The Journey: Following Jesus through Acts (8)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Scripture: Acts 14:8-20
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 8/13/2017
As most of you know, we’re eight weeks into a ten-week journey through the book of Acts. As I’ve said before, our goal is to follow in the footsteps of those who followed in the footsteps of Jesus. The book of Acts is all about the birth of Christianity and the birth of the church, so by learning from the examples of these early disciples, we can hopefully figure out how to do church the way God intended and, even more importantly, follow Jesus more closely on our own spiritual journey.
Last week, we talked about a major turning point in church history—the conversion of Saul, also known as Paul. Saul started off with this unshakable conviction that Christianity must be destroyed at all costs. But then he had an unexpected confrontation with Jesus and a previously unknown believer named Ananias which led to an uncommon conversion. Immediately, Saul started preaching the Good News of Jesus in synagogues of Damascus. And everyone who heard him was amazed.
The Bible says Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. That doesn’t mean they all became believers, though. After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. They watched the city gates around the clock so that whenever he left town, they could surprise him, kill him and stash the body outside of the city. Saul caught wind of their plans, though. So, during the night, some of the believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall so he could escape the city unnoticed.
From there, Paul returned to Jerusalem. There he tried to join the local believers, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Until, that is, Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced Saul to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to Jesus on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus’ name. After that he was accepted as one of them.
In chapter 10, another major event takes place. An angel of the Lord visits the Roman officer, Cornelius, in a vision. He tells Cornelius to summon the Apostle Peter, who also received a vision. When Peter arrives, the Holy Spirit descends on Cornelius and his whole family, unveiling the next stage in the expansion of the church: God wants the Gospel to go to the Gentiles. This sets the stage for Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles.
In Act 13, the Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas to this special task. Thus, Paul and Barnabas begin their missionary journeys. First, they journeyed to the island of Cyprus and preached from town to town across the entire island. Then they sailed to Pamphilia and made their way to Antioch, then on to Iconium—all the while preaching and teaching the Good News of Jesus to anyone who would listen. Everywhere they went some people believed in Jesus, but others became hostile and chased Paul and Barnabas out of town under the threat of death.
Midway through chapter 14, they arrive in Lystra—a Greek city with an interesting claim to fame. This is where I’d like to catch up with Paul and Barnabas, so if you have a Bible or an app on your phone, open it to Acts 14, where we find a curious and somewhat comical series of events.
I’d like to explore this story in four segments, beginning with the miracle.
• THE MIRACLE
It seems like everywhere the Apostles go, something miraculous happens. Lystra was no exception. Our story begins abruptly:
“While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.” (Acts 14:8-10 NLT)
Right off the bat, you might notice some similarities between this miracle and the one Peter performed in Acts 3. If you remember, in Acts 3 Peter healed a disabled beggar by the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem. In both instances, the disabled man was described as crippled from birth, which means the local townsfolk would know beyond the shadow of a doubt that this person had a lifelong physical ailment that couldn’t be cured. Both healings also include the steady gaze of the apostle and the exuberant response of the healed man. It’s likely that Luke intentionally included this story in Scripture in order to parallel the earlier story, placing Peter and Paul on equal footing, and cementing Paul’s status as an Apostle.
But, more importantly, both stories remind us how important it is to offer help and healing. You and I, might not be able to repair broken bones or atrophied muscles, but that doesn’t mean we can’t offer help and healing to those in need. The Bible says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10 NLT).
I’m reminded of a story about a woman who was standing at a bus stop. She glanced around and noticed a shabbily dressed man standing nearby. As she watched, she saw another man walk up to him, hand him some money, and whisper something in his ear. She was so touched by the random act of kindness that she decided to do the same. In a burst of generosity, she reached into her purse, took out $100, handed it to the poor fellow, and whispered to him, “Never despair, son, never despair.” The next day, when she came to the bus stop, there he was again. But this time he walked up to her and handed her $1100. Dumbfounded, she asked, “What’s this?” He said, “You won, lady. Never Despair had a 10/1 payoff!”
Now I can’t promise that every random act of kindness will pay 10 to 1. At times kindness and compassion may even require sacrifices on your part. But we can be sure that, in the end, God’s Word will prove true and we’ll reap a harvest of blessing if we just keep doing good at every opportunity.
Now, the second stage in this story is the mistake.
• THE MISTAKE
In good TV trope fashion, the Lystra locals witness this amazing miracle and mistake Paul and Barnabas for gods. Here’s how Luke describes it:
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles. (Acts 14:11-13 NLT)
Luke specifically mentions that the people shouted in “their local dialect,” so Paul and Barnabas couldn’t understand them. They didn’t figure out what was going on until the priest showed up prepared to offer sacrifices. The whole scenario unfolds like a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean or Return of the Jedi.
Let me give you some background here, though. According to Greek and Roman mythology, Zeus and Hermes (also known as Jupiter and Mercury), belong to the pantheon of gods living on Mount Olympus. People from Lystra claimed that these two gods had once visited their city in human disguises and, according to the legend, no one offered them hospitality except for one elderly couple. So Zeus and Hermes rewarded the old couple, but spitefully killed everyone else in the city.
When the citizens of Lystra saw the miracle Paul performed, they assumed the gods had revisited them. Remembering the legend of what happened in generations past, they immediately honored Paul and Barnabas, showering them with gifts.
I think the question for us is—what do you do, when you receive credit where credit is not due?
