Battles on the Mission Field

Transcript

GR 1611
07/10/11
Battles on the Mission Field
Acts 14:1-19
Gil Rugh

Let me read you a statement or two from a book that I've read. I'm not recommending it necessarily, but some of you might enjoy it. Jesus the Word according to John the sectarian, a paleo-fundamentalist manifesto for contemporary evangelicalism, especially its elites in North America. So I'm sure that has whetted your appetite for summer reading. But the first part of the book takes you through the gospel of John, highlighting certain things, demonstrating that Jesus who is presented as the Word in John, so it's Jesus the Word according to John the sectarian. And he's showing the narrowness of John basically as a sectarian, the exclusiveness of the gospel and so on. Then the last part of the book is a paleo-fundamentalist manifesto which takes you back to John's attitude and then down to present time.

A couple of things that relate to where we are in Acts and let me just read you what he says. The sense of embattlement with the world is rapidly evaporating among many evangelicals, especially evangelical elites, among them those who belong to the knowledge industry. I should mention Robert Gundrie the author was a scholar, I say was, I believe he died here recently. Scholar in residence at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California. And if you've read in some of the scholarly tilted works of evangelicalism, you're familiar with Robert Gundrie. The sense of embattlement with the world is rapidly evaporating among many evangelicals, especially evangelical elites, among them those who belong to what he calls the “knowledge industry.” In the last half century they have enjoyed increasing success in the world of biblical and theological scholarship. They reacted against the separatism of their fundamentalist forebearers who precisely in their separation from the world knew they had from God a sure Word for the world. Penetration replaced separation. Evangelical, biblical and theological scholars began holding their meetings in conjunction with those of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. Both of these societies populated with heretics, non-Christians of other persuasions, agnostics and outright atheists as well as with true Christian believers. And in droves evangelicals, then he says “including me” started joining these societies and participating in their activities. Would John, the writer of the gospel of John, approve? I don't know but it is reported that he had fled from a public bath on perceiving that the heretic Cerinthes was there. So John probably wouldn't have joined those organizations. With non-evangelicals' increasing recognition of our contributions to biblical and theological scholarship, and with the constant whetting of our appetite for academic, political and broadly cultural power and influence are coming the dangers of accommodation, of dulling the sharp edges of the gospel, of blurring the distinction between believers and the world, of softening or not issuing at all the warning that God's wrath abides on unbelievers (John 3:36). In short of only whispering the Word, Jesus Christ, instead of shouting Him. Speaking Him boldly as the Word Himself did.

And he has a warning here. He says, the scandal of the evangelical mind paled before the scandal of evangelical acculturation. I think that fits with what we want to be careful that we are learning from the first thirty years of the church's history in the book of Acts. There is a sharpness to the edge of the gospel that is presented. It cuts, it divides, it creates separation, it creates conflict. It is not a message that brings men and women together, it is a message that divides and separates. And if that is not the gospel that is presented by the church today, it is not the New Testament gospel. The church is guilty, I am afraid and as he is concerned about and he deals primarily with the scholarly community of evangelicals, we have desired to be accepted by the world, to have something of the world's admiration. They may not agree with us but they will admire us. That can never happen if our gospel and the presentation of Christ is clear and biblical.

Turn to Acts 14. God did not present this early history of the church just for interesting information. But it is an unfolding of His work in building His church, as Jesus said He would do, in the world. And the message and the methodology in presenting the message is to be unchanging down through the 2,000 years of church history to our day. Paul has made clear in the book of Romans, which we recently have been studying, that he declared that I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. That is the bottom line. Do we really believe that? That's the only message that brings salvation.

Turn over to Romans 10. As Paul unfolded the gospel, some time ago we looked into Romans 10. I was encouraged. We had a couple visiting with us this morning from a church in another town a little bit away from here. And they were encouraged to tell me their pastor is in Romans 8. And what a blessing it was to talk with them, and they have a pastor and we take our Bibles just like you did here and open it up and look at the passage and he takes us through. What a blessing it is to see a man in one of the smaller communities here along with a number of others doing that.

