The Mission: God Defends His Glory
Acts: The Mission of the Church • Sermon • Submitted
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When people study Acts, it is often an challenge to figure out who was the Roman emperor at the time and what Herod is being referred to. Luke jumped around a bit in his narrative… his intent was to follow the story line and not be overly concerned with the timeline. If Luke wrote according to the chronology, I think Acts would a bit more like a genealogy instead of a story.
(Slide: Rulers)
The text on the screen may be too small to read, but you do have that information printed on the back of your message notes. I enjoy chronology. When my wife tries to tell me a story and jumps around chronologically, I end up being very confused. If you enjoy chronological order, as I do, you may find this chart helpful.
(SKIP---------------------------------------
Roman Emperors
Augustus (31 BC - 14 AD)
Tiberius (14-37)
Caligula (37-41)
Claudius (41-54)
Nero (54-68)
Herods (Kings over portions of Israel under the Emperor)
Herod the Great (37 BC - 4 BC)
founder of the dynasty
slaughtered male children 2 and younger in the Bethlehem region
Herod Antipas (4 BC - 39)
Confronted about Herodias
Salome’s dance
beheaded John the Baptist
Herod Agrippa I (41 - 44)
James was martyred
eaten by worms
Herod Agrippa II (44 - 93)
Friendly towards the Gospel and Jews
Paul plead his case before him in Acts 26
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The events in Acts 13 took place sometime between the years 43 AD and 49 AD during the time period of Emperor Caligula and either Herod Agrippa 1 or 2. Verse 1 introduces a man who was a friend of “Herod the Tetrarch.” That would have been a previous tetrarch, Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist after Salome’s dance.
That is all we need to know about world history for the moment, so let’s dive into the Gospel’s history. Saul, or Paul and Barnabas had been sent on a food relief mission by the Antioch to the Judean churches in acts 11:27-30, then if we read Acts 12:25, we find that....
Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
This was John Mark, the son of Mary from chapt. 12, whose brother, James, had been recently martyred. From this point on the book of Acts pivots away from the Jerusalem church. The Gospel had gone into Jerusalem. It scattered throughout Judea and Samaria and the rest of Acts is focused on the the beginning of missions to the gentile nations.
Missions began. (vv1-5)
Missions began. (vv1-5)
(hidden point: Missionaries commissioned. v1-3)
Many people think missions began right here in Acts 13, but technically, missions existed since the arrival of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Up to that point in time, the apostles were local missionaries because they took the Gospel to all of Jerusalem.
Philip, Peter, and John took the gospel to Samaria in chapter 8, the Spirit cause Philip to meet the Ethiopian, who seems to have taken the Gospel back to Ethiopia and planted a church there. God used Peter and Cornelius to plant a church in Caesarea, and we know that whenever believers scattered into new communities, new churches were born.
Missions has always existed since the birth of the Gospel. Without the Gospel, missions would be fruitless. Without missions, the Gospel’s message would be a fruitless, empty husk. Jesus himself was a missionary during his time on earth. “Missions began” simply means this is the first time a local church specifically commissioned missionaries to take the Gospel further and further away from the epicenter of the church.
Chapter 13, v1 opens in Antioch, the epicenter of the Gentile church, where Luke names five leaders of that church.
We have already met Barnabas. He was sent by the Jerusalem congregation to help the Antioch church. Barnabas was a Jew.
The second leader named is Simeon “Niger.” Niger means “black” or dark skinned. He was a Gentile convert.
The next leader was Lucius from Cyrene… another gentile convert.
Manaen would have been an aristocratic Jew for he was a lifelong friend of Herod Antipas. Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and the father of Herod Agrippa I who was a key figure in last week’s message.
Finally, we discover that Paul was there, having returned from disbursing food to the Judean believers at the end of Acts 11.
The diversity we find in this group is proof transformed living: the Gospel had reached the rich, the poor, the Jew, the Gentile, the black, and the white, the popular, the obscure. Though they were diverse, they formed a single united front for the sake of the Gospel. The Gospel radically transforms all aspects of life. Not only does the Gospel overcome racial and social prejudices but prayer and fasting caused them to all be partners for the Gospel. Something else was also taking place here...
(hidden point: Crossroads encountered)
Have you ever been at a crossroads in life? Or maybe you even felt like you were at a dead end… another road couldn’t even be found anywhere? Will you think of that experience for a moment? (Pause) What steps did you take to determine God’s will? (Pause) Compare what you did to what these five men did in verse 2...
2 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.”
Where were they when the Spirit revealed His will, according to verse 2? These five believers were together, right where they were where they were supposed to be. Matthew 18:20 tells us that, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” If the church family is meeting corporately, we are supposed to be there. If the church is not meeting corporately, we need to create opportunities to be together and pray with other believers. We must long to do so. We must love doing do. If we do not love being with believers and spiritually connecting, we quench the Spirit. The Spirit will not reveal His will to us when we neglect what he has already revealed… be in church, pray constantly, love His word.
