We are back in the book of Acts after a six week break for the Advent season and New Year's.
We're back at our verse by verse exposition. I'm excited for that. I hope that you are as well.
Get to Acts chapter 14. Take something, your finger, your ribbon marker.
Maybe there's a way to save it on your device if that's the way you're doing it.
Mark Acts chapter 14. There's a bit of a typo on your bulletin, which was not Andy's fault.
It's my fault because I decided late yesterday afternoon that we're going to look at Acts chapter 14 all together.
Not all today, but we're going to look at it in its entirety across the coming weeks.
And so it's going to be the text for today is Acts chapter 14 and we're going to address some points and move on.
But before we do that, I want us to look at Acts chapter 1.
Mark Acts chapter 14. I want you to go back to Acts chapter 1 with me.
There's some other places I want you to turn as well.
Because it's important for us to remember, right, it's been some time since the first start of our study in Acts, right?
When we started in Acts chapter 1, it's been some time.
So time has passed.
And I want to remind you that the book of Acts is Luke's second volume.
First, he wrote the Gospel of Luke, which is his account of Jesus' earthly ministry.
The book of Acts is Luke's account of Jesus' heavenly ministry.
So the Gospel of Luke, Luke's earthly ministry.
The book of Acts, Luke's account of Jesus' heavenly ministry.
It's most commonly known as the Acts of the Apostles.
I think it would more aptly be called the Acts of the Risen Jesus Christ.
Jesus acts as our risen Savior by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the lives of his followers.
And that's what Luke is recording for us here.
In 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.
Let me give you some examples if you're taking notes.
It's chapter 2, verse 4.
Chapter 4, verse 8, and verse 31.
Chapter 5, verse 3.
Chapter 6, verse 3, and verse 5.
Chapter 7, verse 55.
Chapter 9, verse 17.
Chapter 11, verse 24.
Chapter 13, verse 9 is bringing us up to where we are.
And there are some more places beyond our text today.
But then at the very end of chapter 13, in verse 52, Luke writes this.
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
I suggest to you this morning that we carry that knowledge,
that Luke intends for us to carry that as he's pinning this record,
that they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit into this next account.
So fix that in your mind, right?
The disciples filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit
as we are progressing into chapter 14.
But before we get there, before we get into chapter 14 this morning,
I would like to ask and answer two questions concerning
being filled or being full of the Holy Spirit
by way of reminder for those of you who were with us
when we began our study of Acts
and to catch up those of you who were not.
Okay, so you're in Acts chapter 1.
The very first question,
what is the baptism of the Holy Spirit
that Jesus promises in chapter 1, verse 5?
Beginning in verse 4, we can read,
and while staying with them, he, this is Jesus,
ordered them, the disciples,
not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for the promise of the Father,
which he said, you heard from me,
for John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now.
So what is this baptism of the Holy Spirit
that Jesus promises in chapter 1, verse 5?
To answer that question,
let's look at how this phrase is used in the New Testament.
In its entirety, it's only used seven times
in the New Testament.
It occurs four times as the prediction
of John the Baptist concerning Jesus, the Christ.
So four of those seven times,
one example, Matthew 3, verse 11.
John the baptizer said,
I baptize you with water for repentance,
but he who is coming after me
is mightier than I,
whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
You can find similar predictions made by John the Baptist,
Mark 1, 8, Luke 3, 16, John 1, 33.
So in each of the gospel accounts,
John says something to this effect,
four of the seven times.
The next two passages refer directly
to the day of Pentecost.
So speaking in both forward tense, Acts 1, 5, right?
Jesus says, this is going to happen.
You will be baptized.
And then Acts 11, verse 16,
Peter refers back to this promise that Christ made,
Acts 1, verse 5.
I hope you're tracking me right now.
Peter says this,
and I remembered the word of the Lord,
how he said,
John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
The only other reference,
so we've taken care of six of the seven,
the only other reference,
and it is a variation of this statement.
