Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to the book of Acts, chapter 13.
Acts, chapter 13. It's good to be back with you today.
If you were here with us last Sunday, you know that I had a bit of a stomach flu and was out.
Or maybe you didn't know I had a stomach flu, but I had a stomach flu and was out.
And it's good to be with you, both not to be doing what I was doing last Sunday morning,
and to be here to open God's Word and to consider its truth to us this morning.
Our text for today is Acts 13, verses 4 through 12.
But there are a few things I think need to be noted from the beginning of Acts 13,
and so we're going to look at and read together verses 1 through 12.
And we've come to a fairly pivotal place in the book of Acts,
transitioning from the gospel being proclaimed primarily in Jerusalem,
and it moving outward from this place.
The story is going, its main character being Peter is kind of setting,
and its main character being Paul is rising.
And it's where we find ourselves in a couple of chapters here,
this action that's taking place.
And at the beginning of chapter 13, into verse 4,
we see Barnabas and Paul commissioned for the very first missionary journey.
And so we read, beginning in verse 1,
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers,
Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Menaion, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch,
and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said,
Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
Then after fasting and praying,
they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
So being sent out by the Holy Spirit,
they went down to Seleucia,
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived at Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews,
and they had John to assist them.
When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos,
they came upon a certain magician,
a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
He was with the proconsul,
Sergius Paulus,
a man of intelligence,
who summoned Barnabas and Saul
and sought to hear the word of God.
But Elimas the magician,
for that is the meaning of his name,
opposed them,
seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
But Saul,
who was also called Paul,
filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked intently at him and said,
You son of the devil,
you enemy of all righteousness,
full of all deceit and villainy,
will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
And now behold,
the hand of the Lord is upon you,
and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.
Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him,
and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
Then the proconsul believed,
when he saw what had occurred,
for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Beloved, this is God's word to us.
It was written for his glory and for our good.
We would all do well to listen to it
in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
Now before we get into the story itself,
let's get to the stage just a little bit.
And maybe you're not like me,
but I'm a very visual learner,
and so I like to understand where they are
and where they're traveling from
and where they're traveling to.
So we'll see if we can pull this off
and get a map up on the screen for you there.
I did do that for my iPad, if you're wondering,
which is pretty amazing.
So they are currently in Antioch, right?
We see the church forming at the end of chapter 11 in Antioch.
The gospel has gone forward because of a dispersion,
because of the persecution that's arisen in Jerusalem.
So the gospel has gone out.
People have gone about gossiping the word of God.
We see at the last part of chapter 11
that primarily the gospel is being preached to Jews.
But here in chapter 11,
we see that some disciples begin to preach the gospel to Gentiles,
and this church in Antioch is formed.
Now Antioch is about 300 miles north of Jerusalem.
Now you can see it way over on the far right-hand side of the screen there.
Yes, I'm doing that for my iPad.
Isn't that fun?
So they're in Antioch, the church in Antioch.
You recall that Barnabas, needing some help,
went and found Paul, brought Paul with him,
and they remained in Antioch,
and they're teaching in Antioch right at the end of chapter 11.
So they travel from Antioch to Seleucia,
about 16 miles, right?
And go down from Antioch to Seleucia,
to the coast about 16 miles,
and they sail to Salamis on the island of Cyprus.
Now Cyprus is where Barnabas is from.
We find that out in Acts 4, verse 36.
Barnabas' name is Joseph,
but he's also called Barnabas the son of encouragement by the church.
And so Paul and Barnabas are commissioned to go back to Barnabas' hometown.
They land on Salamis about 130 miles from Seleucia to Salamis,
this journey in the Mediterranean.
They land on Salamis,
and they travel all over the island of Cyprus,
what the text tells us.
So they go all about the island of Cyprus.
Exactly what that looks like, I don't know,
but it's definitely not a straight arrow from Salamis to Paphos, right?
They're traveling all about the island of Cyprus
until they arrive at Paphos.
Paphos is the capital of Cyprus,
and there we see in our text that the gospel is preached to the proconsul,
which would have been like the governor,
the Roman appointed governor of the island of Cyprus.