Romans 10:8, what does it say, the Word of God? The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is the Word of faith which we are preaching, the Word regarding faith in Jesus Christ. That's what we're preaching. The message of salvation is right here with you. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness. With the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him. For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have no believed, and how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher, a proclaimer? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things. However, they did not all heed the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ, the message concerning Christ. That's the simple plan.
And as we come back to Acts 14 Paul is on his first missionary journey as they are referred to, where he has been sent out from the city of Antioch, the church in Antioch in Syria to carry the message of the gospel to new parts of the Gentile world. What a remarkable adventure, a concentrated, determined plan to carry the message of Christ to Gentile peoples. So he has been to Cyprus, he's come to Cyprus. He started over here in Antioch in Syria and then he came over and crossed over Cyprus and then came up to Perga and then up into Antioch. And then he's driven out of Antioch where we left off. So from Antioch and around and then he retraces his steps. And you see this is part of the region of Galatia up here, so later on when he writes the letter to the Galatians, it's to those churches established on this missionary journey.

We come to Acts 14, he's in Iconium. The gospel causes conflict. You never present the gospel and nothing happens. It impacts a heart and mind, it causes conflict. And the end of Acts 13 told about the conflict and it got so intense that even though people had heard and believed the gospel, some Jews and a number of Gentiles, the church is established, will be in other cities in Galatia. The opposition gets so intense that Paul and Barnabas are driven out of the city. What have they done? They have brought a message of life, the message of Jesus Christ to these people. And it has resulted in the salvation of some. But the opposition, the rejection is much greater, evidenced by the fact that it's on a level that it is so strong that Paul and Barnabas have to leave the city. And so they come to Iconium.

And that's where we pick up Acts 14:1. In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews. Iconium is 80-90 miles from Antioch. So a little bit of a journey. These are difficult and dangerous areas. Coming into this whole region we noted, when he came up from Perga on the coast after leaving Cyprus, difficult area, dangerous trip to Antioch. You are traveling on roads there, you are walking, there are robbers and so on, on those routes. It's difficult, it's dangerous. Paul and Barnabas travel 80+ miles over here from Antioch and they come to Iconium. And what do they do? Same plan.

Back in Acts 13:5, what did Paul do when they started the journey? They began to proclaim the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. When he came down, verse 14, going on from Perga they arrived at Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down and then they have opportunity to open the Word. Paul follows the plan, you go to the synagogues and present the gospel to the Jews. To the Jews first and also to the Gentiles. This also makes sense from just the logistic standpoint. If Paul started out with the Gentiles, He would never get an opportunity to speak in the synagogue to the Jews. But coming to the synagogue as a Jew and a man of Pharisaical background, coming in he has opportunity to address the synagogue. And the Jews get to hear the gospel first. And it's a good logistics plan for getting the gospel in.

And so he comes to the synagogue of the Jews and they spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both Jews and Greeks. Same kind of response that he has in Antioch. In the synagogue there are obviously Jews, but there are also Gentiles who had become worshipers of the God of Israel. So he has a ready audience.

Now verse 2 just picks up, the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. As we mentioned in Acts 13, in Acts 13 Luke gave a rather extensive unfolding of the message that Paul preached. It's the longest of Paul's sermons recorded in Acts. But he doesn't repeat that in every occasion. Now we've been told how Paul went about presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ. We went through that message. So here we are just told that he spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. Now it doesn't mean he spoke in such a manner that he adjusted the message. New place, he had learned some things. No, he only had one message everywhere he went. Like he told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2, I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It's the gospel which is the power of God for salvation. So in the clear presentation of the gospel as he had done at Antioch, which is recorded in the preceding chapter, telling them that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures, the descendant of Abraham, the descendant of David, the Jewish Messiah, rejected by the Jews, crucified, raised from the dead that He might be the Savior of Jews and Gentiles. The presentation of the gospel. The Spirit of God is pleased to use it to bring about the conversion of a large number of people. A large number, well at least in this synagogue there is a significant response to the message of the gospel.

