"You SOD!"
Notes
Transcript
This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church today, it would be important for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called Expository Preaching.
What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible, and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to better understand what the Bible is saying and how it applies to our lives.
With that said, for the last year we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a first century disciple named Luke who wrote it for two primary reasons:
#1 - To give us a history of the church.
#2 - To give us a template for how to accomplish the mission Jesus has given us to take the gospel to the entire world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to www.mcf.life where you can listen to all of the messages leading up to today.
Today however we are back in Acts Chapter 13 as we finish out an exciting story we started last week.
You may recall the story started as Paul and Barnabas embarked on their first missionary journey and arrived on the Island of Cyprus.
From there they traveled across the island sharing the gospel and telling people about Jesus. And all seemed to be going well but it wasn’t long before opposition came there way. Luke records it like this:
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
Acts 13:6
Luke says the opposition came from a certain individual, and from Luke’s description of this man we get the following details:
#1, Luke says as Paul and Barnabas make their way across the island, they come in contact with a man named Bar Jesus, who Luke says was a magician and a Jewish False Profit.
And as we learned last week, Luke’s description of Bar Jesus tells us much about what this man believed and why he would have been opposed to Paul and Barnabas.
First, Luke says he was a magician. Which means he was what was known in the 1st Century as a “magos” or maji.
What that tells us then is this a man who uses astrology and fortune tellings to predict future events.
If he were alive today, we’d call him a New Age Spiritualist, and he would be one that dabbles in the occult practices of not only astrology, but also horoscopes, card reading, and things like this.
Second, Luke says he was a Jewish False Prophet. Which means he would have been a Jew that was familiar with the OT scripture and the God of the OT.
However, because Luke calls him a Jewish false prophet, it implies that while he knew the scriptures, his teachings didn’t line up with scripture. In other words, his teachings were contrary to what the Bible says.
Third, Luke says the man’s name was Bar Jesus, which literally means “Son of Jesus”.
An important detail because it represents the facade that this man is portraying. Because on the surface, he has the appearance of being somebody worth listening to. A man of wisdom, knowledge, and religious understanding. And even his title suggests an attachment to a name Christians would have been very familiar with.
So, as you can see, this is a man who has given himself to occultic practices,
But the reality is, he has no ties with Jesus. What he is, is an illusionist that dabbles in the dark arts that uses his Jewish background and knowledge to give the appearance that he’s godly and religious.
All that to say, he’s a dangerous man who uses words, mystical knowledge, and religious deception to peddle a false hope and a false gospel.
And this is why Bar Jesus would have had such a problem with Paul and Barnabas. Because Paul and Barnabas are preaching and proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, and that Jesus is the only answer we need.
#2, Luke tells us their encounter took place with Bar Jesus when Paul and Barnabas were invited to come share the gospel with a man named Sergius Paulus. Which leads us to the question, “Who is Sergius Paulus?”
Well, Luke tells us.
First, he tells us he’s a man of intelligence. The Greek word here is “synetos” and it literally means, “One with the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”
What that tells us then is that Sergius Paulus has a sharp mind and is probably somewhat of an intellectual. Meaning, it would be hard to pull the wool over this guys eyes.
But apparently someone has. And his name is Bar Jesus.
Second, not only is Sergius Paulus an intellectual, he’s a high ranking Roman official. Luke says he’s a proconsul. Meaning he’s the governor of that area. Which means, he’s a man with great influence and power.
Which leads us to the problem that Bar Jesus has with Paul and Barnabas, and why he’s so upset that Sergius Paulus has requested their presence.
Because according to Luke, the implication here is that Bar Jesus is Sergius Paulus’s spiritual advisor. He’s the one who gives the proconsul guidance and spiritual answers. Which tells us how deceptive Bar Jesus is because Sergius Paulus is no dummy.
But now, two unknown spiritual advisors have been summoned that teach a message contrary to Bar Jesus. And the last thing Bar Jesus wants is for Sergius Paulus to be converted to Christianity. Why?
Well, for one, he would probably lose his position as spiritual advisor.
Secondly, it would expose him as the fraud he is, which could lead to his arrest and possible execution.
And finally, it’s the last thing Satan wants as well, because imagine what would happen if a man like Sergius Paulus made Jesus Lord of his life. Imagine the influence and impact that could have in the region.
