A Tale of Three Cities

May 4, 2025 · Acts

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Series · Acts · Week 75 of 120

Scripture referenced 14 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Acts 14:1-28 the main passage for the sermon, covering Paul and Barnabas in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe

1 In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.
2 But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.
3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
5 When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,
6 they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.
7 There they preached the Good News.
8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.
9 He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.
11 When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12 They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker.
13 The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.
14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out,
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
16 who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
18 Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.
19 But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
20 But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22 confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom.
23 When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
24 They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.
25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.
27 When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.
28 They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.

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Acts 4

Peter and John beaten and imprisoned, praying to speak boldly rather than to escape harm

1 As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them,

2 being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3 They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening.

4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

5 In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem.

6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest.

7 When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

9 if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,

10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole.

11 He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’

12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.

14 Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it.

17 But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.”

18 They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,

20 for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.”

21 When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.

22 For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

23 Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

24 When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

25 who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?

26 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.’

27 “For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.

29 Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,

30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

33 With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.

34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.

36 Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

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Hebrews

cited for the word meaning to stir someone up into love and good works, contrasted with the negative stirring up in Acts

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Galatians

Thursday men's study passage, Paul asking who has bewitched the Galatians for turning back to the law from grace

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Mark 16

great commission cited as go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation

1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4 for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.

5 Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.

6 He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!

7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’”

8 They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.

9 Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11 When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.

12 After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

13 They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.

14 Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20 They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

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Matthew 28

great commission cited as go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching

1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

4 For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.

5 The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.

6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”

8 They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened.

12 When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,

13 saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

14 If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.”

15 So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.

16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.

17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.

18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

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John 16:33

Jesus telling disciples that in the world they have tribulation but to take courage because he has overcome the world

33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

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Psalm 19

the heavens are telling of the glory of God, their expanse declares the work of God's hands

1 The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.

2 Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.

6 His going out is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends; There is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple.

8 Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.

13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.

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Romans 1

since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, leaving people without excuse

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

2 which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

3 concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh,

4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake;

6 among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,

10 requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established;

12 that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

13 Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.

15 So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

17 For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

19 because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.

20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.

21 Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves;

25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.

27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

28 Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,

30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

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Matthew 5

sermon on the mount, God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous

1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.

16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.

18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.

19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’

28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’

32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’

34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black.

37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

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Genesis

referenced loosely as the Adamic covenant where Adam walked with God then fell away

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Hebrews

Christ's sacrificial death described as sufficient once for all

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1 Corinthians 11

on the same night Jesus was betrayed he took bread, instituting the Lord's Supper

1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

2 Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.

3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.

6 For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered.

7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.

8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man;

9 for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man.

10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.

11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord.

12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.

13 Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?

14 Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.

16 But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.

17 But in giving you this command, I don’t praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse.

18 For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it.

19 For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you.

20 When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.

21 For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken.

22 What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly, and put them to shame who don’t have enough? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you.

23 For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

24 When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”

25 In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.

30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.

31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

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John

recording of Jesus saying this is the new covenant in my blood at the Last Supper

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Ray walked the congregation through Acts 14, the final chapter of Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey, covering their work in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The passage gave a frame for thinking about what faithful gospel witness looks like when it is welcomed, when it is violently resisted, and when it comes back around to strengthen the people it left behind. Communion and a surprise homecoming wove through the morning and made the scripture feel immediate rather than ancient.

What was said

In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large number of both Jews and Greeks believed. The unbelieving Jews worked hard to embitter the Gentiles against them, using the same word Acts uses elsewhere for stirring people up negatively. Rather than leave immediately, Paul and Barnabas stayed a long time, speaking boldly with reliance on the Lord, and God himself testified to the word of his grace through signs and wonders. The city divided, as the gospel tends to do, and when a plot formed to stone them, they fled to the region of Lycaonia.

In Lystra, Paul saw that a man who had never walked was listening and had faith to be made well, and told him to stand up. The man leaped up and walked. The crowd, speaking in their own regional dialect, concluded the gods had come down in human form, called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, and the priest of Zeus rushed in with oxen and garlands ready to offer sacrifice. When Paul and Barnabas finally understood what was happening, they tore their robes, ran into the crowd, and insisted they were ordinary men, not gods.

Their appeal to the crowd reached back to what theologians call general revelation. God has never left himself without a witness, Paul told them, giving rain and fruitful seasons and satisfying hearts with food and gladness. Creation itself announces the creator. Romans 1 says his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived in what has been made, leaving everyone without excuse. The tragedy is that people see the work of his hands and still turn to idols rather than to the living God who made heaven, earth, and sea.

Even so, the crowds could barely be restrained from offering sacrifice. And then Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived, won the crowd over, stoned Paul, and dragged him outside the city, leaving him for dead. He got up, went into the city, and the next day left with Barnabas for Derbe. They preached there and made a good number of disciples, then turned around and retraced the very road that had nearly killed them, returning to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and reminding them that it is through many tribulations that we enter the kingdom of God.

In each city they revisited, they appointed elders, fasted, prayed, and entrusted the new believers to the Lord in whom they had believed. There is only so much a missionary can personally do. When they finally arrived back in Syrian Antioch, they gathered the church and reported everything God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Pastor Ray drew a direct line from that return to the morning's surprise: a friend and ministry partner walking back through the doors of First Baptist after his time serving in Romania, his family following in a few weeks.

