2014.09.21 Acts 13: 42-52
The city is divided
We have been studying the ministry of Paul and Barnabas in the city of Antioch….. Antioch was in a region called Pisidia which was in a larger area called Galatia…… This is the first missionary journey…… Arriving in the city of Antioch…… Paul proclaimed the Good News in the Synagogue… As you remember from last week…. His sermon blew the city wide open……
As the good news of Jesus Christ reaches the city of Antioch….. it has a powerful effect….. Paul and Barnabas arrive and the whole place blows up in a matter of a week……. Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the Gospel…. They proclaimed the LORD Jesus as Savior and Messiah…. Paul preached a powerful sermon…. That is what we studied last week….. He proclaimed Jesus….
Jesus Christ is proclaimed!
He is ….
1 the culmination of history….. v17-22
2 the fulfillment of prophecy… v 23-37
3 the justifier of sinners……. v 38-41
Paul announced that Jesus was the culmination of history….. the fulfillment of all Messianic prophesy…… and the justifier of sinners…. and he gave an invitation to repent and come to Christ Jesus…..
He also gave a solemn warning….
Today we're going to see the response…. What did they do? How did they react to his sermon? The initial response was positive…... at the beginning everything looked good…… Later we see a very strong polarization…… Two extremes occurred…… They were either very positive….. or they were very negative…..
We see this reaction everytime the Good News of the Gospel is proclaimed…. Everytime the gospel is preached….. You will see one of two reactions….. Because the issue is going to come down to a decision to repent and cry out for mercy…. Or to refuse to repent…. and instead….. to harden their hearts….. Those who harden their hearts will even become hostile to the Gospel….
Those who refused to repent and come to Jesus hated him because he showed them the truth about themselves…. He shined the light of truth on their black…. Proud…. Sinful hearts….…. Turn with me to John 3:16…..
John 3: 16- 21 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3: 16- 21 Sch2000
16 Denn so sehr hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, damit jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verlorengeht, sondern ewiges Leben hat.
17 Denn Gott hat seinen Sohn nicht in die Welt gesandt, damit er die Welt richte, sondern damit die Welt durch ihn gerettet werde.
18 Wer an ihn glaubt, wird nicht gerichtet; wer aber nicht glaubt, der ist schon gerichtet, weil er nicht an den Namen des eingeborenen Sohnes Gottes geglaubt hat.
19 Darin aber besteht das Gericht, daß das Licht in die Welt gekommen ist, und die Menschen liebten die Finsternis mehr als das Licht; denn ihre Werke waren böse.
20 Denn jeder, der Böses tut, haßt das Licht und kommt nicht zum Licht, damit seine Werke nicht aufgedeckt werden.
21 Wer aber die Wahrheit tut, der kommt zum Licht, damit seine Werke offenbar werden, daß sie in Gott getan sind.
The gospel always creates division when it exposes sin……… look at v19 and 20…..
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
19 Darin aber besteht das Gericht, daß das Licht in die Welt gekommen ist, und die Menschen liebten die Finsternis mehr als das Licht; denn ihre Werke waren böse.
20 Denn jeder, der Böses tut, haßt das Licht und kommt nicht zum Licht, damit seine Werke nicht aufgedeckt werden.
The gospel automatically divides between the saved and the unsaved…… Sometimes it even causes division in a family……
Acts 13: 42-44….
Acts 13: 42- 44 NKJV Neues Leben
42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Acts 13: 42- 44 Sch 2000
42 Als aber die Juden aus der Synagoge gegangen waren, baten die Heiden darum, daß ihnen diese Worte [auch] am nächsten Sabbat verkündigt würden.
43 Nachdem aber die Synagogenversammlung sich aufgelöst hatte, folgten viele Juden und gottesfürchtige Proselyten dem Paulus und Barnabas nach, die zu ihnen redeten und sie ermahnten, bei der Gnade Gottes zu bleiben.
44 Am folgenden Sabbat aber versammelte sich fast die ganze Stadt, um das Wort Gottes zu hören.
in verse 42 to 44….. We see the beginning and it looks so good….. Paul and Barnabas may have thought….. They're all going to get saved….. Look at verse 42…… Paul has just finished his sermon and the people begged for more…… "Would you come back next week? We want to hear this again."
Now that's great…… That's what every teacher wants to here…. it's great when the people want to hear more……. It´s good… but it would have been even better if everyone who heard the Good News that day had come to saving faith in The LORD Jesus Christ that very day….
