Opposition to the Gospel
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Attractiveness of the Gospel
Attractiveness of the Gospel
In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.
Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue to preach the gospel. The reason they went there first was to have access to the Jews. If they would have went to the Gentiles first they would not have the opportunity to share in the synagogue.
The text says that a large number if Jews and Greeks believed. This is because of the power of the gospel. Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
The power of the gospel offers salvation to the sinner. All people have a inner self that is not content apart from God. Romans 8:7-8
Romans 8:7–8 (NASB95)
because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
It is the hostility of the soul that torments us and robs us of the peaceful rest that God wants to give. The way it does this is through our fleshly will. Unbelievers are trying to get peace in their souls through the satisfaction of the flesh. Things like money, power, popularity and sex. There is nothing wrong with these things because they are aspects of life, but they make terrible gods. They never fulfill and create desire for more. It is this desire for more that robs you of peace.
They lack peace in their soul because they are under the wrath of God. Eph. 2:3
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
All people are responsible for their own sin. This means that they will have to account for their sin when they stand before the Lord. Those that refuse the salvation in the sacrifice of Jesus must bear God’s wrath for their sin. This is done by being eternally separated from God in the lake of fire. Those that are headed for the lake of fire cannot have peace in their soul.
Those that receive the salvation of God through Jesus Christ will not have to bear the wrath of God because Christ has satisfied God’s wrath by his crucifixion and resurrection. Rom. 5:9-10
Romans 5:9–10 (NASB95)
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Salvation from sin brings forth eternal life. John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Ephesians 2:4–7 (NASB95)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The gospel message is so attractive because it brings peace to the soul. However it is hard to receive because in order to receive it you must repent and put your faith in what Christ has done and not what you can do.
Repentance requires exposure and faith requires humility. Neither of these are desirable, but they will bring everlasting life!
DO YOU KNOW JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR?
Divisiveness of the Gospel
Divisiveness of the Gospel
But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren.
But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
The gospel is divisive because it is proprietary. This means that Jesus is the only way to be reconciled to God an inherit everlasting life.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
There are many people that don’t like or agree with this aspect of the gospel. They want to believe that there are many ways to God an heaven. They have difficulty understanding why other religions are wrong. There is no other religion who’s leader ever claimed to be God. Jesus did! John 10:30
“I and the Father are one.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus claimed to be God. He is either a liar a lunatic or God. He has proven that he is God through His resurrection.
Another aspect of divisiveness is the fact that people don’t like to admit that they are sinners. People see themselves as generally good people that God would never send to the lake of fire. Most people are pretty good when it comes to their standard, however, God has a different standard. PERFECTION! James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
Many people reduce sin down to morality. Sin is not just moral behavior. It is a rebellious spirit towards God. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. It is our inherited nature from Adam that rebels against God. Though it is inherited we bear responsibility for it because we have free will to eradicate it through choosing Christ.
When a person repents and accepts Christ as their Savior then the sin nature is eradicated and replaced by the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
The old rebellious spirit is replaced with a desire for God. We have a desire for righteousness and purity. This does not mean that we will not sin, but it does mean that we will not practice sin. 1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Another reason people do not like the gospel is that they love their sin and do not want to change. John 3:19-20
John 3:19–20 (NASB95)
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
When a person is confronted with their sin the feel judged and become defensive. They will find a way to justify their sin and make you out to be a hypocrite.
The gospel is very divisive! How should we respond?
Boldly Proclaim the Gospel
Boldly Proclaim the Gospel
Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.
Paul and Barnabas kept preaching the gospel even though the city was divided and they opposed the teaching of the gospel. However they did so relying upon the Lord. This is key to proclaiming boldly. We cannot and must not rely on ourselves or our efforts to save people. Our responsibility is to share the gospel. Our eloquence of speech or brilliant presentation of the gospel will never save anyone. Only the power of the Holy Spirit through our sharing the gospel will a person be saved.
When we share the gospel boldly, we need to do so with expectation. They may not receive Christ as their Savior at the moment you share, but they will have the Holy Spirit working on their heart for the time that they do. There is never a wasted sharing of the gospel.
Paul and Barnabas were able to substantiate the claims of the gospel by accompanying signs and wonders. Though the signs and wonders that were granted to them were much more obvious than the signs and wonders granted to us, the Lord still substantiates the claims of the gospel. He will cause something to happen in that persons life that will cause them to remember the gospel you shared.
As Paul and Barnabas were having success in the ministry at Iconium, the people stirred up a mob to run them out of town. The plan became known to Paul and Barnabas and they left and kept on preaching the gospel.
They were not cowards for leaving, but wise stewards of the gospel by taking it to a people that would receive it . We should be wise stewards of the gospel. Jesus put it this way. Matt. 7:6
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
We should steward the gospel to those who have hungry and thirsty souls. We are wasting our time when we try to share the gospel with someone who has rejected the gospel.