The Mission is Hard but Worth it (Acts 14)

Acts 14:19–23 ESV

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. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 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. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Introduction:

Good morning, church!

I want to start today with a quote from Hunter S. Thompson. Who wrote:

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a ride!’”

Now, if you know Hunter S. Thompson then you know he was certainly no Christian missionary—but his words accidentally capture something true about the Christian life.

Following Jesus was never meant to be boring or safe. Jesus never said, “Sit tight and wait for Me to come back.” He called us to join Him in His mission—to be holy rebels behind enemy lines, reclaiming for the Light what the darkness has stolen.

That kind of life is costly. It’s risky. And it’s hard. But church…it is worth it.

If you’ve ever seen someone move from death to life in Christ, you know exactly what I mean.

Acts 14 shows us just how hard this mission can be. Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel, see people saved, endure opposition, suffer violence, get up, keep going, strengthen believers, and raise up leaders for the mission ahead.

And through their faithfulness, humility, trust and submission, the Holy Spirit outlines four requirements of a life truly lived on mission.

So, with that—let’s dive into the text together.

CHUNK #1

Acts 14:1–2 ESV

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

So Barnabas and Saul were tossed out of Pisidian Antioch, where they shook the dust off their feet, and they left for Iconium. (SHOW MAP)

Their first stop…a synagogue. Their first act…proclaiming the Word of God. This is their rhythm. And a great many people believed. But those who didn’t believe…poisoned the minds against the brothers. What a visual.

So because of these difficult people with evil intentions Paul and Barnabas left and went to a church that was easier for them…right? Look at verse 3.

So they remained for a long time. Even when it was hard. To do what? Speak boldly for the Lord.

We certainly know they spoke with their words, but by staying along time, Scripture also teaches that they spoke with their presence. Their faithfulness pointed to the faithfulness of God. Who never gives up on us, no matter how difficult we are.

This past week, I was talking with Pastor Lyndale Holloway from our sending church, FBC Weatherford, who told me the story of Nancy Jordan.

Nancy just recently passed away at the age of 86, but she went to FBCW from the cradle to the grave. During that time she saw twelve different pastors, several unhealthy church splits, and many hard seasons. But she never left for a church that was easier. Why? Because she was faithful to the call—not for herself, but for the glory of God. And her presence was her testimony, speaking more than words ever could.

People like Nancy have ministered to me more times than I can count. Because I know how much easier quitting is than staying. I know how much I desire comfort over perseverance. But faithfulness, though quiet and slow, ministers where no amount of volume or movement could. Faithfulness speaks boldly of His goodness…and He will always affirm it with His grace.

How did His grace affirm the faithfulness of Barnabas and Paul? Scripture says, through signs and wonders.

Miraculous displays of power don’t always look like healing or speaking in tongues.

Sometimes it looks like loving those who are difficult. Or continuing to show up for those whose intentions are evil because that’s what our Father does. He just keeps showing up.

But even this didn’t minister to everybody, let’s keep reading:

Acts 14:4–7 ESV

But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Their presence divided the town. So God led them to Lystra and Derbe to keep preaching. (SHOW MAP)

Here’s what we need to remember in this: Faithfulness doesn’t mean you never move; it just means you don’t move too soon.

God gave Paul and Barnabas the wisdom to leave. Faithfulness doesn’t mean staying in dangerous relationships at church or anywhere else. But it does mean staying long enough to speak boldly for the Lord, until He clearly calls you elsewhere to continue in that work.

CHUNK #2

Moving on, in verses 8 - 10, we see when they got to Lystra, Paul healed a man who had been crippled from birth. He preached, saw the faith of this brother and said with a loud voice, “Stand upright,” and immediately he began walking.

But instead of praising Yahweh, the one true God behind this miracle, the crowd started shouting, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And before long, the priest of Zeus hears what’s happening. He shows up with oxen and garlands, ready to give a sacrifice to these guys.

And when Paul and Barnabas hear it, they don’t say, “Wow, look at our influence!” They tore their garments—a sign of grief—and shouted, “Why are you doing these things? We are men like you!”

This is humility. Redirecting glory from ourself to our God. Why?

Because the human heart…yours, mine, everyone’s has this tendency to turn good things into god things.

We take something created—a person, a job, a gift, a relationship—and we elevate it to a place it was never meant to be.

Our careers. Our comfort. Our appearance. Our success. Our children. Even our ministries.

All these good things can quietly become god things.

David Foster Wallace—an author who didn’t follow Jesus but understood human worship better than most, said this:

“There is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship is that pretty much anything else will eat you alive.”

