Thank you, Wes and company, for teaching us new old songs and for leading us consistently with old songs.
! Interestingly, there's this distinguishing factor between old songs and new songs and new songs have words in them.
! But there are some good writers in them.
We sang a song this morning by a friend named Matt Papa.
That is a good new song that sounds like an old song because it's rich and deep.
Thank you guys for all the work you do in that.
Acts chapter 14. Last week we began a study of chapter 14 of Luke's second volume.
His first volume is the Gospel according to Luke.
Are you familiar with that, I believe?
This is his second volume of work.
It's most commonly referred to as the Acts of the Apostles.
We so often just call it Acts, but your Bible probably says in the front, the Acts of the Apostles.
And I don't think that's entirely wrong, but I do think it would be more aptly called the Acts of the Risen Jesus Christ.
Luke's first account is the Acts, the Acts of the Risen Jesus Christ.
When Jesus ascended, he sent the promised Holy Spirit that abides in all of those who call on his name.
And he acts by the agency of that Spirit in the lives of his followers.
So as we observe the Apostles, first Peter as the primary character, now Paul as the primary character.
We see Jesus Christ himself working in and through the lives of his people.
Throughout the book of Acts, we see the repetition of the phrases full of the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit throughout Luke's record.
And at the very end of chapter 13 in verse 52, you'll note it says,
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
I think that Luke intends for this to be a bridge for us from the activity in chapter 13 into the activity in chapter 14.
And I asserted the following to you last week, if you were here, of course.
Folks, the primary role of the Spirit of God is the exaltation of Jesus Christ in the salvation and perfection of his church.
I'll repeat that for you.
The primary role of the Spirit of God is the exaltation of Jesus Christ.
It's not the Spirit doesn't glorify himself.
The Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ.
The exaltation of Jesus Christ in the salvation and perfection of his church.
and the primary means that he uses to accomplish this,
so the Spirit is working for the exaltation of Jesus Christ
and the salvation and perfection of his people,
the primary means he uses to accomplish this
is the word of God believed and spoken by the people of God.
For the sake of time this morning,
I will not be able to reestablish my proof for that statement.
We spent most of last Sunday doing that.
But I do not want you just to take my word for it.
Please ever take anybody's word for something.
Such a vast, massive statement such as
the primary role of the Spirit of God is the exaltation of Jesus Christ
and the salvation and perfection of his church.
And the primary means that he uses to accomplish this
is the word of God believed and spoken by the people of God.
It's essentially a summary statement of the person
and the work of the Spirit of God
don't just take my word for it.
Study the Scripture.
Go back on our church's website and listen to last week's sermon
when I make the case for that from the Bible itself.
I really believe this will serve you well.
If you're a follower of Jesus Christ,
you need to give careful consideration
to what it means to be filled by the Spirit.
There's much teaching out there about what that means.
There's much erroneous teaching.
There's much contradictory teaching
about what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
If we are followers of Jesus Christ,
he's been given to us as a gift.
And so we need to understand what that means.
Do not neglect the third person of the Trinity
as a worshiper of God,
nor the empowerment that the Spirit of God brings.
Your life will be more fulfilled,
will be more set on purpose
if you'll understand the empowerment
that the Holy Spirit brings.
Our text today and into next Sunday as well
serves this end
by giving us a picture
of what it looks like
to be filled with the Spirit.
So these activities that Paul and Barnabas are about,
the things that we can observe from this text,
are the result of
them being filled by the Spirit.
So what does it look like
to be filled with Spirit?
It's not exhaustive,
but it gives us some clues.
It gives us some filters
to run our own life through
and to understand better
what it means
to be filled with the Spirit.
So,
I'm going to read all of Acts chapter 14.
This is our text.
Last week,
this week,
next week I believe we'll finish it.
So follow along with me.
Acts chapter 14,
beginning in verse 1.
Now at Iconium,
they entered together
into the Jewish synagogue
and spoke in such a way
that a great number
of both Jews and Greeks believed.
But the unbelieving Jews
stirred up the Gentiles
and poisoned their minds
against the brothers.
So they remained for a long time,
speaking boldly for the Lord,
who bore witness
to the word of His grace,
granting signs and wonders
to be done by their hands.
But the people of the city
were divided.
Some sided with the Jews
and some with the apostles.
When an attempt was made
by both Gentiles and Jews
with their rulers
to mistreat them
and to stone them,
they learned of it
and fled to Lystra and Derbe,
cities of Lyakonoa,
excuse me,
Lithuania,
and to the surrounding country.