But, but, but that's not the total story. The Jews who disbelieved. And a little bit of an awkward translation, I think. Literally it is disobeyed, it's the word to obey made negative. And you may have that in the margin of your Bible. The Jews who disobeyed by refusing to believe. So it's a synonym for unbelief. They are those who refuse to obey the gospel. In 1 John 3:23 the Apostle John recorded, and this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now those who don't believe disobey the commandment of God who has given us His commandment that we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. So that's why you can use disobey as a synonym for refusing to believe the gospel.

Come back to John 3, and you see the parallel use of believe and the contrast is not obeying. Verse 36, he who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life. But the wrath of God abides on him. So here he uses the opposite of believing in Christ is not obeying Him because the requirement for salvation is to believe in Jesus Christ. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you are not obeying the message concerning Him. You are not obeying the Son, you refuse to submit to Him, you refuse to trust in Him. The result of that is the wrath of God remaining on you. There are only two options—believe in Christ and become the recipient of eternal life or refuse to believe in Him, refuse to obey Him and remain under the wrath of God where you are until you are delivered by faith in Him. So that contrast of obeying or not obeying, believing or not believing. That will come up in our next study in the book of Romans, chapter 15 as well.

Come back to Acts 14. So you see the contrast. No presentation of the gospel has universal response. We are blessed and encouraged when we see some belief. But the impact of the gospel is felt on those who refuse to believe and they persist in their unbelief, then their opposition is stirred.
So verse 2, the Jews who disobeyed stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. So the opposition is stirred up and the unbelieving Jews work with unbelieving Gentiles because this is a Gentile region and a Gentile city, so they want to work with the Gentiles who don't believe. So you have a larger base of opposition against the apostles' ministry. Remember now, we have moved, we are a ways from Jerusalem so the Jews don't have a dominating influence here like they do in Jerusalem. They don't have a control like they are privileged to exercise in Jerusalem. So here the Jews stir up and create bitterness against the brethren. That would include not only Paul and Barnabas, but also would include those who had come to believe. So you see the difficult situation believers are put into from the beginning. We try to smooth things out, but part of what this does is mark off and separate those who are truly believers from those who are not. This is part of God's plan. We think something is wrong, and things are more difficult, and people with whom I had a good relationship now there is conflict. Maybe we haven't handled it right. You understand God intends to separate His people. We are saints, those set apart by God for Himself. So that separation is part of what God has built in from the beginning of our conversion. It brings division.

What do Paul and Barnabas do? Verse 3, therefore they spent a long time there, speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord who was testifying to the Word of His grace. He is bearing witness to the Word of grace that is being taught by Paul and Barnabas. Granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. You see the effectiveness of the ministry of Paul and Barnabas joined here. The opposition in Antioch did not cause them to retreat, they are not having a conference on developing a new strategy. They were bold with the gospel until they couldn't stay in that city any longer, Antioch. They come to Iconium, they follow the same pattern and the intense, bitter opposition against their presentation of the gospel doesn't cause them to clam up, to go underground, so to speak. They spent a long time there speaking boldly. And it's with reliance upon the Lord. And it's the Lord testifying to His Word. Remember, much of this is a new message, new revelation. So God validates it with signs and wonders being done at the hands of Paul and Barnabas. So this is a striking ministry here. It characterizes Paul's ministry, it will be consistent through his first missionary journey, his second, through the book of Acts, all the way until we leave him in Rome. You have a divided situation as the book of Acts will close over Paul and his message.

Turn over to 1 Corinthians 16. Paul is in Ephesus as he writes this letter to the Corinthians, and he's going to stay in Ephesus for a while. Verse 8, but I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost. Why? For a wide door for effective ministry, service, has opened to me and there are not adversaries. No, that's not what a wide door for ministry is. And there are many adversaries. Paul just takes that as part of an effective ministry with the gospel. You can't have that kind of ministry, effective ministry, a wide door, here are opportunities to present the gospel. I'm going to stay and do that. You can't do that without opposition. There are many adversaries. It's just part of that ministry.

