Valuable Lessons for Disciples - Acts 14:1-20

“Valuable Lessons for Disciples”

Acts 14:1-20

©Copyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, August 24, 2003

Any family trip or vacation is filled with stories. Once when I was a child we went on a family vacation to Florida. I remember there was a terrible rain storm and my dad left the windows open in the car. The next day we spent much of the morning trying to dry out the car. When we had children of our own we were coming home from Chicago and had all the junk that you have to bring when you have young kids tied to the top of the car. . . or so I thought. As we were on the East West Tollway in suburban Oakbrook we lost our dirty laundry and then a suitcase fell off the car! Fortunately, we didn’t cause an accident. There is something pretty humbling about stopping on the shoulder of an expressway in Chicago to gather your clothes from the highway.

I remember winter trips in the ice and snow when our wipers and washers wouldn’t work on the car. It was a rather harrowing trip. Then there was the time while Maggie and I were dating and I was sure she was impressed with my AMC Gremlin until we went over the railroad tracks and we left my exhaust system on the tracks!

I’m sure you have your stories of bizarre things that happened on the journeys of your life. Some of them are funny (usually only after the fact) others are heart-breaking. But every adventure has its stories.

This morning we are going to look at some of the stories (or slides and snapshots, if you will) from the first missionary journey of Paul. We find these stories in Acts 14.

Paul and Barnabus had begun their journey in Syrian Antioch. They traveled to Cyprus and then went to present day Turkey landing in Perga. Due possibly to an illness in the apostle Paul, Mark left the company while Paul and Barnabus moved inland to the mountains. They traveled to Pisidian Antioch in the Region of Galatia. When some of the people forced them to leave they moved to Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.

We are given just the highlights of the trip and they are readily understandable. What I want to do is draw some practical lessons from these events that were written down not just for our information, but also for our instruction.

NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE YOU

This seems like something that doesn’t need to be stated. We all know that you can’t please everyone. That is, we know it intellectually but we still crave to be liked by everyone. Because of this we do all kinds of things,

We hide who we really are and what we think so that we can be what we think others want.We endure various abuses and assume that we must be to blame.We adopt behaviors we know are wrong in the hope that we will fit in or be loved. This is the whole principle behind peer pressure.We compromise or distort the gospel to make it more popular

The person who lives to be accepted by others is one who will never find peace and happiness. They will live their lives like chameleons, they will have to keep changing their color depending on their environment. They will “play the game” but miss out on life. In addition, those who spend their life seeking to please everyone will never take a stand for Jesus. The child of God will not always fit in.

Look at our text. In Iconium the disciples faced opposition from the start but they persevered. They only left the town when they discovered a plot to have them stoned.

In Lystra the people witnessed a wonderful miracle and bowed down to the disciples . . . but before you knew it the opponents had the crowd whipped up in opposition and they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city intending to kill him.

If you stand on the truth of Scripture, some people will resent you. They will call you names. They will exclude you. At times they might even attack you. All across the globe Christians are being persecuted for their faith. Some are taken from families and placed in prisons for years. Some are killed. Others face constant attack.

The true believer is willing to follow Christ in spite of persecution because they know the love of Christ is a greater treasure than anything the world has to offer us. The true disciple is more concerned about the Savior’s, “Well-done” than the applause of men.

Notice the sequel to the story of Paul. The people in Lystra left him for dead. When Paul regained consciousness he WENT BACK INTO THE CITY! Was Paul a glutton for punishment? No. Paul understood that it was not about him . . . it was about getting the gospel to those who were lost. He was determined to be true to the Lord whether the people loved him or not. I wonder, could the same be said for you?

Following Christ calls for courage. When we follow Jesus we are choosing to live in a way that goes “against the stream” and we should not be surprised or angry when people criticize us. It goes with the job. We must be determined to stand for Christ even if the world knocks us down. . . . and it may.

WE MUST MAKE SURE GOD GETS THE GLORY

One of the hit shows on television is the show “American Idol”. The show features various vocalists who compete to win the contest and get a recording contract. The show is entertaining but the title of the show is more than a little disturbing and revealing. It points to the human tendency to exalt human beings more than they do the Lord.