So he's the ruler of Cyprus,
and he's located in this coastal city of Paphos.
Now Cyprus in this day was an incredibly corrupt place.
It was a vile place,
and this is a common theme in the history of the world.
Places that the gospel goes or places that need the gospel.
It was the place in Paphos,
the temple for the worship of Venus existed there.
The Roman Greek god of love was here.
Lots of temple worship,
prostitutes,
a vile, vile place
where they go for this very first time
in their missionary journey
to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, there is so much that can be said of this morning's text.
But I want to set our minds on just one thing this morning,
which we'll consider with three supporting points.
But just one primary thing that we need to consider
in order to warm our hearts this morning.
Note from Luke's account of Barnabas and Saul
on the island of Cyprus,
God's pursuit of his praise.
This is the thing.
This is what I want to focus our attention on this morning from our text.
God's pursuit of God's praise.
Now, this runs thematically all throughout the Scripture.
In fact, we could spend weeks upon weeks
showing you systematically
that God is zealous for his own glory,
for his own worship,
for people to pay attention to him,
to know him and know him for who he is
and exalt him for who he is.
This is what it means for him to seek his praise.
And for us as humans,
I think very readily we can say,
but isn't it wrong to be self-centered?
And as humans, absolutely yes.
But you are not God.
It is right and proper that God seeks his own praise.
God is the most glorious,
the most wonderful thing that we could possibly possess.
And if God were to say,
no, no, don't look at me.
Pay attention to the creation around you.
If he were to veil himself as the creator,
it would be unloving toward us.
It would be ungracious toward us.
We need to behold God.
So he is zealous for his own praise.
In 1 Peter 2, verse 9,
Peter writes to those who are the elect exiles
of the dispersion,
going out of the gospel of Christ
because of persecution,
in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
and Bithynia, verse 9,
he writes,
You are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people for his own possession.
So you are a people set apart, right?
For what purpose?
Verse 9 tells us
that you may proclaim
the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
Because of the reality,
the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
you have been set apart
that you might proclaim
the excellencies of him
who saved you in this way.
It is the work of the church
of Jesus Christ
to make God known.
One Old Testament reference
in Ezekiel 36, verses 22 and 23.
God tells Israel
that the reason that he will deliver them
from captivity,
from their exile in Babylon
and later Persia,
is for the sake of the praise of his name.
Listen to the language very carefully
what he says.
God speaks to Israel
through the prophet Ezekiel.
Therefore, say to the house of Israel,
Thus says the Lord God,
It is not for your sake,
O house of Israel,
that I am about to act,
but for the sake of my holy name.
So I'm going to bring you back from exile.
I'm going to deliver you from captivity.
But it's really not for your sake.
It's for my sake.
It's for the sake of my holy name,
which you have profaned
among the nations to which you came.
And I will vindicate the holiness
of my great name,
which has been profaned among the nations,
and which you have profaned among them.
And the nations will know
that I am the Lord,
declares the Lord God,
when through you
I vindicate my holiness
before their eyes.
Because of my goodness to you,
my name will be made known.
So God pursues His own praise.
He is zealous for it.
And we see that in our text, right?
Well, the focus can often be
simply about Paul and Barnabas
and their helper,
John Mark, we see in verse 5.
But Paul and Barnabas in verse 4
are sent out by whom?
God.
By the work of the Holy Spirit.
In verse 9,
we see Paul with this scathing indictment
of Elimus the magician.
He's filled with whom?
The Holy Spirit.
Verse 11,
he tells Elimus
that the hand of the Lord
is upon him.
Right?
And God blinds Elimus.
The point is
that it's ultimately
and it's finally
God's pursuit.
It is His purpose in the world.
It is His ministry
that He would be known
and worshipped.
So as we set our minds
on the glorious reality,
that God is zealous for His praise,
we'll do so with three points
concerning God's pursuit.
Number one,
and I'll run back through these,
but number one,
the beneficiaries
of God's pursuit
of His praise.
Number two,
the means of God's pursuit
of His praise.