The sermon closed by setting communion inside the same arc. The new covenant Paul preached to Zeus-worshipers in Lystra is the same covenant celebrated at the table every time the church gathers. Pastor Ray noted that Jesus, in the upper room on the very night he was betrayed, told his disciples that in the world they would have tribulation, but to take courage because he had overcome the world. Every partaking of the bread and cup proclaims his death until he comes again, which is to say it proclaims that the mission from God will not be thwarted, no matter how it feels along the way.

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Paul and Barnabas kept returning to the synagogue to present Jesus as Messiah, even after being driven out of previous towns. What does their persistence say about how they understood their mission, and what does it challenge in the way you think about sharing the gospel?
Pastor Ray pointed out that when the crowd in Lystra thought a miracle had happened, they credited the gods they already knew rather than the living God. Where do you see people today, or yourself, attributing God's work to something or someone else?

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Speaker 1Maybe if we start singing, it'll sing them in from the vestibule. How about that? Would you stand with me? And we're gonna sing through a few hymns, and I'm just gonna sing off the wall today. Maybe I'll grab a hymnal.

Redeemed. Hymn number three fifty six. Welcome and we're glad you're here. We had a couple of surprises in the first service. Some of them were technical difficulties and some of them were just homecoming.

It was really, really good to see a couple of folks that hopefully will show back up before the end of this service too. Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Would you join me in song?

Speaker 2Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through his infinite mercy, his child and forever I am. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed, redeemed his child and forever for him.

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus. No language my rapture can tell. I know that the light of his presence with me doth continually dwell. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed, redeemed his child and forever I am.

I think of my blessed redeemer. I think of him all the day long. I sing for I cannot be silent. His love is the theme of my song. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

Redeemed, redeemed his child and forever I am. I know I shall see in his beauty the king in whose lie delight, who lovingly guarded my footsteps and giveth me songs in the night. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed, redeem his child and forever I am. Amen.

Speaker 1And on the next song will be, let's see, glory to his name, hymn number four ninety three. Four ninety three. This reminds me, every time I go, not every time. Most times when I go home, I end up leading the music at the little church I grew up in. This this service is that.

It reminds me that so much. Glory to his name. Hymn number four ninety three.

Speaker 2Down at the cross where my savior died. Down wherefore cleansing from sin I cried, there to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. Glory to his name.

There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name. I am so wondrously saved from sin. Jesus so sweetly abides within. We're at the cross where he took me in.

Glory to his name. Glory to his name. To his name. There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name.

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin. I am so glad that I entered in. There, Jesus saves me and keeps me clean. Glory to his name. Glory to his name.

Glory to his name. There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name. Come to this fountain so rich and sweet. Cast thy poor soul at the savior's feet.

Plunge into day and be made complete. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. To his name.

Amen. Y'all can

Speaker 1have a seat. Whoo. My glasses are walking away from me. Is that hot in here

Speaker 2to y'all? Yeah. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 1Can you we can open a couple of windows. That would be great. I'm sweating like a pig up here. Awana is on tomorrow night and it's more than just Awana. It's Awana's Grand Prix.

So the big race is here. They've been preparing the cars for the last couple of weeks. Thank you, Dave. They're preparing the cars for the last couple of weeks and it's on. The the race is on and it's right here down the center aisle probably tomorrow night, 05:45 is the start.

So Iwana is on. It'll be awards night also, but the race is probably the big draw. Keeping with the road theme, road trip is our vacation Bible school theme this year. Road trip VBS twenty twenty five will be June 23 through the twenty sixth in the morning from nine to twelve, and that is gonna be great. Amy Jordan is the one that's kinda in charge.

Amy and Philip Jordan are the ones that are in charge of it, And if you want to volunteer, there's still space for our volunteers. If you have know of a kid that's not already signed up, you can sign them up. So that ought to be a lot of fun road trip. If there's anything else that I should announce, but I'm not going to, it's going be on the website. Firstbjackson.org is the place.

If you've got the QR code, that QR code will take you to the website and that's what we're trying to communicate that way more than any other way. I do have one exception to that. May 31, May 31, last day of the month is going to be my sister's closet. Do you all know what that is? So, those of you who are nodding your heads know what that is.

It is a like a clothing exchange, we'll call it. So, if you'll bring in gently used items or a lot of people bring in stuff that they bought and they never wore, you can bring it in. Casey McCooey is the one who will be heading it up and we'll set up either in the fellowship hall or the sanctuary depending on the size of of the goods that show up and we'll set up and on May 31, invite folks, have em come in, and y'all can, sort of a swap. It's it's a lot of fun. My sister's closet, May 31.

Put it on your calendar. Remember that. And I think the missions moment. So, we have started doing these at the announcements. This is Ted and Kim Rabinold.

They've been here within the past year. A lot of you all remember him. He is very vibrant, a very vibrant speaker. And so, Ted and Kim Rabinold originally from Pennsylvania, but they live in the Ruqua Valley in Tanzania. They had a grandbaby born pretty recently.

When Tanya and I were there, during the time that we were there, they had a grandbaby born in Nairobi and so they were in Nairobi for the birth of that grandkid and we got to spend all morning with them, and had breakfast with them, and got to talk and catch up on everything. They are literally on the road between Nairobi and Tanzania right now, and it's like a three day journey. So it's a it's a pretty good ride to where they're going out in the middle of nowhere but they're doing amazing work, a symbiotic relationship sort of work between agriculture and animals and people and the way that they serve that that the process serves each other is pretty profound. So, we'll be praying for Ted and Kim Rabinol. They are just a joy.

