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Acts 13:4-12 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to the book of Acts, chapter 13.
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Acts, chapter 13. It's good to be back with you today.
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If you were here with us last Sunday, you know that I had a bit of a stomach flu and was out.
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Or maybe you didn't know I had a stomach flu, but I had a stomach flu and was out.
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And it's good to be with you, both not to be doing what I was doing last Sunday morning,
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and to be here to open God's Word and to consider its truth to us this morning.
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Our text for today is Acts 13, verses 4 through 12.
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But there are a few things I think need to be noted from the beginning of Acts 13,
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and so we're going to look at and read together verses 1 through 12.
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And we've come to a fairly pivotal place in the book of Acts,
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transitioning from the gospel being proclaimed primarily in Jerusalem,
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and it moving outward from this place.
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The story is going, its main character being Peter is kind of setting,
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and its main character being Paul is rising.
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And it's where we find ourselves in a couple of chapters here,
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this action that's taking place.
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And at the beginning of chapter 13, into verse 4,
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we see Barnabas and Paul commissioned for the very first missionary journey.
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And so we read, beginning in verse 1,
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Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers,
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Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,
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Lucius of Cyrene,
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Menaion, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch,
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and Saul.
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While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
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the Holy Spirit said,
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Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
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Then after fasting and praying,
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they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
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So being sent out by the Holy Spirit,
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they went down to Seleucia,
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and from there sailed to Cyprus.
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When they arrived at Salamis,
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they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews,
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and they had John to assist them.
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When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos,
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they came upon a certain magician,
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a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
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He was with the proconsul,
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Sergius Paulus,
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a man of intelligence,
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who summoned Barnabas and Saul
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and sought to hear the word of God.
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But Elimas the magician,
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for that is the meaning of his name,
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opposed them,
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seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
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But Saul,
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who was also called Paul,
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filled with the Holy Spirit,
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looked intently at him and said,
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You son of the devil,
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you enemy of all righteousness,
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full of all deceit and villainy,
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will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
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And now behold,
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the hand of the Lord is upon you,
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and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.
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Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him,
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and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
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Then the proconsul believed,
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when he saw what had occurred,
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for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
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Beloved, this is God's word to us.
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It was written for his glory and for our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it
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in order to believe its promises
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and obey its commands.
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Now before we get into the story itself,
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let's get to the stage just a little bit.
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And maybe you're not like me,
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but I'm a very visual learner,
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and so I like to understand where they are
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and where they're traveling from
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and where they're traveling to.
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So we'll see if we can pull this off
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and get a map up on the screen for you there.
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I did do that for my iPad, if you're wondering,
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which is pretty amazing.
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So they are currently in Antioch, right?
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We see the church forming at the end of chapter 11 in Antioch.
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The gospel has gone forward because of a dispersion,
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because of the persecution that's arisen in Jerusalem.
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So the gospel has gone out.
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People have gone about gossiping the word of God.
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We see at the last part of chapter 11
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that primarily the gospel is being preached to Jews.
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But here in chapter 11,
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we see that some disciples begin to preach the gospel to Gentiles,
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and this church in Antioch is formed.
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Now Antioch is about 300 miles north of Jerusalem.
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Now you can see it way over on the far right-hand side of the screen there.
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Yes, I'm doing that for my iPad.
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Isn't that fun?
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So they're in Antioch, the church in Antioch.
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You recall that Barnabas, needing some help,
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went and found Paul, brought Paul with him,
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and they remained in Antioch,
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and they're teaching in Antioch right at the end of chapter 11.
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So they travel from Antioch to Seleucia,
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about 16 miles, right?
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And go down from Antioch to Seleucia,
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to the coast about 16 miles,
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and they sail to Salamis on the island of Cyprus.
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Now Cyprus is where Barnabas is from.
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We find that out in Acts 4, verse 36.
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Barnabas' name is Joseph,
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but he's also called Barnabas the son of encouragement by the church.
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And so Paul and Barnabas are commissioned to go back to Barnabas' hometown.
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They land on Salamis about 130 miles from Seleucia to Salamis,
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this journey in the Mediterranean.
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They land on Salamis,
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and they travel all over the island of Cyprus,
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what the text tells us.
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So they go all about the island of Cyprus.
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Exactly what that looks like, I don't know,
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but it's definitely not a straight arrow from Salamis to Paphos, right?
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They're traveling all about the island of Cyprus
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until they arrive at Paphos.
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Paphos is the capital of Cyprus,
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and there we see in our text that the gospel is preached to the proconsul,
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which would have been like the governor,
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the Roman appointed governor of the island of Cyprus.
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So he's the ruler of Cyprus,
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and he's located in this coastal city of Paphos.
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Now Cyprus in this day was an incredibly corrupt place.
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It was a vile place,
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and this is a common theme in the history of the world.
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Places that the gospel goes or places that need the gospel.
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It was the place in Paphos,
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the temple for the worship of Venus existed there.
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The Roman Greek god of love was here.
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Lots of temple worship,
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prostitutes,
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a vile, vile place
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where they go for this very first time
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in their missionary journey
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to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Now, there is so much that can be said of this morning's text.
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But I want to set our minds on just one thing this morning,
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which we'll consider with three supporting points.
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But just one primary thing that we need to consider
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in order to warm our hearts this morning.
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Note from Luke's account of Barnabas and Saul
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on the island of Cyprus,
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God's pursuit of his praise.
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This is the thing.
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This is what I want to focus our attention on this morning from our text.
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God's pursuit of God's praise.
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Now, this runs thematically all throughout the Scripture.
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In fact, we could spend weeks upon weeks
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showing you systematically
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that God is zealous for his own glory,
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for his own worship,
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for people to pay attention to him,
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to know him and know him for who he is
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and exalt him for who he is.
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This is what it means for him to seek his praise.
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And for us as humans,
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I think very readily we can say,
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but isn't it wrong to be self-centered?
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And as humans, absolutely yes.
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But you are not God.
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It is right and proper that God seeks his own praise.
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God is the most glorious,
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the most wonderful thing that we could possibly possess.
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And if God were to say,
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no, no, don't look at me.
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Pay attention to the creation around you.
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If he were to veil himself as the creator,
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it would be unloving toward us.
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It would be ungracious toward us.
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We need to behold God.
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So he is zealous for his own praise.