Remember Ephesians when Paul will write to the church at Ephesus, where he is writing from to the Corinthians. Ephesians 6:12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. I mean, here he has human opponents, like the Jews we're reading about and the Gentiles who have been stirred up. But that's not the real battle. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies. I mean, this is a relentless battle. The devil does not give ground easily. He does not just run away and hide because we bring the light of the gospel. He marshals and intensifies his opposition to try to put down the presentation of the gospel as much as possible. He is not going to yield and say, they are here presenting the gospel, I guess I'll go elsewhere. No, the demonic forces of the devil focus on where the gospel is going to be presented. Why should he marshal his forces somewhere where the gospel is not presented? There is no light there, there is no truth for them to believe. He doesn't have to concentrate his forces there. We think, he's in these dark places of the world that don't have the gospel. Of course he is, he's the god, small “g,” of this world. You can bet that there is focused opposition where you are as a believer in Jesus Christ because you are a light in the darkness. You are bringing the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ that can result in the conversion, of bringing out of darkness into the marvelous light of those who are lost, bringing them salvation. That's what intensifies the opposition of the devil.

Turn over to 2 Corinthians 4:1, therefore since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. That's always the concern, a concern I have as a pastor in the conflicts and battles that come from time to time in our ministry. I've shared with some of you my concern is that we as God's people don't lose heart, wear out in the battle. Someone who left the church years ago, I appreciated it, he came and talked to me and said, I'm just tired of the conflicts. I don't want my children raised in this kind of conflict ministry. Well where are you going to go? If you don't want battle with the devil you have to shut down your testimony. But you are still the object of his hatred if you belong to Christ. I mean, the devil hates you because you belong to Christ, whom he hates. I mean, how clear can it be? Is there any other options? Paul says, we don't lose heart. And his ministry is presenting a bold gospel, an unadulterated Word of God, verse 2. We are not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God. We are not trying to make adjustments to make the Word of God more saleable, as he said back in 2 Corinthians 2:17. We're not peddling the Word of God, we're not hucksters with the Word of God, we've not taken the edge off the message, we're not toning down the message, the wrath of God.

It is permeating evangelicalism today. One of the most popular books in evangelical churches today, and I could name churches using it that you would be familiar with, not necessarily in this city but you would know by name. The man doesn't believe in an eternal hell, believes in universalism. It's being used as a source in evangelical churches, being promoted. He's accepted as an evangelical. One man wrote a response to it who is a friend and says, I think you've gone too far. Maybe we should believe in annihilationism, not everybody is going to be saved, some will just be annihilated. That's an improvement? What has happened? Well, people don't want to hear about hell, they don't want to hear about sin, they don't want to hear about the wrath of God. So we adulterate the gospel, we peddle the Word of God. We make the adjustments and tell people, this will give you a happy life, this will give you a better marriage, this will do all these things that will be pleasing to you. And we are walking in craftiness, the very thing Paul said he didn't do. He didn't adulterate the Word.

Verse 3, if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The problem is not with the presentation of the message, the problem is it's presented to people who are in spiritual darkness. In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. We don't preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and we are His servants, His slaves.

Come over to 2 Corinthians 10. In this conflict, verse 3, for though we walk in the flesh, in these physical bodies, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for the destruction of forces. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We throw away the only effective weapons when we abandon the purity of the gospel and the Word of God. We can't out intellectualize the unbeliever. And with the weight of our intellectual arguments and our scholarship we'll leave him no option but believe. You will never, ever box the unbeliever in like that. If you think you can go head to head with the devil on an intellectual level, regardless of what your IQ is, you are the greatest of fools. I mean, he delights in drawing Christians into that kind of battle. It's one we cannot win, because it's the gospel which is God's power for salvation. And that's the message.

So we come back to Acts 14. It seems clear to us, doesn't it, when we go through it? What is happening that even a scholar writes a book and says evangelical scholars in effect have been deluded, they've been drawn in and trapped by thinking they have won acceptance. But at what price? They no longer have the same gospel that John the Apostle was talking about, and it no longer has the same impact. And who has won the day? We are admired, we are accepted in the world. I read a biography by an evangelical scholar who is now deceased. His whole goal was to be accepted in the non-evangelical world as a scholar. His influence permeates evangelicalism today, he is quoted almost by everyone. His driving passion in life. Went to Harvard and got his doctorate because you have to do that to get on that level. You have to quote the German writers. All this for what? To have what? That the world will admire us? No.