He speaks he speaks Swahili wonderfully. And so to go to a restaurant with somebody that's just that, you know, ebullient and flowing over and she does too but his is just amazing. So, pray for them, for their discipleship team, for farm products, for evangelism and I wanna pray for them right now. God, for our friends, Ted and Kim, thank you for introducing us through Steve Landis. Thank you for the support that this church has shown them and I pray lord that you would do your will and your way in Tanzania.

Thankful for them. Amen. Oh, here we are. The next song. Would you stand with me?

Is there anything that I've forgotten or left out? There's one thing. Actually, I'll I'll I'll mention it later. Never mind. Here we are.

Sorry, Josh. I'm getting ahead of myself. What's the song? Jennifer, what's the song? 325.

Three twenty five. Alright. Perfect. Three twenty five. That reminds me of an old joke that I won't tell right now.

Why should he love me so? Alright. Here we go.

Speaker 2I'll send my savior to die in my stead. Why should he love me so? Meekly to Calvary's cross he was led. Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so?

Why should he love me so? Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so? Second verse. Nails pierced his hands and his feet for my sin.

Why should he love me so? He suffered sore my salvation to win. Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so?

Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so? Oh, how he agonized there in my place. Why should he love me so? Nothing withholding my sin to efface.

Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so? Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so?

Speaker 1Amen. Amen. And the next one will be worthy, you are worthy. Here's number 260.

Speaker 210106.

Speaker 1Hey, that's even better. 106. I'm glad we don't run on protocol. This is probably a different song than the one that we're gonna be singing up there on the that's fine. I'm just saying.

We'll see. We're gonna sing 106. It might be a duet. Okay. It might come up up there.

We'll see. Oh, y'all all know this one. Yes. You can keep it.

Speaker 2Worthy, you are worthy. King of kings, Lord of lords, you are worthy. Worthy. You are worthy. King of kings, Lord of lords, I worship you.

Holy, you are holy. King of kings, Lord of lords, you are holy. Holy, you are holy. King of kings, Lord of lords, I worship you. Jesus, you are Jesus.

King of kings, lord of lords, you are Jesus. Jesus, you are Jesus. King of kings, lord of lords, I worship you. I

Speaker 1worship you. Amen. I'm overwhelmed this morning with, y'all can have a seat. Yeah, do that. Thank you, Dave.

I don't run on protocol. I wish I did. Sometimes, my my brother is the protocol guy at the church that I grew up in and I just have to look to him and see whether he's sitting down, standing up, and what's going on. Also, it's funny since having been home recently, aunt Laura said, in between verse one and verse two, she said, do you want to speed this thing up? And I said, yes.

She said, then wave your arm. That's what the director does. So, if you see an exaggerated waving of the armor, we're working together on this. Thank you very much. God be praised.

I'm so thankful to be here this morning. I'm so thankful for the homecoming that we've experienced already this morning and some of some of us lord are just overflowing with your goodness, with your grace, with your love, with your mercy, and your forgiveness and and some of us lord are just overflowing with your joy. I thank you for those joyful people and their return. I thank you for the new life of spring, for the for the budding of the flowers and the trees and for so much that is obvious here right now. In Jesus name, I ask for your blessing on this offering.

Everything that's placed in these plates whether it's financial resources or metaphorically, lord, it is our time and the meditations of our mind and our heart. The words that come out of our mouth in conversation with our friends and neighbors. In Jesus name, I ask you to bless all of those things that you would multiply em and do your kingdom's work that the service that we give lord would be fruitful. In Jesus name, I stand amazed and overwhelmed. Amen.

Wow. Thank you. Near to the heart of God. Amen. I I have an introduction to make.

Would you come up here? Do you mind? I'm going to make him do it anyway. Can we? So, we're going into Acts 14.

Hey, here we are.

Speaker 2This fellow,

Speaker 1I mentioned him last week. Y'all remember I mentioned him last week in the service and he texted yesterday and early in the morning and said, hey, are you at the church? And I said, no, I'm not at the church but I'm available anytime. Call whenever it's good. He goes, I'm I I don't know if I'll be asleep or whatever.

I said, just call me anytime. I tried to call him. He didn't answer. And then, I said, unless I'm in the canyon, I'll answer the phone. Call me wherever I am.

I think it don't matter if I'm at the church. He was at the church. He was here. He wanted to see me and to before he saw everybody else but he's here this morning. Jennifer, would you mind if he does communion just play something pretty?

So, thank you. Thank you for being here, and he has returned, and it lines up so well, so well with what's going on in the scripture today.

Speaker 3I wanted to surprise pastor Ray, but it I wanted to surprise him. I didn't tell him that I was in The States, and I wanted to see him face at the moment. It didn't work anyway.

Speaker 1Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So it lines up so well, and it's amazing kinda thank you. Yeah.

We love your buddy. He is here by himself right now. He is attempting to secure housing here in Jackson this week and working on that kind of a not exactly a scouting trip. The whole family is coming back end of this month beginning of June, somewhere in there. Somewhere.

Mid June. Okay. So, he's he is returning to us but it lines up well with the scripture today and I'm going to turn right into that but thank you, buddy. We'd love you and the work that they have been doing in Romania, it's amazing to hear and we'll hear more about that later but not later today, later, later. Okay.

