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Acts 14:1-19
We just celebrated Easter and how one claiming to be God proved it by
rising again from the dead. And
if John Paul II would have come back to life following his death then that
would have been better evidence that he was a deity than just his historic
claim to be a god on the earth.
This message celebrates the true and living God!
Here in Acts, Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey,
recognizing God has not only saved them and changed them but that He has
left them on earth to accomplish some certain things…
Read vv. 1-7
A few brief comments about
Iconium… and
then on to Lystra…
There’s a pattern to recognize here…
3
results of gospel preaching:
1. Decision
v. 1 “so spake” = in such a
way. What does this mean?
That they were eloquent?
I don’t think so.
Good illustrations? Funny
stories? Alliterated outline?
I’m not against these things, we all ought to use any tools and
resources at our disposal…but that’s not what gets people saved!
Only the power of God can save souls!
It says they “so spake”…I believe it was w/ the power of God!
1 Cor. 2:4
And my speech
and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
You can tell when the Spirit is on a message, and when it is not…now
granted, some may sit and quench the spirit, looking for problems, but for
the sincere seekers out there, they are looking for something that God has
His hand on!
It’s amazing…I can speak to ears but only God can speak to hearts!
I have no idea what God is really doing in many of our services…I may
think He's going one direction but turns out He was going in another and I
hear later from many what the message said to them and it clearly wasn't me.
That was God!
This is why I often pray for God to do what I cannot do…which is speak
to hearts!
2nd result:
2. Disturbance
v. 2 “evil” = poisoned their
minds against…
When God’s disciples preached it usually resulted either in revival
or riot! [sometimes both!]
Paul got to town and didn’t check out the local hotel, but the local
jail where he knew he was likely to end up!
Point is: you cannot preach
the Bible w/out making some people mad!
Sometimes the truth steps on our toes.
Bible preaching rubs some people the wrong way.
3. Division
v. 4 It’s impossible to
remain neutral about Jesus
Matthew 12:30
He that is not
with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
There’s only 2 kinds of people in Decatur as far as God is
concerned…those under His love and those under His wrath…those who love Him
and those who hate Him…those who have accepted Him and those who thus far
are rejecting Him…those in submission to His will and those in rebellion to
it!
Our nation is highly divided over politics, socialism, morality, etc.
And the Bible is behind the division, and the disturbance, but is
also responsible for helping many make right decisions!
Moving on to the city of
v. 8-18
When they arrived in Lystra, they encountered this cripple who had
never walked. V. 9 says as Paul
preached he sensed this man was w/ him and was being moved to decision.
He had faith welling up in his heart, so Paul called to him to rise
and walk!
The people had never seen such a demonstration of power, so here’s
what they did next: [completely
unexpected!] They decided Paul
and Barnabus were gods [these people were steeped in Greek mythology, they
were pagans/polytheists].
Paul probably wasn’t much to look at so they considered Barnabas to
be the leader, and said he must be Jupiter [Zeus].
They thought Paul was Mercury [wings on feet!] who was the god of
speech.
So, whaddya do when the gods come to town?
You worship them!
It’s always wrong to worship men.
I’m glad I’m treated as well as I am, but I’m “gladder” that I’m not
worshipped, which would really set us all up for a fall!
“The best of men are still men at best!”
We're not Catholic bashers, but this scripture dashes to pieces the idea
of worshiping such a man as the Pope!
Beware of those who would flatter you…did you know these same people who
are trying to worship them in our text will try to kill them just a little
later?!
v. 19
People are fickle, blown about by every wind of doctrine.
Later in Paul’s ministry at the end of Acts, he’s on a remote island
and the natives see him get bit by a snake and assume he’s evil…then he
doesn’t die and they say he’s a god!
[no middle ground of balance!]
Just like Jesus’ day…one day they’re laying out palm branches crying
“hosanna” and in a few days they’re shouting crucify Him!
Here we are post-Easter, and I want you to notice that Paul is preaching
about Easter still, as we should year round.
In stark contrast to their mythology, he’s telling them about the
true and LIVING God!
Notice how he refers to their gods…
v. 15
“these vanities”. This
means “empty”/ “nothingness”…Paul says, there’s nothing to your mythological
gods!
Paul didn’t say, you can believe in your gods, that’s fine, we’re all
going to the same place, just taking different roads…we all worship the same
God, we just call Him by different names!
He said, it’s vanity…a waste of your time!
God put the desire to worship into the hearts of all men…even the most
remote tribes who have never seen any society have things they worship and
are looking to! And in the
absence of the true, living God, men will worship anything!
This is why we must make it our mission to tell others about the true,
living God. And many in our town
would believe in Jesus, and in the resurrection, but they don’t know the
true God…it’s “another Jesus”, more palatable to their tastes, more
comfortable! Our area
desperately needs a church that is on fire for God, showing what it means to
be serious about God, not religious, but zealously in love w/
So, here’s the message, don’t miss this:
“What are today’s religious vanities people turn to?”
There are many, but let’s name a few…
Most primitive form of worship:
Pantheism,
which says, God is
not personal, but is everywhere and in everything…in the
river, trees, sky, universe, etc.
[native Americans believe this way]
“You think you own whatever land you land on
But this form of religion is the doctrine of demons!
Romans 1:25
Who changed the
truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
This the New Age Movement…which is really Age Old Pantheism!
Save the rain forests, spotted owls, whales, the ozone. And save
The truth is, there is no “mother nature”, there is “Father God”, and He
sits on His throne in Majesty…He’s not in a rock or a tree!
Then there’s
polytheism,
which says there are
many gods. This is
what Paul encountered at Lystra [&
Paul recognized that in all their culture and supposed wisdom, they
didn’t know who the true and living God was!
And did you know there are many today still involved in polytheism?
How about the people of
Talk to
Let’s hear Paul tonite…it’s vanity!
Then there’s
humanism, which IS a religion.
It is the
dethroning of God and the enthroning of
Even the atheist is worshiping…himself!
Atheism:
the worshiping of self!
Jeremiah 2:5
Thus saith the
Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far
from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
We become like what we worship…where your treasure is, there is your
heart!
So we come to
materialism…the
worship of things.
And many of us make gods out of houses, cars, other toys, our
computer or our TV!
But it’s all wood, hay, and stubble…it’s all vanity.
Let’s take the spirit of Easter w/ us all year long, worshiping the
true and LIVING God!
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