It's found in the New Testament,
1 Corinthians 12, verses 12 and 13.
After Paul has spoken about various spiritual gifts,
he says,
For just as the body is one and has many members,
and all the members of the body,
though many,
are one body,
so it is with Christ.
For in one Spirit,
we were all baptized into one body.
Jews or Greeks,
slaves or free,
and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
The Spirit, right?
1 Corinthians 12, 12 and 13.
The Spirit was the element
in which the Corinthian believers,
Paul's saying believers everywhere,
have been baptized in the Spirit
as the element they were baptized into, right?
Which moved them positionally into the church.
I encourage you to look at 1 Corinthians 12, 12 and 13
with that in mind later on, right?
The Spirit was the element
in which they were baptized,
and that baptism moved them positionally
into the church.
They were baptized in the Spirit
and found themselves in the church.
This is confirmed in other places.
Paul says in Romans 8 and 9,
anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ
does not belong to Him.
So, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
is to be regenerate.
To be baptized in the Holy Spirit
is to be regenerate.
If you have believed in Christ,
you've been made a new creation.
And this is baptism in the Holy Spirit.
With that said,
I do not believe that disciples were converted
at this point in Acts chapter 2, right?
We come to the beginning of Acts chapter 2
in the day of Pentecost.
Because they'd already given many evidences
of repentance and faith.
We find ourselves in this interesting
in-between time
with the way in which God is working
in the world by His Spirit.
I think it's important to remember
that we are observing the transition,
Acts chapter 1 and Acts chapter 2,
between two economies of the Holy Spirit.
It's moving from one way of functioning
to another way of functioning.
So, I do not think that the promise
in 1.5
that the disciples will be baptized
with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now,
and the fact
that they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit
in chapter 2, verse 4.
So, if you look at chapter 2, verse 4,
are synonymous.
Baptized in the Spirit
and filled with the Spirit
are not synonymous,
but rather that they both happened.
Right?
Chapter 2, verse 4,
they were baptized
and filled.
Baptized into the church,
unified by the gift of the Spirit,
and they were filled
with the Holy Spirit.
And then we see the results of that
as they speak on the day of Pentecost
in many tongues.
Okay?
So, I hope you're with me.
What does it mean?
What is meant by the promise of Jesus
that they will be baptized
with the Spirit?
This thing happens to them.
They're unified.
They're drawn into the church together.
But this is not
the same as being filled with the Spirit.
Right?
We're not like so many these days.
Right?
Not recognizing that we're saved
unless we do some
externally miraculous thing.
Right?
If we have believed in Christ,
that is the miracle
that finds us in the church.
Right?
That is the baptism of the Spirit.
We have been changed.
Therefore, we believe.
Right?
This is the baptism of the Spirit.
Right?
Second question.
What is meant by
they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit?
In chapter 2, verse 4.
Okay?
So, not synonymous with baptized.
Baptism of the Spirit
is to be regenerate.
Right?
To be called gods in Christ.
So, what is meant by
they were filled
with the Holy Spirit?
In chapter 2, verse 4.
The primary role
of the Spirit of God
is the exaltation
of Jesus Christ
in the salvation
and perfection
of His church.
This is the primary role.
He does this in many ways.
But the primary role
of the Spirit of God
is the exaltation
of Jesus Christ
in the salvation
and perfection
of His church.
Let me give you
one textual proof.
If you'd like to go there
with me,
you're welcome to.
Ephesians chapter 3,
beginning in verse 14.
Paul writes
to the Ephesian believers,
For this reason
I bow my knees
before the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven
and on earth is named,
that according
to the riches
of His glory
He may grant you
to be strengthened
with power
through His Spirit
in your inner being.
Why?
Verse 17.
Why?
Why is Paul praying
that they would be strengthened
by the power of the Spirit?
Verse 17.
So that Christ
may dwell in your hearts
through faith,
that you being rooted
and grounded in love
may have strength
to comprehend
with all the saints
what is the breadth
and length
and height and depth,
and to know
the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled
with all the fullness
of God.
So Paul's prayer,
my summary,
Paul's prayer
is that they would be
strengthened with power
through the Spirit of God
so that Christ
would be exalted
in their hearts,
that they would comprehend
the sacrifice
that He made
on their behalf.
