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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! If you’ve been following us, you’ll know that we have been studying the first great missionary journey of the apostle Paul. He and Barnabas have been traveling through many cities proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ; and God of course performs many miraculous signs through them to confirm their message. Now some people are receptive to the message (some even eager and ready to accept and follow Christ), but others feel threatened and end up persecuting Paul and Barnabas. But here in chapter 14, when they come to the city of Lystra, they are met by the opposite extreme. Paul heals a crippled man who had never walked before; and the people are so taken aback by the sign that they conclude that Paul and Barnabas must be gods; and so they seek to worship them. But Paul and Barnabas (in grief) begin telling them that not only are they not those gods, but that their belief in those kinds of gods is futile and that they need to instead trust in the Living God. Unlike their gods, Yahweh is the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. And because He is the Maker of all things, He is therefore the Lord of all things. Now Paul and Barnabas continue. They say of God that (verse 16)…
Acts 14:16-17 (ESV)--16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Natural Revelation-- Now Paul and Barnabas know that many of the people they are speaking to do not know the Old Testament or the fundamental tenets of the Jewish faith. And so they start with what the people do know and are able to recognize for themselves. They start with the rains and the seasons, which they point out are evidence of the goodness of God, who provides the world with what it needs to survive. And what Paul and Barnabas are pointing the people to here is what is known as the natural revelation of God; the things anyone can come to understand about Him just by looking at the natural world we live in. And Paul and Barnabas zero in on the fact that God never leaves people without evidence of His existence and His loving kindness. Later Paul would write further on this in Romans 1:20, saying that the evidence in nature is so strong, that people are really without excuse for not believing. There is abundant evidence all around us (more now than ever); we just need to open our eyes and look. Now despite Paul and Barnabas’ words, it says in… Acts 14:18-19 (ESV)— 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. {Now here is where things again take a turn for the worse, as Jewish leaders come to oppose Paul and Barnabas. It says…} 19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. Fickle People-- Now unfortunately, this passage offers us a very realistic look at human nature; how fickle we can be at times (John 2:24-25). Here it didn’t matter what the people had seen; the voice of persuasion from the Jewish leaders was stronger. And the same is true today. Sometimes people can become so wrapped up in a political party or a news network or what some false teacher is telling them that they can literally be convinced to look away from the evidence before them. It’s scary, but it happens all the time. And it happened here. The people of Lystra, though they had just thought Paul and Barnabas were gods and therefore sought to worship and offer sacrifices to them, now stone Paul and leave him for dead. And what you and I learn from this is that though we might feel good when people approve of us and affirm us, we need to be careful not to allow that desire for approval to cloud our reasoning or affect our decisions. We are not to be about pleasing the crowds, but are to seek to be like Jesus no matter what anybody else might think. Our faith and trust need to be in Him and Him alone; because unlike people, God never changes (James 1:17). Now it says in… Acts 14:20a (ESV)— 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, Persistent-- And this just shows how persistent Paul and Barnabas were in preaching the good news of Jesus. They counted the cost and thought it worth the persecution and pain to obey Christ. And think about it; they had just escaped being stoned in Iconium (14:1-7); but here the Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium track Paul down and stone him, to the point where he nearly dies. And yet he gets right back up and goes into the city to continue to preach the Gospel!!! And I just think what an incredible amount of commitment! But that is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. You and I have to be totally committed to Him. Our lives are His; and we ought to be willing to lay them down in a heartbeat if He calls us to. Paul writes in… 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)-- 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Paul Lived It-- Now that’s remarkable because we discover from this passage that this wasn’t just a concept that Paul casually preached about in his sermons. No, this was something he lived. He glorified God in his body, often suffering in ways that Jesus had suffered. And we are called to do the same. Now it says of Paul in… Acts 14:20b-23 (ESV)— and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Returning