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.
14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
24 And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:
26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.”
As we look at this Chapter, I want to look at three SNAP SHOTS of what Paul and Barnabas went through.
If we had PICTURES, NOT PORTRAITS, but SNAP SHOTS of these fellows, we would see them living out their lives and working for the GLORY of GOD.
Before we do let’s go to the Lord in Prayer.
Brother _____, would you lead us?
I. The first SNAP SHOT I want to look at is found in Verses 1-5, you can see that Paul and Barnabas had GREAT SUCCESS but also GREAT STRESS.
In the previous Chapter, Chapter 13, the Holy Ghost spoke to certain PROPHETS and TEACHERS and told them to set Paul and Barnabas apart, that they might send them out on a MISSIONARY JOURNEY. This wasn’t just a PLEASURE TRIP. A VACATION. This was a CALLING of GOD to SPREAD the GOSPEL. I LOVE their TACTICS. Look at Verse 1. There they were right in the SYNAGOGUE of the JEWS. Some would say right in the Lion’s Den. Preaching JESUS, the one your leaders CRUCIFIED, WAS and IS the Promised Messiah. And what happens? GREAT SUCCESS!!! A GREAT MULTITUDE of both the JEWS and the GREEKS BELIEVED. I can imagine a SNAP SHOT of these days. I can picture them in my mind.
Paul and Barnabas surrounded by a big group of people who have believed. Arms around each other smiling.
How about this one. Paul and Barnabas breaking bread, eating a meal with these people. Just fellowshipping and having a wonderful time together. Just enjoying each other.
I can envision Paul and Barnabas down at the BEACH BAPTIZING these followers.
A SNAP SHOT of Paul and Barnabas setting down teaching them from the Books of Prophecy, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah how that Jesus met every criteria to be the the Promised Messiah. Teaching them about the GRACE of God. Verse 3 tells us that they were GRANTED SIGNS and WONDERS. What a GREAT TIME that must have been.
But then things happen. There was trouble BREWING. We see GREAT STRESS that comes up in their LIVES.
Verse 2, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.”
Verse 4 tells us that the City was divided. Some for them and others against them.
Verse 5 tells us that an ASSAULT was made against them. There was a plan to STONE, KILL, Paul and Barnabas.
They had GREAT SUCCESS but now they’re under a lot of STRESS.
Can I say something here. I don’t have a Bible Verse for this but it’s something that I’ve noticed myself. GREAT SUCCESS ALWAYS BRINGS STRESS. Why? Because the DEVIL HATES IT when people come to know Jesus. The DEVIL HATES IT when people draw closer to the LORD. The DEVIL HATES IT when people get rid of the SIN in their LIFE.
As I look back on the different SNAP SHOTS of my own life I can see it clearly. Success, good services, souls saved, church growth, both Spiritually and number wise, ALWAYS LEAD to ATTACKS by the DEVIL.
You know, the Book of 1 Peter is a letter written to the Christians living in Asia Minor. And so when he wrote
1 Peter 5:8, it is written to Christians. It’s written to you and I. It’s written to the CHURCH. It’s written to THIS CHURCH!!!
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
The devil is not going to attack the people he already has. He’s going to attack the church. He’s going to attack you and I.
I said that as I look at a SNAP SHOT of my own life I see SUCCESS but then I see an ATTACK by the DEVIL. But you know what else? When I look at a SNAP SHOT of a lot of your lives, some of you that I’ve known for a while, I see SUCCESS and then I see an ATTACK. I see a GREAT BLESSING from God and then I see the DEVIL ATTACK.
PLEASE, I BEG YOU PLEASE BE CAREFUL. Be WATCHFUL. BE VIGILANT. Because when you LOOK BACK at the SNAP SHOT of this time in your life and you see the SUCCESS and then you SEE the STRESS, I want you to be able to look at the end where you overcame it. You won. Because this is what Paul told the people of Rome in Romans 8:37-39,
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Great SUCCESS leads to STRESS but it’s nothing that God can’t help you OVERCOME.
II. Now looking at another SNAP SHOT in Paul and Barnabas’s life. It’s found in Verses 6-18. They had GREAT CONFUSION but then CLARITY.
They really didn’t want to be STONED so in Verse 6, they leave for Lystra and Derbe. And as soon as they get there they continue with their MISSION to spread the Word of God. In Verse 8 a man is healed who had not been able to walk since BIRTH. Now in these Verses we don’t find where they had any success. Maybe some came to believe on Jesus but what we see happening was CONFUSION. The people, instead of LISTENING to the MESSAGE of Paul and Barnabas, began to think that the gods they had been worshipping for years had come down to them. Paul was Mercurius and Barnabas was Jupiter. They were going to WORSHIP THEM!!!
Now this was the LAST THING that they wanted. Here they were trying to convince the people that JESUS was the MESSIAH and that HE was the One to be WORSHIPPED. But instead, we see a SNAP SHOT of people bringing SACRIFICES to the Priest of Jupiter to WORSHIP Paul and Barnabas. What a MESS!!! What CONFUSION. This was the last thing that they wanted. And so in Verse 15 they begin to try to bring some CLARITY to this MESS. I’m gonna paraphrase this. They said, “Guys, we’re just like you. We’re not gods. We are here to SHOW YOU who you need to worship and it’s sure not us. It’s the TRUE and LIVING GOD!!! He’s the One who created everything. And now, He is calling ALL MEN. He has shown Himself to all of us through the BLESSINGS that He has given us.”
