Acts 13:44-52 • Your Spiritual Selfie
This morning we are continuing in the book Acts and learning
how to “be the church.” ⛪ That’s why I thought it would be fun
to take a moment and look at some “silly selfies.” *The church is
never about the building… instead it is always about the people.
And, let’s face it. Sometimes we “people” can be pretty silly… yet,
Jesus loves us still that same. And that’s the good news of gospel!
*This morning we are going to pick up right where we left off in
chapter 13. The past few weeks, Pastor Gary, encouraged us to
live on mission with Christ. In this chapter, we already see a few
key elements of the mission:
1. There is a strategy! (Barnabas and Saul began to preach in
the synagogues) (these were the people who believed in God
and in the Scriptures) (Barnabas and Saul shared a common
religious background and experience with those who were at
the synagogue) (this was the natural place to begin… but then
they would begin to share the message of Jesus with those
who were not part of the synagogues… the gentiles) (Where
do I start? Right, where you are… but don’t stay there!)
2. There is community! (Barnabas and Saul are actually sent by
the church in Antioch, they are encouraged by other believers
along the way) (Barnabas and Saul enlisted the help of John
to serve as an aide and apprentice in the gospel work (this was
John Mark, the author of the gospel of Mark) (it shows that
God uses community in mission) (Do I have to go alone? No,
in Christ, you are always part of community. There is no such
thing as individual Christian.)
3. There is change! (there is a funny, but significant, thing that
happens in this passage) (this is where Saul changes his
name to Paul) (before this he is only known as Saul, and after
this he is known as Paul) (in vs. 9 Luke writes, “then Saul, who
was also called Paul”) (it could mean that was a name that he
already had or a new one given to match his new identity in
Christ) (but either way, it represent the new mission in his life)
(Paul was reaching out to the gentile world) (the good news of
Jesus would now be shared with every woman, man, and child)
(What will happen to me if I live my life on mission with
Christ? You will be changed!)
4. There is a response! (we have already seen this but we will
see it most clearly this morning as we read Acts 13:44-52.
In this short passage, we so clearly see the kind of response
you get when you share the good news of Jesus. The book of
Acts shows us that there is no such thing as a neutral response to
the gospel. The gospel demands repentance and faith in Jesus.
The people whole-heartedly accept that or they whole-heartedly
reject it. Vs. 48 says, “they were glad and honored the word of the
Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” And vs.
50 says, “They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their region.”
1. What we see here is a mixed reaction. (one group wanted to
hear more on the following Sabbath) (others “followed Paul
and Barnabas,” not just physically but spiritually) (vs. 43)
2. “Almost the whole town assembled” to hear the good news of
Jesus — an essential message for both Jews and Gentiles.
(yet, when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with
“jealousy” and “began to contradict what Paul was saying”)
3. It’s sad… that the people who knew the Bible best became set
against the gospel message.
4. And so this drives Paul and Barnabas deeper in calling to
preach the gospel first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles.
(Paul and Barnabas declare, “We are turning to the Gentiles”)
(13:46). (thus, they fulfilled the calling that was given to Israel
through the prophet Isaiah: “I have made you a light for the
Gentiles to bring salvation to the end of the earth”) (v. 47)
5. This proclamation causes the Gentiles to rejoice, worship, and
believe. (even as Israel rejects the Messiah, the kingdom of
God still grows throughout the world)
I have always thought that the Kingdom of God is a little bit
the Dandelion flower. It’s a beautiful flower that you often see
around Spring time. *It’s a bit funny because in North America, it’s
almost considered a “weed” because it is a non-indigenous
species… meaning it is not native to that environment. Yet, they
grow everywhere. *You see them in empty lots, in garden plots,
and even in the cracks of the sidewalk. A Dandelion doesn’t care
where it grows. It will grow on a rich person’s estate or in a poor
person’s patch of dirt. It will blossom in a garden or along the side
of the road. *I have always that that life in the kingdom of God is
little like, because it will grow in the most unusual places.