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In 1 Peter 2, verse 9,
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Peter writes to those who are the elect exiles
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of the dispersion,
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going out of the gospel of Christ
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because of persecution,
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in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
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and Bithynia, verse 9,
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he writes,
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You are a chosen race,
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a royal priesthood,
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a holy nation,
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a people for his own possession.
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So you are a people set apart, right?
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For what purpose?
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Verse 9 tells us
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that you may proclaim
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the excellencies of him
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who called you out of darkness
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into his marvelous light.
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Because of the reality,
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the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
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you have been set apart
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that you might proclaim
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the excellencies of him
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who saved you in this way.
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It is the work of the church
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of Jesus Christ
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to make God known.
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One Old Testament reference
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in Ezekiel 36, verses 22 and 23.
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God tells Israel
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that the reason that he will deliver them
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from captivity,
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from their exile in Babylon
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and later Persia,
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is for the sake of the praise of his name.
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Listen to the language very carefully
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what he says.
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God speaks to Israel
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through the prophet Ezekiel.
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Therefore, say to the house of Israel,
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Thus says the Lord God,
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It is not for your sake,
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O house of Israel,
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that I am about to act,
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but for the sake of my holy name.
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So I'm going to bring you back from exile.
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I'm going to deliver you from captivity.
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But it's really not for your sake.
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It's for my sake.
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It's for the sake of my holy name,
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which you have profaned
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among the nations to which you came.
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And I will vindicate the holiness
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of my great name,
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which has been profaned among the nations,
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and which you have profaned among them.
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And the nations will know
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that I am the Lord,
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declares the Lord God,
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when through you
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I vindicate my holiness
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before their eyes.
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Because of my goodness to you,
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my name will be made known.
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So God pursues His own praise.
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He is zealous for it.
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And we see that in our text, right?
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Well, the focus can often be
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simply about Paul and Barnabas
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and their helper,
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John Mark, we see in verse 5.
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But Paul and Barnabas in verse 4
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are sent out by whom?
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God.
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By the work of the Holy Spirit.
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In verse 9,
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we see Paul with this scathing indictment
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of Elimus the magician.
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He's filled with whom?
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The Holy Spirit.
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Verse 11,
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he tells Elimus
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that the hand of the Lord
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is upon him.
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Right?
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And God blinds Elimus.
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The point is
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that it's ultimately
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and it's finally
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God's pursuit.
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It is His purpose in the world.
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It is His ministry
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that He would be known
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and worshipped.
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So as we set our minds
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on the glorious reality,
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that God is zealous for His praise,
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we'll do so with three points
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concerning God's pursuit.
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Number one,
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and I'll run back through these,
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but number one,
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the beneficiaries
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of God's pursuit
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of His praise.
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Number two,
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the means of God's pursuit
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of His praise.
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And number three,
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the persistence
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of God's pursuit
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of His praise.
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So number one,
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the beneficiaries
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of God's pursuit
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of His praise.
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Beloved,
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the gospel is not
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man-centered.
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It is altogether
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God-centered.
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But aren't we
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the great beneficiaries
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of that pursuit?
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Isn't it wonderful
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that as God calls
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attention to Himself,
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He does so
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by the redemption
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of a people.
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And we are those people.
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How wonderful
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that we get to be
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the wonderful side product
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of what God is doing
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to make His name known.
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So the beneficiaries,
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namely,
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the church.
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Paul,
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Barnabas,
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and John Mark
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as a helper
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are sent to carry
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the Word of God
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to whom?
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To the people
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of God.
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They go to an island
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called Cyprus
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to call together
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God's people
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for the praise
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of His name.
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Can we know
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from this text
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that the Cyprus
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and that is the
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correct use,
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I looked it up,
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responded favorably
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to the proclamation
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of the gospel?
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Can we know
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that the Cyprus
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responded favorably
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to the proclamation
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of the gospel?
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We know one did
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for sure
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from our text
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this morning,
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the proconsul.
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We know for a fact
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that he did.
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In fact,
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Sergius Paulus
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believed.
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He was astonished
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at the teaching
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of the Lord.
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But can we know
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from the text?
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We can't.
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But there is a place
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that we can know from.
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So turn a couple pages
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over to Acts chapter 15.
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We don't know the number,
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but we can know
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that there was
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a favorable response
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to the gospel
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because of this passage.
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Beginning in verse 36,
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Acts 15,
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verse 36.
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And after some days,
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Paul said to Barnabas,
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Let us return
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and visit the brothers
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in every city
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where we proclaim
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the word of the Lord
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and see how they are.
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So there's the premise.
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We need to go on a journey.
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We need to go back
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and visit those
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who believed
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in the cities.
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Let's see how they're doing.
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Let's go back around
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and let's visit.
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Now,
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Barnabas agrees.
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We don't see that
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in Luke's record,
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but he says,
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verse 37,
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Now Barnabas
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wanted to take with them,
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so he agrees,
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let's go,
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John called Mark.
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Verse 38,
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But Paul thought best
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not to take with them
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one who had withdrawn
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from them in Pamphylia
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and had not gone with them
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to the work.
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Now,
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just to give you some frame,
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we're going to talk about this
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in some coming weeks,
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but John Mark,
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after they left the island,
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he got scared
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and he turned around
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and he ran.
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He went back to Jerusalem.
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So Paul and Barnabas
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get in a fight over this,
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right?
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Paul doesn't want to take
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John Mark,
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the coward,
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with him,
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and Barnabas,
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who's his cousin,
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still wants to take.
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He's ready to give him
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a second chance
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at this point.
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This is this division
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that happens.
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Acts 13,
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13 records this.
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Now Paul and his companions
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set sail from Paphos
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and came to Perga
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in Pamphylia,
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and John left them
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and returned
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to Jerusalem.
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Right?
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Verse 39 of Acts 15,
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And there arose
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a sharp disagreement
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that they separated
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from each other.
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Barnabas took Mark,
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this is John Mark,
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Barnabas took Mark
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with him
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and sailed away
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to where?
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to Cyprus.
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But Paul chose Silas
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and departed,
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having been commended
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by the brothers
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to the grace of the Lord,
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and he went through Syria
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and Cilicia,
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strengthening the churches.
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Okay?
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So they go separate ways,
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but the very premise
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of what they're going
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to go do,
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right?