to Disciple-- And so we see that Paul and Barnabas return to the cities in which they have just been threatened and physically attacked; and they do this in order to visit with the new believers. Now that may sound foolish to us, but they knew that these new Christians didn’t have anybody to mentor, disciple, and help establish them in the faith. And so Paul and Barnabas return to encourage/strengthen them; to build them up, and to establish leadership in the church that can help lead them and help them to grow in their faith. And what we learn from this is that no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it is to spend time with new believers (mentoring and discipling them) that is what we are called to do. And that’s because people need more than just initial salvation; they need to be taught how to actually follow Jesus Christ. And every one of us has the responsibility to try to help that to happen in the lives of new believers. Now Paul and Barnabas center their focus on raising up church leaders. And that’s because when a Church has Spirit-led leaders, laypersons, and pastors, that church will grows. That’s why we need to pray for our church leaders and support them in any way that we can. But also, if God nudges you to enter into a leadership role in the Church, you need to be humbly willing to accept that responsibility. Now it says in… Acts 14:24-28 (ESV)— 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples. Celebration-- Now that must have been a wonderful time of celebration. There is nothing better than celebrating the salvation of those you helped lead to Jesus. But in reflecting on this passage, I wonder, “are we just as burdened in our hearts for those who do not know Jesus? Do we so desire them to be saved that we are willing to endure any kind of suffering in order that they might come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ?” Tears of Burden-- You know, I only got to hear my late grandfather (we called him Geempa) preach one time in person during his life. I have heard him preach on tape before, but only one time in person. And I remember he was in a church setting. And there was a special missionary banquet. And I remember him, having been a missionary in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, sharing a message with that church's congregation. And I was very young at the time and don't remember the entirety of this message. But I do remember that as he began talking about how there are people in the world who are lost; people he had been striving all of his life to reach with the gospel; his eyes began to well up with tears. He knew that every day people were slipping into an eternity without Jesus. And he, like Paul and Barnabas, anguished over that. And his love for the lost and his desire to reach them drove him into some of the most intense situations. One time he was ministering to a tribe that 30 years prior had murdered people brutally, until it was colonized by the British. And he was in the large room where he was to sleep and, laying down to go to sleep, he stared up at the ceiling. And there, hanging from the ceiling were the severed and shrunken heads of a few of the numerous people this tribe had killed only a few decades before. Now as scary as that was for him; scary enough to drive many people away from those kinds of people (some he ministered to having probably participated in those killings); it was not his greatest fear. His greatest fear was people from that tribe never knowing about Jesus. And it was that sense of urgency that was the driving force of His life. Is that the driving force of our lives? Do we have a healthy sense of anguish for those who do not yet know Christ? Robert Moffat, who inspired David Livingstone, once said, "In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been”. William Carey, pioneer missionary to India said, ”To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map." Hudson Taylor once said, ”If I had 1,000 lives, I'd give them all for China”. He also said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed" Oswald J. Smith once said, “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” What a powerful statement! Our Commission-- And in light of that, are we taking the fulfillment of Christ's great commission seriously enough? Are we bathing the lost with prayer every day? Are we following the spiritual needs of other countries and remaining open to God's calling us to do something about it? If not, we need to be. And so let us this week commit to be God’s instruments through which the world might come to know Him. Let’s do so. Amen.
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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember from our study of Acts chapter 13 last week that Paul and Barnabas (on what would be Paul’s first missionary journey) were sharing the good news of the Gospel in Pisidian Antioch. And they were met with a very positive response from the people. The whole town shows up the following Sabbath to hear them speak and a great many believe. And the Gentiles especially are encouraged to hear from Paul and Barnabas that the way of salvation has been opened even to them. However, it says in...