The Spirit of God
is often called
the shy spirit.
His job is not
to exalt Himself.
His job is to exalt
the risen Christ.
Martin Lloyd-Jones,
one of the
old dead guys
that we love,
wrote this,
of this text,
the Spirit does not
glorify Himself,
He glorifies the Son.
This is,
to me,
one of the most amazing
and remarkable things
about the biblical doctrine
of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit
seems to hide Himself
and to conceal Himself.
He is always,
as it were,
putting the focus
on the Son.
And that is why
I believe,
and I believe profoundly,
that the best test
of all
as to whether we have
received the Spirit
is to ask ourselves,
what do we think of?
And what do we know
about the Son?
Is the Son real to us?
That is the work
of the Spirit.
He is glorified
indirectly.
He is always
pointing us
to the Son.
And so,
you see how easily
we go astray
and become heretical
if we concentrate
over much
and in an unscriptural manner
upon the Spirit Himself.
Yes,
we must realize
that He dwells within us,
but His work
in dwelling within us
is to glorify the Son
and to bring to us
that blessed knowledge
of the Son
and His wondrous love
to us.
It is He
who strengthens us
with the might
in the inner man
that we may know
this love,
this love
of Christ.
So,
the primary role
of the Spirit of God
is the exaltation
of Jesus Christ
in 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.
The primary way
that the Spirit of God
does this work
of the salvation
and perfection
of the church
of Jesus Christ
is the Word of God
believed and spoken
by the people
of God.
So,
now,
we are one time
baptized
in the Holy Spirit,
but it is possible
as a follower
of Jesus
to be full
of the Spirit
or to not
be full
of the Spirit.
This can be
an ongoing
fluctuation
in the life
of a believer.
We have the Spirit,
but it is possible
to be filled
or full
of the Spirit
or to not be filled
or full
of the Spirit.
This is why
Paul exhorts
the Ephesian believers
to be filled
with the Spirit
in Ephesians chapter 5.
So,
please do turn there
with me.
Ephesians chapter 5.
You're going to need
another bookmark
or another finger.
Some fancy Bibles
have multiple
ribbon markers.
Hebrews.
So,
Paul is giving
exhortation,
a strong command
to the Ephesian
believers here.
Ephesians chapter 5,
beginning in verse 18.
He says,
and do not
get drunk
with wine,
for that is
debauchery,
but be filled
with the Spirit.
There's a command
given here.
Be filled
with the Spirit.
And I would suggest
to you
that therefore
there's some activity
on our part
in the work
of sanctification
that Paul says
to us,
be filled.
We should be
able to be filled
with the Spirit.
And there's going
to be some things
that are going
to result from this,
right?
Verse 19
through 25.
I'm going to fly
through it really quickly.
Addressing one another.
Being filled
with the Spirit
means we will
address one another
in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs,
singing and making
melody to the Lord
with your heart,
giving thanks
always and for
everything to God
the Father
in the name
of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Verse 21.
Submitting to one another
out of reverence
for Christ.
Wives,
submit to your own
husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband
is the head of the wife,
even as Christ
is the head of the church,
his body,
and is himself
its Savior.
Verse 24.
Now as the church
submits to Christ,
so also wives
should submit in everything
to their husbands.
Husbands,
love your wives
as Christ loved the church
and gave himself
up for her.
And it goes on.
So there's these outflows,
these results
of being filled
with the Spirit.
Christian living.
We do the things.
We're obedient
to the high calling
of God
in Christ
that's laid out
for us in the Scripture.
We're able to do
these things
because we are,
in fact,
filled with the Spirit.
But it's still
a little abstract
at that point,
is it not?
Like,
so what does it mean?
How is it that
I'm filled
with the Spirit?
Keep your finger
in Ephesians chapter 5.
It's going to get
challenging now,
I know.
And turn to Colossians
chapter 3.
There's a parallel text
in Colossians chapter 3
to Ephesians 5,
18 through 25.
Beginning in verse 16.
