A Snap Shot Of Life

Acts 14

I enjoy reading the Book of Acts. Most people believe it was written by Luke and it covers around 32 years of early church history. For all of those years Luke was there watching all of the things going on, from the ASCENSION of Jesus back to Heaven, all of the missionary journeys of Paul and the other Apostles, all the way up until not too long before Paul dies at the hand of the Roman Government.

Chapter 14 of the Book of Acts falls somewhere in the middle of Paul’s journeys. He has met Jesus on the Road to Damascus and is going about PREACHING but yet he hasn’t been arrested and made his appeal to Caesar at this point. Chapter 14 is kind of like a SNAP SHOT, a PICTURE taken at this point in Paul’s life.

Pictures are VALUABLE. We see what people looked like in the past. We know what George Washington and Thomas Jefferson looked like because they set down and someone PAINTED their picture.

But until the camera came along, that’s all we saw. A painter’s rendition of what someone looked like or some famous scene. And even after the camera came along all you saw were staged photos. A fellow would have a camera setup and he would get underneath a BLACK CURTAIN, everyone would set real still, and POOF, a flash of powder and the photo was taken.

But then in 1888, George Eastman came up with a camera that could be held in your hand and more than that, it was affordable. People could then begin to take SNAP SHOTS of LIFE. Real things happening. We can look and SEE what life was like in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. We can see what our ancestors looked like but more than that we can actually see what they DID back then.

ILLUS: My mom had 1000’s of pictures that we had to go through after her and my dad died. Some of the people we recognized, some of them we didn’t. Some of the photos were written on the back of who they were and when it was taken but most weren’t. But they are SNAP SHOTS of their life and other people’s lives.

And if we all had cameras today, oh, that’s right, we do. These little mini computers attached to our hands, that have a phone and a camera APP. But if we would all take a picture of ourselves today that would be a GOOD THING. Why? Because tomorrow we won’t look the same and things will be different.

All of us here today, that are followers of Jesus, are somewhere in the MIDDLE of our journey. Some are closer to the beginning and others are closer to the end. But on our journey there will be highs and lows. Success and failure. Hardship and Ease. But I think by looking at this SNAP SHOT of Paul’s life, kind of in the middle of his journey, it can help us on our own journey. So let’s go ahead and read Acts Chapter 14.

“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.

2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

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.

4 But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:

7 And there they preached the gospel.

8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:

9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.