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They've agreed together,
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we need to go back
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to the cities
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where we preach the gospel
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and people responded
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to the gospel,
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and let's see how they're doing.
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They go separate ways.
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Barnabas goes back
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to Cyprus.
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Not home to lounge,
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but to check on the brothers
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to see how,
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in fact,
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they're doing.
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So people did respond favorably
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as they've traveled
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throughout the island
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to the grace of God
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in the gospel
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of Jesus Christ.
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Right?
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And this is
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the wonderful reality
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of God's pursuit
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of his own praise,
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that there are beneficiaries
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of that pursuit,
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namely,
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the church.
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So we can see
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the beneficiaries
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of God's pursuit
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of his praise
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in our text this morning.
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Secondly,
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let's look at the means
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of God's pursuit
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of his praise.
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God is pursuing
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his praise.
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How does he do it?
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How does he do it?
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First,
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with his people.
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God pursues
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his praise
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with his people.
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God uses his people
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to proclaim
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the gospel message
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to his people.
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Verse 4,
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So being sent out
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by the Holy Spirit,
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they went,
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verse 5,
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and proclaimed
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the word
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of God.
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Now,
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I think it's important,
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I think it's helpful
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to note
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the timeline here
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of the early church.
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The year
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that Barnabas
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and Saul
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slash Paul
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are sent to Cyprus
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is A.D. 47.
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And we can know that
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because of the death
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of Herod in chapter 12.
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This is a historical fact
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that we know.
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So it's A.D. 47.
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Now,
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exactly the time frame
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since the resurrection
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of Christ,
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we can't be completely
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sure of.
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There's much debate
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out there about it.
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The range would be
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between 14
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and 20 years.
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I think that's what
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you've got to wrap
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your mind around
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is that it's been
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some time
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since Acts chapter 1
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to Acts chapter 13.
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We didn't just speed
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through six months.
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It's been quite an
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expanse of time,
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the building of the church
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in this region
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and then beyond.
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Between 14
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and 20 years,
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there's a lot of debate
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about when Jesus died.
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It ranges from
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A.D. 27
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to A.D. 33.
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Now,
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I'm going to argue
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for 14 years,
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but I'm not going
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to this morning.
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I'm going to suggest
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that Jesus was crucified
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in A.D. 33,
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but it doesn't really matter
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this morning
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or maybe at all.
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the point being
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that a big bunch
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of time
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has gone by.
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The church in Antioch
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has existed
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for at least
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a year.
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There's been
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a period of time
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that they have been,
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Barnabas and Saul
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have been with them.
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Remember Barnabas
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and Saul in chapter 12
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are sent back
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to Jerusalem
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and the picture
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in Luke's narrative
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jumps back
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to Jerusalem as well.
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So they've been there
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and they've now returned
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back to Antioch.
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And notice
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what they're doing
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in the meantime.
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So not yet commissioned.
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Saul has been in Tarsus.
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Barnabas goes and gets them.
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They go to the church
19:20
in Antioch.
19:20
They remain with them.
19:21
They're teaching them.
19:23
They take this trip
19:23
to Jerusalem
19:24
to deliver some
19:25
financial support there.
19:26
They're back in Antioch.
19:28
And what are they doing
19:29
in verse 2?
19:30
They're worshiping
19:31
the Lord
19:32
and they're fasting.
19:34
They're gathered together
19:36
as the church
19:37
in fellowship
19:38
together.
19:39
They're about the work
19:41
of Christian ministry
19:42
where they are.
19:47
And while they're doing this
19:48
the Holy Spirit says
19:50
they're together
19:51
remember
19:51
set apart for me
19:52
Barnabas
19:53
and Saul
19:54
for the work
19:55
to which
19:55
I have called them.
19:57
So there is a calling.
19:58
In this case
19:59
it's an audible calling.
20:00
The Spirit speaks to them.
20:02
We don't know exactly
20:03
how He does so.
20:04
but Luke records it
20:05
as audible
20:07
speaking to them.
20:10
I want you to see
20:11
that Paul
20:12
and Barnabas
20:13
did not have
20:14
individual experiences.
20:16
They didn't come off
20:18
a hill
20:18
and report to the church
20:20
we feel called
20:22
to missions.
20:24
The church is together
20:26
and they confirm
20:28
together
20:28
that the Spirit of God
20:30
commissioned
20:30
Paul and Barnabas
20:31
to go to the island
20:33
of Cyprus.
20:35
What do they do?
20:36
Verse 3
20:36
they continue fasting
20:37
and they pray
20:39
and they lay their hands
20:40
on them
20:41
and they send them off.
20:43
They're sent out
20:45
by the local church.
20:50
It grieves me today
20:52
that there's so much
20:53
personal experience
20:55
in Christianity.
20:57
There's so much
20:58
feeling called
21:00
to a particular thing
21:01
without any examination.
21:03
There are so many
21:04
young people
21:05
who want to do
21:05
world missions
21:06
who don't do
21:07
mission at home.
21:10
You're not reaching
21:11
people here
21:11
you will not reach
21:12
people in China
21:13
or India
21:14
or wherever.
21:16
Because you know what?
21:17
Stuff's harder over there.
21:19
You have to do
21:20
laundry
21:21
by hand.
21:24
It's not all romantic.
21:26
You still have to go
21:26
live your life
21:27
and if you're not
21:28
willing to pour it out
21:29
for the sake of Christ
21:30
where you are
21:31
with your roommates
21:32
and your co-workers
21:33
and your classmates
21:34
you won't do it.
21:35
Abroad.
21:37
It starts
21:37
now
21:39
on your bulletin.
21:42
Before I read that
21:43
I've heard a lot
21:46
in churches
21:47
that we all have
21:49
a responsibility
21:50
to mission.
21:51
You're either to go
21:52
or you're to send.
21:54
And I get the call.
21:55
It's a foreign mission call.
21:57
I get that.
21:58
I get that.
21:59
But I don't like
22:00
the notion
22:01
of labeling people
22:02
missionary
22:03
because it seems
22:04
to suggest
22:04
that everyone else
22:05
is not.
22:06
I love this Spurgeon quote.
22:07
Every Christian here
22:08
is either a missionary
22:10
or an imposter.
22:16
God uses
22:17
in the pursuit
22:17
of His praise
22:18
His people.