“If you worship money and things, you’ll never have enough. Worship your body and beauty, and you’ll always feel ugly. Worship power, and you’ll end up feeling weak and afraid. Worship your intellect, and you’ll end up feeling a fraud, always on the verge of being found out.”

He said, “These forms of worship are our default settings.”

And he’s right. This is the second time we’ve used the quote of an atheist to point to the truth of God by the way. That’s because all truth is God’s truth, and all people long for Him whether they know it or not. Just wanted to point that out. But David Foster Wallace is right. Worship is our default setting. Because the human heart was created to worship. This is why God is always calling us to worship Him, to pray to Him, to turn our eyes to Him…not because He is vain, but because He is a good Father reminding us of what we were made for. Our hearts our restless until they find their rest in Him.

Paul redirects their worship to the only one who deserves it, saying, “Turn from these vain things to the living God.”

Every good gift points back to a good Giver. Rain, food, laughter, friendship, love—all of it whispers, “There is a God, and He is good.”

And Humility means refusing to take credit for what only He can do.

CHUNK #3

Let’s continue on,

Acts 14:18–19 ESV

Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. 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.

This is incredible! The same people who were ready to worship them have now been convinced to kill them. If this sounds familiar, it should. The same thing happened to Jesus. The crowd that shouted “Hosanna!” on Sunday shouted “Crucify Him!” by Friday. So they stone Paul, they thought they killed him, and dragged him out of the city. Because dead bodies were unclean.

But verse 20 says the disciples gathered around Paul and he got up. What a simple sentence that shows us a beautiful picture of God honoring community. Brothers and sisters ready to lift you up when the world has beaten you down. I think the church is missing this more than anything else. Voices of encouragement that are louder than voices of discouragement.

We’ve got to fix that.

Correction is needed and necessary, but not more than faith. Jesus doesn’t say, “You of little correction.” He says, “You of little faith.” So we need encouragers willing to strengthen our faith. Brothers and sisters ready to lift us up when the world has beaten us down.

And after Paul gets up, he travels sixty miles to Derbe to preach again. And when he’s done there, he goes back to the towns that just tried to kill him.

Why? Acts 14:22 says he went back to strengthen 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. Encouragement is not intended to keep us from hardship or the truth. That’s enablement. Encouragement is intended to give us the strength to walk into hardship and truth for the greater joy that awaits.

Paul understood his mission. His pain was intended to become someone else’s encouragement. The mission is hard, he’s telling them, but the one who calls you is faithful to do what He has called you to.

CHUNK #4

Then Acts 14:23 says,

Acts 14:23 ESV

When they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

So stick with me for a moment. I am going to attempt to explain something pretty complex in a short amount of time. My hope is that it lands, but if it doesn’t feel free to come up afterward or email me tomorrow to tell me it was terrible. I’ll own it!

Here’s the point: for any mission to work, there must be authority. But for many people, authority has become synonymous with control or power. But biblical authority is not about power—it’s about the rightful and legitimate exercise of power.

Let me say it this way: Power is the strength to make something happen. Authority is the permission to do it.

There are two kinds of authority:

Intrinsic - authority by nature. That’s God’s authority. It belongs to Him alone.

And every other kind of authority is delegated— meaning it is given, not taken.

For example, the President has delegated authority because our governmental structure grants it.

Whether you vote for them or not, as a citizen you are still under their authority. Because authority isn’t based on preference—it’s based on position.

The problem comes when people mistake power for authority — using strength without permission. But that’s not a position problem — that’s a heart problem.

Does that make sense?

Now, zoom that out to a kingdom view. Looking at God’s good design. All human authority is delegated, but only God’s authority is intrinsic.

That means all other authority flows from Him.

So the way that we use or respond to authority reveals how we actually view His.

And here’s why that’s so important: Without a right understanding of authority, we’ll always struggle with submission. And that’s me. I’ve always struggled with submission because I always thought it was just people trying to get power over me. But when you finally see that authority is actually a gift from God for our good, you start to realize it’s not meant to hold us down—but to help us flourish.

God created the world with order and authority because He loves us. He designed the family, the church, and society to operate with structure—not to restrict us, but to protect us.

He’s given us the Triune order—Father, Son, and Spirit—perfectly equal in essence, yet distinct in role. Then He created humanity in that same image.

We all submit to the intrinsic authority of the Triune God. Then, in creation, man was given delegated authority through his position to lead, serve, and cultivate the world under God’s rule. Woman was given a corresponding and complementary role—equal in worth, different in function. Together, they were to reflect the whole image of God in unity and diversity.

But sin broke that order. And now, because the world is fallen, authority is often abused and submission is often resisted. Men have failed to lead under God’s authority. A heart problem, not a position problem. Women have been wounded by misuse of that authority. And this brokenness moved into our families, our churches, and our world.

