DEVOTIONAL FOR APRIL 24, 2024
A Pregnant Church’s Execution of Evangelism:
Heed The Call – Ephesians 4:11
Pastors and Teachers – perfect the Saints
The Great Commission – Matthew 28:18-20
To Laity: empowered to actively keep the Church giving birth to new converts:
The Purpose For Evangelism – Ephesians 4:12-16.
Teach new converts the Divine Work of the Ministry, thereby building up the Body of Christ, until we all come (mature) in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
If you have not noticed the Devotional changes weekly, so, we get a new devotional weekly, but the chapters which we are studying, please keep until it is finished. And then we receive a new chapter. God willing, for your convenience, they’re on Facebook. i.e., please don’t lose it.
SONG: Lord prepare me X 2
Lord prepare me,
To be a sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true
And with thanksgiving
I’ll be a living,
Sanctuary, oh for You.
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If I have left off someone or need to add someone who desires to be listed here, please remind me.
Pastor Garrett and Family Pastor’s Leadership Team
The New Life Family
NEW CONVERTS
Kelli Thomas, Virtual New Member
Michaela “Shay” Anderson
Gloria Shaw, pending Right Hand of Fellowship
Candyce Rechel, Taylor Murray, Kristen DarJean, Jasmine Fields, Victoria Hall, Raya Garrett, pending Baptism.
LaTonya Bishop Amanda Bowers
Lou Mason
Lily Murphy Lewis
Deacon Wm. Butler and Family
Miriam Renee Helton, Cancer Survivor X2, Glaucoma
Brother George Laws, Home, Sister Bobbie Laws, Caregiver and Cancer Survivor.
Lornetta Dorsett
Tonya McCall, HOME recovering Uncle Charlie Murray
Brother Wm. Granville, Sis Granville
Deacon Robert Jones and Family. Thomas Likely
Monroe Nickles Anne Edwards
Cora Norwood
Etta Spencer, back in Service
Toniesha Blythe
Mary Willis Family
Jennifer Edwards
Leon Murray
Minister Luther Black Minister Sidney Frazier, recovering from Surgery and Jayna Frazier Family
Deacon Emmanuel Wilson and Family Kenneth Hogan
Africa Patton Loniece Smith
Sister Jean Wiggins, Mother of Sis Ethel Hall
Sister Sidney Harris
Sister Lynn Wagner
Minister Odie Bowers and Family Sister Esther Clements
Bro. Wm. Day, Jr.
Elley Ferrell
Greg Jones Hattie M Paige,
Neil Willis Deacon George and Connie Shelton
Brother Walter and Sister Carole Dunn
Sister Canesha Curray
Bereaved: Tony Gaines and Shannon Murray in the loss of Vanesa Gaines; Deacon John Kitchen, Sis Grethel Evans, the Butler Family, Betty Monford, Maedean Turner, Murray Family Joanie Petersson,
Tommie Selvie.
John Coleman Family
Brother Doug Ingram and Family
Elaine Johnson Family
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Prayer
SCRIPTURE: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins39And by him all that believe are justified from all things …” Acts 13:38-39b.
FORGIVEN FOREVER
God wants His People to know that they are Forgiven People and that there is absolutely no hindrance between Himself and them.
When we come to the Lord, our first great need is Forgiveness of Sin. We need to know that God has forgiven us of all our sins.
Forgiveness of sins means that our sins have been taken away. They are no longer on us. Jesus is THE ONE – the ONLY ONE – who can take away our sins. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” – John 1:29.
Forgiveness Is From God
All sins are sins against God. It is God whom we have sinned against, and it is God alone who can forgive us. No human being can forgive sins against God. The Bible says, “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses…” – Daniel 9:9.
Too often we think about forgiveness only from our side and our need, and we do not see the greatness of forgiveness from God’s side.
Forgiveness takes place in the heart of God – the One against whom we have sinned. God wants us to know how He feels toward us. Forgiveness is in the very heart of God. God Glories in Forgiveness. God does not forgive us grudgingly; He forgives us freely and completely.
Forgiveness Is On The Basis Of The Blood
God must have a Righteous Basis on which to Forgive Our Sins. The Righteous Basis is the fact that God’s Own Son shed His Precious Blood for our sins. Because Christ paid the full penalty of our sins, God can Righteously Forgive Us. God does not overlook our sins, but He forgives them because He sees the Blood of His Son which was shed for them. The Lord Jesus said, “This is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission [forgiveness] of sins” – Matthew 26:28.
Throughout the entire Bible there is only One Basis on which sins can be forgiven, and that is the Blood of Christ. We must beware of any teaching that leaves out, or minimizes, the Blood of Christ. The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood is no remission [no forgiveness of sins.]” – Hebrews 9:22.
In Heaven, the Song of the Redeemed is to Jesus, praising Him for Redeeming them by His Blood: “You are worthy…for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood…” – Revelation 5:9.