I’m convinced that some of us are addicted to self-glory. We’re always counting the number of likes on our Facebook posts, always pursuing the praise of others, always publicly parading our achievements or accolades. We think our stories are more exciting, our accomplishments are more impressive, our jokes are funnier, our kids are more successful, and our ministries are more effective. We revel in shining the spotlight on ourselves. The problem is—even our accomplishments aren’t really ours. Everything great you or I will ever do, is ultimately a gift from God. He’s the one who deserves the praise and applause. Instead of shining the spotlight on ourselves, we ought to shine it on our weaknesses and failures while celebrating God's glorious and utterly undeserved grace in our lives.
The Bible says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor” (James 4:10 NLT). That’s just what Paul did. As the story continues, Luke writes: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you!” (Acts 14:14-15 NLT).
Paul refused to accept praise that rightfully belonged to God. Rather, than seeking our own glory, we ought to be quick to give glory and honor to God. Of course, now that Paul has everyone’s attention, he quickly launches into the message.
• THE MESSAGE
Having affirmed that they were not visiting gods, but mere mortals just like the residents of Lystra, Paul immediately took advantage of the startled, attentive crowd to preach the good news. What a perfect platform! Here’s what he says:
We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts! (Acts 14:15-17 NLT)
Responding to the people of Lystra, Paul and Barnabas urge the people to abandon worthless things, like the pantheon of Greco-Roman gods and goddesses, and turn to the one true God. The thrust of their message is that God never leaves himself without a witness. Rain and good crops and food and joy are all evidence of God’s presence and goodness.
Later Paul expands on this idea, writing, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20 NLT).
In other words, when in doubt about God, just look around and you’ll see abundant evidence that he not only exists but that he is also at work in the world. From cosmology to creation to conscience to Christ himself, the evidence for God is all around us.
Dr. Paul Gentuso, a physician in Nashville, was a budding evolutionist until he studied the human hand in medical school. “In anatomy class,” he writes, “we dissected a human hand. I first removes the skin, then isolated the individual tendons and muscles as I worked my way to the bones. The tendons of the hand are aligned in tendon sheaths, like self-lubricating pulleys, allowing the hand to work in a tireless, noiseless, almost effortless fashion. It was perfectly designed to carry out the work it was called to do, from lifting a small object to tugging a tree trunk.” Till then, Paul had entertained serious doubts about God’s existence. “Now,” he said, “it became obvious to me that there was a Creator who had intelligently designed and created the human hand. It was the first time in my adult life I could say with assurance that a Creator existed.” Today, increasing numbers of scientists are making similar personal discoveries. But you don’t have to be a scientist or a surgeon to appreciate God’s handiwork.
From the incredible fine-tuning of the laws of physics to the simple functionality of the human hand, God is announcing his presence and making himself known. You can experience the same epiphany as Dr. Gentuso, just by watching a sunset, listening to the leaves rustling in the wind or witnessing the pure joy of a child’s laughter.
This is what Paul wanted the people of Lystra to understand—even if you’d never heard a sermon before in your life, you can know that there is a good God just by looking around you. That’s the God that we should seek to know.
Unfortunately, following Paul’s message, we come to the last segment of his story—the murder.
• THE MURDER
While the people of Lystra were fascinated with Paul’s preaching, several Jews trailed Paul from the cities where he had been chased out of town, and, the Bible says, “Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead” (Acts 14:19 NLT).
First the people of Lystra thought the Paul and Barnabas were gods, and they wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But they were superstitious and easily manipulated. Suddenly their adoration turned to anger, and they stoned Paul seemingly to death.
Paul, who once persecuted Christians, is now the persecuted one. He applauded as Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the Gospel of Jesus, now he’s the one preaching Jesus as rib-breaking rock as hurled at him from every direction. This isn’t new to Paul. They tried to kill back in Damascus, then again in Jerusalem, and again in Iconium. Everywhere Paul preached the name of Jesus, he was met with hostility and hatred.
The truth is—if we continue to follow in Paul’s footsteps, we’ll eventually encounter the same response. You might not be stoned to death here in North America, but there will always be people who respond to Jesus with hostility and hatred. He said so himself: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first… Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (John 15:18-20 NLT).
Of course, Jesus was right. Today, Christians are the single most persecuted religious group in the world. Worldwide each month 322 Christians are killed for their faith. While that kind of persecution may seem foreign to us, here in the United States, I’m reminded of something C.S. Lewis once said: “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”
Thankfully, God wasn’t done with Paul quite yet. Miraculously, the Bible says, “But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe” (Acts 14:20 NLT). This is one of the most powerful moments in the whole book! Paul, bloody and bruised from the stoning he just endured, got up, dusted himself off, and went back to work! Others might have quit, but not Paul. He knew that his journey was just beginning.
Conclusion:
So what do we take away from this chapter in the life of Paul? The Miracle reminds us to show kindness and compassion to those in need. The Mistake encourages us to be humble and give glory to God rather than seeking it for ourselves. The Message teaches us that God is real and makes himself known in the world around us. The Murder challenges our faith, asking us to what extent we’re willing to get knocked down and still get back up for the Gospel of Jesus.
Like I said, God’s not done with Paul yet. Next week, we’ll continue our journey through the book of Acts.
Invitation:
In the meantime, if you’re ready to stand up for Jesus and commit your life to following in his steps, I’d like to help. You can talk to me after church, call me at home, or come forward while we stand and sing.
