God's Power

Intro:

AG: Lord I Need You

Father, Your are our one defense and righteousness

Without You we could do nothing!

TS: Paul and Barnabas moved to Lystra and Derbe to continue their church planting ministry. These mighty men of God would not let anything stand in their way when it came to doing God’s work!

Lystra- 18 miles to the south of Iconium. It had become a Roman colony in 6 BC under Augustus.

Scholars believe there was no synagogue, since we don’t mention of Paul and Barnabas starting there and later, opposition arises from out of town rather than from Lystra’s synagogue.

Person of note: Timothy was from Lystra and had a Jewish mother, though his father was Greek.

Lystra was primarily a town of pagan gentiles

Here, Paul and Barnabas display the power of God only to have it misunderstood. Paul uses their pagan misunderstanding as a springboard to point them to the real and only God who is all-powerful.

RS: We live in a similar world to Lystra. Our society has forgotten much about God. There are many who have never heard the truth of God who surround us every day.

Acts 14:6–18 NKJV

they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there. And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

We see in this text three things about God’s power....

1. Displayed

Acts 14:8–10 NKJV

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Acts 14:8-

EX: God’s power was displayed

Preaching the gospel led to the man’s faith.

God worked a miracle.

Validated the gospel which Paul and Barnabas preached to ones who were more pagan than the crowds we have seen them with up to this point.

The man was impotent on his feet from his mother’s womb. He had never walked. This condition was all he had known.

Paul saw the man and his faith and told him to get up!

Lindsay said of the man’s response, “It was a sudden spring as the faith found vent, one act showing that the cure was perfect and then a continuous power to walk.

There could be no doubt in their minds that divine power had been displayed.

God demonstrated His reality and validated the message which Paul delivered.

AP: God’s power is still on display today!

Through His creation (more on this later).

Through the changed lives.

God still works in the world today.

Yes, he cures the sick and heals the lame.

But those are nothing compared to what His main focus seems to always have been.

There is no better miracle than when those dead in their sin are made alive in Christ Jesus.

The transformation God brings in lives, physically, spiritually, and mentally, displays His awesome power.

God doesn’t just give eternal life to His children.

He gives us an abundant life

God changes lives

He gives us a new nature

He gives gifts to equip us to serve Him and His spirit to guide us along the way.

IL: During the late 1800’s an English evangelist named Henry Moorhouse made

several trips to preach in America. On one of those occassions he was

taking a walk through a poor section of town when he noticed a small boy

coming out of a store with a pitcher of milk in his hands. Just then,

he slipped and fell breaking the pitcher and spilling the milk all over

the sidewalk. Moorhouse rushed to the childs side and found him unhurt

but terrified. "Mu mama’ll whip me," he kept crying. So Moorhouse

picked up the boy and carried him into the nearby store where the

preacher purchased a new pitcher. Then he returned to the daity, hd the

pitcher washed and filled with milk. With that done, he carred the boy

and the pitcher home.

Putting the youngster down on his front porch, Moorhouse handed him the

pitcher and asked, "Will your mama whip you now?"

A wide smile spread across the boys tear stained face, "no sir, cause

this is a lot better pitcher than we had before."

In grace God saves us. He doesn’t patch up our old lifes that have been

shattered by sin and satan into a million pieces. That would not do.

His reputation is at stake. We are His workmanship!

2. Misunderstood

Acts 14:11–13 NKJV

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

Acts 14:11-

EX: The pagan crowd leapt to a pagan conclusion.

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary

The strange reaction by the people of Lystra to the healing had its roots in local folklore. According to tradition, the gods Zeus and Hermes visited Lystra incognito, asking for food and lodging. All turned them away except for a peasant named Philemon and his wife, Baucis. The gods took vengeance by drowning everyone in a flood. But they turned the lowly cottage of Philemon and Baucis into a temple, where they were to serve as priest and priestess. Not wanting to repeat their ancestors’ mistake, the people of Lystra believed Barnabas to be Zeus and Paul to be Hermes.

AP: God is often misunderstood today.

AP: God is often misunderstood today.

Gone are the days when the majority of people around us know at least some of the things of God.

Like Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, we are surrounded by a pagan and foreign culture.

When they hear and see the things of God, they often misunderstand them because they have no reference point to compare to!

IL: Blind men first meeting the elephant

1 touched the trunk, 1 the side, the other the ears.

Proceeded to argue over what the elephant was like.

A snake

A wall

A bird

All had such a limited encounter, they couldn’t grasp the whole.

That is where we find ourselves today in our post-christian culture.

God’s power and message will misunderstood more as our culture continues to walk away from Him.

When that happens, we must do as Paul and Barnabas.

3. Proclaimed

Acts 14:14–18 NKJV

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

Acts 14:14-

EX:

Paul and Barnabas tore their robes.

Jewish way to show their horror and shame at the blasphemy.

Often a sign of mourning.

They put a stop to the sacrifice and used this as a springboard to proclaim the truth.

But Paul didn’t preach a sermon like he had done in the synagogues.

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary

Because the crowd at Lystra was pagan and had no knowledge of the OT, Paul adjusted his message to fit the audience. Instead of proclaiming the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he appealed to the universal and rational knowledge of the One who created the world (cf. 17:22–26; Jon 1:9).

John 1:9 NKJV

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Jonah 1:9 NKJV

So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

AP:

Paul pointed out that the “rain from heaven and fruitful seasons” were gifts from God.

All of creation points to God’s power. We see His handiwork on display every time we observe the universe.

He urged them to turn from useless pagan superstitions and embrace God.

They had been worshipping the creation instead of the Creator.

Romans 1:18–23 NKJV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Even after the tearing of his robes and the words of his message, they could barely stop the sacrifice.

God’s message of salvation was proclaimed, and as I mentioned in the introduction, at least Timothy and his family believed.

AP: We must reach people!

If not us, then who will share the love and power of God with the people of Cherokee county?

We can’t keep hoping they will one day stumble through the doors.

We must, like Paul and Barnabas, seek them, even if it costs us.

How many times have they been run out of town?

Just wait until next Sunday, it gets even worse.

WHY DO WE HESITATE?

Why do we refuse to share His love?

We must reach the people around us.

Our friends, relatives, co-workers, & neighbors need the Lord.

They may have never heard the good news.

Have you told them?

I am ashamed to say, there have been those in my life who have never heard the gospel.

Have you done as Paul will later write to the church in Corinth

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 NKJV

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

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What are we doing to reach those around us?

Have we gotten out of our holy huddle and reached out to them?

May God have mercy upon us for those times we have forgotten our mission.

Have we made ourselves uncomfortable for the sake of others?

May He fill us with a fervor and zeal for sharing His love.

IL:

Conclusion:

God our Father, lift our eyes toward You in worship and turn our hearts to our neighbors in love.

TAKE-AWAYS:

Forgive us for the sin of being complacent when there are people dying with You around us daily.

Forgive us for putting our comforts ahead or our mission.

Give us the boldness of Paul and Barnabas to display your power, correct the misunderstandings, and to proclaim it to all You bring into our lives.

Amen.