Acts fourteen one through 28, the whole fourteenth chapter is a tale of three cities. It mentions more than that but a tale of three cities, Iconium, Lystra, and Derby. If you remember from last week, we were in Pisidian Antioch and then from Pisidian Antioch, they went to Iconium. Now, in Iconium, which is right there, you can see, this is modern day Turkey. From Pisidian Antioch.

They went over to Iconium and they entered the synagogue. Now, wait a second. Last week, do you remember in Pisidian Antioch, they went to the synagogue and they presented Jesus as the Messiah, the long expected one that you should have recognized if you know the law and the prophets, you should recognize this guy and and Paul, main speaker, Barnabas two, Paul and Barnabas go into Pasidian Antioch. Remember, John had already gone back to Jerusalem, John Mark. When they go into the synagogue, they presented in the first Sabbath was so amazing and a lot of people came to believe the gospel, the Messiah, Jesus, and then, they said, we want to hear more about this and they even followed them throughout the week.

We want to hear more about this good news that you're sharing. Come back next Sabbath. Make sure that you're here next Sabbath. Please come back and tell us all of these different ways of understanding what we already know to be true. And when they came back the next week, the place was absolutely full.

People who had not been there in a long time came in and they were zealous for the traditions of men. They were zealous for the traditions of their fathers in such a way that they antagonized them to the point persecuted them to the point that they went to Iconium. Actually, it says, they shook the dust off of their sandals and said, we are going to the Gentiles. Now, if you're reading in chapter fourteen, one of the last things they did was shake the dust off their sandals at the synagogue and say, you have rejected this. We had to present it to you first but you've rejected him because you've rejected it, we're going to the Gentiles.

They gathered other Gentile believers on their way out of town but they went to Iconium and this is a cool thing. They entered into the synagogue. They started with the people that were supposed to know. They had been gathering Sabbath after Sabbath after Sabbath and hearing from the law and the prophets and in last chapter, it was obvious that after the law and the prophets were spoken, then, they said, brothers, if you have a word of exportation, tell it to us now and that's when they started. So, here we are in Iconium.

They entered the synagogue of the Jews together, Paul and Barnabas and they spoke in such a way that a large number of people believed. They were shedding new light on the Old Testament, the scriptures that they all knew and loved and they shared that in a way that number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks, presumably God fearers who were at the synagogue, but the unbelieving Jews, the ones who are not ready for this change, the ones who are not ready for this good news, the ones who are not ready to receive Messiah Jesus, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brothers. They were insistent especially it says of against the Gentiles. So, the unbelieving Jews said, don't listen to them. Don't listen to them.

Stirred them up. Now, last week, I shared a word. It is Ephegero. Ephegero from last week. It was instigated.

It's the same word. It's it's translated in this passage as stirred them up and if you read further down in the New Testament, Jews twice, both times, once in Acts 13, once in Acts 14, speaking of the same group of people and it says, they aroused them against. They stimulated them against. They excited them against. It's a very negative word.

There is a way to stir somebody up into love and good works. Hebrews says, do that. It's a different word. So, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and and tried their best. They were exciting them against the words spoken by Paul and Barnabas and it says, therefore, Paul and Barnabas spent a long time there in Iconium and they were speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord.

If you're on mission, you must be on mission. Utterly reliant on the Lord. They spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord. Boldly comes up in Acts four after Peter and John are beaten and imprisoned and given a strong talking to by the Sanhedrin. What shall we do?

Please God or men. It's going to be one or the other and when they went back to pray, they didn't pray that they wouldn't be beaten. They didn't pray that they would escape any harm or that they wouldn't be jailed. What they prayed is that they would continue to speak boldly with reliance upon the Holy Spirit and this is coming to to fruition. So, they were speaking boldly with rights upon the Lord and the Lord himself was the one who was testifying to the word of his grace.

It's either going to be law or it's going to be grace. Old testament is law, old covenant is law, new testament, new covenant is grace. They spend a long time there speaking boldly. God was testifying to his grace and the miracles authenticated the message. He was granting that signs and wonders be performed by their hands.

But the people of the city were divided. The gospel always divides the room. The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, the unbelieving Jews, and some others sided with the apostles. The gospel has a way of either you accept it or you reject it and anytime you present it, you'll people will either accept it or reject it or they'll hear more later as we will see in Acts 17.

When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, so this is folks who had had their hearts embittered against the message of the gospel and of the Jewish leadership in that area. They along with their rulers, local rulers, began to treat them abusively and to stone them. Does that sound like missionary fun right there? It sounds like missionary life though. It's it's not always going to be easy.

They they became aware of the plot and they fled to the cities of Lycaonia which is a region, Lystra and Derby are two cities that are a part of the Lake Ionia and all of this is within Galatia. On the Thursday men's study during lunchtime, we're what we're going through right now is the book of Galatians and it is all about you've accepted the grace of God. Why would you turn back to the law? Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? These are some of the people who have bewitched them.

Judaizers insisting that you must keep the old Jewish law. They became aware of the plot. They fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derby. So, if you're looking on your map, I know y'all love maps. Here we are on the first missionary journey.