And there they continued
to preach the gospel.
Now at Lystra,
there was a man sitting
who could not use his feet.
He was crippled from birth
and had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking
and Paul,
looking intently at him
and seeing that he had faith
to be made well,
said in a loud voice,
stand upright on your feet.
And he sprang up
and began walking.
And when the crowd saw
what Paul had done,
they lifted up their voices,
saying in Lithuanian,
the gods have come down to us
in the likeness of men.
Barnabas they called Zeus
and Paul Hermes
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus,
whose temple was at the entrance
to the city,
brought oxen and garlands
to the gates
and wanted to offer sacrifice
with the crowds.
But when the apostles,
Barnabas and Paul,
heard of it,
they tore their garments
and rushed out into the crowd,
crying out,
men,
why are you doing these things?
We also are men
of like nature with you
and we bring you good news
that you should turn
from these vain things
to a living God
who made the heaven
and the earth
and the sea
and all that is in them.
In past generations,
he allowed all the nations
to walk in their own ways.
Yet he did not leave himself
without witness,
for he did good
by giving you rains from heaven
and fruitful seasons,
satisfying your hearts
with food and gladness.
Even with these words,
they scarcely restrained
the people
from offering sacrifice
to them.
But Jews came from Antioch
and Iconium
and having persuaded
the crowds,
they stoned Paul
and dragged him out
of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples
gathered about him,
he rose up
and entered the city
and on the next day
he went on with Barnabas
to Derbe.
When they had preached
the gospel to that city
and had made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra
and to Iconium
and to Antioch,
strengthening the souls
of the disciples,
encouraging them
to continue in the faith
and saying that
through many tribulations
we must enter
the kingdom of God.
When they had appointed
elders for them
in every church
with prayer and fasting,
they committed them
to the Lord
in whom they had believed.
Then they passed
through Pisidia
and came to Pamphylia.
When they had spoken
the word in Perga,
they went down to Italia
and from there
they sailed to Antioch
where they had been
committed to the grace
of God
for the work
that they had fulfilled.
And when they arrived,
they gathered
the church together.
They declared
all that God
had done with them
and how he had opened
a door of faith
to the Gentiles
and they remained
no little time
with the disciples.
Beloved,
this is God's word
to us.
It was written
for his glory
and our good
and we would all
do well
to listen to it
in order to believe
its promises
and obey its commands.
Now,
the structure
for our study
of Acts chapter 14,
I wrote around
seven points.
I'm going to give
those to you
but we will repeat them
so please don't
be in a panic
if you're a note taker.
The person who is
filled with the Spirit,
number one,
is fruitful.
Number two,
is opposed.
Number three,
speaks boldly.
Number four,
acts humbly.
Number five,
develops disciples.
Number six,
is committed.
And number seven,
loves fellowship.
Now,
last week,
we managed to make it
through the first point.
I had intended to get
through the first four.
We made it through
the first one
and that is
that the person
who is filled
with the Spirit
is fruitful
and by that,
I mean
that the person
who is filled
with the Spirit
is multiplied,
is a multiplier
of disciples
of Jesus Christ
as they proclaim
the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
I mean it in the
Mark chapter 4
verse 20 sense
in the good soil sense.
Those who are of
good soil
bear much fruit.
So,
they're reproducing
the person
who is filled
with the Holy Spirit.
And again,
I would encourage you
to go back
and listen
to that sermon.
Today,
I'm going to work
to present
the next three points
and then we'll finish
next Sunday
with point five,
six,
and seven.
This morning,
it's quite possible
that I'm going to
present these three points
to you
with a great amount
of brevity.
We'll see.
Of course,
as we always do,
on Monday
of this week,
I was playing
with my boys
in a tree,
which is just a thing
you shouldn't do
when you're about
to turn 37.
And I took a short
but very hard fall
out of said tree
and I'm pretty sure
I cracked two ribs.
So,
it's been a very painful week.
You may note me already
getting short of breath.
It's because I'm trying
to breathe and talk
at the same time
and it's a little hard
right now to do that.
A community group
on Tuesday,
I set my coffee down
to my right
and I was trying
to reach for it
and I couldn't quite
reach for it.
And we're talking
and I'm trying to reach
for my coffee
and I tried to cross over
with my other arm
and I couldn't quite get it
and pretty soon
I noticed that everybody
was kind of chuckling
at me
and we had stopped talking
and Phil,
bless him,
was sitting close by
and said,
do you want me
to get your coffee
for you?
