Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980322.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XXXIII: Finishing God's Assignments On An "Upbeat" Note To Protect Weaker Believers
(Acts 13:1-14:28)
  1. Introduction
    1. It is a very high calling to serve the Lord. But, serving Christ also involves spiritual warfare. Jesus alluded to this conflict in Matthew 16:18 by predicting that His building His Church would prevail against the efforts of Hades' rulers to the contrary. That means there is going to be pressure from those Hades' gates!
    2. Accordingly, we are to serve the Lord as good soldiers, suffering hardship in God's power, 2 Tim. 1:8; 2:3.
    3. In such a conflict, we must be mindful of how those we are discipling are deeply affected by how we respond to painful conflicts we face! It is imperative that we complete trying ministry efforts on an "upscale", positive note so as not to discourage weak followers as Paul and Barnabas exampled for us:
  2. Finishing God's Assignments On An "Upbeat" Note To Protect Weaker Believers, Acts 13:1-14:28.
    1. Acts 13:1-4a instructs us that Paul and Barnabas were sent out by God from Antioch of Syria to make disciples, and Acts 14:26 tells us that they returned to Antioch having completed their mission.
    2. Now, between those two passages are listed a series of taxing ministry conflicts these missionaries faced:
      1. First, Paul and Barnabas ran into conflict with Elymas, the sorcerer on Crete, and Paul had to counter the sorcerer in a frontal polemic under God's direction, Acts 13:4b, 8-12.
      2. Apparently, this conflict where Paul took the lead from his cousin, Barnabas (Col. 4:10) bothered accompanying missionary John Mark, so he left them and returned to Jerusalem, Acts 13:13 with 15:38. Thus, the external conflict with the sorcerer bred an internal conflict within the missionary team itself!
      3. Ministering next in Antioch of Pisidia in Asia Minor, Paul and Barnabas were expelled from the city by religious opponents in spite of the positive response of the Gospel by some, Act s 13:42, 50-52.
      4. Removed forcibly from Antioch of Pisidia, they traveled to Iconium where they obtained a mixed response as well, Acts 14:1-3. When it was revealed to them that a plot was afoot to stone them, Paul and Barnaba s fled from the city of Iconium and entered Lystra, Acts 14:5-6a.
      5. At Lystra, though people believed, trailing Judaistic antagonists from Antioch of Pisidia and Iconium arrived to motivate the fickle crowd to stone Paul and leave him for dead, Acts 14:18-19.
    3. Now, being stoned is taxing, and there was a limit as to how much more Paul could humanly take before needing a rest. Yet, had the men ended their ministry then, their disciples might have become disillusioned.
    4. Accordingly, God arranged for Paul and Barnabas to finish their assignment on an "upbeat" note for the sake of their new converts before letting them head into a much-needed furlough rest, Acts 14:20-28:
      1. God enabled Paul to rise up supernaturally from his fallen state while the watching converts of His teaching observed God's power at work in him, Acts 14:20a:
        1. It is noteworthy that the Lord did not bring Paul back to consciousness or back from the dead while his persecutors were at work dragging his body out of the city, Acts 14:19b.
        2. However, as the new converts and Barnabas stood around his body outside of the city, for their obvious encouragement, God arranged for Paul to rise up and, in full victory over his opponents, retace the route they had used to drag him out to go back into the very city he had been stoned, v. 20
      2. Further, the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe that was farther along on the same eastward route they had used since leaving Antioch of Pisidia, and enjoyed a positive ministry there, 14:21a.
      3. After this successful Derbe finale, they backtracked, visiting the "conflict" cities to encourage their converts to handle conflict in hope of God's ultimate, future triumph, Acts 14:21b-22.
      4. They also organized church leaders in each town and commended them to the Lord, Acts 14:23.
      5. On this "upbeat" note, they returned to Antioch of Syria, reporting on God's triumphant workings in their ministry before taking a very needed, long furlough break, Acts 14:24-28.
Lesson: For the sake of weaker believers who watch us, we must handle TAXING ministry conflicts we face by not ENDING our efforts on a "downbeat","quitter" note, but on an "upbeat", victorious one!

Application: Quitting a ministry because of taxing conflicts risks destroying the confidence that weaker brethren who look to us as examples have in God's provisions. For THEIR sakes we should end on a victorious note BEFORE taking a break for even our much-needed rest!