take the persecution. They face it all. That’s HARD!

· They deal with people wanting them gone, but instead of leaving, they stand as a light for the gospel!

o That’s a convicting example to me! When things are hard, do I run, or do I stand? I can promise you, it is easier to RUN!

o It’s always greener on the next hill. It’s always a little better, a little easier, somewhere else!

§ Yet that isn’t what God has called us to! God calls us to stand firm and to glorify him by STANDING FOR HIM!

§ Paul and Barnabas not only stayed, they SPOKE BOLDLY FOR THE LORD!

· They dug in and they served the Lord!

o Look at what God does with them in this!

§ THE LORD DOES NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE! THE LORD GRANTS SIGNS AND WONDERS TO BE DONE!

· The Lord provides them with backup to what they are saying!

o God is SO SO GOOD TO THEM!

o The Lord is with them during the hardest of times and God provides!

§ Let me be honest. This hit me in the heart this week as I read this! Even when things seem overwhelming, GOD IS WITH US!

§ Even when we want to give up, GOD IS GOOD! Even when things seem hopeless, GOD IS WITH US!

· I don’t know about you, but my heart breaks for our community! WE NEED JESUS! To the north, the south, the east and the west, we need JESUS!

o That can feel overwhelming, BUT GOD IS GOOD! O that we can rejoice in that! No matter how overwhelming it may seem to serve God, HE IS GOOD AND MERCIFUL TO US!

· Look at what Luke records in verse 4! Not even signs can convince everyone! The deception of satan runs deep! Luke writes, “But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.”

o The people of the city are split! Even as they see all of these remarkable signs, they cannot come to an agreement on who they will follow!

§ Some want to follow Paul, others don’t like the message that they bring!

§ Let’s be clear, this disunity is not what God designed or desires!

· In verses 5 through 7 we read, “When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.”

o Let’s be quite direct here. Eventually, all of the tension comes to a boiling point. This isn’t a situation of, “Lose a friend,” this is a situation of, “Stay and lose your life!” It’s never about avoiding ministry, it’s about living to preach again!

§ Paul and Barnabas flee, looking to escape with their lives. They run to two cities, Lystra and Derbe, that are about as far apart as Burlington and Ft. Madison.

o Before we get to the destination and what they do there, let’s talk about what has happened!

§ Everything in Iconium has hit a boiling point. The gentiles and Jews who stand against the gospel of Grace that Paul and Barnabas are preaching decided that it is time to end this once and for all.

§ Their strategy for this? To KIILL Paul and Barnabas!

· Paul and Barnabas catch wind of this and flee.

o Let’s be clear. This is not some random thing. This is spiritual warfare. As Paul and Barnabas dig in and share the gospel, living it out day after day, they face the full effects of spiritual warfare.

§ See, all around us, there is a war going on, EVEN RIGHT NOW! This war is real and in this situation, it is not only about heart attitudes, it boils over into an attempt to kill two people!

· That’s what prompts Paul and Barnabas to flee! They are facing DEATH!

· I truly believe that the Lord has told them at this point that it is time to go! Do not hesitate, do not delay, LEAVE NOW!!!

o As we look at their flight, I want us to see something. Even as they run for their lives, they never lose sight of the gospel! They never lose sight of the mission that they are on!

§ Satan tries to shake them, but they cannot be shaken! They continuously PREACH THE GOSPEL!

· That is after all what verse 7 is saying! THEY CONTINUED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL WHEN THEY GET TO THEIR NEW DESTINATION!

o They don’t hide, they don’t lay low trying to let it all blow over; THEY PREACH THE GOSPEL!

o How do they respond to this spiritual warfare? Not with fear, but instead with a spirit of boldness, continuing on in the work that the Lord has given to them!

o There’s something truly profound about this I think! What an unshakeable spirit that we can look to as an example!

§ Let’s be honest, most of us, if not all of us, will not have our lives threatened because we are Christians. It just won’t happen!

§ But, we will face other forms of spiritual warfare and we are called to persevere!

· It may be rejection, or the loss of friendships; it may be a feeling of dread or fear when you have opportunities to share the gospel!

· It may even be disunity in the Church that stands in the way of gospel proclamation and the MISSION God has given!

o But in all of this, what should we do? We should give it to God and endeavor to SERVE GOD!

o Let me just speak honestly as we wrap up our study of Acts 14:1-7. There are so many needs in our community and one of them is a need for Jesus!

§ Hear me, as we seek to serve and to love our community, we will face rejection and disagreement, because of this spiritual war being waged all around us.

§ But let me remind us of a key truth in all of this, one that Paul and Barnabas no doubt clung to. GOD WILL BE VICTORIOUS!

· TRULY NOTHING CAN STAND AGAINST OUR GOD!

