Acts 13
Notes
Transcript
Paul and Barnabas Set Apart
Paul and Barnabas Set Apart
Good morning my friends!
It is June, and next Sunday morning there will be folks here from the International Sports Federation and I cannot wait to see all that God is getting ready to do in our midst.
I want to encourage you my friends to come out and come by and just walk around, sit down in some areas and see what the Lord is doing..
And while you stop, I want to also ask you to just walk around the grounds, sit in the sanctuary, in the prayer garden and pray for these kids, pray for their hearts to be opened and for them to hear and believe the message of Jesus Christ...
God will be at work, I believe it my friends.
Now.... thinking about God being at work here with the sports camp, I want to ask you this question....
Q. Do you believe God is at work in your life?
See I believe he is always at work in and around our lives, he desires to grow us and use us....
But at times we are not living right, something else is the priority and we just don’t let Him be first in our lives. But when we allow him to be first, all things are possible.
So this morning lets go to Acts 13, and lets look at the work of men who were willing to follow God at all costs.
So lets look at the first of three thoughts today, the first one is… Set Apart...
1. Set Apart ...
Think about this phrase “Set Apart,” it’s one we should be familiar with, as a member of the body of Christ, God has set us apart, we are no longer of this world, we are a part of His kingdom.
God has called us (the chruch) to be different, to be holy as He is holy. And as we grow in the Lord, He desires to use us, Yes! - each and every one is us.
And here in this first passage we see this… Lets look at the first portion of our passage today… verses 1-3
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
The church at Antioch is an important church, remember it is the first place that believers were called Christians. And even more importantly, it is the first church that witnessed to the Gentiles that were in that city.
It is the first church that is taking the message to everyone.
And the Word tells us that this church had prophets and teachers in leadership rolls. And we know that Paul and Barnabas have been there for over a year teaching and helping quipping the church.
And during a worship service, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). So the Holy Spirits told the leaders to Barnabas and Paul for the work I have called them too...
To be set part means that God has called you for a specific purpose which will bring the light and love of the gospel to the world.
And if you remember back in Acts 9, when Ananias was hesitant to go and lay hands on Paul, the Lord told him..
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
God had already called him, and prepared him and now He by the Holy Spirit is telling those believers worshipping to officially set Paul and Barnabas apart.
Now listen, we all know Paul’s past… we don’t know a lot of Barnabas… but we know Paul has been a bad, hurtful dude. But then God saved him...
My friends, please listen to this.. “ You may have a past, you might even be ashamed of that past. But remember God God forgave your past and He knows your future.
So stop looking back and keep looking forward toward our future, Jesus.
God commanded they be set apart… for the work which I have called them. That word “work” is the Greek word ergon, it refers to their mission.. To carry the Gospel to the world. To make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.
Look at what the church did..
3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
The church responded in faith. They laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas, it essentially says we know God has called you, and as his church we bless you and send you to “go.”
They commissioned these two men as missionaries to carry the Gospel outwardly as the Lord led...
How beautiful...
One of the greatest blessings is when people surrender to God’s calling and then the church sees this in them and sends them out to do the work of ministry.
I pray that we as the church will have the opportunity to send out missionaries again into the world...
Now my friends, this brings us to a second thought,
3. They Set Out on Their Mission....
It is really a beautiful things to see people answer God’s call to go to the world with the Gospel...
Paul and Barnabas don’t waste anytime to go… Look at the text, there in verses 13-16 Acts 13:13-15
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”
They set sail leaving what we know as northern Syria today, where Antioch was located and crossed the Mediterranean sea toward what we know as Greece today.
Now sailing was a much faster way of travel, and certainly easier than going on foot over hundreds and hundreds of miles. So they set sail coming to Perga, and from there they traveled on until they reached Antioch in Pisidia (Modern day Turkey).
And Paul being a Pharisee in the past, he knew exactly what to do, Paul, Barnabas and their companions went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath day.
Why did they start there? Well we can think of a couple reasons. First: The men would be there, and it was the best place to communicate and reach those men. (if the men believed the family would likely follow.) And Secondly, they always gave men the opportunity to speak during the meeting. Paul knew this would benefit him and the message he bore for God.
So given the chance.... Paul preached Jesus…
Listen given the chance, our words should be seasoned with the message of Jesus love.