Acts 13:50-52 (ESV)-- 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. On To Iconium-- So Paul and Barnabas do what you and I are to do when we encounter persecution. They shake it off and move on. And the next place they journey to is the city of Iconium, a city that was [A cultural melting pot of native Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman colonists, located 80 mi. SE of {where they had just been in} Pisidian Antioch.] And (as always) they started first in the synagogue. It says in... Acts 14:1-3 (ESV)— 1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Wishing for Signs?-- Now have you ever wished that you could perform a sign or miracle? I know I have. Now because I have done magic tricks ever since I was a little kid, I have gotten to have the experience of having somebody look at me in wonder and amazement, having just witnessed a compelling illusion. But at the end of the day, they are just illusions; and certainly nothing as compelling as what we find the apostles doing here in the book of acts. None of their signs or wonders could ever be mistaken for illusions, as there was irrefutable proof that those whom they healed truly were lame, blind, or even dead. It would be amazing to be able to perform miracles like they did. And what you and I often think is that if we could perform signs and wonders, we would be able to convince everybody once and for all that Jesus is God. But what we discover in this passage (and in and throughout the Gospels as well) is that even if we could perform miracles, that will not convince everyone. Jesus had said in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:31 that “…‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Now I am sure that the disciples reacted the same way to that statement as you and I do; thinking that Jesus is overstating His case. Surely that wasn’t true. But here we see play out the kind of unbelief Jesus was talking about. God had given Paul and Barnabas the ability to perform miracles (in abundance), but still not everyone was convinced. We see that the people were divided. It says in… Acts 14:4 (ESV)— 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. Sowing-- Now what that says to you and to me is that in our own Christian walks we need to not waste any time thinking that if we could perform miracles or signs people would believe; or even if we were just dynamic and powerful orators. No, it is the Holy Spirit who convinces people. And so all you and I are called to do is to simply sow the seeds of the Gospel wherever he leads us to. If we do that, then God will be faithful to yield a crop. Acts 14:5-11 (ESV)-- 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel. {Now while in Lystra (the second of these three cities), Paul has the door opened to perform another miraculous sign. It says:} 8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Language Barrier-- Now Paul and Barnabas don’t immediately recognize what the people are saying because neither of them speak Lycaonian. The people probably sounded like they were merely expressing wonder or amazement. But no, they were in fact deifying Paul and Barnabas. And they actually thought Paul and Barnabas were two gods in particular. It says in… Acts 14:12 (ESV)-- 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The Legend of Zeus & Hermes-- Now this reaction may seem kind of strange to us. But why the people responded the way that they did was directly tied to a very important piece of local folklore that they embraced as true. According to tradition, two popular gods in the Roman world, Zeus and Hermes (who were also known as Jupiter and Mercury, after whom two of the planets are named) had once come down in disguise to visit the city of Lystra. And according to legend, they had sought food and lodging from the people. However, nobody in the city of Lystra showed them what would have been the common courtesy of hospitality that people generally practiced during that time; nobody except an old couple, a peasant by the name of Philemon and his wife Baucis. So Zeus and Hermes took vengeance on the people of Lystra by killing all of its inhabitants in a localized flood. But Philemon and Baucis they rewarded by turning their lowly cottage into a temple, of which both of them would serve as priest and priestess. Now this is important to understand because when the people of Lystra saw these miraculous signs Paul and Barnabas were performing, they immediately put that within the context of their own religion and assume that Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes again visiting their city. And so they are determined that this time they as a people are not going to fail to give Zeus and Hermes the love and worship that they think they deserve. And so they immediately shower Paul and Barnabas with worship and with gifts. Social Context-- And this is a reminder to us that when we go to witness in places we are unfamiliar with, we need to be sensitive to the context, because people are not always going to receive our message the way we might intend them to. They have their own framework of understanding that we need to take the time to know and understand if we expect them to ever truly hear the message of the Gospel as they are meant to. Now it says in… Acts 14:13 (ESV)— 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. The Priest-- And this was because as priest of Zeus, it was his responsibility to lead the people in worship. Now eventually, wind of what is going on finally reaches Paul and Barnabas and they finally understand what is happening. It says in… Acts 14:14-15 (ESV)--14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments {(which was [A Jewish expression of horror and revulsion at blasphemy.])