They left from Pisidian Antioch to Iconium and they went to Lystra and Derby and it says, and the surrounding region. So, in this region, they're gathering people as they go and they're continuing to preach the gospel. They're putting ever before the people the message that Christ is Messiah. Jesus is the anointed one and he is the long expected king of the Jews and they're putting it out there and some people are accepting, some people rejecting. In Lystra, what happened in Lystra?

In Lystra, that's not too terribly far. More a little a day's journey probably, maybe a little more than a day's journey from Iconium to Lystra. In Lystra, there was a man who was sitting, who was whose feet were incapacitated. Now, he had been disabled from his mother's womb. He had never walked.

This just the setup reminds us of several stories from the ministry of Jesus but in Lystra, a man who's sitting incapacitated, never had walked, and this man was listening to Paul as he was bringing the gospel and Paul looked at him intently and he saw that he had faith to be made well. This man was sitting there listening and beginning to put his faith in Christ even before the healing which is about to happen and he said, Paul said, chief speaker, he said with a loud voice, stand up right on your feet and the man leaped up and began to walk and the leaping up reminds me of the guy in the by the Pool Of Siloam. Remember that story? He leaps up. He grabs up his mat.

He begins walking off. Religious persecution immediately follows but hey, he's still leaping for joy and glorifying God as he goes. He began to walk and when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they attributed it to Paul. Luke says, when the crowd saw what Paul had done and Paul recognized that God was present to heal that guy and God would, I mean, Paul never would have said that he did that. He would have said God did that but this says, when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice saying in the Lycaonian language.

It wasn't in a language apparently that Paul or Barnabas understood. They began saying in their own regional dialect, the gods have become like men and they've come down to us. A theophany, this is not unheard of in Greek mythology. We call it mythology. They call it religion.

In the Greek religion, they would see the gods coming down and taking on the form of a bull or a goat or a person and they were capricious, small g gods. The capricious gods, you never really could tell exactly how they were going to act but they started saying in their own regional dialect. The gods have become like men and they have come down to us and they began calling Barnabas Zeus. Zeus is the chief of the gods. Now, Barnabas, we we kind of minimize Barnabas a lot of times because Paul was the major speaker.

He's the one who wrote all the letters. Barnabas was a son of encouragement. He was doing ministry the whole time too but he doesn't get as much presses. You know, the guy who wrote two thirds of the New Testament. They began calling Barnabas Zeus.

Now, Zeus is the head of all of the Greek gods. This is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world is the Temple Of Zeus and that statue seated on the throne there is 41 feet tall and it's the only one of the seven wonders of the world where we don't know where this is. It was obliterated, destroyed, it is no longer to be found any of it, but we know exactly what it looks like because we have lots of detailed depictions of it. He has an eagle sitting on one side of him. He has a a staff and it's showing how he's in charge.

That is an the whole world in his hand right there. That's supposed to be the world in his right hand. Zeus was the guy that was the God of sky, thunder, lightning, and if he didn't do exactly like Zeus wanted you to do, what did you get? Lightning. Smited.

You were in real trouble if you didn't placate Zeus. And so, when they thought that man just have been healed, they attributed that power to the gods. Actually, they said Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes since he was the chief speaker, the messenger God. You remember that mostly from FTD florist using him as their mascot. The winged feet and the winged helmet where he's carrying messages for So, Paul was the one carrying the message.

They called him Hermes. Now, they're saying all this in the Lyconian language. Moreover, the priest of Zeus heard about what happened. He was just outside the city and he brought in oxen and garlands to the gates and he wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds and this is the best thing that's ever happened to the the prophet of Zeus, right? The priest of Zeus, He thinks the often he happened and it happened in Lystra in my town and so he gathers up the oxen and the garlands head to the gates.

This is a fairly famous painting. While I was in seminary, this was at the Columbia Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. It's not there anymore. I had to really search to find it But this is the priest of Zeus who's pointing to the offerings that he has brought in and all of these other people that are worshipers of Zeus are coming alongside and giving obescence and adoration and sacrifice in animals. And the reason for that is fear.

Straight up fear and seeing that this God has presenting himself at least in their minds, they start to attribute everything Paul has done to the God Zeus and Hermes but when the apostle apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it. When they finally got it, whether it's translated to him or they finally understood what the people were saying, they tore their robes. Actually, pretty nice depiction of them tearing their robes. It's an old testament expression of grief, an expression of remorse, an expression of no, no, no, no, no. That's not the real deal.

That's not what's happening here. They were dismayed and aggravated that anybody would ever attribute something that belongs only to God to them. If you remember earlier in our study, I brought out few paragraphs from Josephus antiquities and the passage that says that Herod Agrippa the first was in a gathering where people were coming in and actually they were coming in and they were kind of sucking up to him. They were there to try to placate him because they really needed the resources from his country and so, they were the people of Tyre and Sidon and they were there and they were adoring Herod a group of the first and they attributed to him divinity. They said, oh, he speaks with the voice of a god and not a man and it says, and because he did not give the glory that belong to God alone, to God almighty, really.

Worms ate him and he died. So, we've seen a couple of different places where people receive the worship of God. Actually, Cornelius in chapter 10, when Cornelius and Peter comes into his house and he falls down on his face before Peter and Peter grabs him by the arm and says, get up. I'm a man just like you. This is what we're going to see.

This is Saint Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. There's a lot going on in the picture. 1637, Bartolomeus, Greenberg. It's a Dutch painting. Oil on wood.