1. That’s what we see in this passage. (the message of Jesus
spread beyond the city into the region (v. 49) (some were
intrigued by the message and some were enraged by it) (some
believed it and some rejected it) (and the ones who shared it…
sometimes celebrated with joy, and sometimes endured
persecution and had to move on as a result of it)
2. At the end of the passage, we read that Paul and Barnabas
“shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to
Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy
Spirit.” (vs. 51-52)
3. The phrase to “shake the dust from one’s feet” is used in the
New Testament to refer to how the message of Jesus is
received. (in this case, the people may not have welcomed the
gospel as they should have, but it didn’t keep the message
from spreading) (Paul and Barnabas had done all they were
sent to do, and the responsibility was now on those who had
heard the message)
4. It’s the same thing that happens today. (the message of Jesus
is proclaimed… the Holy Spirit works to bring conviction and
understanding… and the responsibly goes to the one who
hears the message)
5. This is actually a very important message for us, because even
today, the message of Jesus comes to us and we have to
respond. (it could come during a sermon, like this on Sunday
morning… or through a Bible study… or even word from a
friend… or a devotional reading… ) (that’s way God so often
works in our lives) (there are so many ways Jesus reaches out
to us to pull us into a closer relationship with Him… but how
you respond is up to you)
6. Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew, “Enter through the narrow
gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate
and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
(Mt 7:13-14)
This is the difference between have religion or having a living
relationship with Jesus. It’s easy enough to be confused about
this because religion is a good package. It looks good on the
surface. And it is possible to be religious and still miss out on a
relationship with God. Being religious is not enough—even if
you're good at it. If you want to have a relationship with God, you
have to go beneath the surface of religion and experience a lifechanging
spirituality. This isn't easy, because we live in a world
obsessed with outward appearance. We're not always as
concerned about what's in the package as we are with the
package itself. *Did you know that when you buy a new Apple
product… like an iPhone or iPad, or even a Google product… the
company has given as much research to the packaging as to the
product itself! They focus on the box, the plastic, the experience of
opening it. If you watch on Youtube, there are thousands of video
where someone is just opening the product!
1. It’s so easy to miss out on having a living relationship with
Jesus… just by going to church, or Bible study, or trying to
make our lives look nice. (but this is not God’s plan for us…
His plan is something so much better) (He not only wants us to
look good, He wants us to be good from the inside out)
2. This is the life of joy and abundance in the kingdom of heaven
he wants for every follower of Christ. (in Matthew 7, Jesus tells
how to be people of substance rather than people of image)
(He says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads
to life, and only a few find it”)
3. In order to find the life of joy and abundance in the kingdom of
God…you have to look for it. (we need to know that the
Greek word here that is translated into the english word “find”
is an interesting word) (it’s never used to describe an intense
search for something that is hard to find; it's used to describe
something that is found simply by making the effort to look for
it…for example, if you look for a door in this room, you will find
it… or if you look for something to eat in Baptist church, you
will find it!)
4. Seeking and finding are closely related. (the implication here is
that people do not find, because they do not look for it) (it is
what you look for in life that makes all the difference)
5. At the beginning of this chapter in Matthew, Jesus says “Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7) (if you want a close
relationship with God, you can have one) (if you want to
experience life in the kingdom of God, you have to go deeper
than the surface level) (if you want your life to be more than
just an image—if you want to find the joyful abundant life—then
look a little deeper at your relationship with Christ)
6. Because there’s a real danger if you don’t. Jesus said, “broad
is the road that leads to destruction.” (Mt 7:13) (that means
that it’s wide enough to accommodate large numbers of people
and it also suggests that the route is pretty comfortable) That’s
what’s so dangerous about it) (when you begin to travel that
wide comfortable road, it can dull your desire for a thriving
spiritual relationship with Christ)
You probably know that Alexander Fleming was instrumental
in the development of penicillin. It is said that even when he
introduced the newly discovered drug, he warned against not
taking enough of it. Not taking the entire dose, he said would
permit germs to remain in the system and allow a person to build
up an immunity to the drug. When that happens, you no longer
experience impact of this medicine… instead something far worse
is happening inside of you. *Something similar to this takes place
in the spiritual realm when it comes to religion - taking in just
enough of it to become immune to the real thing. Many people are
just enough religious that they grow immune to the work and
presence of the Holy Spirit.
1. This kind of religion is why Jesus said to watch out for false
prophets. “They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize
them.” (Mt 7:20) (the kind of fruit Jesus is talking about is not
the kind looks good on the outside…it is the kind that is good
on the inside) (I love avocados… for breakfast).
