Zeus and Hermes

Acts 14:8-18

January 29, 2023

Hermes and Apollos?

· INTRODUCTION: Good morning GPC! Would you turn in your Bibles with me to Acts 14:8-18? Acts 14:8-18. As you turn there, let me just make a few announcements. (Family Sunday, Nauvoo at Night, etc.)

· Would you please stand with me for the reading of God’s word? (Read, pray, you may be seated, drink)

o This is a very unique passage in Acts 14. Honestly, it can seem funny! Yet, despite the humor on the surface of people yelling at Paul and Barnabas and saying they are gods, as we dig into it, we see that instead of humor, we should be heartbroken!

o When I was growing up, there was a book series that came out; Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

§ I love it! It was a great read and honestly, it taught me a lot about Greek mythology.

§ But, at the same time, it almost removes the reality of Greek mythology and the Greek gods from us.

§ See, people genuinely followed these gods and worshiped them!

§ People genuinely shaped their lives totally around them!

· In Lystra and Derbe, this is no different. Honestly, just as the people of Lystra and Derbe shaped their lives around their gods, people today do the same thing!

· Even in our own community, people shape their lives around gods that they have created for themselves.

o This week, as we see Paul and Barnabas sharing the gospel with these people, we have two major things we will look at.

§ Instead of one main point today, I want to give us one thing about God and one thing about man that we can directly apply.

§ First, and I’ll confess that I’m stealing this straight from the book of Deuteronomy:

· “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

o The Greek gods are many, they are all different. BUT OUR GOD; the GOD OF THE BIBLE? HE IS ONE! HE IS THREE IN ONE! FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT WORKING PERFECTLY TOGETHER!

§ Secondly;

· “As we live out the Great Commission we will face roadblocks and hard times, but God is with us!”

o Paul and Barnabas face hard times in this passage, but GOD IS FAITHFUL EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!

· BODY: As we jump into this week’s text, we see Luke introduce a new location. He writes, “Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked.”

o Remember, last week as we wrapped up our sermon, we saw that Paul and Barnabas fled from Iconium to Lystra and Derbe. Lystra and Derbe as we said are about 20 miles apart, so about one day’s journey.

§ It’s a similar length journey as Burlington to Ft. Madison.

o As they entered into the city, they began to preach, preaching to all who would hear.

§ One of those who would listen was a man who was crippled from birth.

· That small detail is actually extremely important.

· See, if a man is born crippled and has never walked, he will not know how to walk, nor will he have built up any of the muscular strength that walking requires!

o He is not just facing a severe case of muscular atrophy that requires the help of a Physical Therapist! This is far more severe!

o This is beginning to sound very reminiscent of the events of Acts 3.

o Do you remember how Acts 3 went? Peter and John went to the temple to pray and they encountered a crippled beggar. This man had been crippled from birth and was carried on his mat every day to the temple to beg for alms.

§ He asked Peter and John if they had any alms, which is what we might call benevolence money. They replied that they had no gold or silver, but that they had something better!

§ Peter and John told the man to rise up and walk!

§ The man stood up and he went into the temple, “Walking and leaping and Praising God!”

§ Everyone in Jerusalem seemed to be amazed by this, but not unanimously in a positive way!

o Let’s look now to see what happens to the crippled man in Lystra!

· Here’s what Luke says, “He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.”

o The man listens to Paul

o Paul looks at him and sees that HE HAS FAITH IN GOD!

§ NOT FAITH IN HEALING, NOT FAITH IN PAUL, FAITH IN GOD!

o That’s how this miracle happens! Not Paul or Barnabas, GOD!

§ We’ve talked a few times in this series about the difference between descriptive events and prescriptive events. This healing is a descriptive event.

· It describes something that God does. It does not promise that you will be healed!

· It is possible to have lots of faith and to suffer! God is still good in that though and HE WILL use your suffering if that’s where you find yourself!

· Understandably, there is chaos! Here’s what verse 11 says, “And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

o The Lycaonian’s proclaim that PAUL AND BARNABAS ARE GREEK gods!

o Obviously that is not correct.

§ These people have faith in something, but not the right thing!

§ They are amazed by Paul and Barnabas and by WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

§ They do not understand though!

· There’s something we can learn here in verse 11. The concept of faith is not new to the Lycaonians, and in fact, it is not new to anyone!

· We all put our faith in something, whether it is a job, a family, a friend, God, many false gods, or something else.

· Ultimately, everything we put our faith in other than THE LIVING GOD OF THR BIBLE, is an idol. For the Lycaonians, they have faith in an idol they’ve constructed and that is Zeus and Hermes!

o It can be easy for us to look at someone like the Lycaonians and to almost think, “Well, I’d never do that!”

o BUT WE DO! All the time! I know I’ve quoted him before about this, but John Calvin said very famously AND ACCURATELY, “An Idle heart is an idol factory.”

§ We produce idols ALL THE TIME! Left and right we are GUILTY of this!

§ I think we often skip over the commandment to never have gods before GOD when we read the 10 commandments. But, that’s something we all must guard against every day!