It is a strange thing isn’t it? People will stand and scream and squeal for a person on a stage yet remain unmoved by the Almighty. People will faint and stutter when they encounter someone famous but think nothing of waltzing into the presence of the King of the Universe. We will rearrange our schedules to meet our favorite celebrity, or go to a game or a concert . . . but we have trouble getting out of bed on a Sunday. We are a nation of Idolaters.

It is an odd and perhaps amusing story of what happened to Paul and Barnabus in Lystra. While they were talking to the people a man who was crippled was in the crowd. We are told, “Paul looked at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And that’s just what the man did. He was wonderfully healed.

Don’t you wonder what Paul saw in this man? As one who speaks publicly I know you see lots of things in your listeners. You see disinterest, distraction, feigned attention, and you see those who are with you. Every once in a while you may see a person who “gets it”. You can see the light go on in their understanding. I wonder if this is what Paul saw. The man believed and the man was healed.

When the crowds saw what had happened they began to celebrate. They began to shout to each other in Lyconian. At first Paul and Barnabus must have been thrilled. The people were enthusiastic and the disciples must have thought they were getting ready to see a great revival.

As they were walking down the street they saw a parade coming. Suddenly the parade stopped and Paul and Barnabus realized what was taking place, they were going to make offerings to Paul and Barnabus! The two men screamed, “No, No! We are but men.”

Most people believe there is a story behind this odd act. In Roman mythology Zeus and Hermes came down to earth one day and visited Lystra. The gods wandered through the city asking for someone to show them kindness. Everyone closed their doors on their request. Finally an old poor couple invited them in and cared for them. The next day Zeus and Hermes transformed their home into a mansion. He destroyed all of the other folks. The people of Lystra wanted to make sure they showed kindness and not indifference to these miracles workers.

There is an inherent danger whenever we serve the Lord that people will exalt the servant rather than the Master. People will tell us that we are wonderful (even though we know we are not); they will use superlatives like, “there is no one like you” (though you know you are not all that special). People will bow before us and give offerings to us (ask a sports or music star if people are not showering them with gifts). These things stroke our ego. We want to believe we were responsible for whatever we are getting credit for. These behaviors rob God of the glory that He deserves.

Never forget that the same person who applauded you today may be booing you tomorrow. The same person who says you’re great on Monday may be trying to get you fired on Tuesday. People are fickle. We must constantly remember that there is only one God . . . and it is not us.

WHEN SHARING YOUR FAITH YOU MUST START WHERE THE LISTENER IS

When Paul and Barnabus confronted the people of Lystra about their foolish idolatry Paul tried to teach them. We have very little of his sermon recorded. But notice how Paul begins his talk.

“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (vv. 15-17)

Paul invited the people to know the God of Creation, the powerful God who gives rain and provides for needs. It’s as if Paul says, “You are people who are wonderfully blest. Would you like to know about the God who is behind these blessings?”

This is a different approach than we saw when Paul was in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13) On that occasion Paul began with the Old Testament promises and faithfulness of God. This time he took a different approach. Why? It’s simple. Paul had a different audience. When he talked to the Jews he related the gospel to the Jewish promise of a Messiah. When he talked to the Gentiles that approach would have been foolish, they would not know what he was talking about. With the Gentiles Paul starts from a more philosophical base.

This lesson is for all of us. Whenever you share the faith with someone else you have to begin where they are.

You might begin by talking to a young person about the lyrics of a song and the values behind the lyricsYou might start by talking about hope to someone who has experienced a loss or about a God who is compassionateYou might begin by opening the word of God and showing the religious person that their traditions are not based on the truth.You might talk to a child about the love of God or the God who is present with them always.

The first key to sharing your faith with anyone is to listen to the person’s heart. We must be sensitive and wise in the way we begin. The core of our message will always the same. No matter where we begin with a person our goal is to move toward Christ. We do not help people simply by listening to them. We help them by listening to them and then walking with them from their point of pain or confusion to the cross of Jesus where they will find forgiveness and new life.

