Acts 14:1-7

Introduction

To start today, I want to ask a question?

Is having division good? In general we see and teach that division would be a bad thing - however, the scripture is clear that there is a time where division is necessary - and even prescribed.

Last Week

Paul emphasized that He was called to be a witness to the gentiles

Just as we are to be a witness to the nations

We also learned that God is completely and totally sovereign in salvation

More on today...

We are going to see some persecution arise for our missionaries here in Acts

This region that contains these towns (Galatia) is where the letter to the Galatians was addressed to. To all the church in this region.

This area dealt with the same problem that we are going to see in future chapters of Acts - Do the newly converted gentiles have to follow the Old Testament cerimonial law? As many Jews were telling new Gentile believers that they must be circumsised.

The Text - Acts 14:1-18

At the Jewish Synagogue (v.1-2)

Acts 14:1–2 ESV

1 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. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Verse 1: The Formula

This is a formula that Paul follows wherever he went:

He goes to the local synagogue if there is one

Preaches the gospel

Then turns to the gentiles

Verse 2: Stirring up

Just as most other places he has traveled, unbelieving Jews stir up problems for them.

This follows the pattern that we saw last week that Paul preaches to the Jews and then turns to the gentiles once the jews reject the message.

Poisoned there minds

New-Beleiver:

There are those who seek to poison our minds all the time - sometimes it may be when we first trust in Christ and seek to follow him! There are people who might question or challenge the decision and try to dis-wade you from it - but stick to following the Lord!

Believers:

There are some sins that poison our minds that by their lure they lead us away from the gospel:

Sexual sins

Greed

Selfishness

Consumerism

Gossip

There are even things that can make us afraid to claim the gospel:

Fear of cultural response

Fear of how people we know will treat us

Poisoned mind against others:

We should not be like these jews here who poisoning people’s minds

We shouldn’t be trying to “poison” anyones mind as believers

If we could even call it poisoning it means we should not be doing it

Curing minds

Let us cure minds!

Sometimes we have to cure our own mind

Struggling with your spouse or another believer?

Kill bad thoughts about them and focus on what you love about them

If you do not like someone, start acting like you like them

Take thoughts captive for the Lord - God wants you to have a great marriages and relationships.

Sometimes we can do this by seeking help by finding someone you can talk to about such an issue (Pastor or trusted mentor)

Don’t turn this into a gossip session - do this with the intention to make this relationship or your marriage better.

If you around someone who is just going to bash this person or your spouse then that will not help the situation - in fact it will make you more angry with them.

Adding more poison will not cure the wound

To those who would seek to help cure others minds: if you do not seek to point the person to Christ and how He would want them to be then you are not helping.

The Ultimate Cure for our minds

The ultimate cure for any poisoned mind is the gospel

It can cure any relationship, any marriage, and any soul!

For we have a great and mighty king who has came on our behalf and drank the poison out of our very bones.

This cup did not passover him - he drank it to the dregs

Because of this we find freedom from sin and all its grips and chains

Paul gives further instruction to us believers on how to treat one another

Ephesians 4:20–32 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Signs and wonders (v.3)

Acts 14:3 ESV

3 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.

The Apostle and his companions share the gospel - proclaiming it boldly to the people.

The Lord “bore witness to the word of his grace” - granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Caught up on signs and wonders

Many people get caught up when we read about these signs and wonders - asking why they happened and if we are to follow what happened today.

Is this descriptive or prescriptive? Is this something that is normative that is going to happen all the time today?

The Charismatic Error

Many, I believe in error, feel that when they are targeting a community to go do evangelism in it they must go there first and perform signs, wonders, and miracles.

After doing these things they then feel that they can preach the gospel because they think they have “proven their power”

They treat miracles as the thing that paves the way for the gospel

However, the Apostles did not go into these cities and towns to do miracles, rather they entered to preach the gospel, and then sometimes miracles followed.

The miracles proved that the Apostles were God’s true messengers.

It was how God authenticated them when there was no New Testament

Now since the New Testament is written by the Apostles or someone who worked closely with an Apostle, the Words do not need validation through signs, wonders, and miracles.

A plot sniffed out (v.4-7)

A house divided (v.4)

Acts 14:4 ESV

4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Most the time division is not good - but if we are to divide on something let it be for the gospel

Christ did not bring peace, but a sword

Matthew 10:34–39 ESV

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

These people chose right then who they were going to serve.

We see the gospel calling these people to have to make a decision of whom they will serve.

We have to make this decision too:

We may have family members and friends who become appalled by our decision to follow Christ

OR

By our decision to continue to follow him by standing on the truth with various issues.

“You don’t accept what I am doing? How could you!”

“If you really loved me you would accept me for who I am!”

“This isn’t the faith that mom and dad followed!”

“Why can’t you just loosen up and just have fun?”

Things like these are things that we have to take a stand on - things that create division that are worth dividing over!

Fled the persecution (v.5-7)

Acts 14:5–7 ESV

5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Those opposed to the gospel were frustrated and angered by it that they were going to try and stone (which most the time kills) Paul and his companions.

This is just another example of a fallen worlds reaction to the gospel

The natural human pride does not like to be told it needs to be saved!

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

God must intervene and give a new heart.

Paul knew when it was time to dust off his feet and live to preach another day

They then fled, still preaching the gospel wherever they went.

Conclusion

Division caused by God’s Word is Good

Don’t let your mind be poisoned

Keep moving forward