Even with all of this, Paul and Barnabas had an extremely difficult time challenging the wrong conceptions of God held by these people.
We see a SNAP SHOT of TOTAL CONFUSION but a little bit of CLARITY.
Can I read you a scripture? 1 Corinthians 14:33,
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
Just in a SNAP SHOT, we are living in a VERY CONFUSED WORLD. And the CHURCH is called to bring some CLARITY.
But here’s the PROBLEM. Too many times the church just brings more CONFUSION.
Can I give you some examples?
Gender identity. How about the church teach BIOLOGY. You are whatever GENDER that you were created. God doesn’t make mistakes. That’s simple and that brings CLARITY.
ILLUS: Program I watched. A threesome if you know what I mean. 2 homosexual men and one Lesbian raising two children. The one little girl was around 3 and these “parents” still hadn’t assigned her a gender. They were going to let her decide. And the other little girl was around 10 and she was confused. She just didn’t know yet. That is SO SAD!!! Of course these kids were CONFUSED.
Homosexuality. How about we teach that we ALL were born into SIN and that we ALL have things that the Lord must help us OVERCOME. How about we teach that there is FORGIVENESS of SIN that can be found in Jesus instead of CONFUSING PEOPLE by EXCUSING and ACCEPTING their SIN. I don’t HATE HOMOSEXUALS or LESBIANS. I love them but I LOVE THEM enough to tell them the TRUTH. REPENT and TURN from your SIN. LET JESUS SAVE YOU!!! Now that is NOT CONFUSING. That is CLEAR and CONCISE.
Can I say something here? If you have a loved one who is involved in Homosexuality or Lesbianism, I’m sorry. I have relatives who are. Don’t be mean or hateful but we need to LOVE THEM enough to tell them the truth. JESUS SAVES.
And how else is the WORLD CONFUSED? Well, we don’t have all day. I could go into a lot of different things but as we are called to be the LIGHT of the WORLD, part of that LIGHT is to CLEARLY SHOW the LOVE and CLARITY of the GOSPEL. Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In a WORLD of CONFUSION, let’s bring some CLARITY.
III. And then in Verses 19-28, we see the last SNAP SHOT that we’re going to look at today. Paul and Barnabas faced GREAT TRIBULATION but yet they had GREAT TRIUMPH!!!
And so after they had kind of got these people lined out, here comes the ENEMY again. Look at Verse 19. The Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrive. And they convince the people to actually STONE PAUL. They THOUGHT they had STONED him to death. He’s thrown out of the city. He’s laying there on the ground. Bloody and Beaten. And the disciples are standing there looking at him. I wonder what they were saying. ILLUS: Do you know what I want people to say when they look down at me lying in the casket? LOOK HE’S MOVING!!! LOL
I mean, that’s basically what they said when they looked at Paul. He moved!!! He wasn’t dead. He got up and went back into the city. They went from TRIBULATION and TRAGEDY to GREAT TRIUMPH. A SNAP SHOT into Paul’s life. Pretty tough times but God helped him through it. He became a CONQUEROR.
If you look on down through the rest of this Chapter we see where Paul goes over to Derbe. Look at Verses 21 and 22,
“And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
He goes on and visits all the other places that he had preached in the past. I’m not going to go into all of them but look how this Chapter ends. Look at this SNAP SHOT of Paul and Barnabas’s life. Look at Verses 26-28,
“And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.”
I LOVE those Verses. What a SNAP SHOT of God’s GRACE. They wound up back where they started. Back to where it all began. They began to tell about ALL of the WORK that God had done through them. How God had opened the DOOR to the GENTILES. How that after ALL of the TRAGEDIES, TRIBULATIONS and TRIALS they had TRIUMPHED!!! They would continue to PREACH the GOSPEL of Jesus. They would continue to make a DIFFERENCE. Wow, what an example to you and I.
After all of the DEVILS ATTACKS. After our STRESSFUL TIMES and SOMETIMES our FAILURES. After trying to BATTLE the CONFUSION of the WORLD. After NOT GIVING IN. After HOLDING FIRM to our FAITH and TRUST in the Lord Jesus Christ. We will TRIUMPH. We will OVERCOME. We will HEAR the words,
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
We will enter into Heaven. We will walk the streets of gold. We will meet our loved ones. We will sing praises to our God. And we will meet Jesus face to face. Now THAT is a SNAP SHOT I can’t wait to take. And it’s all made possible by what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you and I on the Cross of Calvary.
I read this quote from a fellow named John Davis,
“You can’t have a triumph without a trial, You can’t have a Testimony without a test and you can’t have a great Victory until you’ve gone through a great Battle!!!”
The great old singer named Andre Crouch sang a song back in the 70’s called "Through it All" one line in the song says "If I never had a problem I wouldn’t know that God could solve them and I’d never know what faith in God could do. But through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus and I’ve learned to trust in God, Through it all I’ve learned to depend upon His Word."
If the Lord has spoken to you today, please come. No matter what your Problem. No matter what Battles you may have fought and lost. No matter where you’ve been. This SNAP SHOT of your life today, doesn’t have to be your future. God can and will make a difference.
Let’s Pray
