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The Challenge of the Church
Acts 14: 1-28
As we continue our study this morning, I want to remind us again of our text verse: Acts 17:6
Clearly Paul, Barnabas, and the others were making a significant impact on the world around them.
All were not pleased with their efforts, but their work was recognized everywhere they went.
The attitude surrounding our text verse for the series was one of anger and great displeasure.
In every city Paul entered, he reached people for Christ, but he also made enemies.
Many were happy with religion and worship as it was and they had no use for a man who was turning the world upside down for Jesus.
When people came to a saving knowledge of Christ, they abandoned the old form of religion for a relationship with Christ.
This affected the followers of established religion, and in many cases it affected the income of those who profited from it.
Paul and Barnabas faced many challenges on their first missionary journey.
Our text this morning deals with a few of them.
We are thousands of years removed from Pauls journeys, but these challenges remain today.
The people and circumstances are different, but we continue to deal with the same issues that Paul faced.
If we are committed to turning the world upside down for Jesus, we might as well expect to encounter some of these challenges.
We must learn to identify them and properly respond to them.
I want to look in on the ministry of Paul and the obstacles he faced as we consider:
The Challenge of the Church.
Challenge of Division (1-7)
1.
The Reason for The Division (1)
– And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
As was his normal practice, Paul entered the synagogue upon his arrival in Iconium and began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
His preaching had an effect: a great multitude of Jews and Greeks believed.
There are two reasons for the division:
A. The Multitude
He was leading people away from organized religion unto the Truth.
If people are getting saved, it wont be long before it gets noticed by the world.
The hate speech and lies will begin
When a church or a ministry is making a difference in a community, it will get noticed.
B. The Message
The Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah and the Gospel Paul preached, created division because of the message he preached.
The World does not like our message
The world will do what ever they can to try and stop us from spreading our message.
I want you all to know one thing.
It is not us they have a problem with, its the person of the message they dont like
We are living in a day in which many have compromised truth for the approval and acceptance of men.
Many have given in to the modern pressures of society and abandoned the truth of the Gospel.
We are entering a time, even here in America, where the Gospel creates contention.
If we are committed to stand upon the truth of God’s Word, preaching Jesus as the only means of salvation and confronting behavior that is contrary to the Word, we can look for division.
2. The Cause of The Division (2)
– But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.
Paul had not gone looking to create division, but it quickly appeared.
A. The Provocation from the Disobedient
The Jews who refuted the teaching of Christ and stirred up the Gentiles, creating doubt and division among them.
This was those that were disobedient
They were the ones running around spreading lies
They provocated others to turn on the apostles
B. The Aggravation from the Devil
(Satan blinded the minds of them that would believe)
The devil we be your number one enemy when you begin to take away from his numbers.
He will do what he can to try and stop you, he will blind some, and cause others to stir up division.
When Victory begins getting attacked on all sides, you can go ahead and rest assured, we are doing what the Lord wants us to do and the devil hates it.
3. The Perseverance in The Division (3)
– Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Division grew stronger each day, with men being forced to choose sides, but Paul was not deterred.
Even in the midst of mounting opposition, Paul continued to preach the Gospel without compromise.
He understood that all did not agree with his teaching, but he refused to abandon the message.
He remained steadfast in his commitment to Christ.
A. Persevered by Staying Put
Paul did not sway one way or the other.
He stood firm, against all odds.
Paul did not straddle the fence to try and please both sides.
He abode (stayed) a long time.
When things started to get tough, he did not change churches.
I cant stand these pastors that tuck tail and run at the first sign of trouble.
Or, a church member that would rather move their church membership than face the problem head on.
If we are ever going to turn this community upside down, we need to stick it out.
Some of you in here have been here trough the good and the bad.
You know what that is?
A testimony to the grace of God.
B. Persevered By Speaking Truth
Paul did not change his message to appease the masses.
Paul did not soften his message to increase attendance
Paul preached the same message he preached when he started out
Paul was not afraid to preach
He preached in Athens the intellectual capitol of the world and he was mocked
He preached in Jerusalem the religious capitol of the world and he was mobbed
He preached in Rome the political capitol of the world and he was martyred
Society expects us to buckle under the pressures of our day.
The enemy seeks to gain entrance among us.
He desires to create division within the church.
When it comes, we must remain committed to the cause of Christ.
We cannot allow the bark of the enemy to create fear in our hearts.
The cause is too great to abandon in an effort to please the world.
When you dont give up talking to that one individual or you keep talking to those that want nothing to do with God or our faith, when your life is identical to your speech, you will be a testimony to the grace of God .
4. The Success of The Division
[4] But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
The Jews succeed.
They sought out to cause a division among the jews and Gentiles and they did it.
The world hates us and what we are doing.
They dont want us to succeed.
It may seem as if they have succeed
They may think of it as a success if they can keep things stirred up and distract some from coming to know Christ.
Their success is limited to
A. A Divided City
This is the most they can claim.
They got what they wanted and it may be a success but it is a temporary one
There will always be those that want to cause a division and they may succeed but dont be discouraged, because even though they have caused a division there will always be a part that believes.
Pauls success was lasting.
He had.....
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