Yes, please.
I'm feeling much better
this morning
but my head,
to be entirely honest,
has not been in
points two,
three,
and four
of this text
very much
this week.
Praise the Lord
and His providence.
Last week,
I prepared to preach
through point four,
only made it
through point one
and then fell out
of a tree.
So here I am
with my notes
essentially from last week.
And so we'll get into this
and just see how the Lord
blesses our time together.
I pray that He will.
So,
our first point for today,
point number two,
the person who is filled
with the Spirit
is opposed.
If you've been with us
during our study of Acts,
this should be no surprise
to you.
The gospel of Jesus Christ
has been
and will be
accepted by many
and has been
and will be
rejected by many.
And that rejection
takes many forms.
It often takes the form
of direct opposition.
Beloved,
we should never forget
that our Lord
was crucified.
God,
the one whom we say
we follow,
who sets an example
for us
in all of the ways
that we're meant
to conduct our lives,
Himself
was persecuted.
He was opposed
to the point
of death.
Jesus said in
John chapter 15,
verse 20,
Remember the word
that I have said
to you,
a servant
is not greater
than his master.
If they persecute me,
they will also
persecute you.
If they kept my word,
they will also
keep yours.
And we have witnessed
this reality
in the book
of Acts.
Jesus is now
ascended.
He has sent
the Holy Spirit.
He's extended Himself
into the people
of God.
And we have observed
together
this opposition
to the gospel
of Christ.
Many accepting,
many following Jesus,
many rejecting.
Chapter 4 of Acts,
Peter and John
are arrested
for preaching
in the temple.
Remember,
they stand trial
in front of the Sanhedrin.
In chapter 6,
Stephen,
a deacon of the church,
is arrested
for contending
for the faith
with proselytes
from the synagogues
in Jerusalem.
In chapter 7,
Stephen is the
first Christian martyr.
In chapter 8,
a great persecution
begins.
You may remember
that it's Paul,
then called Saul,
who leads that charge.
And the church
in Jerusalem
is scattered abroad.
God flings open
the gate
for the gospel
to go forth
to the nations
of the world.
In chapter 12,
James is martyred
and Peter is imprisoned.
Once again,
miraculously released.
chapter 13,
Paul and Barnabas
are opposed
by a false prophet
named Elimus
on the island of Cyprus.
And at Antioch
in Pisidia,
Paul and Barnabas
are driven
out of the district.
You can see that
in chapter 13,
verse 50.
They're driven
out of the district
and then we see
that the disciples
were filled with joy
and with the Holy Spirit.
And so,
we find ourselves
in chapter 14
in the city of Iconium.
Unbelieving Jews,
verse 2,
stirring up the Gentiles
and poisoning their minds
or it could be translated
embittering their minds
against the brothers,
setting them against them.
And then in verse 4,
we see of chapter 14
that the people are divided,
some siding with the Jews
and some with the apostles,
some rejecting
and some accepting
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And then in verse 5,
we see that there's
an attempt made
to stone them,
to take them out
and to throw rocks at them
until they die.
And we see the prudence,
not the cowardice,
but the prudence
of Paul and Barnabas
as they flee
to Lystra and Derbe,
the city of Lithuania
and to the surrounding country.
Right?
So opposition.
Right?
They're met with opposition.
Acceptance,
but also opposition
as they preach
the good news of Jesus.
And then in Lystra,
so they go out from there.
Verse 19 you see,
but Jews from Antioch
and Iconium
have followed him now
and they've persuaded
the crowds
and they go through
with this act
of stoning Paul
and they drag him
out of the city
supposing that he was dead.
Now,
I don't want to spend
any time
except for this little bit
that I'm going to.
Some would suggest
that Paul was in fact dead
and that he was raised
from the dead.
I don't think so,
but that's okay if you do.
I think that he was
so beaten down,
so stoned
to the point of death
that he seemed dead
and that then God
gives him the strength
to get back up
in verse 20 we see.
So he's stoned here.
Great opposition,
a persecution
against the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
After being stoned,
the disciples come around.
He gets up.
What do they go do?
Immediately they go off
to Derbe
to preach the gospel.
Verse 21,
they preach the gospel
in that city,
being Derbe,
and made many disciples.
What do they do?
They return.
This is fascinating to me.
They return to Lystra
and to Iconium
and to Antioch,
the places where
all of these things
had happened.
