I had a particular music history professor in college who was notoriously difficult when it came to grades. Not exactly understanding that everyone else was not a genius like he was (with a Ph.D. from Berkeley at age 24), he explained his grading philosophy on the first day of class.

“If you do all of the work I prescribe and do it accurately and well, you will get a “C” grade. A “C” is a good grade – it says you did all of the work you were supposed to do. If you do all of that plus a good bit more, you may be able to earn a “B”.  And if you do all of that, plus teach me something that I don’t already know, I’ll give you an “A” … although no student has yet to get one of them from me.”

Y’all know how competitive I am, and I determined to get an “A” from him in one of the five classes I would have to take that only he taught. I think I got a pair of “C” grades and one “B” in the first three semesters. By the fourth semester I had figured out some music analysis patterns that he liked, and in a major paper and presentation on Tchaikovsky I was able to prove to the prof that several melodic themes in two of the composer’s symphonies indeed had roots in Russian folk music rather than merely western influences. I got an “A-” for the semester, though another student a year ahead of me got the first full “A.”

We live in a place and time where persecution for our faith is not terribly profound, though it is true that Christians are increasingly becoming a hated minority. But if we are affected in some way – like being overlooked for a promotion because the boss resents our belief system – we think we are going above and beyond in the Christian experience … surely deserving a “B” or an “A.”  However, the actual truth is that opposition, ridicule and persecution are to be seen as normal in the Christian life. Jesus said that just as the world persecuted him, they would persecute his followers. Paul said to the Philippians that it was a sort of gift or blessing to suffer for our faith … Philippians 1:29 – For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.

We have seen the persecutions suffered by Paul already on this, his first missionary journey. He and Barnabas retrace their steps back toward the sending church at Antioch in Syria. Along the way they encourage their new believers, set them up for success in local church experience, and tell them that they should expect the Christian life to be filled with difficulties and hardships.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

Acts 14:21 – They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

Acts 14:26 – From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

What an amazing gathering that must have been back in Antioch, home with the brothers who had sent them out to share the gospel, even while not having much of any idea how to do it or what it might look like. They simply obeyed God’s directive to GO and to be SENT. Imagine the stories that poured out of Barnabas and Paul … like about getting stoned and dragged out of town presumably dead! … or telling how people thought they were Zeus and began sacrificing to them! The most interesting report had to be the fact and manner by which the gospel was massively spreading to the Gentiles.

This was the beginning of the worldwide expanse of the gospel and the church. Over the last 2,000 years, missionaries have been SENT and have been GOING to the corners of the earth with the same message and goal of growing the body of Christ. We do the same. We are involved in much the same sort of worldwide endeavor. Our efforts as a church extend to places like Kazakhstan and Thailand and Togo and Brazil.

It is the most wonderful privilege to have the joy of partnering in this eternal work. There should be a place in the corner of every Christian’s heart for the corners of the earth where the gospel is being preached. After church in just two weeks on the 16^th, we are going to have a luncheon to hear about our partnering work in both Spain and Kyrgyzstan. Don’t miss being a part of this. Parts of your giving dollars go to these works, so invest also with parts of your heart. Christians have been doing this for two millennia.

Over the past couple of generations the terminology of “getting stoned” has related to being high on marijuana, drugs or alcohol. Various suggestions have been advanced as to how the “stone” word got involved in describing these activities – from smoking through stone pipes, or perhaps being so wiped out that the user looked as lifeless as a stone.

In any event, getting stoned meant something completely different in the Bible, as Paul could testify. And it would appear from his life that preaching a great sermon is what could most quickly get you pelted with rocks. Wanting to learn and apply Scripture wisely, I’ve taken this to heart, therefore determining that it is best to never be too terribly interesting or provocative! Being the last person on the planet who is likely to ever get stoned in the modern sense of the term, I might as well go full-out on avoiding the other meaning.