22:21
And beloved,
22:22
if we are zealous
22:22
for the praise of God
22:23
as He is,
22:24
as we should be
22:25
because of His work
22:26
for us
22:27
in Christ,
22:28
we should want to go.
22:31
It should be
22:31
the driving passion
22:32
of our lives
22:34
to make Him known,
22:36
to have other people
22:37
experience
22:38
the goodness of God
22:39
in the personal work
22:41
of Jesus Christ.
22:42
He uses His people.
22:44
He'll use you
22:45
if you'll avail yourself
22:46
to that.
22:48
He also uses His Word.
22:51
What did Barnabas
22:52
and Paul
22:52
and John Mark do
22:53
when they arrived
22:53
on Cyprus?
22:54
They did not put on plays.
22:55
They didn't come up
22:58
with lots of clever analogy.
23:01
They proclaimed
23:02
the Word of God.
23:05
They preached God
23:06
as good creator
23:07
and sustainer
23:08
of the universe.
23:09
They preached sin,
23:10
death,
23:11
and eternal judgment.
23:12
They preached the life,
23:14
death,
23:14
and resurrection
23:15
of Jesus Christ.
23:18
God's people
23:19
are saved
23:20
by hearing
23:20
the Word of God.
23:23
And I don't simply mean
23:25
reading the text.
23:27
Although I would
23:27
strongly suggest
23:28
that that's a great place
23:29
to start.
23:31
We can story
23:32
the Word of God too.
23:33
We can explain
23:34
the Word of God
23:35
to people.
23:36
We can tell
23:36
this big, big, big story.
23:38
Some of you may have
23:39
come to faith
23:40
not by the actual text
23:41
being read,
23:42
but by somebody
23:42
telling you
23:43
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
23:44
Just simply sharing
23:45
with you
23:45
that story.
23:48
Provided it is
23:49
founded in the truth,
23:51
it has
23:51
saving power.
23:53
So God's people
23:55
are saved
23:55
by hearing
23:56
the Word of God
23:57
and then by grace,
23:59
through faith,
24:01
in the personal work
24:02
of Jesus Christ,
24:03
they are snatched
24:04
from the clutches
24:04
of sin and death
24:06
for the praise
24:07
of His name.
24:10
Just in passing,
24:11
tomorrow,
24:13
499 years ago,
24:16
the Protestant Reformation
24:17
began
24:17
in a place called
24:19
Wittenberg, Germany.
24:20
in order to
24:22
recapture
24:23
these truths
24:25
for the church.
24:27
They hadn't been lost,
24:28
but they were largely
24:30
forgotten.
24:32
I'd encourage you
24:33
tomorrow
24:33
not to celebrate
24:34
Halloween,
24:35
but instead
24:35
to celebrate
24:35
Reformation Day.
24:38
All types of costumes
24:39
abound
24:40
from
24:40
such a thing.
24:46
Five Latin phrases
24:47
emerged
24:48
from the Reformation
24:49
to summarize
24:49
its basic
24:50
theological principles,
24:52
and these phrases
24:53
are still useful
24:54
to us.
24:56
I don't use Latin
24:57
to sound smart.
24:58
I really want you
24:59
to know that.
25:00
It's good
25:01
to have
25:01
phrasing in our mind
25:03
that we wouldn't
25:04
use normally,
25:04
I think,
25:05
to help us remember
25:06
deep theological
25:07
truths.
25:09
So I'm just going to
25:10
rattle them off to you.
25:10
You can look these up.
25:11
The solas.
25:13
Solas,
25:14
Latin for
25:14
alone,
25:16
and you've got
25:17
things that follow.
25:17
So,
25:18
sola scriptura.
25:20
The Word of God
25:22
alone
25:22
tells us
25:24
that we are saved
25:25
sola gratia
25:27
by grace alone,
25:30
sola fide
25:30
through faith alone,
25:33
solas Christus
25:34
in the person
25:35
and work
25:36
of Christ alone,
25:38
sola
25:39
Deo
25:40
Gloria
25:40
to the glory
25:41
of God
25:42
alone.
25:44
The Wi-Fi password
25:45
is hidden amongst
25:46
those Latin phrases
25:48
if you want to get
25:48
on our Wi-Fi.
25:52
Sola scriptura.
25:53
Like the Word of God
25:54
alone tells us
25:55
that we are saved
25:56
by grace alone,
25:57
through faith alone,
25:58
in the personal work
25:59
of Jesus Christ alone,
26:00
to the glory
26:01
of God
26:02
alone.
26:03
Glorious,
26:03
glorious
26:04
truths.
26:05
Ephesians 2,
26:06
8 and 9,
26:07
for by grace
26:07
you have been saved
26:08
through faith.
26:10
And this is not
26:10
your own doing,
26:11
it is the gift
26:11
of God,
26:12
not a result
26:13
of works
26:13
that no one
26:15
may boast.
26:17
Faith comes
26:18
from hearing
26:18
and hearing
26:19
from the Word
26:20
of God.
26:21
God births
26:22
in us faith.
26:23
There's nothing
26:25
we can do
26:26
to earn
26:26
the favor
26:27
of God,
26:28
but praise
26:28
the Lord
26:29
in Christ
26:30
He is pleased
26:31
with us.
26:33
Last week's
26:34
bulletin
26:34
I would have
26:35
used,
26:35
I'm going to use it,
26:36
George Whitfield
26:37
once said,
26:38
works,
26:39
works,
26:40
a man
26:41
get to heaven
26:42
by works,
26:43
I would assume
26:43
think of climbing
26:44
to the moon
26:45
on a rope
26:46
of sand.
26:49
Now some
26:50
in the proclamation
26:51
of the gospel
26:52
will respond
26:52
favorably to it.
26:54
Sadly,
26:56
others will not.
26:58
Favorably
26:59
in our text,
26:59
the church
27:00
referenced in Acts 15,
27:01
right,
27:01
that they're
27:02
proclaiming to here
27:03
in Acts 13,
27:05
right,
27:05
the proconsul,
27:06
we see him
27:07
respond favorably
27:08
to the gospel.
27:10
Now there's a
27:11
character in our text
27:12
that responds
27:13
unfavorably.
27:15
He's called
27:16
two names,
27:17
the first,
27:18
Bar-Jesus,
27:19
and the second,
27:21
Elimus.
