Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Acts 13-15
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Hey, it's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas. We are are back and getting started with our continual journey through Scripture that we go in a chronological order. We are into the book of Acts right now, and we are going to be looking at Acts 13 through 15 today. Acts 13 through 15. So we got all the way to the point that we've had Saul's conversion and now ⁓ he has ⁓ spent some time up in Antioch and he's been with ⁓ Barnabas. ⁓ and now he is going to begin his first missionary journey, that is he and Barnabas. ⁓ and so starting in ⁓ chapter 13, ⁓ we see ⁓ the ⁓ the beginning of this ⁓ first missionary journey. ⁓ the church there in Antioch had called certain prophets and teachers, so there were kind of five ⁓ leaders that were there, Barnabas Simeon, who was called Niger, so ⁓ very likely he was from Niger, maybe from Africa, very possibly that he was black. ⁓ Lucius of Serene, ⁓ Mana Manahan, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, so he was probably a house s ⁓ servant, ⁓ at ⁓ for a for a long time and many times that Slavery was different then. There were different aspects of it. There were some who were brutal and horrible. ⁓ but you could be a slave and and actually have a lot of prestige, ⁓ especially if you were in a ⁓ important household, which Herod the Tetrarch was. ⁓ so more than likely what had happened is he had been freed. ⁓ so but looks like he had that background. ⁓ and then you have Saul. So we have a a very diverse group ⁓ of people here. says ⁓ as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, ⁓ the Holy Spirit said, Separate Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them. And so then they begin their missionary journey. ⁓ so they go to Cyprus, which is an island, ⁓ and they they sail to Cyprus, ⁓ and they would their kind of pattern would be that they would go to the synagogues first. That was the easiest place to go. And again, remember, they They were reaching out to Jews and to Gentiles. ⁓ this is the first real overt reach out to to Gentiles. ⁓ but they were not opposed to that. But again, they didn't see this as replacing Judaism. ⁓ this was ⁓ just a an extension of it. ⁓ unfortunately, the many of the Jews were pushing back. So the Paul and Barnabas would go to the synagogues and begin the message there. It's you have lots of interesting interactions that happen on these ⁓ stops. ⁓ in this one they go and they ⁓ find a sorcerer who is named Bargesus or Elamas. and the the sorcerer was ⁓ kind of pushing back ⁓ and and a the proconsul, so the the Roman authority there was actually starting to listen to to Paul and Barnabas. ⁓ And ⁓ this is where Saul is beginning to be called Paul. Why is that? Saul was the Jewish name. That that was his Hebrew name. Paul was his Greek name. So now he's going to be referred to as Paul. ⁓ and this is what they say whenever they confront ⁓ Elimos or Barjesus says, ⁓ full of all deceit and fraud. This is verse ten of chapter thirteen. O full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil. You enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now indeed the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. ⁓ and isn't that interesting ⁓ how forceful they were that ⁓ for those who were trying to pervert the ways of the Lord, ⁓ they stood up forcefully against that and and and rebuked ⁓ him. And then you have ⁓ them at ⁓ at Antioch. ⁓ this is a a different Antioch in ⁓ Pasidia. ⁓ and Paul they they sail and they get there. and they again they go into the synagogue, they sit down, they begin teaching. ⁓ Paul stood stands up, he says, Men of Israel, you who fear God, listen. ⁓ and then he starts to go through the Jewish people's history. Again, he's trying to connect them ⁓ to ⁓ the the Messiah, to Jesus. ⁓ says ⁓ verse thirty-six, for David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his father, saw corruption, but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, ⁓ brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sin, and by him everyone who believes is justified from the things for which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. so again, connecting with with the Messiah with David, but David has fallen asleep, right? David is is dead, ⁓ but the Messiah is is living. and ⁓ it says verse forty three now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, ⁓ speaking to them and persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. ⁓ so on the next Sabbath many people show up and this is interesting, this this is when the trouble starts, verse 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy. So in a sense, that what they saw is, hey, we've been telling people about God and look, no one showed up, and now these new guys come and they they talking about the Messiah, and look at all these people showing up. And they were jealous, they were envious. and so they began ⁓ to really ⁓ push that they were blaspheming. ⁓ they opposed what Paul was ⁓ speaking, ⁓ but Paul and Barnabas ⁓ grew bold, right? There are times we have to be bold and stand up for the word of God. And ⁓ it says it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life. Behold, we turn to the Gentiles. Now that's a pretty strong statement that ⁓ that you have re you're rejecting the eternal life that comes from from Christ. ⁓ and of course they're ⁓ giving a verse there in Isaiah, I have set ⁓ you as sent I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth. Again, connecting this back. They keep trying to connect it back to the old testament, ⁓ but the Many of the the Jewish leaders and and Jews of that day did not accept. Says ⁓ verse 48. Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. and so they began to to grow. ⁓ verse 50, but the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and chief men of the city. So they just wanted to cause chaos and and they succeeded. ⁓ so ⁓ verse fifty one, that they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium. So Paul and Barnabas now have been pushed out of ⁓ of that Antioch. Then they go to I Iconium. ⁓ but there you have ⁓ the the unbelieving Jews, the those who did not believe this message, they stirred up the Gentiles. ⁓ so there's ⁓ constant groups that are now battling ⁓ and pushing back against Paul and Barnabas, ⁓ trying to ⁓ to cause chaos where people will not hear ⁓ the message. ⁓ says in verse four of chapter fourteen, but the multitude of the city was divided, part sided with the Jews, part with the apostles, ⁓ and then there was a violent attempt. and so Paul and Barnabas, ⁓ they ⁓ leave to go to Lystra and and Derby and continuing preaching the gospel. They And again, they would be at these places for a long time. It's not like they'd go in for a day. They would