And they strengthen
the souls of the disciples,
encouraging them
to continue in the faith
and saying,
the primary way
in which they're
encouraging them
to continue in the faith,
strengthening their souls,
that through many
tribulations
we must enter
the kingdom of God.
This is the way
they're saying
into the kingdom of God,
to be hated
like our Savior.
Many will accept
but many will reject.
Paul writes later
in his pastoral epistle
to Timothy,
a young pastor,
2 Timothy 3,
verse 12,
Indeed,
all who desire
to live a godly life
in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
Our religious freedom
will spare us
some types of persecution.
American Christian,
this is true.
Some types of persecution.
Praise God for that.
I am thankful
for our religious freedom.
I am thankful
for the way
in which we're allowed
to gather this morning.
This is not
5.30 a.m.
underground,
in the dark,
sneaking in, right?
That's a good thing.
It's a blessed thing
that we're able to do this.
Our religious freedom
will spare us
from some types
of persecution.
But our religious freedom
does not stay
the promises of God.
Those who desire
to live godly
in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
If we are filled
with the Spirit,
if we're seeking
out opportunities
to share the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
and we are in fact
sharing the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
some will accept it
and some will reject it.
And that rejection
will take the form
of opposition.
Why will the gospel
be opposed by some?
Why will it be opposed
by some?
The very hardness
of their own hearts.
Some people do not
want to hear
that they are
self-worshippers,
that they are
enemies of God,
that they have turned
from Him
and in every way
said they hate Him.
They don't want
to hear it, right?
Your preaching
brings condemnation
on them
and they do not
want to hear it.
They do not want
to give things up
for the sake
of following Jesus.
They are very happy
with the way
their life is going.
To forsake
their own being
for the sake
of following Christ.
They don't want
to hear that message.
Paul writes
in 2 Corinthians 2,
verses 14-16,
But thanks be to God
who in Christ
always leads us
in triumphal procession
and through us
spreads the fragrance
of the knowledge
of Him everywhere.
I think that's
a wonderful metaphor.
The fragrance
of the knowledge
of Him
everywhere.
Verse 15,
For we are the aroma
of Christ
to God
among those
who are being saved
and among those
who are perishing.
We are ambassadors
for Christ.
And Paul's using
this metaphor
of spreading
fragrance of knowledge
being the aroma
of Christ
both to those
who are being saved
and to those
who are perishing.
We're presenting
Jesus Christ
to those
who believe
in Him
and Jesus Christ
to those
who will reject Him.
Verse 16,
To one,
a fragrance
from death
to death.
Those who would
reject the message
of Jesus Christ.
Dead people
not accepting
the message
of Jesus Christ
remaining dead
people.
To the other,
a fragrance
from life
to life.
And then Paul
asked the question,
Who is sufficient
for these things?
Surely we are not.
We must be
filled with the Spirit
to present
such a message.
So the person
who is filled
with the Spirit
is opposed,
will meet
opposition
even as they're
being fruitful.
Thirdly,
the person
who is filled
with the Spirit
is bold.
in the face
of opposition,
knowing full well
that we will
either meet it
or we have
already met.
Opposition
to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
The person
who is filled
with the Spirit
is bold.
I am
in awe
of the boldness
of the early
apostles.
We just try
to put ourselves
in their shoes
and walk
through the situations
that they're walking
through.
I fear
that very few
of us
would have
responded
in the same
way
that they do
in our text
today.
Man,
I would like
to say,
oh,
me too.
I would have
done the exact
same thing.
My suggestion
is that if I'm
filled with the Spirit,
I would.
If I have the Word
of God
richly dwelling
in me,
if my eyes
are set
on heavenly
things,
if I'm looking
and living
to eternity
and I'm not
concerned
about the here
and now
that I would
do this,
so often,
I fear,
I would have
tucked tail
and run.
It's because
of opposition
in verse 3.
They remained
for a long
time.
Notice that.
Verse 2,
the unbelieving
Jews stirred up
the Gentiles
and poisoned
their minds
against the apostles.
And so,
what's said
in verse 3?
So,
they remained
for a long
time.
In direct
response
to the
unbelievers
stirring up
people,
trying to
change their
minds and
bitter them
towards the
gospel of
Jesus Christ,
Paul and
Barnabas
stay.
And verse 3
says,
they spoke
boldly
for the Lord
and the Lord
bears witness
to the word
of His grace,
granting signs
and wonders
to be done
by their hands.
They remain
on in a
hostile environment
for the sake
of the church
of Jesus Christ.
