Power to Work and to Win
Acts 13:1-12
Intro: Someone shared a fictional story about the day that Jesus returned to Heaven. The Angel Gabriel asked Jesus to explain what had happened down there on earth.
He asked, “Did they make you King?” Jesus answered, “No.”
“Did they make you prince?” “No.”
“Did they worship you?” “Most of them didn’t.”
“Well then, what happened?” “They crucified me.”
“But after you rose from the Dead, everyone worshipped you, right?” “No.”
“So, what is your plan?” “I left my people down there.”
Gabriel looked skeptical.
“But if they fail ---- What is your other plan?”
Jesus replied, “I have no other plan.”
-We are God’s Plan A. There is no Plan B.
-In light of that, let me propose a truth that will help us cooperate with God and His plan for us.
Prop: God wants to fill us with His Spirit so we can reach lost people and win spiritual battles.
TS: Let’s take a closer look at God’s plan as we discuss 3 observations from our text.
I. God Has an Intentional Plan to Reach Unreached People (Acts 13:1-6a)
-We are God’s Plan A. There is no Plan B. God’s Plan A is found clearly in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
-Let’s look at our text to learn more about God’s plan to reach unreached people.
A. God Gives Gifts to His Church (13:1)
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
-Eph. 4 also adds apostles, evangelists, and pastors to a list of gifts God has given to His church. Ephesians 4:11 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” God puts people in place so that believers can grow spiritually and be equipped to do ministry.
-It should be understood that the men in v.1 had been filled with the Holy Spirit. So, they themselves were gifts for the church, being prophets and teachers; but beyond that, they had received the gift of the HS so they could provide powerful ministry to those in the body of Christ.
-God is a giving God! He gave us Jesus, His only Son (John 3:16). In Luke 11:13, Jesus told His disciples, “Your Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" He gives the HS, and the gifts of the Spirit, which you can read about in 1 Cor. 12. Along with the HS comes the boldness to tell people the good news about Jesus – even in the face of danger and opposition. God is a giver! James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
-TS: So, part of God’s plan to reach unreached people is to give gifts to His church. Let’s not neglect those gifts, but stir them up and welcome them. One way we do that is to be in the habit of connecting with God.
B. God Speaks to Us When We Seek Him Diligently (13:2a)
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…
-Part of God’s intentional plan to reach unreached people is to communicate His intentions to us. I have to wonder what would have happened here if these believers had not been worshiping the Lord and fasting. I don’t really know, but I’m guessing they may not have heard from God – or at least not so clearly.
-If we want to be effective in cooperating with God’s plan, then we need to put ourselves in a position to hear from Him on a regular basis. What does it take to hear from God? James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
-God wants to communicate with us, but we will need to get close to Him, and call on Him if we really want in on what He is doing.
C. God Calls Each of Us to a Specific Work (13:2b)
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
-God had a special task for Barnabas and Saul, which we read about in the next several chapters of Acts. However, don’t think that their calling was any greater than that of Simeon or Lucius or any of the other believers in Antioch.
-Paul himself goes to great lengths in 1 Cor. 12 to show that even the lowliest member of the body of Christ is valuable and precious to God and vital to the church.
-Our cohort leader shared something he had picked up along the way that I thought was very profound: If God calls you to be a janitor, don’t stoop to being a pastor. If God calls you to be a stay-at-home mom, don’t stoop to being a business executive. God calls each of us to a specific work, and it is good for us to recognize the validity and worth of each one’s calling.
-God knows what He is doing. He does all things well, and will make something beautiful out of our lives.
D. God Uses Senders to Support those Who Are Sent (13:3)
3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
-They apparently fasted and prayed more for confirmation of God’s call, then they sent the two men off on their missions trip.
-Romans 10:13-15 says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent?”
-God’s plan includes both senders and sent ones. If the senders do not do their part, then the sent ones won’t get very far. Why do we bother supporting missionaries who travel to other countries such as Africa, Indonesia, Japan, The Philippines, Romania, Fiji, and other places? Because they need senders who will pray for them and help provide ministry resources for them. I’ve heard missionaries share stories both of provision and rescue from harm that happened at the exact time God had burdened one of the senders to stop what they were doing and pray.
-By the way, this church has impacted lives that God has sent out from here to accomplish His work someplace else. I have a letter in my office from a David Grant, who used to attend here. From what I understand, God is using him to reach others, and some of you had a part in bringing Him closer to God. There is another man about my age, Vance Lindstrom, who came to this church as a kid. Maybe it didn’t seem like there was much of an impact in his life, but he just wrote me a note of encouragement and said that he owes this church his life.
