OPENING THE DOOR OF FAITH          (The Acts of the Apostles - Part 14)

September 25, 2005

Acts 14:1-28

THE LORD BEARS WITNESS TO HIMSELF (V1-3)

PAUL AND BARNABAS ARE ON THEIR FIRST MISSIONARY TRIP. THE TIME FRAME FOR ALL THIS IS ABOUT EIGHT TO TEN YEARS AFTER THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. THEY HAVE PREACHED THROUGH THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS, AND ARE NOW PREACHING THEIR WAY THROUGH GALATIA, OR PART OF WHAT IS NOW MODERN TURKEY.

YOU SEE, GOD MADE A CHOSEN PEOPLE FOR HIMSELF, ISRAEL. AND ISRAEL REJECTED HIM. GOD THEN SENT JESUS TO REDEEM ISRAEL, AND ISRAEL REJECTED JESUS. THE 12 APOSTLES ARE STILL IN JERUSALEM, CONVERTING JEWS TO THE WAY OF CHRIST, AND MINISTERING TO THEM.

BUT GOD IS NOW SENDING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS TO THE KNOWN WORLD, AND USING PAUL TO DO IT. BUT EVEN AS PAUL AND BARNABAS TRAVEL IN THE GENTILE WORLD, THEY STILL GO TO THE LOCAL SYNAGOGUES AND OFFER CHRIST TO THE JEWS FIRST.

TODAY, WE PICK UP WITH THEM JUST AS THEY HAVE “SHAKEN THE DUST OFF THEIR SANDALS,” OF THE TOWN OF ANTIOCH, PISIDIA, IN NORTHERN GALATIA. (THERE WERE SEVERAL TOWNS CALLED “ANTIOCH.” PAUL’S “HOME CHURCH” WAS IN ANTIOCH, NORTERN SYRIA. THIS WAS LIKE COMPARING “PARIS, FRANCE” TO “PARIS, TEXAS.”)

THEY TRAVEL ON TO ICONIUM, PREACHED TO THE JEWS IN THE SYNAGOGUE, AND PREACHED ALSO TO THE GENTILES; AND PREACHED SO POWERFULLY THAT MANY BELIEVED. BUT V.2 SAYS THAT JUST AS MANY JEWS DID NOT BELIEVE, AND THEREFORE STIRRED UP DISSENSION AMONGST THE REST OF THE TOWN. AND PAUL AND BARNABAS “THEREFORE” STAYED!

YOU SEE, SOMETIMES, WHEN THERE’S DISSENSION AROUND US, WHAT ARE WE TEMPTED TO DO? RUN AWAY FROM THE DISSENSION.

WHEN PAUL LEFT ANTIOCH EARLIER, IT WAS ONLY AFTER GOD HAD DONE EVERYTHING HE NEEDED TO DO THROUGH THEM, AT THE TIME. NOW AT ICONIUM, SOME ANGRY PEOPLE HAVE RISEN UP, BUT GOD DOESN’T LET PAUL AND BARNABAS LEAVE JUST YET. WHY?

V. 3 HAS THE ANSWER: “… THE LORD, WHO WAS BEARING WITNESS TO THE WORD…”

YOU SEE, YOU AND I CAN (AND SHOULD) “BEAR WITNESS TO THE WORD” WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY IS GIVEN. BUT WHEN GOD SHOWS UP TO “BEAR WITNESS” TO HIMSELF (THE WORD), WATCH OUT! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET ANGRY (V.5).

AND IT WASN’T UNTIL THEIR LIVES WERE IN DANGER, THAT GOD LET THEM LEAVE FOR A WHILE. (V.6)

YOU SEE, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE ARE FOLLOWING GOD, AND TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT GOD, AND SHARING JESUS WITH PEOPLE, THAT IT IS TO BE GOD THAT TALKS TO THEM (SHARING HIS WORD); GOD THAT PREPARES THE WAY (PRAYER AND FASTING); IT’S GOD THAT “GIVES US THE SIGNS AND WONDERS THROUGH OUR HANDS;” GOD THAT WOOS PEOPLE TO HIM.

WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS? WE GET UPSET THAT SOMEONE DOESN’T RESPOND TO OUR ATTEMPTS. “WELL, I’VE ASKED AND ASKED THAT PERSON TO COME TO CHURCH. I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM.” OR OF SOMEONE DOES RESPOND, WE GET PUFFED UP IN OUR PRIDE AND MARVEL IN OUR OWN GIFTS AND ABILITIES.

IT’S NOT FOR OUR GLORY; AND IT’S NOT OUR PROBLEM WHEN SOMEONE DOESN’T RESPOND! IT’S GOD’S WORK, GIVE HIM NOT ONLY THE GLORY, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW UP.

OUR WORKS GET BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION (8-18)

SO PAUL AND BARNABAS LEAVE ICONIUM, AND COME TO LYSTRA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE. AND GOD HEALS A CRIPPLE THROUGH PAUL.