Because when Sergius Paulus invites Paul and Barnabas to come share their message with him, Bar Jesus is present as well. In other words, Bar Jesus is Sergius Paulus spiritual advisor. The one Sergius Paulus gets spiritual direction from.
All that to say, the last thing Bar Jesus wants is for Paul and Barnabas to be around Sergius Paulus.
All that to say, the last thing Bar Jesus wants is for Paul and Barnabas to be around Sergius Paulus.
That’s why Luke writes:
That’s why Luke writes:
8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
The Greek word for opposed here is “anthistemi”, and it literally means to resist by actively opposing pressure or power.
In other words, Bar Jesus is trying to power down on Paul and Barnabas and intimidate them.
Which now leads us to the question we ended with last week. The question being, “How do you handle someone who is trying to stop you from sharing your faith or someone who is teaching false doctrine and leading someone astray? Someone like a Bar Jesus.”
Because in this instance, both are happening. Not only is Bar Jesus leading Sergius Paulus away from the true God, he’s also trying to put up roadblocks to keep Paul and Barnabas from leading him to God.
So, what do you do? How do you handle yourself or be prepared for a situation like this? What do you say, what do you do when you encounter a Bar Jesus?
Great question, and something every Christian needs to know the answer to.
Because the fact is, if you’re committed to leading people to Jesus, you’re going to face opposition. You’re going to run into people who are opposed to your message. People who don’t want others to hear about it. People who are leading others astray. And in that moment you need to be ready to act.
So, with that as our basis, let’s find out how Paul and Barnabas handled this situation as we come back to . Picking up in verse 9, listen to what Luke tells us happened next following the opposition of Bar Jesus. Luke writes:
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
Wow! That’s quite a response from the Apostle Paul, right? I mean he didn’t just fire a warning shot on this guy, he went Wyatt Earp on Bar Jesus and unloaded both barrels.
I mean, did you catch what Paul just called him? He called him an “SOD”, a “Son of the Devil”. Them are fighting words!
But not only that, he took Bar Jesus down as he called a curse upon him that resulted in Bar Jesus temporarily losing his sight.
This was quite a showdown. Some of you didn’t know the Bible could be that exciting, right?
So, what’s going on here?, “Why did Paul respond like this?” “What does this mean for you and me?” and “Is this how we are to respond?” I mean when somebody opposes us are we just supposed to go Wyatt Earp on them? Do we call them an SOD and call a curse down upon them?
Well, to help us figure this all out, what I’d like to do is walk back through the passage and make some observations from Paul’s response. Because there are some important details in Paul’s response that I think will help us better understand how we should respond when we face an individual like Bar Jesus.
With that said, let’s pick back up in verse 9 and see if we can figure out what is going on. Luke begins by writing:
“But Saul, who was also called Paul...”
Observation #1 - Paul’s response is Spirit led.
I want to stop here for a second, because before we get to the first observation, I want to point out an important detail that could cause some confusion.
Notice again what Luke says as Paul prepares to responds to Bar Jesus:
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
What I want you to notice is the name change that Luke states here as Saul now becomes Paul, which seems kind of comes out of nowhere and seems kind of odd.
First, I want you to notice the name change as Luke begins by saying, “But Saul, who was also called Paul...”
So, what’s going on here? Why the name change?
The name change happens here for two reasons:
#1 - In the 1st century it was not uncommon for individuals to have double names, especially if a person interacted with more than one culture where identity with the culture was important.
And for Saul, this was especially important since Saul was a Jewish name and he had been called to reach gentiles, specifically in the Roman world. A name that could work against him.
You might ask, “How so?” Well, for one thing, in the Greek, the Jewish name “Saul” literally means “one who is conceited”.
Not only that, but in the Greek, the Jewish name “Saul” literally means “one who is conceited”.
Probably not the best name to have then if you want to have a positive impression on a Greek speaking Gentile. So you could see how that could work against him.
So, in order to be more prepared to reach gentiles, Saul changes his name to Paul, which would have been more of a Greek name.
#2 - The name change takes place, because from a mission standpoint, it represents a new day for Saul, as he now fully sheds who he used to be, and embraces the new plan and call God has on his life. Because from this point on, he will be known as the Apostle Paul, the man who literally turned the Roman world upside down with the gospel.