27:23
Now Bar-Jesus
27:23
simply means
27:24
son of Joshua.
27:26
It's not that
27:27
complex,
27:28
in fact,
27:28
Jesus was a really
27:29
common name
27:30
of the day,
27:31
Yeshua,
27:32
Joshua,
27:33
right?
27:34
Verse 6 says
27:35
that he was a
27:36
Jewish,
27:36
Jewish descent,
27:39
false prophet.
27:41
Just a few
27:41
verses later,
27:42
verse 8,
27:43
he is called
27:43
Elimus,
27:44
which was his
27:45
Roman name.
27:46
It seemed that
27:46
many people had
27:47
both in this case.
27:48
This is the text
27:49
where we see
27:50
Saul,
27:51
also called
27:52
Paul.
27:53
Some people have
27:53
the notion that
27:54
Saul was his
27:55
pre-conversion name
27:56
and Paul was his
27:56
post-conversion name,
27:58
as God throughout
27:58
biblical history
28:00
has renamed people
28:01
at times.
28:02
Not the case here.
28:03
Saul was his
28:04
Jewish name,
28:05
Paul was his
28:06
Roman name.
28:08
And here he
28:08
finds himself
28:09
on a largely
28:10
Gentile island,
28:11
primarily Gentile
28:12
island,
28:13
preaching the
28:14
gospel,
28:15
likely using,
28:16
instead of his
28:17
Jewish name,
28:18
his Roman name,
28:19
simply to become
28:20
all things to all
28:20
people,
28:21
to relate more
28:22
closely to them.
28:23
Interestingly,
28:24
in our text,
28:25
the pro-consul's
28:26
name is what?
28:27
Sergius
28:28
Paulus.
28:29
His name is
28:29
Paul.
28:30
And I just
28:31
would imagine
28:32
that Saul
28:33
meets him
28:33
and goes,
28:34
hey,
28:34
my name is
28:34
Paul too.
28:36
I have something
28:37
I want to share
28:37
with you.
28:40
We have more
28:40
in common
28:41
than you know.
28:43
So some will
28:44
respond favorably,
28:45
some will
28:46
respond unfavorably.
28:48
And how do we
28:49
make sense of this?
28:51
There's much
28:52
effort today
28:52
to convince
28:55
people that
28:57
Jesus is the
28:57
way,
28:57
the truth,
28:58
and the life.
28:58
And I would
28:59
definitely argue
29:00
that we should
29:01
plead the case
29:02
of Christ to
29:03
people,
29:04
that we need
29:04
to employ
29:05
apologetics,
29:06
that we want
29:07
to argue
29:09
for Christ.
29:11
But at the
29:12
end of it all,
29:12
it's going to be
29:13
faith birthed
29:14
in people that
29:15
will bring them
29:15
to saving faith
29:17
in Jesus Christ.
29:18
Now turn with me
29:19
if you will
29:19
to 2 Corinthians
29:20
chapter 4.
29:28
2 Corinthians
29:38
chapter 4
29:38
verses 1
29:39
through 6.
29:39
This text,
29:41
Paul writing,
29:42
helps us understand
29:43
why their
29:44
proclamation was
29:45
received favorably
29:45
by some,
29:47
but not by
29:48
Elimus.
29:50
Why did the
29:51
proconsul believe,
29:53
but Elimus
29:53
did not?
29:54
Verse 1,
29:56
2 Corinthians
29:57
chapter 4.
29:58
Therefore,
29:58
having this
29:59
ministry by
30:00
the mercy
30:00
of God,
30:01
we do not
30:02
lose heart.
30:04
He's talking
30:05
about proclaiming
30:06
the gospel.
30:07
Some people
30:07
will respond,
30:08
some people
30:08
will not.
30:09
We do not
30:10
lose heart.
30:12
Why?
30:13
But we
30:13
have renounced
30:14
disgraceful,
30:17
underhanded
30:17
ways.
30:18
We refuse
30:19
to practice
30:20
cunning,
30:21
or to
30:22
tamper
30:22
with God's
30:23
word,
30:24
but by
30:24
the
30:25
open
30:25
statement
30:26
of the
30:27
truth.
30:28
So you
30:28
see what
30:28
he's saying?
30:29
We don't
30:30
lose heart
30:30
because we
30:31
have not
30:32
been
30:33
deceitful,
30:35
we've not
30:35
been cunning,
30:36
we have not
30:37
tampered with
30:37
God's word,
30:39
but by the
30:40
open statement
30:41
of the
30:41
truth,
30:41
we would
30:42
commend
30:42
ourselves
30:43
to
30:43
everyone's
30:44
conscience
30:44
in the
30:45
sight of
30:46
God.
30:47
And even
30:48
if our
30:48
gospel is
30:49
veiled,
30:50
it is
30:50
veiled to
30:51
those
30:52
who are
30:52
perishing.
30:53
So if
30:53
people don't
30:54
understand it,
30:55
if it's
30:55
veiled,
30:55
it's hidden
30:56
from them,
30:57
it's hidden
30:57
from those
30:58
who are
30:59
perishing.
31:00
In their
31:01
case,
31:01
the God
31:02
of this
31:02
world has
31:02
blinded the
31:03
minds of
31:04
the unbelievers
31:04
to keep
31:06
them from
31:06
seeing the
31:07
light of
31:07
the gospel
31:08
of the
31:08
glory of
31:09
Christ,
31:10
who is
31:10
the image
31:10
of God.
31:11
For what
31:12
we proclaim
31:13
is not
31:13
ourselves,
31:14
but Jesus
31:15
Christ
31:16
as Lord,
31:17
with ourselves
31:18
as your
31:18
servants
31:19
for Jesus
31:19
sake.
31:20
For God
31:21
who said,
31:23
let light
31:23
shine out
31:24
of darkness,
31:25
who created
31:26
light,
31:27
the light
31:27
of the
31:27
world,
31:28
he said,
31:28
let light
31:28
shine out
31:29
of darkness,
31:30
has shown
31:31
in our
31:31
hearts to
31:32
give the
31:32
light of
31:33
the knowledge
31:34
of the
31:34
glory of
31:34
God in
31:35
the face
31:36
of Jesus
31:37
Christ.