Forgiveness is through Jesus Christ
Through the Apostle Paul, God has issued a great proclamation:
“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man [Jesus Christ] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by Him all who believe are justified from all things…” – Acts 13:38-39.
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Our eyes are directed to the Savior in whom every perfection is found. It is in the Name of Jesus that Forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. He is the One who, from Eternity, was and is God’s delight. He is the One who perfectly Glorified God with respect to Sin. He is the One who put away all our sins by His Death on the Cross.
The Great Work which Christ did to secure our forgiveness was finished once for all on the Cross when He cried out, “It is finished!” Now all the value of that Work resides in the Glorious Person who did it. The Bible says, “Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.”
God has given His Son to us and through Him proclaims forgiveness. Christ is the one and only Mediator between God and men. He is the Savior – the ONLY Savior. The Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” – Acts 4:12.
Forgiveness Is To All Who Believe.
All the value of Christ’s Perfect Work is Secured by Faith in Him. The Bible says, “Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all who believe are justified from all things…” – Acts 13:38.
Those who believe on Jesus are declared Righteous by the Judge of the Universe. They are “justified from all things.” This means that every sin has been forgiven. In absolute Grace God is proclaiming Forgiveness of sins to everyone who believes on His Son.
God has Christ before Him as the object of His Pleasure. God is saying to us, “Receive My Son and come into the circle of My Pleasure. I am not taking account of your sins. I have Christ before Me as the object of My pleasure. I invite you to come into that circle.”
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The whole matter of sin is looked at as one thing. When you get the forgiveness of your sins, you get it forever. The forgiveness which God gives is Eternal and Unchanging. There is no thought in the Scriptures of a Believer having Forgiveness today and not having it tomorrow.
God’s Joy Is In Forgiving Us
God is a Savior God and He delights in Forgiveness. Men have all sorts of wrong ideas about God, put into their minds by Satan. Jesus came to tell us and show us what God is really like.
Jesus used parables to explain the Gospel. A Parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” In Luke chapter 15 we have the parable of “The Prodigal Son.” The Father in this story represents God the Father and the Prodigal Son represents us.
In this beautiful story, a certain father had two sons. The younger son asked his father to give him his portion of the inheritance. The younger son took that which his father had given him and went into a far country. There he wasted his inheritance in sinful living.
When the son had spent all that he had, a great famine arose in the land. The only job he could find was tending hogs. He was so hungry that he could have eaten the husks he was feeding the hogs.
When he came to himself, he thought about his father’s house. He said to himself, “My father’s servants have plenty of food to eat and I am perishing [dying] with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Let me be one of your hired servants.’”
He arose and started back to his father. On the way back he must have wondered how his father would receive him. Would he forgive him? Would his father reject him and tell him that he could never come back after what he had done?
How did his father receive him? Here are the words of Jesus, “When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
In that moment the Prodigal Son knew that he was fully and freely forgiven. Even more, he knew his father’s heart attitude toward him. By his actions, his father was saying, “I love you! I love you!”
In this beautiful story, Jesus shows us how the Father receives us when we come to Him in Repentance and Faith. He Forgives us fully and freely. His Joy in forgiving us is much greater than our joy in being forgiven.
Forgiveness Is Full And Complete Forever
The Forgiveness of sins which God gives to every Believer is full forgiveness. God’s Word says, “Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” God does not give a partial forgiveness. He does not say “forgiveness of sins up to the time of believing,” or “forgiveness of the sins that are confessed.” He says, “forgiveness of sins.”
The Forgiveness which God gives is full and complete. The whole question of sins is looked at as one thing. It is the forgiveness of all the Believer’s sins – past, present, and future. When you get forgiveness of sins, you get it forever. If it were otherwise, how could we ever be sure that we were forgiven of all our sins?
Someone may wonder at this, thinking “I see how God forgives my past and present sins, but how can He forgive the sins which I have not yet committed?”
When Christ died on the Cross, did He die for some of your sins, or all of them? He died for all of them. How many of your sins were in the future at the time of Christ’s Death? All of them were in the future then.
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It is a wonderful moment for us when we learn the attitude of God’s Heart towards us. God is for us! God’s Forgiveness Is The Going Forth Of His Infinite Love Toward Us. It is God folding us to His heart, even as the father puts his arms around the Prodigal Son and folded him to his heart. It is God saying to us, “I love you! I love you!”
The Assurance of Forgiveness
Often Believers will say, “But I just don’t feel like I am forgiven.”
We need to be reminded that forgiveness takes place in the heart of God, not in our feelings.
A woman was counselling a young girl who lacked assurance that her sins were forgiven. The girl was confused and said, “But I thought that I had to have a certain kind of feeling or some burst of light or something.”