Now, some of you might be thinking, “Pastor, does that mean we need to change our name when we put our faith in Jesus or God calls us to do something specific for him?”
Well, strangely enough, I know some people that have done that, but that’s not what this is saying.
But what it does reflect is the obvious change that Jesus makes in our lives that would lead people to say, “Is that really the same person? Is that really so and so? Because they seem so different now.”
In addition to that, it shows us that in order to reach the people God’s called us to reach, we may need to put our spiritual heritage, traditions, and ritualistic thinking on the back burner.
I mean think about it, Saul is a Jew with a rich spiritual background. And he has a great Jewish name that reflects that. It’s the name of one of the great kings of Israel from the OT.
But Saul is more concerned with reaching people than his heritage or his name. And so, if changing his name will help him reach those people, then change it he will. In fact, we know this is the attitude of the Apostle Paul, because in he writes this:
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
Paul was a man committed to reaching people even if it meant putting his personal preferences and Jewishness aside.
And the same must be true for us.
For example, that’s why you will rarely ever hear me say, “I’m Assembly of God”.
And it’s not because I’m not proud of my spiritual and religious heritage. I very much am. But I also know that the Assembly of God title can come withe some preconceived ideas people might have that aren’t always good.
So, if I go around proclaiming I’m Assembly of God, there may be some people who wouldn’t listen to me or give me the time of day. So, instead of saying, “I’m Assembly of God”, I say, “I’m a Christian” or “I’m a Christ follower”.
Everybody tracking with me?
So, that’s why Saul changes his name and becomes Paul.
This now leads us to the first observation I want to make concerning Paul’s response to Bar Jesus. And I would state it like this:
Observation #1 - Paul’s response is Spirit led not man led.
Notice again what Luke says:
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
Before getting too much into Pauls response, Luke begins by highlighting the point that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. So, a great question would be, “Why does he tell us that?”
To be honest, he tells us this because this detail is the most important detail in this passage. Because everything that is about to happen is based on this fact.
Because if Paul wouldn’t have been filled with the Spirit, he would have been ill equipped and unprepared to deal with Bar Jesus.
Now, some might say, “Yeah Pastor, but doesn’t everybody that’s a Christian have the Holy Spirit living in them?”
Yes, that’s true.
But when Luke says, “…Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit...” Luke isn’t referring to Paul’s salvation status.
What I mean by that is, if you’re a Christian, when you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit does take up residence inside of you. In fact, He’s the one that makes your spiritual transformation possible. Paul puts it like this in :
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul says, “If you’re a Christian, the Spirit is in you, and He’s doing a work of spiritual transformation inside of you.”
But that’s not what Luke is referring to here. We already know Paul is saved. We don’t need Luke to affirm that the Holy Spirit is in Paul. So, what is Luke talking about then?
What Luke is referring to is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. A second work of the Holy Spirit that we learned about way back in & 2.
Do you remember what happened in as Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven following his resurrection. Do you remember what he told the disciples? Let’s look again at what Jesus said.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;
Luke says right before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gathered his disciples around him, and he told them that before they did anything. Before they witnessed to one person. Before they went on a missionary journey. That they needed to wait for the promise of the Father.
So, what is this promise of the Father that Jesus is referring to?
The promise is that once Jesus was gone, He would send a helper, aka, the Holy Spirit. And that the Holy Spirit would help them accomplish the mission of reaching the world with the gospel. Listen to how Jesus puts it in .
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Jesus promised them the HS would come after he left.
That’s why Jesus goes on to say in verse 6:
So, what will the HS do for them? Well for one, Jesus said he would bring to remembrance all that He had taught them. Which is great. But it doesn’t stop there. Because listen to what Jesus adds in :
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus says when the promise of the Father comes, they will receive power for witness.
In other words, the HS will give them the ability to supernaturally minister and reach people in a way they couldn’t on their own. Something only the Holy Spirit could provide them.
And that’s exactly what happened, because as the disciples waited for the promise of the Father to come, in , the Holy Spirit showed up. Luke writes:
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-
Luke says when the promise of the Father came, they were all filled with the Spirit, and supernatural signs and wonders followed. And if you recall, as a result, 3000 people came to faith in Jesus that day.
