Sermon Tone Analysis

· 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.

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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!