Pointing to a verse of assurance in her Bible, the woman said, “Here is all the light you need.” The girl put her faith in God’s Word and found the peace and joy she had been looking for.
We need to turn from ourselves and our feelings to God and to His Word. God is what He is, regardless of our feelings. And His Word is true, regardless of our feelings. We can know that we are forgiven because God says so in His Word. The Bible says, “About him [Christ] all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” – Acts 10:43, NET Bible.
God is a Savior God, and He forgives us “for Christ’s Sake.” It is because of who Christ is and what He has done that God says to every Believer, “Your sins are forgiven.” Every Believer can say, “God has forgiven all of my sins forever because of Christ.” There is no question about it.
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The Believer can know, without a doubt, that all his sins are forgiven. On the other hand, it is never stated in the Bible that the Believer has no sin in him. Even after we are saved, we still have “the flesh” – that sinful nature which we received from Adam. The Bible says, “If we say that we have no sin [no sinful nature], we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” – I John 1:8.
Furthermore, no Believer can ever say that he is beyond being tempted or beyond the danger of being overtaken in a sin. He is warned to take heed lest he fall (“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” – I Corinthians 10:12). He is warned about deceitfulness of sin [Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”) The writer of Hebrews asserts that sin is the greatest evil in the universe, and that all manner of evils draw their bitterness from this fount of wormwood and gall. The passage warns against the deceitfulness of sin, which can harden the heart and lead to unbelief.] and He is warned about the wiles of the devil [“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”] He is solemnly told not to love the world and to turn from fleshly lusts “which war against the soul.”
We must not be proud and self-confident, thinking that we are beyond temptation and sin. Instead, we must be humble and in constant dependence upon the Lord. The Lord taught His Disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.”
The Lord taught us to pray this because every one of us has a particular weakness in some area of his life. Under certain circumstances, that particular temptation could overwhelm us. Therefore we pray that God will not allow us to come into those circumstances where we would sin.
If we are in the blessedness of knowing that all our sins are forgiven, we will not want anything to come between us and our blessed God. We shall dread sin. We shall hate it. We shall avoid it. We shall flee from it. And we shall pray continually, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” – Matthew 6:13.
When A Believer Sins
The forgiveness which we receive when we trust Christ as our Savior is Eternal Forgiveness. God never takes back the forgiveness that He gives us when we are saved.
These are the Sin (s) that we pray forgiveness of: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” –
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Galatians 5:19-21. These sins you inherited. You don’t need to name them in prayer because they are like a bunch of grapes, the come in a package and they carry the penalty of death – Genesis 2:17 says, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Unless these sins are forgiven, one cannot go to be with God at death. And therefore, when you repent and ask forgiveness for Salvation, they are all included, and all are ETERNALLY FORGIVEN. Jesus controls these SIN (s) as we Trust Him and Obey Him. Lack of trust and lack of obedience (is sin), and it puts a barrier between us and our God “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” – Isaiah 59:2.
The Bible speaks of another kind of forgiveness which we may call fellowship forgiveness. This is forgiveness between the Believer and his Heavenly Father.
When a Believer sins (after you are SAVED), he does not lose his Eternal Forgiveness. In other words, he never loses his Relationship with his Heavenly Father. He is always a Child of God. But he loses that marvelous, unclouded Fellowship with God.
When a Child of God sins, it becomes a family matter between him and his Father. God loves His Children, even when they have sinned, and He has made provision for them. God’s Word says, “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” – I John 2:1.
Our part is to confess our sin to God. Our Fellowship with the Father is restored the moment we confess our sin to Him. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – I John 1:9.
Notice: “if we confess our “sins”, whereas for Salvation, we ask forgiveness for “SIN.” SIN is a Nature that is Evil, and it carries the penalty of death. “Sins” are ACTS that we commit or omit, but they are not unto death – “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it” – I John 5:16, KJV.
“If you see a fellow
believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God
will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am
not saying you should pray for those who commit it” – I John 5:16 – NLT. John speaks of praying
specifically for another Believer who has sinned in a way that might result in
death (I Corinthians 11:30). This “sin unto
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death” is not the “unpardonable sin” that a Believer unwittingly falls into, but a deliberate sin in defiance of the Word of God (Hebrews 10:26), something that other Believers can see and recognize as rebellion.
GOD CHASTENS THOSE WHOM HE LOVES.
We must know that God loves us and desires only what is best for us. The Bible says that God loves us as He loves His own Son. Because He loves us as He does, God desires only our best. He always seeks our highest good, even when we would gladly settle for less. When David thought of how much God loved him and how God was always thinking of him, he exclaimed, "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!" Psalm 139:17. We must know God’s goal for us in this life.
To understand God’s dealings with us, we must know what His goal is for us. His goal is not just to make us happy and successful. God’s goal for us is this: To conform us to the image of His Son. The Bible says, “those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers.” – Romans 8:29 (NET Bible).
