Acts Messge 45
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God’s power at work
Acts 14:8–18 (NKJV)
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
11 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!”
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 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.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 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,
16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 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.”
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
Intro: Paul and Barnabas had been to Antioch at Pisidia. They left after the Jews stirred up the people. They shook the dust off their feet. Then they went to Iconium, the same thing happened there. The unbelieving Jews stirred things up. When an assault was made on them, they left and now they are in Lystra.
They did not back down, they do not give up, but they what they did do was move along to preach the gospel in new places.
I. The power in God’s words. VS. 8-10
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
a. Lycaonia: A Roman province. Modern day Turkey.
b. Lystra: This where Timothy was from. 16:1
VS 8
1. A man that was without strength in his feet “Weak, unable” He had been this way since he was born. He had been a cripple his whole life, he had never taken a step. Such people usually sat by the road and begged for money. Back in Acts 3 Peter and John healed a man on their way to the Temple.
2. God never performs a miracle of healing simply for the sake of healing. This is always a deeper meaning that points to spiritual truths.
a. This man that had never walked is the picture of a sinner.
b. Walk, in the scriptures speaks if character, conduct, manner of life. Believers walk in the light, unbelievers walk in darkness.
c. This man that could not walk was helpless, just as a sinners a helpless in their bondage to sin.
3. God is the light, and He requires his people to walk in the light.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
33 You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
4. Those that walk in God’s ways are blessed.
Psalms 128:1 “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His way”
5. Someone that has not truly been saved cannot walk in God ways.
6. Jesus told Nicodemus, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the spirit is spirit”
a. The flesh will always be flesh. No matter how hard a person tries to reform and clean up their lives (sin) through their own power, it cannot be done. It can only happen through the power of God.
Rom 10:17 “So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”.
VS. 9
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
1. Paul was preaching, preaching the Word of God.
a. The message Paul was preaching caught the attention of the crippled man. He was caught up in Paul’s words.
b. Paul’s words caught his attention, and his eagerness caught Paul’s attention. Paul had the spirit of discernment, maybe it was the look on this man’s face. Elab
c. Paul saw faith in this man, the faith to believe, the faith to be healed, the faith to believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ.
d. The crippled man believed because of the power of the Word of God.
Acts 14:10 (NKJV)
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
VS 10a “said with a loud voice,”“Stand up straight on your feet!
1. Paul did not whisper, he did not say to himself, what if this doesn’t work?
a. Paul spoke with a load voice for everyone to hear. He had faith that the man would be healed; he wanted all the people there to hear him and see the miracle.
b. Not for his good, but so the people that were there would see the power of God at work.
c. Remember, 1st century church, there was a need for these miracles. Elab
VS. 10b “And he leaped and walked.”
1. He jumps and walks.
a. For the first time in his life he walks. No one had to teach him. Elab Joe Sharp
b. That is the power of God at work. He was a new man.
c. When a lost person gets saved. They are a new creature. II Corn. 5:17
d. When there is a change, a spiritual change in someone, the world doesn’t understand.
f. The people here at Lystra didn’t understand. They misunderstood the Power of God.
II. The misunderstanding of the power of God. VS 11-18
11 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!”
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 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.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 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,
16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 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.”
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
VS. 11
Acts 14:11 (NKJV)
11 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!”
1. There was no denying the miracle that had just happened. Elab
a. But the people “lifted up their voices” Means: To exalt self.
b. They were trying to get the focus off of what God had done and on their gods, by making Paul and Barnabas out to be gods.
c. Satan will do all he can, and use whoever he can to get people minds off what God is doing. God can be doing great things in the church. Elab.
d. There will be people who always somebody that is going to look for the bad. Elab
f. They “lift up their voices” To exalt themselves.
g. Today when God power is shown it is too often misunderstood.
1. We use terms like, “he sure got lucky”
2. That sure was a coincidence.
VS 12, 13
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 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 of Barnabas they call (Zeus)Jupiter . Father of the gods.
Paul they call (Hermes) Mercurius. Messenger of the gods.
Their pagan priest brings in an ox to make a sacrifice for them. Garlands, dressed up. Elab
They misunderstood the power of God.
VS 14, 15
Acts 14:14–15 (NKJV)
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 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,
1. Paul and Barnabas, what is going on? Elab Nothing like this had ever happened.
a. They tore their clothes. Expression on disgust.
b. We see this in the O.T many times.
c. In the N.T here in MT & Mk (same story) High Priest when Jesus affirmed His deity. Acts 16
d. The magistrates rent their chortles just before they had Paul and Silas beat. But here is the only time in the N.T that it is done by believers.
2. VS 14 “and ran in among the multitude” Rushed in.
a. The people meant well, they were just wrong. (They didn’t get it)
b. The people were more taken up in the healers and the healing then they were the gospel.
c. They did not want the focus on them; they wanted it on the Jesus. This why they rushed in.
VS 15a “and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things?”
1. The sacrificial procession came to a halt.
a. Paul sought to explain to the crowd the truth of the matter.
VS15b “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,”
1. We are men with passions, just different passions. Our passion is toward the true living God.
1. Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, preached to these pagans. Elab
a. Tells them to turn away from their “vanities” Means: Empty, profitless idols.
B. READ VS 15 from vanities. Jonah 1:9
c. Paul was not concerned about being diplomatic; he was concerned about exposing error.
d. He was in a land where Idolatry was the local religion. He had a chose, tip-toe around the matter, or face it head on. Elab
e. Today going to Salt Lake city Utah. Elab
f. Going to the middle east and preaching against Islam. (Christian workers killed in Afagn)
g. Today we have to face a world full of sin, and tell people that they are sinners, and Jesus is the only way.
VS. 16
16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
1. The patience of God. He had patience for all the nations who did their own things.
a. He has patience for you and me.
c. God’s patience with the human race is beyond our human comprehension.
d. God’s truth is either distorted, or denied.
f. Instead of pouring out his wrath on us, he shows his patience.
VS17
17 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.”
1. Paul and Barnabas had shared the gospel VS 7 now he is giving a testimony of God.
a. God is a living God, the God of creation, merciful God, He is the provider.
b. Paul was bearing witness of who God was and what he had done.
c. This is what we are to do. To bear witness of whom God is and what he has done for us.
d. Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. By being the salt and the light sharing what God has done for us (salvation) and we are doing what he has called us o do.
VS 18
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
1. Even after all Paul had said, they it was still difficult to keep the pagan people from making their sacrifice.
a. They misunderstood the power of God.
b. Some people get some people don’t.