Fearless Return
Notes
Transcript
The First Missionary Journey
The First Missionary Journey
Antioch
Antioch
Saul and Barnabas sent out
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
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.”
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Paphos on Cyprus
Paphos on Cyprus
False Prophet Bar-Jesus and Proconsul Sergius Paulus
They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.
Paul calls out Bar-Jesus, blinds him by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Proconsul, the ruler of the area, believes but I love this part.
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Notice he believed, when he saw but more so because he was amazed at the teaching of the law.
Pisidian Antioch
Pisidian Antioch
From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.
Historical highlights of God’s work from Exodus to Jesus
Exodus, promised land, Judges, Samuel, Saul the king and David.
After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
“From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
John the Baptist to Jesus
“Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
Continues to compare David decaying and Jesus living.
And comes to key to it all
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
The people invite them back to hear more on the next Sabbath.
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.
The opposition arise out of Jealousy not righteousness. Sound familiar? They did not want to lose their power and influence.
Paul reveals his mission from God to them all.
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
When the Gentiles heard this they were excited and many believed verse 48.
But the opposition continued in Antioch.
But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium.
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
I love that. They were run out of town, the disciples shook the dust off their feet (basically they were saying we are done with you inciters, but as we will find out later not Antioch) but as the disciples left they were filled with joy and Holy Spirit.
I wonder why. It must have been because they had been obedient to God, they had spread the message of Jesus, many believed, and they were considered worthy of suffering for Christ. This is a theme throughout Paul’s writings.
Iconium
Iconium
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
Paul and Barnabas spoke, people believed, opposition arose
But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
But check this out.
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
They didn’t leave they stayed a considerable time there! These guys are superstars, right? They were under attack, so they stayed longer.
Their reward...
There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.
Paul and Barnabas find out, they flee to Lystra.
Lystra
Lystra
Paul and Barnabas keep preaching and doing miracles. God heals a man who was lame since birth and the people consider them Gods. Remember this is the time people believed in Zeus and all those other Gods.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
How crazy is that! They think they are. Talk about cool. They were not being mistreated, they could have walked on easy street now.
But no, they didn’t let personal glory and comfort cause them to stop being obedient and bold.
They tell everyone:
“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
But the people still struggled not believing they were gods.
But guess what happened?
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.
Are you kidding me? They went from the people thinking they were gods to Paul being stoned. Man those in opposition to Paul must have been pretty good at inciting a mob.
So Paul is left for dead, but God is not done with him yet. Check this out!
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.
The disciples gathered around him, I would assume prayed for them, and then up he goes, back in the game.
This guy is CRAZY!
Crazy for Jesus!
Crazy for the lost to meet Jesus!
Derbe
Derbe
Acts 14:21a They preached the gospel in that city (Derbe) and won a large number of disciples...
In Derbe, as far as we know they did not face opposition, they were able to win a large number of disciples, but check this out. They did not stay there Paul and Barnabas had more to do.
So,
They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,
Did you catch that last part?
THEY RETURNED TO LYSTRA, ICONIUM and ANTIOCH!
They did what!
You can’t make this stuff up. They went back to:
Lystra where Paul was stoned.
Iconium where they tried to stone him
and Antioch where they were “expelled” otherwise known as run out of town.
What were they thinking?
Let’s see.
They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,
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.
WOW!
Their job was not done. They had to go back to show the people what it means to be a follower of Christ. To show the people that Christ is faithful. And to show the people what they will face as disciples.
They did not give them a watered down gospel. A gospel that only showed the good. They showed the people of Lystra, Iconium and Antioch and any who read this which is Millions, the cost of discipleship.
“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
That is not one of those verses you see on a lot of inspirational posters, but can you imagine the impact it had on the people of those towns. The impact it should have on us.
These men were willing to lay down their lives to share the message of Jesus’s forgiveness and salvation for all people. They saw it first hand. They saw the power of the Holy Spirit. They saw real change.
Are we living that way? Are we willing to go through hardships? or are we comfortable where we are? Are we willing to risk death for the gospel?
Man those are some tough questions.
I have no idea if any of us will have to face death because of our sharing Jesus. When I was younger, I would have never thought it possible in America. Maybe if we were missionaries to an unreached people group, but not in America. But I am not as sure now.
But either way are we that committed to Jesus, our Lord, and to sharing the gospel.
I pray we are. I also pray that as we do live where we are relatively free to worship, that we build a foundation in our faith and we share the gospel with as many as we can.
What are a few negative words compared to stone’s hurled at your head?
But as we know Paul and Barnabas were not done yet.
They appointed elders in each church to and committed them to the Lord.
Then they returned pretty much the way they came back to the other Antioch preaching the word and praising God.
From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
Can you imagine how cool that church service was in Antioch? The church sent them out to share the gospel and now Paul and Barnabas told the story back to them. They told how God had opened the door to the Gentiles, and how many had walked through that door. They told about the trials, but God’s faithfulness.
They glorified God.
As we close today, I pray we glorify God for all he has done through his church. I pray we ask God to increase our faith. I pray we ask God where we need to be bold. I pray we ask God where we need to return.