How does God conform us to the image of His Son? He does it through our circumstances and the discipline of the Holy Spirit. This involves trials, troubles, and suffering. Therefore we must expect these things since they are a necessary part of God’s dealings with us to make us like Christ.
God is always willing to forgive His Children but let us remember that what God has to forgive does not please Him. Are you willing to go on with something that does not please God – something He has to forgive?
5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:6 or whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.12Wherefore lift up the
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hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;13And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.14Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;16Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.17For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” – Hebrews 12:5-17.
Forgiven Forever!
The Acts of the Sinful Nature, inherited from Adam carries the penalty of eternal death. It has to do strictly with Salvation through Christ Jesus. These sins were taken upon the Cross and forgiven forever. He put His Righteous on us forever. Jesus said, 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” – John 5:24; Paul says in Romans, “1There is therefore now (that Salvation has come to Believers) no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit – Romans 8:1.
God wants us to know that we are forgiven people. He wants us to be conscious of the fact that we are forgiven forever, so that we may enjoy the Blessedness which David describes in Psalm 32. David wrote, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him” – Psalm 32:1-2, NIV.
The SIN that you inherited from Adam is not transgression, it is inherited from Adam, but those you commit after you are saved are transgressions and God does not overlook them, and you cannot bring them to Heaven. They must be Confessed in order to be forgiven.
Forgiven Sin Still Has Consequences. While it’s wonderful to read of God’s lavish
forgiveness, we should also pay careful attention to the painful and fitting
consequences the Lord brought upon David for his sin. We’re told David’s
chastisement was necessary: a) To uphold the Lord’s reputation (Nevertheless,
because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this,
your child will die” –
II Sam.12:14; and b) To teach future
generations that sin has consequences (“These things
happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live
at the end of the age” - I Cor. 10:11, NLT; “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” – Rom. 15:4).
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GOD CANNOT OVERLOOK SIN
Sin must be dealt with; it is a fact. The proper way of dealing with sin is not to deny it, but to acknowledge it and allow God to cleanse it.
One of the wonderful things that the Holy Spirit does for us is to bear witness that our sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit is the One who has witnessed every sin we have ever committed. What does He say concerning those who have Christ as their Savior? He says, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” – Hebrews 10:17.
It is a tragic thing for an unsaved person to suppose that his sins are forgiven when they are not. But every Child of God should know beyond a shadow of a doubt that all his sins are forgiven.
Our forgiveness is entirely on the Basis of who Christ is and what He has done. We have forgiveness IN CHRIST. The Bible says, “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” – Ephesians 1:7.
This verse says that we have “redemption through His blood.” What does “redemption” mean? Redemption means “to deliver by paying a price.” We have been delivered from Satan’s kingdom. Christ paid the price – His Precious Blood. Redemption means that we have been put on new ground, outside of Satan’s power.
As a forgiven person, I am altogether on New Ground with God. I am on the Ground of Christ’s Work. My old life in Adam ended on the Cross. I am a New Person in God’s New Creation when I’m Repentant of the inherited SIN.
God does not want us to be occupied with our past failures; He wants us to be occupied with Christ and with the Wondrous Grace of our God. Our sins have been forgiven and forgotten by God; He does not hold a single thing against us. All our sins have been dealt with by Jesus Christ to the complete satisfaction of God. The Bible says, “For by one offering He [Christ] has perfected forever those who are sanctified [set apart for God]” – Hebrews 10:14.
To Summarize:
• God wants His Children to be happy in heart and free to approach Him, knowing that all their sins have been forgiven.
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Knowing that we are God’s “forgiven-forever” Children should have at least two very practical effects in our lives. It should produce in us a thankful attitude and forgiving attitude.
1. We Should Be Thankful.
Ingratitude – not being thankful, is a great sin. When a Christian ceases to be thankful, he is on a course downward – away from God. God wants our hearts filled with thankfulness. The Bible says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” – I Thessalonians 5:18.
2. We Should Be Forgiving.
On one occasion Peter came to the Lord and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say not unto you, Until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.” – Matthew 18:21-22.
Jesus did not mean that we are to forgive a person only 490 times and no more. He was saying to Peter, “I want you to always have the spirit of forgiveness. I want you to forgive others endlessly.”
Jesus then told the story of a certain king taking account of his servants. One of his servants owed him ten thousand “talents” – about 300 million dollars. He could not possibly pay his huge debt, so the king ordered that he and his family and all that he had be sold to pay his debt.
The servant fell down and asked for mercy. The king was moved with compassion, and he forgave the servant of his enormous debt.
This same servant then went out and found a poor man who owed him a small debt of about fifteen dollars. He grabbed this man by the throat, saying, “Pay me what you owe me!”
The man could not pay his debt and he fell at his feet, begging for mercy. But the wicked servant would not have mercy on him. He had this poor man cast into prison.