} and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. Vain Things-- Now I love how open and honest Paul and Barnabas are about the nature of what the people of Lystra believe. They blatantly call the things they worship “vain”, but the word can also be translated “useless” or “worthless.” Now that is not something we in our all-inclusive society would often be willing to say to somebody. It doesn’t jive with the multiculturalism that our culture typically subscribes to. But Paul and Barnabas openly declare that their worship of other gods rather than Yahweh (the God of Israel) is worthless because these gods have no power to save. Indeed, they don’t even exist; hence their contrast with the God of Israel, whom Paul and Barnabas call the Living God. Now in the ancient religions of the world, people believed in a syncretism between the realm of the gods and nature. You have to understand that. The gods were as much a part of creation as we are; and are enslaved to the same appetites; the same needs. They are dependent on the natural world. And therefore they have no power to save because (ultimately) they are as enslaved as we are. Now we take for granted that God (Yahweh) is the Creator of heaven and earth because that is what many of us have been raised to believe. But back then no one except the Jews talked like that. But that is the reality that Paul and Barnabas try to steer the people to. Yahweh is the maker of heaven and earth and therefore He is the Lord of heaven and earth in a way that Zeus, Hermes, or any other false god could never be. He is not bound to our world; that is what is behind this fancy theological word “transcendent” that we use in describing God. God is not one with creation; no, He is distinct. And He interacts with His creation not because He needs us, but because He loves us. What a fundamentally different way of looking at things! And I think, what a powerful message to bring to the people of Lystra! But you know, that is a message you and I need to bring to the people of our generation. There is a God who is Lord of all things; who made us and loves us, so much so that He sent His Son into our world to bridge the gap between Him and us created by our sin, so that in and through coming into a relationship with His Son Jesus we might have our sins forgiven and (like runaway children who have at last come home) we can be brought back into the family of God. And so I want to encourage you today, embrace the living God. Pray to Him and tell Him you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and be in a relationship with Him. If you do that, you will escape the tyranny of a life lived in vain for vain things and will find that you have placed at your very center what in fact adds meaning to everything you do and all that you are. Do so today. Amen. Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! We have been looking at the first missionary journey of Paul, who sets out with Barnabas from Jerusalem and have now come to Pisidian Antioch. And they go into the synagogue to share with those who have gathered there about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And there is a tremendous positive response. And word of Paul’s message spread like wildfire; and it says in…
Acts 13:44-45 (ESV)-- 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. {Now there was a also a negative reaction to this as well, as it says…} 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. Jealous-- And the chief word we have to latch onto here is jealousy. While the Jewish leaders undoubtedly tried to refute Paul with theological arguments, Luke emphasizes that their disdain was not because Paul was preaching things that were not true, but rather because he was winning the hearts of the people in a way that they never could; and so they were jealous. Now jealousy (unfortunately) is a common reaction; one that we often have when we see other’s excelling in ways we haven’t but want to; or when we see others receiving affirmation or praise in ways that we want to be affirmed or praised. And like it can happen with us today, these Jewish leaders allowed their jealousy to actually lead them into trying to stop the work of God. But the way we fight that jealousy in our hearts is by learning to rejoice in the work of God, no matter who is doing it. Smart Hopis-- You know, [Not long after the I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) test was developed, several studies were conducted to find out how different groups of people scored on the test as groups. The test was administered to men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and many ethnic groups as well. It was in this context that the I.Q. test was given to a group of Hopi {(hoe-pee)} Indians. When the Hopi {(hoe-pee)} received the test, they immediately started to ask each other questions and to compare their answers. The instructor saw this happening, and quickly intervened, telling them that they each had to take the test alone. “You are not permitted to help each other or to share your answers among yourselves,” he told them. When the Hopi {(hoe-pee)} heard this, they were outraged and refused to take the test, saying, “It is not important that I am smarter than my brother, or that my brother is smarter than me. It is only important what we can do together!” Unfortunately, we live in a world that puts a big emphasis on what we do alone. As a result, we suffer from all sorts of maladies: low self-esteem, competitiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, and hostility, to name a few. But God created us to live in community with each other—to work together, to share our resources with each other, to help each other out. The principle is love, not competitiveness and greed. In the body of Christ, no one is greater or more important than anyone else (see 1 Corinthians 12). Christianity is not a religion for “Lone Rangers.” We really do need each other.] But that was obviously not something these Jewish leaders understood. Now in response to the jealousy and persecution of the Jewish leaders, it says… Acts 13:46 (ESV)-- 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. To The Jew