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Gods and Stones - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And there came thither certain Jews from
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  Speaker 1: Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul,
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  Speaker 1: drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
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  Speaker 1: Acts 14.19 Meditating on the events of Acts 14, I
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  Speaker 1: have decided to double down and fix myself steadfastly on
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  Speaker 1: my course of action. I will not deviate from the
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  Speaker 1: original plan you have given me. I realize my calling
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  Speaker 1: to be a resource and a solution to someone's problems.
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  Speaker 1: As I am building my life, I will not be
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  Speaker 1: surprised by the rocks of jealousy and envy that get
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  Speaker 1: hurled my way. And even as some connect and cause
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  Speaker 1: pain to me, I thank you that, like Paul, you
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  Speaker 1: will place a team around me of individuals who are
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  Speaker 1: like-minded and who will help mend and heal the wounds
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  Speaker 1: I just received. I will remain thankful and faithful for
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  Speaker 1: the rich relationships you are continually placing around my life.
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  Speaker 1: I am blessed indeed. In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
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  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story, brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: Gods and Stones In our last story, Paul and Barnabas
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  Speaker 3: began their journey to preach the gospel in parts of
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  Speaker 3: Greece and Rome. Although they were met with some opposition,
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  Speaker 3: the Lord moved. Now Paul has met with some of
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  Speaker 3: the greatest challenges he has ever faced, inspired by the
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  Speaker 3: book of Acts.
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  Speaker 2: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: to get a copy of the Jesus book, simply go
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: you for your support. In our previous episode, we heard
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  Speaker 2: how Paul and Barnabas, prompted by the Holy Spirit, traveled
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  Speaker 2: to Cyprus. There they preached the message of Jesus in
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  Speaker 2: the synagogues across the island, winning many to Christ. We
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  Speaker 2: also heard how Paul stood against a magician, a false
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  Speaker 2: prophet named Bart Jesus, rebuking him and judging him with
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  Speaker 2: blindness because he tried to prevent people from turning to Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: And we saw Paul defending their ministry to the Gentiles,
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  Speaker 2: who were just as much a part of God's plan
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  Speaker 2: for salvation as the Jews. Today we'll hear as Paul
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  Speaker 2: and Barnabas preach in Iconium and Lystra. They'll see many
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  Speaker 2: turn to Christ but also face great opposition. Paul will
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  Speaker 2: feel the sting and the pain of persecution as his
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  Speaker 2: body endures torture for the sake of the gospel. So
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  Speaker 2: let's hear now the Word of God.
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  Speaker 3: A war for the hearts of God's people emerged from Iconium.
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  Speaker 3: Paul and Barnabas entered into the city with words of love, knowledge,
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  Speaker 3: and forgiveness. Both Jews and Gentiles felt their hearts melt
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  Speaker 3: due to the mercy of Jesus. People who felt far
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  Speaker 3: off from God were brought near. People who were trapped
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  Speaker 3: in a cycle of destructive sin were restored. Jesus was
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  Speaker 3: being glorified. However, there was a den of wolves seeking
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  Speaker 3: to take the sheep of God away. Certain Jewish leaders
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  Speaker 3: spread words of discouragement among the people. They added to
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  Speaker 3: the grace of Jesus by saying that there were still
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  Speaker 3: works that could get you into heaven. They came off
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  Speaker 3: as holy, but Paul could see the truth. They were
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  Speaker 3: men taking the place of God. They thought they could
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  Speaker 3: ascend to perfection by their good deeds, but they were
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  Speaker 3: painfully and utterly wrong. Nevertheless, a great deal of people
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  Speaker 3: began to believe these Jewish leaders. Their minds were poisoned
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  Speaker 3: by false teachings. The city was divided and growing restless.
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  Speaker 3: Soon there was a large call to have Paul and
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  Speaker 3: Barnabas stoned. So they fled to Lystra, before more chaos
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  Speaker 3: would emerge. However, Lystra would prove to have its own
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  Speaker 3: demons awaiting. Paul and Barnabas arrived on the shores of
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  Speaker 3: Lystra with hope that people could be saved by Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: As they were walking, they came across a man who
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  Speaker 3: could not use his feet. He was crippled beyond repair
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  Speaker 3: and had never truly been able to walk since birth.
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  Speaker 3: Paul knelt down to him and said, Stand and walk.
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  Speaker 3: So the man was healed. The crowds gathered and watched
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  Speaker 3: Paul heal this man through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 3: But they saw no spirit. They saw Paul. They saw Barnabas.