MAKING DISCIPLES IS MORE THAN GETTING CONVERSIONS

My last observation comes at the end of our text.

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.

Paul and Barnabus understood that new believers (actually all believers) must be given attention and care. It is not enough to get people to “say the prayer”. People need to learn how to move forward in their Christian faith. After these men had traveled through Perga, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, they re-traced their steps. Think about this. They faced opponents in Antioch and Iconium and Paul was stoned and left for dead in Lystra. It is possible he was very ill in Perga. But they returned because they wanted these people to grow in the Lord. Look at what they did.

They strengthened and encouraged them. Last week we took Rachel to school. College is intimidating and scary. The first challenge for a new student like Rachel is to find a friend. This friend gives you strength by their very presence. They give you courage to try new things, help you meet new people, and enable you to find your place.

It’s a scary thing to be a new believer. I talked to someone recently who told me that they want and need to go to church but confessed that they did not do so because it is difficult to walk into a church by yourself. You don’t know what to do, where to sit, when to stand.

New believers need to be taught about the Bible. They need instruction in prayer. They require people who will help them understand the nature of the commitment they have made. That’s what Paul and Barnabus were willing to do. That’s what we need to be willing to do as well. One of the best things you can do for a newcomer to the faith or to our community is to be their friend. Invite them to worship with you. Take them to a Bible Study. Meet them for lunch and talk about their relationship with God.

They organized them. Paul and Barnabus appointed teachers to lead the local bodies of believers. They trained those who could carry on after they had departed. It is important that we make sure that new believers are involved in a church where they can be taught and feed.

They prayed for them. We often pray for a person’s salvation. However, we need to realize that when a person makes the decision to surrender their life to Christ they have become an enemy of the Devil. They have jumped into the heat of conflict. When someone is a new believer they need our prayers more than ever. Paul and Barnabus understood this. We must understand it as well.

CONCLUSIONS

The Christian life begins with a sincere step of faith when we trust Christ alone as our Lord and Savior. We are saved by grace and it is the most simple and profound act of life. By placing our trust in Jesus; by surrendering our attempts to save ourselves; we are made new. It’s astounding. If you have never taken that step I hope and pray that you will do so today.

Jesus tells us however that we should count the cost of following Him. We must become disciples with our eyes open. Our text this morning reminds us of some of the things we need to remember,

· He who stands with Christ, stands against the world. When I talk to my friend, Michael Butler about farming he often says, “Hey, that’s the job. If you can’t accept that you ought to do something else rather than complain.” When someone dislikes us because we belong to Jesus we should accept that this is part of the job. We must accept that fact rather than complain. Our job is to play to an audience of One. That One is the Lord. Our job is to serve and honor the Lord. We must seek to be faithful rather than popular.

· We must guard against getting too big for our britches. People will naturally tend to worship the created rather than the Creator. Our job is to remind them that there is only one God and we are not Him. Do you believe your own “press clippings”? We must continue to see ourselves in truth as God sees us. We do this by spending time with God in honest prayer.

· We have been reminded to take the time to get to know people before we share the gospel. We need to understand a person’s needs before we can show that Jesus is relevant to those needs. Are you frustrated in your attempts to witness to someone? Could it be that you are coming at them from the wrong direction?

· We have been reminded that the Christian life is not just about becoming a believer . . .we are called to be and make disciples; real followers of Jesus. For that to take place we need to encourage, teach, and stand with each other. We need to find solid teachers and leaders and we need to covet prayers for ourselves and extend our prayers for each other. Is there someone you need to encourage and strengthen today? Is there a visit or phone call you need to make. Is there someone you need to return to via e-mail or a timely letter? Think about how much these things encourage you when you are on the receiving end. Extend that same blessing to someone else.

These aren’t the only lessons we need to learn to be solid disciples. But this is a good start. I hope you will pay attention to this overview of this first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabus, not as those who view slides at a travelogue; with detachment and disinterest; but with the seriousness and attention of those who are preparing for battle. We need all the help we can get.

©Copyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, August 24, 2003