November 10, 2019

Mission in Galatia (#2)

Preacher:
Series:
Passage: Acts 14:19-28, Psalm 77:1-20
Service Type:

Introduction

  • We can have questions if we look at the state of the Church
    • The Psalmist had questions
    • Consider Israel in exile in Babylon
  • We have been considering the mighty works of God - examples
    • This should inspire and encourage us
  • PowerPoint Map & Recap of missionary journey
    • A plot to kill Paul and Barnabas
    • Continuing in the story in Lystra (and then Derbe)
    • A 1000 mile journey
  • Overview:
    • Spiritual Attacks
    • Spiritual Victories
    • Spiritual Advance

Spiritual Attacks

Poisoning

  • The Jews poisoned the people against Paul and Barnabas
    • Example of Richard and Pearl Denham
    • This story is repeated through many places in the world
  • What did Paul and Barnabas do when the town's people had been poisoned?
    • They stayed a long time (Acts 14:3)
    • They confronted error with truth
    • They lived Godly, upright, holy and pure lives
    • They preached the truth
  • How do we confront the poisoning of people's minds
    • By living faithful lives and speaking the word of truth

Praise

  • A second method of attacking the Christian - adulation
    • Paul and Barnabas react strongly
  • How are we to react?
    • We are to remind ourselves that we are but sinners, reliant on the mercy of God
    • We are to praise God and not ourselves

Persecution

  • This is our passage this week
  • Not having succeeded with poisoning or praise - he tries physical persecution
    • The Lord preserved them in Antioch and Lystra
    • The Lord allows Paul to be stoned
  • The Jews from Antioch (110 miles away) and Iconium (20 miles away) had come
    • This shows the hatred they had
    • The people from Lystra join in
      • One day they treat them as gods and the next day as demons
    • Paul is sharing in the sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Some believe that Paul actually died
    • Luke states they "supposed him to be dead"
  • Saul had previously consented to the stoning of Christians - now he himself was being stoned
    • Persecution of Christians still happens today
  • Conjecture - 2 Cor 12
  • Paul was able to identify with those who were persecuted
    • 2 Cor 11:23-26
    • He preserved because he loved Christ
    • He knew when he was weak he became powerful in his preaching
    • He knew the consolation of Christ
    • He knew that through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of heaven
    • He remembered the words of the Lord Jesus

Spiritual Victories

  • Revival blessings
    • Iconium - many believed - Acts 14:1
    • Lystra - there were converts
      • Including Timothy - Acts 16:1
  • God delivered him from death
    • Not a resurrection but a might power
    • He returns back into the city - what a statement!
    • He departs the next day for Derbe
  • Continued revival blessings
    • Paul is weak so Barnabas is preaching - Acts 14:21- "Many disciples"
  • They return to the cities in which they were persecuted
    • What courage is found in these two men
  • If we are to experience spiritual victories:
    • We must live a life of faith
    • Heb 11
    • We must have greater faith and be prepared to count the cost

Spiritual Advance

  • Paul and Barnabas were seeing the spiritual advance of the kingdom of God in pagan territories
    • They returned to strengthen the souls of the disciples - Acts 14:22
    • We need to be strengthened in our souls
    • Example of Joshua
  • They didn't have the Bible - they were left with a deposit of faith
    • They were often given prophets (e.g. Corinth, Acts 15:32)
    • They were given elders
    • Not everyone had a synagogue to read the scrolls [Old Testament]
  • To have spiritual advance the people needed to be strengthened with the word of God
    • This is true of us today - example
    • Word based ministry - Acts 15:32, 18:23
  • First to evangelise, then to go back and strengthen
    • Not to knock down but to establish
    • What about missionaries today?
      • Only 39% are evangelical
      • 61% are purely social
      • The work of the church is to preach and teach the word of God
  • They established elders - Acts 14:23
    • In every church
    • The people needed spiritual oversight
    • With prayer and fasting - cf Acts 13:2-3
    • They commended the people to God
    • They raised up indigenous people
    • They were not independent but inter-dependent
      • Paul encouraged the churches
      • We must encourage others within the church
  • Spiritual advance through the strengthening of souls, setting apart elders and the mutual encouragement of one another
  • Example of Timothy

Closing Remarks

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