This is shorter.
Beginning in verse 16.
And I'm going to pick up
halfway through it.
You may track my logic
if you're paying
careful attention.
But halfway through,
Paul says,
teaching
and admonishing
one another
in all wisdom,
singing,
this should sound familiar,
psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness
in your hearts
to God.
And whatever you do
in word or deed,
do everything
in the name
of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
to God the Father
through Him.
Wives submit
to your husbands
as is fitting
in the Lord.
Husbands,
love your wives
and do not be harsh
with them.
So parallel thing,
he's walking through
the same things,
the same results
of what it means
in Ephesians chapter 5
to be filled
with the Spirit.
Right?
Are you tracking me?
You can flip back and forth.
I'm okay with that
if I hear flipping.
Right?
Notice the parallels
between the two.
But there's a difference.
In Colossians chapter 3,
the beginning of verse 16,
he says something different
than be filled
with the Spirit.
What does he say?
Let the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
So,
take from this,
from these two texts,
that to be filled
with the Spirit
is to let the Word of Christ
dwell in us
richly.
And there's a lot
of meditation
that could happen
on that.
What does it mean
for the Word of God
to dwell in me richly?
Certainly,
it starts with
reading the Word of God.
Okay?
We're not going to go
too much beyond that today.
Right?
But reading it,
picking it up regularly,
knowing the Word of God
is a starting point
for letting the Word of God
dwell in you
richly.
Now,
if that's just far
too abstract for you,
right?
If you go,
oh,
come on,
Nathan.
You're drawing
some major connections
between the two.
I defend
they're good connections.
But it helps,
I think,
to go to another text.
So,
Romans chapter 8.
You'll want to go there too.
Romans chapter 8.
verses 5 through 9.
And I'll apologize to you
if I'm moving too fast for you,
but I know how long my notes are.
So,
you don't know that,
I know that,
but I'm trying to push,
push back to Acts chapter 14
and to the text itself today.
I think this is so important,
though,
as we walk into Acts 14,
right?
They're filled with the Spirit.
What happens,
right?
Acts chapter 14.
Paul and Barnabas go
and they're filled with the Spirit.
What happens?
What's the result of them
being filled with the Spirit?
Okay,
so Romans chapter 8,
verses 5 through 9.
So,
right at the outset here,
Paul is drawing this dichotomy,
right?
You're in one of these two categories,
right?
If you live according to the flesh,
you set your mind on things of the flesh.
If you live according to the Spirit,
you set your mind
on the things of the Spirit.
Verse 6.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death,
but to set the mind on the Spirit
is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh
is hostile toward God,
for it does not submit to God's law.
Indeed,
it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh
cannot please God.
So,
stated rather strongly in the negative,
right?
The person who is not a follower of Jesus Christ,
does not have the Spirit of God,
cannot set their mind on the things of God,
right?
And the result of that
is that they cannot keep the law.
They're incapable of doing that,
and they cannot please God.
So,
what is the adverse,
right?
If you took this
and stated in the positive,
then,
those who are in Christ,
who have the Spirit of God,
who set their minds
on the things of the Spirit,
can keep the law,
can be obedient,
and therefore please God.
So,
are you catching the connection here?
The Christian life
is a very mindful life.
Our minds are constantly active,
set on the things of the Spirit.
But what are the things of the Spirit?
The book that he inspired,
the closed canon,
that he gave us this text.
He set on mine.
So,
are you with me now?
Does Romans 8,
5 and 9 cap that off for you?
I hope it does.
I don't have time to convince you further.
So,
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.
I'll email that to you
if you want it later.
There's a wonderful quote.
I've used it multiple times
since we started studying Acts,
but I'm going to read it to you
one more time.
Dan Phillips,
who is a contemporary pastor,
said this,
Show me a person
obsessed with the Holy Spirit
and his gifts,
real or imagined,
and I will show you
a person not filled
with the Holy Spirit.