Then,
because of
further
opposition,
verse 7,
so we know
there's some
further opposition,
there's a plan
now to stone
them.
They learn
of this plan,
verse 5,
to mistreat
them and
to stone
them.
They learn
of it and
they flee.
Out of prudence
again,
not out of
cowardice.
It's time
to move on.
It's time
to go
to another
place.
A quick
side story
about one
of my
favorite
missionaries,
a guy
named
John G.
Patton,
was from
Scotland,
went to
a place,
in his
day was
called
the New
Hebrides,
a little
group of
islands
in the
South
Pacific.
It's
now called
Vanuatu.
So if you
have any
interest in
this,
look for
Vanuatu.
He went
to the
New
Hebrides
and the
people in
the New
Hebrides,
now Vanuatu,
were cannibals.
So he's
given all
this warning,
this wonderful
quote I've
read to you
some years
past,
an elder
of his
church,
trying to
convince him
not to
go,
because he'll
be eaten
by cannibals,
and he
says back
to him,
well someday
you'll be
eaten by
worms,
whether I'm
eaten by
cannibals or
you by
worms,
we'll both
find our
bodies in
the same
state.
Wonderful
quote.
He goes
to this
place,
loses his
wife and
his newborn
son to
disease,
I think it's
malaria,
early years
that he's
there.
He's on
this little
island,
has one
convert,
the man
who's
this
convert
will stand
over him
and protect
him with
a musket
while he's
studying,
so that as
these cannibals
come and try
to attack
him,
he's given
some warning,
shots go off
into the
jungle and
they run
back away.
There's
accounts of
him wrestling
with the
chief,
physically
wrestling with
the chief
of these
people and
lecturing him
for how
evil he is
for trying
to come
and eat
him.
And this
time on
this island
finally comes
to a head
where essentially
all the tribes
of this island
have decided,
they have decided,
they're going
to kill
and eat
John G.
Patton,
and he manages
to flee off
the island.
He manages
to get
passage from
a ship
off of the
island,
and he goes
home,
and at home
he is
chastised
for being
a coward.
This man
goes to
this place,
gives of his
life to go
to this place,
loses his
family in
this place,
and I would
suggest,
out of an
act of
prudence,
leaves the
island,
goes back
home where
he goes
and recruits
and then
goes back
to Vanuatu,
the New
Hebrides,
and he's
said,
you should
have stayed
and been
a martyr
for the
cause.
It wasn't
cowardice that
caused him
to run,
it's certainly
not cowardice
that causes
them to run
here,
but rather
prudence,
because what
do they go
do?
Verse 7,
John G.
Patton goes
home,
recruits
missionaries,
goes back.
What do they
do?
They continue
to preach
the gospel.
They don't
cease preaching
the gospel
because of a
threat against
them,
they continue,
they just
go to another
place,
and they
continue to
preach the
gospel.
We've seen
this boldness
other place
in the book
of Acts.
Peter and
John,
before the
Sanhedrin,
in chapter
4,
I mentioned
to you
earlier,
they're
charged not
to speak
or teach
in the name
of Jesus.
Now,
the Sanhedrin
was the
high Jewish
court,
right?
This would
have been
a big
deal.
71 men,
it's a big
deal that
you're standing
in front
of this
group.
They're
charged not
to speak
or teach
the name
of Jesus
in Acts
4,
verse 19
and 20,
but Peter
and John
answered
them,
whether it
is right
in the sight
of God
to listen
to you
rather than
to God,
you must
judge,
for we
cannot but
speak of
what we
have seen
and heard.
What boldness
when they
are released
and they
rejoin their
fellow disciples
later in
chapter 4,
they pray
together.
And they
do not
pray that
the opposition
will stop.
Why?
Because they
know that
this is the
way that
the kingdom
of God
is coming.
Because they're
aware that
the promises
that Jesus
made to
them,
that they're
not greater
than the
Master.
They know
full well
that the
world hated
him and
therefore the
world would
hate them
as well.
They don't
pray that
the opposition
will stop.
What do
they pray
for?
Further
boldness.
Further
boldness
in the light
of opposition
that we
would be
more
bold.
And they
granted it
and they
speak the
gospel at
the end
of chapter
4 with
even greater
boldness.
Look at
verse 20
in chapter
14 of
Acts.
because of
more
opposition.
Because of
more
opposition.
Paul,
Barnabas,
Paul's
stoned,
rises up,
goes to
the city
of Derbe.
When they
preached the
gospel of
that city,
made many
disciples,
they return.
