Title The Gospel in That City
Contents
Sunday Sermon_071014
Title: The Gospel in That City
Text: Acts 14:19-28
Every Sunday afternoon there was a Christian who went out into the street and gave out tracts to passersby. But one Sunday afternoon when it was pouring down rain, he was very tired and was quietly resting in his home study.
Then his 11-year-old son was surprised to see his father at home and asked, "Daddy, why don't you go hand out tracts today?" “It's raining too much,” he replied lightly.
"Dad, then, doesn't God save people on rainy days?" Surprised, he explained to his son. "When it rains too much, there aren't many people on the street. Besides, I'm very tired right now." "Dad, then, shall I go out for you?" Seeing his son's serious face, he gave them tracts, gave them all, and warned him to return home immediately.
But it took a long time to distribute the tracts. Finally, there was one left in the boy's hand, and he went to the nearest house and knocked on the door. "Who are you?" An elderly woman with a very depressed expression opened the door. The boy had a big smile on his face and said politely. "I'm sorry. Auntie, I'm here to deliver this tract to you."
On a rainy Sunday night, as I was getting ready to hang myself, I suddenly heard a knock on the door. When I opened the door, there was a lively little angel standing there. He gave me a tract. As I read it, I knew that God had not forsaken me.”
If you do good, but do not become discouraged, you will witness this kind of work of salvation taking place. In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that the work of saving those who are determined to give eternal life through the life of preaching the word and speaking of Jesus is always overflowing among us, whether seasoned or out of season. Amen.
The incident in today's text happened when Paul and Barnabas were sent as missionaries from the church and began their first missionary journey. In Acts 13, these two apostles were fasted at the church in Antioch, were laid on their hands, and were sent separately for the ‘call of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2)’.
The work that the Holy Spirit called and ordered was nothing but evangelism throughout Asia. At that time, evangelism was not about distributing tracts, but about entering the synagogue and preaching. Preaching and showing God's power were evangelism and missions.
It is a little different from the concept of street evangelism today. Their evangelism was not just about preaching the word. There was actually a history of healing, there was also a spiritual warfare, and there was also the persecution and expulsion of those who lost their evil interests because of the gospel. These kinds of things were real situations where evangelism was being carried out.
Today's text is when Paul started his first missionary journey, finished evangelism in Antioch and Iconium, and went to Lystra to preach the gospel. At this time, Jews from Antioch and Iconium, where they had evangelized before, came to Lystra after hearing rumors.
They are very passionate. Paul and Barnabas were also very zealous, but these Jews are also very zealous. But, why did these Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium to Lystra followed Paul and Barnabas? Was it because of the grace of the Word? Or was it to learn something from these two apostles?
Today's text says that their zeal is not for that reason. Rather, their zeal was the zeal that started because they wanted to kill Paul and Barnabas. In verse 19, “the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and the crowds were superhuman.”
What the heck was Paul and Barnabas doing, so that the Jews went naked and drove people out of the village? If you read the verse before it, you can understand the full story of this event. Acts 13:48-49. “When the Gentiles heard it, they rejoiced and praised the word of God, and all who were ordained to eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread throughout the country.”
According to Jewish law, the stoning method of execution was intended to remove evil from the community. And when they were stoned to death, they were to be dragged out of the city and struck (Deuteronomy 22). However, today's text is a little different. They first stone him to death and then drag him out of the castle. If you were in a hurry and hated it, how would you have disregarded the method of the law and enforced it?
And these were the crimes that were stoned to death according to the law. Temptation to worship other gods, idolatry, blasphemy, sacrifice of children to Molech, breaking the Sabbath, being the applause of a pagan religion, adultery, continuing disobedience to parents, ox It was such a time when he received and died.
But on which law was the reason for stoning the Apostle Paul based? Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, writes that the only reason the apostles were hated was because of “the jealousy of the Jews. Acts 13:45, 46.
“When the Jews saw the crowd, they were full of envy, and they denounced and slandered what Paul had said. But Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, saying, “The word of God should be preached to you first, but you must reject it and judge yourself unworthy of eternal life. So we turn to the Gentiles.”
(Romans 10:19)
“But I say, did not Israel know? First, Moses said, “I will provoke you to jealousy by being a non-people, and I will provoke you to anger by being a foolish people.”
(Romans 11:11)
“Therefore, I say, have they stumbled until they stumbled? It cannot be, for by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, making Israel jealous.”
This history of causing jealousy and anger has already been recorded in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy.
(Deuteronomy 32:21)
“They have provoked me to jealousy with things that are not God, and my wrath with vanities; I will make them jealous of those who are not people, and I will provoke their wrath with a foolish nation.”
The reason that God made Israel jealous is that the people first aroused the jealousy of God by committing lewd acts of non-God, that is, idolatry. As a result, Luke records that the Jews considered themselves “unworthy of eternal life” (Acts 13:46).
The reason they claim to be unjoined to eternal life is that they do not rely on the faith of grace, but on the ‘works of the law. He misunderstood that his salvation was not in simple faith, but in the difficult and difficult works of the law. Because there is nothing more vain than relying on the law.
To receive salvation by relying on the works of the law is the same as saying to obtain salvation through one's own efforts. According to the Word, we can see that our lives are not ours. “None of us lives for himself, and none of us dies for himself. If we die, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:7-8).
That's right. None of us can live for ourselves. Because it is God who owns our life, not me. God's things must be used according to God's will. Otherwise, life is nothing more than what Paul called “futile things.”
Those among us who strive to live for themselves are futile in the sight of God. The Apostle Paul, who knew all too well that our lives belong to God, accepts these kinds of suffering and persecution for the sake of the gospel. Even if you are kicked out of a village while preaching the gospel, or you are stoned to death while preaching the gospel, you do not abandon the gospel. It is not afraid to preach the gospel.
Then he goes back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, where he was stoned and expelled, and hardens the hearts of his disciples. Isn't that great? Those who suffered such persecution until death returned to the place of persecution as if nothing had happened.
This is the faith we must have when preaching the Gospel. We must live on this belief. In order to enter the kingdom of God, we must go through many tribulations. This is the extent of evangelism. If the preaching of the gospel is done in power, we will surely go down this road of tribulation.
Now it's our turn. Through such hard work of the gospel, you will open the ‘door of faith’ among the nations. The apostles suffered and worked hard to open the door of faith among the nations. Verse 27. “When they came, they gathered the churches and reported all that God had done with them, and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
This should be our confession to each other. This kind of work always happens where the gospel is preached boldly. From now on to eternity, I pray in the name of the Lord that the door of faith and the gospel will be opened to countless people through the toil of the gospel. Amen.