Opposition To The Church
Pastor Fred Kingman April 14th, 2024

Mission means opposition.

Acts 13:4-12 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Mission means opposition.

The Gospel message is not about our performance or failure, but God’s power to save.

Acts 13:42-52 As they were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God. The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him. Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Mission means opposition.

It’s easier to take shots from the cheap seats then get back on the field and play the game.

Acts 14:8-20 In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice. The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting, “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way, although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them. Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages” - Charles H. Spurgeon

Mission means opposition.

Next Steps:
1. Get on the field.
2. Kiss the waves.
3. Attend Night of Missions May 3.

Small Group Questions

1. What is the main point of Acts 13-14? What are some important themes?
Main Point = Mission means opposition

2. Why is the Gospel worth all the work of Paul, Barnabas and their companions?

3. The sorcerer Bar-Jesus worked to keep the Proconsul from believing in Jesus. What kind of spiritual opposition do we face when trying to make disciples?

4. The Jewish leaders in Pisidian Antioch became jealous of Paul’s success and undermined him. How have you been jealous of others succeeding where you have failed?

5. In Lystra, Paul is stoned and left for dead because he refused to be worshiped as a god. How is idolatry (the worship of false gods) a danger when on the mission of Jesus? How have you or others idolized others?

6. In 100 years, all that will matter is the glory of God and souls of people. Do you as a group truly believe this? What steps can you take collectively to get back on the field and make disciples?

7. Paul and Barnbas left their home church to make disciples in other cities. Pick a nearby city and pray as a group for the souls of the men/women/children. What would it take for the gospel to take root in flourish in that city?

8. Do the math and find out roughly how many believers are in the city you’re praying for. Search Google for churches, take the total number of churches and multiply by 90 people (average church attendance), and compare this to the total population.