The Ups And Downs Of Life
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE Acts 14:1-21a
INTRODUCTION
One-major attractions amusement parks=roller coaster. Parks-Great America, Cedar Point-Sandusky, OH-built reputat-twisting, looping, rolling, incredibly fast coasters. Other parks like Busch Gardens-Tampa, FL-roller coasters to entice younger while other forms entertain available-less adventurous. Number years ago-fam visit Tampa Busch-unique twist-roller coaster concept. One=riders feet dangle feet above pond-alligatrs. Also=The SheiKra, nation’s first dive coaster. From 200’ up-plunge true 90° straight down-wind rush thru hair@ 70 mph. Since-cars floorless=full exper-unobstruct view! Disney parks-Space Mtn. Roller coaster but inside-design simulate space, dark-can’t see ahead. Each turn, twist, drop, rise unseen, unexpect. Wikipedia-attraction's thrills are derived more from the surprise of not being able to see the track than from physically intense maneuvers. Attraction ends with a tunnel in which the rockets suddenly decelerate while colored stars zip along the walls & the blinding flash of the ride cameras goes off. Rockets then pull back into the station, where guests disembark. How relate Script? No have ride roller coaster to exper ups, downs life.
PROPOSITION: Each of us will exper ups & downs in life.
ORGANIZATIONAL SENTENCE: The ups & downs in life should cause us to draw closer to Christ.
I. OVERVIEW OF THE MINSITRY SO FAR.
Ch13-Pisidian Ant-P&B-one week-2 Sabbaths. Leave= involunt-expell! However-not discour-cont’d. Next-Iconium: SE across roll country, past snow-cap mtns-Grk city 80 mi.
II. THERE WERE NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
A. Iconium.
1. The city.
Ancient-7000 BC-today=Turkish city Konya. Gently roll plain 3370' above sea. Pisidian Mtns-3,4 mi away-ample water-agri: flax, wheat-plum, apricot orchards. Sheep, goats-wool use by merchants-manufact. Iconium=prosperous, not famus. Greek myth-NB part city's culture-yet appear fairly tolerant diverse lifestyles, religious beliefs.
2. The response to the gospel.
P&B not completely give up Jews-synag & effective ministry-many believe. Paul clarify speak-1 Co2:4-5 My message & my preaching were not with wise & persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. Along with tremend opport & posit response, came opposit-some refuse believe. Like G.Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator: "I have found within myself all I need & all I ever shall need. I am a man of great faith, but my faith is in George Gordon Liddy. I have never failed me. The greater the opposit, the greater need for gosp. Didn't believe so didn't want others believe. So poison minds=to hurt, injure. P&B no run-considerable=to wear thru by rubbing; speak boldly for Lord. Took more than Jews stir up trouble-run. No time defend self, fight opponent-focus message God's grace. Miraculous signs, wonders. Calvin: God hardly ever allows them to be detached from his Word. Their true use is the establishg of the Gospel in its full & genuine authority. Peopl sides-for apostles-for Jews. Plot conceive whereby P&B-mistreat, stone. Now-fled. No know basis decisions stay, run-both approved by God.
B. Lystra.
1. The city.
Roman colony-Augusta 6 BC. Lay-fertile valley 20 mi SW Iconium-famous=advanced ed, higher learn system. Not enough Jews-synag. Worship gods Rome, Grk names.