The first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas continues in our text today in Acts 14 as the pair travel from Antioch to Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. To give you a sense of the distances and directions involved with these four cities (that are in modern-day south-central Turkey), going from Antioch to Iconium would be like the distance from Hagerstown to Baltimore. Going next to Lystra would be similar to travelling south, southwest from Baltimore to Washington. And finally from Lystra to Derbe would relate to the direction and distance from DC to Annapolis.

So these are not great, great distances, though we are talking about a time in antiquity without rapid communications such as we know. Yet even without electronic infrastructure, it is startling how quickly the word of their travels spread from one place to another, with the oppositional element following not far behind.

Acts 14:1 – At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the gospel.

Again we see the familiar ministry patterns of beginning in the synagogue with Jews, along with the gospel bearing successes not only with a Jewish element, but also with numbers of Gentiles. As well, we also note again the divisions that caused a hostile reaction and life-threatening plots.

An additional new element is that of “signs and wonders.”  The purpose for these is stated clearly in the text as confirmatory of the spoken message. I believe this is a special and unique work of God that was for this particular time in the beginning of church history. Paul could not begin his message by saying, “Today’s sermon will be coming from Matthew’s gospel” … none of that was yet written. Eventually, as the Scriptures were written and gave authority and authentication to the preaching of evangelists and pastors, the need for special manifestations ceased. (See Hebrews 2:3-4)

So Paul and Barnabas once again need to pack their bags and head down the road to the hometown of Timothy …

Acts 14:8 – In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

There are so many places in Scripture where I find myself doing a “LOL” … this is one of them, as it really is humorous. Imagine Paul and Barnabas, being unable to understand the language while also seeing the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd, eventually coming to realize what is actually happening! It was an “Oh My Goodness!” moment … “They think we’re gods!!”

Acts 14:14 – But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch …

There is so much I like about Paul. Surely he had to be from the New Jersey town of Tarsus! The bold speech … the in your face attitude … it reminds me of my roots!  The old pastor joke that seeks to answer why Paul marched right back into the town where they just executed him with stoning is that … (wait for it) … he hadn’t finished his sermon!

The opposition to the preaching of the gospel was so intense and angry … sorta like Paul himself had been a few years previously. He was travelling from Jerusalem to Damascus to persecute Christians, and now he has enemies going from town to town to seek him out and do the same to him.

We are going to find ourselves on a number of occasions throughout this series on Paul commenting about how the preaching of the gospel is not universally popular. Far from it. Though it is the means by which many come to faith, it is also a message that incites expressions of the selfish roots of sin and evil within many people. The kingdom of darkness is not going to just sit back and let truth be preached without seeking to disrupt, intervene, and discredit, even in violent ways. None of this should surprise us, even in our day; and neither should it deter us from speaking the truths of eternal life.

Certainly we live in a day where particularly with political speech there is a great deal of hostility. When an idea is rejected or disapproved, it is no longer enough to simply disagree. Now the pattern is to also personally destroy and discredit the messenger or proponent of the disliked idea. This double-barreled attack is deployed to assure that the opinion is eliminated from viability.

Yesterday we noted the establishment of a pattern by Paul and Barnabas to begin their evangelistic strategy from city to city by starting in the synagogue. And today we will note the beginning of a pattern of reaction to this methodology: some Jews and proselytes believing, while the leadership rejected the message and the messengers by inciting vindictive violence upon them and creating great upset. The result would be that the gospel message would move beyond Jewish circles to include increasing acceptance by Gentiles, even as civil authorities would grow more hostile to the church movement as distinct from Judaism.

Paul had finished the sermon with a quote from Habakkuk that was a warning to not miss God’s true work and thus risk judgment. A number of listeners were sufficiently moved by this to want more information …

Acts 13:42 – As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

We need to remember that the sermons and events we read about in Acts were just some representative highlights of all the preaching and teaching that Paul, Barnabas and others did on the missionary journeys in the early church era. Conversations lingered long after gatherings and were surely continued on other days as well. Ministry, then and now, is truly a 24/7 type of thing. The “conversation” must have been very intense, resulting in a huge crowd congregating the next week …

Acts 13:44 – On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.

