Together for the World!
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Dynamic Duos!
Dynamic Duos!
Name your favorite “pair” that just seemed to be better when they were together?
Batman and Robin
Lone Ranger and Tonto
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice
Venus and Serena Williams
We love the transformational power of two.
Have you had a friend that stays close and keeps you accountable, encouraged, correct you if you needed it? Defend you if you needed it?
The bible speaks of this powerful relationship:
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Today, our continuing series in Acts brings together two key personalities:
Barnabas, the teaching, giving and supportive son of encouragement.
Paul, the strong-willed, informed and head strong visionary.
Both men of God, believers led by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit.
Brought together for the world!
These men are called by the Holy Spirit and sent to share and teach the people.
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.
These men embarked upon a great adventure. It would cover some 1400 miles, over the span of 2 years. It is commonly called Paul’s “first missionary journey”.
I want to highlight three specific encounters that these men had. Two were better than one, and they helped each other, complimented each other, and multiplied their effectiveness by working together. I would like us to examine these incidents through a common lens:
Discerning, Declaring, and Denouncing.
Discerning, Declaring, and Denouncing.
Discern: perceive or recognize (something). Discernment is the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well.
Declare: formally or publically announce the state or condition of something
Denounce: to condemn openly, accuse publicly, or formally end
In their mission together, Paul and Barnabas work to
Discern the truth, declare God’s glory, and denounce the devils plan.
In each of these incidents, let’s look for the powerful ways that these three actions are accomplished. Ready?
First stop: Paphos on the island of Cyprus!
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
Barnabas's home island!
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
Procounsel: a ruler of a Roman province under control of the Roman senate.
Think “governor” for the Romans.
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Discern:
Elymas was not a true follower of Jesus.
He had modified and changed the gospel to his own advantage. He was obviously twisting or perverting the gospel— and trying to maintain his own influence and control.
Declare:
Paul revealed this selfish motive!
He was used by the Holy Spirit to inflict the same confrontation that he himself had experienced. Blindness.
Denounce:
The governor believed in Jesus!
What a beautiful, and powerful witness. This was a result that had lasting implications for the future of this region! For God’s GLORY!
ONward!
Next stop: Pisidia Antioch
14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”
Paul then teaches them with wisdom, power and truth!
38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
The people responded, and wanted MORE!
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.
46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
George Orwell, a popular author and futurist said:
“In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”
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.
Discern:
Salvation is for all people, not just for the Jews.
Declare:
God loves ALL people, and Jesus came to save ALL.
It’s happening right in front of your eyes. Gentiles are accepting Jesus in droves, and the train is leaving! The power of the Gospel is changing lives! It is a faith that supersedes, transcends your earthly boundaries!!! It’s so much BIGGER than you ever thought. You’re either on the train, or you are being left behind.
Denounce:
Our enemy wants hearts to be hardened. True believers have JOY!
The Jews were stubborn and hard-hearted. They were jealous, angry and miserable— just where the devil wants all of us to be. But not the followers of Jesus, they were filled with Joy!
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Onward!
Next stop: Lystra!
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked.
9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,
10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
Acts 14:11-18
11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
Discern:
We should never take the glory for what God has done
The temptation to take the credit for a healing like this must be quite great. Can you imagine God doing something like this through you? Many of us might not be able to handle that. But these men know how to stay in their lane—
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
They stayed in their lane, as only the “agents” of God. Ambassadors for his message of healing and salvation. The truth is that we are not Gods!
Declare:
Paul and Barnabas used creation as the evidence of Gods power.
17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
These were primarily Gentile people— not Jews. I’ve noticed that when they were speaking to Jews, they used Old Testament passages and the history of Israel to make their points— But with these Gentiles, they used what the people would understand— CREATION is all around us, God uses the rain and the harvest as a witness to his Glory. As if to say--- Don’t look at us. Look around, and see the Glory of God!
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a wonderful song some years ago titled:
“Wake up and See the Glory”, Steven Curtis Chapman
Chorus:
“I'm playing Game Boy standing in the middle of the Grand Canyon
I'm eating candy sittin' at a gourmet feast
I'm wading in a puddle when I could be swimming in the ocean
Tell me what's the deal with me
Wake up and see the glory”
Denounce:
Paul defies the devil by walking right back into the city!
Acts 14:19–20 (ESV)
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.
Take that devil! You thought you could use these jealous people to silence us? Intimidate us to give up on the mission? Nope— Paul, with God’s courage, defy’s even death, and walks right back into the city.
This work will go on...
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.
They backtracked their path to encourage and strengthen the people they had met earlier. This, by the way, was the area known as Galatia. Paul would later write a letter to encourage and strengthen this church— the letter to the Galatians!
1400 miles, 2 years, conflict, long days of travel, the healing of a lame man, a stoning, the appointing of elders— a whole town coming to one of their meetings. A whole region of the world a blaze with the gospel story. The Holy Spirit used these men to powerfully Discern, Declare and Denounce. Together for the world.
How about us? Here are a couple take-a-ways:
Are you aware of your specific gifting from God? Are you aware of your mission from God?
Are you a part of a “dynamic duo”? Do you have a trusted friend, a companion, a coworker in your mission for God?
Are you able to Discern the truth, Declare God’s Glory, and Denounce the devils plans?
Wayne Muller: Author, pastor and executive coach said it this way:
“For thousands of years we have gathered in circles—around fires, around bodies, around alters— because we can’t do this alone.”
—Wayne Muller