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  Speaker 3: The gods have come down to us, they shouted. It
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  Speaker 3: is Zeus and Hermes. Then the men of the city
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  Speaker 3: prepared bulls and calves to offer up at the temple
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  Speaker 3: of Zeus. Paul and Barnabas watched in terror as men
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  Speaker 3: and women bowed to them as gods. They could barely
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  Speaker 3: stand the weight of their worship. It was too much
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  Speaker 3: to bear. The two men ran to the steps of
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  Speaker 3: the temple of Zeus. Stop, they shouted. People were about
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  Speaker 3: to prepare a sacrifice when Paul tore his robes to
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  Speaker 3: reveal his bare chest. I bleed as you do, Paul yelled.
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  Speaker 3: We are men. We are men who bring you the
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  Speaker 3: good news of the living God, the only God. But
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  Speaker 3: even as Paul spoke these words, they seemed to fall
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  Speaker 3: on deaf ears. Night fell, and all the chaos of
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  Speaker 3: the day had ceased for a moment. Paul slept soundly
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  Speaker 3: in his bed, finding a brief moment of peace under
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  Speaker 3: the stars. The silence was broken by footsteps coming closer
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  Speaker 3: to Paul. He awoke to a small lamp hanging over him.
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  Speaker 3: It was the elders from Antioch. They had found him.
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  Speaker 3: Before Paul could move, they grabbed him and bound him
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  Speaker 3: with ropes. Paul struggled to break free, but the men
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  Speaker 3: had tied his hands and feet together. They drug him
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  Speaker 3: for miles back to Antioch. The morning was breaking, and
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  Speaker 3: Paul had been tied to a post outside the city.
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  Speaker 1: He looked around.
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  Speaker 3: Large stones caked with dried blood sat on the floor.
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  Speaker 3: Paul knew this place. He was well acquainted with the
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  Speaker 3: stoning arena. The first stone was a direct blow to
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  Speaker 3: the head, but not strong enough to knock him out.
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  Speaker 3: Paul peered up at the angry stares of Jewish leaders.
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  Speaker 3: One of them wound up and threw the stone directly
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  Speaker 3: at his ribcage. Paul heard two of his ribs snap
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  Speaker 3: underneath the weight of the rock. He gasped for air
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  Speaker 3: and coughed up blood. Then a third stone was thrown.
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  Speaker 3: This time it hit him in the eye, sending his
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  Speaker 3: thoughts swirling into madness. A barrage of stones came afterwards.
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  Speaker 3: Paul screamed as his bones snapped into the hurled stones.
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  Speaker 3: Soon Paul was reduced to an unconscious and limp body.
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  Speaker 3: His breathing had slowed and he was completely covered in blood.
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  Speaker 3: Thinking he was dead, Paul was left on the side
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  Speaker 3: of the gate outside Antioch. Hours had passed, and Paul
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  Speaker 3: was just beginning to regain feeling in his limbs. As
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  Speaker 3: he did his best to prop himself up against the wall,
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  Speaker 3: he saw some of the believers running up to him.
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  Speaker 3: They took him in and nursed his wounds back to health.
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  Speaker 3: Paul rested all day and then was back to preaching
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  Speaker 3: the next day. He would not allow broken bones and
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  Speaker 3: torn skin to prevent him from preaching the gospel. A
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  Speaker 3: whipped back did not prevent Jesus. He carried his cross
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  Speaker 3: forward with intent to put an end to shame and sin.
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  Speaker 3: Paul would do the same. No amount of pain would
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  Speaker 3: keep him from following Christ.
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  Speaker 2: Our reading today in the book of Acts finds Paul
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  Speaker 2: and Barnabas in Iconium having fled there when the Jews
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  Speaker 2: in Antioch stirred up persecution against them. In Iconium they
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  Speaker 2: preached in the synagogue and many Jews and Greeks alike
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  Speaker 2: came to faith in Jesus. Clearly the Holy Spirit was
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  Speaker 2: moving through these men and the message of salvation in
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  Speaker 2: Christ alone was being embraced by more and more people.
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  Speaker 2: But the Holy Spirit was not the only one moving.
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  Speaker 2: As is always the case, when God is at work,
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  Speaker 2: the enemy is at work as well, trying to destroy
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  Speaker 2: the good things of God. So we heard that unbelieving
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  Speaker 2: Jews in Iconium began to stir up anger against Paul
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  Speaker 2: and the other Christians. They poisoned the minds of the
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  Speaker 2: Gentiles against these men. So Paul and Barnabas remained there
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  Speaker 2: for some time to make sure the truth was clearly
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  Speaker 2: taught and the new believers were grounded in the faith
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  Speaker 2: so that when they left, They would not be shaken
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  Speaker 2: by lies or by the false teachers. Finally, their enemies
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  Speaker 2: tried to have them stoned so that they had to flee,
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  Speaker 2: and they went to Lystra, where they encountered a man
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  Speaker 2: who was unable to walk. His feet had not worked
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  Speaker 2: since he was born. Paul looked upon him with compassion
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  Speaker 2: and spoke to him, saying, Stand upright on your feet.
