ACTS 14 : Barnabas & Paul’s first mission trip

Good morning Church! Let’s pray!

Apart from the message, you are going to learn today some Geography (Understanding the Map), travel plan management – Itinerary – last day – return home with wonderful memories) and also some basics of agriculture.

Before we read Ch 14, let’s recap what we learnt from Ch 13 last Sunday.

Travel Map of Paul’s 1^st Mission

On this Slide, I am mentioning the major stops.

Keep your bible open for Acts chapter 13.

Home Church

Antioch was the Home Church, Barnabas is often mentioned first probably because of seniority, verse 2 says – 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.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Nowadays, no parents give their child’s name as Barnabas but they give the name Paul.

Stop 1 Salamis – Verse 1 they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.

Stop 2 Paphos – Barnabas & Paul encounter a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. He was being a hinderance and obstacle for the proconsul. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebukes the evil spirit inside him and then he goes blind. Verse 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Stop 3 Perga – ¹³ Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. This is not same Antioch as Home Church, this is in another area.

Here in Antioch, Paul gives an incredible & a very powerful message. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. They did this for one whole week encouraging them, speaking the word, and then meet again in next sabbath.

⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

That was a very long recap, but yes I wanted you to understand the whole journey of first mission trip in continuation with what we learnt last week.

Now let’s read Chapter 14 Verse 1 to 7

1. In the city of Iconium.

The leaders of the synagogue in Antioch had just expelled Paul and Barnabas from that city. Yet when they came to Iconium, they again began their evangelistic efforts by preaching in the synagogue. It was still a good way to start. Paul and Barnabas have evangelistic success in Iconium.

Paul and Barnabas had success among the Jews and the Greeks, presenting the same gospel to both. The fact that Jews and… Greeks believed shows that Paul preached the same thing to both groups:

1. The success is refreshing, because they had just been kicked out of Pisidian Antioch, after much success there (Acts 13:50).
2. On other occasions Paul was inclined to stay in a region for an extended period of time, strengthening the churches and working where evangelistic efforts had already borne fruit. Therefore, it may be best to see the persecution Paul had in Pisidian Antioch as God’s way of moving him on to Iconium and other places.

iii. And so spoke: Paul and Barnabas presented the gospel in a way that invited belief. The way they preached encouraged people to believe in the message of who Jesus is and what He had done for them.

2. (2-6) Successful ministry creates opposition, forcing Paul and Barnabas out of Iconium.
3. Unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
4. Therefore they stayed a long time: They stayed as long as they could, despite the opposition, leaving only when it was absolutely necessary. Every day they may be praying, Lord just one more day, one more soul to be saved, again next day, the same prayer, Lord one more soul. They did this because they knew that these Christians in Iconium needed all the grounding they could get to stand strong in a city with much opposition. Church, we need to understand preaching the word for unbelievers to believe is one thing, the next step is discipling them. Discipling needs time, effort, investment, praying together, reading scripture together, remember the eunuch asking Philip, how can I understand until anyone explains it to me?
5. Speaking boldly in the Lord: Despite the opposition, Paul and Barnabas continued to preach boldly, bearing witness to the word of His grace and touching others with the power of Jesus. Sometimes, the very best thing you can do during personal trial is look to somebody else you can encourage and strengthen them in the midst of their difficult time.
6. Granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Signs, wonders, miracles are complementary, and they are not primary in the ministry! Read next point.
7. Bearing witness to the word of His grace: The miraculous works done confirmed this message they preached – the word of His grace. That is the only word by which both Jews and Gentiles could be saved on an equal basis.
8. A violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled. We need wisdom in perseverance.

Next Stop – to Lystra

Read Verses 8 – 10 In Lystra, a lame man is healed.