And number three,
the persistence
of God's pursuit
of His praise.
So number one,
the beneficiaries
of God's pursuit
of His praise.
Beloved,
the gospel is not
man-centered.
It is altogether
God-centered.
But aren't we
the great beneficiaries
of that pursuit?
Isn't it wonderful
that as God calls
attention to Himself,
He does so
by the redemption
of a people.
And we are those people.
How wonderful
that we get to be
the wonderful side product
of what God is doing
to make His name known.
So the beneficiaries,
namely,
the church.
Paul,
Barnabas,
and John Mark
as a helper
are sent to carry
the Word of God
to whom?
To the people
of God.
They go to an island
called Cyprus
to call together
God's people
for the praise
of His name.
Can we know
from this text
that the Cyprus
and that is the
correct use,
I looked it up,
responded favorably
to the proclamation
of the gospel?
Can we know
that the Cyprus
responded favorably
to the proclamation
of the gospel?
We know one did
for sure
from our text
this morning,
the proconsul.
We know for a fact
that he did.
In fact,
Sergius Paulus
believed.
He was astonished
at the teaching
of the Lord.
But can we know
from the text?
We can't.
But there is a place
that we can know from.
So turn a couple pages
over to Acts chapter 15.
We don't know the number,
but we can know
that there was
a favorable response
to the gospel
because of this passage.
Beginning in verse 36,
Acts 15,
verse 36.
And after some days,
Paul said to Barnabas,
Let us return
and visit the brothers
in every city
where we proclaim
the word of the Lord
and see how they are.
So there's the premise.
We need to go on a journey.
We need to go back
and visit those
who believed
in the cities.
Let's see how they're doing.
Let's go back around
and let's visit.
Now,
Barnabas agrees.
We don't see that
in Luke's record,
but he says,
verse 37,
Now Barnabas
wanted to take with them,
so he agrees,
let's go,
John called Mark.
Verse 38,
But Paul thought best
not to take with them
one who had withdrawn
from them in Pamphylia
and had not gone with them
to the work.
Now,
just to give you some frame,
we're going to talk about this
in some coming weeks,
but John Mark,
after they left the island,
he got scared
and he turned around
and he ran.
He went back to Jerusalem.
So Paul and Barnabas
get in a fight over this,
right?
Paul doesn't want to take
John Mark,
the coward,
with him,
and Barnabas,
who's his cousin,
still wants to take.
He's ready to give him
a second chance
at this point.
This is this division
that happens.
Acts 13,
13 records this.
Now Paul and his companions
set sail from Paphos
and came to Perga
in Pamphylia,
and John left them
and returned
to Jerusalem.
Right?
Verse 39 of Acts 15,
And there arose
a sharp disagreement
that they separated
from each other.
Barnabas took Mark,
this is John Mark,
Barnabas took Mark
with him
and sailed away
to where?
to Cyprus.
But Paul chose Silas
and departed,
having been commended
by the brothers
to the grace of the Lord,
and he went through Syria
and Cilicia,
strengthening the churches.
Okay?
So they go separate ways,
but the very premise
of what they're going
to go do,
right?
They've agreed together,
we need to go back
to the cities
where we preach the gospel
and people responded
to the gospel,
and let's see how they're doing.
They go separate ways.
Barnabas goes back
to Cyprus.
Not home to lounge,
but to check on the brothers
to see how,
in fact,
they're doing.
So people did respond favorably
as they've traveled
throughout the island
to the grace of God
in the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Right?
And this is
the wonderful reality
of God's pursuit
of his own praise,
that there are beneficiaries
of that pursuit,
namely,
the church.
So we can see
the beneficiaries
of God's pursuit
of his praise
in our text this morning.
Secondly,
let's look at the means
of God's pursuit
of his praise.
God is pursuing
his praise.
How does he do it?
First,
with his people.
God pursues
his praise
with his people.
God uses his people
to proclaim
the gospel message
to his people.
Verse 4,
So being sent out
by the Holy Spirit,
they went,
verse 5,
and proclaimed
the word
of God.