And so powerful was their message and their courage, that even the religious leaders began to wonder what in the world was going on. And so in they arrested Peter and John and brought them in for questioning in order to find out what is happening. Listen to how Luke describes the scene:
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:
Wow, what a response from Peter. But did you notice the detail that Luke gave us at the beginning of Peter’s speech? It was the same detail he gave us about the Apostle Paul in . He says, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them...”
And from there Peter delivers a power message about Jesus that leaves the religious leaders utterly confused and baffled. Because listen to how Luke describes their response to what Peter has said:
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Luke says the religious leaders were astonished. The Greek word hear literally meaning speechless. Because as far as they knew, these were uneducated red necks who are now speaking with knowledge, power, and authority. These guys belong on Duck Dynasty. And the only sense they can make of it is that these men had been with Jesus because apparently they sound a lot like Him.
That before they did anything when it came to reaching people with the gospel, that they first needed to be empowered to do so.
So, let me ask you, “How is that possible? How is it that Peter and John, who have no formal education and never took a speech class could now speak with the same power and authority as Jesus did?”
How about this, because they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They had been supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak and teach just like Jesus did. Pretty amazing!
And as we just noted, what was true for them was true for Paul in . Because as Paul faces his opponent, Luke says, he too is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Here’s what this is saying to you and I. If we want to be equipped and prepared to face the Bar Jesus’s of this world, we have to be filled with the Spirit. We have to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Now, you might be wondering, “Why is this so important?” Two reasons:
#1 - We have to be filled with the Spirit in order to determine what to do and say.
Let me show you what I’m talking about. I want you to notice what else Luke tells us as he makes reference to Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit. He writes:
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
What I want you to focus on is the phrase “looked intently at him”, and specifically the word “intently”.
In the Greek it’s the idea that Paul fixed his gaze on him and that he stared intensely at him.
That’s a little bit unnerving, right? I mean have you ever had somebody do that to you. They just stared you down. Almost like they were looking right through you. Kind of creepy, right?
So, why is Paul doing this? Is he trying to intimidate Bar Jesus? Is he trying to scare Bar Jesus?
What I’d like to suggest to you, is that in that moment, Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, is spiritually assessing the situation as the Holy Spirit reveals to Paul what he now needs to do and say.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, how do you know that’s what’s going on?” I base that on something Luke says in his Gospel. Listen to what Luke writes as he records the words of Jesus in :
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Let me ask you something, “Who are Paul and Barnabas standing before?” They’re standing before a ruler, a man named Sergius Paulus.
So, Jesus says, “When you face a situation like this. When you’re before an opponent or somebody of high status, don’t worry about what to say. Because in that moment, the Holy Spirit will teach you what to say.” And the Greek word for teach here means to impart knowledge to or instruct in how to do something.
So, based on all that, what I want to suggest to you, is as Paul looks intently at this guy, the Holy Spirit is giving Paul instructions on what to do and say next. That in this moment, the Holy Spirit is downloading into Paul everything he needs to know about Bar Jesus and what he needs to do in confronting him.
And what is true for Paul, can and must be true for us as well. Because if we are going to take on a Bar Jesus, or really anybody that opposes or attacks us because of the gospel, we need the Holy Spirit to teach us what to say. We need to know how He wants us to handle the situation. Other wise we are left to our own. And I don’t know about you, but left to my own, I tend to not know what to do or say.
Which leads us to the second reason being Spirit filled is so important in a situation like this:
#2 - We have to be filled with the Spirit, because this is a spiritual battle.
Here’s what I want you to see. As Paul stares intently at Bar Jesus, and as the Spirit begins to reveal to Paul what he needs to say and do, Paul begins to see very clearly what he’s dealing with. And what he’s dealing with isn’t the flesh, but the spiritual.
In other words, Bar Jesus isn’t just some ignorant misguided or misinformed person. Bar Jesus isn’t some religious weirdo standing on a street corner with a sign that says the world is coming to an end.
No, Bar Jesus is much more than that. Because as Paul stares intently at him, the Holy Spirit reveals the true nature of Bar Jesus to Paul. How do I know? I know because of what Paul says next. Because Luke writes:
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
Acts 13:
Luke says as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, assesses Bar Jesus, he recognizes exactly what Bar Jesus is. He sees right through the facade. Right through the unbiblical teaching. And in that moment Paul opens his mouth and he declares what Bar Jesus really is. He says, “Bar Jesus, your and SOD, a son of the devil, and an enemy of all righteousness.”
