Praying through Acts- Chapter 14

Acts 14:3 NKJV

3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Tonight we will continue praying through the book of Acts. We will focus on chapter 14.

Each week as we’ve prayed through a new chapter, I get amazed at the diligence and dedication of the Early Church. They endured problems of great magnitude, but they never quit.

When I introduced this series, I explained that the book of Acts is really a book of prayer. We often remember the miracles, the power encounters, and the prophecies.

But everything they accomplished was built on the foundation of prayer. I looked it up, and of the twenty-eight chapters in Acts, twenty-one of them have a direct reference to someone praying, or a prayer they prayed.

Of the other seven chapters, the events that transpired were a direct result of prayer. Let’s review:

Acts 1 - promise of power

Acts 2 - received power

Acts 3- exercised power

Acts 4 - prayed for more power

Acts 5- people lied and God displayed His power

Acts 6- conflict arose and God used people of power to help the church

Acts 7- Stephen reminded them of God’s power in history

Acts 8- walked in power to spread Gospel in Samaria

Acts 9- Saul was converted through an encounter with God’s power

Acts 10- the power of God fell on the Gentiles as Peter preached

Acts 11- Peter defended Gentiles receiving power

Acts 12- the church prayed and Peter was released from prison

Acts 13- God sent Barnabas and Paul as a result of prayer

I have notice so far that the Early Church never lost their dependance on God. They never got so big that they thought they could do everything in their own strength and power.

What kept them humble?

What kept them dedicated?

What kept them serious about their assignment?

They stayed close to God through prayer.

Tonight, as we study chapter fourteen, I want us to notice something important about prayer. When we pray, God will answer, and often times He will use us!

When the Lord starts to work through an individual, ministry, or church, the enemy wants to stop them. One way he will seek to stop is for people to become prideful about what THEY have done for the Lord.

As we’ve read through Acts, I have noticed something important, it was never about them, and ALWAYS about Jesus.

Therefore, I want us to notice:

People of prayer point everything back to God.

As Paul and Barnabas continue their first mission’s trip, we will notice how they continued depend on God, despite their success.

Let’s divide the chapter into three parts, [Proclaiming then Power], [Power then Proclaiming], and [Persecution then Proclaiming].

Let’s begin

1. Proclaiming then Power

Acts 14:1–3 NKJV

1 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

God is a God of variety. Just when we think we have Him figured out, He surprises us and does something new. I notice this in chapter fourteen.

There was no set method of discipling or evangelizing, except that Paul always gave the Jews the opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior.

In this instance, Paul preached and for quite a while. He took time to explain to them the joy of knowing Jesus. He proclaimed the gospel, the good news, and people responded.

Both Jew and non-Jew believed what they said. But there were some who refused to believe and they begin to poison the minds of those in the town to come against Paul and Barnabas.

But Paul was not intimidated. He continued to proclaim what only God can do, and he did that with boldness. As a result, God sent signs and wonders, displaying His supernatural power.

Notice how Paul pointed the situation back to God. When someone rose up against him and attempted to stop him in the work of God, Paul did not flinch or get intimidated.

Instead, he kept proclaiming Jesus and God kept showing His power.

We have a responsibility to stand up for Jesus. However, we live in a time where Christianity has increasingly become unpopular.

We must proclaim the good news. When we do, God will display His power.

People of prayer will proclaim Jesus and watch His power work through them.

2. Power then Proclaiming

Acts 14:8–11 NKJV

8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. 11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

The unbelievers in Iconium hated Paul’s message and drove him out of town. Paul left and came to Lystra. As a man of prayer, he couldn’t help but walk in the power of Jesus.

Something caught the attention of a man who was crippled from birth. The man had faith in what Paul said and was healed.

Paul did what Peter and John did at the Gate Beautiful, they healed a man who was unable to walk and the man leapt and walked for the first time in His life.

When the crowd witnessed the miracle, they lost control. They assumed Paul and Barnabas were the false gods Zeus and Hermes.

It was so crazy that the priest of Zeus brought sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.

The enemy was laying a trap for Paul and Barnabas. Clearly God worked through them. Many people could have saw the potential profit of becoming their “gods.”

Paul and Barnabas could have become popular and politically powerful in the city. But they knew the power of God was greater than earthly prestige.

Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes to show their distress and then used the opportunity to tell about Jesus.

Acts 14:15–17 NKJV

15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

What kept Paul from giving into the temptation believe the praises of men? He was prayerful. Becoming a person of prayer will keep us humble.

Praying helps us see what we cannot do in light of what only God can do.

It did not matter that everyone looked to Paul. He kept looking to Jesus.

Whether he proclaimed Jesus first and then the power came, or if the power came and then he proclaimed Jesus, Paul wanted God to get all the attention.

3. Persecution then Proclaiming

Acts 14:19–20 NKJV

19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Satan does not give up ground easily. He hates the church and will do anything in his power to stop us.

The unbelievers from the previous towns where Paul was traveled 100 miles to find Paul. When they did, they stoned him, until they supposed he was dead.

Scholars believe two things about this passage— either Paul was dead or almost dead.

I asked Pastor Tucker once, which one was it, dead or almost dead? He answered, almost dead is about as bad as being dead.

Regardless, either God supernaturally healed him, or supernaturally raised him from the dead. Notice the believers circled Paul’s body.

Personally, I believe they prayed around him. But Paul stood up, miraculously healed! He went on the a new city because persecution would not stop him from proclaiming Jesus.

Acts 14:21–23 NKJV

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Paul experienced what none of have— near death experience directly connected to the work of God. But he kept on preaching and telling others about God.

Before he left this region, notice, he prayed and fasted with the church, establishing Godly leadership.

Spiritual attacks and persecution cannot stop a praying person from proclaiming Jesus.

Hard times often come to followers of Christ, but through a lifestyle of prayer, we can make it whatever comes our way!

Close:

God has given us an assignment— proclaim the good news.

To fulfill the assignment— He gives us power.

To receive His power— He expects us to pray.

I read what Paul faced and can’t help but notice, nothing can stop a person who commits to prayer!

Good times and difficult seasons will come, but God remans the same.

Therefore, we must point everything back to Him. We must give Him all the glory and trust Him no matter what.

For when people pray and God begins to use them, the enemy will creep in and cause us to think God’s work occured BECAUSE of us.

But the reality is—

God works through us. He can use whoever He wants, and He wants to use people of prayer.

Two of the greatest men to ever walk the earth have been my mentors— Pastor Tucker and Pastor Davis.

I have saved a birthday card from Pastor Tucker. I am not sure what year it was, but I was a just getting started preaching. I looked at it today, and he wrote:

God given talents used properly will take you to wonderful victories. You are already on your way. Stay humble, depend on the Holy Spirit, study, and pray. Then watch God promote you.

Pastor Davis once told me in a service— Daniel, it’s all about Jesus. He said it over and over.

As we’re into this Year of Prayer, God has been and will continue to answer our prayers. We must always turn EVERYTHING back to Him.

Our praise

Our worship

Our thanks

Our appreciation

Our lives.