First-- And so we see here stressed once again the fact that God’s plan has always been that the Jewish nation would be the ones through whom the rest of the world would come to know God. God had said to Abram in… Genesis 12:3 (ESV)-- 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” {And Paul highlights this in his continuing to quote from the Old Testament, saying in)… Acts 13:47 (ESV)-- 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Keeping The Pattern-- You see, [God had planned for Israel to be this light (Isaiah 49:6.] Through Israel, Jesus (the Light of the World) came (Luke 3:32). And that light was meant to spread out even to the Gentiles. And so Paul still seeks to keep to that “Jew-first” pattern, preaching first to the Jew because he loved his people (Romans 9:1-5) and wanted them to experience the joy of joining with Him in proclaiming God’s salvation to the world. But unfortunately (as we said before) many Jews were resistant to the idea of Jesus being the Messiah because He didn’t fit into their mold of who they thought and wanted the Messiah to be; and many of them did not see (or want to believe) that God was offering salvation to anyone (Jew or Gentile) who was willing to place their faith in Christ. Now you can imagine what a shock this must have been to the Gentiles in the crowd; what a wonderful message of hope that even they might be brought into the family of God, which is why it says in… Acts 13:48-50 (ESV)-- 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. The Truth Rejected-- And so instead of accepting what God was saying through Paul, they reject the truth and drive both Paul and Barnabas out of town. And that’s what people almost always do when they come across a truth they don’t want to hear. It is much easier to close our ears or disregard the person sharing that truth than it is to receive that truth, especially if it is a truth that will require us to humble ourselves and make serious changes. But when God points something out in our lives that needs changing, we need to be sure not to pull away from Him; because if we continue to do that, we will eventually push the truth so far away from us that it will no longer affect us; and we will miss out on what God wants to do in and through each of our lives. And that’s what happened to the Jewish leaders in our passage today. But it says of Paul and Barnabas in… Acts 13:51-52 (ESV)— 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Shaking The Dust-- Now what’s with the shaking of the dust from their feet all about? Well it was actually customary during the time, whenever a Jew would leave a Gentile town to make their way back to their own land, to shake the dust off of their feet. Because remember they saw the Gentile regions as unclean; and so it was a symbolic way of cleansing themselves from the contamination of those people who did not worship God. Now what is remarkable here is that Paul and Barnabas are doing this not to Gentiles, but to the Jewish leaders, which was a powerful way of saying that because they had rejected the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus, they were not truly a part of Israel and were (in fact) no better than pagans. And this was something that Jesus Himself had commanded His followers to do in Mark 6:11. He [had told his disciples to shake from their feet the dust of any town that would not accept or listen to them (Mark 6:11).] The disciples were not at fault if the message was rejected. They only had to present it faithfully. And you know, the same is true of us. So often we think we are responsible for how people respond to our sharing of the message of the Gospel; but that is not true. We are only responsible for sharing the Gospel the best we can and trusting God for the rest. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the hearer to respond; and for God to do the best He can to make that person as ready as possible to receive that word from you. And so for us, all we need to worry about is getting out there. We will not be judged for people’s rejection of the Gospel. But we will be judged for not sharing the Gospel. And so let that be an encouragement to you. If somebody rejects you, simply shake it off and keep going. In sharing in the rejection of Jesus, you are in the company of great men and women who have gone before you. Maybe The Hearer-- But maybe today you are not the speaker; maybe you are the hearer. Maybe God is moving you to respond to the Gospel in a way you haven’t before; maybe even to make a decision to receive Jesus Christ for the first time. If that is the case, I would like to invite you to pray this prayer with me today: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that prayer today, then you have crossed from death to life; and you have cause to celebrate, because you also have become a part of the family of God. And so rejoice today. But also remember that that joy is not for you alone; you must take the light you have embraced and received into the world so that the world also may know the light of God’s salvation. The Lord has made you a light for the nations, so that you might bring salvation to the ends of the earth. May you be a blessing to all the families of the earth as you seek for those open doors to share the Good News of Christ with those you encounter. Amen. Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember from our passage last week in Acts chapter 13 that Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark have been sharing the Gospel on the island of Cyprus. And from there it says in…