These people were at a crossroads. They were in church, praying constantly. They loved God’s Word and were fasting. They were very earnestly seeking wisdom and strength for their next steps, but we also know they didn’t only go to church, pray, and love the Word at junctions in life. These things were the habits of their lives. They were known for these three steps. It was only when they had obeyed the revealed will of God given to all men… (church, prayer, being devoted to the Word) that the Spirit revealed the next path. They had been faithful in little things so the Spirit set them apart for greater things. The Spirit specifically said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Barnabas and Saul were directly commissioned for missions by the Holy Spirit, then in verse 3...
Acts 13:3 (ESV)
...(they continued fasting and praying) they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
(hidden point: Missionary journey begun. v4-5)
When they “laid their hands on them” the church leaders were symbolically transferring their Spiritual authority to Barnabas and Saul and, verse 4...
Acts 13:4–5 (ESV)
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
(Slide: Map of journey)
Three partners for the Gospel departed on the first missionary journey, but only two of them were directly commissioned by the Holy Spirit. Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark also had a missions strategy, located in verse 5. Whenever they came to a community which had a Jewish Synagogue they ministered in that synagogue first.
Nothing of note took place until they reached Paphos on the western coast of Cyprus. It was there where a magician opposed them and where God defended His glory.
Magician opposed. (vv6-11)
Magician opposed. (vv6-11)
Let’s continue reading in verse 6...
Acts 13:6–8 (ESV)
6 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. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
The “son of Jesus” faced off against “the son of Jesus.”
Son of Jesus vs “son of Jesus.” (vv6-10)
Certainly, the missionaries’ reputation would have reached the proconsul by this time. Proconsul Paulus seems to have been curious about spiritual things. The missionaries’ words about Jesus greatly differed from Bar-Jesus’ teachings. The proconsul realized this because the Holy Spirit was at work in His life.
Bar-Jesus name meant “son of Jesus” but he was literally a son of Jesus in name only. Look what the text says about his works: he was a magician serving in the proconsul’s court who was also known as Elymus the magician. No true “son of Jesus” has ever been mistaken as a magician. True “son’s of Jesus” were called “disciples” and “Christians.” Magicians do works connived by cunning or by dark spirits.
Verse 8 also says that the “son of Jesus” opposed the true sons of Jesus… Barnabas, Paul, and John Mark. No true son of Jesus would oppose another believer. Why? Because the Holy Spirit leads all Christians toward the same purpose. God cannot fight himself.. No true son of Jesus would oppose another who has been “called and set apart according to God’s purpose.” We know from...
Romans 8:31 (ESV)
...If God is for us, who can be against us?
Believers who walk in the same Spirit certainly cannot be against us, but God will oppose whoever opposes Him. Leviticus 26 has a very dark and pointed message to the one who does not submit to God’s will and to the one who openly opposes God’s will. Please read Lev 26 in your personal devotions this week. If that passage doesn’t convict you to be Spirit-led, perhaps no passage will.
Lev. 26 warns God’s enemies of His wrath and it also reminds the obedient of God’s protection. Several warnings are given in Lev. 26. Here are some excerpts:
“But if you do not listen to me and will not do all my commandments.... I will set my face against you. If you still do not repent, I will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you sevenfold for your sins, and if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury and will discipline you sevenfold for your sins, my soul will abhor you and I will lay your cities waste, I will devastate your land, and I will unsheathe the sword after you.”
No one can stand when opposed to God!
We can also consider 2 Kings 2:23-24 which will be on the screen. Elisha was travelling when...
some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.
The Lord stands opposed to the wicked no matter how young or old a person is. God defenced his glory against more than 42 young boys who opposed God. These passages are not some myth to scare people into obedience. God continually fights for His glory today just as he has always done. The nation of Israel today stands opposed to the Gospel. Compare what is happening in that nation to Leviticus 26. Did you know that more than 60 percent of Israel is desert? That is a consequence foretold in Leviticus 26.
We are either for for or we are against Him. If we are lukewarm, He will spew us out of His mouth. There is no middle ground...
Someone who is not passionately aligned with God is opposed to God.
God will oppose the person who does not preach Christ crucified at every opportunity in life. God defends His glory today and He defended His glory against Bar-Jesus in Acts 13:8. What was the issue there? Bar-Jesus sought to turn Paulus away from the faith and God intervened in a spectacular way. Elymus was a son of darkness who was about to be exposed to the brilliant light of God’s truth.
Darkness vs. light
Verses 9-11 remind me of a movie scene from The Lord of the Rings. The King of Gondor appointed a man named Grima Wormtongue as his counselor. Grima wove an intricate web of lies, trickery, and deceit until the King was so deceived, he came under Grima’s full control. The hero of the movie, Gandalf, appears wearing a glorious white robe. He spoke truth to the King, truth broke Grima’s control, and ultimately restored peace and glory to the land.
Light conquered darkness in a brilliant and glorious way. If you have seen that movie, maybe you can compare that scene to Paul’s confrontation with Elymus as we read...
