2021.12.12
Victory in Persistence / Sermon Outline
Acts 14

Slide

“‘Iconium’ comes from Greek word for ‘image.’” It’s is where we get our word icon. … It was a garden spot, situated in the midst of orchards and farms, but surrounded by deserts. … Iconium, too, owed its bustling business activity to its location on the main trade route connecting Ephesus with Syria and the Mesopotamian world,’" (Longnecker, 431-32)

Paul introduced Christianity in Iconium around 45 AD. The church continued in being here for eight centuries, but under the Mohammedan rule was almost extinguished. (ATS)

14:1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue as was typical.

• God’s people were there.
• Religious people were there.
• Curious people were there.
• Monotheistic theology was there.

They spoke in “such a way”

• God left us examples, through Luke’s writings, of the presentations that Paul presented to his audiences. These presentation were,

1. clear;
2. Included only what was necessary to connect to his audiences, and
3. included an opportunity for a response.

Hamburger: (Author unknown)

1. Man’s need (we have all sinned in this life; God does not receive man’s standard of righteousness)
2. Jesus’ death and resurrection
3. Opportunities to respond (no praying of the sinners’ pray)

2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

“But” Luke continued to write about the contrast between God’s people and the opposition they faced.

• Poisoned their minds = The Jews were poisoning the minds of the unbelieving gentiles.
• Jews willing to continually ally with the Gentiles to undermine the gospel.
• The brothers faced forces of darkness from the religious world, physical world, and spiritual worlds.
• The enemies of the gospel wanted to stop what they saw as a threat to their power and fame.
• But the were being used against the brothers in another way also:
  • Satan’s first desire: he wants stop justification paramountly, and if not, stop sanctification.
  • Get in the mind to stop growth:
    • stop Christians from learning new truth
    • stop Christians from interacting w/ God and His people
    • stop repentance

APPL:
We can learn from the patterns we see in the early church compared to today:

• God’s looking to take us over completely.
• But the kingdom of darkness and our flesh natures want
• Today, Christians’ minds have been influenced by poisoned minds
  • Gallup said, “There’s little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. There’s as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. And I’m afraid that applies pretty much across the board: religion, per se, is not really life changing. People cite it as important, for instance, in overcoming depression—but it doesn’t have primacy in determining behavior.” (Gallup)
  • It takes real commitment to change minds out of a NEW Cristian, SECULAR Christian and CARNAL Christian. That is often deeply polluted by the world and his own sinful desires.
    • The mind controls the life.
    • There cannot be a proper response to the gospel in sanctification apart from thinking about it properly in relationship to an individual’s being.
    • There are 1000s of ways to contaminate it.

3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord,

• No dusting…continued to speak.
• Boldness

It seemed to take some time for the opposition to add some bite to their persecution efforts.

• It seems the apostles stuck around a bit when persecution was not driving them to another field.
• Perhaps they feared the people for some time and had to wait for the excitement of the miracles, signs and wonders to subside.
• The signs from the Lord may have caused the Jewish leaders to fear the people while the apostles remained popular.
• Nevertheless the longer the apostles preached, and as the opposition organized, clearer lines were being drawn and soon everyone would have to choose what side they were on. ^(Bruce, 271)^

3b. who [the Lord] bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

• God put the power in their message thru signs and wonders.
  • In spite of this, people were still divided.
• Jesus brings division!
  • Too, Jesus brings the sword to the party.
  • He divides
  • He makes a distinction
• Man muddies the waters with division
  • Jesus brings clarity and cooperation to the Church

APPL:

• When one walks in God’s will individual and collectively in community, one shall see power in the actions of life.
• Sanctification is a miracle.

5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.

• Finally, murderers had organized with a murderous plan against Paul and Barnabas.
• ESV = “attemp” = Greek: ὁρμή (hormē): a violent motion, impulse. (Blueletter)
• The attempt “to stone them” appears to have been a wish of mob violence, rather than a formal Jewish attempt at execution (cf. 7:58-59). (Constable, 297)
• BUT there is no back-down in their strategy.
• The fully had entrusted themselves to Almighty God.

ILL:

Emerson said, Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

APPL:
While there are certainly different levels of bravery–Emerson is right.
There are times where we must be brave.
God HAS call us to the difficult.
God MAY call us to the difficult

TRANS:
We have seen that Paul and Barnabas fled in the face of harsh persecution as they continued to fullfil what God called them to, lets looks at their ministry in Lystra.

Lystra was about 20 miles south of Iconium. Twenty miles was a normal day’s travel in the Roman Empire at this time. Luke did not mention synagogue evangelism here. Evidently there were so few Jews that there was no synagogue in Lystra (or in Philippi). (Constable, 298)

8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.

? How Paul perceived the man’s faith this is not said.

• Discernment
• perhaps in his countenance:
  • humility
  • strong desire
• He had heard Paul, perhaps he spoke of God’s miracles
• The miracles performed also in Icontium had doubtless also been heard of in Lystra. (Barnes)

God had especially equipped Paul to be his mouthpiece with His backing.

God would prove AGAIN to Paul’s audience that Paul should be listened to via supernatural miracles and at first people listened.