1. And they were preaching the gospel there: Paul and Barnabas did many miraculous works, one of which is recorded in the following passage. Yet they did not travel as miracle workers. Their focus was always preaching the gospel.
2. This man heard Paul speaking: The crippled man heard Paul preach about Jesus. When he heard about Jesus, his face and manner showed that he believed Jesus could touch his life; he had faith to be healed.
3. This certain man without strength in his feet made the important transition from hearing about the work of Jesus to believing that it was for him. Not everyone makes this same transition, but they should.
4. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed: There was something about this man’s faith that was evident, and it is likely that God gave Paul the gift of spiritual discernment, a divine intervention, so much so that Paul knew God intended to heal the man at that moment. He stops in between his preaching and talks to the lame man.
5. “That this lame man had faith was made plain by his ready obedience to Paul’s command to stand up.” The lame man didn’t make any excuse or delay to obey.

Sing – Andhe dekhte hai, langde chalte hai, Yeshu masih ke naam se, langde chalte hain, aatma mandrata Pavitra aatma mandrata

Read Verse (11-13) The excited crowd in Lystra declares Paul and Barnabas to be Greek gods, visiting the earth.

1. The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men! These people saw a stupendous miracle happen before their eyes, yet their idea of who God is had not changed. Therefore it seemed logical to them to consider Paul and Barnabas gods. Sachin and AR Rahman written as Gods in twitter by men! They are just humans, they became what they are today by their hard work and talent. They are not Gods! Why didn’t Jesus come in camera age? If he had come during camera age, then his images, his beard, his hair, will be iconified.
2. Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker:In Greek mythology, it was common for the gods to come to earth in human form, though they did not always do so for the good of man.
3. And Paul, Hermes: He was known as the messenger of the gods, so it made sense to the Lystrians that Paul (the more talkative one) was Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Barnabas apparently had an air of authority about him, so they regarded him as Zeus.
4. Their adoration of Paul and Barnabas progressed because they praised them in the Lycaonian language. Probably there was a language barrier. They didn’t understand the language and probably they thought wow, this is a very good response. Paul and Barnabas hardly understood it.
5. But when Paul and Barnabas saw the priest of Zeus, with oxen and garlands… intending to sacrifice, they knew things had gone too far. This was far more than honoring guests to the city.

Read Verse 14-18 Paul appeals to the crowd, asking them to recognize the true God instead of worshipping Paul and Barnabas.

1. They tore their clothes: They did this to show that they were completely human, just as the Lystrians. They also did it out of an instinctively Jewish reaction to blasphemy. For Paul and Barnabas, it wasn’t just inconvenient that they were called gods; it was blasphemy. Also, to say we are all flesh and bones just like you, we have same nature as you, we go through the same trials and tests like you do. Pastors, worship leaders, Musicians, Prayer leaders, Sunday school teachers, we are all humans just like you and go through everyday struggle with sin, go through our own physical and spiritual warfare. We all have common problems be it financial, medical, marriage, children, job, office, etc. We must stop treating Church leaders as celebrities, idols, but love and understand one another, strengthen each other. No body is perfect here, only God is perfect. Don’t give up on God or Church, because we failed in any area. Don’t trust men, trust God. Let’s read from Psalm 118:9 This is also a reminder for every one of us that receiving adulation is risky and dangerous. Paul himself struggled (Romans, I want to do good but end up doing bad, etc etc), even apostles had differences (John leaves the mission trip midway and later Paul doesn’t want to go along with John).
2. That you should turn from these useless things: These were strong words from Paul to people who took their pagan worship seriously, but Paul wasn’t afraid to confront this mob with the truth, and the truth was that their idolatry was wrong. They had to turn away from it. Indian Idol program? This is in our sinful nature to make God from man.
3. To the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them: Paul called the Lystrian crowd to consider the real God, the One who stands behind all creation, not one of the lesser (and imaginary) Greek gods. The Song – God of wonders beyond our galaxy, you are holy! The universe declares your majesty! The creation sings praises to the creator!
4. God’s kindness to all men (in giving rain and fruitful crops) should be seen as a witness of His love and power, something theologians sometimes call common grace. He pours rain and provides food to both good & bad people.
5. Paul did not preach to these pagan worshippers the same way he preached to Jews or those acquainted with Judaism. He did not quote the Old Testament to them, but instead appealed to natural revelation, to the things that even a pagan could understand by looking at the world around them. Paul would use scriptures to Jews, for pagans, he used natural references.
6. And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them: Even with all this, Paul and Barnabas had an extremely difficult time challenging the wrong conceptions of God held by the Lystrians.