Now,
I think it's important,
I think it's helpful
to note
the timeline here
of the early church.
The year
that Barnabas
and Saul
slash Paul
are sent to Cyprus
is A.D. 47.
And we can know that
because of the death
of Herod in chapter 12.
This is a historical fact
that we know.
So it's A.D. 47.
Now,
exactly the time frame
since the resurrection
of Christ,
we can't be completely
sure of.
There's much debate
out there about it.
The range would be
between 14
and 20 years.
I think that's what
you've got to wrap
your mind around
is that it's been
some time
since Acts chapter 1
to Acts chapter 13.
We didn't just speed
through six months.
It's been quite an
expanse of time,
the building of the church
in this region
and then beyond.
Between 14
and 20 years,
there's a lot of debate
about when Jesus died.
It ranges from
A.D. 27
to A.D. 33.
Now,
I'm going to argue
for 14 years,
but I'm not going
to this morning.
I'm going to suggest
that Jesus was crucified
in A.D. 33,
but it doesn't really matter
this morning
or maybe at all.
the point being
that a big bunch
of time
has gone by.
The church in Antioch
has existed
for at least
a year.
There's been
a period of time
that they have been,
Barnabas and Saul
have been with them.
Remember Barnabas
and Saul in chapter 12
are sent back
to Jerusalem
and the picture
in Luke's narrative
jumps back
to Jerusalem as well.
So they've been there
and they've now returned
back to Antioch.
And notice
what they're doing
in the meantime.
So not yet commissioned.
Saul has been in Tarsus.
Barnabas goes and gets them.
They go to the church
in Antioch.
They remain with them.
They're teaching them.
They take this trip
to Jerusalem
to deliver some
financial support there.
They're back in Antioch.
And what are they doing
in verse 2?
They're worshiping
the Lord
and they're fasting.
They're gathered together
as the church
in fellowship
together.
They're about the work
of Christian ministry
where they are.
And while they're doing this
the Holy Spirit says
they're together
remember
set apart for me
Barnabas
and Saul
for the work
to which
I have called them.
So there is a calling.
In this case
it's an audible calling.
The Spirit speaks to them.
We don't know exactly
how He does so.
but Luke records it
as audible
speaking to them.
I want you to see
that Paul
and Barnabas
did not have
individual experiences.
They didn't come off
a hill
and report to the church
we feel called
to missions.
The church is together
and they confirm
together
that the Spirit of God
commissioned
Paul and Barnabas
to go to the island
of Cyprus.
What do they do?
Verse 3
they continue fasting
and they pray
and they lay their hands
on them
and they send them off.
They're sent out
by the local church.
It grieves me today
that there's so much
personal experience
in Christianity.
There's so much
feeling called
to a particular thing
without any examination.
There are so many
young people
who want to do
world missions
who don't do
mission at home.
You're not reaching
people here
you will not reach
people in China
or India
or wherever.
Because you know what?
Stuff's harder over there.
You have to do
laundry
by hand.
It's not all romantic.
You still have to go
live your life
and if you're not
willing to pour it out
for the sake of Christ
where you are
with your roommates
and your co-workers
and your classmates
you won't do it.
Abroad.
It starts
now
on your bulletin.
Before I read that
I've heard a lot
in churches
that we all have
a responsibility
to mission.
You're either to go
or you're to send.
And I get the call.
It's a foreign mission call.
I get that.
But I don't like
the notion
of labeling people
missionary
because it seems
to suggest
that everyone else
is not.
I love this Spurgeon quote.
Every Christian here
is either a missionary
or an imposter.
God uses
in the pursuit
of His praise
His people.
And beloved,
if we are zealous
for the praise of God
as He is,
as we should be
because of His work
for us
in Christ,
we should want to go.
It should be
the driving passion
of our lives
to make Him known,
to have other people
experience
the goodness of God
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ.
He uses His people.
He'll use you
if you'll avail yourself
to that.
He also uses His Word.
What did Barnabas
and Paul
and John Mark do
when they arrived
on Cyprus?
They did not put on plays.
