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THE NEWS HAS COME TO TOWN. EVERYONE IS TALKING. (Act 13:44-45) On the next Sabbath, envy creates opposition. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. (STILL DO) The scene is easy to picture. The whole city was ready to hear the gospel from Paul on the next Sabbath. “In our day, people are overwhelmed with information. We have radio, television, newspapers, magazines. People did not have any of this in that day. So when somebody came through from another city, the person was a source of precious information and people naturally thronged about him. The missionaries were proclaiming something new.” (Boice) LIKE THE WILD WEST. DUAL IMPORTANCE. There was not merely the power of novelty; there was more notably the power of the word of God. This was the primary power that attracted people, and Luke emphasized it in his account. READ IT: · The whole city came together to hear the word of God (Acts 13:44) · Paul and Barnabas spoke the word of God to them first (Acts 13:46) · The Gentiles responded to the word of the Lord (Acts 13:48) · The word of the Lord spread through the region (Acts 13:49) b. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy: The dramatic response made the leaders of the synagogue envious. This is inevitable for those who are more concerned about being popular than serving God. When someone else is more popular, they become filled with envy. We can’t all be popular to the same degree, but we can all serve and please God to the same degree in Jesus Christ. THEY WERE Contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul: Suddenly, Paul’s preaching was opposed as if he were conducting a debate, with his opponents contradicting him and blaspheming God. The blasphemy mentioned probably has to do with abusive and degrading language directed towards Jesus, whom Paul preached. ONGOING BY YOUR TRADITION. THE TALUDIC TRADITION OF EVIL MEN. They opposed the things spoken by Paul: It seems strange that these religious people who waited so long for their Messiah would now reject Him when Jesus was presented to them. One great reason was they wanted to keep the division between Jew and Gentile, and if Jesus was to be the Messiah of all men, they wanted no part of Him. THIS IS A PATTERN AS SEEN IN OTHER BOOKS WE STUDIED. THE WORD GENTILE BROUGHT RAGE AS WE WILL SEE LATER. THE GENTILE CHALLENGE WOULD BE – HOW TO AVOID ANTI SEMETIC TEACHING, EXAMPLE LUTHER IN THE REFORMATION WROTE THE TRACT “THE JEWS AND THEIR LIES” Some people end up rejecting Jesus because of the way He changes our relationship with other people. Some would rather hold on to their bitterness and animosity towards others than turn to Jesus and be reconciled. IN SPOUSES AND PARTNERS? 3. (Act 13:46-48) Paul and Barnabas respond to the Jewish opposition. THEN THEY'RE OUTTA HERE! Then Paul and Barnabas
grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God
should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the
Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us:
‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for
salvation
to the ends of the earth.’” (Isaiah
49:6) Now when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had
been appointed to eternal life believed. GODS PLAN OF SALVATION When you want to tell
others about Jesus, begin with your own group. YOUR OWN FAMILY. But
if they don’t receive it, or when they start to reject it, don’t
stop telling others about Jesus. Just find others to tell,
others who will listen. YOUR NEW FELLOWSHIP IS NEVER FLESH AND
BLOOD BUT ALL WHO LOVE JESUS. And what we call "people of good
will." AND as MANY GENTILES AS
had been appointed to eternal life believed: They also responded with
more evangelism to open hearts, now directing their efforts to the
Gentiles, in obedience to God’s command (Romans 1:16 I AM NOT
ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO
SALVATION TO THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.) and in fulfillment
of prophecy (the quotation from Isaiah 49:6 "...I WILL
ALSO GIVE THEE FOR A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, THAT THOU MAY BE MY
SALVATION UNTO THE END OF THE EARTH). I ASK: HOW IS THE LORD LIKE THE FOUNTAINHEAD OF EVERY BLESSING? HOSPITALS, UNIVERSITES, CHAIRITIES, ETC. AND SOME REJECT IT, and academics are BELIEVING "THE NOBLE SAVAGE" WAS PURE...??? The Gentiles responded to Paul’s invitation with enthusiastic belief, learning with joy that God does not hate Gentiles, but offered them salvation in Jesus. (IN ONE ACCORD WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT, OR ACCORDING TO...) "HE ROSE AGAIN, ACCORDING TO..." Paul showed wisdom in not spending all his time trying to persuade hardened hearts. We know that even after he made Gentiles the focus of his evangelistic efforts, he still prayed earnestly for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1), but he spent his missionary time ministering to more AND LIKELY ANY open hearts. (AND IN ROMANS, GOD HAD RESERVED FOR HIMSELF....? 4. (Act 13:49-50) Blessing and opposition. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. It was being spread through the efforts of Paul and Barnabas, but especially through the lives of these people being brought to Jesus Christ. WHAT IS A CHAIN REACTION? THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH. AMAZING TESTIMONY. THE ACT OF GIVING. It’s remarkable to think that this church was born in a little more than a week. On one Sabbath Paul and Barnabas preached in the synagogue and there was a wonderful response. The following Sabbath there was a mixed response, some very hostile and some very receptive. They took the receptive ones and started a church that lasted for hundreds of years and through that church, the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region (Acts 13:49). ii. Sometimes remarkable works of God happen quite quickly. We should be happy for such SINCE Wherever there is revival, the second group to be revived is the Devil. Jewish opposition was strong enough to force Paul and Barnabas to leave the area. (IS THERE WISDOM IN RETREAT? CONSIDER “D” AND HIS WIFE... INTERESTING THAT EARLIER PERSECUTION CHASED CHRISTIANS OUT OF JERUSALEM THAT CAUSED CHRISTIANITY TO SPREAD TO THE EAST IN ASIA MINOR AND THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE. WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU, IT IS OFTEN TO BENEFIT THE LORD JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. (Act 13:51-52) Paul and Barnabas react to their expulsion from the city of Pisidian Antioch. They shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? They shook off the dust from their feet against them: In doing this, Paul and Barnabas treated the city as if it were a God-rejecting Gentile city. AND THIS WAS A TYPICAL JEWISH GESTURE. If Jewish people had to go in or through a Gentile city, when leaving the city they shook the dust off their feet as a gesture saying, “We don’t want to take anything from this Gentile city with us.” In this sense, Paul said “I don’t want to take anything with me from you Jesus-rejecting religionists.” AMEN TO THAT. BEING FIRMLY CONVINCED OF THE EPIPHANY GOD GAVE YOU. SO This rejection did not make Paul and Barnabas think there was anything wrong with themselves. They knew THEY WERE OVER THE TARGET, AND the problem is with their opposition, not themselves. They carried on the work, going next to Iconium. All too often, rejection and opposition makes us want to give up. But Paul and Barnabas responded with KNOWLEDGE AND appropriate determination. KNOWING CHRIST AND HIS WAY, IN BIBLE STUDY, FORTIFIES, EDIFIES Being filled with joy AND the Holy Spirit go together. Paul and Barnabas had joy that contradicted their circumstances. Paul is a great example of his own command to be constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit AS IN (Ephesians 5:18). HOW TO BE...? “The happiness of A PERSON IN CHRIST lies far beyond the reach of earthly disturbances, and is not affected by the changes and chances to which mortal things are exposed. The martyrs were more happy in the flames than their persecutors could be on their beds of down.” (Clarke) WHAT'S A DOWN BED? © 2012 David Guzik – WORDS IN ALL CAPS BY BILL. C. No distribution beyond personal use without permission |