Mission in Galatia (#2)
Bible Text: Acts 14:19-28, Psalm 77:1-20 | Preacher: Andrew Love | Series: Acts | 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