The First Missionary Journey
(Part 1)
Acts 13:1-52
July 14, 2002
Intro:
A. [illustration; source: Today In The Word, August, 1989, p. 33.]
The following ad once appeared in a London newspaper: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful."
The ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer.
Amazingly, the ad drew thousands of respondents, eager to sacrifice everything for the prospect of meaningful adventure.
B. Today we come to the 13th chapter of Acts were Paul begins the first of his three meaningful adventures.
1. Here I believe that we are going to see some of the things that we can all expect in our personal meaningful adventure for God.
2. Are you signed up?
3. If you’re not, I believe you’ll want to be by the time we get through this chapter.
I. In Syrian Antioch: Called by the Spirit
Acts 13:1-3, 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. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
A. The central character of the book of Acts has been Peter up until this point.
1. Now it is switching to Paul.
2. As we read this story we’ll see the progress that Paul makes as a leader.
3. The order the names are in is significant.
4. Verse 2 says, "Barnabas and Saul."
5. Verse 9 says, "Saul, who was also called Paul."
6. Verse 13 says, "Paul and his companions."
7. Verse 14 says, "Paul and Barnabas."
8. Verse 46 says, "Paul and Barnabas."
9. And it will continue this way throughout the book.
10. The switch in the order from the beginning to the end is significant.
11. What Luke is telling us is that Paul is taking on the responsibility of the leader now.
B. There were several cities called Antioch at this time.
1. This one is about 300 miles north of Jerusalem in the region of Syria.
2. Where as Jerusalem was the headquarters of the church in the first years of the church (up through chapter 7), now the church is scattered and Paul’s missionary work is going to be based in Syrian Antioch.
3. There are still some events that will take place in Jerusalem, but Paul and the book of Acts will based in Syrian Antioch throughout the rest of the book.
C. Now about prophets and teachers…
1. Luke says there were certain prophets and teachers in the church in Syrian Antioch.
2. What is the difference between prophets and teachers? Peter Wagner defines…
a. The gift of prophecy is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
b. The gift of teaching is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn.
c. The Greek word for prophet simply means an inspired speaker while the word for teacher means an instructor or professor.
3. And this we know: if the church at Syrian Antioch had five good teachers and speakers, the church had good leadership and was being well-fed.
D. Verse two says that the church was worshipping and fasting.
1. Worshipping or ministering here are interchangeable translations for the Greek.
a. They’re worshiping or ministering to the Lord; corporately ascribing Him worth.
b. They were gathering together for the purpose of ministering to God by giving Him the praise and glory due His name.
2. They were also fasting.
a. That means they were abstaining from food for a specific purpose.
b. Fasting in a Christian since is to abstain from food for the purpose of seeking God’s will in a particular area.
c. Luke doesn’t tell us the specific thing they were fasting for, he just says they were fasting.
d. Not everyone should fast; there are people who have health reasons that should not take illogical risks with their life in order to seek God’s will.
e. But there are some great benefits that come from seeking God’s will because the Bible says three times, that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4)
f. There is something that happens when we abstain from food and seek God’s will and that something is that God begins to speak to us in new and specific ways.
E. And while the church was worshipping and fasting, the HS did speak to them.
1. The HS gave them guidance into what God’s will was for Saul and Barnabas.
2. God’s will was for them to be missionaries.
3. God’s will was for them to travel the world preaching the gospel.
4. God’s will was for them to preach first in the synagogues to the Jews.
5. God’s will was for them to preach also to the Gentiles.
6. While the church was worshipping and fasting, the HS called Saul and Barnabas to the mission field.
7. This was something that was evident to the whole church and not just the two.
F. And so the church fasted and prayed some more and then they had a laying on of hands ceremony to set them aside for the purpose to which God had called them.
G. Now let me speak about the calling of God in our lives.
1. God has a purpose for all of us.
2. If you don’t know what that is yet, maybe you need to do some fasting and praying.
3. But God calls all of us into some aspect of ministry.
a. God calls all of us into some type of need meeting.
b. God calls all of us to help further the kingdom of God in some specific way.
