Acts 13:4-12

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4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, 1filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11“Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Illustration

News article

ALGIERS, May 13 (Reuters) - Rebels linked to Al Qaeda's north African wing killed six Algerian soldiers in the deadliest attack on government forces in three months, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The soldiers were on patrol when their convoy came under fire on Sunday in Medea province, 90 km (50 miles) southwest of the capital Algiers, El Khabar newspaper said, citing unnamed sources.

Some soldiers escaped and fought with their assailants, who fled to a nearby forest, taking with them weapons and uniforms from the dead soldiers.

Authorities were not immediately available for comment on the ambush.

These military ambushes have been happening quite often since we have been at war in the Middle East. I'm sure that many soldiers are constantly on alert for such an ambush. In this story that I read it is not clear if the soldiers were expecting the ambush or not, what is clear is that they were not fully prepared to stop the ambush before lives were lost. This is a true tragedy and it brings to light the real dangers that soldiers face on a day-to-day basis.

What about us? We are all sitting in this comfortable room and will leave here today to go to our comfortable living spaces and continue on with our busy lives. Do we ever consider that we may be ambushed? Do we understand that there is a spiritual battle that is taking place all around us?

Acts 13:4-12 is a reminder for me that we need to be prepared for Spiritual battle. That the Spiritual ambushes can happen when they are least expected. Even when they are expected, a spiritual ambush can still come as a surprise.

Introduction

For all intents and purposes it would appear that Barnabas and Saul were fully equipped for the task at hand. These are men that had been together teaching to considerable numbers for an entire year in Antioch 11:26. They were both part of the "prophet and teacher" list at the beginning of chapter 13. The Holy Spirit for the task at hand calls out both Barnabas and Saul personally. 13:2 Notice the true devotion that was taking place in the church that they were part of in verses 1-3. It says that they were "ministering to the Lord" and they were men of prayer.

note:

This is a turning point in Acts. Saul, soon to be known as Paul is embarking on the beginning of his ministry to the Gentiles. Up to this point the preaching has been for the benefit of the Jews. Now we will start to see the gentiles entering into the picture.

Please open your bibles with me to Acts 13:4

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

We saw in verse 2 that Barnabas and Saul were Chosen by the Holy Spirit. Now in verse 4 we see that the Holy Spirit sent them out. This point needs some extra consideration. Scripture does not say that Barnabas and Saul were seeking the Holy Spirit's direction and so decided to leave on their missionary journey. What the scripture does say, very explicitly, is that the Holy Spirit chose Barnabas and Saul and that the Holy Spirit sent them out. The act of sending out shows approval and confidence in the ones who are being sent. It also shows that the ones that are being sent are the right ones for the task they are being sent out to.

It is believed that Barnabas and Saul chose to begin their ministry in Cyprus because this was Barnabas's home. There was also a heavy population of Jews in this area. Cyprus was about a two day Journey from Antioch.

Even though Paul's main ministry will be preaching the Gospel to the gentiles, whenever he enters into a town he starts by teaching in the synagogue first. One popular thought is that if he hadn't preached to the Jews first the gentiles would have never believed him. Maybe that's why Paul said For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Considerations up to this point in the passage.

Spiritual Condition of the men

• Chosen by the Spirit
• The church didn't send them, the Holy Spirit did
• They were ministering to the Lord
• They were actively serving the Lord
• They prayed
• They were obedient to their calling
• The Spirit sent them out

Spiritual Condition of the church v1-4

• They were obedient to the Spirits calling
• They could have held onto Barnabas and Paul
• They could have worried about how this might affect them and sent someone else
• They prayed
• They laid hands on and prayed for Barnabas and Paul
• This is a sign that the church believed that Banabas and Saul were called

Spiritual purpose of the mission

• Remember that the Spirit sent them.
• They proclaimed the Word of God (this is a description of the Gospel) in the synagogues of the Jews v5

6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

Spiritual Opposition

• Barnabas and Paul were summand by the Proconsul (one who governs the land), Sergius Paulus, who is described as an intelligent man, because he wanted to hear the Word of God. v7
• Bar-Jesus (which means son of Jesus), who was called Elymas the sorcerer, opposed Barnabas and Paul and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, 1filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11“Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

Spiritual Battle

• At this point the spiritual battle begins
• They are now fighting over the proconsul's soul
• Paul filled with the Holy Spirit goes to battle
• Paul calls Elymas "the son of the devil" as opposed to the real meaning of his name "the son of Jesus"
• Paul rebukes Elymas
• Paul, by the power of the Spirit, calls blindness to come upon Elymas

Two distinct thoughts came to mind as I studied this passage.

We need to equip ourselves. (the what)

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle (the why)

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The power of God

• The power of the Holy Spirit gave Paul boldness
• The Holy Spirit gave Paul power over deceit and trickery
• The power of the Gospel caused Sergius to believe, it wasn't because of the miraculous blindness that he afflicted Elymus
• The power of God won!

Application

• We need to put on the full armor of God Ephesians 6:13-17
• We need to always remember that God wins Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;

We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.