They rushed out into the crowd when they figured out what was going and they were crying out saying, men, why are you doing these things? Quit it. Stop it. Just like Peter said, get up from there. We are also men.

We are not to be adored in this way. We are not to be put up on a pedestal in this way. We are men just like you of the same nature as you. The only difference between us and you is that we've accepted the good news of the gospel and they preach the gospel. Again, that's what they do.

They're carrying the message. Apostles are those who are sent out. They are sent out with a message and they're preaching it. This is a great commission from Mark. He says, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

As you go, just be going and presenting it to everyone. And we're preaching the gospel to you and we're telling you, please turn from these useless things. These fairy tales, these superstitions, these gods that you made up, and turn to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, creator God. In past generations, Paul says to them, he permitted all the nations to go their own ways. As the world was standing in need of a savior.

Like, we get different different points. We've got the adamic covenant in Eden where Adam walks with God and then he falls away and we've got this no way at covenant where all the people fell away except for Noah and his family and then, immediately after the flood, they fall away. When God is reaching to reach to the world, he reaches out and it says, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness and Abraham's family. He's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In past generations, he permitted that all the rest of the nations go their own ways selected a few but he did not leave himself without a witness to the whole world, to everyone.

In that he did good and he gave rains from heaven and fruitful seasons. This is what theologians would call general revelation. In Matthew five, Jesus in the sermon on the mount, he says, God causes his son to rise on the evil and the good. He is always revealing himself to everyone. He causes his son to rise on the evil and good.

He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. That's general revelation. Let me back up for a second. You've heard that it said you should love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Well, that's just the way we are naturally but supernatural.

He's saying, love your enemies. Pray for the ones who persecute you so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your father who is in heaven, who is like this. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good. What did Paul and Barnabas have to do with these pagan Zeus worshiping people? Nothing except for they were sharing the light of the gospel with them.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good. He sends his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Everybody does that. Tax collectors do that.

If you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, heathen, nations do that. Don't they do the same? Therefore, he's calling them into a place of perfection which is only available through Jesus's death, the spirits leading, and the father's will. He's calling them into that.

A general revelation living here, I think that we have a specific, just a glorious beauty around us all the time and so general revelation when I say from Psalm 19, a lot of y'all this will be a familiar passage. The heavens are telling of the glory of God. I think it's Judy's photographs of the night sky where it's just a swirling mass of unbelievable expanse. The heavens are telling of the glory of God. Their expanse declares the work of God's hands.

Day after day, they pour forth speech. Night after night reveals the knowledge of God and there is no speech and nor are there any words wherein those voices are not heard. This was actually when we were missionaries to the death in Mexico. This was one of our main things is the heavens are telling the glory of God. Day after day, it pours forth speech.

There's no language where that voice is not heard. Their line has gone out in all the earth. Their words to the end of the world. Romans one says it this way, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, that is his eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly perceived, being understood by what he has been made. Creation tells the story of a creator.

Such that they and we are without excuse. For even though they knew God and it says they knew him just by seeing the work of his hands. Even though they knew God, they didn't honor him as God. They didn't give thanks to him but they became futile in their reasonings, their senseless hearts were darkened and claiming to be wise. They they became as fools.

That was true back in the pagan times of antiquity and in the scientific times of our day. If you look at what has been made and you come up with anything except for God and you attribute it to anything except for God, then, you are guilty of idolatry and suppression of the truth. They exchange the glory of incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, of four footed animals, and crawling creatures. If you look at that statue of Zeus, it has all of those things on it. Satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

He has given to all peoples reigns from heaven and fruitful seasons and satisfying your hearts with food and gladness and even by saying these things, Paul and Barnabas, only with difficulty did they restrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them. They didn't deserve it and they knew it and they tried to stop him but it was hard but it says, the Jews from Antioch. Now, Antioch was the last town that that they were in. No, it's two towns ago. Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, the Jews from Antioch, and Iconium came.

These are the same folks who last chapter, the devout women of prominence, the leading men of the city that instigated the persecution against Paul and Barnabas, drove them out of their region, and then chased them down. Persecution by the way, to pursue is what persecution really means. Going after them. So, they went after them. Now, from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium to Lystra and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul.

They didn't just plan to stone him this time. They actually stoned Paul and they dragged him out of the city and they left him for dead. Oh, by the way, I mentioned the Blues Brothers every once in a while. This is a scene from the Blues Brothers. Acts is a story of we're on a mission from God and the Blues Brothers is we're on a mission from God.

There's a scene where somebody takes a rocket launcher and knocks down a hotel that these guys are staying in and the whole rubble comes down on him and while the disciples stood around him, he got up, dusted himself off, walks away and the next day, he left with Barnabas for Derby. It is. A 106 miles to Chicago. We've got a half a pack of cigarettes and a full tank of gas. Yeah.

No. They went from Lystra to Derby and in Derby, it says, after they had preached the gospel to that city, it doesn't specifically say they started in the synagogue in this case. They'd already announced they were going to the Gentiles. In Lister, they went to the synagogue first and they might have here too but when they went in, it says, after they preached the gospel to that city and they had made a good number of disciples. That's the great commission from Matthew.

Go therefore and be making disciples of all the nations. Baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit and be teaching them to follow all that I have commanded you. How did you do that? You do it by following all that he commanded you. It's more caught than it is taught.