This is a profound statement and underscores who this man is and what he represents. So, a great question might be, “What exactly makes him an SOD?” What does Paul see that we need to see? Let’s break it down:
First, he’s an enemy of righteousness. Meaning, he’s against what God requires. He’s against doing what is right. This is a man committed to evil.
Second, he’s full of deceit and villainy. Which is in direct contrast to what Paul is full of. Because Paul is full of the Spirit. But Bar Jesus is full of the spirit of the devil. A spirit of deceit and villainy.
In fact, the word for “deceit” here is “dolos”, and it means to bait or lure one into a trip. And isn’t that exactly What the the devil does. He tries to bait us into violating God’s moral principles.
Third, he’s committed to making crooked the paths of the Lord. In other words, his goal is to divert the proconsul from the truth. So he’s twisting the scriptures. He’s twisting the truth. He’s making stuff up that the Bible doesn’t say. All in an effort to deceive Sergius Paulus into buying into a lie.
This is what makes Bar Jesus an SOD and why Paul needs to be filled with the Spirit, because this is a spiritual battle.
And the truth is, that’s true of any opponent or opposition we face when sharing the gospel. Paul puts it like this in :
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Paul says the battles we face for the gospel are of a spiritual nature. That being the case, we need to be spiritually prepared. We must be filled with the Spirit.
Now, does that mean every case for you and I is going to be as severe as Bar Jesus? No.
That being said, a great question would be, “How does one become Spirit filled?” Because if it’s so necessary, shouldn’t we all have it? We should.
Well, there’s not a formula per say to getting filled with the Spirit, but there are some requirements:
#1 - In order to be filled with the Spirit, you have to be a Christian.
The fact is, you can’t be empowered by the Spirit if He’s not already living inside of you. Make’s sense, right?
#2 - In order to be filled with the Spirit, you have to be Gospel focused.
In other words you have to have a desire to share your faith with others. At MCF, we call it being “All In”. Meaning, you’re all about Jesus and leading people to Jesus.
And to me, this is absolutely necessary if you want to be empowered by the Spirit. Because why else would God empower you? Meaning, if you’re not interested in leading people to Jesus, then you don’t need this. However, if you’re all about the mission Jesus has given us, then empowerment is necessary and something God gives to those who are “All In”.
#3 - In order to be filed with the Spirit, you have to seek it. In other words, you have to ask God to fill you and empower you with His Spirit. And not just once, but everyday.
How do I know? I know because that’s what the early believers did when they faced opposition and needed to be empowered. Because following their initial empowerment, they continued to pray for empowerment. Look at what Luke tells us happened when they prayed for more empowerment in :
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Luke says the empowerment didn’t just come on one occasion. Meaning, it’s not a one time fill up. This is something you daily seek as you ask the HS to empower you for what He’s called you to do today in reaching people for Jesus.
And what the Spirit did for them, he can do for you as well.
Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, I get what you are saying, but let’s just say I pray and get empowered by the Spirit. Does that mean I’m going to go around like Paul calling people SOD’s?”
No, and here’s why. Because every situation is different.
For Paul this was an extreme case of an individual who was blatantly evil and trying to destroy the work of God.
But not everybody you encounter is going to be like that.
Some are just going to be misguided misinformed people who are ignorant to what God’s Word says.
When I think of people like this, I think of people who maybe grew up in a religious setting where religion, rituals, and tradition ruled over Biblical teaching and a relationship with Jesus.
And it’s not that they are bad people, it’s just that nobody has ever shown them the truth of what God’s Word actually says.
And then there are others who are so caught up in this world that they are oblivious to who God is and their need for him.
When I think of people like that, I think of the unchurched who didn’t grow up in a religious setting and just don’t have a clue about who God is and what He’s done for them.
I encountered a couple of people like this in Manhattan a few months ago. As we talked I could tell they had zero understanding of faith or the Bible.
And when it comes to people like that, calling them an SOD isn’t going to win them to Jesus.
However, regardless of why they are opposed to the gospel, they all do have something in common. And what they have in common is that they are blind. Blind to their need for Jesus and blind to what He offers them.