be there teaching and preaching ⁓ and clearly making an impact. Then you have ⁓ them go to Lystra. ⁓ you have idolatry ⁓ very clearly ⁓ in Lystra in verse nine. they heard Paul speaking and and observed ⁓ observed him intently ⁓ and with a loud voice ⁓ Paul Paul I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself. ⁓ right here at the beginning, Paul heals a cripple. and it said tell it tells him to stand up on your feet. He left and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying, The gods have come down to us in the likeness of these men. Barnabas they called Zeus Paul Hermes, ⁓ because he was the chief speaker. And so they attributed Paul and Barnabas what they were doing to their gods, right? Their pagan gods of Zeus, the Greek gods. And of course, Paul and Barnabas were ⁓ incensed at this. They tore their clothes ⁓ and they said starting in verse fifteen, ⁓ men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you as you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven and earth, the sea and all the things that are in them. who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways, then nevertheless he did not leave himself without witness, in that he did not in that he did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts and food with gladness. And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Now this is really interesting because the pagan gods were basically built around the elements and nature and representing different aspects of nature. ⁓ and so what Paul and Barnabas are saying, listen, that is who God is. The he is the one true living God. The all these others are false that you have created, ⁓ but he has created ⁓ you. ⁓ and then as they're making a difference, ⁓ of course the Jews from Antioch and Iconium come and they ⁓ stone Paul. They thought he was dead. Looks like this may have been a miracle that God allowed Paul to live. supposing him to be dead in the verse twenty. However, when the disciples gathered around him and he rose up and went into the city. ⁓ right, so he was ⁓ was was not killed ⁓ by this stoning. ⁓ and then ⁓ Paul and Barnabas, they kind of make their way back, ⁓ and as they do, they stop stop at the places that they had already been. And encouraged the converts. Again, this is taking months. says and when they had preached the gospel to the city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Econium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, extorting them to continue in the faith, saying, We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. Right? So they didn't see these tribulations and these difficulties as ⁓ kind of stop signs to stop doing what you're doing. They were actually signs that what they were doing was correct. ⁓ because they knew that they were going to have to suffer just as Jesus suffered. ⁓ so it was a totally different mindset. They they were not trying to avoid conflict. They knew that conflict was going to happen just because they set preached and taught what was true. ⁓ they didn't seek the conflict, they knew that it would come ⁓ just by speaking the truth, which is also true today. Excuse me. ⁓ then in Acts fifteen we have ⁓ a major conflict. ⁓ what you have are you have ⁓ kind of pharisaic Jews ⁓ in Jerusalem that are concerned that all of these Gentiles are converting ⁓ to Christianity or following the way, ⁓ but yet they are not following the Jewish law, specifically circumcision. ⁓ and so they have a debate on ⁓ you know, you should you get circumcised in order to join? There were groups of I mean, in order to become Jewish you had to get circumcised. Now, ⁓ you know, that we we want to do things that are right, but I that was that should definitely be something that's talked about. ⁓ because if you're an adult and that's the part of the requirement ⁓ to convert, you you may have second thoughts. ⁓ right, and and so what is the goal here? Is the goal here just to get Converts or is the goal to have lives that are changed by Jesus Christ? and and so that is what the conversation was about. ⁓ you can read through chapter fifteen, ⁓ first verse says, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. and it's that that is what many were starting to s to say, and Paul and Barnabas were very upset about this. Verse five says some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying it is necessary to circumcise them and command them to keep the law of Moses. And then Peter says this in verse seven, Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by fire. fa by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they. Powerful that for Peter to stand up and say that and they continue to to discuss and ⁓ and Peter ⁓ kind of concludes a says ⁓ verse eighteen, known to God from eternity are all his works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble ⁓ those from among the Gentiles who were turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols. That's obviously a Ten Commandment, from sexual immorality. Right, because th they were they were introducing a new sexual ethic, ⁓ a biblical ethic. It was different. Sexual norms in ancient Rome were similar to our secular sexual norms. And ⁓ they were saying, No, we have a different one. We follow the sexual norms ⁓ that are found in Scripture. ⁓ and so that was one of the conditions. ⁓ you know, Gentiles they don't have to ⁓ follow the ⁓ ritual of circumcision, ⁓ but they do have to quit ⁓ eating things from idols, sexual immorality, ⁓ and then saying from eating ⁓ blood that was, you know, kind of sacrificed to these pagan ⁓ gods. Says in verse twenty one, for Moses ha has had throughout many generations those who preach ⁓ him in every city, being read in the synagogue every Sabbath. So that is what they began ⁓ expecting, and they did not require ⁓ circumcision, ⁓ but rather that you accept the Lord Jesus Christ, that ⁓ eternal life comes through him and then you stop doing pagan things. ⁓ right, and that includes sexual immorality. ⁓ that's important as we ⁓ battle rapidly changing ⁓ sexual agendas and ideas ⁓ today. ⁓ we need to hold on to that biblical sexual ethic. That was something important ⁓ and that is not something that we let go. ⁓ in order to make it easier for people to come to know Christ. All right. So that that's gonna we're gonna stop there for today. ⁓ next ⁓ Tuesday we're gonna be in Galatians. Let's do Galatians chapters one through three. Galatians chapter one through three. So now we're gonna be interspersed in Acts ⁓ the letters that Paul would write. Because remember he's going to different places and then he writes letters to them that make up the bulk of the New Testament. ⁓ and so that so we will be interspersing those ⁓ in ⁓ as we go through the gospel or not the gospel, ⁓ the ⁓ the book of Acts. So Galatians chapter one through three. All right. We'll see you then.