Trials and Persecutions Drive Us Onward.
Acts 14:1-25TPT
In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas Are Sent to the Gentiles. They travel through the Antioch region. I call it, “The Antioch calling.”
Paul preaches while going back into history, He points out how men and women of God were terribly mistreated. But they kept living, while preaching, and or, prophesying about His Kingdom.
Acts 13:49-52NKJV And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
I want to teach and preach under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to you, verse by verse, from, Acts 14:1-25
Acts 14:1TPT When Paul and Barnabas arrived at Iconium, the same thing happened there. They went, as they always did, to the synagogue and preached to the people with such power that a large crowd of both Jews and non-Jews believed.
Notice, Paul and Barnabas preached Jesus with power, as large crowds, both Jews and non-Jews believed.
They preached believing, “If I don’t believe in what I’m preaching, neither will others." P.H
The apostles Paul writes in, Romans 1:16NIV For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
The power of God that brings salvation. Signs followed. The normal was salvation; The normal was signs and wonders.
Again, just like Acts 13, Acts 14:2TPT Some of the Jews refused to believe, and they began to poison the minds. (Embittered their souls.)”of the non-Jews to discredit the believers.
Satan goes into the battle field of the mind. Ungodly thoughts poison the mind. The lier- loser, wants you to become Independent.
Independent, on your own, away from God.
The apostle Paul writes about this in, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5AMP The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,
The devil was thrown out of heaven because of pride. Believers are told our weapons destroy his fortresses, sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God,
Isaiah 14:12-16NKJV “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
Acts 14:3TPT Yet Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a long time, preaching boldly and fearlessly about the Lord. Many trusted in the Lord, for he backed up his message of grace-(Manifestation of grace).” --with miracles, signs, and wonders performed by the apostles.
Acts 14:3, The Greek word for grace, charis, means, “that which brings delight, joy, pleasure, and sweetness.”(See Strong’s Concordance, Gr. 5485.)
“Your walk should be a sweet walk with Jesus!” PH
Acts 14:4-5TPT The people of the city were split over the issue. Some sided with the apostles, and others with the Jews who refused to believe. 5 Eventually, all the opposition factions came together, with their leaders devising a plot to harm Paul and Barnabas and stone them to death.
Acts 14:5, The Aramaic is “They issued a decree” (death sentence).
Men and women alike, came together (peer pressure) mounted to stone and kill, Paul and Barnabas.
Many of you are too young to remember the show, “Candid Camera with host Alan funt.”
Here’s the scene, The elevator opens a young lady enters. Of course, she faces the front. Candid Camera’s staff enters the elevator. Everyone turns and faces the back of the elevator. Rather quickly, this young lady begins to feel pressure to turn and face the back of the elevator also. Lol.
For Paul and Silas tension was the way of life, it was all around them making it readily available to conform. PH
Acts 14:6TPT When the apostles learned about this, they escaped to the region of Lyconia, to the cities of Lystra and Derbe and the nearby villages.
This would be a 22 mile journey. “Every escape a believer makes betters the gospel.” The book of Exodus reads this about the children of Israel: “The more they were persecuted the more they grew.”
Acts 14:7TPT And they continued to preach the hope of the gospel. Paul and Barnabas Preach at Lystra.
In Greek, gospel means, Good News! Again, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel of hope.
Acts 14:8-9TPT In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas encountered a man who from birth had never walked, for he was crippled in his feet. 9He listened carefully to Paul as he preached. All of a sudden, Paul discerned that this man had faith in his heart to be healed.
Here, the word healed, coincides with salvation! Think about it, Crippled from birth. Salvation had truly come!
Acts 14:10TPT So he shouted, “You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, stand up on your feet!” The man instantly jumped to his feet, stood for the first time in his life, and walked!
Walking is no easy feat; however, babies learn rather quickly. Think for a moment of a grown man crippled from birth walking for the first time. Scientifically impossible because they have not been any brain waves to connect ant walking pattern.
Acts 14:11TPT When the crowds saw the miracle Paul had done, they shouted in their own language, “The gods have come down to us as men!” 12They addressed Barnabas as “Zeus” and Paul as “Hermes,” because he was the spokesman.
Archeologists have found a stone altar near Lystra with an inscription dedicating it to Zeus and Hermes. Of course, false gods.
Acts 14:13TPT Now, outside of the city stood the temple of Zeus. The priest of the temple, in order to honor Paul and Barnabas, brought bulls with wreaths of flowers draped on them to the gates of the courtyard where they were staying. The crowds clamored to offer them as sacrifices to the apostles. He even brought flower wreaths as crowns to place on their heads.
Sounds like folk today, willing to make a god out of anything! PH
Acts 14:14-15TPT When the apostles understood what was happening, they were mortified and tore their clothes as a sign of dismay. They rushed into the crowd and shouted, 15“People, what are you doing? We’re only weak human beings like everyone else. This is why we’ve come to tell you the good news, so that you would turn away from these worthless myths (things), and turn to the living God. He is the Creator of all things: the earth, the heavens, the sea, and everything they contain.
Remember this simple statement: Be ready to give honor and glory to Jesus at anytime.
Acts 14:16-17TPT In previous generations he allowed the nations to pursue their own ways, 17yet He has never left Himself without clear evidence of His goodness. For He blesses us with rain from heaven and seasons of fruitful harvests, and He nourishes us with food to meet our needs. He satisfies our lives, and euphoria fills our hearts.”
Paul and Barnabas gave all glory, honor and praise to God.
Acts 14:18-19TPT Even after saying these things, they were barely able to restrain the people from offering sacrifices to them.
19Some of the Jews who had opposed Paul and Barnabas in Antioch and Iconium arrived and stirred up the crowd against them. They stoned Paul and dragged his body outside the city and left him for dead.
Paul was stoned and left for dead. Again, peer pressure (crowds), seems to win. But no, Jesus wins!
Acts 14:20-21TPT When the believers encircled Paul’s body, he miraculously stood up! (Raised from the dead). Paul stood and immediately went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21After preaching the wonderful news of the gospel there and winning a large number of followers to Jesus, they retraced their steps and revisited Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.
The original Greek states, Paul was miraculously raised from the dead!
God’s Word teaches, that we have been raised from the dead: Ephesians 2:1-2KJV And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Acts 14:22TPT At each place they went, they strengthened the lives of the believers (Discipleship), and encouraged them to go deeper in their faith. And they taught them, “It is necessary for us to enter into the realm of God’s kingdom, because that’s the only way we will endure our many trials and persecutions.”
Acts 14:22, The only way to avoid the oppression of the age is to enter deeper into God’s kingdom realm.
Many trials and persecution takes you farther into God’s Kingdom realm. PH
An alternate translation would be, “Through great tribulation we enter into God’s kingdom realm.”
Neither translation of this sentence implies a future kingdom, but a kingdom realm that is presently accessible.
Acts 14:23TPT Paul and Barnabas ordained leaders, known as elders, from among the congregations in every church they visited.
After prayer and fasting, they publicly committed them into the care and protection of the Lord of their faith.
Right this very moment, “I want to personally invite you to live under the care, protection and provisions of the Lord of our faith!”
Benediction.
