Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts 13: 6-16; 26-39

As we continue our study this morning, I want to remind us of our theme verse: Acts 17:6 – ...These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.

Paul, Barnabas, and the others who traveled with them were literally turning the world upside down for the cause of Christ.

All who heard their words may not have agreed with the message, but there was no doubt that the cities and towns they encountered were affected by their presence.

The Lord was with them, and their ministry was very productive and fruitful.

Surely this ought to be the desire of every born again believer.

Each of us ought to desire to reach others for the Lord and make a difference in our communities and places of influence.

I would love for Victory to turn our community and surrounding area upside down for Jesus.

If we are to have any hope of doing that, we must look to the Scriptures for direction and guidance.

We must seek to implement the particular aspects of ministry that Paul and the others did.

In our first study we considered the Charge of the Church.

This morning I would like to consider the Communication of the Church.

Would you agree that we have a message worth sharing?

Would you agree that we have received something that all people need?

If so, we must learn to communicate that message.

If we are to effectively communicate with the world, we must have a proper understanding of what we desire to communicate.

The message of Jesus has the power to turn the world upside down if it is communicated in a proper manner.

Let’s take some time this morning to consider the details given in the text as we think on: The Communication of the Church.

I.

The Opposition to the Communication

This group was sent out by the Holy Spirit and it was a good thing they were.

This group was going to need the Power of the Spirit to overcome the opposition they were about to encounter.

Before we can ever communicate the gospel message, we need to be aware that there will be opposition towards us.

Therefore we need to be sure we are sent by the Spirit and filled with the power of the Spirit, because we to will face the same obstacles Paul and his companions faced.

In this first recorded opposition, Paul shows us how we are to respond to such opposition and these verses show us what kind of result(s) one would expect to have.

Lets Notice first:

A. The Response to the Opposition(v.6-10)

We all have heard of Newton’s Law, ‘ For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’.

Well, Spiritual laws are mostly consistent with physical laws.

With this as the exception!

The first Christian missionaries’ law of motion: ‘For every action there is always an opposite reaction.

However, such a reaction is never the equal of the initial action’.

That is, the gospel will always be opposed, but such opposition will never succeed.

The gospel’s spiritual power is supreme, making it unstoppable.

As Paul and Barnabas are communicating the gospel to the one man that invited them, a man by the nick name Bar-Jesus speaks up.

Bar-Jesus means “son of Jesus” or “son of salvation,” perhaps because he claimed to be a spiritual descendant of Jesus and thus an heir to his magical powers.

At any rate, this sorcerer was claiming to know the way of salvation.

Elymas (an Arabic word) means “skillful one,” and this, no doubt, he was.

He was a man of immense power, having a controlling influence over the ruler of Cyprus.

A major battle was inevitable.

Spiritual warfare is not a fantasy of over-imaginative theologians or novelists.

It happens today, and it happened to Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark then—a bare-knuckle, heart-thumping confrontation.

The truth is, life is difficult, and sometimes even more so when you choose to follow Christ.

Corrie ten Boom would never have ended up in the concentration camp at Ravensbruck if she and her family had not chosen to consistently obey Christ by sheltering fellow human beings from genocide.

There is a cost to sincere service for Christ.

Never share your faith and you will never look like a fool.

Never stand for righteousness on a social issue and you will never be rejected.

Never practice consistent honesty in business and you will not lose the trade of a not-so-honest associate.

Never reach out to the needy and you will never be taken advantage of.

Never give your heart and it will never be broken.

Never go to Cyprus and you will never be subjected to a dizzy, heart-convulsing confrontation with Satan.

Seriously follow Christ and you will experience a gamut of sorrows almost completely unknown to the unbeliever.

But of course you will also know the joy of adventure with the Lord of the universe and of spiritual victory as you live a life of allegiance to him.

For Saul and Barnabas, the battle was on.

1. Paul stood firm(9)

Paul was able to do this because he had the power of the Holy Spirit.

He planted his feet and prepared for the battle.

Paul was there for a purpose and he was not going to quit.

Paul was not going to back down

It did not matter what was about to take place, Paul was sent there by God and he was going to fulfil his mission.

2. Paul spoke firm (10)

Paul did not sugar coat anything

Paul did not grab his hand and sing kumba ya.

Paul did not recommend a council session to find the root of the problem

Paul stood firm and then spoke firm

He spoke whats whats and gave him the what for

If we are going to communicate the message that God has given to us, we must communicate it in the Spirit and do it with boldness and authority.

B. The Result of the Response 11-13

Sorrow v.11

When opposition comes and you respond with the right words with the right attitude, your opposition will either realize you are not an easy target or they will do what Elymaus did.

They will leave in sorrow.

They will not like what you say, they will not like what you do but, at least they know you speak truth and when they are confronted with that truth it will possibly bring them to the place where they have to admit they need help.

Salvation v.12

This wont happen all the time but when it does what a glorious site.

Speak truth no matter where you are and be filled with the Holy Ghost and sooner then later salvation will be a result of your response even when there is opposition.

This Roman captain wanted to hear the truth and even when the apostles were trying to be shut down they spoke truth and the result was the salvation of a lost soul.

Separation v.13

John Mark left the work and returned to Jerusalem.

Not everyone will like the way you do things and not everyone will be cut out for the ministry.

There will be some that may think you should have handled the situation diffrently or may not have the same approach to reaching souls as you.

So Paul and Barabas travel to Antioch in Pisidia.

Having the Power of the Holy Spirit, they enter into the town with one thing on their mind.

To communicate the gospel to the Lost.

Notice:

II.

The Particulars of the Communication (14-16)

– These verses reveal significant details regarding Paul’s arrival in Pisidian Antioch.

If we are to effectively communicate the gospel message, we need to understand their significance.

Consider:

A. The Location(14)

– But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

There is really nothing unusual or astounding about the fact that Paul spoke within the synagogue.

This would seem to be the natural place in which to share the Word with others.

We worship on the Lord’s day, Sunday, at the house of God.

There is something special about coming together with God’s people at His house on a consistent basis.

But, There is an important element here that we need to consider

There were always many Jews within the synagogues, but there was also a great concentration of Gentile proselytes that had navigated to the synagogues as well.

They had grown tired of the immoral practices of pagan religion and sought a more sanctified religion.

Many of them turned to the religion of the Jews.

The significance is that Paul sought people where they were.