· Conclusion: What a passage! What an interesting set of events! Many are saved, the gospel is preached and many are saved! Yet, at the same time, there is much division, there are threats, and there is lots of discouragement!

o This morning, I want to finish up our time studying this passage by making a guide of sorts; a guide to how we can fight spiritual warfare. To do this, I’m pulling first from scripture and then heavily from the work of Charles Hodge and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Here are the four steps that I want to challenge us with.

§ Cling to God

§ Cling to one another

§ Be in Prayer!

§ Know scripture and PREACH IT TO YOURSELF!

o Let’s walk through these. First, spiritual war, that is the war that is ongoing between God and satan, requires that we cling to God!

§ Charles Hodge says of spiritual warfare that, “Between the beginning and the consummation of salvation, there is a protracted conflict.”

· That’s the fight we are in! That’s when we MUST CLING TO GOD! For Paul and Barnabas it was clinging to God in the face of potential death, for you and I, it may be being faithful in our daily lives, or faithful to follow through on commitments to serve!

§ Every single day, we MUST CLING TO GOD!

· Martyn Lloyd-Jones says of this, “I do not hesitate to say that the devil turns men and women in upon themselves, knowing that when they are looking at themselves they are not looking at God, and so he produces all these moods and depressions within us.”- Dr. Lloyd-Jones

· Now, he did not limit the causes of depression to spiritual warfare, but it is a cause!

o What he’s saying I think is accurate though! When we take our eyes OFF of God and put them on ourselves, we find ourselves struggling, at least I do! I see all of my shortcomings and all of my failures!

o So in the face of spiritual warfare and difficult times, let’s be faithful to CLING TO GOD!

§ Secondly, we need to CLING TO ONE ANOTHER! God has not placed us here on earth as “lone-rangers.”

· Let’s be honest, we all love the lone-wolf type of a character in a movie or a book who is totally self-sufficient and heroic, but that isn’t God’s design for our lives!

o We are called instead to live together in community and unity!

o That’s found all throughout scripture! Just last week we talked about how we are all part of the body of Christ!

o So as we fight through this life, as we run the race of perseverance, CLING TOGETHER! WALK TOGETHER LIKE THE FAMILY THAT WE ARE!

§ Notice, Paul and Barnabas had God and they had each other! When you are struggling, an encouraging word is so meaningful!

§ This week even, I have bene really encouraged as someone took the time to be an encourager in a time of deep struggle for me!

· They didn’t do anything crazy, they just reminded me that God is good and that I am not alone!

· Just be a listening ear and a friend!

§ Third, BE IN PRAYER!

· As we fight through spiritual warfare, we need to be in prayer!

o Ask the Lord for strength! Ask the Lord to be with you and to go before you!

o Go to the LORD! RUN TO HIM!

§ Additionally, be praying for one another! Be praying consistently for one another that God would protect each of us from the attacks of satan!

§ Fourth, Know Scripture and Preach it to yourself! This can sometimes sound cliché, but seriously, KNOW SCRIPTURE, KNOW THE GOSPEL, KNOW THE BEST NEWS, and DO SOMETHING WITH IT!

· We proclaim it to others and we should be REMINDING OURSELVES OF IT DAILY!

o Listen to what Charles Hodge says of this. He writes, “Muster strength for the struggle from Christ, pray on all occasions, seek the Lord in faith and in scripture.”

o Pray, and SEEK THE LORD IN FAITH AND IN SCIRPTURE! CLING TO GOD, PRAY, AND KNOW SCRIPTURE!

§ Know passages like Psalm 42, or Ephesians 6 inside and out; understand what you believe!

· If we only have a scholarly knowledge of Christianity, it is useless, but if we don’t UNDERSTAND what we believe, then we are hurting ourselves!

o KNOW SCRIPTURE!

· Listen to what MLJ says about Psalm 42. He wrote, “Preach to ourselves instead of listening to ourself.”- Dr. Lloyd-Jones

o When faced with difficult times, TELL YOURSELF THE GOSPEL TRUTH!

§ DON’T DESPAIR, TELL YOURSELF THE GOSPEL TRUTH!

· When you shower, or as you eat breakfast, take a minute and pray, for one another. Then, remind yourself of the fact that you are saved by GOD’S GRACE; rescued from sin!

o Remind yourself of the truth that you once lived in darkness, separated from God because of your sin, but that NOW, YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED!

§ Now, you can walk in freedom! Now, you can rejoice!

§ Now, you have been justified and made right with OUR CREATOR, GOD!

· How have we been justified? Through FAITH IN OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST!

o We must remember that and cling to that no matter what we face!

§ In fact, if you are here today and you have not placed your faith in Jesus for salvation, let me call on you to do that today.

§ Let me pray for us!