31:38
So they
31:39
preach,
31:40
they preach
31:41
the good
31:41
news,
31:41
they proclaim
31:42
the truth,
31:44
and they
31:44
understand that
31:45
some will
31:46
respond favorably
31:47
and some
31:48
will not.
31:50
But yet
31:50
they keep
31:51
preaching.
31:54
A man
31:55
one time
31:55
asked Charles
31:56
Spurgeon
31:56
why,
31:58
if some
31:59
people were
32:00
elect,
32:00
he preached
32:00
the gospel
32:01
at all,
32:02
and he
32:02
said,
32:03
if there
32:03
were a
32:03
yellow stripe
32:04
on the
32:04
elect's
32:05
back,
32:05
I would
32:05
simply go
32:06
around lifting
32:06
up their
32:07
shirt tails.
32:08
But since
32:08
there are
32:09
not,
32:10
we preach
32:11
the gospel.
32:14
Verse 12,
32:15
right,
32:15
the proconsul
32:17
believes.
32:19
The gospel,
32:20
the glory
32:21
of God,
32:22
and the
32:22
face of
32:23
Jesus Christ
32:23
is not
32:24
hidden from
32:24
him.
32:26
It says,
32:27
when he saw
32:27
what had
32:28
occurred,
32:28
so he sees
32:29
this thing
32:29
happen to
32:30
Elymas,
32:31
right,
32:31
does he
32:32
believe because
32:33
of what he
32:33
saw happen
32:34
to Elymas?
32:36
I'd suggest
32:37
not,
32:38
for he
32:39
was astonished
32:40
not at what
32:41
happened to
32:42
Elymas at
32:43
the teaching
32:44
of the
32:45
Lord,
32:46
at the
32:46
word of
32:47
God
32:47
proclaimed.
32:49
So,
32:49
God employs
32:50
means for
32:50
the pursuit
32:51
of his
32:51
praise.
32:51
His people,
32:53
his word,
32:54
and from
32:54
our text
32:54
today,
32:55
there are
32:55
some other
32:55
means,
32:56
but from
32:56
our text
32:56
today,
32:57
thirdly,
32:58
his
32:58
suffering.
33:03
As God
33:03
pursues
33:04
his praise,
33:06
he does
33:06
so with
33:07
his
33:08
suffering.
33:10
The
33:10
proclamation
33:11
of Jesus
33:13
Christ
33:13
and the
33:15
suffering
33:15
of Jesus
33:16
Christ,
33:17
they walk
33:17
hand in
33:18
hand.
33:19
They walk
33:20
hand in
33:20
hand.
33:22
If you
33:23
propagate the
33:24
word of
33:24
God,
33:25
if you
33:25
proclaim the
33:26
gospel of
33:26
Jesus Christ,
33:27
you will
33:28
be persecuted.
33:30
And we
33:31
often have
33:32
these really
33:32
big notions
33:33
of persecution
33:33
that are a
33:34
reality.
33:34
We see a
33:35
lot of it
33:35
in the
33:35
book of
33:36
Acts.
33:37
We see a
33:37
lot of it
33:38
in the
33:38
world today.
33:38
In fact,
33:39
next Sunday
33:40
is the
33:40
International
33:41
Day of
33:41
Prayer for
33:42
the
33:42
Persecuted
33:42
Church.
33:43
And we're
33:43
going to
33:43
take some
33:44
time to
33:44
do that
33:45
and consider
33:45
that together.
33:46
But I
33:47
fear sometimes
33:47
we think of
33:48
that as such
33:48
a far-off
33:49
thing.
33:50
Really,
33:51
the type of
33:51
persecution
33:52
we're talking
33:52
about next
33:53
Sunday is
33:54
beatings and
33:55
imprisonment and
33:57
martyrdom.
33:58
We need to
33:59
join in prayer
34:00
for churches
34:01
that are
34:01
experiencing that
34:02
around the
34:02
world.
34:03
Undoubtedly,
34:03
we shouldn't
34:04
think that we're
34:05
too much like
34:06
them.
34:07
However,
34:08
we also
34:08
shouldn't think
34:09
that we're
34:09
too different
34:10
from them.
34:11
Those who
34:12
desire to
34:12
live godly in
34:14
Christ Jesus
34:14
will be
34:15
persecuted.
34:16
If you're
34:17
not feeling
34:17
any pushback
34:19
from the
34:19
world,
34:20
you're not
34:21
proclaiming the
34:21
gospel of
34:22
Jesus Christ
34:22
as you
34:23
should.
34:24
The two
34:24
walk hand
34:26
in hand.
34:26
They are
34:27
mutually
34:28
inclusive.
34:30
They're
34:31
mutually
34:31
inclusive.
34:33
We're not
34:33
saved from
34:34
persecution
34:34
because we're
34:35
Americans.
34:35
Christians.
34:40
But
34:40
Elimus the
34:41
magician,
34:42
verse 8,
34:43
for that's
34:43
the meaning
34:44
of his
34:44
name.
34:45
Elimus
34:45
means
34:46
Greek,
34:48
wise,
34:48
or magical.
34:50
Opposed
34:51
them.
34:51
The Greek
34:52
word for
34:52
opposed is
34:53
a little
34:53
stronger
34:54
than we
34:55
may think.
34:55
He
34:55
resisted
34:56
or he
34:57
was hostile
34:58
toward this
35:00
message.
35:00
And what
35:00
did he
35:00
seek to
35:01
do?
35:01
He
35:01
sought
35:02
to turn
35:02
the
35:02
proconsul
35:03
away from
35:04
the
35:04
faith.
35:04
This
35:05
is a
35:05
picture
35:05
of
35:05
persecution
35:06
the way
35:07
we may
35:08
experience
35:08
it
35:08
today.
35:09
Simple
35:10
opposition
35:11
to the
35:11
message
35:12
of Jesus
35:12
Christ.
35:13
Seeking
35:13
to intervene
35:14
and turn
35:15
people
35:15
away
35:15
from
35:16
the
35:17
way
35:17
of
35:18
faith.
35:20
Listen to
35:20
what Paul
35:21
wrote in
35:21
Colossians
35:21
chapter 1
35:22
verse 24.
35:24
Now I
35:25
rejoice
35:25
in my
35:26
sufferings
35:27
for your
35:28
sake.