Show me a person
focused on the person
and work of Jesus Christ,
never tiring of learning about him,
thinking about him,
boasting of him,
speaking about and for and to him,
thrilled and entranced
with his perfections and beauty,
finding ways to serve
and exalt him,
tirelessly exploring ways
to spend and be spent for him,
growing in character
to be more and more like him,
and I will show you
a person who is filled
with the Holy Spirit.
Recall Acts chapter 13,
verse 52,
and the disciples were filled
with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
And yes, you can take your fingers
out of all those spots,
and let's observe an episode
in Jesus' heavenly ministry
by the agency of the Holy Spirit
in the lives of his followers.
Beginning in verse 1
of Acts chapter 14.
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 Lycaania
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 met well,
said in a loud voice,
stand upright on your feet.
And he sprang up
and began walking.
When the crowd saw
what Paul had done,
they lifted up their voices,
saying in Lycauanian,
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 restrain 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 commended
to the grace of God
for the work
that they had fulfilled.
And when they arrived
and 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
written for his glory
and our good.
We would all do well
to listen to it
in order to believe
its promises
and obey its commands.
Our study in this chapter
is going to be structured
along the following
seven points.
I'm going to do my very best
to get through
the first three this morning,
although that's looking
dismal already.
If I'm unable
in a very MacArthurian way,
MacArthurian, yep,
that works.
I'm going to roll
the points I can't make
into next week
and maybe the week
after that.
But this will be
the structure
for our study
of Acts chapter 14.
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.
So seven points.
Let's start with the first one.
The person who is filled
with the Spirit
is fruitful.
On your bulletin this morning,
it was included
a Charles Spurgeon quote.
Spurgeon once said,
there will never be
any mighty work
come from us
unless there is first
a mighty work
in us.
No man truly labors
for souls
unless the Holy Spirit
has first worked
mightily in him.
Now as soon as I say,
the person who is filled
with the Spirit
is fruitful,
if you're a good student
of the Bible,
you may think
that I am preaching
from the wrong text.
You may think,
wait a minute,
this is not Galatians chapter 5
verses 22 through 24
which says,
the fruit of the Spirit
is love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control.
Against such things,
there is no law.
I'm essentially saying
the fruit is different
than these fruits.
Why am I able to do that?
In Galatians chapter 5,
Paul talks about fruits
that are motivational fruits.
Fruits that generate activity.
He goes on in verse 24
of Galatians 5,
and those who belong
to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh
with its passions
and desires.
desires.
So the fruit of the Spirit
are these replacement
passions and desires.
And those passions
and desires
generate work.
Things that we do
as a result
of these passions
and desires.
So when I say
the person
who is filled with the Spirit
is fruitful,
I mean in the Mark
chapter 4,
verse 20 sense,
parable of the sower.
But those that were sown
on the good soil
are the ones
who hear the Word
and accept it
and bear fruit
thirtyfold
and sixtyfold
and a hundredfold.
God intends to save
His people
and He uses the proclamation
of His Word
to accomplish this.
Due to being filled
with the Spirit,
Paul and Barnabas
are fruitful
in their ministry.
They see conversions.
Right?
Verse 1.
We see the very evidence
of this right
in the first verse
that they speak
in such a way
that a great number
of both Jews
and Greeks
believed.
And the temptation
at this point
is to quickly say
what is this way
that they spoke in?
Right?
What is this such a way
that they spoke in?
And to falsely think
that it was some methodology
on their part
to see people
converted to Christ.
There are a lot of people
these days
that teach lots of methods
to share the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
But beloved,
the gospel of Jesus Christ
is the power
of salvation.
We preach the gospel.
The Spirit of God
uses the gospel
to bring about those
He intends
to believe.
We can be sure
that Paul
didn't do
some fancy thing.
There were no
parlor tricks.
Even as he pleaded
with them
to place their faith
in Christ
and he writes a bit of this
to the Corinthian church
in 1 Corinthians 2
verses 1-5.
He says,
And when I came to you,
brothers,
did not come proclaiming
to you the testimony
of God with lofty speech
or wisdom,
for I decided to do
nothing among you
except Jesus Christ
and Him crucified.