And this
just astounds
me.
They return
to Lystra,
to Iconium,
and Antioch.
These are
the three
cities they
had just
been in.
And these
are the
people from
these cities
that had
stoned Paul.
They presumed
to death.
And they
went back
in great
boldness,
strengthening
the soul
of the
disciple,
encouraging
them to
continue
the faith,
and saying
that through
many
tribulations
we must
enter the
kingdom of
God.
What gives
the people
of God
such
boldness
in the
face of
such
opposition?
This is
no light
thing.
This is
not your
friends in
your psychology
class making
fun of you
for being a
follower of
Jesus.
And you
know you
got to go
back on
Thursday after
that hard
Tuesday class
where they
thought you
were a
weirdo for
believing the
truth of
the Bible.
This is
hard opposition.
Pursued,
stoned to
death,
presumably,
dragged outside
and left
for dead.
He goes
back to the
same places.
What gives
boldness?
Men,
such
boldness.
If you've
got the
theme in
your head,
they're
filled with
the Spirit.
They're
filled with
the Spirit.
What does
it mean to
be filled
with the
Spirit?
What is
it producing
in us?
How is
it?
Is this a
magical feeling
they have that
they're going
to go back
into these
places?
Say to
you,
no,
it's not.
It's that
the Word of
Christ dwells
in them
richly.
The Spirit
of God
is using
the truth
of God
to compel
them to
go back
to these
places.
Truths
like this.
January 1st
this year,
this was at
least part of
the text
that I preached
on.
Truths
like this,
Paul writes
Romans 8
35-39,
Who shall
separate us
from the
love of
Christ?
Shall
tribulation
or distress
or persecution
or famine
or nakedness
or danger
or sword?
As it is
written,
for your
sake we
are being
killed all
the day
long.
We are
regarded as
sheep to
be slaughtered.
It's these
types of
truths,
right?
Who can
separate us
from the
love of
Christ?
And because
Christ loves
us, we
love what
Christ loves.
And he
loves the
believers in
Lystra and
Iconium and
Antioch.
So we're
going to go
back and
we're going
to strengthen
them.
This is
what's
compelling
them to
go back.
Verse 37
of Romans
8,
No, in
all these
things we
are more
than conquerors
through him
who loved
us.
For I am
sure that
neither death
nor life
nor angels
nor rulers
nor things
present nor
things to
come nor
powers nor
height nor
depth nor
anything else
in all
creation will
be able to
separate us
from the
love of
God in
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Beloved,
we need to be
compelled by
the truth of
who God is
to us in
Christ to
great boldness
in the face
of opposition.
So the
person who
is filled
with the
Spirit
is bold.
Fourthly,
and lastly,
the person who
is filled
with the
Spirit
acts
humbly
or is
humble,
if you
prefer.
Apparently I
do because I
changed my
notes halfway
through.
The person
who is filled
with the
Spirit
acts
humbly
or is
humble.
And there's
this really
kind of
amazing
account of
what happens
in Lystra.
A different
thing here
than happens
in other
places where
the gospel
is proclaimed.
They go to
Lystra and
they're preaching
the gospel of
Jesus Christ
as they're
going along
and they
encounter a
man.
A man who's
been crippled
from birth
the point
of Luke's
account is
that this
man was
never able
to walk.
It wasn't
some show
that they
put on.
He genuinely
was not
able to
walk.
From birth
he was
crippled.
By the
miraculous
power of
God,
he's raised
up to
walk again.
All of
this,
I talked
about this
a lot
last week,
is done
to affirm
the message
of Jesus
Christ.
It's always
meant to
exalt
Jesus Christ,
miracles of
this nature.
But there's
this peculiar
response from
the people
in Lystra.
When the
crowd saw
what Paul
had done,
they lifted
up their
voices,
saying in
Lithuanian,
the gods
have come
down to
us in
the likeness
of men.
We see
that they
call Barnabas
Zeus and
Paul Hermes
because he
was the
chief speaker.
And the
priest of
Zeus,
whose temple
was at
the entrance
to the
city,
this is
verse 13,
brought out
oxen and
garlands to
the gates
and wanted
to offer
sacrifice
with the
crowds.
So the
result of
Paul's
healing,
we must
understand,
was rooted
in a
local folklore.
So this
odd response
was rooted
in a
local folklore.
For them,
it wasn't
odd at all.
In John
MacArthur's
commentary on
this text,
he wrote
this,
there was
a tradition
in Lystra
that the
gods,
Zeus and
Hermes,
once came
to earth
incognito.