11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,

saying in Lycaonia

• perhaps a mixture of two languages …
• or the Greek language corrupted with this foreign admixture. (Barnes)

The gods

• These worshiped throughout Greece.
• Zeus was the chief god in the Greek pantheon, (Romans = Jupiter) and Hermes was his herald (Romans = Mercury).
• Paul = Hermes perhaps because he was the chief speaker.
  • According to Greek legend, Hermes invented speech and was an eloquent speaker.
  • The English word “hermeneutics,” the science of interpretation, comes from this word. (Robertson, 3:210; Barnes)

Are come down

• A legend in Lystra = that Zeus and Hermes once visited an elderly couple who lived there
• Apparently the locals concluded that these gods had returned.
• Supposing that their gods had personally appeared to do the supernatural (Barnes)
• Trompf said, "it must be remembered that ancient historians looked for and believed in the existence of repeated cycles or patterns in history, such that one could learn from what has gone before and to a certain degree know what to expect from the future. ^(Footnote 273)^
• miracles often draw more attention to the miracle worker than to God. (Constable, 300)

In the likeness of men

• The poems of Homer, of Virgil, etc., are filled with accounts of such appearances, and the only way in which they supposed the gods to take knowledge of human affairs, and to help people, was by their personally appearing in this form (Kuinoel). ^(Barnes)

APPL:
Of course there is a lesson in the way the crowd responded with the highest praise for the apostles.

If Satan cannot derail with persecution, he will try praise.

Monte and 2 Corinthians 2:10-12:

• “Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. ***For we are not unaware of his schemes.”***(emphasis added)
• Satan only has so many tool in his tool bag.
• Persecution
• False guilt
• Division
• Praise / or the desire for it (the idol of recognition)

15 “Men, why are you doing these things? [—worshiping Paul and Barnabas] We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Gospel patterns:

• v.15 “We also are men, of like nature with you” [All are sinners.]
• We bring you good news (Jesus dies and rose again)
• Turn to a living (the real) Creator God (one turns through the son)
• God has been good to you.
• !He leaves out the Jewish Scriptures

Paul Stoned at Lystra

19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.-

• The Stoning
  • One often does not know when violence will break out.
  • It happened to Paul as he went about his everyday life.
  • There were gods now they were treated “worse than animals.” (Constable 302)
  • Kent, “Disillusioned fanatics are easily led off into contradictory actions.” (117)
• Some believe Paul died and was raised from the dead.
  • To this view, people had a closer view of what death everyday.
  • There is no way to prove this theory.
  • But is is amazing that he could walk to a new city the next day.
  • It does seem at least that the Lord helped Paul physically here.

21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

• Notice the apostles fulfilling the Great Commission.
  • v.21: made many disciples.
• Two commentators picked up on an idea: (Constable, 303)
  • Larger Antioch and Iconium seem to have produced more influential churches,
  • but the smaller ones of Lystra and Derbe contributed more young men who became leaders (i.e., Timothy and Gaius)."
  • Longnecker said it well: “This is a pattern not altogether different from today, where the larger churches often capture the headlines and the smaller congregations provide much of the personnel.” (438)

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

• On the way back they “Strengthened the souls of the disciples”–their lives.
• Three ways—TALK ABOUT EACH—
  • 1. v.22 encouraging them to continue in the faith, and
  • 2. saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
  • 3. v.23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.**

APPL:
Rinse repeat

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.

What we see is more followup from the missionaries—the apostles
They returned to where the missionary journey started

• v. 26 "sailed [back] to Antioch, where they had been commended [committed (NIV), entrusted (NASB), or recommended (KJV)] to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled."
• They fulfilled their duty and calling to God
  • We can do no better.
• v. 27 They declared all that God had done with them.
  • We got beat up and stoned
  • We were harassed and reviled LOL
  • Galatians 6:9, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
  • The Gentile mission got done
  • v.28 Remained no little time with the disciples.

ILL:

“When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,” tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. “He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ “‘Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.’ “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book—whatever we choose—we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.” (Commitment)

APPL:

• For the Christian we must daily choose the chair of Jesus.
• To spend meaningful time with Him in relationship
• To respond to what we know.
• There is victory in persistence.

Bibliography

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. “Iconium.” Bible.org, https://biblehub.com/topical/i/iconium.htm.

Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles. The Daily Study Bible series, 2nd ed., Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1962. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Barnes, Albert. “Commentary on Acts 14”. “Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/acts-14.html. 1870.

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 1960. One vol. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980. As charted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Blueletter Bible. "Lexicon :: Strong’s G3730 - hormē." https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3730/kjv/tr/0-1/.

Bruce, F. F. The Book of Acts: The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Gordon D. Fee, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmanns Publishing Company, 1988.

“Commitment.” Guideposts, as quoted in https://bible.org/illustration/commitment.

Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Always Someone to Say You are Wrong.” Source Unknown, https://bible.org/illustration/always-someone-say-you-are-wrong.

Footnote 273: “See the discussion by [G. W.] Trompf, [The] Idea of Historical Recurrence [in Western Thought], of Polybius, pp. 78 ff., and of Luke, pp. 170ff.” As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Gallup, George H. “Vital Signs.” Leadership, Fall 1987, p. 17, https://bible.org/illustration/churched-and-unchurched.

Kent, Homer A., Jr. Jerusalem to Rome. New Testament Studies series. Brethren Missionary Herald, 1972, reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House and BMH Books, 1985. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Longenecker, Richard N. “The Acts of the Apostles.” In John-Acts. Vol. 9 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. 12 vols., edited by Frank E.Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981, 431-32. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series. Reprint ed., Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, and Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. 5 vols., Pasadena, Calif.: Thru The Bible Radio, and Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1983. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Neil, William. The Acts of the Apostles. New Century Bible Commentary series. London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1973, reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1981. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Ramsay, William M. The Church in the Roman Empire before A.D. 170. 3rd ed. London: Hoddar and Stoughton, 1894. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Word Pictures in the New Testament. 6 vols. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.