4. And what God has called us to do, He has gifted us to do.
5. God has given us the ability to do what He has called us to do.
6. We may need to experiment with some different types of ministries.
7. We will also need to develop those gifts with prayer and study and experience.
8. But when you discover the calling that God has for your life, you will find peace and fulfillment in your life that you have never felt before.
a. You know that you are doing what God called you to do.
b. You know that you are doing what you were meant to do.
9. And God’s call on your life may change from time-to-time.
a. Barnabas and Saul were among the prophets and teachers in the local church in Syrian Antioch.
b. Then God moved them to the mission field.
c. God may use you in a certain way for a number of years and then move you to a different area for a few more years.
10. Now there is no way that I can begin to answer all of your questions about this now because I’ve got three more points that God wants me to touch on.
11. But I do believe God wants me to tell you that God has a plan for your life.
12. God wants to use you in a specific way to help further His kingdom.
13. God calls all of us to leadership in some specific ministry.
14. What is God’s call on your life?
15. It may be to the mission field like Barnabas and Saul or it may be to something here at Somerset, but God has gifted you and God has called you to some type of ministry.
16. What is God’s call on your life?
II. In Cyprian Paphos: Opposed by the devil
Acts 13:4-12, 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. 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. 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. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
A. Here we see the predictable.
1. I keep telling you that Satan is predictable. We could have predicted this.
2. Barnabas and Paul answered God’s call to the mission field, and the first place they went was to the Island of Cyprus and Satan hit them right away.
3. They evidently got through the first town on the island (Salamis) and preached without any opposition, but in the second city (Paphos), Satan hit them hard.
B. Paul said that Elymas was not the son-of-Jesus, but the son-of-the devil.
1. "Bar" means "son," so the man’s name was "Son-of-Jesus."
2. Now there were lots of people in those days that were named Jesus and Paul knew that Elymas didn’t claim to the son of Jesus of Nazareth but Paul got his point across in this way none-the-less.
3. But look at the descriptions that Luke gives of Elymas Son of Jesus…
a. Jewish sorcerer—How in the world could this person be a believer in God and a sorcerer at the same time?
b. false prophet—He claimed to be a Jew but Paul said that he was using deceit and trickery to make the straight paths of God crooked.
4. Paul used his gift of discernment to conclude that this man who claimed to be a Jew was really a child of the devil.
C. Now we see the predictable again.
1. Even though Satan predictably hit Barnabas and Paul, God was still in control.
2. God struck Elymas blind.
3. Satan tried to oppose Barnabas and Paul and the proconsul with confusion, but God blinded Elymas to show him how blind he really was.
4. And even though the proconsul’s attendant tried to prevent him from being saved, he believed because of this incident.
5. Once again what the devil intended for destruction God used for the good.
D. And when you and I respond to the call of God in our life, we can expect the same things.
1. When we respond to God’s call in our life, we can expect Satan to quickly hit us.
2. When we respond to God’s call, we can expect Satan to hit us with confusion.
3. But when we respond to God’s call, we can also expect God to bring victory.
4. We cannot give up simply because we are opposed.
5. The fact that we are opposed means that we are doing what God wants us to do.
6. So we must continue to do what God has called us to do so that God’s can bring victory and not allow Satan to win.
7. We must remain true to our calling in spite of opposition.
E. And I must also sadly tell you that often the opposition will come from those who call themselves believers, just like Elymas.
1. There will be prophets (FALSE prophets) who will oppose those who simply want to follow the call of God on their lives.
2. Listen to this story that Jesus told in Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner’s servants came to him and said, ’Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 "’An enemy did this,’ he replied. "The servants asked him, ’Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 "’No,’ he answered, ’because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’"
3. And now hear His interpretation of the parable in Matthew 13:36-43, Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
4. Jesus is telling us that we will find sons of the devil in every local church.
5. Jesus is telling us that He will take care of them on judgment day.
6. And we learn that if there are false believers in the church, we can expect opposition from them just like Paul received.
7. So don’t be at all surprised that when you respond to the call of God on your life that even someone who calls them self a believer opposes you.