When the other servants told the king what this servant had done, the king was angry. He called that servant to him and said, “You wicked servant! I forgave you of all your debt, because you desired mercy. Should not you also have compassion on your fellow servant?” – Matthew 18:32-33.
We are like the servant who owed his lord 300 million dollars. We could never pay the debt of sin we owed. But God, in His Mercy, freely forgave us of our enormous debt. Should we not therefore forgive others of the “debts” that they may owe us? The Bible says, “Be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you” – Ephesians 4:32.
ACTS 14 “ACTS OF THE APOSTLES”
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To continue tracing the route of Paul and Barnabas on their
First Missionary Journey
2) To note the increasing persecution The Apostle Paul endured (10But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me – II Timothy 3:10-11).
3) To give special attention to their appointment of Elders in every
Church – Good Leadership is important in the Body of Christ.
Note also in this chapter, Paul/Barnabas completed the First Missionary Journey. The red line represents them leaving Antioch of Syria to begin the first journey; the blue line represents them on their return to Antioch at Syria. Note on the map, in Antioch of Pisidia, they met with great Jewish opposition; at Iconium, the fled from opposition to avoid being killed; at Lystra, they were mistaken for gods and Paul was stoned and left for dead.
They returned the way they had come, strengthening the Disciples in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch in Pisidia and appointed Elders in every Church with prayer and fasting.
1And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews
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and also of the Greeks believed.2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.3Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.4But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.5And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,6They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:7And there they preached the gospel.
Wherever the Gospel is preached, and people believe, you will find division and disturbance.
Below are Biblical references of the fact that wherever the Gospel is preached, and an impact is made on someone, it causes division. As shown in John 7: 37-53 [37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?42Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?43So there was a division among the people because of him…”]
Also John 9:16, Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees called Him a sinner, this led to a division, and
John 10:18, 19, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.19There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
Also Luke 12:51-53, Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Even today, many Christians suffer at home because of loved ones who have rejected Christ.
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But the opposition Iconium did not stop Paul and Barnabas; instead, they stayed in the city and continued to preach. God honored their faith by granting signs and wonders. These Miracles that were done by Paul to show proof that Paul was an Apostle of God. This teaches us that when Satan opposes us in our Ministries, to stand strong in the Faith, God will honor our Faith.
Signs and Wonders would have had an effect on the Jews (For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom” – I Cor. 1:22), it would have an effect on the Gentiles, Paul said, (“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by word and deed” – Romans 15:18, ESV)
• Paul humbly acknowledges that he will not boast about anything beyond what Christ has achieved through him.
• His focus is on the work accomplished by Christ, not on his own abilities or achievements.
• The purpose of this work is to lead the Gentiles to obedience, both through preaching and practical actions.
“19They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum” – Romans 15:19 (NLT):
• Paul emphasizes that any boasting should be centered on what Christ has accomplished through him.
• His Ministry involves preaching the Gospel and demonstrating it through his actions.
• The obedience of the Gentiles is attributed to the Work of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to respond to the message.
In summary, Paul models humility by giving credit to Christ for the results of his Ministry. Although he actively participated, he recognizes that the true power lies in what Christ accomplishes through him. The obedience of the Gentiles is a testament to God’s Work in their hearts and lives.
Paul is anxious to emphasize that he is the Apostle to the Gentiles. Failure to see the special place of Paul’s Ministry in the Program of God will bring confusion to one’s Bible study. In Rom 15:16, Paul pictures himself as a NT Priest, offering up the Gentiles to God as his Sacrifice of Praise. Every time we win a Soul to Christ, it is offering another Sacrifice to God’s Glory. Before I forget, I must tell you that you too are a Priest of God, who has been commanded to offer Sacrifices of Praise … [“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” – Hebrews 13:15; and II Peter 2:9 ... “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
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nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” – I Peter 2:9.]
SUMMARY OF VV. 1-6.
Luke continues his narration of events during Paul’s First Missionary Journey. Upon arriving in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas again visited the
Local Synagogue. Response to their message was positive among both Jews and Greeks, but soon opposition again came from unbelieving Jews. Even
so, Paul and Barnabas stayed “a long time” in Iconium, speaking boldly and performing signs and wonders. Eventually the opposition became violent, forcing Paul and Barnabas to flee to Lystra and Derbe (1-6).
PAUL AND BARNABAS AT LYSTRA (Vv. 7-14)
7And there they preached the gospel.8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:9The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,10Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.11And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.12And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.13Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.14Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.18And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
Paul Stoned at Lystra (Vv. 19-21)
19And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.20Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.21And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch.”
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At Lystra, Paul was enabled to perform a great miracle by healing a notable cripple (similar to Peter, cf. 3:1-10.) It is interesting to notice the similarities of the two Ministries of Peter and Paul at this point:
• Peter Healed a lame man at the Beautiful Gate, Acts 3:1-8; Paul healed the lame man at Lystra, Acts 14:8-12).
