We will Go to the Gentiles

1. We will Go to the Gentiles Acts 14

2. We will Go to the Gentiles Acts 13 & 14 Paul’s 1st Missionary Journey

3. We will Go to the Gentiles

4. We will Go to the Gentiles Acts 14 concludes the first missionary journey, picking up the missionaries in Iconium and returning them by the end of the chapter to Antioch of Syria This chapter represents the first foray of the gospel into raw pagan territory (Lystra) where superstition and superstitious behavior prevailed

5. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium Was similar to other large Greek city-states Here the missionaries followed their basic plan and headed right for the synagogue Do not miss this important point – Paul had not given up on the Jews – only a turning away in Chapter 13 from those who rejected the gospel

6. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium Here, Paul starts fresh and wins converts among both Jews and Gentiles As in Pisidian Antioch, the opposition came not from Gentiles, but from unbelieving Jews – stirring up the Gentiles, the Jews poisoned their minds

7. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium This time, rather than shaking off the dust of the city, Paul and Barnabas evidently decided that the persecution actually gave them a good reason to stay a considerable time When they learned of a plot to stone them, Paul and Barnabas moved on to Lystra

8. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium There are perhaps at least three thing we can learn from the account at Iconium about our stance for the Gospel Attracts the Lost Encourages other believers Defines who we are

9. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium 1. Attracts the Lost Paul & Barnabas did not have lots of money, or other big worldly attractions – but what they did have was the Gospel and the zeal in which they proclaimed the truth of God’s Word People were attracted to Paul because of his genuineness – people saw and wanted what he had

10. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium 1. Attracts the Lost When people see us take a stand for the Gospel, when they see that the Gospel is not simply some message we proclaim but it is a life that we live, that we truly believe and trust in, it begins to attract them Question: When is the last time someone asked you about why you live like you do?

11. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium 2. Encourages other Believers The opposition at Iconium was directed not just at Paul and Barnabas, but the entire community of believers When the apostles stayed and spoke, and God gave confirmation through signs and wonders, it encouraged other believers to take a stand for the Gospel, even in the face of hostility

12. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium 2. Encourages other Believers When you and I take a stand for the Gospel, we encourage other believers to do so as well As a result, more people are exposed to the Gospel because the Gospel is shared by more believers

13. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium 3. Defines who we are Luke describes the apostle Paul and Barnabas as being “set aside” by God for the proclamation of the Gospel The Gospel was the defining element in their lives It was their stance on the Gospel that divided Iconium and thereby defined those who believed from those who did not

14. We will Go to the Gentiles Iconium 3. Defines who we are This example of Paul and Barnabas asks us if we believe we have been “set aside” for kingdom purposes” If we believe we have been set aside, we must take a stand for the Gospel, and allow it to define you and me

15. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra Paul and Barnabas escaped both Pisidian Antioch and Iconium without physical harm However, literal persecution caught up with them in Lystra Lystra represented primitive idolatry, people who knew neither Hebrew religion or Greek philosophy

16. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra Notice the change of tactics – they did not go to the synagogue, because there were none They went to the streets where people were and Paul preached After he had preached, Paul saw a man crippled from birth, who in his eyes, Paul saw faith

17. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra Paul then told the man to stand up, and he was healed The miracle produced a reaction as yet unseen by Christian missionaries The devil does not have any new tricks, but he has a sack full of old ones, and you never know which one he is going to pull out next

18. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra These people, moved by the devil, whether they knew it or not, were so impressed with the crippled man’s healing, they wanted to sacrifice animals to Paul and Barnabas as gods What was the devil trying to do?

19. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra He was trying to get Paul and Barnabas to take the credit for what God had done (King Herod, Acts 12) If that would have worked, their ministry would have immediately become ineffective The devil did not succeed!

20. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra When they realized what the people were doing, Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd insisting on their humanity And Paul, showed the exclusivity of the gospel – even without the mention of Jesus, the cross and the empty tomb – Paul in preaching rendered practicing polytheism worthless and called the people of Lystra to the living God

21. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra Now, wherever the early missionaries went, the bad guys in the black hats were not far behind Stalking Paul and Barnabas right into the stronghold of paganism marched antagonistic Jews from both Pisidian Antioch (100 miles) and Iconium (20 miles) They easily convinced the crowd that the two missionaries were not gods

22. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra Is it not amazing how quickly people can change? One day they wanted to put Paul and Barnabas on the throne, and the next they wanted to kill them The antagonists had spread lies about Paul and Barnabas – not unlike what many faithful servants of God have experienced

23. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra But, God has a way of overcoming the devil Notice what Paul and Barnabas did in the midst of all that the devil was doing – they kept on preaching the Word That is the way you fight the devil, you suit up with the armor of God, and you proclaim God’s Word

24. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra And, you proclaim the Word of God to your own heart Your fight might be centered in your own life, more than in the public arena The devil will attack you any way he can to get you sidelined – any way to keep you from being an effective force for God

25. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra He will tell you that you are a failure, that nothing has worked out right for you, and that God’s hand is just not on you He will have you ready to stone yourself Suit up with the armor of God and preach God’s Word to yourself

26. We will Go to the Gentiles Lystra They stoned Paul (as he was the principal spokesman), drug him out of the city, and supposed him to be dead We are then told that the disciples gathered around Paul – who were they – new converts in Lystra

27. We will Go to the Gentiles God had a future for Paul and Barnabas, and more importantly, He had a future for the spread of the gospel When the disciples gathered around him, Paul got up and what you see is an amazing display of courage as Paul and Barnabas went and retraced their steps to the places they had been persecuted, to strengthen the believers

28. We will Go to the Gentiles They were filled with God’s Spirit, and God honored and blessed their efforts The most important thing about our lives is not how people treat us, but how we react We would like to be treated nice, but even if we are not, we must be faithful

29. We will Go to the Gentiles We are not here to be placed on thrones, we are here to take up our crosses, to deny ourselves, and follow daily after our dear Lord Jesus Paul and Barnabas retrace their steps, strengthening believers, and making new believers as they make their way back to Antioch

30. We will Go to the Gentiles The first missionary journey had covered about 1500 miles by land and sea Upon return to Antioch, they gave a report to the Antioch church, declaring all that God had done with them, and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles

31. We will Go to the Gentiles As we look back on Paul’s first missionary journey, we wonder what difference we could make today Perhaps we feel inadequate, because we do not have Paul’s background, circumstances, etc.

32. We will Go to the Gentiles Illustration of the Single Starfish

33. We will Go to the Gentiles What difference does it make if we hand out a gospel summary to a convenience store attendant, or to a bellman at a hotel? What difference does it make if we share our testimony with an unsaved friend?

34. We will Go to the Gentiles What difference does it make if we sacrifice a bit in order to send missionaries to the hidden people of the world in circumstances similar to those Paul ministered to in Acts 13 & 14? Like the lame man Paul healed at Lystra, it makes a great deal of difference to each one as an individual

35. We will Go to the Gentiles People do not typically trust in Christ in huge groups People trust in Christ one by one, and, like the starfish thrown back to the sea, receive opportunity for life by hearing the gospel

36. We will Go to the Gentiles Will you share the Gospel with another? (throw a single starfish back into the sea)