They didn't come up
with lots of clever analogy.
They proclaimed
the Word of God.
They preached God
as good creator
and sustainer
of the universe.
They preached sin,
death,
and eternal judgment.
They preached the life,
death,
and resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
God's people
are saved
by hearing
the Word of God.
And I don't simply mean
reading the text.
Although I would
strongly suggest
that that's a great place
to start.
We can story
the Word of God too.
We can explain
the Word of God
to people.
We can tell
this big, big, big story.
Some of you may have
come to faith
not by the actual text
being read,
but by somebody
telling you
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Just simply sharing
with you
that story.
Provided it is
founded in the truth,
it has
saving power.
So God's people
are saved
by hearing
the Word of God
and then by grace,
through faith,
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ,
they are snatched
from the clutches
of sin and death
for the praise
of His name.
Just in passing,
tomorrow,
499 years ago,
the Protestant Reformation
began
in a place called
Wittenberg, Germany.
in order to
recapture
these truths
for the church.
They hadn't been lost,
but they were largely
forgotten.
I'd encourage you
tomorrow
not to celebrate
Halloween,
but instead
to celebrate
Reformation Day.
All types of costumes
abound
from
such a thing.
Five Latin phrases
emerged
from the Reformation
to summarize
its basic
theological principles,
and these phrases
are still useful
to us.
I don't use Latin
to sound smart.
I really want you
to know that.
It's good
to have
phrasing in our mind
that we wouldn't
use normally,
I think,
to help us remember
deep theological
truths.
So I'm just going to
rattle them off to you.
You can look these up.
The solas.
Solas,
Latin for
alone,
and you've got
things that follow.
So,
sola scriptura.
The Word of God
alone
tells us
that we are saved
sola gratia
by grace alone,
sola fide
through faith alone,
solas Christus
in the person
and work
of Christ alone,
sola
Deo
Gloria
to the glory
of God
alone.
The Wi-Fi password
is hidden amongst
those Latin phrases
if you want to get
on our Wi-Fi.
Sola scriptura.
Like the Word of God
alone tells us
that we are saved
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ alone,
to the glory
of God
alone.
Glorious,
glorious
truths.
Ephesians 2,
8 and 9,
for by grace
you have been saved
through faith.
And this is not
your own doing,
it is the gift
of God,
not a result
of works
that no one
may boast.
Faith comes
from hearing
and hearing
from the Word
of God.
God births
in us faith.
There's nothing
we can do
to earn
the favor
of God,
but praise
the Lord
in Christ
He is pleased
with us.
Last week's
bulletin
I would have
used,
I'm going to use it,
George Whitfield
once said,
works,
a man
get to heaven
by works,
I would assume
think of climbing
to the moon
on a rope
of sand.
Now some
in the proclamation
of the gospel
will respond
favorably to it.
Sadly,
others will not.
Favorably
in our text,
the church
referenced in Acts 15,
right,
that they're
proclaiming to here
in Acts 13,
right,
the proconsul,
we see him
respond favorably
to the gospel.
Now there's a
character in our text
that responds
unfavorably.
He's called
two names,
the first,
Bar-Jesus,
and the second,
Elimus.
Now Bar-Jesus
simply means
son of Joshua.
It's not that
complex,
in fact,
Jesus was a really
common name
of the day,
Yeshua,
Joshua,
right?
Verse 6 says
that he was a
Jewish,
Jewish descent,
false prophet.
Just a few
verses later,
verse 8,
he is called
Elimus,
which was his
Roman name.
It seemed that
many people had
both in this case.
This is the text
where we see
Saul,
also called
Paul.
Some people have
the notion that
Saul was his
pre-conversion name
and Paul was his
post-conversion name,
as God throughout
biblical history
has renamed people
at times.
Not the case here.
Saul was his
Jewish name,
Paul was his
Roman name.
And here he
finds himself
on a largely
Gentile island,
primarily Gentile
island,
preaching the
gospel,
likely using,
instead of his
Jewish name,
his Roman name,
simply to become
all things to all
people,
to relate more
closely to them.