So here is Paul, what's he doing? He is preaching a divisive message. He spent a long time there speaking boldly, with reliance upon the Lord. God is testifying to the Word of His grace with signs and wonders and miracles. Later when Paul writes back to the churches at Galatia in Galatians 3:4-5 he reminds them that the message he preached to them was validated by miracles. In contrast to the false teachers who came to infiltrate the churches there.

But the people of the city were divided. You know we think, if I could do miracles on top of preaching the gospel, wouldn't that put an end to everybody's opposition? Wouldn't the whole city be convinced? I mean, what can you say in the face of an undeniable miracle? I mean, that would do it, wouldn't it? It doesn't do it. Remember what Jesus said? If they don't believe Moses and the prophets, they don't believe the Word of God, they won't believe even if one is raised from the dead.

So the people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers to mistreat and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to the other cities of the region of Galatia, that we saw on the map there, and the surrounding region. Lyconia, Lystra, Derbe, and others in the region. And there they came up with a new strategy. Humanly speaking, Paul and Barnabas are dense. You know, there is not much future in this, guys. You know you're going to get the same response. Before we are done here Paul is going to get stoned and left for dead. I man, the response doesn't get any different. But that's God's plan. There is no meeting in the middle.

I was going to bring an article that I referred to a while back with you, An Open-Handed Gospel, and how we find acceptance and ways of acceptance with Muslims and with Jews and other “Christians.” And this man claims to be an evangelical. The New Testament knows nothing of that kind of gospel.

Paul knew nothing of that kind of acceptance. But you ought to have verse 7 highlighted or underlined—the continued to preach the gospel. That's the methodology—preach Christ. 2 Corinthians 2, I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What did Paul say in his letter to these Galatian churches when he writes back to them? God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of Christ. That's what I am about, that's what I am identified with.

You'll note there is an attempt here. The city is divided but the overwhelming support is on the anti side. So serious that it's gotten to the point that Paul and Barnabas are in danger of being stoned. So they move on. You understand each time the Lord moves them on to another city, it's an opportunity to present the gospel. But you'll note what happened here. There has been a group of believers, and you know what? They are not secret believers here. This city has been divided, the believers are marked people now. Life is going to be difficult for them. What happens is the pressure through the false teaching of Jewish teachers brings a pressure to them that will necessitate Paul writing a letter to the Galatian churches, sternly warning them that they are on their way to hell if they turn away from the pure gospel that he has presented. There is no other gospel of salvation. But you have to appreciate the pressure. God uses it. He uses it to move Paul and Barnabas on to the next city, the next city. But there is now a group of believers there that will be molded into a church with elders as leaders, before we're done with Acts 14. That's the light in that community. They are marked out. That's what God intends.

What we like to do is talk to people about getting saved and nothing has to change in your life. And your relationships and your friends and everything goes on as it was. But now you are on your way to heaven. What do you have to lose? That's not the message of the New Testament. The message of the gospel cuts through, it will divide your family, it will divide you from friends. It will stir up people to hate you that never had an opinion about you before. Well that doesn't sound like a very appealing message. But that's the reality, isn't it? That's why Jesus said, count the cost. You cannot become My disciple if you don't take up your cross and follow Me. That's not a prosperity gospel message, that's not a road to success message. But it's the message of the New Testament.

So they are driven out, they move on. Verses 8-20, they have a ministry at Lystra. We've just moved to another city about 20 miles away. Twenty miles not far today, but remember people didn't jump into their cars to run over here. So when you're walking, think about today, the weather, we'll walk the 20 miles over there. Not me. In fact I won't ask for a raise of hands, but probably no one here walked very far today. So 20 miles is enough to have some distance, communication will take a little bit. So they come to Lystra and it's going to focus on a miracle of healing. So at Lystra a man was sitting. You see the brevity here as Luke condenses his account, but we have the information we need.

At Lystra a man was sitting who had not strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. He is born in this condition. So this is not a man who fell and maybe has something he can recover from over time, this is a man who is an adult but he was born with a deformity in his feet. He has never walked. This is the third time in Acts that we have the record of a healing of a crippled man. Back in Acts 3 we had it, in Acts 9 we had it, and here we have it again.