And I was with you
in weakness
and in fear
and much trembling
and my speech
and my message
were not in plausible
words of wisdom
but in demonstration
of the Spirit
and of power.
So the way
that he came
and can we not
come alongside Paul
and say,
yes,
I feel the same
weakness
and fear
and trembling
in the mission
of God
in my life.
Paul didn't try
to dress that up.
He just spoke
the Gospel
in demonstration
of the Spirit
and of power.
And then he says
in verse 5
of 1 Corinthians 2,
so that your faith
might not rest
in the wisdom
of men
but in the power
of God.
There are many
preachers today
who think
that if they craft
the perfect sermon
it will generate
results.
And it will
of a certain kind.
I am deeply aware
and I don't always
function out of this
reality
but I am deeply aware
that if I preach
the Gospel
of Jesus Christ,
God will change
people's hearts.
I with Paul
say of Romans
1.16,
for I am not ashamed
of the Gospel
for it is the power
of God for salvation
to everyone
who believes.
So the,
such a way
that Paul
and Barnabas
are speaking
is that they are
filled
with the Spirit
and they are fruitful.
They are fruitful
at Iconium.
We can see
that the,
first that these
great number
of Jews
and Greeks
believe
and then when
an attempt
was made
by both Gentiles
and Jews
is verse 5
to mistreat them
and to stone them.
They learn of it.
This is not
a matter of cowardice.
This is a matter
of prudence.
And they flee
to a region,
Lystra,
Derbe,
cities of Lycaonia.
Verse 7 says,
and there
they continued
to preach
the Gospel.
They continue
to preach
and they continue
to be fruitful.
In Lystra,
after Paul
is stoned
and presumed
dead,
which Luke
mentions in
such passing
way,
verse 20,
but when the
disciples gathered
around him.
This is new
territory.
Remember,
beloved,
Paul and Barnabas
go to Lystra.
There they are
proclaiming the
Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
We get no
record of converts.
converts.
The story about
them being praised
as Zeus
and Hermes.
But when
he's stoned
and drug out
of the city,
there's a group
of disciples
that gather
around him.
Followers of
Jesus are there
gathered around
him when he
stands back up.
So there's
fruit in Lystra.
There's also
fruit in Derbe.
When they had
preached the Gospel
to that city,
this is verse 21,
and had made
many disciples.
So the person
who was filled
with the Spirit
is fruitful.
But you may
not be fruitful
in exactly
the same
measure.
I am not
this morning
suggesting
that if your
life doesn't
look like the
life of Paul
and Barnabas
on their first
missionary journey,
that you were
not Spirit-filled.
It's not what
I'm suggesting
this morning.
But what I am
suggesting is that
the person who
is filled with
the Spirit
will be used
by God
for the exaltation
of Jesus Christ.
And that,
in some measure,
this means you
will make
disciples of
Jesus Christ.
This means there
needs to be
the evidencing
of the Spirit
of God
filling your life.
You need to be
seeing people
come to faith
in some measure.
Remember Mark
4.20.
I read it to you
a bit ago.
Those that were
sown on the good
soil.
Beloved,
are you good soil?
are the ones
who hear the Word
and accept it
and bear fruit.
We're given
some categories.
I don't think
they're meant
to be strict
categories.
30-fold
and 60-fold
and 100-fold.
Paul and Barnabas
certainly are
our 100-fold
category.
We need,
as followers
of Jesus Christ,
to fall
somewhere
in there.
People who are
filled with the Spirit
will be fruitful.
Now,
let's talk
in the bit of time
I have left
about the external
miracles found
in our text.
There's a couple
things that happen
that are rather
amazing things
that happen.
Verse 3,
we see that signs
and wonders
are done by the
hands of Paul
and Barnabas.
Beginning in
verse 8,
there's a man
who's been crippled
since birth.
That's significant
and he's never
been able to walk.
It's not just
that he has a sprain
and they give him
a little word
and he has enough
gumption to get up
and walk on the sprain.
His feet are messed up.
He's never been able
to walk
and because of
what Paul says
to him,
God works in his life,
he's able to spring up.