That’s why here at The Garden, we want to model a redeemed picture of authority. Focusing on God’s good design, not our brokenness.

We hold to what’s called a complementarian view—that men and women are equal in value, dignity, and worth, but distinct in role and responsibility.

That in no way means men are greater than women. It means we have been designed and positioned differently on purpose—for God’s glory and our good.

We see Deborah in Judges 4, Priscilla and Phoebe in Romans 16, and Anna in Luke 2 acting as prophets, leaders, deacons, and teachers. And we celebrate that, calling both men and women to serve and lead in every area of ministry, except the specific office of elder, which we believe Scripture reserves for qualified men who are called to shepherd and teach under God’s authority.

Hear me now, there are godly brothers and sisters, leading churches, who interpret this differently. I’ve learned much from them, and deeply respect them.

This is not to contradict others who have wrestled with God’s Word and chosen to walk this out differently. But this is how we, at The Garden, have prayerfully chosen to walk out what we see in Scripture.

But when men refuse to submit to God’s intrinsic authority, they forfeit their delegated authority.

And when that happens—families break down, churches get hurt, and society suffers.

This is what we see all around us—men trying to be their own gods. And the result is pain, confusion, and chaos. That’s not God’s good design, that’s our brokenness.

So what does biblical authority actually look like in practice?

Men lead not to dominate, but to serve. Not to be first, but to go first—in repentance, humility, and love.

That’s exactly what Jesus did.

The One with all authority laid it down to wash feet, heal the broken, and die for sinners. He didn’t cling to power; He surrendered it in obedience to the Father.

And now He calls His people—especially those in leadership—to do the same.

That’s what Paul and Barnabas are modeling here. They’re appointing elders—spiritual shepherds who will lead and protect the flock. They’re doing it with prayer and fasting—reminding everyone that leadership isn’t about control; it’s about submission to God.

Paul would later write in 1 Timothy 3 that elders must be above reproach, faithful to their wives, self-controlled, hospitable, gentle, and not greedy.

Why? Because leadership isn’t about privilege—it’s about character. Paul and Barnabas themselves were under authority. They were sent by the elders of Antioch, who were under the authority of the Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son.

They weren’t rogue missionaries on a power trip—they were submitted servants, sent on a rescue mission by God.

So church, here’s the takeaway: The mission requires biblical authority—not worldly power.

We don’t rule by force. We lead by faith, and serve with joy, to point the world back to its rightful King.

Because under His intrinsic authority, we have been given delegated authority to proclaim one simple truth: “You have a Creator—and He is good.”

Conclusion: The Mission Is Hard, But Worth It

That’s the mission, church. We are holy rebels behind enemy lines, reclaiming for the Light what the darkness has stolen.

And yes — that mission is hard. But the One behind the mission is worth it.

If we step into this mission for comfort, control, or self-fulfillment… we will quit the moment it costs us something.

God Himself must be our ultimate goal. Everything else is secondary. We are not the center — Christ is.

Pastor John Piper once said:

“We are not made for beholding a great self, but a great splendor.”

Jesus Christ is that splendor.

Only when He is our deepest delight will we ever endure the cost of this calling.

That’s why our mission statement begins: Delight in Jesus. Then — Make Disciples. Then — Model the Gospel.

Because we can’t make disciples if we don’t delight in the One we’re pointing others to.

He is the reason for our joy, just as He is the reason for our faithfulness, humility, trust and submission.

Because He lived them each perfectly.

Hebrews 12 says, “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” Perfect faithfulness.

Philippians 2 says, “He made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant… ” Perfect humility.

On the cross He whispered, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Perfect trust.

And He laid down His power to lift us up in grace. Perfect authority.

He is the message. He is the mission. And He is the model.

We are sent to reflect His goodness and display His worth. Even when it’s hard.

And listen to what He says to the weary today,

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” You don’t need to prove your worth—He already declared it on the cross. You don’t need to carry your guilt—He already carried it for you.

The gospel isn’t “try harder.” It’s trust deeper. What an invitation. Help us to trust you today King Jesus. (PAUSE)

LET’S PRAY

Communion Transition

Now we come to the Table.

And remember — this meal is not a reward for the perfect. It is nourishment for the weary.

The bread reminds us of His faithfulness. The cup reminds us of His humility.

Every time we eat and drink, we are proclaiming:

His work is finished — and His authority is good.

So come with gratitude. Come with awe. Come declaring, “Jesus, You are worth it all.”

The mission is costly. But the Savior is worthy.

Come — and remember Him.

BENEDICTION:

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Church you are sent from here on mission, in Christ, teaching others to observe all He has commanded us. Go in Peace.