8. Satan will oppose you when you begin to do what God has called you to do.
9. He may use non-believers or believers, but he will oppose you-expect it.
10. Persevere and God will work it out for the good.
III. In Pamphylian Perga: Deserted by Mark
Acts 13:13, From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
A. Here again is something else that is predictable in a leader’s life: desertion by friends.
1. Now the Scriptures don’t tell us why John Mark left.
2. But we do know that it was a serious thing to Paul.
3. Luke doesn’t make a big deal of it here, but he does tell us later that Paul was pretty upset about it.
4. Acts 15:36-40, Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
5. Paul was so ticked off that Mark left them here on this first journey, that when Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them on another missionary journey, Paul decided to take someone else with him and leave both Mark and Barnabas behind.
6. We don’t know why Mark left, but we know that it upset Paul.
7. Paul clearly felt deserted by his friend.
B. And when we respond to the call of God on our lives, we can also expect desertion by family and friends.
1. I’ve seen spouses leave.
2. I’ve seen old friends torn apart.
3. I’ve seen relationships between parents and children destroyed.
4. So what should we do when loved ones depart, should we give up the call of God on our lives or persevere, trusting God to work it out?
5. Matthew 10:37-40, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
6. Jesus is telling us that there is reward and blessing for remaining true to the call of God when loved ones reject us.
7. Jesus is telling us that if they do reject us, it is really Christ they are rejecting and not us.
8. Jesus is telling us that we must remain true to the call of God on our lives even when loved ones desert us.
IV. In Pisidian Antioch: Received by the Gentiles
A. Their opportunity
Acts 13:14-15, From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak."
1. Now we come to another Antioch; this one is about 300 miles north west of Syrian Antioch in the region of Pisidia.
2. There is quite of bit of space (the rest of the chapter) that Luke devotes to the events in this city.
3. Paul and his companions went into the Jewish place of worship on the Sabbath day.
4. While they were there, the synagogue rulers invited them to speak.
5. Paul went in and waited for the opportunity to speak and he got it.
B. Their oracle
Acts 13:16-41, Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, 18 he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, 19 he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. "After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ’I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 "From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: ’Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. 32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "’You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ 34 The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "’I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ 35 So it is stated elsewhere: "’You will not let your Holy One see decay.’ 36 "For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. 38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: 41 "’Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’"
1. An oracle is the statement of a person in contact with God.
2. Paul was surely in contact with God and he had an important message from God for the people that day that Luke records for us here.
3. Paul was formerly a Jew and he knew how they thought and he knew how they interpreted the OT Scriptures.
4. Paul had his own system of theology before he met Christ and Christ had to teach him the Scriptures all over again.
5. The things that Paul previously believed about the Scriptures, these Jews still believed, so he understood where they were spiritually.
6. Paul reasoned with them from the OT Scriptures how they can be shown to prove that Jesus really was the Messiah.
7. He may have sensed that some of them weren’t receiving his message appropriately and in his conclusion warned them against scoffing at it.
C. Their outcome
Acts 13:42-43, As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
1. The outcome was that Paul and Barnabas were invited to come back next week.
2. The outcome was many of the people believed Paul.
3. The outcome was that many of them believed in Christ.
4. The outcome was that many of them wanted to know more.
D. Their opposition
Acts 13:44-50, On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "’I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’" 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
1. But again there was opposition.
2. And again the opposition was from those who ought to know better.
3. The opposition was from those who claimed to know God.
4. The Scripture says that because of the numbers of new people who came, the Jews were jealous.
5. Clearly there wasn’t this type of interest when the Jews were preaching and this made them envious of Paul and Barnabas.
6. The Scripture then says that they talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
7. The tense of the verbs indicates that they were doing it while he was talking.
8. Evidently Paul is preaching and the Jews are interrupting him to tell the people that this is their house of worship and that Paul wasn’t telling them the truth.
9. Now it was one thing for them to sit there the week before and show their disgust to Paul as he preached, but now they are verbally, publicly disputing and contradicting him and his preaching.
10. These religious people got so upset with Paul that they stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas.
11. But notice that Paul said they were simply giving the Jews the first opportunity at salvation, but since they were rejecting it, they were turning to the Gentiles.
a. Of course the Gentiles rejoiced.
b. Of course the Gentiles rejoiced that they were to receive eternal life.
c. They were going to honor the Word do God by accepting it and living by it.
d. Paul told the Jews that he wasn’t trying to anger them, but he was giving them the first opportunity to receive eternal life.