2 Corinthians 6:2 says…..Now is the day of salvation…… Hebrews 3:7,8 Today while you're still hearing, harden not your heart….. it's better to receive Christ now….. Because tomorrow is promised to no man…..
verse 43….
Acts 13:43 NKJV Sch 2000
43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
43 Nachdem aber die Synagogenversammlung sich aufgelöst hatte, folgten viele Juden und gottesfürchtige Proselyten dem Paulus und Barnabas nach, die zu ihnen redeten und sie ermahnten, bei der Gnade Gottes zu bleiben.
The Gentiles begged them to come back next week…. That's good….. Even better…. Others became followers on the spot…..
So there were Jews and Gentiles and they followed them…..They believed the message they had heard…….They believed that Jesus was the Messiah…...
Look at the end verse 43….. Paul and Barnabas persuaded them to continue in the grace of God…..
Many had professed to believe…. so Paul and Barnabas strongly encouraged those who made a profession of faith to continue in the grace of God……
Does that mean they were saved? Good question…. There's only one way overall that I can really tell when somebody is born again and that is if they continue in the grace of God….. That´s what Jesus said to some who said they believed…. Turn to John 8….v30…
John 8: 30-32 NKJV Sch 2000
30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
30 Als er dies sagte, glaubten viele an ihn.
31 Da sprach Jesus zu den Juden, die an ihn glaubten: Wenn ihr in meinem Wort bleibt, so seid ihr wahrhaftig meine Jünger,
32 und ihr werdet die Wahrheit erkennen, und die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen!
V31… " If you continue in My Word, then you are really My disciples... greek….. alethos...for real…..
How do you tell a real disciple from a false one? The real one continues…… Paul says….. Continue in the grace of God….. You hang on to Jesus…… Paul and Barnabas didn't know whether they were really saved or not…..
Only the Lord himself knows the thoughts and intents of the heart…… The Bible say that we don´t even know our own hearts…. Prove the reality of your confession by continuing in the grace of God…… Paul and Barnabas persuaded them to continue……
Now for the Jewish believers….. there was a problem…… They were used to living under the law….. not in the grace of God…… What were Paul and Barnabas saying? They were saying this….. remain in the grace that you have heard about and don't go back to the law…….
continue in grace….. Don't get put back under law…..
Continuing in grace is as important as beginning in grace….. we must never leave it as the basic principle of our relationship with God…… Far too many only think of grace as the introduction to the Christian life………. but God wants grace to remain as the foundation for our life with Him……. Paul and Barnabas say….. Prove the true character of your faith by continuing in the grace of God…..That's what Colossians 1 says….. .That's what James says…… Continue…..
Acts 13….v44,45…
Acts 13: 44,45 NKJV Sch 2000
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.
44 Am folgenden Sabbat aber versammelte sich fast die ganze Stadt, um das Wort Gottes zu hören.
45 Als die Juden jedoch die Volksmenge sahen, wurden sie voll Eifersucht und widersetzten sich dem, was Paulus sagte, indem sie widersprachen und lästerten.
V44…. The scene is easy to picture…... The whole city is ready to hear the gospel from Paul on the next Sabbath…… What a wonderful scene…. Tell us about Jesus!
but this dramatic response by the Gentiles…… v45
v45… It makes the leaders of the synagogue jealous….. filled with envy…. voll Eifersucht…..
That was the issue and so they got furious….. The word "jealous" or "envious" expresses exactly the attitude…..
The same word is used in Acts 5:17 of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem…... It translates it in the King James "indignation…… same word…... They were jealous…… That's a sad state and when they saw the whole city full of Gentiles come to hear the gospel….. they just flipped out…. How tragic…… And so some closed their minds to the Gospel…. and the doors that were open a week before….. were slammed shut and they were finished with Paul and Barnabas….. and some were finished with Jesus too….
There are many so called religious leaders….. who are more concerned about being popular than serving God…..
….. Contradicting and blaspheming….. they opposed the things spoken by Paul…. Suddenly…..Paul's preaching is opposed as if this was a debate….. his opponents are even blaspheming God….
Why? Why would these religious people reject the Messiah they had waited for so long?
One reason was they wanted to keep the division between Jew and Gentile……and if Jesus was to be the Messiah of all men….. they wanted no part of Him…… Some people end up rejecting Jesus because of the way He changes our relationship with other people…… Some would rather hold on to their bitterness….. and treasure hatred towards others…… than turn to Jesus and be reconciled…… v46-50….
Acts 13: 46-50 NKJV
46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
Acts 13: 46-50 NKJV sch 2000
46 Da sagten Paulus und Barnabas freimütig: Euch mußte das Wort Gottes zuerst verkündigt werden; da ihr es aber von euch stoßt und euch selbst des ewigen Lebens nicht würdig achtet, siehe, so wenden wir uns zu den Heiden.
