Sermons
When Voices of Hope Evangelistic Team is ministering in Word and Song, their Fire Choir will sing several songs and then lead the Congregation in singing. Since that isn't possible on-line, please click here and may you be blessed by the song, "Jesus Paid It All."
Are we ready to Suffer for Jesus?
Act 14:8-28
As most of you know, we’re seventeen weeks into a journey through the book of Acts under the theme, "That Old-Time Religion." 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.
Before we get to today’s scripture I want to give an overview of Acts 13.
13:1-3 God calls Barnabas and Paul to embark on a church planting journey. This would be Paul’s first missionary journey.
They were to sent out from Antioch to preach the gospel in other cities.
John Mark accompanied them as they set sail for Cyprus, and upon arriving, taught about Jesus in the Jewish synagogue.
After teaching throughout the island, they met a proconsul named Sergius Paulus.
They taught Sergius Paulus about Jesus but were bothered by a magician named Bar-Jesus (Elymas) who wanted to keep the proconsul from believing the gospel.
The Holy Spirit through Paul struck Elymas with blindness and the proconsul became a believer.
Paul and Barnabas traveled to Pisidia, but John Mark returned to Jerusalem.
On the Sabbath day, Paul spoke to the Jews in the synagogue about the history of Israel.
He spoke to them about David and God’s promise to bring a savior through his children.
He told them how John the Baptist prepared the Jews for the arrival of the Messiah.
He told them about Jesus, who fulfilled the scriptures regarding the Messiah when He was killed by the Jews and rose from the dead.
Paul referenced several prophecies related to David that were fulfilled in Jesus; including Isaiah 55:3 (13:34) and Psalm 16:10 (13:35).
Paul told the Jews to heed the words of the prophets and believe in Jesus to be free from sin.
Some of the Jews heard Paul’s words gladly and asked him to return the next Sabbath.
But others rejected Paul and Barnabas’ teaching
and contradicted what they taught.
Paul told them he would turn his attention to the Gentiles if they chose to reject the gospel.
Verse 49 tells us the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region.
But the Jews stirred up trouble and ran Barnabas and Paul out of town.
They departed and went to Iconium.
Chapter 14:1-7: They preached to Jews and Gentiles, and many believed.
But other Jews worked to thwart the Gospel’s success and “poisoned the minds” of the population against Paul and Barnabas.
After learning that some Jews and Gentiles were plotting to stone them, Barnabas and Paul decided to leave Iconium and travel to Lystra.
This is where I’d like to catch up with Paul and Barnabas, so if you have a Bible open it to Acts 14:8, where we find a curious and somewhat comical series of events.
We’ll witness a powerful MIRACLE, a case of MISTAKEN identity, the MESSAGE of the Gospel, and the attempted MURDER of the Apostle Paul.
It seems like everywhere the Apostles go, something miraculous happens. Lystra was no
exception.
Our story begins: Acts 14:8-10 (KJV)
”And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.”
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 the Holy Spirit can’t do it through us. We can also offer help and healing to those in need in many other ways.
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 our 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.
The second stage in this story is the mistake.
The Lystra locals witness this amazing miracle and mistake Paul and Barnabas for gods. Here’s how Luke describes it:
Acts 14:11-13 (KJV) “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. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 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."
Luke specifically mentions that the people shouted in “their local dialect,” so Paul and Barnabas probably couldn’t understand them. They didn’t figure out what was going on until the priest showed up prepared to offer sacrifices.
Let me give some background here. 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 folks are addicted to self-glory, always counting the number of likes on their Facebook posts, always pursuing the praise of others, always publicly parading their achievements or accolades.
They think their stories are more exciting, their accomplishments are more impressive, their jokes are funnier, their kids are more successful, and their ministries are more effective. They 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: Acts 14:14-15 (KJV)
Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 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:
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.
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:
Acts 14:15-17 (KJV) “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: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 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.”
Responding to the people of Lystra, Paul and Barnabas urge the people to abandon worthless things, like the 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, (Romans 1:20 NLT). “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”
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 an evolutionist until he studied the human hand in medical school. “In anatomy class,” he writes, “we dissected a human hand. I first removed 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.”
Paul had always 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.
While the people of Lystra were fascinated with Paul’s preaching, several Jews followed Paul from the cities where he had been chased out of town.
The Bible says, Acts 14:19 (KJV) 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.”
First the people of Lystra thought that 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 rocks are hurled at him from every direction.
This isn’t new to Paul. They tried to kill him 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, Acts 14:20 (KJV)
”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.”
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.
So what do we take away from this chapter in the life of Paul? The Miracle reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit we possess and 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.
God’s not done with Paul yet. Next week, we’ll continue our journey through the book of Acts.
Until then remember the good news of Jesus has always been a divisive message.
Jesus informed His disciples ahead of time that His work on earth would bring a sword of division between people who were once united (Matthew 10:34-36).
If we are going to be disciples, we need to accept that our message is controversial. Some people love the light of truth, but others love the darkness (John 3:19).
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!