· The temptation to place being a perfect father, mother, employee, boss, brother, sister, student, even the temptation to place being a “perfect Christian” AHEAD of GOD and of our praise and worship of HIM! That’s our task!

· Look at how the people respond in verse 12! We read, “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.”

o They call Barnabas Zeus and Paul is Hermes!

o Zeus, is often seen as the chief god. He’s powerful, has lightning and a big beard, etc.

o Hermes is the messenger

§ Paul is Hermes because he speaks

§ Before we go further, let’s be clear. The Greek gods were far more similar to humans than they were to Our God!

§ The Greek gods were marked by humanistic character traits such as anger and lust, pride and jealousy. To the Greek people, this mythology was used to explain life.

§ For instance, if your city lost a war it was because your cities patron god was displeased with you! If your crops failed, you didn’t please the gods. Everything in life was explained by these many gods.

· But notice something, there are many gods because no god is all powerful. Our God though is truly ALL POWERFUL! Our God is so much superior to any of the Greek gods or goddesses.

· Unlike the Greek gods who could only be in one place, or doing one thing, OUR GOD IS OMNIPOTENT AND OMNIPRESENT!

· He is everywhere at all times!

Like we said in our main point and we read in Deuteronomy 6:4, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one!.”

We believe in a Triune God that is united in everything! That is far different than the Greek gods who are constantly fighting and disagreeing with one another!

o In the easiest times of our lives and the hardest, GOD IS WITH US! As Paul and Barnabas face this; GOD IS WITH THEM!

§ What joy that should bring us!

· Verse 13 continues to show us more about the people of Lystra and Derbe. “And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.”

o The priest of Zeus brings oxen and garlands to the gates to offer to Paul and Barnabas.

§ These Garlands were made from wool and leaves. They were a sign of deep honor, similar to the crown of olive leaves that an Olympian would get.

§ The Priest is ready to make a sacrifice to Zeus and Hermes to try and curry their favor for the city!

· Now, let’s be clear on something. Greek culture was highly ritualistic.

· For instance, the language is ritualistic and so was the worship! See, as they worshiped the Greek gods, they would recite these long prayers. If there were any mistakes, then they would have to start their prayer over.

o It could be as simple as a wrong breath, because breaths are marked in Greek, or a wrong pronoun or a wrong word! Any of those would require that the person praying STARTED OVER!

o These things were like a page long! They were LONG prayers. In some ways, they were similar to the prayer that the hypocrite prays in the temple in Luke 18!

· Do you remember that? Jesus tells a parable that uses the example of a hypocrite with a loud and proud prayer, compared to a tax collector with a short and humble prayer of repentance!

o God preferred the genuine prayer of the sinner! Once again, our GOD IS SO DIFFERENT from the Greek gods.

§ The priest is ready to make a sacrifice! He wants to ensure that Zeus and Hermes are pleased!

§ That’s his entire job and purpose in society! If the crops fail, it is his fault! If they lose a war, or have a drought, or a flood, he must not be doing his job!

· So here, he thinks he has a once in a lifetime opportunity to make sure that everything is going to be ok!

· He’s going to offer a sacrifice to the gods who have COME IN PERSON!

· In fact, Paul and Barnabas are not gods, but they do bring word of the LIVING GOD WHO CAME TO EARTH TO SAVE US!

§ As we move forward, can you imagine being Paul and Barnabas at this point? This is crazy!

· Verses 14-17 show us Paul and Barnabas’s response. “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

o Paul and Barnabas tear their garments and are upset! As Matthew Henry points out, they did not tear their clothes when threatened with death earlier in Acts 14; it is a far greater issue to them that they would be called gods!

o They declare that they are not gods, but rather come with truth about GOD!

o They turn away the fame; turn away the praise and show true humility, redirecting everyone towards GOD!

§ Notice how Paul and Barnabas say that THIS IS THE SEASON FOR REPENTANCE AND HOW GOD HAS PROVIDED!

§ God has made everything and God has now called all people to himself!

· Notice a major change that the gospel is bringing to Lystra and Derbe. God does not need multiple gods to manage everything. He never gets distracted by another god, or forgets to do something. He never lusts, or messes up!

· That’s stuff that all happens to the Greek gods. They are more like mortals than they are like GOD!

· Further, God isn’t reliant on them to survive!

o I know it’s a little after Christmas, but in the Christmas movie Elf, Santa Claus needs everyone to have more Christmas Spirit.

o In some ways, that’s like the Greek gods. If they don’t have enough followers, they’ll throw a fit and they may even mock each other!

§ NOT OUR GOD!

§ OUR GOD, THE TRUE GOD NEEDS NO ONE TO SURVIVE!

· We worship Him because that’s what we are made to do; to glorify God, bring glory to Him and to HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!

· That’s very different for this crowd that have faith, but not in a loving God! They have faith in vengeful and angry gods.