35:29
And in
35:29
my flesh,
35:30
peculiar
35:31
phrasing
35:31
here,
35:32
I am
35:33
filling
35:33
up what
35:34
is lacking
35:35
in
35:35
Christ's
35:36
afflictions
35:37
for the
35:38
sake of
35:38
his
35:38
body,
35:39
that is
35:40
the
35:41
church.
35:45
I am
35:45
filling
35:46
up what
35:46
is lacking
35:47
in
35:47
Christ's
35:48
afflictions
35:48
for the
35:49
sake of
35:50
his
35:50
body,
35:50
that is
35:51
the
35:52
church.
35:53
Is
35:54
Paul
35:54
suggesting
35:54
that
35:55
Christ's
35:55
suffering
35:56
wasn't
35:56
enough?
35:58
May it
35:59
never be.
36:01
Paul is
36:01
not saying
36:02
that Christ's
36:02
suffering was
36:02
lacking in
36:03
its power.
36:05
What he
36:06
is saying
36:06
is that
36:06
Christ's
36:07
suffering
36:08
needs to
36:09
be displayed
36:10
to those
36:11
who will
36:11
believe in
36:12
him.
36:14
Life,
36:14
death,
36:15
and
36:15
resurrection
36:15
is given
36:17
power as
36:18
we proclaim
36:18
the truth
36:19
of the
36:19
gospel as
36:19
we suffer
36:20
for their
36:21
sake.
36:23
Proclamation
36:24
and persecution
36:25
are mutually
36:27
inclusive.
36:28
inclusive.
36:29
People
36:30
around us
36:31
need to
36:31
see us
36:32
encounter
36:32
resistance
36:33
to the
36:34
glorious
36:34
truth of
36:34
the
36:35
gospel
36:35
and
36:35
press
36:36
through
36:36
it
36:36
all
36:37
the
36:37
same.
36:38
They
36:38
need to
36:39
hear us
36:40
continue
36:40
to preach
36:41
the word
36:41
of God
36:42
when people
36:42
don't like
36:43
us for
36:44
doing so.
36:45
When people
36:45
think us
36:46
strange,
36:47
when we
36:47
lose a
36:48
job because
36:49
of the
36:49
proclamation
36:50
of the
36:50
gospel,
36:51
people need
36:51
to see
36:52
us press
36:52
on
36:53
through that.
36:55
The two
36:55
things are
36:56
mutually
36:56
inclusive.
37:00
So we
37:00
see the
37:01
beneficiaries
37:01
of God's
37:02
pursuit of
37:02
his praise,
37:02
the church,
37:03
the means
37:03
of God's
37:04
pursuit of
37:04
his praise,
37:05
his people,
37:06
his word,
37:08
and his
37:08
suffering.
37:09
And finally,
37:09
we see the
37:10
persistence of
37:11
God's
37:12
pursuit of
37:13
his praise.
37:15
Praise God
37:15
that he is
37:16
persistent in
37:17
his pursuit
37:18
of his
37:20
praise.
37:22
God
37:22
intended
37:24
to save
37:24
the proconsul
37:25
and nothing
37:27
would stand
37:27
in his
37:28
way.
37:29
I hope
37:30
that's a
37:30
great
37:30
encouragement
37:31
to you
37:31
this morning.
37:33
God had
37:33
an intention
37:34
for the
37:35
governor
37:35
of Cyprus
37:36
and nothing
37:37
would stand
37:38
in his
37:38
way.
37:39
He created
37:39
a church
37:39
in Antioch,
37:40
he commissioned
37:40
missionaries
37:41
to Cyprus,
37:42
and he brought
37:43
them to
37:44
the proconsul,
37:45
Sergius
37:46
Paulus.
37:50
And in the
37:50
face of the
37:51
opposition of
37:51
Elimus,
37:52
catch this,
37:53
that in
37:53
verse 9,
37:54
Saul,
37:55
who's also
37:56
called Paul,
37:57
is filled
37:58
with the
37:58
Holy Spirit.
38:00
I would
38:01
not suggest
38:01
that anytime
38:02
somebody opposes
38:04
your proclamation
38:05
of the gospel,
38:06
that you call
38:06
them a son
38:07
of the devil.
38:11
I would
38:11
advise caution
38:13
in speaking
38:13
the way
38:14
that Paul
38:15
speaks here,
38:16
but Paul
38:17
certainly doesn't
38:18
seem to be
38:18
frightened at
38:18
all by this
38:19
man,
38:19
does he?
38:20
He's filled
38:21
with the
38:21
Holy Spirit,
38:22
moved by
38:23
the Spirit
38:24
to say
38:24
to him,
38:25
you son
38:25
of the
38:25
devil,
38:26
you enemy
38:27
of all
38:27
righteousness,
38:28
full of
38:28
deceit and
38:29
villainy,
38:30
will you
38:30
not stop
38:31
making crooked
38:32
the straight
38:33
paths of
38:34
the Lord?
38:36
What is
38:36
meant by
38:36
that,
38:37
making crooked
38:38
the straight
38:40
paths of
38:41
the Lord?
38:41
And we get
38:42
a little bit
38:42
of a hint
38:42
if you look
38:43
in verse
38:43
8,
38:45
Luke records
38:46
that Elimus
38:47
was seeking
38:48
to turn
38:49
the proconsul
38:49
away from
38:51
the faith.
38:53
And the
38:53
Greek word
38:54
for making
38:55
crooked
38:56
and the
38:57
Greek word
38:57
for seeking
38:58
to turn,
38:59
it's a single
38:59
word and
39:00
it's the same
39:01
word.
39:02
So these two
39:02
correspond,
39:03
right?
39:04
Seeking to
39:04
turn and
39:05
making crooked
39:06
correspond,
39:08
which leads
39:08
me to believe
39:09
that also
39:09
the faith
39:11
and the
39:11
straight paths
39:12
of the
39:12
Lord
39:13
correspond.
39:15
So God
39:16
has straight
39:17
paths
39:18
leading to
39:19
faith.
39:20
And He
39:21
will not
39:21
allow them
39:22
to be made
39:23
crooked.
39:24
He will
39:25
not allow
39:25
one of His
39:26
own to be
39:27
turned
39:27
from His
39:29
praise.
39:31
Praise Him
39:31
for that.
