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.

Once upon a time in my life some years ago I felt a very strong sense of calling to confront a prominent person about a difficult matter in his life. Fearing I might be mistaking the calling of God for indigestion, I essentially told the Lord that if this was to be true that He would have to bring this person whom I knew only casually across my path. Within hours, it happened. It did not go exceeding well, though I came away from it believing I had obeyed God. I did not like that assignment!

But my assignment was nothing compared to what Ananias of Damascus was called to do. Going to meet Paul was probably about like going to North Korea and telling Kim Jong-un to give up the keys to his nuclear program!

Here is the account in Acts chapter 9 …

Acts 9:10 – In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Let me ask a series of questions today …

Was Paul looking to find Christ and be saved?  Of course not. It was Christ who found him. We have no reason to believe Paul was anything short of 100% convinced of the truth of his convictions, hence his relentless zeal to carry them out. Salvation is a work of God from start to finish. Like Paul’s blindness, there may have been circumstances in our lives that opened us up to hearing and receiving the gospel, but even those events and our warming heart to truth were the result of God’s working.

Could God have saved Paul apart from Ananias?  Well yes, of course. But God chose to use one of his disciples to be an instrument of His divine working, likely using him subsequently to minister to Paul in the coming months and couple of years. We need to be open to however God may choose to use us, and sometimes it might be a bit scary and awkward.

Are all of the small events of life a part of all of the bigger events in life?  Again … yes, for sure. God is working at all times and in all things. We may often not see or understand it, but God has a larger plan … with connections to the grand plan of building the church and his kingdom. Ananias was a player with a role to fulfill … that Paul might join the team to which he was now called … in order that Paul might be used especially to move the gospel beyond Jewish circles to the whole world … even down to us today. All of the small pieces of the puzzle are a part of the larger puzzle of beauty that God is putting together.

Is the Christian life always easy and filled with victory?  Not at all. God said that Paul must know “how much he must suffer for my name.”  As shared and illustrated in the opening message of this series last Sunday, the Life Race will have joys and victories along the way, with the guarantee of the ultimate crown at the end; but the process is filled with times of difficulty and peril.

But there is no better race to be a part of than the Life Race. The alternative is the temporary “death race” of living only for this world and being eternally separated from God and the victors’ crown that is given to those who love Christ.

So, rejoice Christian that you have been called by God to be on His team, the ultimate winning outfit. And tighten the laces of your shoes for the unique race that God has called you to run. Run on! Keep moving.

Imagine the following scenario. There is a small group of Christian people who come from varied areas to our three-state region and associate themselves with Tri-State Fellowship. They are excited about our strong biblical teaching emphasis and our desire to effectuate a multi-generational ministry, and they therefore throw themselves into our church with great passion. We come to truly like these folks and the energy they bring. However, at a point in time they become ardent followers of a nearby evangelist who is around for a brief season before mysteriously departing.

These passionate people return to the church and begin to teach that this itinerate minister was actually a second coming of Christ and that we are terribly foolish to have missed this truth. A few of our people are even led astray by this teaching and it begins to create a rift within the church community.

If with great conviction we believed these folks to be in error and endangering the church family, we would vehemently oppose them with every avenue of opportunity open to us. It would be the responsible and honorable thing to do, especially as leaders.

Perhaps that illustration helps us understand the intense aggressiveness of Saul in the very earliest days of the church era. The first Christians were all Jews who believed Jesus to be the Messiah, rejected by the nation. Therefore those who were opposed to this conviction saw it as a schism within Judaism … an inside threat, not one from outside. They would believe this to be thwarting the genuine work of God in bringing about the true kingdom. Paul was 100% of this opinion, and being a man of action he was aggressive in his response.

Again, it was upon the stoning of Stephen that we see the Jews (including Saul) totally lit up when hearing of this teaching on Jesus. Here is how Stephen concluded his extended remarks …

Acts 7:51 – “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Yep, those are fighting words that could get you pelted with stones. And Saul is introduced to the scene…

Acts 8:1 – On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

The beginning of the next chapter details some more of Saul’s activism …

9:1 – Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

But no person is beyond God’s grace. And Paul is an “exhibit A” of that principle.

Some years ago I spent some time with a man who struggled terribly to believe that God could forgive him and be gracious. “You can’t begin to imagine how bad I am,” the fellow said to me as we went for a walk in the fields around the church. “I did some terrible things in Vietnam … true atrocities in villages with women and children. So I cannot imagine that there is any way that God could forgive and save a person like me. It wouldn’t be right.”  Over a period of time that man came to understand that Jesus paid the price for what he had done.

There is no way we can imagine the immensity of God’s grace. And apart from God in grace opening our minds to grasp and understand and accept it, we would continue in a lost state in our sin. God stepped into Paul’s life, and the Apostle never ceased to marvel at the extent of it all. He wrote in summary about it, saying …

1 Corinthians 15:9-11 – For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

See there … it not only God’s grace that saves us, but His grace also that works through us toward any good effect that flows from it. If Paul is “exhibit A,” then let us each be “exhibit B” as we work our way through these studies over the summer.