Encountering Hardship

Acts: Faith in Action

“Encountering Hardship”

Acts 14:19-28

July 15, 2007

When we began the series on Acts we saw that the church was to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. In Acts 1:8 the disciples were told “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Today we are celebrating what God is doing in our “ends of the earth.” The text for today is taken from Acts 14, the first missionary journey of the church that reached out to the “ends of the earth.” We begin with the end of that journey in verse 27 On arriving there (Antioch the city from which they had been sent and from where they had begun their journey), they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

It is good to report on what God is doing through the missionaries that we have sent out and support. The Wessman’s, Gilmore’s, Tiner’s, Blagovost’s in Bulgaria, and Malcolm here locally face many of the same obstacles that Paul and Barnabas faced, so this story can help us understand and support our missionaries as well as strengthen our own faith as we see God in action.

Let us pray. (Pray for our faith to be strengthened as a result of hearing about the trials and hardships of Paul; pray for the message to land in our hearts as well as our minds and for the Holy Spirit to inhabit my words)

BACKGROUND

The message of the Good News of Jesus Christ had spread to the city of Antioch in Syria and from here Paul and Barnabas were chosen by the Holy Spirit and the church to take the message overseas. It is important to see that the Holy Spirit called them to this work and in chapter 13 verse 2-4 we read While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,

Missionaries are set apart, called by God and sent by God to do his work in the world. So it is with our missionaries, they were set apart, called and sent by God and this church and are currently engaged in different ministries advancing the kingdom of God against the kingdom of darkness.

SLIDE OF MAP

Paul and Barnabas were also advancing God’s kingdom in a dark and menacing world that wasn’t always receptive to what they had to say. They journeyed to the island of Cyprus and spread the good news there, then they caught a ship and went over to the Mediterranean coast of what today is the country of Turkey. They traveled between several cities there, Perga, Antioch (not the Antioch they left from), Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.

As Paul and Barnabas brought the Good News, many of the people hearing it were convinced and they became believers. Many Jews however, rejected Paul’s message and so Paul and Barnabas were forced to speak to the Gentiles. This was reflected in their report back to their sending church in Antioch—Acts 14:27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Opposition

After rejecting the message of the Good News, the Jews set out to oppose Paul and Barnabas and so they followed them and harassed them inciting the crowds. Their opposition was so intense that they drove Paul and Barnabas from their cities. When I read this I can’t help but think about our missionaries who are far away and subject to their own opposition and persecutions. Imagine being in a foreign country where you barely speak the local language, often don’t have the same customs, look very different than your neighbors and follow a religion foreign to your neighbors. I imagine that it would feel very lonely, there would be a great need to draw strength from God and from each other because of the isolation.

Text

Because of strong opposition, Paul and Barnabas have been driven to the city of Lystra. Turn to Acts 14:19-28. There is a copy of the text in your bulletin and it will be up on powerpoint. There is a map of their travels so you can see their route as they traveled from city to city. Many bibles have maps of Paul’s missionary journeys in the back with lines tracing the different cities he went through. The maps though don’t tell the stories of what went on during those trips. It is the narrative report that gives the journey life. Hearing what they experienced brings the map to life.

Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

This story amazes me! Paul had so riled up the people of Antioch and Iconium that they followed him to Lystra and began speaking against him. The emotions were so high that the crowd took Paul out and stoned him. He was chosen probably because he was the chief speaker and drew all the flak. Earlier in Iconium they had tried to stone them, but the apostles had learned of the threat and fled to Lystra. Now here they were again, only this time they followed through on their intentions and stoned Paul.

Paul survived the attack. The implication is that it was a miraculous recovery since he was well enough the following day to leave for Derbe.

What was Paul’s response to the attack, however? Did he give up and cancel the trip? How many of us after being stoned would have given up? I wonder how I would have responded? Probably by getting on the next flight out of there!

Paul goes on to Derbe, proclaims the good news, makes many disciples and then says something very profound to them.

Verse 21&22 from The New Living Translation: After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

Here we have some amazing words from Luke regarding our faith. After stoning and tremendous opposition, they returned to the very cities they were chased from. Did that take courage or what? They knew that if they didn’t encourage and strengthen the new believers all their work would go for nothing.

What did they strengthen and encourage them to do? The NLT translates it continue in the faith. The word for continue is from the same root word that is used by John to describe the vine and branch relationship of abiding. To continue in the faith is to abide in Christ. To continue in the faith is to rely on the Holy Spirit to do what I on my own cannot do. To continue in the faith is to accept the truth that Jesus and I are joined together, we are one just as God and Christ are one.

Galatians 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This elemental truth is something that Paul knew very well, it shows up in much of his writing. The book of Ephesians is filled with terminology that acknowledges our union with Christ. Go through Ephesians sometime and notice all of the times Paul uses the phrase “in Christ.”

Why is this so important? Because of what comes after the comma [SLIDE OF TEXT]. They are reminded that trouble, hardship, and oppression were part of what they signed up for. Saying yes to Jesus automatically qualifies me for hardship. If I am to continue in the faith then I will have to deal with some pretty tough stuff.

Paul writes to Timothy in Second Timothy 3:10-12 about this experience: You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted? If hardship and persecution, trials and tribulations are a given, then what am I, as a follower of Jesus, to do?

Paul in verse 23 entrusted the vulnerable believers to the Lord. His faith in God’s faithfulness was so strong that he could do that. He knew that ultimately he wasn’t the answer to their enduring persecution. Paul was called to be a traveling evangelist going from city to city starting churches and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. If he were to fulfill his call he would have to entrust them to the Lord.

God is able. Writing to Timothy he notes that the Lord rescued him from all of his hardships.

YOU

What hardships are you facing today? Do you find it difficult to “continue in the faith?” You may not be on a missionary journey, but hopefully you are planning to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. Paul says in 2 Timothy that all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. How are you being persecuted today? What hardships are you facing that test your faith? If you aren’t facing any hardship, what are you doing to prepare for the day that you will face them?

The answer lies in our union with Christ. Our church is big on Scripture memorization for the kids. As an older adult I struggle with memorizing Scripture but I also know the value of memorization. There are several texts that have been very helpful for me in the truth of my union with Christ. I’d like to take a few minutes this morning to have us meditate and reflect on one of those texts.

Galatians 2:20 has been for me a lifeline of truth during difficult times. I’d like for us to repeat this verse several times, not in a rote manner, but rather internalizing its truth, taking it all in and letting it reach our soul.

[REPEAT Gal. 2:20 in its entirety several times as the congregation closes their eyes and listens, then have the congregation read along with me several times more.]

WE

It is truly Christ in us that helps us through the persecutions and hardships. This was true for Paul in his missionary travels and it is true for us as we endure hardship and persecution.

Let us pray.