-So, whether we are senders or sent ones, or both, God wants us in the game! He wants us praying for and supporting those who have committed their lives to minister in a culture that is foreign to them. Keep praying and keep supporting the work of the Lord!
-We also find that when God calls someone, He is also faithful to lead them where He wants them to go.
E. God Leads Those Whom He Calls (13:4-6a)
4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos.
-These verses give us a few details about their missions trip. They weren’t just wandering around. They were following the leading of the HS.
-God will lead us, if we will take the time to listen to what He is saying. Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” God’s children follow His lead, and He is faithful to give them guidance and direction.
-TS: So, God does have an intentional plan to reach people who have not yet been reached. It is up to us to get on board with what He wants to do in and through us. The second observation about God’s plan is this:
II. God Has Enemies Who Will Oppose His People (Acts 13:6b-8)
There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
-ILLUS: One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway , it just wasn’t worth the effort to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing! He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off....
-There are a number of ways we can handle opposition. It is easy to get discouraged and give up, or get angry and blow up, but if we really believe that God is in control, then we will trust Him to help us get through it His way.
-Make no mistake about it – If you are trying to reach people with the good news about Jesus, you will face opposition! Don’t be surprised by it when somebody opposes you and tries to keep others from believing.
-Jesus said, “’No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).
-So, one thing we can do is learn from the donkey. When we get hit by a shovel full of dirt, we can shake it off and put it under our feet. When someone opposes us because we are a follower of Jesus Christ, we can give the emotions of anger and rejection to God, and He will help us and show us what to do.
-Now Paul’s reaction may not be called for in every circumstance. However, if it is called for, do we have what it takes to win in that situation?
III. God Gives Us the Power and Boldness We Need to Win (Acts 13:9-12)
A. The Holy Spirit Helps Us Win Against Spiritual Opposition (13:9-11)
9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
-V.9 says, “Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit….” When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, there is nothing that can stop them from doing what God has told them to do. Elymas was trying to persuade the proconsul to reject Paul and all his talk about this Jesus. It’s like Paul was speaking into one ear, and Elymas was whispering in the other ear. Finally, something started rising up within Paul that he had to get out. It was a Holy Spirit-inspired boldness that would not tolerate the lies and deception of the devil. Paul put a finger in the face of Elymas and told him exactly what he was and what would happen to him.
-I wouldn’t recommend this as an evangelism strategy, by the way. However, we need to know the power that we have in the Holy Spirit. We need to stay filled with the Spirit so we can stand up and win when the enemy brings opposition to the work of the Lord.
-This power & boldness is not about us winning or saving face. It is given so that others will see and know that God is real. We receive power so we can be effective witnesses to others who need to see and hear about Jesus. And that is what happened with Paul.
B. The Holy Spirit Helps Us Reach Those Who Need God (13:12)
12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
-The important thing to remember here is not how to confront someone who opposes us, but how do we listen and respond to the HS when He speaks to us. If we seek to live by formulas, we will be frustrated and defeated time and again. However, if we live in close relationship with the Lord and stay filled with His Spirit, then He will show us what needs to be done in each situation.
-God wants you to have the power and boldness you need in order to win spiritual battles. He also wants to empower you to win people to Him who have not yet been reached with the good news about Jesus. That power is available to every believer, and it comes by being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: As we close today, would you say that the power of God is at work in your life? Do you sense God giving you the boldness to talk about Him to others, and at times stand up to those who would oppose Him? If not, then you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 tells us that the believers who were gathered were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke with other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. I’m not talking about something weird or man-made. I’m talking about surrendering ourselves to God to such an extent that even our tongue becomes a tool He can use for His glory.
-If you’ve not been filled with the Holy Spirit, or if it has been a long time since you’ve been filled, I want to invite you to come and be prayed for today. But before we do that, I’d like to invite anyone who needs God in their lives to come and talk to Him today. Let’s all bow our heads and close our eyes for a few moments. If you need to ask Jesus to be your forgiver and leader, there is no better time than today, right now. You may still have questions that you need answers for, but if in your heart you know that you need to get right with God, would you lift your hand so I can pray for you?
-Now, if you need to be filled with the Spirit, would you come to the front and be prayed for? It is God who does the filling. It is up to us to do the asking and the receiving. As you pray, begin to speak out praise to God, and let Him do a powerful work in you. Please come and find the power you so desperately need in your life.