Read Verse (19-23) Paul Stoned at Lystra.

1. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came: These opponents were not content to kick Paul out of their own region (Acts 14:5-6); they followed him and brought their persecution with them.
2. Having persuaded the multitudes: They incited the people of Lystra against Paul and Barnabas, and instigated the stoning of Paul. This was obviously an attempt to execute Paul and Barnabas – with the rocks being thrown by the same people who wanted to worship them shortly before.
3. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city: Paul was miraculously preserved here. Some think that he was even actually killed and raised to life again, because stoning was usually reliable form of execution.
4. When Paul later wrote, I bear in my body the marks of Jesus(Galatians 6:17), he may have had in mind the scars from this incident. He certainly later referred to this stoning in 2 Corinthians 11:25 read it.
5. It’s reasonable to think that Paul remembered Stephen when he was being stoned, and how he had been a part of Stephen’s execution (Acts 7:58-8:1).
6. He rose up and went into the city: When Paul was revived, he did not flee the city that stoned him. Instead, he immediately went back into it. He is unafraid of going back there. He had been driven out of Antioch and Iconium by this traveling mob, and he was determined to leave Lystra on his own terms the next day and not on their terms. But how was his medical & physical condition, he had tremendous injuries, but still he left on his own terms.
7. In Acts 16:1, we learn of a young Christian in Lystra and his mother – Timothy. Perhaps Timothy saw all this and was inspired to the high call of the gospel by noticing Paul’s courage and power in ministry.

Read Verse 21-23 Paul leaves Lystra for the city of Derbe, where they find more evangelistic success.

1. When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples: Despite the persecution in Lystra, the work of God continued – just in a different place, Derbe. Yet Paul and Barnabas continued their work: preaching the gospel and making disciples. These are two different things, right? How long we have been believers for 10 years? 20 years? Are we going to next step, to be a disciple, and then to be a discipler?

On the return trip – revisiting the same places

Let’s not do new cities, but let’s re-visit all the previous places where they were persecuted. Sing – Whom shall I fear? If I don’t like the place I visited, I will never visit it again, but these apostles are different, they will go again and again.

1. Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith: As Paul and Barnabas decided to head back home to Antioch, they passed through the cities they had visited before, to strengthen and encourage the Christians in those cities. Paul and Barnabas wanted to do far more than gain conversions; they had a passion to make disciples.
2. Many Christians need strengthening their souls. Many need exhorting… to continue in the faith. It is no small thing to walk with the Lord, year after year, trial after trial. It takes a strong soul and an encouraged faith. Don’t give up on them, keep investing in them.
3. We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God: This was the message that helped strengthen and exhort these disciples. This was a simple message, proved in Paul’s personal experience. Paul could preach that message because he had lived that message.
4. This is for many a forgotten message today. They consider any kind of tribulation completely counter-productive to Christian living, failing to note the significant place suffering has in God’s plan. We need to take up our own cross and follow Jesus! We can’t run away from suffering!
5. So when they had appointed elders in every church: Paul and Barnabas were committed to not just making new Christians, but in establishing new churches, places where these new Christians could grow and be established in the Lord.
6. When they had appointed elders in every church: Paul and Barnabas knew that these churches must have proper administration, so they appointed elders in every city where there were Christians.
7. And prayed with fasting: Paul and Barnabas demonstrated their great concern for the health of these churches by their prayer and fasting.
8. They commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed: But in the end, they can only trust in God’s ability to keep these churches healthy, having commended them to the Lord. It was in the Lord they had believed in, not in Paul or Barnabas or the elders. The church belongs to Jesus.

Journey Home – The Map/itinerary of Paul and Barnabas on the way home.