This man was listening to Paul as he spoke. And Paul, when he had fixed his gaze on him and seen that he had faith to be made well. And that word translated made well is the word salvation. He had faith to be saved. As the Spirit of God gives Paul insight into the condition of this man, he sees here a man ready to respond in faith. And he said with a loud voice, stand upright on your feet. And he leaped up and began to walk. That's remarkable. Here's an adult man who was born deformed in his feet, legs, never had walked a step. Not only are his legs made well. Some of you have gone through surgeries and that and have not been able to get around for awhile. And it gets to be a process now to build up the muscles. He not only gets restored legs, he even knows how to use them. And he not only knows how to use them, he knows how to use them well because he jumps. He leaps up and begins to walk around.

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice saying in the Lycaonian language, the gods have become like men and have come down to us. There is only one explanation for a miracle of this dimension—these men aren't human. The gods have come down to visit the earth. They began calling Barnabas, Zeus and Paul, Hermes because he was the chief speaker.

Now you have somebody else come into the scene. The priest of Zeus whose temple was just outside the city brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. What an opportunity. Can it get any better than this? They not only don't oppose us, they think we are gods. Now, Barnabas, if we handle this correctly, just think of the impact we can have. We don't have to claim to be gods, we can let them think what they want. We'll just continue to tell them truth. And this will become a center in the Gentile world. I can see how God is working already. Nope. Paul would be a hard man to work with. Barnabas is of like mind.

Here they come, they are ready to offer sacrifices to these men. Well, who is Zeus? These gods are nothing, remember? The idols are nothing but false worship is something. That gets demons involved. And so when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their robes, rushed out into the crowd crying out and saying, men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you. Preach the gospel to you. So what has he been doing here? Preaching the gospel. What did he continue to do in verse 7? Preach the gospel. What was he doing at Lystra that led up to the healing of this lame man which would validate the message he is preaching? He is preaching the gospel. And the gospel involves that you turn from these vain, empty things the worship of idols to a living God, the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. You can't do this, we're just men like you are. There goes the air out of that. We are men of like nature, we're just human beings.

He has four points to what he tells them here, let me summarize it for you. Verse 15, we are just men like you, we have the same nature as you. The end of verse 15, you have to turn from the worship of these worthless idols to worship the living God who is the creator of all things. That's the message we've been preaching in the gospel. That's the second point. The third point, we didn't read that yet, verse 16, in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own way. Up until this point God hadn't given direct revelation to the Gentiles. They had general revelation, the revelation of creation, but Paul bringing the gospel to the Gentiles is something new. So important statement here in verse 16, in generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own way. Because remember direct revelation really was only given to Israel. The Gentiles who heard it, heard it by contact with Israel. So he is telling in the past God hadn't given this revelation to the Gentiles, but He had given them general revelation. That's verse 17. Yet He did not leave Himself without witness in that He did good, gave you rains from heaven, fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. So the general revelation they did get. He causes the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust on all of creation. That's general revelation, enough revelation in creation to condemn people by showing they react negatively even to that. They worship the creation, not the Creator as Romans 1 made clear. But that's in contrast to verse 16, He permitted the nations to go their own way by not intervening with direct revelation. But He didn't leave them without a witness. And he really ties that back to the end of verse 15. He's telling them about the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. So he picks up with the revelation they have, what you have experienced, verse 17—the rains from heaven, the seasons, the food, even the things that make you happy. It's all part of what God has provided, that everyone is exposed to wherever they are. That's general revelation, it is general, it is available to everyone. It's not the details of science, particularly, this is revelation that everyone is exposed to, like the rain coming from heaven.

So that's his message, that's the God I am presenting, that's the gospel I am presenting. That includes the presentation of the sovereign God who has created all things. In a future study that I want to do with you, I want to talk about the creation and the erosion. I was reading this week an evangelical writer who said if there is a literal Adam and Eve and the account in the opening chapters of Genesis is real, or not. If it is scientifically decided not to be real, it doesn't change my faith. Can you be called an evangelical anymore? But here Paul, for him, He is the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.

