Acts 14:1-7
Notes
Transcript
Scripture
Scripture
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the gospel.
Introduction
Introduction
Our passage walks through the typical life of Paul and Barnabas who entered the Jewish Synagogue to preach the gospel. In these few verses we find Jews and Gentiles who believed and we also find those who did not believe. This is common with today’s churches those who do believe and those who do not; despite having the same teaching, similar culture, same neighborhood, etc.
I grew up as the oldest of three, my younger siblings do not believe the gospel. Mind you we are close friends, I love my sisters, we have a good relationship with each other. Yet we grew up in the same churches, same home, same parent’s, same parenting style, etc.. One of three is following Christ.
Today we look at why some believe the gospel and others do not; we will also examine why Paul and Barnabas dusted their sandles to leave.
The Power of the Gospel to save
The Power of the Gospel to save
First we must note that what Paul and Barnabas are doing is proper. They went into the synagogue to preach Christ. Why? Because Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant. Christ is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant, He fulfills the law given by mosses, He is the rightful King given in the davidnic covenant, and the dwelling place of God is with man through the Son. The gospel must be preached to both dead souls and those who are born again.
How a sinner is saved is through Christ, Paul and Barnabas don’t know in that room who is or is not saved, much like I don’t know in this room who is or is not saved. Faith in Christ alone saves and therefore Christ shall be preached until that very day of His return with the great throne of judgment .
Total Depravity
Total Depravity
First it needs to be noted that all men are born into a state of sin, separated from God, unable on their own will which is bound in sin come to the living God. They are but dead men upon birth. Let’s go into this depravity, because so often there is wrong teaching of original sin to downplay it to just doing something bad, which is why open thiesm is so rampant in evangelical churches.
Man in his original creation with Eve was good, but after the first sin man is dead and his nature is self pleasing from the time he/she is born. The cute little baby worships their parent, is self desiring, and demanding. That is harsh Pastor, but yet scripture teaches man is born into sin. Psalm 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
Man by birth is so inclined to sin that he/she will the more they grow up the more sin will present itself, because sin is the seed that Adam produced.
If you enjoy gardening you understand roots can strangle the plant, the very roots the plant grew. If not cared for the plant will no longer be able to gain the needed water and die out. Unless of course you take rightful action take the plant at the roots and cut them off, replanting the plant in good soul to grow new roots.
In the very same way Adam and his seed is the root that strangles that which is good, that which is made in God’s image. Like a plant being strangled, it does not mean that plant does not bare any beauty of the creator or is wholly evil, but it is with man as Joel Beeke says;
Total depravity does not mean that an unbeliever is wholly evil in everything he does, but rather that nothing he does is ever wholly good. (Living for God’s Glory. Pg. 54-55)
This draws back to the initial reflection upon today’s verses, why were some in the room opposed to the gospel message which is Jesus? Because their roots are depraved, in sin, the very soul is being strangled and the will of man on his own in unable to remove that curse upon him.
Regeneration/Election
Regeneration/Election
What of those who do believe? Why do they believe and produce good fruit? Salvation is fully dependent upon God. While sin is fully dependent upon the acts and choices of man with result of being in the first Adam, those who come to Christ are set apart by divine election to be the bride of Christ. One’s salvation is not about man being saved because he chose to accept God. No, that is a man made gospel. It is through divine election that you are saved, to be set apart.
So then the answer of those who rejected Christ in this passage is simply this, out of there own disobedience falling into the nature of the first Adam deserved death from the time they were born and in the little life God almighty gave them, they live unto their nature which is to rebel against the Lord.
But those of whom The Father has given over to the Son, to glorify God, to be the bride, to proclaim Christ in all the nations, was gifted the Holy Spirit to create in them a new heart that draws near to God and God draws near to them. It is the work of the triune God in the act of ones salvation.
Therefore out of this salvation comes a life that is full of zeal for the Lord, to please the bridegroom in all affairs, to pursue holiness out of the righteousness he has given.
Let us now briefly reference this work of election by His divine word.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Look at Spurgeon says about election; A wonderful baptist preacher.
I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterwards; and he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why he should have looked upon me with special love.
So why do some believe and others do not; Some are predestined to come out of the first Adam, to be redeemed with the blood of Christ, to glorify God, to be the son’s bride for all eternity. Perhaps you are greatly offended that the gospel is not about you; but it is about Christ and only Christ. You are but for His purposes, not your own.
When to leave a people
When to leave a people
What is interesting about this passage is the practical understanding of what Jesus taught the disciples about brushing the dust from your feer with an opposing people. Matthew 10:14
And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.
Paul and Barnabas came to the synagogue, preached Christ faithfully. There were some there who were hearers and doers of the word, and many there who were in direct opposition and would not listen to the ministers of God’s word. Upon the peoples desire to stone them, mistreat them, not listen to them; Paul and Barnabas left to preach the gospel elsewhere.
Because of the great doctrine of election, we are called to preach the gospel to the nations not knowing who is or is not saved. We are told to go and make disciples, therefore we go. There is also a time to leave.
I briefly keep up with a street preacher on YouTube, I don’t much of his theology but overall does appear to be in Christ speaking with gospel truth. He recently went into Haiti and did many good works there. He was in some very dangerous places. Upon a few weeks returning home he said he calls this people to repent but sees no desire of them to repent of their sins. He stated he has no desire to return to a people like the Haitians because of their utmost rejection of Christ and hatred of God’s ministers.
In very similar ways we see this in the ministry of Christ; he curses the Jewish religious peoples, and brings the gospel to the broken. Blessed are the poor in spirit. There are those whom Christ has called, will send His ministers too. In a lot of cases sometimes ministers are sent briefly to cast judgement or warning about a dead people to repent and kiss thy son.
In some cases God sends ministers to be a blessing of the people, where multiplication occurs, where the body of Christ is thriving. God does the same with nations, look at the book of Judges, look at the book of Jeremiah.
Why did Paul and Barnabas leave; because their work was done there. They knew the people were dead in Adam, and the blessings of salvation was not upon them accept the few that it was. They chose not to die, so the gospel can preached into the ends of the world. In leaving was the rightful thing to do. When Christ is rejected, when Christ’s own ministers are rejected it is time to leave.
There are many churches today, that are more comfortable with their club, than being a church. God who saves also builds the local church that will be biblical, great commission acting, and worshiping Christ. Christ will also remove any lampstand or light from the presence of those who reject Him in heart, deed, and word. Paul and Barnabas moved on, the light was rejected among the people and therefore Christ blessed their work to move on.
Application
Application
How does this very text apply to Waughtown Baptist and her members?
A. Do not reject the gospel, do not reject Christ.
B. Go preach the gospel, do not harden your hearts of the calling of the great commission. To be the bride of Christ is to give Christ.
C.Listen to the judgments of this passage. Light can and will be removed upon souls that refuse Christ and are dead in sin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Christ has come to redeem a people unto Himself, He has given ministers to build local churches to be lampstands in a darkened world, and He also removes His lampstands and those who bring light when Christ is rejected. It is more often than not rejected by the religious who sit in pews most of their life, than those who have lived in the dark. A redeemed past is more apt to a holy future, than a past of religion false piety. Know how deep your sin is, to know how deep the love of Christ is.