2. The response of the people.
Positive
First heal=journey. Man cripple from birth listen-Paul-seed faith sprung life. Command stand-no name Jesus-& man exper instant heal-walk & cont’d. Bruce-in Acts, as in the Gosps, we should note how regularly faith is emphasized as a condition of receiving both physical & spiritual healing. Crowd react immed-gods have come down to us in human form! About 50 years previous-Latin poet, Ovid series narrative poems-explain wildly emotional response-P&B. Accord ancient legend, Zeus, Hermes once came-"Phrygian hill country" disguised as morals seek lodging. Ask-1000 homes, none took. Finaly, humble cottage-straw, reeds-elderly couple, Philemon, Baucis, freely welcome with banquet-strain poor resourc. In apprec, gods transform cottage into temple-gold roof, marble columns. Philemon, Baucis=appointed priest, priestess temple, who, instead of die, became oak, linden tree. As for inhospitabl people, gods destroy houses. Crowd thot gods return-worship. Once-actual-Jn1:14 The Word became flesh & made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One & Only, who came from the Father, full of grace & truth. Human nature want gods-see, touch gods in likeness man. Men respond as soon as understood. P&B no inkling what transpire--crowd exclam own native Lycaonian dialect which was an isolated hill-country dialect & are few literary remains of it. Centuries of Hellenistic influen in area would have give knowledge Grk & would have had no difficulty in understand Paul’s koine. JBPolhill, v26, Acts, elec ed., LLS; TNAC (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1992), 313. Tore clothes -rush stop people from do something foolish as worship mere mortals. To receive worship due God be to sin. Do we turn people's atten to God quickly? Satan tries in many ways to destroy Xian-if can't lure into gross sin, shower with praise, adorat-believe really special! Need praise, affirm-okay as long remem who gave abilities. v15-explan mission-exalt living God. Refer things understand-nature, rain, crops. Then move to true God who behind all. Turn God-leave worthless things behind. What worthless= worthless cuz deceptive or ineffectual? Here=idols but general anything comes tween us, God. In fact, Paul states that even Xian faith itself is futile if it does not rest on historical fact of resurrect. GKittel, GFriedrich, GWBromiley, TDof the NT, Tran of: TheWNT. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 1995, c1985), 572. 3 part messag: v15-only 1 God-creat everything; Jews called idols “vain” (futile), in contrast to “living” God. Jewish peop believe-God allowed lower moral standard for Gent, who had only 7 laws to keep; but idolatry, like sexual immorality, was not issue on which God would permit compromise. CSKeener & IVP, TIVP BBC: NT(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993). v16-this one God give humans freedom choose how live, having great forbearance, mercy; v17-shown self us, first in nature then Son. Barrett-God did not intervene in the affairs of Gent, as he did intervene in affairs of Israel; but this did not mean that his hand could not be discerned by anyone who was minded to look for it; nor did it mean that the Gentiles were uncared for. If not-starve death. Ro1–see but worshp nature-exchange Creator for creation. Why no mention Christ? Barrett-Monotheism was doubtless a necessary theme in early Xian preach. Interrupt by crowd-determ sac-act worshp!
Negative
Jews disrupt God work. Satan persist-no take no-answer. Travel 100 mi-cause trouble. Within short time-crowd from sacrif as act of worship to stone as act hate. Like crowd respons tween Palm Sun->Good Fri. How quick people change minds or at least actns! Stone Paul-assume knew drill since 1 time particip stone Stephen. Stones, tiles & cobbles were readily available in ancient streets. When Jewish crowds stoned transgressor, sot transgressor’s death; Paul’s survival undoubtedly points to divine protect. CSK & IVP, TIVP BBC : NT(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993). 2 Co11:25, Ga6:17 refer stone. Just like life-from hero>goat, from praise> reject. Life-1 minute uphill-great & next-90 degree freefall. Dragged out city-left for dead. Dr.Ironside, Moody pas-18 yrs-believe this point Paul experiencd 3rd heaven trip-2 Co 12. v20-disc stand-who might been-group? Timothy-live Lystra-Act16:1-2. 2Ti3:10-11 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium & Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Pict-discs gather, think dead, probab weep. Paul sit up-"Sorry, no funeral today." Then back city! From this-JWesley:Always look mob in face.
C. They went to Derbe v20b-21a.
Next morn-on road again. Struck down but not destroyed! Altho body badly bruised, left Derbe-60 mi walk. Jowett-I once saw the track of a bleeding hare across the snow-that was Paul's track across Europe. Must been encour by Barn. Stott: But as I once trace his route from Lystra to Derbe, I could not help wondering if his spirit had also been cheered by the spectacular, snow-capped mountain peaks around him, by the White Stork nesting on the village rooftops & by the pretty song of the Calandra Lark. Several days-large ## believe.
III. LESSONS FROM SCRIPTURE.
World-increasingly less stable-continue change rapid. Script teach lessons-how deal. Context-share Christ=lessons apply.
1. We must see our failures and discouragements from God's perspective.
Have trouble see beyond own exper. Every fail appear fatal, end world. When world cave in, difficult see anything but probl. Must remem-God see big pict-take what seem disastrs & make something good. What appears as fail=seen from very differ perspect by God. Anything do for him=success. Any difficulty comes-God take & turn into something that brings honor and glory to him.
2.We must see our successes from God's perspect.
Everything goes great-forget who's in control. Tend think we did when cuz God's work in & thru us that success. Not once Paul imply-he heal, save. God always received the glory.
3. Never let anyone tell you the Xian life=boring.
If that's what think, don't have full picture! Life lived in full commit Christ=anything but boring. Try live on fence will make Xianity seem dull, boring. Unfortunately preachers at times give impress by way preach-irrelevant, dry sermons.