Even saying these things with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. The impact of the message with the miracle, and the miracle has taken precedence in those who don't believe, obviously. It's hard to restrain them from offering sacrifice to them. But they do.

But, but. We'll just pick up this first part of the next paragraph and then we pick up here. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. And having won over the crowds they stoned Paul, dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead. You talk about a turnaround. Doesn't get any greater than this. They are on the verge of worshiping you, the next minute they stone you to death. Or they think they did. Why? Somebody came in with greater influence. If we as believers think we influence the unbeliever, we don't. The only thing that impacts the unbeliever is the gospel when it is taken by the Spirit of God and driven to the heart of the unbeliever. Everything else is superficial. These who came to worship Paul and Barnabas haven't understood and believed the gospel message, but they have been impacted and the personality and the action, particularly the miracle, has had a great impact on them. But don't misinterpret that with saving faith. And they are quickly turned against them. And when it comes down to it, the line is there.

The closest unbelieving friend or family member you have, you are not close at all. One is a child of God, one is a child of the devil; one serves the living God, one serves the god of this world, the devil. When it comes down to it, we have nothing in common. That's why Paul told the Corinthians, don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. What fellowship does light have with darkness? Be careful. That doesn't mean if we have unbelieving family members we want to go home and draw a line. No, the gospel draws the line, the more open you are with your testimony.

Some of you know what that is like. You get together with family gatherings on a holiday or something but what is necessary for peace in that gathering? Certain things you don't talk about, right? Nebraska football, that's fair. The weather? That's good. Things going on in the government. Depends, if you have liberals and conservatives, that could be tense. Talk about your faith in Christ. Now you've ruined the gathering. Why? I just want to tell you about how you can have life. And you realize what the heart is really like, what the true condition of the person is. That's true wherever we go. That's what intimidates us from the gospel, right? We're going to go tell a family member, a friend, somebody we work with, somebody we have coffee with, I want to tell you what is most important in my life. I want to tell you a message that you must hear and believe or you will spend eternity in hell. This is something, I love you, I want you to hear. It's hard for us to get those words out. The gospel is simple. If you are saved you know the gospel. It's hard to talk about it. Why? I'm afraid. They might not want to hear it. In fact, I don't think they want to hear it. And I've been praying, if the Lord wants me to tell them, He'll open a door. Which means we'll sit down and have coffee and they'll say, by the way, could you tell me how to get to heaven? No, I mean, here I am with this unbeliever that I do have a relationship with, that I do love if they are a family member or friend. But somehow I am tongue tied. I might get together with them regularly, I talk with them about a lot of things, but somehow my mouth becomes like cotton. It just won't come out. Why? Do you know what it is? We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but there is a spiritual battle that goes on. And that intimidation is something the devil uses. You better not open your mouth, they won't like it, you'll lose a friend, you'll just cause trouble in your family. And he's right.

But nonetheless the gospel is God's power. We can be encouraged. The Spirit of God uses it. You know we wipe out all the negative things here. What really matters is the Spirit of God has worked in some hearts. People are saved. The overwhelming response is negative, but we expect that. There is a broad gate and a broad way, many people go that way. It ends in hell. There is a narrow gate and a narrow way, few find it. So we are not surprised at that. We are encouraged to go out in the darkness as lights and share these truths that will change lives.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the record of this portion of the church's history. Thank you, Lord, for using Luke to write the truth. Lord, we read it as history, and it's encouraging and exciting to see the boldness of Paul and Barnabas, their proclamation of the gospel, their faithfulness to you. Then, Lord, we're reminded that you are still at work in the world. You still have placed your gospel in earthen vessels, we are still lights in the darkness. The way of salvation has not changed. Those who are sent by you must present the truth of Christ so those who do not know Him can hear and by your grace believe and be saved. Lord, you know how easy it is for us to be ashamed of the gospel, to be afraid. May we have a boldness beyond yourselves, a boldness that comes from a total reliance upon you, that we might become instruments that the Spirit uses to bring salvation to those who are lost and without hope in the world. May that be true in our service for you in the days of the week before us. May we be bold with the gospel. In Christ's name, amen.