Verse 10,
and begin walking.
So these rather
externally miraculous
things happen.
There are a wide
variety of views
out there
these days
about how
that functions
now.
If we're now
filled with the Spirit,
do we have the power
as God's people
to do this?
The question at hand.
Do I have the power
to say to somebody
with a lifelong ailment,
it's healed?
And there's a spectrum.
There's from one end
something called
cessationism,
which would be to say
that all gifts
of healing
and tongues
have completely ceased.
The other end
of that spectrum
is called continuationism.
Active.
Those gifts
are still active.
And there's a lot
of people that fall
somewhere in between
those two.
I'm going to tell you
that I'm a little more
towards this
cessationist spot.
I don't know
that I'm quite
planting my feet
in that camp
because I don't think
we have really clear
biblical evidence
that those gifts
have in fact stopped.
I don't think
there's any like
clear explicit
biblical evidence
that just says
no more.
God never works
in that way
any longer
through the lives
of his people.
I do have a problem
with the far
other end of it.
And I've kind of
hinted at that
along the way.
People and denominations
that exalt the Spirit
above Christ
is troubling to me.
It's very troubling
to me.
We also need to note
going on here
and for our day
that there are
external miracles
happening in our text.
People,
signs and wonders,
they're able to see
these things happen.
There's a man
who's now able
to walk.
But more than that,
more importantly
than that,
there are internal
miracles happening.
The many people,
not counted specifically
in this text,
that have believed.
They've become regenerate.
They've received
the baptism
of the Holy Spirit.
They were once
enemies of God.
They now have become
his friends.
This is an incredibly
miraculous thing
and it still happens
in our day.
I hope that you
have your heart
warmed on a regular basis
by seeing people
come to faith
in Christ.
It's miraculous.
People so set
against the God
of heaven and earth
suddenly turned
toward him.
It's extremely
heartwarming.
So,
miracles do still
happen,
undoubtedly.
Internal miracles,
which I would say
we should rejoice for
because they have
eternal significance
primarily.
So,
let me say a few
things about miracles.
Okay?
So,
wherever you fall
on this spectrum,
I want to give you
some tools to help
you filter through
supposed or possibly
real miracles
in our day.
Okay?
Miracles
are always used,
always used,
to confirm
the message
of Jesus Christ.
There is never
a time in the
scripture that a
miracle happens
and the gospel is
not also being
preached.
Right?
Or the miracle
happens to set the
stage for the gospel
to be preached.
Never a time.
And in fact,
they're very,
very careful
to note that
for us.
So,
if you watch
some YouTube video
of a bunch of
high school kids
praying for someone
who suddenly just
feels a little better,
that pain in my knee
is gone,
and the video cuts,
they never talk
about Christ.
They might pray
in His name,
but they never share
the gospel of Jesus Christ
with people.
Be wary
of things
like that.
Miracles are
always used
to confirm
the message
of Jesus Christ.
This is why
Jesus performed
miracles Himself
by His hands.
John 10,
37,
38.
Jesus says,
I am not doing,
if I am not doing
the works of my
Father,
then do not
believe Me.
But if I do them,
even though you
do not believe Me,
believe the works.
Works are meant
to draw your attention
that you may know
and understand
that the Father
is in Me
and I am in
the Father.
The fact that
Jesus was performing
miracles was to
draw attention
that He was from
the Father
and the message
He was speaking
was true.
This is why
Jesus continued
to perform miracles
by the agency
of the Holy Spirit
in the lives
of His followers.
Again,
look at verse 3,
chapter 14.
So they remained
for a long time.
What does it say next?
Speaking boldly
for the Lord.
And what does God do?
Christ,
working in them
by the agency
of the Spirit
who bore witness
to the word
of His grace
granting signs
and wonders
to be done
by their hands.
Confirms the message
of Jesus Christ
that they're proclaiming.
Before the man
in Lystra
is healed,
Luke records
in verse 7,
and there they
continue to
preach the gospel.
It's in the midst
of them preaching
the gospel
and this man
hears the gospel
that Paul sees him,
sees that he has
faith to be healed
and heals him.