• Both dealt with Satanic pretenders, Peter dealt with Simon, Acts 8:18-24; Paul dealt with BarJesus, Acts 13:4-12).
• Both were released from prison miraculously, Peter was to be killed after Easter, but the Angel released him while the Church prayed in Jerusalem, Acts 12:5-10; Paul and Silas’ chains fell off and the Philippian Jailer was converted, Acts 16:25-29.
• Both raised the dead, Peter raised Dorcus, Acts 9:36-40; Paul raised a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead, And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. Acts 20:7-12.
• Both performed special miracles, Peter performed many signs and wonders, and many were healed, Acts 5:12-16; Paul healed Publius on the island of Malta who lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him, and many others were healed, Acts 28:1-8).
This miracle that Paul performed in Lystra was accepted by the heathen citizens as proof that Paul and Barnabas were their gods come to earth; they named Barnabas “Jupiter” (otherwise known as “Zeus”, the chief of the sky and thunder gods, in ancient Greek religion and mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus), and Paul they named “Mercury” (who was known as “Hermes”, the ancient Greek god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility, animal husbandry, sleep, language, thieves, and travel. One of the cleverest and most mischievous of the 12 Olympian gods, Hermes was their herald and messenger).
The local priest of Jupiter was ready to offer sacrifices when the Missionaries publicly stopped them. Paul took advantage of the situation to Preach the Word to the crowd.
Note that he did not use the OT Scriptures as he did in the Synagogue Service, because in the Temple, his audience was mainly Jews, but rather, he reasoned with these Gentiles on the basis of God’s Works in Creation. Compare this sermon (given here in Acts 14:15-17 in brief) to Paul’s message in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) and his statements in Romans 1:20. The main idea is the Works of God in nature leave the heathen “without excuse.” [20For the invisible things of him from the
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creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse].
15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities (meaning the worship of false gods) unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
Paul’s message was rejected, and the people stoned him and left him for dead.
We wonder if Paul remembered the day he led the Jews in stoning Stephen.
He said, “Once I was stoned…” he wrote later in II Corinthians 11:25; and in Galatians 6:17, he mentions the “brands” or marks he had on his body because of his suffering for Christ. Some students believe that Paul actually died and was raised from the dead miraculously, and they suggest that Paul’s “third heaven” experience was at this time. the Bible says in II Corinthians 12, (“1It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, [whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;] such an one caught up to the third heaven.3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter – I Corinthians 12:1-4). Years later, Paul reminded Timothy of these sufferings (“10But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me” – II Timothy 3:10, 11).
It is probable that Timothy was converted to Christ at this point, and we compare Acts14:6,7, with Acts 16:1-3. [“6They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:7And there they preached the gospel, cp. Acts 16:1-3, “1Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:2Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.3him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
So, when the priest of Zeus prepared to offer
sacrifices, the Apostles tore their own clothes and barely restrained them by
an impassioned speech. Not long after, Jews
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from Antioch and Iconium persuaded the multitudes to stone Paul and drag him outside the city. Though assumed to be dead, Paul was able to return to the city and departed the next day with Barnabas to Derbe where they preached the Gospel and made many Disciples of Christ (7-21).
II. The Missionaries Confirm the Churches Vv. 24-28
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria
24Paul and Barnabas went through the country of Pisidia. Then they came to the country of Pamphylia.25They told people the message of God in the city of Perga, and then they went down to the city of Attalia.26And from there they sailed away to Antioch in Syria. This is the city where the believers had put them into God's care and sent them to do this work. Now they had finished it.27When Paul and Barnabas arrived, they gathered the church together. They told them everything God had used them to do. They said, "God opened a door for the non-Jewish people to believe!”28And they stayed there a long time with the Lord’s followers.
Evangelism is not enough; there must be teaching and encouragement from the Word. This is why Paul established Local Churches wherever God led him. The Local Church is the one place the Believer should be able to get a dependable diet of Spiritual Food, find Christian fellowship, and discover opportunities for service. We thank God for the many fine Evangelism Organizations and Programs that are winning Souls today, but none of them can replace the Local Church.