Acts 13:13 (ESV)— 13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, John Mark Leaves— Now Luke doesn’t go into further detail at this point about why John Mark left them. But we come to see later that John Mark seems to have had a yellow streak in him. When they arrive and John Mark gets a glimpse into the interior of Asia Minor and sees all the paganism and all the danger that lay ahead, he decides to turn back. You will remember that his mother was a prominent member of the Church in Jerusalem; and that is where and to whom he turns back to. He runs home to momma. And we will find out later that Paul was very unhappy about it. He implicitly accuses John Mark of lacking courage and commitment and refuses to take him along on another missionary journey (see 15:37-38). And he and Barnabas have a very heated argument over this and end up separating because of it; Barnabas going one way and Paul another. Now Paul was wrong on this issue. God hadn’t thrown John Mark away because of one failure. And neither does He reject us when we fail. God gives John Mark another chance. And Paul later comes to realize this and is man enough to admit that he was wrong. When we come to Paul's later letters, we find that he actually grew to respect John Mark a lot (Colossians 4:10) and came to understand how much he needed Mark to be involved in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). In fact, he writes in… 2 Timothy 4:11 (ESV)-- 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. A 2nd Chance-- And so we will see that God always gives us a second chance. And we need to be careful not to write people off for their mistakes. We need to allow them the opportunity to grow out of them; to change in our eyes. And that can be hard to do; but it is often our encouragement (not our judgment) that can most help them to do that. Now at this point John Mark leaves and Paul and Barnabas (and those with them) head for the interior of Asia Minor, as it says they set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And then it says… Acts 13:14 (ESV)— 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. Antioch of Pisidia-- Now [Antioch of Pisidia was a different city from Antioch of Syria, where {they had been ministering before and where} there was already a flourishing church (11:26). This Antioch, in the region of Pisidia, was a hub of good roads and trade, with a large Jewish population.] The Synagogue First-- And that is who they try to reach first. As we talked about before, whenever Paul and Barnabas would go to a new city to share the Gospel of Christ, they would start first in the synagogue. And that was very strategic for a number of reasons. First and foremost, those who attended synagogue believed in the Jewish God and studied the Hebrew Scriptures; the Old Testament. And so Paul and Barnabas remain heavily attached to the synagogues because they wanted to show the Jewish people that Christianity was not some new religious cult. No, Christianity is a fulfillment of Judaism. The Old Testament, almost on every page, points to the hope of a Redeemer (a Messiah) who would come to atone for the sins of the world. A Wrong View of Messiah-- Now tragically, we know that many of the Jews they witnessed to did not accept the fact that Jesus is the Messiah because they had very different expectations as to who the Messiah would be. They thought that the Messiah would be a great military king who would overthrow and deliver them from Rome. They did not recognize what Old Testament passages like Isaiah 53 were talking about when they talked about the Messiah as a suffering servant; a servant-king whose primary goal was not to defeat physical kingdoms (at least at first) but rather the sin that rules in the hearts of people, which is what causes enslavement and oppression to begin with. Would He judge the nations and the world? Yes, but that will happen when He returns in the future. A Typical Synagogue Service-- And so Paul and Barnabas come to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch on the Sabbath. And in a few moments we will hear one of Paul’s first sermons; and it is one of his best. Now I don’t actually want to offer to much commentary on our passage today because Paul’s message is so clear, it doesn’t warrant too much explanation. But there are a few things I’ll add as we move through the text; things that will help to augment our understanding just a little bit. And the first of these things has to do with what a synagogue service would look like in the 1st century world. The way that we structure our services today is founded on these synagogues; and so there are a lot of similarities. The first thing they would do in service would be that they would recite the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4); and that was something the Jewish people actually did several times throughout the day. Next, certain prayers would be spoken; and then there would be a reading from the law (the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy). Then there would be a reading from the Prophets with the intention of helping to illustrate the law, and then finally there would come the sermon. Now the synagogue leaders would decide who would lead the service and give the sermon; and that person would change from week to week. But there was also another custom; and this one is the key custom for understanding our passage today, as it was another reason that Paul and Barnabas implemented the strategy that they did. And that was that synagogue leaders would customarily invite visiting rabbis to speak. And this was great because pretty much everywhere they went, Paul and Barnabas were visitors; and so they could always go into a synagogue knowing that there was probably going to be an open door to share the Gospel. Now that door did not always remain open once they started speaking about Jesus as the Messiah; sometimes the door would quickly slam shut in their faces, and they would not be invited invited back. Sometimes they were even thrown out of town. But nevertheless, they took advantage of the opportunities they had and trusted God with the results, not allowing the rejection of some to discourage them. And so now they have reached that key part of the service. And it says in… Acts 13:15 (ESV)— 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” “any word of