Be wary
of any ministry
who makes it
their aim
to perform
external miracles,
that that is
their ministry.
If they gather
together and say,
let's go out
on the street
and perform miracles
today.
The apostles
never sought
to perform miracles.
There's never
this stated intention.
It's time, guys.
This part of our ministry
where we go
and perform miracles,
it just happens.
Along the way,
being filled with the Spirit,
they do these miraculous
things for the sake
of the proclamation
of the gospel.
The apostles were
always preaching
the gospel
when a miracle
was performed
or followed the miracles
with gospel proclamation
when one was
performed.
Suppose that
external miracles
performed by individuals
who do not
preach the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
You can name
some of those people.
Benny Hinn
does not preach
the gospel
of Jesus Christ
yet claims
to perform miracles.
In our backyard,
beloved,
Jensen Franklin
does not preach
the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
He preaches
a prosperity gospel
and yet
claims to perform
miracles.
It's damnable
to do such a thing.
It's misleading
to do such a thing
and it should
make us angry.
We ought to be offended
that God
is offended.
The third part
of the Trinity
that lives within us
is claimed,
he's paraded about
in a way
that is not
consistent
with what the Bible
says he does.
Primary work,
always about
the exaltation
of Jesus Christ.
So what those men do
may be spiritual
in nature,
but I can promise you
that it is not
the work
of the Holy Spirit.
Very, very cautious
and warn people
that you know
and love
of the same.
Well, I made it
through point one.
John MacArthur
would be so proud of me.
Okay, so I'm going to
conclude this morning.
with some questions
for your further
consideration.
Number one,
do you have
the Spirit of God?
If you recall
the terminology
Jesus and Paul used,
have you been
baptized
in the Spirit?
Do you have
the Spirit of God?
Martin Lloyd-Jones
talked about,
I read that long
quotation to you,
what do we think,
what do we know,
is Jesus real to us?
It's a great evidence
that the Spirit of God
is working in our life.
Don't wait
to speak
in some other language.
What do you know
to be true
of Christ?
And how is it
that the Spirit of God
is working in you?
Last week,
I read this quote
from Charles Spurgeon.
If you can sin
and not weep over it,
you are an heir of hell.
If you can go into sin
and afterwards
feel satisfied
to have done so,
you are on the road
to destruction.
If there are no
prickings of conscience,
no inward torments,
no bleeding wounds,
if you have no throbs
and heavings
of a bosom
that cannot rest,
if your soul
never feels filled
with wormwood
and gall,
when you know
that you have done evil,
you are no child
of God.
Do you have
the Spirit of God?
Are you being moved
toward holiness?
Second question,
if you have the Spirit,
and I hope that all of you
can with confidence
say, yes, I do.
Jesus is real to me
and he's working
obedience in me.
If you have the Spirit,
are you filled
with the Spirit?
Do you find in yourself
any failing
in this matter?
I wrote matters,
so I got to one,
in this matter
of fruitfulness.
repentance.
Repent
and believe.
Repent
and believe
that you are loved
by God
in Christ.
Confess
your failing,
confess
your sinfulness,
and believe
that the promises
of Scripture
are true.
There is therefore
now no condemnation
for those
who are
in Christ Jesus.
What a great motivation,
beloved,
to pick ourselves up
when we have failed
and to press on
into holiness.
Third question,
why are you not
filled with the Spirit?
Why are you not
filled with the Spirit?
Same question,
stated a different way,
a little more priming.
Does the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly?
Does the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly?
If not,
if you're not
picking up the Bible
in a way
that you're taking it up
inside yourself
and that it dwells
within you,
what do you value
over Jesus Christ
and the Word
that testifies
of Him?
What do you
treasure more
than Jesus
and this book
that tells us
about Him?
We see the face
of Christ
in the Scripture,
and there's a slew,
many, many things
that could fall
into this category
and you would do well
to search your heart
and ask God
to expose those things
that you place
in higher importance
than Jesus
and His Word.
Let's pray together.