And as you look at the Scriptures from the end of verse 16 to 41, Paul in the wisdom God had given him walked those them through a brief history of their people all the way pointing how God was at work in their midst...
And then coming to King David, Paul tells that that Jesus, is the promised son of David, but not only a son but a Savior!
Paul told them how the leaders in Jerusalem had Jesus executed, but God raised him from the dead. Look at verses 28-31 Acts 13:28-31
28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
But Jesus life wasn’t just to be killed to only be raised from the dead, there was a great purpose in all this, that the world might experience forgiveness and salvation. Look at verses 37-39 Acts 13:37-39
37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
I love that, Paul tells them what the law kept you bound by without hope, Jesus came to free you from all these things so that you could have and experience life.
And those in the synagogue, they begged Paul and his associates to come back the following sabbath and tell them more.
They were hungry to know about the hope that is found in Jesus.
You know what that tells me my friends? it tells me that the world is starving spiritually, they have been feed everything with no hope for a future...
And we have the words of life and death, that will give them hope and a future. And unless we go and tell, the world will suffer greatly.
That should motivate us to do more to share our faith with those around us...
Now my friends this brings me to the last thought I want to share with you...
Are you ready.... Driven to Wipe the Dust Off....
3. Driven to Wipe the Dust Off.....
Now, while I’ve told you some were delighted to hear the gospel, many there were not, they hated it, were jealous about it and sought to oppress it.
I think one of the saddest sins a person could commit is to hinder another person from hearing and receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ...
There were some there, some of the Jewish elders who could not believe and sadly, their hearts would be hard...
Lets look at verses 44-48 Acts 13:44-48
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Do you see it, the religious leaders saw the crowds and were filled with jealousy and began contradicting their message...
And look at Paul’s words there in verse 46.. It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first.
The gospel came first to the household of David, Israel. These were God’s covenant people, He loved them and had promised them the joy of life.
But life, free, full forgiven Spirit filled life requires us to seek God, repent of our sin and turn to Him confessing him, the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior, and following Him.
But some would not, they turned away, rejected the message and the servants of God. And Paul tells them because of their rejection, the gospel has not come also to the Gentile world.
And do you see what happens, the Gentiles rejoiced. Please think of this, a Gentile could not enter completely into the Temple of God, they could come to one court and worship, they were limited because they were not Jewish by birth. But not they are acceptable before God and received by God fully and freely!
Did this mean that Paul would not witness to the Jews any longer? No… He would continue to share the gospel to the Jews, but now he would share the Gospel with everyone has God gave the opportunity.
Listen to The Gospel of Luke, 24:47
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
My friends God desires for all to be saved. Why, He loves all, He cares for all people...
But sadly, if you look at verse 50 you see what jealously does ...
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
How sad to see these men incite others to try and hinder God’s work. These Jewish leaders incited men and women of high standing to speak out against Paul and Barnabas. Trying to hinder their message and God’s work.
And their efforts caused a large outcry in the city, until finally the pressure drives Paul and Barnabas out of the area.
And so as Paul and His companions are being pushed out of the city and the surrounding areas, they do something very unique...
Look at verses 51-52 Acts 13:51-52
51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Look at this, being pushed out of the region by these non-believing people, they bring judgment upon themselves since their actions say we do not want God or His message here
So Paul and Barnabas wipe the dust off their sandals as they leave the area.
So what does that mean? The practice began with the Jews. They would wipe the dust off their shoes as they left a gentile area to signify they have nothing to do with that area , leaving the defilement there.
Nor do they even want anything to do with the people or their ways or even the land… seems a little harsh.
When Paul and Barnabas do it here, They are ridding themselves of all the responsibility for the unperceptive people there, many of the Jews who have rejected the gospel..
But this gesture doesn’t apply to everyone of course, just those were had hardened their hearts.
Many in Antioch had believed and those godly men rejoiced with all of heaven in those who believed the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
Now it was time for the gospel of advance to a new area...
Those who were set apart, God will use for his glory. They have a mission opportunity ahead of them, if the will be obedient to God’s call....
The world lies before them...
Let me ask you to pray over and ask this question of yourself. How does God want to use me?
How does He want to use you? Will you be obedient and say, Lord where you lead, I will follow...
This morning, Do you need prayer?
Do you need someone to talk and pray over you?
Do you need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, come and we will show you the way...
Come today....