2. Paul says, in 2 Corinthians “Examine yourselves to see
whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (2 Cor. 13:5)
(every person needs to look at the fruit our lives are producing)
(we need to take a spiritual selfie) Do you treat others with
love? Do you have a sense of joy about life? Are you patient
when things don't go your way? Are you faithful to God, to your
word, and to your spouse? When things don't go your way, do
you practice self-control?
3. If you look into your life and see some bad fruit, you need to
come to God and say, “The substance of my life isn't what it
should be. Take away the anger and fill my heart with love.
Take away the bitterness and fill my heart with joy. Take away
the inner storm and fill my heart with peace...Take away
everything about me that isn't like Jesus.” (examining the fruit
of your life can be a little uncomfortable, but it can lead to real
transformation! )
4. If you wonder how you are doing with fruit in your life, ask
someone who knows you. Ask a family member…they will
know. Ask somebody in your Bible study group who can be
honest with you. Ask your spouse…certainly they can give you
a few pointers.
5. Is your life drawing others to Jesus or is it pushing people
away?
Tony Campolo shares a story about a man named Joe. Joe
was had given his life to Christ at an inner city mission. Prior to his
conversion, he had reputation of being a self seeking individual for
whom there was no of hope. But following his conversion,
everything changed about him. Joe became the most caring
person that anyone associated with the mission had ever known.
Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission, doing
whatever needed to be done. There was never anything that he
was asked to do that he considered beneath him. ‘Whether it was
cleaning up the vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or
scrubbing toilets after careless men left the men’s room filthy, Joe
did whatever was asked with a smile on his face and gratitude for
the chance to help. His presence was contagious. One evening,
when the director of the mission was delivering
his evening
message to the usual crowd of still and sad men with drooped
heads, there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle to
the altar, and knelt to pray, crying out for God to help him to
change. The man kept shouting, “Please God! Make me like Joe!
Make me like Joe!” The director of the mission leaned over and
said to the man, “Son, I think it would be better if you prayed,
‘Make me like Jesus. The man looked up at the director with a
quizzical expression
on his face and asked, “Is he like Joe?”
1. You see, if we are planted in Christ, we will grow to take on His
image. They will know you by your fruit. (and Jesus says, “by
their fruit you will recognize them”) (Mt 7:20)
2. Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” on that day will enter the
kingdom of heaven. (some will be part of the community, some
will claim to know the Lord and even use His name) (they will
point to charismatic work and religious experiences)
3. Jesus never emphasizes the external as being a sign of
authenticity. (instead, He wants us to look at the inside of live
and choose whole-heartedly to follow Jesus!)
Life is full of choices. This morning you have already made
hundreds of them. What shall I wear today? Should I wear this tie
or that one? What should I eat for breakfast? Should I even eat
breakfast? Everyday we have placed before us many choices,
almost too many. If we are honest, we might say the choices are
just too much and sometimes we grow tired just thinking about
them. The funny thing is that we really don’t even like to make
choices. In theory we like the idea of having a choice, but we
really don’t like to choose. *But choices must be made, choices
about where to focus energies, time, and behavior. Making a
decision to do one thing closes out other possibilities. To choose
the Christian life is to close out other possibilities. You can’t
travel the broad road and the narrow road at the same time. Can
we say we are Christians without giving up contradictory
behavior? Are we willing to pick up the cross and choose to follow
only Jesus? When we say yes to God, we have to say no to
something else.
Will you enter the gate to life in the kingdom of heaven and
embark on a life of following Jesus? Or will you unintentionally
reject Him for the popular road that leads to destruction? Will allow
His work of transformation that will produce good fruit in your life?
Or will you follow the voices of this world that promise you life but
take you to the fires of hell?
Jesus wants to be our Savior and most of us accept this
wholeheartedly. But Jesus also wants to be our Lord. This is a
little more challenging. To choose Jesus, to yield to Him as
Lord….is to surrender you life to His way and His plan. It is
summed up in a word that someone wrote about Mother
Theresa…that incredible witness of Christian living and service to
others. This person said of her that “she first gave her life to
Christ, and then through Christ, she gave her life to her others.”
That was the end of her biography and the beginning of her life.
Would you like to have that said about you? I would like it to be
said of me. He first gave his life to Christ, and then through Christ,
he gave his life to his others. So it will be for each of us when we
make that ultimate choice…Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.