Teaching them to follow all that I've commanded you and behold, I'm with you always to the end of the age. So, they returned to Lystra. He just got stoned in Lystra, not like got stoned, sorry. They stoned him in Lystra. I'm sorry.

Came out funny to me. They returned to Lystra where he had been stoned by the people there from Iconium and Antioch. It says, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. Oh my goodness. Derby, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch.

And they were strengthening the souls of the disciples. They came back around and they were there visiting the people that they knew that had accepted the gospel and now, no doubt, we're facing the same kind of persecution that ran them out of town but they were strengthening souls of disciples and they were encouraging them to continue in the faith though it is difficult. It is through many tribulations that we must enter into the kingdom of God and that sounds a lot like Jesus too. Jesus in the upper room discourse, we're going to go to a time of communion. The same night he was betrayed, the same night that he instituted the Lord's supper.

This is one of the things that he just told his disciples in John sixteen thirty three. All of these things I've spoken to you. Now, that's chapter fourteen, fifteen, and 16. All of these things I've spoken to you so that in me, you may have peace. Even if the world is pursuing, even if there's persecution, even if there's difficulty, death, famine, pestilence, whatever it is.

In the world, you have tribulation and trouble but take courage. I've overcome the world. It's through resurrection but he overcame the world. Now, when they had appointed elders, so they go back to these cities and they don't just encourage them and they don't just strengthen their souls. They also appoint elders and put people sort of in charge.

People who had accepted the message of the good news of the gospel had related well to the Old Testament law and prophets and they set elders in place for them in every church and having fasted and prayed, prayed and with fasting. They entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. There is as missionaries, there's only so much that you personally can do. Being humble and submitted and willing and obedient is what you can do but God's going to do the work. He's gone before you.

He'll be there after you. The Holy Spirit that sent you is the same Holy Spirit that can sustain. When Christ said, I will build my church, he meant it. Amen. They passed through Pisidia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Pamphilia.

All of those are regions of Galatia. They passed through Pisidia and they came into Pamphilia If they went Derbalistria, Iconium, Antioch, and they went straight back instead of going the the original route. They went back towards Perga and this says, when they had spoken the word in Perga, the first time they went through Perga, it does not mention that they stopped and spoke there. They left from Paphos, Sergius Paulus, and they went up to, I think there was probably a connection where he said, go to Pasidian Antioch. Go up there.

Talk to my people. That's where they are And so they were in a hurry. It seems to get there. It doesn't mention that they preached in Perga the first time through but on the way back, they stopped in Perga and then they went down the hill to the coast to Italia, Antolia, Turkey is where that is these days. It's right next to Perga.

Where they had been and then it says, from there, they sailed back to Antioch. Antioch was where this very diverse church, these very diverse group of elders had sent them out and they sent them out on this first missionary journey and they're coming back and that's why I said, it's so great to see Florine this morning. He comes back in after having done the work that we sent him out to do, that God sent him out to do. He is now returning back to Antioch. He'll be back in a few weeks with his family but it's great.

They sailed there to Antioch where they have been entrusted to the grace of God and for the work that they had accomplished. It's good to know that we're on a mission from God and it will not be thwarted. No matter how it feels, it will not be thwarted. So they go back. It does not mention them going through Paphos, they just probably hugged the coast until they got back to Seleucia and then up the hill to Antioch.

Now, when they had arrived and when they had gathered the church together of which, you know, Simeon called Niger and the Lucius from Cyrene, Barnabas, Paul, these all these guys gathered together. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all the things that God had done with them and how he'd open the door of faith to the Gentiles. Amen. That's cool and they spent a long time with the disciples and we're expecting that Florine and Violetta will do that too. That's great.

There's a lot that God has had going with them and there's a lot that he's called them back to and I'm thankful for that. Here we are on our map going back to Antioch and that's the end of the first missionary journey. I have just a few words to say today because of communion and because Florian snuck up on us. I'm gonna ask him if he'll come up and play something pretty in a minute but a little history before the Kenya portion of our trip. I'm gonna ask Tanya if she'll share a lot about the the the lion's share of the stuff about Kenya.

We'll get to it next week or the week after probably, but a little history before the Kenya portion before I say that. If you're zeroing in on Kenya, you get there, Nairobi is a place pretty much everybody lands if you go by air. Back in 1991, Roseanne and her husband Darton, many of you all knew both of them. I never met Darton. I got here just after he had passed and so Roseanne and Darton Welch in their retirement, after they retired, she for being a nurse and for being an engineer, I believe.

They went as seasoned citizens, senior citizens, right? They went in their retirement to go be missionaries in 1991. I think it was a Southern Baptist initiative to send out the retired folk that are seasoned in the gospel to different places around the world and they had been somewhere in South America in 1991. They went to Kenya and they were specifically there in Lemurutown, Kenya, near Lemurutown. There's a place called Brackenhurst.

Brackenhurst is sort of a compound where people gather and it's a conference center, but that place is just a gorgeous little respite nowadays and it's the place that we stay when we go. It's the place where where Roseanne and Darton were stationed and Togoni Baptist Church is outside of the gate and they started relationship with Tigoni Baptist in 1991. Now, here we are at 2025 and that's who we visited while we were there. Pastor Joseph Kamal was the youth pastor when Roseanne and Darton were there in 1991. One of the ladies in the youth group who is now head of the ministry, the Emma girls or the Nema girls.

