Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

HOOK

DO NOT FORGET TO UNMUTE

It’s the 19th day of November— Thursday!

Yesterday right here at “The Message” we looked at the events that happened that led to the death of King Herod [Agrippa I]— from that we learned:

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY

GOD’S WORD IS UNSTOPPABLE

Today we will begin with chapter 13— there was one verse left from chapter 12 and we will pick it up from there and all the way to ACTS 13:1-12 where we will see what happened after the death of Agrippa I— when Barnabas and Saul was sent off first to Cyprus— open your Bible to ACTS 13:1-12

When studying passages in the Bible, carefully ask yourself the right questions [what, where, when, who, why and how]— because by doing so, you will see timeless biblical principles applicable to our lives today— keep in mind the Bible said, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”— it’s God’s words that will transform us— understanding it is a critical part of this transformation

READ ACTS 12:25— 13:12

BOOK

Acts 12:25–13:12 NIV

25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. 1 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. 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 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 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. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

WHAT: Saul [Roman name— Paul], with Barnabas and John [also known as Mark] started their journey

WHERE: After returning to Antioch from Jerusalem [delivered the famine relief offering]— they were sent off by the church in Antioch— Paul’s first missionary journey was to Cyprus— they sailed from Seleucia [a port 16 miles from Antioch]— they arrived is Salamis [a major commercial city on Cyprus with a large Jewish population]— they traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos [the political center and important harbor of Cyprus]— SHOW MAP

WHEN: During the early church— After the death of King Herod [Agrippa I]

WHO: Saul, Barnabas, John [Mark], Christians in Antioch [prophets Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen], Bar-Jesus— [also known as Elymas— sorcerer and false prophet— attendant of the proconsul [Roman Governor] Sergius Paulus

WHY: To spread to gospel to the world

Luke now transitions away fro the church in Jerusalem to focus on Saul’s missionary activity— the Holy Spirit commissions Barnabas and Saul at Antioch— initiating his first missionary journey

While the church in Antioch was worshipping and fasting— the Holy Spirit said…

LOOK

SET APART FOR ME BARNABAS AND SAUL FOR THE WORK TO WHICH I HAVE CALLED THEM

After they fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on Saul and Barnabas and sent them off— John [Mark] was with them as their helper— when they arrived in Salamis, the preached the Word of God at the Jewish synagogues— as they traveled the whole island, they came to Paphos where…

THEY MET A JEWISH SORCERER AND FALSE PROPHET NAMED BAR-JESUS

Many false prophets in the last days— MATTHEW 24:7-14

Bar-Jesus was an attendant of Governor Sergius Paulus— an intelligent man then sent for Barnabas and Saul because he [the governor] wanted to hear the word of God

But Elymas [Bar-Jesus] objected and tried to prevent the governor from believing in Jesus— Elymas betrays his own heritage [belief] by going against Judaism— LEVITICUS 19:31

Then Saul who was filled with the Holy Spirit looked straight at Elymas and said…

YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE DEVIL AND AN ENEMY OF EVERYTHING THAT IS RIGHT

You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery— perverting the right ways of the Lord— Saul declared that the hand of the Lord was against him— and that he will become blind for a time— immediately, darkness came over Elymas— when the governor [proconsul] saw what happened...

HE BELIEVED FOR HE WAS AMAZED AT THE TEACHING ABOUT THE LORD

The intelligent governor believed in Jesus— Paul later on wrote “if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believed in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.— ROMANS 10:9— ROMANS 10:14

Governor Sergius Paulus believed because Saul and Barnabas was sent, they preached the good news— as a result of that, the governor heard and believed

Two things came clear to me...

TOOK

I MUST NOT TURN TO MEDIUMS AND BE ON GUARD AGAINST FALSE PROPHETS

I WILL GO AND PREACH THE WORD SO THAT PEOPLE MAY BELIEVE

SING

Anton Aquino— The Anchor Holds