Courageously, the Missionaries returned to the very cities where their lives had been in danger. No wonder later on they had the reputation for being men who “hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” – Acts 15:26. Paul and Barnabas were not thinking of themselves but of those new Christians who needed Spiritual help and guidance. They were at this point only 160 miles from Paul’s home in Tarsus, and perhaps Paul would have loved to visit his home again; yet he set his own desires aside to serve the Lord. Also, on the trip back to Antioch, they bypassed Cyprus, which was the home of Barnabas.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in the Churches. The Greek word translated “appointed” has a double significance: it means “to designate” as well as “to elect by popular vote.” Apparently the Apostles selected the best candidates – for the qualifications, see references I Timothy 3:1-16 and Titus 1:5:
Qualifications for Elders
5I left you in Crete so that you could finish doing what still needed to be done. And I also left you there so that you could choose men to be elders in every town.6To be an elder, a man must not be guilty of living in a wrong way. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be faithful to God. They must not be known as children who are wild or don’t obey.7An elder has the
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job of taking care of God’s work. So people should not be able to say that he lives in a wrong way. He must not be someone who is proud and selfish or who gets angry quickly. He must not drink too much, and he must not be someone who likes to fight. He must not be a man who will do almost anything for money.8An elder must be ready to help people by welcoming them into his home. He must love what is good. He must be wise. He must live right. He must be devoted to God and pleasing to him. And he must be able to control himself.9An elder must be faithful to the same true message we teach. Then he will be able to encourage others with teaching that is true and right. And he will be able to show those who are against this teaching that they are wrong.10This is important, because there are many people who refuse to obey—people who talk about worthless things and mislead others. I am talking especially about those who say that men who are not Jews must be circumcised to please God.11These people must be stopped, because they are destroying whole families by teaching what they should not teach. They teach only to cheat people and make money.12Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars. They are evil animals and lazy people who do nothing but eat.”13The words that prophet said are true. So tell those people that they are wrong. You must be strict with them. Then they will become strong in the faith,14and they will stop paying attention to the stories told by those Jews. They will stop following the commands of those who have turned away from the truth.15To people who are pure, everything is pure. But to those who are full of sin and don’t believe, nothing is pure. Really, their thinking has become evil, and their consciences have been ruined.16They say they know God, but the evil things they do show that they don’t accept him. They are disgusting. They refuse to obey God and are not capable of doing anything good” – Titus 1:5-16, (East To Read Version).
Apparently the Apostles selected the best candidates, and then the whole Church voted as the Spirit guided them. This is the Way Church Government ought to be. There is nothing in the Bible about a hierarchy of Church Leaders. If you will compare Titus 1:5, 7, and Acts 20:17 also Acts 20:28, you will see that the terms “Bishop” and “Elder” refer to the same office, which is the office of the Pastor. Paul did not ordain the Leaders until the return trip to the Churches so as to give the men a chance to be tested. “Lay hands suddenly on no man,” he warned in I Timothy 5:22.
III. The Missionaries Report to the Home Church – Acts 14:25-28
While boards and denominations can assist in the legal and technical aspects of sending out Missionaries, the final responsibility lies with the Local Church. This is why Paul and Barnabas reported to the Believers at Antioch of Syria, from whence they had been sent out in “the Work” (see Acts 13:2, Acts 14:26, and Acts
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15:38. What a blessed meeting that must have been as these First Missionaries reported what God had done! Remember that Acts records what Jesus “continued to do and teach” after He returned to Heaven – Acts 1:2, so the Work was and is really His work.
As you review this First Missionary Journey, you can see the basic principles Paul followed as he sought to carry the Gospel to the world. The Spirit directed Paul in His Work, and it is important that we follow these same principles today.
• He Worked in Key Cities.
For the most part, the places where Paul worked were important cities in the various provinces. Paul did not remain in some isolated corner; he attacked the great centers of population. This was where his strategic Evangelism began. Then his converts reached out to the smaller towns in the area.
• He Established Local Churches.
His Ministry was not a one-man affair, nor did it have a central headquarters for telling others what to do. He won Souls to Christ and then organized them into Local Churches that had their own Leaders. Of course, this meant teaching the people the Word and building them up in the faith. Today, we have many “Support Ministries” that are vital (schools, hospitals, radio, and TV broadcasts, etc.), but all of them must assist in the winning of the lost and the building of the Churches.
• He Taught the Believers How to Do The Job.
Paul knew that Missionaries must eventually make themselves dispensable. They must train new Converts to carry on the Ministry themselves. After all, 100 people in a Local Church can do 100 times the work any one Missionary can do, and they know the language and culture of their own people. Ten years later, writing to the Romans in Acts 15:19 and Acts 15:23, Paul was able to say that the entire area had been Evangelized! How did he do it? He Won Converts, Established Churches, and trained Christians how to do the job. See I Thessalonians 1-2 for another example.
Our Purpose is to Evangelize, which simply means to give as many people as possible at least one opportunity to hear the Gospel. We know that not everyone will be saved, but we owe to everyone at least one chance to hear about Christ and the Cross. Paul evangelized the Roman world without printing press, a radio station, television, airplanes, or any of the modern devices available to us. How much more we ought to be able to accomplish in this day of technological wonders! “To whom much is given, much shall be required” – Luke 12:48.
