The Uncomfortable Truth of Progress

Acts 14:19-22

19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, 2016, p. Ac 14:19–22.

Introduction

There is no convenient way to be a Christian.

Look around. We live in a world built for ease. (I was traveling through the airports this past week and was amazed at how easy it is to spend money) We demand one-click purchases, fast food, and instant information. Our culture has made convenience an idol. We want life to fit neatly around our schedule, our comfort, and our personal desires.

And too often, we try to approach our faith the same way. We look for convenient Christianity - a version of Jesus that’s a nice accessory, a cozy blanket, a philosophy that makes us feel good without making us change much.

The moment you stand up and say, “I follow Christ” you are signing up for the opposite of ease. Jesus didn’t say, “Find the path of least resistance and text me later.” He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” That cross is where your will conflicts with His. That’s the inconvenience. It means loving the enemy who just hurt you. It means forgiving the person who didn’t apologize. It means choosing sacrifice over selfishness, character over comfort, and the difficult, narrow path over the easy road the world is paving.

Inconvenience is not a flaw in the plan, but the very design of the Gospel. It’s the friction that forges our faith. It’s the cost that proves the value of the reward.

Transition Sentence: To truly understand this inconvenience, let’s turn to an example of ultimate sacrifice, as we find the Apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas facing mortal danger for the sake of the gospel in Acts 14.

Background

Paul’s first missionary journey was anything but convenient; it was brutal. Act 13 and Acts 14 chronicle a series of dramatic events - including opposition, expulsion, and a near-death experience - that validate the idea that following Christ requires profound sacrifice.

Paul and Barnabas’ first journey (roughly AD 46-48) from Antioch in Syria through Cyprus and into what is modern-day Turkey was a constant struggle. Take his time in Pisidian Antioch, for example. After preaching a powerful sermon that brought many Gentiles to faith, the Jewish leaders, filled with jealousy, stirred up the city’s influential people, initiated persecution, and forced Paul and Barnabas out of the region.

The peak of the persecution happens in the city of Lystra, which provides the most vivid example of the journey’s inconvenience as they endure the fickle nature of the crowds and the relentless pursuit of their enemies.

After Paul healed a man who had been lame from birth, the crowds mistook the missionaries for Greek gods - Barnabas for Zeus and Paul for Hermes. The people of Lystra identifying Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes, "the bringer of the word," strongly suggests they perceived the men acting out the roles of their gods: Zeus, the bearded initiator, and Hermes, his agent. Barnabas may have physically resembled their image of Zeus, while Paul resembled his helper. Consequently, this biblical passage is significant not only for offering clues about Paul's physical appearance at the time but also for understanding life and religious beliefs in Lystra during that period (Robert 1987: 383; Lane Fox 1987: 99–100).

Perhaps, thinking they will receive the temporary pleasures these gods have to offer, their temple priests bring sacrifices. Paul and Barnabas were horrified and barely stopped the worship.

The honor quickly turned to hatred. Jewish opponents from the recently visited cities of Antioch and Iconium followed them to Lystra and won over the crowd. The newly persuaded crowd then stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead (Acts 14:19). Whether Paul was resuscitated or resurrected, we don’t know. We don’t have to learn how to understand who. To God be all the glory!

The next day, after the disciples had gathered around him and he had risen from the dead, Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe. Remarkably, on their way back to Antioch, they revisited the same cities—Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch—to strengthen the new believers. Had the two chosen to do so, they could have continued southeast from Derbe on through the Cilician gates, the 150 miles or so to Paul’s hometown of Tarsus, and from there back to Syrian Antioch. It would have been the easiest route home by far.

It was during this perilous return trip that Paul and Barnabas solidified the central idea of our sermon, encouraging the disciples to remain faithful to the faith with the powerful and inconvenient maxim: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

Main Point

The irony of suffering is that our discomfort is often an unlikely yet powerful precondition for our greatest growth and development.

Sermon Points: 4 Ways God Uses Pain for Progress

My father used to say that no one appreciates a finely cooked steak without first experiencing the tough, chewy pieces. Just like life, the challenges—like pain—are necessary ingredients for wisdom and growth. Ecclesiastes 7:3 says sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be happy. A little pain makes the feast of life more enjoyable!

Catalyst for Change

Luke writes this text to explain the growth of Christianity throughout the known world. It is remarkable considering what Christians have to endure in order to continue in the faith.

The text makes it clear that early Christians faced constant hardship.

Imprisonment and trials

Martyrdom

Public Hostility

Adversity shatters complacency. When life is easy, we rarely challenge our beliefs, habits, or capabilities. Suffering creates a necessary disruption that forces introspection and innovation, leading to personal, and sometimes collective progress.

Cultivation of Courage

Paul's proof of Apostolic authority is not in the trophies in his case, but in the marks on his body. II Corinthians 11:25.

Overcoming a difficult challenge (like a failure, loss, or trauma) builds resilience and self-knowledge - Post-Traumatic Growth.

Create a healing space in your home where you can process trauma through prayer or meditation. Dedicate a corner in your home with comforting items — perhaps a candle, Scripture, or photos that inspire joy. Spend at least 15 minutes each day there, inviting God into your healing process. Use this time to seek divine insight on how your past can shape a more compassionate, resilient heart moving forward.

God will give us the grace to endure the grit (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Chance for Clarity

Talk about my conversation with the police officer/veteran (when your life is at risk, it gives you a different racial perspective)

Suffering can strip away the superficial, clarifying what truly matters. People often find their deepest purpose, greatest empathy, and a profound appreciation for life after confronting loss or extreme difficulty. As philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche put it, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

Correction to Nietzsche - God is the one who makes us stronger. Strength is not found in personal endurance alone, but through God’s power made perfect in one’s weakness.

We can depend on divine deliverance in the face of danger (II Timothy 3:11 )

Consider the Cost

When trials come as a result of conviction, we can remember that we were destined for this. (I Thessalonians 3:3; II Timothy 3:12).

The biblical story of Esther displays remarkable courage. As a young Jewish woman in a foreign land, she risked her life to speak to King Xerxes. She was scared, but she remembered that she was called for such a time as this. Her light-hearted approach and inner strength saved her people. When we feel scared to stand up for what is right, we can look to Esther as a reminder that courage is not the absence of fear—it's the decision to take action despite it!

In the face of danger, even the bravest hearts can falter. Take the story of David and Goliath. David, a young shepherd, faced a giant with nothing but a slingshot and five stones. His courage didn't stem from his size or experience but from his faith in God. Just like David, when we cultivate courage by trusting God, we can face our own giants—whether they are fear, doubt, or insecurity. And sometimes, all it takes is that first small step to produce mighty results!

Paul and Barnabas return back to the places and people that just hurt them in order to add strength to the churches. They serve as an ocular demonstration of what it means to continue the faith.

Major life lessons often come at a high cost. The wisdom gained from a painful mistake or a prolonged struggle is often more deeply integrated and permanent than knowledge acquired easily.

We look to Jesus Christ, who suffered for righteousness' sake. He died on the cross, and God has raised Him from the dead. He is alive now, seated at the right hand of God. He is the reward for the saints who continue in the faith.

Calvary is God’s great proof that suffering in the will of God always leads to glory.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Health is a good thing, but sickness is far better if it leads us to God.

J. C. Ryle