There is a new term we hear in political discourse these days – “the deep state” – referring to career Washington insiders who are threatened by the prospect of change from the outside. The bulk of Jewish leadership at the time of Christ and the New Testament era was a sort of “deep Jewish state” who liked things just the way they were – with them in authority. And they were willing to fight to keep it that way.

Acts 13:46 – Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” [Isaiah 49:6]

This prophecy from Isaiah was specifically anticipatory of Christ personally, though the messenger of this gospel who was most particularly commissioned to take it to the Gentiles was Paul. So there is a sense in which this passage would apply to this missionary ministry.

Acts 13:48 – When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.

It was God’s plan to reach Gentiles. God always desired the nation of Israel to be a beacon of light and outreach to the rest of the world. They were never very good at it however. Though God had especially selected them through which to work his plan of salvation (and in that sense they needed to be the first to hear the fulfillment of it in Christ) God’s heart was always of a missionary bent toward the whole world.

It is impossible from this passage (in my view) to not see the sovereign work of God in salvation and, dare I say the word – election. Surely from this entire passage and work of the Spirit through Paul, God was choosing (electing) for the gospel to go to multitudes of Gentiles – people whose hearts were divinely prepared and open to embrace this saving truth. We can surely thank God for His grace in this matter that extends down to today and to each one of us!

Acts 13:50 – But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Those hostile to Paul were persistent, working with and through sympathetic people in governmental authoritarian circles to have the missionaries expelled from the region. We will yet this week see that their hostility led them to pursue Paul and Barnabas even to their next several destinations, with dramatic actions and incitements.

Look again at that last verse: the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Even in the midst of all of this turmoil, there was joy in the assurance found through the knowledge of Christ. Growing the Church in a hostile surrounding culture has never been easy. Plan to stay for our luncheon after church on 7/16 as we hear reports from our missionaries in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Spain. We’ll hear of great difficulties and opposition, but also note the greater joy in serving Christ for those carrying the gospel to these regions. Do you have that joy in your office… your neighborhood… wherever you live for Christ and share the gospel in an unbelieving culture? It is never easy, but it is worth it all in the end.

What is it that makes for a great sermon … you know, beyond the fact that it was preached by the great staff at Tri-State Fellowship? The science of homiletics – preaching – is one that that has been studied over the years with a wide variety of opinions and applications. Surely there is variety, even within the Scriptural models, but also some timeless truths to be learned and applied.

Luke records a number of Paul’s sermons in the book of Acts, today’s passage being the first rather complete model.

This sermon is preached in the synagogue on the next stop of Paul’s first missionary journey. Having made two major stops on the island of Cyprus, he and Barnabas head now to the north and to the mainland of what is today the country of Turkey – landing at Perga on the coast and travelling north to the major city of Antioch of Pisidia.

Are you getting your Antiochs confused?  The departure point for the journey was from Antioch of Syria, these cities being named after a dynasty of kings by the name of Antiochus. Actually, the first Antioch (called Antakya today) is also in modern Turkey but is very close to the border of Syria, not far from the city of Aleppo which is sadly much in the news in recent years.

Acts 13:13 – From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.

John Mark leaves then to return to Jerusalem. He was the cousin of Barnabas. Why he did this is unknown. Speculations include that he was displeased with Paul becoming the more prominent leader, or that he did not like the growing Gentile emphasis. Maybe the hardships and controversies were more than he could endure; but in any event, Paul saw it clearly as a defection and personal defect (15:38).

Acts 13:14 – On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

We see here a pattern of Paul’s missionary strategy – to begin in the synagogue to the Jews and proselytes and then to move on to the Gentile population, often because of large-scale rejection of the message in Jewish circles. As with the account of Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth, after the pair of regular readings from two sections of the Old Testament (as we call it), a capable person would be asked to give a homily or explanation to expand upon the passage – essentially a sermon. And if there happened to be a credentialed teacher travelling through the area and attending, he might be asked to do the speaking.

Acts 13:16 – Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’ [Psalm 2:7]

34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ [Isaiah 55:3]

35 So it is also stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’ [Psalm 16:10]

36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: 41 “‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’ [Habakkuk 1:5]”

So what are some of the elements of this sermon that make it a quality teaching?