47 Denn so hat uns der Herr geboten: »Ich habe dich zum Licht für die Heiden gesetzt, damit du zum Heil seist bis an das Ende der Erde!
48 Als die Heiden das hörten, wurden sie froh und priesen das Wort des Herrn, und es wurden alle die gläubig, die zum ewigen Leben bestimmt waren.
49 Das Wort des Herrn aber wurde durch das ganze Land getragen.
50 Aber die Juden reizten die gottesfürchtigen Frauen und die Angesehenen und die Vornehmsten der Stadt auf, und sie erregten eine Verfolgung gegen Paulus und Barnabas und vertrieben sie aus ihrem Gebiet.
V46… Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold….. Praise God for their zeal for the things of God! They wouldn't let this challenge go unanswered……. The Lord Filled them with His Holy Spirit…… My friend Bill Lowery loves to preach about the wicked flea…. He uses the text in Proverbs 28…v1….The wicked flee when no man pursueth…. But the righteous are as bold as a lion…
Well….. These two were bold as lions that day…
They were persistent….. They were proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel…. They were fighting for the truth….
Paul and Barnabas weren't afraid of anyone…. and as the became angry and threatening…. and they got bolder and finally they said….. It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you. We spoke it to you first because that was GOD´s plan….
Salvation is of the Jews….. That´s what Jesus said in John 4……
Paul said in Romans 1:16, "I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first."
You see, They were God's chosen people….. God's beloved….and God wanted them to be His witnesses to the nations…. and so God said….. "I'll send the gospel to you first and then you'll believe it…… and spread it……
And so Paul says…..It was necessary to go to you first…. but ….. Seeing you put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles…… Paul says…. God is going to reach the world….. and if you aren't the vehicle…… then the Gentiles will reach the Gentiles……
There is a fearful statement that I want to point out..... you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life…. You judge yourself…… Do you know when a man rejects Jesus Christ…… He judges himself? If a man dies and goes to hell….. he goes there just because he himself chose to go there…… Remember what we read earlier this morning in John 3 ?.... turn back to John 3 v 17…
John 3: 17,18 NKJV Sch 2000
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
17 Denn Gott hat seinen Sohn nicht in die Welt gesandt, damit er die Welt richte, sondern damit die Welt durch ihn gerettet werde.
18 Wer an ihn glaubt, wird nicht gerichtet; wer aber nicht glaubt, der ist schon gerichtet, weil er nicht an den Namen des eingeborenen Sohnes Gottes geglaubt hat.
If a man dies without Christ….. that's because he wanted to do that….. You judge yourselves…..he says…… "You have pronounced your own sentence….. They put Paul and Barnabas on trial… But they really were putting themselves on trial by refusing to repent and believe the Good News of the Gospel….
You know….. whatever you do with Jesus Christ….. you pronounce your own sentence……. God offers mercy and grace……. He has given us a way out of our sin and rebellion…. Will we renounce our sin and pride and cry out to Him who gave everything for us?
The Word of God is clear…. We are on trial…. We stand before God as rebels and sinners who are condemned to die….
and depending on what we do with Jesus Christ…… We repent and believe and are saved…. Or we refuse to repent declare judgment on ourselves…..
Back to Acts 13…v46…You have pronounced yourselves unfit for everlasting life…..
Then Paul quotes Isaiah…..
V47… And then to prove what he said….. he quoted right out of Isaiah….. "For so hath the Lord commanded us...Isaiah 49:6, he quotes an Old Testament prophesy...I have sent Thee to be a light of the nations."
Jesus is the light of the nations!
"I have sent Thee to be a light to the nations, that Thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth." The Messiah wasn't just sent for Israel…... He was sent for the nations….. The Jews that refused to repent and come to the Lord Jesus hardend their hearts and turned negative and even hateful….. What a sad negative attitude……
It is the Gentiles who showed the most wonderful the positive response…..
Verse 48…. And when the Gentiles heard this...... that salvation was for them too…. and the Messiah was for them too... they were glad and they glorified the Word of the Lord….. and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed…..
This is a very important verse… The Gentiles heard the Gospel and received it for what it is…… Good News….. They were glad….. The believed…. They were saved…… The Jews were having fits of anger and jealousy….. and the Gentiles were getting saved….. You see, it says there "...as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." We see here the wonderful Sovereignty of God….. Remember…. God is by nature a Savior…
You know what always follows legitimate salvation? evangelism…….
verse 49…..And the Word of the Lord was published throughout all the region... When people get saved….. they share the Good News with others….. What a tremendous response….. It was the proclaimation of the Word of God that caused these things to occur…. Remember back in verse 44…..
verse 44"They all came together to hear the Word of God."