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  Speaker 2: This miraculous healing got the attention of the people of Lystra,
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  Speaker 2: but they misunderstood what was happening. These Greeks believed in
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  Speaker 2: many gods. And when they saw the healing, they began
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  Speaker 2: to praise Paul and Barnabas, believing they were Hermes and Zeus,
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  Speaker 2: Greek gods. At first, Paul and Barnabas did not understand
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  Speaker 2: what was going on. But when the priest of Zeus
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  Speaker 2: brought bulls and calves to offer sacrifices to them, they
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  Speaker 2: were horrified, tearing their clothes aside. a sign of their
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  Speaker 2: rejection of such blasphemy. Paul then spoke to them, urging
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  Speaker 2: them to see they were not gods, but mere men.
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  Speaker 2: He then preached a simple message to them, in terms
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  Speaker 2: that related to their pagan understanding. So we read in
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  Speaker 2: Acts 14 verses 15 to 17 these words, We bring
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  Speaker 2: you good news that you should turn from these vain
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  Speaker 2: things to a living God who made the heavens and
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  Speaker 2: the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
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  Speaker 2: In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk
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  Speaker 2: in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself
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  Speaker 2: without a witness, for he did good by giving you
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  Speaker 2: rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with
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  Speaker 2: food and gladness. Paul was getting on their level. He
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  Speaker 2: is building a bridge to share the gospel. And this
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  Speaker 2: is an important aspect of how we share our faith.
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  Speaker 2: While the core message of Jesus and the gospel of
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  Speaker 2: his grace never changes, we always look for ways to
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  Speaker 2: reach our culture with the message of the gospel. We
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  Speaker 2: bring the message of good news in the context so
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  Speaker 2: that hearers can comprehend it. And yet still, even after
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  Speaker 2: their protest and witness to the truth of the God
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  Speaker 2: who is, many still wanted to see them as God's.
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  Speaker 2: We're told they were scarcely able to stop them from
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  Speaker 2: offering sacrifices. For many in the crowd that day, they
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  Speaker 2: were simply not ready to comprehend or receive the gospel.
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  Speaker 2: The truth is, we can speak the words of truth
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  Speaker 2: that we are called to deliver, but we can't force
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  Speaker 2: anyone to believe or understand them. We then heard how
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  Speaker 2: the Jews in Antioch and Iconium were determined to stop
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  Speaker 2: these men. They came to Lystra and took Paul by
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  Speaker 2: force to stone him. Paul had seen this happen before.
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  Speaker 2: Surely he remembered how he had led similar raids when
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  Speaker 2: he was persecuting the church. Now Paul himself was the
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  Speaker 2: target of the persecution. He was stoned and dragged out
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  Speaker 2: of the city and left to die. But the disciples
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  Speaker 2: gathered around him, and Paul rose up, pressed down but
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  Speaker 2: not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.
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  Speaker 2: Most people would have run as far away as possible,
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  Speaker 2: but not Paul. He entered the city again and the
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  Speaker 2: next day went to Derby to continue preaching the gospel.
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  Speaker 2: There was no stopping his mission and there is no
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  Speaker 2: stopping the good news of Jesus Christ. He and all
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  Speaker 2: the believers understood their trials and tribulations were a part
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  Speaker 2: of following Jesus. They were willing to take up the
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  Speaker 2: cross in order to proclaim the cross. And they knew
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  Speaker 2: it's worth it all to give our all to follow Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you for the scripture
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  Speaker 2: and the powerful testimony of the apostle Paul, his resilience
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  Speaker 2: and perseverance in the face of trials. Thank you for
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  Speaker 2: so many who have gone before us in martyrdom and
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  Speaker 2: faith to live faithfully for you, to proclaim your words
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  Speaker 2: so that we could be delivered the truth of the gospel.
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  Speaker 2: May we also be faithful in our own generation and
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  Speaker 2: courageous to boldly share Jesus Christ. And it is in
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  Speaker 2: his name that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 2: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. And before we go,
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  Speaker 2: I wanted to let you know that the Bible in
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  Speaker 2: a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: can only come to you each week through the support
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: of listeners like you. Your support today is so important
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: that we want to thank you for your gift by
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book.
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: This book is a powerful guide that shows how every
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: book in the Bible points to Christ and how you
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: can better read and understand the Bible and how God's
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: Word transforms our lives. So to get your copy of
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: the Jesus book, simply go to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support.