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OUTLINE
I. PREACHING IN ICONIUM, LYSTRA, DERBE (1-21)
A. MINSTRY AND PERSECUTION IN ICONIUM (1-6)
1. Speaking at the local synagogue leads many Jews and Gentiles to
believe
2. Unbelieving Jews stir up and poison the minds of the Gentiles
against the brethren
3. Paul and Barnabas stay a long time, speaking boldly and
performing signs and wonders
4. The city becomes divided, and an attempt is made by Gentiles
and Jews along with their rulers to abuse and stone them
5. Made aware of the planned violence, Paul and Barnabas flee to
Lystra and Derbe
B. MINISTRY AND PERSECUTION IN LYSTRA AND DERBE (7-21)
1. Paul and Barnabas preach there and in the surrounding region
2. In Lystra Paul heals a man crippled from birth
3. The people proclaim Paul and Barnabas to be gods, the priest of
Zeus sought to offer sacrifices to them
4. Tearing their clothes, Barnabas and Paul proclaim themselves to
be men who preach the one true living God and scarcely restrain
the people from sacrificing to them
5. Jews arrive from Antioch and Iconium and persuade the multitude
to stone Paul
6. Presumed dead, Paul is dragged outside the city where later as
he is surrounded by disciples he revives and returns to the
city
7. The next day Paul and Barnabas depart to Derbe where they
preach the gospel and make many disciples before beginning
their return trip through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch
II. CONFIRMING DISCIPLES AND APPOINTING ELDERS (22-23)
A. STRENGTHENING THE DISCIPLES (22)
1. Paul and Barnabas exhort them to continue in the faith
2. They warn them: "We must through many tribulations enter the
kingdom of God."
B. APPOINTING ELDERS IN EVERY CHURCH (23)
1. Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in every church with prayer
and fasting
2. They commend them to the Lord in whom they believed
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III. RETURN TO ANTIOCH OF SYRIA (24-28)
A. THE JOURNEY HOME (24-26)
1. Passing through Pisidia, they come to Pamphylia
2. After preaching in Perga, they go down to Attalia
3. From there they sail to Antioch of Syria, from which they had
been commended to the grace of God for the work accomplished on
their journey
B. THEIR REPORT AND STAY AT ANTIOCH (27-28)
1. Paul and Barnabas report to the church all that God had done
with them, and how He opened a door of faith to the Gentiles
2. They stay a long time in Antioch with the disciples
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Preaching in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (1-21)
- Confirming disciples and appointing elders (22-23)
- Return to Antioch of Syria (24-28)
2) Upon their arrival in Iconium, what did Paul and Barnabas first do?
(1)
- They spoke at the Jewish synagogue, producing faith in many Jews
and Greeks
3) What did the unbelieving Jews do in response? (2)
- They stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against them
4) What did Paul and Barnabas do? Who was with them and how? (3)
- Stayed a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord
- The Lord, who bore witness to His word by granting signs and
wonders to be done by the apostles' hands
5) As the city became divided, what attempt was made against Paul and
Barnabas? (4-5)
- To stone them
6) How did they respond to such a threat? (6-7)
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- By fleeing to the cities of Lystra and Derbe, and preaching the
Gospel there.
7) What miracle did Paul perform in Lystra? (8-10)
- He healed a man crippled from birth
8) How did the people react? What names did they give to Paul and
Barnabas? (11-12)
- They thought that gods had come in the likeness of men
- Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes
9) Who attempted to lead the city in offering sacrifices to them? (13)
- The priest of Zeus, whose temple was in the front of the city
10) How did Barnabas and Paul restrain the crowd from offering the
sacrifices? (14-18)
- By tearing their clothes and crying out to the multitude
- By professing themselves to be but men, and encouraging them to
turn to the living God
11) How did the apostles describe the true God? (15-17)
- As the Creator of all things who bore witness of Himself through
His blessings to mankind
12) Who then came to the city and persuaded the people to stone Paul?
(19)
- Jews from Antioch (Pisidia) and Iconium
13) After Paul revived from his stoning, where did he and Barnabas go?
(20)
- First back to Lystra, and then on to Derbe
14) What happened in Derbe? When they left, where did they go? (21)
- They preached the gospel and made many disciples
- They retraced their steps, going back through Lystra, Iconium, and
Antioch
15) What did they do as they made their way through such cities? (22-23)
- Strengthened the brethren, exhorting them to continue despite
persecutions
- Appointed elders in every church with prayer and fasting,
commending them to God
16) Where they go after passing through Pisidia? What did they do
there? (24-25)
- To Perga in Pamphylia, where they preached the gospel
17) From where did they then sail? (25-26)
- Attalia
18) What is significant about Antioch of Syria? (26)
- It was where they started and ended their missionary journey
19) What did Paul and Barnabas do upon their arrival? (27)
- Gathered the church together and reported what God had done with
them to open a door of faith among the Gentiles
20) How long did Paul and Barnabas remain in Antioch of Syria? (28)
- A long time
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