ONE THING TO NOTICE HERE, IS THAT PAUL IS SO TUNED INTO GOD AT THIS POINT, THAT HE HAS NOT DOUBT WHAT TO DO. IT’S IMMEDIATE: “STAND UP STRAIGHT AND WALK.” WE’RE NOT EVEN TOLD THAT HE TOUCHED THE MAN, JUST SPOKE RIGHT AT HIM. JUST LIKE JESUS, PAUL DISCERNED THE MAN’S LEVEL OF FAITH AND ACTED ON IT.

BUT NOW LET’S LOOK AT THE REACTION.

THESE WERE GENTILES WHO WORSHIPPED ZEUS, AND HERMES, AND ALL THE OTHER GREEK GODS. NOW THE STORY GOES THAT ZEUS AND HERMES HAD ONCE VISITED ICONIUM DISGUISED AS NORMAL MEN. AND ONLY ONE HOUSEHOLD IN TOWN OFFERED THEM A PLACE TO STAY AND EAT. SO THEY BLESSED THAT HOUSEHOLD BY TURNING IT INTO A GOLDEN MANSION, AND WIPED ALL THE OTHER HOUSES IN TOWN OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

SO YOU CAN SEE WHY THESE ICONIUMITES TODAY ARE SO INTENT ON NOT OFFENDING THEIR GODS A SECOND TIME. THAT’S WHY THEY ARE PREPARING TO HONOR PAUL AND BARNABAS AS GODS.

BUT WHAT’S REALLY CRITICAL HERE IS TO SEE PAUL’S AND BARNABAS’S REACTIONS: THEY TEAR THEIR CLOTHES AND RUN OUT TO THE CROWDS TO STOP THEM, TELLING THEM THAT THEY ARE JUST ORDINARY MEN, LIKE THEM!

AT THE SAME TIME, THEY’RE PREACHING GOD AGAIN. GIVING HIM THE GLORY AND CREDIT FOR MAKING THE BEAUTY AND NATURE AROUND THEM (NATURE WAS IMPORTANT TO THE GREEKS, SO PAUL IS GIVING THEM SOMETHING IN THEIR FRAME OF REFERENCE).

THE DANGER TO US, WHEN GOD WORKS THROUGH US, IS TO ACCEPT THE PRAISE AND GLORY OF MEN. NOW, WE CAN BE GRACIOUS, BUT WE NEED TO BE AWFULLY CAUTIOUS ABOUT IT.

COMMEND YOUR WORK TO THE LORD (19-26)

NOW LOOK WHAT HAPPENS! THEY GO FROM WANTING TO SACRIFICE TO PAUL AND BARNABAS, AND MAKE THEM GODS, TO TRYING TO KILL THEM! IN FACT, THEY THINK PAUL IS DEAD, AND DRAG HIS BEAT UP BODY OUT OF TOWN! BUT HE WAKES UP, GETS UP, BRUSHES HIMSELF OFF AND GOES ON TO THE NEXT TOWNS TO DO IT ALL AGAIN! THAT’S DEDICATION.

SOME OF US, WHEN FACED WITH DIRE ADVERSITY, WOULD GO BACK HOME SIT FOR A YEAR WONDERING WHAT WENT WRONG!

(V.21) THEN PAUL DOES SOMETHING THAT MOST OF US WOULD TELL HIM TO GO GET HIS HEAD EXAMINED. HE GOES BACK TO THE TOWNS THAT THREW HIM OUT!WHY? THREE THINGS:

* TO STRENGTHEN AND EXHORT THE CONVERTS THERE

* TO APPOINT ELDERS TO THE CHURCHES

* TO COMMEND HIS WORK TO THE LORD (V.22).

AND PAUL PREFACES ALL THIS BY SAYING “THROUGH ALL KINDS OF TRIBULATION WE MUST DO THESE THINGS.” (SEE 2 TIMOTHY 3:10-15)

WHEN WE’RE CLOSELY FOLLOWING CHRIST, EXPECT TRIBULATIONS. BUT EXPECT HIM TO BRING YOU THROUGH IT. AND NOT FOR YOUR GLORY, BUT FOR HIS.

GIVING GOD THE CREDIT (27-28)

AFTER STRENGTHENING, EXHORTING, AND COMMENDING THE CHURCHES TO GOD, THEY RETURN TO PARIS, FRANCE … I MEAN ANTIOCH, SYRIA. THEIR HOME CHURCH. AND HERE, THEY REMAIN FOR A SEASON OF REFRESHING, STRENGTHENING, AND PRAISING OF GOD FOR ALL HE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THEM. (IT IS BELIEVED THAT AT THIS TIME, PAUL WRITES THE LETTER OF “GALATIANS,” AND SHOWS THAT HE CONTINUES TO “COMMEND THEM TO THE LORD” EVEN THOUGH HE IS ABSENT FROM THEM)

GOD HAD “OPENED THE DOOR OF FAITH” TO THE GENTILES.

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