When they
arrived at
Lystra and
asked for
food and
lodging,
everyone
refused
them.
Finally,
an old
peasant named
Philemon and
his wife
Bacchus took
them in.
Their
inhospitable
neighbors were
drowned in a
flood sent by
the vengeful
gods.
Philemon and
Bacchus,
however,
saw their
humble cottage
turned into a
magnificent temple
where they
served as
priests and
priestess.
So this is
the folklore
of the town.
And here
come these
two men,
Barnabas and
Paul,
performing this
miracle.
This man who
could not walk
is now able to
walk.
And this is
why they
responded in
that way.
Barnabas likely
gets to be
Zeus because
his stature was
probably one of
greater prominence.
The text tells us
Paul Hermes because
Hermes was the
messenger of the
gods and he's the
chief speaker.
There's some
extra-biblical
accounts which
likely could be
believed,
some descriptions
of Paul.
Paul was kind
of an odd,
short-balled,
unibrowed man.
Not a pleasant
looking man at
all.
So Barnabas gets
the honor of
Zeus in this
case.
Because the
people were
speaking
Likuanian,
this is important,
Luke reports
this for us,
because of this,
Paul and
Barnabas had no
idea what was
going on.
That's why he
records that for
us.
They're not
sure what's
happening.
Why all the
hubbub about
this healing?
Verse 14,
Luke writes,
but when the
apostles Barnabas
and Paul heard
of it.
So now people are
speaking to them
in a language that
they understand.
They understand
what's happening.
They think that
we're Zeus and
Hermes.
They tear their
garments and they
rush out into the
crowd crying out.
Tearing their
garments was a
common sign of
revulsion at
blasphemy.
It's a strong
sign to tear your
garments because
you were so
betraying the
name of God.
So they're
extremely humble.
That's the point.
They're extremely
humble.
1 Peter 5,
5 and 6,
Peter writes,
close yourselves
all of you with
humility toward
one another.
For God
opposes the
proud,
but gives
grace to the
humble.
Humble yourselves
therefore into the
mighty hands of
God so that the
proper time he
may exalt you.
Mark chapter 8,
the last will be
first and the
first will be
last.
They're able to
perform this
miracle, this
external miracle of
raising this guy
up who was
unable to walk.
Great power is
displayed and
with power always
comes the
temptation to
pride.
God.
You've got a
whole city
now, throngs of
people wanting to
worship and praise
you for this thing
you did.
But they instead,
in their humility,
turn the attention
back to the
Lord God
Almighty.
We are men
just like you.
Let's worship the
true God
who has been
gracious to you
and now is
especially gracious
to you
in Christ.
With power,
beloved,
always comes the
temptation to
pride.
And we must,
if we're filled
with the Spirit,
be humble.
I wonder if
some of our
church leaders
today,
given the same
situation,
may have taken
the name of
Zeus or the
name of
Hermes in order
to show the
people Christ
with good
intention.
Well, if they
think I'm
Zeus,
I can speak
as Zeus,
but lead them
to Jesus.
If they would
have allowed
for the
blasphemy
in order to
give them a
larger stage
for the
gospel and
in the process
forsake the
gospel altogether.
I fear that's
true.
The person
who is filled
with the
Spirit is
humble.
They are not
self-seeking
or self-promoting.
I want to
give you two
examples in
the positive.
Guys I like
to call the
Johns.
John MacArthur
and John
Piper.
I'm going to
read you a
quote that's
on your
bulletin from
Jonathan Edwards.
These are the
three I call
the Johns.
Both John
MacArthur and
John Piper have
widespread
ministries.
They are
accessed
millions of
times.
I love that
when I type
into a
Google search
D-E-S
that Desiring
God pops up
first.
Isn't that
amazing that
it's so
searched,
sought out,
right?
This is a
ministry of
John Piper
that we're
able to
access this
so quickly.
But you
note that
both of
these men,
prominent
pastors,
preach week
in and week
out,
conference
speakers,
that they
are pastors
of churches
and they run
ministries that
are not
called
John
MacArthur
ministries
or John
Piper
ministries,
right?
You've got
John
MacArthur
has grace
to you,
John
Piper
Desiring
God,
and they
have lots
of resource
and writers
and people
that are
partnering
with them
in those
efforts.
Both of
them give
away an
astounding
amount of
material every
year.
I was about
to say
countless,
but I'm
sure they
keep record
of that,
and you
could probably
access that
record,
right?