39:33
After Peter
39:34
proclaims that
39:35
Jesus is the
39:36
Christ in
39:36
Matthew 16,
39:37
18,
39:39
Jesus says,
39:41
and I tell
39:41
you,
39:42
you are Peter,
39:43
and on this
39:43
rock,
39:44
He's talking
39:44
about the
39:44
proclamation
39:45
that Jesus
39:46
is the
39:46
Christ,
39:46
not on
39:47
Peter.
39:47
He's talking
39:47
about the
39:48
proclamation
39:48
on this
39:50
rock that
39:50
you have
39:50
said,
39:51
I am
39:51
the
39:51
Christ,
39:52
I will
39:53
build
39:53
my
39:54
church,
39:55
and the
39:56
gates of
39:56
hell shall
39:57
not prevail
39:58
against it.
39:59
They will
40:00
not stand
40:01
in opposition
40:02
to the
40:02
advance
40:03
of the
40:04
church.
40:06
So we
40:07
can see
40:07
God's
40:07
pursuit
40:07
of His
40:08
praise as
40:09
we observe
40:09
the
40:10
beneficiaries
40:10
of God's
40:11
pursuit
40:11
of His
40:12
praise,
40:12
the means
40:13
of God's
40:14
pursuit of
40:15
His
40:15
praise.
40:15
I'm saying
40:16
that a lot
40:16
and the
40:17
persistence
40:18
of God's
40:19
pursuit of
40:21
His
40:21
praise.
40:22
So what does
40:23
it mean for
40:23
us today?
40:24
We're looking
40:25
at it here,
40:27
life of the
40:27
early church,
40:28
8047.
40:29
Does it mean
40:30
something for us
40:30
today?
40:31
It certainly
40:31
does.
40:32
It's God's
40:32
word to us.
40:34
What's the
40:34
application?
40:36
I've got three
40:37
and they're
40:37
quick.
40:38
number one,
40:41
if you
40:41
have placed
40:42
believing
40:42
faith in
40:43
Jesus
40:43
Christ,
40:44
then you
40:45
are a
40:45
beneficiary
40:46
of God's
40:47
pursuit
40:47
of His
40:48
praise.
40:49
You should
40:49
revel in
40:50
the fact
40:51
that this
40:51
is what
40:51
God is
40:52
set to.
40:55
A quick
40:56
unanimous
40:58
poem for
40:59
you,
41:00
which I
41:01
think pictures
41:01
this so
41:02
well.
41:02
Oh, how
41:04
long and
41:05
dark the
41:06
stairs I
41:06
trod,
41:07
with
41:08
stumbling
41:08
feet to
41:09
find my
41:10
God,
41:11
gaining a
41:12
foothold bit
41:13
by bit,
41:13
then slipping
41:14
back and
41:15
losing it.
41:17
There came a
41:17
certain time
41:18
when I
41:18
loosened my
41:19
hold and
41:20
fell thereby,
41:22
down to the
41:23
lowest step
41:23
my fall,
41:24
as if I
41:25
had not
41:26
climbed at
41:27
all.
41:28
And as I
41:29
lay despairing
41:30
there,
41:31
there came a
41:32
footfall on
41:33
the stairs,
41:34
and lo,
41:34
when hope
41:35
had ceased
41:36
to be,
41:37
my God
41:38
came down
41:39
the stairs
41:40
to me.
41:42
We are the
41:43
beneficiaries
41:44
of God's
41:46
pursuit of
41:46
His own
41:46
praise.
41:48
If you
41:49
have not
41:49
placed
41:50
believing
41:51
faith in
41:51
Christ,
41:53
then the
41:53
invitation is
41:54
before you
41:55
today.
41:56
I pray that
41:57
you find
41:57
yourself humble,
41:59
laying with
42:00
no hope,
42:01
at the foot
42:02
of those
42:02
stairs.
42:04
The invitation
42:04
of God
42:05
coming to
42:06
you that
42:06
you might
42:06
respond in
42:07
faith is
42:08
for you
42:09
today.
42:11
Will you
42:11
recognize your
42:12
rebellion against
42:13
a good and
42:14
glorious God?
42:15
Will you
42:15
recognize that
42:16
you are like
42:17
a cyprine?
42:19
Repent of
42:19
your sin and
42:20
place your
42:21
faith in the
42:22
personal work
42:23
of Christ
42:23
this day.
42:25
I want you to
42:26
be a
42:27
beneficiary of
42:27
God's pursuit
42:28
of His praise.
42:30
I want you
42:31
to praise
42:31
Him with
42:32
me forever.
42:35
Secondly,
42:37
if you are
42:38
a Christian,
42:39
God intends
42:39
to use you
42:40
as a means
42:41
in the pursuit
42:42
of His praise.
42:44
Are you
42:44
obedient to
42:45
the call of
42:46
God on
42:46
your life
42:47
here
42:48
now?
42:51
And will
42:52
you continue
42:52
to be obedient
42:53
in all
42:54
things
42:55
to all
42:56
peoples?
42:57
this is
42:59
your gospel
43:00
commission.
43:01
The disciple
43:01
of Jesus
43:02
Christ makes
43:03
disciples of
43:05
Jesus Christ.
43:07
Thirdly,
43:08
we can all
43:11
rejoice in
43:11
God's
43:12
persistence in
43:13
the pursuit
43:13
of His
43:15
praise.
43:16
We are a
43:17
part of a
43:18
story that
43:18
began a
43:19
long time
43:21
ago.
43:22
Began in
43:23
Genesis
43:24
chapter 1.
43:25
It kicked
43:26
off in
43:26
Genesis
43:27
chapter 3.
43:29
We are
43:30
part of
43:30
this huge
43:31
redemptive
43:32
story.
43:34
Barnabas,
43:35
Paul,
43:35
and John
43:36
Mark on
43:36
the island
43:36
of Cyprus
43:37
is just
43:37
one scene
43:39
in a much
43:39
larger
43:40
play.
43:42
God is
43:42
pursuing
43:43
and He
43:44
has made
43:44
us His
43:45
own.
43:47
Further,
43:48
we can be
43:48
emboldened
43:49
in our
43:50
gospel
43:50
proclamation
43:51
because
43:52
nothing
43:52
will stop
43:53
the salvation
43:54
of God's
43:55
people.
43:56
Let's pray
43:57
together.
43:57
Let's pray
43:57
together.
43:57
Let's pray
43:57
together.