Opposition of Influence
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Text: Acts 13.1-13
Life is full of opposition. Even in the smallest of things such as playing your favorite game or choosing a place of worship there will always be someone who will oppose you. Even in nature we find something called law of gravity that prevents us from floating away, it is the opposition of gravitational pull against weightlessness. If you put your hand out the window of your car while it is in motion, you will discover the law of resistence, and in this text we see the law of human nature, the good verses the bad.
As they were in worship the Holy Spirit spoke and told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for a work that he had called them for.
So after fasting and praying once again they laid their hands on them and the Holy Spirit led them in their missionary work to Seleucia, then to Cyprus.
Now the isle of Cyprus was the home land of Barnabas who lived in the city of Salamis. And it was in Salamis that they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.
In reading verse five it caused me to wonder if the Gospel was accepted there or not because the text didn’t share the results of the preaching experience.
While still on the island of Cyprus, they moved from Salamis to the city of Paphos.
The Apostle will face Opposition. This is the first opposition that these men of God would face as missionaries and that opposition will come from a man who was a sorcerer, a false prophet, and a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus.
So, let’s investigate the opposition that these Spirit led men of God will face in this text.
Influential opposition
The first thing we should note in the text is two worthy opponents. Their names were Bar-Jesus and Sergius Paulus, one a Jew, the other working toward his Roman citizenship.
First let’s deal with Bar-Jesus. His character was nothing like his name. He was a sorcerer and a false prophet. The first three letters were Syrian which meant “son,” It came from his father whose name was Jesus or Joshua.
In this country we use a suffix “Jr or the III.” In the text they used the prefix “Bar.” It simply meant the son of Jesus or Joshua. Without reservation we should note that the name Jesus was a common name during that time and he was not a relative of our blessed Savior.
The text described him as a sorcerer, false prophet, and a Jew.
Now although he was Jewish, he did things that a devout Jew dared not do and that was to deal in the black art of sorcery. But as we look at this text we see that Bar-Jesus was an attendant of one named Sergius Paulus who was the proconsul or governor of the country that was appointed by the emperor.
It was Paulus who desired to hear the word of God. Now the text described him as a prudent man, and the word prudent here in the text meant “intelligent or wise.” He was the country’ resident philosopher, and had a yearning to know things and his intent to hear the gospel coming from Saul and Barnabas was at first to gain knowledge of what he deemed as truth more so than to gain eternal life. Together they had their own motives.
Bar-Jesus as a sorcerer and false prophet had the motive to influence and to deceive Sergius Paulus to think that he had the gift of prophecy.
Sergius Paulus’ motive was to be knowledgeable of all things so that it would aid him in impressing those that were in the halls of knowledge.
Secondly we see . . .
Nature of the Opposition (Stand between) (8)
Elymus or Bar-Jesus as he is also known is one that is found standing between Sergius Paulus and the men of God he had sought. Elymus had heard what had happened in Antioch and throughout the region. He had also heard and possibly witnessed what could happen when a person hears the word of God. So it was his intent to stand in the way of Sergius Paulus and the men of God.
He knew that you just didn’t hear the powerful word of God and continue the way you were, he suspected that upon hearing the word, your life would be renewed. In fact he heard and probably experienced seeing men’ lives changed simply by hearing the Gospel.
So, as the text directs us to notice, he withstood Barnabas and Saul, hoping to turn away the deputy from what could potentially happen.
Elymus by being a Jew had heard the stories about Jesus and how he spoke against the traditions of the Jewish religion, so he had drawn his conclusion that Jesus was not the Son of God but one who spoke blasphemous word about being the Messiah. So he tried to urge Sergius Paulus not to pay attention to what they were saying.
Finally we see the Holy Spirit standing up in Paul. Elymus’ had stood in the way long enough. In this text we will see the power of God over powering the will of evil men.
Paul was resisted long enought
The text said that Paul “fixed his eyes on him.” In other words Paul had taken all he cares to take from Elymus. And what followed lets us know that he was a man that was not to be fooled with.
Paul had taken all he could take, and he looked him in the eye and spoke the convicting truth to Elymus. He called it like it really was, he didn’t call him out of his name, he simply identified who Elymus really was.
And that was not all he did he spoke blindness into Elymus life for interfering with God’s program. I tell you evil will never outlast righteousness. Some might appear to be doing right but if they stand in the way in what the Lord wants done, righteousness will always stand as the victor.
The power of our influence
Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor's saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received Jesus as his personal Savior.
Whether we realize it or not, our example leaves an impression on others.
Sign in an executive's office:
"What I am about to say represents one four-billionth of the world's opinion."
Jack Williams, Phoenix Gazette.
Deceptive Games - full of all subtilty and all mischief
Self Deceiving Shroud Delivering
Undermining Greatness - child of the devil
Trading the best for less - Ignoring destructiveness of sin
Augustine's stages with sin:
1. Lord make me good, but not yet.
2. Lord make me good, but not entirely.
3. Lord make me good.
Exact work unknown.
Fighting Godliness - enemy of all righteousness
Locally (in individual sins)
Regionally (in individual people)
Universally (in God’s big plan)
Dr. Ralph Sockman writes about an experience he had while standing on the edge of Niagra Falls one clear, cold March day. Wrapped in white winter garments, the falls glistened in the bright sun. As some birds swooped down to snatch a drink from the clear water, Sockman's companion told how he had seen birds carried over the edge of the precipice. As they dipped down for a drink, tiny droplets of ice would form on their wings. As they returned for additional drinks more ice would weigh down their bodies until they couldn't rise above the cascading waters. Flapping their wings, the birds would suddenly drop over the falls.
Today in the Word, October, 1990, p. 14.
Obscuring the Light - cease to pervert the right ways
Continuing when you could have stopped
Covering up the narrow way.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Hiding the light
NUN.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
And a light unto my path.
Don’t let it slide by you that the Apostle strikes Bar -Jesus with blindness.
Because that is what he inflicted.
We live in a world that is blind - so that is all they give.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
You can be blind.
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
The believer can be born again and vex or (blind) his own soul on the things of this world.
Christ is come that you might have light. That light is the life. That life cannot be accepted by the dark. You are not that darkness.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.