1. It begins by referring to a common experience, identifying the speaker with the listeners. Together they shared a common Jewish background of two thousand years of God’s work and preservation of their heritage.
2. The teaching is based upon Scripture and exposition. The message begins with assumptions of a common understanding of many passages that detailed Israel’s history. It moves on to quote four specific passages to ground his grand idea and argument in authority.
3. The content focuses not only on current truths and events, but it demonstrates how those events relate to the overall plan of God that He is executing through all of time and human history. It culminates in the cross and resurrection, drawing the attention to these pinnacle events and to Jesus as the heart of God’s big story.
4. It ends by calling the listener to action and to faith. There is glorious hope and provision, while also stating the warning for unbelief.

Effective sermons share these elements to a large degree. We identify a common problem or life challenge. We point to God’s work in addressing this through the use of the timeless truths of Scripture. And we present the opportunity and encouragement for all who hear to be renewed by again trusting in the grand work of God.

Does this work all the time for all the people? Nope … and tomorrow we’ll see an example (that will be repeated in Acts and is repeated to today) of what happens when the truth of Scripture is presented to a wide group of people.

I am far from a well-travelled, frequent missionary exposure sort of fellow; but I have had about five or six missions-oriented, foreign visits in my lifetime. And some of the most unusual experiences of my life have been in these places where the activity of the kingdom of darkness is much closer to the surface than in our western, post-modern context.

I’ve witnessed open witchcraft in Puerto Rico, was warned to be cautious about KGB agents sitting in the back row during a church service in Uzbekistan, saw a near riot develop from our conversation being overheard at an Islamic holy place in Ankara, Turkey, and went one by one on differing walking routes so as to not make a scene when meeting with Turkish pastors in a secret underground location in Istanbul.

The Evil One is very real, and he and his minions are especially hostile to the spread of the gospel in parts of the world they have particularly held as a long-term stronghold. This is the real enemy of the gospel; and as Paul, Barnabas and John Mark set out on what we know as “the first missionary journey,” they will immediately run into Satanically-based opposition.

From Antioch in Syria, they travelled west to the Northeast coastal corner of the Mediterranean Sea, sailing slightly to the southwest and landing in Cyprus at Salamis – on the eastern side of the island. From there they would go to Paphos on the western half. The story is in Acts chapter 13 …

13:4 – The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

13:6 – They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

It might have been a bit fearful for Saul and Barnabas to discover that the Roman government authority named Sergius Paulus was asking for a performance of their teaching. It could have been that this teaching was raising a stir in the Jewish circles of his community and he needed to know what was really happening (possibly because his attendant was this Jewish false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus / Elymas – who had alerted him … maybe with a view toward the proconsul stomping this out). But God’s sovereign hand was in this as well.

Bar-Jesus in Aramaic meant “son of Jesus.”  And Paul, filled with the Spirit, took aim at him and said essentially that he was no son of Jesus, but rather that he was a child of the devil! What follows is a power encounter – that the power of the Spirit through Paul was greater than any magical Satanic powers Elymas possessed. This scene had the effect of bringing the Proconsul to faith in Christ.

It could not have been lost on Paul that he was preaching out of a synagogue to Jews, gets called in front of a Gentile ruler who is converted, the Proconsul’s name just happens to be the same as his own Greek name of “Paulus,” the whole scene therefore affirming the calling he had from the Road to Damasus that he was going to be sent to reach Gentiles. This was clearly a work of God.

From this point forward, the Jewish name Saul is dropped in the narrative in preference for Paul. Barnabas becomes secondary to Paul’s leadership as the journey takes on an increasingly Gentile focus beyond synagogue preaching.

We today in the Tri-State area may not have too many head-on encounters with demonic workers, but that does not mean that we do not have a real enemy around us from the kingdom of darkness. Paul would later write that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but is rather against powers that are of the spiritual realm. Let us not forget the true enemy as we seek to be missionaries of the gospel in the places God calls us.