We see the symbolism of this blindness in what Pauls says and does next with Bar Jesus. Because following this strong rebuke, look at what Paul says to Bar Jesus:
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
Luke says as Paul exposes Bar Jesus as a fraud, he declares that for a time Bar Jesus will be without site. And then Luke says immediately darkness fell upon him.
So, what’s that all about? Symbolically it represents the spiritual blindness that plagues Bar Jesus. Meaning, while he’s an instrument of the devil, he’s actually blind to it. He doesn’t realize how lost he is. And now it’s playing out physically as he’s lost his site and now must be led around by others.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, that seems a little harsh of God. To strike him with blindness.”
No, actually, what this demonstrates is the love and grace of God. Because notice what Luke says. Luke says he was unable to see for a time.
In other words, this wasn’t a lasting blindness. Why? Because the hope is, that as Bar Jesus experiences the physical blindness, he would begin to realize how spiritually blind he’s been. The hope is that he too would finally see the truth.
If you recall, it’s the same thing that happened with Paul before his conversion. God struck him with blindness on the road to Damascus. And it was during that time of physical blindness that Pauls spiritual eyes were opened.
And that my friends is the love and grace of God as he disciplines those he loves.
Here’s what this is saying to you and me. When we face opposition, regardless if they’re a Bar Jesus, a religious fanatic, or an unchurched person, what we have to remember is that they are spiritually blind.
Meaning, they can’t see the truth.
Which means, part of our job is to reveal the truth to them. How do we do that? We do it by being filled with the Spirit. We do it by allowing the Spirit to guide our words and our actions, with the hope, that whatever the Spirit leads us to say or do, it will result in their eyes being opened.
And while we don’t know if this happened with Bar Jesus, we know it happened with Sergius Paulus. Which leads us to our final observation, and I would state it like this:
Observation #2- When we are led by the Spirit, Jesus gets all the credit.
Acts 13:
Listen to what Luke says happened as Paul rebuked Bar Jesus and Bar Jesus went blind. Luke writes:
12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Luke says as the show down between Paul and Bar Jesus takes place, that Sergius Paulus believed. In other words, he put his faith in Jesus?
What caused him to do it? Luke says he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Here’s what’s interesting about that. What’s interesting is that he wasn’t so much impressed by how Paul handled Bar Jesus, but what Paul shared about Jesus.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. It’s about sharing our faith and leading people to Jesus. That’s what we want them to be impressed by. That’s what we want them to be astonished by. Not by how eloquent we are. Not by how much God uses us. Not by how spiritual we are. But simply by the message that we preach. That God loves us so much, that He gave His only Son, and that who should ever believe in Him would have everlasting life.
I love how the Apostle Paul puts it in his letter to the Corinthians. In he writes:
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Paul says we operate in the power of the Spirit for one purpose. To demonstrate our lack and lead people to Jesus.
To be honest, when I first read this passage, I didn’t think it will be solely about being filled with the Spirit. But as I prayed and wrote, the Lord began to show me that without this critical spiritual component in our lives, we won’t be able to accomplish much for Him.
With that said, as we close this morning, I’d like to ask you a couple of questions to consider:
Question #1 - Are you “All In”? In other words, as a Christian, are you all about Jesus and leading others to Him?
I ask that question, because I’m not sure every Christian always understands that’s what it’s all about. That being a Christian isn’t just about your own personal journey of faith, but it’s primarily about you leading others to the same conclusion you came to. The conclusion that you need Jesus.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what Jesus has commissioned us to do. To reach a lost and dying world.
Question #2 - Are you “Filled With the Spirit”? Again, an important question we need to be willing to consider. Because if you’re “All In”, and you’re all about reaching people for Jesus, then you need to be empowered to do so.
That being said, are you empowered? And if not, would you be willing to seek that empowerment? Would you be willing to ask God to fill you with His Spirit and empower you for ministry?
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, I might be willing to do that, but what’s going to happen? Am I going to speak in tongues like they did in ? Am I going to have supernatural insight? What can I expect?”
How about you not worry about that. How about instead, you just focus on asking God to fill you with His Spirit, and then you let God do what He wants to do with that. Because the most important thing is that you get empowered for ministry. That you would be ready to face a Bar Jesus or any situation that the enemy would throw your way.
That when the situation comes, it could be said of you, “Then, name, filled with the Spirit said.”
Let’s Pray