Interestingly,
in our text,
the pro-consul's
name is what?
Sergius
Paulus.
His name is
Paul.
And I just
would imagine
that Saul
meets him
and goes,
hey,
my name is
Paul too.
I have something
I want to share
with you.
We have more
in common
than you know.
So some will
respond favorably,
some will
respond unfavorably.
And how do we
make sense of this?
There's much
effort today
to convince
people that
Jesus is the
way,
the truth,
and the life.
And I would
definitely argue
that we should
plead the case
of Christ to
people,
that we need
to employ
apologetics,
that we want
to argue
for Christ.
But at the
end of it all,
it's going to be
faith birthed
in people that
will bring them
to saving faith
in Jesus Christ.
Now turn with me
if you will
to 2 Corinthians
chapter 4.
2 Corinthians
chapter 4
verses 1
through 6.
This text,
Paul writing,
helps us understand
why their
proclamation was
received favorably
by some,
but not by
Elimus.
Why did the
proconsul believe,
but Elimus
did not?
Verse 1,
2 Corinthians
chapter 4.
Therefore,
having this
ministry by
the mercy
of God,
we do not
lose heart.
He's talking
about proclaiming
the gospel.
Some people
will respond,
some people
will not.
We do not
lose heart.
Why?
But we
have renounced
disgraceful,
underhanded
ways.
We refuse
to practice
cunning,
or to
tamper
with God's
word,
but by
the
open
statement
of the
truth.
So you
see what
he's saying?
We don't
lose heart
because we
have not
been
deceitful,
we've not
been cunning,
we have not
tampered with
God's word,
but by the
open statement
of the
truth,
we would
commend
ourselves
to
everyone's
conscience
in the
sight of
God.
And even
if our
gospel is
veiled,
it is
veiled to
those
who are
perishing.
So if
people don't
understand it,
if it's
veiled,
it's hidden
from them,
it's hidden
from those
who are
perishing.
In their
case,
the God
of this
world has
blinded the
minds of
the unbelievers
to keep
them from
seeing the
light of
the gospel
of the
glory of
Christ,
who is
the image
of God.
For what
we proclaim
is not
ourselves,
but Jesus
Christ
as Lord,
with ourselves
as your
servants
for Jesus
sake.
For God
who said,
let light
shine out
of darkness,
who created
light,
the light
of the
world,
he said,
let light
shine out
of darkness,
has shown
in our
hearts to
give the
light of
the knowledge
of the
glory of
God in
the face
of Jesus
Christ.
So they
preach,
they preach
the good
news,
they proclaim
the truth,
and they
understand that
some will
respond favorably
and some
will not.
But yet
they keep
preaching.
A man
one time
asked Charles
Spurgeon
why,
if some
people were
elect,
he preached
the gospel
at all,
and he
said,
if there
were a
yellow stripe
on the
elect's
back,
I would
simply go
around lifting
up their
shirt tails.
But since
there are
not,
we preach
the gospel.
Verse 12,
right,
the proconsul
believes.
The gospel,
the glory
of God,
and the
face of
Jesus Christ
is not
hidden from
him.
It says,
when he saw
what had
occurred,
so he sees
this thing
happen to
Elymas,
right,
does he
believe because
of what he
saw happen
to Elymas?
I'd suggest
not,
for he
was astonished
not at what
happened to
Elymas at
the teaching
of the
Lord,
at the
word of
God
proclaimed.
So,
God employs
means for
the pursuit
of his
praise.
His people,
his word,
and from
our text
today,
there are
some other
means,
but from
our text
today,
thirdly,
his
suffering.
As God
pursues
his praise,
he does
so with
his
suffering.
The
proclamation
of Jesus
Christ
and the
suffering
of Jesus
Christ,
they walk
hand in
hand.
They walk
hand in
hand.
If you
propagate the
word of
God,
if you
proclaim the
gospel of
Jesus Christ,
you will
be persecuted.
And we
often have
these really
big notions
of persecution
that are a
reality.
We see a
lot of it
in the
book of
Acts.
We see a
lot of it
in the
world today.