Read Verse (24-28)

1. After they had passed through Pisidia: On the continent, they returned pretty much the same way they came. They did not stop on the island of Cyprus (why? Probably because since there was not that major hindrance in preaching the word, they got ample time in Cyprus to disciple the new believers), so they sailed directly to Antioch, returning to their home congregation.
2. For the work which they completed: Mission accomplished! These beautiful words were only partially true. Although the immediate mission was accomplished, the work of planting new churches and strengthening existing ones has never ended. This would be merely the first of several missionary journeys.
3. Verse (27-28) Paul and Barnabas arrive back in Antioch and share the Praise report!
4. They reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles: Their success with evangelism among the Gentiles, and the blessing of God that it demonstrated, showed that what God did in Antioch was not unique. God wanted to replicate this work all over the world.
5. He had opened the door of faith: The trip was a great success, though not without great obstacles: The difficulty of travel itself, the confrontation with Elymas on Cyprus, the quitting of John Mark, being driven out of the cities of Antioch and Iconium, the temptation to receive adoration, and being stoned in Lystra. Yet Paul and Barnabas would not be deterred from the work God had them to do.
6. Paul later expressed his testimony in his letter to Timothy. Let’s Read 2 Timothy 3: 10-11: ¹⁰ You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
7. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples: Back at their home church in Syrian Antioch, we can assume that Paul and Barnabas took a long break and found plenty of ministry to do back there. After doing hardwork, you need rest. Even God rested on the 7^th day, not because he was tired, but He rested to look over what He created and enjoy it. So did Paul and Barnabas, they just took a break and enjoyed a good time of fellowship with the other disciples and also do plenty of ministry at home church.

This mission trip was not about people, masses, or the crowd, but individuals. This trip saw the transformation of each soul, the church at Antioch, people at cyprus, iconium, derbe, Perga, Lystra, and including Paul himself.

Transformation of Saul to Paul

• Approver of Stephen’s death (Paul is stoned to the point of death)
• Persecuted the Church (himself faced persecution)
• Turns blind (Bar-Jesus/Elymas)
• Repents – life transforms.
• Unbeliever to Believer – Believer to Disciple – Disciple to Discipler – Discipler
• Becomes most influential apostle & missionary, establishing many churches, writing 14 out of 27 books of NT.
• 1 Cor 15 ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am.

Desmond Doss

His mother raised him as a devout Seventh-day Adventist and instilled Sabbath-keeping, nonviolence, and a vegetarian lifestyle in his upbringing. He grew up with 7th day Adventist Church beliefs. He enrolled in the US military as a combat medic and committed himself not to pick up the gun to kill (conscientious objector). During his military training, he was ridiculed, mocked, insulted and even was beaten up by his own troop members. His commanding officer even tried to court martial him for refusing the order to pick up the gun. He was called a coward and disgrace for the military.

During the battle of Okinawa, as the troops reached the summit (a cliff called Hacksaw ridge), a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. They were left to die. Private First Class Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them one by one to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. Every time he would lower down a man with the rope, he would pray, God give me one more to save. He kept doing this for 12 hours continuously. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Private First Class Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty. He is the only conscientious objector to be awarded the highest military award of his country without picking up a gun or killing anyone.

Let us pray!

• Remember Jesus Christ’s suffering, Have a right image of god (Col 1:15). God is interested in us, he is interested in our job, in our career, in our personal life, but more than any of our physical aspects, he is most interested to imprint his nature in us. He cares about our character, he wants you to follow him, be his disciple, to seek his kingdom first. Let us pray for renewal of mind and transformation, metamorphosis, like a larva/worm turning into a butterfly.
• Spiritual discernment that we receive wisdom to understand God’s will
• Move to next level, from a believer to disciple and then to a discipler (the great commission), commitment that I will grow in the word, may be I will complete my foundations classes, I will follow Christ no matter how tough it is.
• Pray & win souls
• In the end, be commended by God – ‘well done, my good & faithful servant’

Let’s close in prayer!

Sandeep is an examination officer at Amety university and worships at Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community church is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.