She was in the youth group when Roseanne and Darton were there the first time around and the people who work at Brackenhurst, the ones who serve by bringing meals and by taking care of the rooms and accommodations and the grounds and everything else. All the people that work there, a lot of them live within walking distance outside of the gate of the compound in a very very poor location. They did not have water. They definitely didn't have hot water and Roseanne and Darton recognized the need and they started serving the people and served them well. They've got water there.

They got hot water there and they are were very well received by the people. And when we moved here in 2012, after Darton had passed, Roseanne had the desire to go back and she wanted to go back and so she did and she was at the time I think 78 or 79 years old, somewhere in there. 2012, Roseanne wanted to go back. Tanya being the missionary that she is. Roseanne and Tanya connected immediately when we got here in June.

I think in October and November, they went together. Pascal, Tanya, Roseanne, together and getting there, they ran into that gal, Grace Lacanje, who was in Roseanne's youth group and Tanya and Grace started talking and Grace has this plan that God is laying on her heart that she needs to do to minister to young girls and Tanya helped with that. Pascal even helped with that. In 2013, after they came back and talked it up, really. What is God doing there?

There are so many amazing things and 18 other ladies besides Roseanne went back. The Tigoni team, August 2013. We sent back from this church. We sent them out on a mission and they returned. That was a it was an adventure and prayer for most of the church folk because right before the ladies left from here, the day before, the Nairobi Airport International Terminal burnt.

They flew in and they flew in and their baggage claim was an attempt. I flew in two or three days after them and we stayed for a few weeks after. Actually, it was just a few weeks before the Westgate Mall was sieged. This was an amazing time for that little ministry that Grace and Tanya talked about to blossom, to bud out as I was praying earlier today about the springtime of this, the new ministry was forming and these ladies gathered all of the Emma girls in one place and celebrated them and what God was doing in them And then in 2014, Roseanne went back and Kimberly Fort Isap went with her from here. And then our family joined up with them after they've been there for a while.

They stayed for an extended period. That's the last time that Roseanne was able to go. Now, we celebrated her eightieth birthday in 2013 there. She's 91 now. She moved Within the last year, she moved down to Rock Springs and we've been down to visit her a couple of times.

I've talked to her on the phone this week. I've talked to her quite a bit. And it's pretty amazing to see that though she has not been there in eleven years, she still keeps up with everything that's going on. I'll let Tanya tell you more about our 2025 trip but I want to say this that you don't ever have to stop ministering. So, Roseanne moves down to Rock Springs and she's there.

She's finally, she said found a church that that feels pretty homey at home to her and she goes there. She still watches when she can to this service but she also recognized there was no Bible study in her assisted living facility, nursing home. So, started one. 91. I'm thankful.

This is us with Ted and Kim Ray Bernal. I'll leave the rest of it for Tanya to to share about Dave and Kim Hatfield and a few others but we're going to go to a time right now of communion. So, Imma invite the ushers forward and Imma, would you just play something pretty? I love saying that. Thankful for you, brother.

You sneaky little joker. I'm going to pray as ushers come forward and God, thank you. We will glorify you. By your spirit, we want to live in submission. Jesus carried out with perfection.

He walked it out in the flesh. We we're going to celebrate the Lord's supper and what he said about his body and his blood, the body that was given, his perfect record was given for all who will believe. So, lord, we practice an open table right here. If there's anybody who's put their faith in Christ in this room, it's an open table for them to celebrate the life that was lived out in perfection and the perfect record that was offered and also through the sacrifice of his innocent blood. In Jesus name, we ask your blessing on this for everyone who would partake and for those lord who let it pass because they do not yet believe.

I pray that you would work on their hearts through your word and through the testimony of the other witnesses in the room that have seen what God can do. In Jesus name, I ask your blessing on this little cracker representation of the body of Jesus Christ. Amen. Now, on the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after having given thanks, he said to his disciples there and he's still saying it to us, this is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat of it.

Do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. In the same manner that he did that, he also took the cup. We're gonna distribute that here in just a second. For them, it would have been a common cup, but for us, it's these little plastic cups of grape juice. I'm gonna ask a blessing on that.

Lord, thank you. Thank you for living it out and thank you for your voluntary and sacrificial death that Hebrews says was sufficient once for all. In Jesus name we gather because of the way you lived and because of the way that you died. Glory to God for your resurrection. Would you, Lord, bless this little representation of your blood, this little plastic cup of grape juice?

Would you bless each one who would partake? And again, Lord, if there's anyone here who has not accepted you, I pray that you would turn their hearts into a soft place for the gospel through the people who are gathered in your name right here. In Jesus name, I pray that you would advance your good gospel. Amen. Thank you, Tim.

And in the same manner that he had taken the bread, he also took the cup after supper and he said to them that were gathered there and we have it recorded in John, we have it recorded. And he said, this is the new covenant in my blood. Oh, the old covenant is so difficult and so conditional. And, the new covenant is fulfilled in the blood of Christ. He says, this is the new covenant in my blood.

Take of it and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. And Paul later says that every time that we do this, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again and his death simply put as an end for the power of sin. It cancels sin. Would you stand with me? And I think we're gonna sing the doxology.

Is that fine? Alright. We'll just do that.

Speaker 2Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost.

Speaker 1And now may the Lord bless and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and it may reflect off of you onto your friends and neighbors and acquaintances throughout this week. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.

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Communion Meaning False Gods General Revelation Making Disciples Missionary Persecution

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