In fact,
next Sunday
is the
International
Day of
Prayer for
the
Persecuted
Church.
And we're
going to
take some
time to
do that
and consider
that together.
But I
fear sometimes
we think of
that as such
a far-off
thing.
Really,
the type of
persecution
we're talking
about next
Sunday is
beatings and
imprisonment and
martyrdom.
We need to
join in prayer
for churches
that are
experiencing that
around the
world.
Undoubtedly,
we shouldn't
think that we're
too much like
them.
However,
we also
shouldn't think
that we're
too different
from them.
Those who
desire to
live godly in
Christ Jesus
will be
persecuted.
If you're
not feeling
any pushback
from the
world,
you're not
proclaiming the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
as you
should.
The two
walk hand
in hand.
They are
mutually
inclusive.
They're
mutually
inclusive.
We're not
saved from
persecution
because we're
Americans.
Christians.
But
Elimus the
magician,
verse 8,
for that's
the meaning
of his
name.
Elimus
means
Greek,
wise,
or magical.
Opposed
them.
The Greek
word for
opposed is
a little
stronger
than we
may think.
He
resisted
or he
was hostile
toward this
message.
And what
did he
seek to
do?
He
sought
to turn
the
proconsul
away from
the
faith.
This
is a
picture
of
persecution
the way
we may
experience
it
today.
Simple
opposition
to the
message
of Jesus
Christ.
Seeking
to intervene
and turn
people
away
from
the
way
of
faith.
Listen to
what Paul
wrote in
Colossians
chapter 1
verse 24.
Now I
rejoice
in my
sufferings
for your
sake.
And in
my flesh,
peculiar
phrasing
here,
I am
filling
up what
is lacking
in
Christ's
afflictions
for the
sake of
his
body,
that is
the
church.
I am
filling
up what
is lacking
in
Christ's
afflictions
for the
sake of
his
body,
that is
the
church.
Is
Paul
suggesting
that
Christ's
suffering
wasn't
enough?
May it
never be.
Paul is
not saying
that Christ's
suffering was
lacking in
its power.
What he
is saying
is that
Christ's
suffering
needs to
be displayed
to those
who will
believe in
him.
Life,
death,
and
resurrection
is given
power as
we proclaim
the truth
of the
gospel as
we suffer
for their
sake.
Proclamation
and persecution
are mutually
inclusive.
People
around us
need to
see us
encounter
resistance
to the
glorious
truth of
the
gospel
and
press
through
it
all
the
same.
They
need to
hear us
continue
to preach
the word
of God
when people
don't like
us for
doing so.
When people
think us
strange,
when we
lose a
job because
of the
proclamation
of the
gospel,
people need
to see
us press
on
through that.
The two
things are
mutually
inclusive.
So we
see the
beneficiaries
of God's
pursuit of
his praise,
the church,
the means
of God's
pursuit of
his praise,
his people,
his word,
and his
suffering.
And finally,
we see the
persistence of
God's
pursuit of
his praise.
Praise God
that he is
persistent in
his pursuit
of his
praise.
God
intended
to save
the proconsul
and nothing
would stand
in his
way.
I hope
that's a
great
encouragement
to you
this morning.
God had
an intention
for the
governor
of Cyprus
and nothing
would stand
in his
way.
He created
a church
in Antioch,
he commissioned
missionaries
to Cyprus,
and he brought
them to
the proconsul,
Sergius
Paulus.
And in the
face of the
opposition of
Elimus,
catch this,
that in
verse 9,
Saul,
who's also
called Paul,
is filled
with the
Holy Spirit.
I would
not suggest
that anytime
somebody opposes
your proclamation
of the gospel,
that you call
them a son
of the devil.
I would
advise caution
in speaking
the way
that Paul
speaks here,
but Paul
certainly doesn't
seem to be
frightened at
all by this
man,
does he?
He's filled
with the
Holy Spirit,
moved by
the Spirit
to say
to him,
you son
of the
devil,
you enemy
of all
righteousness,
full of
deceit and
villainy,
will you
not stop
making crooked
the straight
paths of
the Lord?