encouragement”-- Now I will say this about that word “encouragement”, which jumped out at me in a special way as I was preparing for this message; because of some of the issues the people in my own church are facing, but also what people in general have been facing this past year and a half; because (as you know) it has been difficult. But when I came across that word “encouragement”, I thought about the audience Paul and Barnabas were preaching to. This was a crowd that was living under constant threat; constant persecution. This was a crowd that wondered (like we do at times) where God was in the midst of all that they were facing. And so note what the synagogue leaders ask Paul and Barnabas for. They don’t ask for just any message; no, they ask for it says “any word of encouragement”. Here was a crowd that needed a word of encouragement. And Paul is about to give them the greatest Word of encouragement they could ever hope for; the encouragement of the Word made flesh; the Messiah having come in the person of Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness and redemption from sin. And he begins with what he knew would be a point of agreement with them, emphasizing God’s covenant with Israel; because all Jews were proud to be God’s chosen people; and the Good News Paul was preparing to share was that that covenant had been fulfilled in Jesus. So that was the appropriate place to begin. And so it says in… Acts 13:16-30 (ESV)— 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. {Apparently there were some visitors there, probably Gentiles, as they are distinguished from the “Men of Israel”.} 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. {Now what is Paul doing? Well, he’s beginning to do the same thing that Stephen did before the Sanhedrin. He begins recounting their history as a nation. And he continues, saying…} 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. {And so we see that he is beginning to present the person of Jesus Christ to them. And he says…} 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. {Now these people had apparently heard of John the Baptist and were familiar with his ministry. And so Paul builds on what they already know and continues…} 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. {Now he is getting to the heart of the message. Listen to him. He says…} 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. {And so Paul’s recounting the history, saying that all of this was in fulfillment of prophecy. These people in Pisidian Antioch had been reading the prophets, but did not yet understand what they were reading or to whom the prophets ultimately pointed: and that was Jesus. He continues…} 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, The Central Message-- And you know, that is what was at the core (the center) of every New Testament sermon; the resurrection of Jesus and how it is His death and resurrection that makes it possible for us to receive from God the free gift of salvation offered through belief and faith in Jesus. Simon Peter had preached this; now Paul preaches this. And that is the message that remains central in and throughout the book of Acts (and really all of the New Testament). Now Paul continues, saying… Acts 13:31-39 (ESV)-- 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ {And it is important to note that this verse is not referencing the birth of Christ, but the resurrection of Christ. This word “begotten” is not referring to the virgin birth of Jesus, but to His being raised from the dead.} 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ {Notice how Paul enlarges upon the resurrection…} 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ {Same thing Peter had said on the day of Pentecost.} 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers {(and here is where Paul begins to pin them down and ask for a decision; to believe in the Lord Jesus)}, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’” 42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism {(and these were Gentiles)} followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. A Personal Decision-- Now what Paul was saying was that anyone can experience forgiveness of sins and freedom from both its guilt and its power over our lives in and through faith in Jesus Christ. But it is not something that is forced upon us; it is a gift that is offered to us. And it is only ours if we come to the point of making a decision to receive Christ and place our faith and trust in Him for salvation. Now not everyone who came to Church that day was saved; and not everyone who comes to Church nowadays is saved. No, we have to make a decision. And so where are you today? Have you received that forgiveness? Do you have washing over you every day the peace of knowing that you are right with God? If not, place your faith in Jesus today and you will also will have eternal life. Amen. |
Rev. Cameron Ury graduated from Asbury University in 2007 with a B.A. in Bible and Theology. From there he continued his studies at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. It was there that he met his wife Tanya, who graduated from WBS with her M.A. and M.Div. degrees. Cameron and Tanya got married in 2009. Cameron then graduated with his M.Div. degree with a pastoral concentration in 2011.
After shepherding churches in both Mississippi and Ohio, they joined the ministry team at Renton Park Chapel in January of 2018, where Cameron serves as Senior Pastor and Teacher. Cameron is also the founder and host of Lechem Panim, a weekly radio show that airs on KGNW 820AM "The Word Seattle". The ministry of Lechem Panim is centered around leading people into the life-giving presence of God in and through Bible study, prayer, and active discipleship with the aim of ministering to a world that is in desperate need of the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Archives
January 2022
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