4. When life knocks you down, get up.
Can let stones, challenges life silence us or in words Timex watch com-take the lickin & keep on tickin! New wristwatch, call the Timex, debute-1950. Print ads featur new watch strapped to Mickey Mantle's bat, frozen in ice cube tray, spun for 7 days in vacuum cleaner, taped to giant lobster claw, wrap around turtle in tank. Despite these, other extensive live torture tests, Timex kept tick. When John Cameron Swayze, most authoritative newsman time, began extoll Timex watch in live "torture test" com-late 1950s, sales took off. Tape-propeller outboard motor, tumbling over Grand Coulee Dam, held fist first by diver leap 87’ from Acapulco cliffs, the plucky watch that "takes a licking & keeps on ticking®" quickly caught Amer imaginat. Viewers by 1000s wrote in with suggests for future torture tests-Air Force sergeant offered crash plane while wear Timex. By end 1950s, 1 out every 3 watches bot in US=Timex. Not in own strength, but God’s!
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In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter’s magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target. But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter’s immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. "Perhaps most remarkable," writes Jaroff, "those signals originate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth." On Jan. 23/03 its last weak signal was received coming from a distance of about 7.6 billion miles from the earth.
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Years ago I saw the movie Ice Station Zebra loosely based on novel of same name by Alistair MacLean. It took place in the Arctic. In a typical cat & mouse scene, one of the men is quietly making his way through a hallway in absolute silence when out of nowhere came a 2X4 striking his face with a sickening thud. It is at a moment like that most people leave their seat for a split second. Sometimes we feel like that-we are blindsided with what appears to be a death blow.
There was a preacher who was an avid golfer. Every chance he got, he could be found on the golf course swinging away. It was his obsession. One Sunday was a picture-perfect day for golf. The sun was out, no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right. The preacher was in a quandary as to what to do. The urge to play golf overcame him. He called his assistant minister and told him that he was sick and could not attend church. Then he packed up the car, and drove three hours to a golf course where no one would recognize him. Happily, he began to play the course.
An angel up above was watching the preacher and was quite perturbed. He went to God and said, "Look at the preacher. He should be punished for what he’s doing." God nodded in agreement.
The preacher teed up on the first hole. He swung, and the ball sailed effortlessly through the air and landed right in the cup three hundred and fifty yards away. A perfect hole-in-one. The preacher was amazed and excited. The angel was a little shocked. He turned to God and said, "Begging Your pardon, but I thought you were going to punish him." God smiled. "Think about it -- who can he tell about that shot?"
Is it possible that a preacher would miss church for a game of golf? Or for something else: fishing, hunting, a ball game, etc. Possibly. Depending on the preacher. And why would he do such a thing as that? BECAUSE PREACHERS ARE ONLY HUMAN, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!
Have you heard that phrase used before by anyone? "I did thus and so but it’s just because I’m only human."
When Charles Schwab was 70 years old, he made the following statement. He said, “I’d like to say here in a court of law, and speaking as an old man, that 9/10ths of my troubles are traceable to my being kind to others. Look you young people, if you want to steer away from trouble, be hard-boiled. Be quick with a good loud ’no’ to anyone and everyone. If you follow this rule, you will seldom be bothered as you tread life’s pathway. Except you’ll have no friends, you’ll be lonely, and you won’t have any fun!”
And you won’t honor Christ either.
Two longstanding church members were in a boat fishing with a new Christian. Fishing is a great time for conversation and each was proclaiming his fervent faith and devotion to God. As they were discussing their faith, one’s hat blew into the water. So he stood up, calmly stepped onto the water, walked over to his hat, picked it up off the water, and walked backed to the boat. The new Christian was amazed how this Christian could seemingly walk on water. As the new Christian was pondering this, the other church member’s hat blew into the water. He also very calmly stepped onto the water, walked over to his hat, picked it up off the water, and walked backed to the boat. The new Christian was overwhelmed at how spiritual these men must be to have walked on the water as they did. Then the new Christian thought to himself, "Well, if these guys can do it, so can I,” and he "helped" his hat blow into the water. He very calmly stepped out of the boat and was inhaling water instantly. As he fought his way to the surface, gasping for breath, one of the long-standing church members turned to the other and said, "I think we should have told him about the sand bar on this side of the boat." That is the way some of us are. As long as we see someone doing something amazing, we believe it can happen. But what kind of faith do you have when it comes to believing God’s Word?
Her remark, as she hands a thick manila folder to him, “My doctor copied my chart, complete with medicines and prognosis…just copy it into the prayer list, please.”
Paul made an impact on the city for a second-century writing The Acts of Paul provides a description so vigorous and unconventional that it must surely rest upon a good local tradition of what Paul looked like-One Onesiphorus, a resident in Iconium, sets out to meet Paul, who is on his way to the city. "And he saw Paul approaching, a man small in size, with meeting eyebrows, with a rather large nose, bald-headed, bow-legged, strongly built, full of grace, for at times he loooked like a man, and at times he had the face of an angel."
