The Battle Continues
Joshua Putnam
Acts | Unfinished • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
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.
And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 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. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
All through Acts we have seen...
Persecution and blessings
We have seen an ongoing struggle between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of the Son.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Introduction/review
Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch of Pisidia
They preached in the synagogue
Some people were excited and some were not.
We saw...
Indifference
Animosity
Reception
1. God will visibly win some battles.
1. God will visibly win some battles.
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.
And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.
Let’s not forget this is a major shift in Acts.
This is a major shift in the church.
The Gospel to the gentiles.
1. God will visibly win some battles.
1. God will visibly win some battles.
There will be times of peace and we will see God at work building His church and advancing His Kingdom.
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
We need to thank God for those times and take advantage of them.
There will be times of unrest yet we will still see God working.
Luke makes it a point to show us both the struggle and the victory!
Look for the hand of God.
Be involved in His work.
Be on the front lines!
Plug in and get to work.
Be here for our communion services and listen to the testimonies.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
God is always at work.
2. Satan will seemingly win some battles.
2. Satan will seemingly win some battles.
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.
Notice the difference in resources.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Look at this!
When people of power and prestige attack the gospel it appears more acceptable for others to follow along.
It is much easier to follow when it is the popular opinion.
God doesn’t work that way.
God isn’t interested in making it easier to follow.
We have churches full of people who may not even be saved because we have tried to make salvation easy and make God’s standards acceptable.
That’s not how God works.
Take up your cross and follow me.
Count the cost.
Hate your father and mother.
Rich young ruler - sell everything.
Here’s how God does it!
Now this!
When you see Satan raising up prominent men and women, remember two things...
That’s not the kind of people God uses.
You and I are the kind of people God uses.
When you look at our country and long for change understand it starts with you and I.
It starts with making disciples in our community.
Paul and Barnabas were forced out.
The persecution got bad.
Paul and Barnabas had a strong response.
51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
This was not a new idea.
14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
This was a symbol of dissociation and separation.
So Paul and Barnabas separated themselves from those who rejected.
They left Antioch of Pisidia.
There was an obvious work of God going on.
Then persecution comes and seems like a bad thing.
We can expect the same.
When God’s people begin to do God’s work biblically and faithfully there will always be fruit and there will always be resistance from the enemy.
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
“Perilous” - hard, difficult, painful, harsh, savage
The comforts we enjoy are going to go away.
It is going to get difficult.
HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW!!
3. God has already won the war.
3. God has already won the war.
But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The disciples - those left in Antioch were filled with JOY!!
They knew God wasn’t finished!
We have so many promises to live by!
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
So the disciples were filled with JOY!!
Paul and Barnabas move on...
“And came to Iconium.”
51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
This is a simple but powerful statement!
God’s work Goes on.
Chapter 14 - they went to the synagogue of the Jews.
The book of Acts doesn’t end at chapter 13.
There is another town to reach.
There is another battle to fight.
And here we are today!
I want to see God use us.
I don’t want to get distracted and derailed.
I want to live in Christ’s promises and be a part of building the church!
Just as God uses unconventional people he uses unconventional tactics.
David - killed Goliath with a sling.
Joshua - march around the city once for 6 days, on the 7th march 7 times, on the seventh time the priest will blow their trumpet and the people will shout.
Gideon - 32,000 soldiers and he was outnumbered 4 to 1 and that was too much for God. (300 men)
God isn’t going to do things the way that makes sense to us.
God expects us to do it HIS way!
God gave specific commands to be followed.
Hebrews 11 is full of men and women we admire because of their faith but it started with their obedience.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
So… we here this verse all the time but do we believe it?
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.