· In verse 18, we see one of the more interesting things in this passage. Paul and Barnabas have poured out the gospel. They’ve been making clear the true GOD to this crowd.

o Yet, people don’t immediately follow! See, ministry is slow and can be hard. This is what we read, “Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.”

o Paul and Barnabas have been preaching and teaching, but notice something, the gospel is not received quickly or smoothly. We need to hear that!

§ They have to continue stopping sacrifices!

o Let’s be clear on a takeaway from this- gospel ministry is not short-term. The results are not always quick. Sometimes you labor for years or decades before someone listens!

o It takes all that Paul and Barnabas can do to simply keep them from offering sacrifices to them! They have to first show that GOD IS REAL AND IS TRUE before people will listen!

§ We’re stopping here, but I want us to see something. Gospel ministry is not always easy or smooth. There will be hiccups and challenges. But we are not called to worry.

· There will be stretches where we want to give up or quit. But that isn’t what we are to do!

§ Instead, we are called to faithfully serve! That’s what Paul and Barnabas do, even as they are called Zeus and Hermes and as they face intense persecution.

· CONCLUSION:

o This passage is special. It is one of my favorite passages in Acts because honestly, I LAUGH! It’s entertaining on the surface, but as we dive deeper in it, we see something that is really heartbreaking, people who totally lack understanding of the gospel!

§ In fact, In Acts 14:8-18 what we are seeing is Paul and Barnabas engaging in missions reaching an unreached people group.

§ Just as the people of Lystra and Derbe needed the gospel, WE NEED the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

§ Fortunately for us, the gospel is simple. Paul summarizes it well in the book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 23 saying, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

· We all have a need; we all NEED to be saved because we have sinned!

· Sin leads us on a collision course with a punishment; death.

o This is not referring only to physical death, this is referring to SPIRITUAL death; that is the reality that we are eternally separated from God!

o The only way to avoid that is FAITH IN JESUS!

§ Jesus died for us and SAVED US FROM OUR SIN! WHAT A GLORIOUS GIFT!

§ If you are here today and you have not placed your faith in Jesus, let me encourage you to do so today!

· On the other hand, if your faith is already in Jesus, I want to make another application.

o Assuredly, it had to be hard for Paul and Barnabas who have just poured out their hearts preaching the gospel to find themselves confronted with a crowd offering them sacrifices and crying out worshipping them!

o It had to be hard! They’ve preached their absolute hearts out. They’ve sacrificed and they’ve tried to love these people and to proclaim truth clearly!

§ Yet on the surface, it didn’t work.

o As I thought about this, I found myself thinking about a missionary from more recent times; David Livingstone.

§ David Livingstone was a British missionary in Africa from 1840 until his death in 1873.

· His missionary work was unique. Truthfully, he was on the surface very unsuccessful. In 9 years of day to day, cross cultural evangelism, there was only one man who converted and EVEN THEN, there were many issues of syncretism.

· For years, Livingstone had labored amongst these people. Eventually, Livingstone felt that the Lord had called him to something else. He went on to become one of the most famous European explorers in Africa, but all the while, there were two things he was known for.

o First, he was known for the way that he treated the native Africans with a different level of respect and care.

o Secondly, he was known for his desire to stop slavery and to see people follow Jesus!

§ It may seem as though he quit, but really, God used the challenges of his early ministry to TRANSFORM the way that he could reach the people of Africa!

§ Similarly, Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe had to reexamine their methodology.

· Their traditional method was not working!

· Yet, God was not finished.

· In all of this, I see a challenge for us. Gospel ministry, that is, our fulfillment of the Great Commission takes time and investment. It’s sacrificial, it doesn’t always make sense and sometimes it feels overwhelming.

o Ultimately, there is one responsibility in gospel centered ministry- faithfully trusting God and going where HE CALLS!

o Just as David Livingstone and Paul and Barnabas experienced, as we seek to reach our community in Nauvoo or Hamilton, it will be hard, it may be slow. We don’t control results, God does.

o It may feel discouraging, or overwhelming. BUT! It’s worth it! If just one person comes to know the Lord, then it is ALL worth it!

o All the hours of evangelism, all the hard days of prep work and rejection, all the heartache and all of the sacrifice is all worth it if just ONE seed is planted, or watered, or if just one person comes to know the Lord!

§ Let’s be clear, there are challenges that will come. Paul and Barnabas were called to persevere amidst misunderstanding, chaos and as we’ll see next week, persecution.

· Being Missional is not easy. It’s not just what we do; it’s WHO WE ARE!

· WE ARE ON A MISSION! A mission to reach our community!

· The challenge is clear. Will we as individuals be missional and take our faith with us EVERY SINGLE DAY, or will we leave it here at the Church on Sunday and take the easy out during the week.

· To me, that challenge reminds me of Joshua 24:15 which says, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

o Will we take our faith with us to our family, our neighbors, our workplace and be like so many who have gone before us; like Paul and Barnabas, like Joshua, like David Livingstone who PURSUED GOD even in hard times?

o Ultimately, THIS is the question that we have to answer for ourselves.

§ Let me pray for us as we close.