What is
meant by
that,
making crooked
the straight
paths of
the Lord?
And we get
a little bit
of a hint
if you look
in verse
8,
Luke records
that Elimus
was seeking
to turn
the proconsul
away from
the faith.
And the
Greek word
for making
crooked
and the
Greek word
for seeking
to turn,
it's a single
word and
it's the same
word.
So these two
correspond,
right?
Seeking to
turn and
making crooked
correspond,
which leads
me to believe
that also
the faith
and the
straight paths
of the
Lord
correspond.
So God
has straight
paths
leading to
faith.
And He
will not
allow them
to be made
crooked.
He will
not allow
one of His
own to be
turned
from His
praise.
Praise Him
for that.
After Peter
proclaims that
Jesus is the
Christ in
Matthew 16,
18,
Jesus says,
and I tell
you,
you are Peter,
and on this
rock,
He's talking
about the
proclamation
that Jesus
is the
Christ,
not on
Peter.
He's talking
about the
proclamation
on this
rock that
you have
said,
I am
the
Christ,
I will
build
my
church,
and the
gates of
hell shall
not prevail
against it.
They will
not stand
in opposition
to the
advance
of the
church.
So we
can see
God's
pursuit
of His
praise as
we observe
the
beneficiaries
of God's
pursuit
of His
praise,
the means
of God's
pursuit of
His
praise.
I'm saying
that a lot
and the
persistence
of God's
pursuit of
His
praise.
So what does
it mean for
us today?
We're looking
at it here,
life of the
early church,
8047.
Does it mean
something for us
today?
It certainly
does.
It's God's
word to us.
What's the
application?
I've got three
and they're
quick.
number one,
if you
have placed
believing
faith in
Jesus
Christ,
then you
are a
beneficiary
of God's
pursuit
of His
praise.
You should
revel in
the fact
that this
is what
God is
set to.
A quick
unanimous
poem for
you,
which I
think pictures
this so
well.
Oh, how
long and
dark the
stairs I
trod,
with
stumbling
feet to
find my
God,
gaining a
foothold bit
by bit,
then slipping
back and
losing it.
There came a
certain time
when I
loosened my
hold and
fell thereby,
down to the
lowest step
my fall,
as if I
had not
climbed at
all.
And as I
lay despairing
there,
there came a
footfall on
the stairs,
and lo,
when hope
had ceased
to be,
my God
came down
the stairs
to me.
We are the
beneficiaries
of God's
pursuit of
His own
praise.
If you
have not
placed
believing
faith in
Christ,
then the
invitation is
before you
today.
I pray that
you find
yourself humble,
laying with
no hope,
at the foot
of those
stairs.
The invitation
of God
coming to
you that
you might
respond in
faith is
for you
today.
Will you
recognize your
rebellion against
a good and
glorious God?
Will you
recognize that
you are like
a cyprine?
Repent of
your sin and
place your
faith in the
personal work
of Christ
this day.
I want you to
be a
beneficiary of
God's pursuit
of His praise.
I want you
to praise
Him with
me forever.
Secondly,
if you are
a Christian,
God intends
to use you
as a means
in the pursuit
of His praise.
Are you
obedient to
the call of
God on
your life
here
now?
And will
you continue
to be obedient
in all
things
to all
peoples?
this is
your gospel
commission.
The disciple
of Jesus
Christ makes
disciples of
Jesus Christ.
Thirdly,
we can all
rejoice in
God's
persistence in
the pursuit
of His
praise.
We are a
part of a
story that
began a
long time
ago.
Began in
Genesis
chapter 1.
It kicked
off in
Genesis
chapter 3.
We are
part of
this huge
redemptive
story.
Barnabas,
Paul,
and John
Mark on
the island
of Cyprus
is just
one scene
in a much
larger
play.
God is
pursuing
and He
has made
us His
own.
Further,
we can be
emboldened
in our
gospel
proclamation
because
nothing
will stop
the salvation
of God's
people.
Let's pray
together.
Let's pray
together.
Let's pray
together.