They give
away an
amount that
I'm not
counting,
lots and
lots of
free
resources.
You can
download most
of John
Piper's
books in
PDF form
for free.
Access this
information,
recorded sermons,
just giving
it away for
the sake of
the kingdom
of God.
Both of
these men
have PhDs.
I don't
remember how
many PhDs
they have
between them.
It's more
than two,
right?
I've yet to
see a book
that says
Dr. John
MacArthur
on the cover
or Dr. John
Piper.
on the
cover.
Both of
them seem
to seek,
right?
To present
themselves
humble to
the world
around them,
not self-seeking,
not self-promoting,
rather than
the other,
the opposite
of that being
true.
I wonder,
right,
being filled
with the
Spirit would
dictate to
us in some
measure
as church
leadership
whether our
name ought to
be on a
sign at all
and certainly
how big
the font
might be.
On your
bulletin,
Jonathan Edwards
wrote this,
a truly
humble man
is sensible
of his
natural distance
from God,
of his
dependence
on him,
of the
insufficiency
of his own
power and
wisdom,
and that it
is by God's
power that
he is upheld
and provided
for,
and that he
needs God's
wisdom to
lead and
guide him,
and his
might to
enable him to
do what
he ought to
do for
him.
We are
utterly,
entirely
dependent on
God.
How is that
working in
us,
right?
By his
Spirit.
So the
person who
is filled
with the
Spirit of
God,
and we'll
jump back
to last
week,
number one
is fruitful
today,
number two
is opposed,
number three
is bold,
number four
is humble.
Now in
conclusion,
I want to
ask you
some questions,
and I want
to ask you
these questions,
there's a lot
of questions,
but I want
to ask them
to you
kind of
categorically,
following along
with the
points of
today.
So to
follow along
with point
two,
a series of
questions for
you.
What are you
afraid of
that prevents
you from
following Jesus
Christ?
What are you
afraid of that
prevents you from
following Jesus
Christ?
if you have
never followed
him,
if you've
never placed
believing faith
in Jesus
Christ,
what is it
that you
will not
give up
for his
sake?
And I
would encourage
you to run
through an
inventory of
things that
come to your
mind.
Anything in
your life,
a person,
a possession,
some experience,
that you would
not be willing
to give up,
to follow Christ,
for the very
first time,
or to follow
him in a
fresh new
way today.
What are you
afraid of that
prevents you
from following
Jesus Christ?
Is it really
worth what you
think it is?
If you are a
follower of
Jesus Christ,
are you
obedient to
the call of
Christ?
If you are a
follower of
Jesus Christ,
are you
obedient in
all things?
The task
that is given
to us,
beloved,
is to be
propagators of
the kingdom
of God.
We are to be
Jesus Christ's
ambassadors on
this earth.
This is the
only thing
that is worthwhile
to pursue,
and we can
pursue that in
many, many,
many ways.
We can pursue
that in good
fruitful work.
We can pursue
that as parents.
We can pursue
that as good
friends.
There are lots
of ways.
We can pursue
it in a
hobby.
There are
lots of ways
that we do
this, but
all should be
about the
advancement of
the kingdom
of God.
Are you
obedient in
all things,
and what are
you afraid to
give up if
you're not?
Secondly,
are you
bold?
Are you
bold?
What causes
you to shrink
back when you
should press
forward?
What is it
that stops
you from
pressing forward,
being bold for
the sake of
Christ,
when you
should?
Is it your
reputation?
Some level of
prominence you've
reached in a
position that you
have?
Is it a job that
you hold that you
don't want to lose?
What's keeping you
from being bold for
the sake of Christ?
And number three,
are you humble?
Do you find
yourself humble?
Do you believe that
you have done
anything to be
accepted by God
in Christ this
morning?
Do you think
there's anything
that you do
that makes you
accepted by God
in Christ?
There's nothing,
absolutely nothing
that you have
done or are
doing or can
do to be
accepted by God
in Christ.
Beloved, the only
thing we can boast
in is the cross
of Christ.
we boast in
him, his
personhood, his
work, his
passive and his
active obedience,
perfect in every
way.
We sang about that
this morning, that
his righteousness
becomes our
righteousness, that
our just due
punishment was
punished in him
on the cross.
So do you boast in
anything other
than the cross
of Jesus?
Jesus.
And then I'll
conclude with just
one overarching
question and pray
for us.
Are you filled
with the Spirit?
Let's pray
together.