Verse 46, "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken."
Verse 48, "And they glorified the Word of the Lord." Verse 49, "And the Word of the Lord was published." What's the key?
The Word of God…. The Word...
Verse 49, "And the Word of the Lord spread throughout the region….
The Gospel began to spread like wildfire…. It's the key to everything…… You know why Antioch was turned upside down? Not because Paul spoke on human relations…… or poverty programs…… Not because he came up with a plan to cure social problems…… It was because he spoke the Word of God….. God always honors his word….. That was the key to everything that happened…..
And the natural result was evangelism….. Their hearts must have been thrilled as they were saved…… But the unbelievings Jews were angry…. And Paul's heart was deeply grieved at Israel's unbelief……
Paul wrote that he had Continual sorrow and heaviness of heart for Israel….. What happened then?
Verse 50, they were so mad when the Gentiles got saved, this infuriated them all the more, right? And it says, "The Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women and the chief men of the city." "And they raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas."
Now we don't know the exact nature of it but in 2 Timothy 3:11….. Paul talks about his persecution in Antioch…… and in 2Corinthians 11, he says he was beaten with rods and with whips and that's probably what happened there…….
They really let them have it and then they "expelled them from their borders." They threw them out…… Turned the town against them..... acts 13….v.51,52…
Acts 13: 51,52 NKJV Sch 2000
51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
51 Da schüttelten diese den Staub von ihren Füßen gegen sie und gingen nach Ikonium.
52 Die Jünger aber wurden voll Freude und Heiligen Geistes
V51…. And so Paul and Barnabas left….. and when they shook off the dust of their feet….. They made a very important symbolic statement…...
Jesus had said in Luke 10, when you go to evangelize, sent out His disciples, when they don't hear your message and they don't believe the Messiah, you shake the dust off your feet and leave that town……. He meant treat those Jews like they were Gentiles……..
…. And came to Iconium…. Paul and Barnabas carry on the work….. going next to Iconium….. All too often, rejection and opposition for the sake of the gospel…… Causes us to be disappointed and discouraged…. The Christian life is supposed to be marked by only victory and blessings….. We go through hard times…. Or The Lord sends us a test and we freak out…. Right away the hard times makes us want to give up….. But Paul and Barnabas respond with appropriate determination…. Next town…. We´re ready!
When Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet in Antioch…… they were saying in effect From now on, God looks at you like heathen…... That was the result……. They were lost because they rejected their Messiah Jesus Christ…….
v 52 ….. "And the disciples were filled with joy, with the Holy Spirit."
Can you see the contrast? When Paul and Barnabas left town…… They left two different groups….. Some repented and believed….. They were gloriously saved…. They were filled with Joy… and the Holy Spirit….
Being filled with joy and being filled with the Holy Spirit go together….. and they have joy in spite of their circumstances……
Paul is a great example of his own exhortation to be constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit…. Turn with me to Ephesians 5:15….
Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV sch 2000
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV sch 2000
15 Seht nun darauf, wie ihr mit Sorgfalt wandelt, nicht als Unweise, sondern als Weise;
16 und kauft die Zeit aus, denn die Tage sind böse.
17 Darum seid nicht unverständig, sondern seid verständig, was der Wille des Herrn ist!
18 Und berauscht euch nicht mit Wein, was Ausschweifung ist, sondern werdet voll Geistes;
19 redet zueinander mit Psalmen und Lobgesängen und geistlichen Liedern; singt und spielt dem Herrn in eurem Herzen;
20 sagt allezeit Gott, dem Vater, Dank für alles, in dem Namen unseres Herrn Jesus Christus;
21 ordnet euch einander unter in der Furcht Gottes!
Paul and Barnabas were able to rejoice even in their hard times because Jesus had transformed their hearts…. Jesus changes the way we look at everything! What Good News for all who see their sin ad are willing to repent and come to The LORD Jesus Christ…… BUT…
Others refused to repent and believe….. They were filled with hatred and anger….. They attacked The Word of God and all who stood for the Lord Jesus….
Let me say this in closing….. Listen…… The choice is yours…. You either live life separated from God…. and stay in your sin and pride and rebellion….. or you repent and cry out to the Lord for mercy and grace…. There's no middle ground……
Jesus said, "He that is not with Me is against Me."
Let's pray.c
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