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 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? 11 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.
Look at the way Paul, through the Spirit handled that conflict:
Sometimes the best way to start a conversation is by connecting a person’s name to Biblical truth. The Spirit did this with a sense of humor! The Spirit played on his name by calling the “son of Jesus” the opposite, “You son of the devil.” Paul didn’t banter words. He spoke the truth. It may have been offensive, but truth usually is to the unsaved.
Please also note that Paul didn’t try to win this battle on His own or with his own words. Paul was, in verse 9, “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Someone who is full of the Holy Spirit is unable to sin. Look at the true words that the Spirit put in Paul’s mouth. If someone spoke those words in today’s culture, grown adults would run away crying, litigation would be filed for slander or verbal assault, and the media would spin Paul’s words as an example of hate speech and label Paul as intolerant.
The Spirit’s response is one example why Christians must not pass judgement on another’s words. It is an example of why believers must deal gracefully with each other at all times. Paul knew these were the Spirit’s words, Barnabas likely knew these were the Spirit’s words, and Luke, the author knew these were the Spirit’s words. Bar-Jesus didn’t like the message. Today, those who walk in darkness hate God’s message. Instead of listening and repenting, instead of recognizing God’s truth, they blame the messenger. This is why the Gospel separates people. In defense of the painful truth, we lash out at the messenger. When we attack the messenger of God’s truth, we are in fact attacking God Himself. Jesus told us this in...
John 7:7 (ESV)
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
John 15:18 (ESV)
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Standing opposed to God in any aspect of life is foolishness. Some of you may be familiar with Paul Tripp. He recently was dealing with the topic of injustice on social media and was convicted that people needed to hear truth straight from God’s Word. All Paul did was list Scripture after Scripture. Hundreds of Christians ruthlessly attacked him for that.
Is it wise to oppose God? Our text answers that question in...
11 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.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The irony here is fascinating. Bar-Jesus, proud son of the devil, son of darkness, went blind and experienced total darkness from whence he came. The blinding light of God’s truth blinded one man, but converted another.
Time and time again God continually gave Spirit-filled people His words. He did it then and He still does it today. God loves winning Big and He uses Spirit-filled people to do so. Because of Paul’s commitment to holiness, the....
Magistrate believed. (v12)
Magistrate believed. (v12)
Please look on with me in verse 12...
Acts 13:12 (ESV)
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
The proconsul believed, but the reason he believed is even more fascinating! He didn’t believe because of the entertainment value of the sermon. He didn’t believe because of the signs and wonders. Glance at verse 12 again.... the proconsul believed because the teaching of the Lord was astonishing. The Spirit moved Him to recognize God’s truth!
So...
What Should I Do?
What Should I Do?
Don’t wait until I am at a crossroadto obey. (v2-3)
People tend to wait until they are at a crossroad to improve their relationship with God. Maybe that crossroad is a major job or school transition, maybe it is a significant disagreement with a spouse, loss of income or health or loved one.
Crossroads certainly do turn our eyes on Jesus but what if we viewed every step as a crossroads? Proverbs 4:27 says we should “not swerve to the right nor to the left. Turn your foot away from evil.” Every step has the potential to be evil or to carry us toward evil. We must obediently live for the Lord now and that starts by faithfully meeting with believers, praying, and spending time in the Word. When we come to a crossroads, determining God’s will will be much easier: we will have a lifelong pattern of fellowship with God which will have already made choices much more clear.
Don’t wait until a crossroad to obey. Second, I should...
Be known as a Spirit-filled person. (v9)
Spirit-filled people are characterized by joy, peace, and contentment, but even more importantly than that, we have seen countless examples proving that Spirit-filled people pray differently.
Consider what we have read so far in Acts about prayer. Spirit-filled people do these things when they pray:
They pray with other believers.
They pray for God’s will to be done.
They pray that God will prevent sin in their own lives. (in such passages as Lev 26, Col 3)
They pray for God’s glory to be demonstrated.
They pray for God to defend His glory.
We certainly need to pray for other believers, too, but whenever Spirit-filled pray these five things seem to dominate their prayers. (repeat these five things)
Spirit-filled people are passionately aligned with God.
and finally, I should...
Desire that God defend His glory through me. (vv11-12)
I think the first step is to honestly answer this question, “In what areas of my life do I stand opposed to God? In what areas must I to submit to Him?” Paul, Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen prayed and fasted in verse 1, in part because they didn’t want to stand opposed to God. That is why they bathed every single decision in much prayer and in fasting.
The second aspect of their prayers is that they were so in love with God that they were willing to endure much hatred for the Kingdom. God defends his glory by putting his people in hard places, such as the proconsul’s court with Bar-Jesus, and through those hard experiences, God proves His power. God wins big, God wins all the time. God uses Spirit-filled people to defend His glory.
We need to obey now, not just when we are at a crossroads, we need to be known as Spirit-filled people, and we need to desire God to use us to defend His glory.
Prayer?
Prayer?