12. But dispite Paul’s well-intentions, the Jews rose up against him and stirred up persecution against them.
13. Paul shook the dust off his sandals in protest against them as he left town.
a. This would have been a literal obedience to one of Jesus’ commands to the apostles.
b. To do this, Paul and Barnabas would have stooped down and pulled off their sandals and then held up for all to see and shook the dust from them.
c. It would have been very dramatic.
d. This was no doubt witnessed by those who had just run them out of town.
e. It would have held grave meaning to the Jews who had been persecuting.
f. The dust of heathen lands was considered to be polluted and unholy by the Jews.
g. For Paul and Barnabas to do this would mean that their city would on the level of a heathen city.
h. The Jews who were watching would understand that Paul was calling them heathens.
E. Their outlook
Acts 13:51-52, So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
1. Notice that despite all of this, what was the outlook of Paul and Barnabas?
2. They were filled with joy and the HS!
3. How can this be?
a. They had just experience persecution and had been run out of town.
b. They had recently had John Mark desert them.
c. They had recently experience opposition from Elymas.
d. But what was their outlook as they proceeded to Iconium? They were full of joy and the HS!
e. How can this be?
4. Let me tell you how it could be…
a. (48a) When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord.
b. (48b) And all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
c. (44) On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the world of the Lord.
d. (42) As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.
e. (12) When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
f. (2) While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
g. They were full of joy and the HS because they were rehearsing the good.
h. They were full of joy and the HS because they weren’t letting their minds dwell on the things that Satan had done.
i. They were full of joy and the HS because they were filling their minds with the things that God had done.
j. But I’m telling you that the bottom line is that they were full of the HS and joy because they were fulfilling the calling of the Lord in their lives!
k. When you are doing what God has called you to do, there is joy like none other!
Conclusion:
A. [illustration]
In late fall of 1777, Gen. George Washington and has rag tag army of militiamen suffered 2 defeats at the hands of the British at Brandywine and Germantown.
He and his 11,000 men retreated to Valley Forge, PA to establish winter headquarters.
It was a dark time for the revolution.
Many died of starvation or cold, never more than half of the force was in any shape to battle at one time.
Many deserted the cause, because the stress and suffering was too great.
But thousands hung on.
They stayed in there, despite frozen bodies, starvation, sickness and bone-biting cold, because they had a goal, a purpose for being there---that was more important to them than personal comfort or even safety.
In February they began a regrouping that prepared them for pursuing the British all the way across New Jersey in June of 1778.
Contrast that with Viet Nam.
Never in the history of the American Armed forces has there been so much suicide, drug abuse, fighting amongst our own troops and total lack of moral.
Never in our history has there been a conflict from which our boys came back so troubled and broken.
"We didn’t do that in WWII," the old timers say, "what’s wrong with this spoiled, wimpy generation of soldiers?"
And America is just beginning to catch on to the difference!
We knew why we were at Valley Forge!
We knew why we hit the beaches at Normandy and struggled to raise the flag at Iwo Jima.
But there was simply no clear understanding of our purpose in Viet Nam.
We weren’t there to win.
We were there to get shot at.
And that is the understanding of many, many, who were there.
The pressure was too much under those circumstances.
Paul was able to endure the pressure because he had a mission: Bring the message to as many as possible!
Do you have a sense of mission in your life?
Do you have a sense of purpose that goes beyond making a living?
A sense of a God-called role to play?
B. What is the call of God on your life? Have you signed up for the greatest adventure of your life?
1. Where has God called you to leadership in the body of Christ?
2. Perhaps you know what it is, but you aren’t doing it.
a. Perhaps you’re running from the call of God on your life like Jonah did.
b. Perhaps you need to submit yourself to the call of God on you today.
3. Or perhaps you don’t know the call of God for you.
a. Perhaps now you need to commit to seeking it.
b. Perhaps you need to spend some time fasting.
c. Perhaps you need to get some Godly counsel about God’s call on you.
d. No doubt you need to spend more time praying.
e. Perhaps you need to start today.
4. Or perhaps you don’t even know that you have eternal life as Paul preached about.
a. You’re not going to know God’s call until you’ve received salvation and eternal life.
b. Perhaps you need to get that settled so that you will be able to move forward in determining what God’s call is for you.
