Sermon Tone Analysis

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.