From Frustrated to Powerful, Protected and Practical
Notes
Transcript
Early Days
Early Days
2 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 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
I want to point out a couple of important things:
The Holy Spirit SAID to set apart Barnabas and Saul
They were sent out to do the work that God called them to
They were ordained to do that work
Nothing could stop them, right? No man. No devil.
Salamis
Salamis
Their first stop was Salamis where they first went to the synagogue as was Paul’s custom. In the course of traveling the island, they met a magician who happened to serve the proconsul (governor), Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence who wanted to hear the word of God. The magician kept interfering so Paul spoke temporary blindness on him and Sergius believed. A great start! Nothing can stop them now!
Antioch in Pisidia
Antioch in Pisidia
Next they arrive at Antioch in Pisidia and again go to the synagogue. Paul delivers the good news and in verse 42, the people BEGGED them to come back the next Sabbath with many Jews and devout converts following Paul and Barnabas. Again, things are going great. Or at least seem to be going great until...
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
This ladies and gentlemen is a protest.
Iconium
Iconium
1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
The word “long” means that Paul and Barnabas were able to stay for a sufficient enough time to establish an ekklesia of believers but, again, the Jews stirred up “both Gentiles and Jews with their RULERS to mistreat them and stone them to death. “Stirred” means “to excite against” or a protest. They heard about it and had to flee.
Lystra & Derbe
Lystra & Derbe
Paul and Barnabas go to Lystra and healing a man who was crippled from birth causing quite a response. The people decided Barnabas was Zeus and Paul Hermes. They preached the good news and then...
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Paul was actually stoned to death.
20 When the believers encircled Paul’s body, he miraculously stood up! Paul stood and immediately went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
The Greek word used here, anistemi, is used 27 times to refer to raising the dead. And it’s this experience that Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 12 about a man who saw heaven. After Derbe, they began to make their way back through the cities to strengthen the ekklesias and appoint elders.
But I want you to notice that every single place Paul and Barnabas went, riots prematurely ended the work there.
Second Journey: Philippi
Second Journey: Philippi
After the Jerusalem council, Paul goes on his next journey. He’s trying to behave himself in Philippi when a slave girl with a spirit of witchcraft kept following them day after day around saying they serve the Most High God and they are telling us how to be saved.
18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.
First notice that Paul didn’t do it because he was directed. He was annoyed. Lol. Anyhoo, Paul and Silas were attacked, beaten and throw into prison. God sent an earthquake to free them resulting in the jailer and his household being saved. But watch how Paul is now wising up and growing in his understanding of divine protection:
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
Thessalonica
Thessalonica
Paul, as usual, go into the synagogue at Thessalonica for three Sabbath days delivering the good news. A great many devout Greeks and “not a few of the leading women” believed, but the Jews were jealous.
5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Berea
Berea
Next they go to Berea. Here were more “noble” people with an open mind. Many believed including “not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.” But when the Jews at Thessalonica heard, they decided to stop it.
13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
You know what this is about? It’s about money, the wealth that the Jews feared losing.
Paul is at his breaking point. While waiting for his team at Athens, he delivers one of the most brilliant messages ever with only a handful believing (Acts 17). They called him a “babbler.” Listen to how the Athenians used it: “they applied this name to those who made their living by collecting and selling refuse they found in the market places. Therefore, they were men of no account, low and contemptible persons.”
The Shift
The Shift
Paul speaks of this time in Corinthians and says that when he came to them, he spoke to them with “much fear and much trembling” determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Preaching with signs and wonders got him stoned to death, beaten, jailed, and ran out of town by riots. Preaching an intellectual message did get anything done except a handful of converts. His personality would have been very frustrated at the lack of results and being able to do the work Holy Spirit called him to! So he shifted tactics.
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
Now after a while the Jews did begin to oppose him. So Paul shook the dust out of his garments and went next door to Crispus’ house, who was the ruler of the synagogue. He believed and were baptized.
9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
A couple of things are happening. Paul is worried that the exact same thing is going to happen again. God assures him that He has many in the city that are His people, which was probably due to Apollo’s work, but there was also something else. But first let’s see what happened.
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
Paul was now a BUSINESS MAN and a BUSINESS PARTNER with Priscilla and Aquila making tents. More than likely the Roman Army was one of their clients as well as other prominent citizens. PAUL WAS NO LONGER A BABBLER; HE WAS AN IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT MEMBER TO SOCIETY—THE RULERS AND LEADERS. After he left Corinth, he went to Ephesus and was able to stay for two years.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
His handkerchiefs were his working sweat rags and his apron was his working apron to protect his clothes. Instead of leaving his business to go pray, he just sent his business tools to them! BUT DID YOU ALSO NOTICE THAT HE BEGAN OPERATING IN EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES? The shift was to the marketplace. Only 5% of the church will be 5-fold ministers. 95% are marketplace apostles! That’s you. That’s me.
The answer to the thorn in the flesh, the protests and riots, was not for God to remove it but for Paul to shift his focus where God was moving—the marketplace!