Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 12-15-17

You Must Have Faith To Persevere Acts 14:8-11, 19-23
the island of Cyprus, Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark sailed northward to Asia Minor (modern Turkey). From its south coast they traveled inland first to Perga, where John Mark called it quits (Acts 13:5, 13; 15:37, 38).
It was then on to Antioch of Pisidia. There Paul preached in the synagogue; his message led many to faith but provoked bitter opposition from others (13:13-52). This
pattern was to repeat itself throughout Paul’s missionary travels.
Wherever the gospel went in Acts, it met with opposition, as well as faith.
From Antioch of Pisidia, the missionaries traveled east- ward to smaller towns. The first was Iconium, where again preaching led to division and controversy (Acts 14:1-7).
The team of Paul and Barn- abas then moved on to Lystra, the setting of this week’s les- son.
Lystra was a modest-sized town, somewhat isolated from contact with the wider world. A local language was used commonly there. Jupiter and Mercury (Mecurius) were two popular gods in the Roman world. People from Lystra claimed that Jupiter and Mer- cury had once visited their city. According to legend, no one offered them hospitality except an old couple, so Jupiter and Mercury killed the rest of the people and re- warded the old couple. So the people viewed Paul and Barn- abas to be the return of Jupiter and Mercury.
When Paul and Barnabas arrived, they encountered a man with a lifelong disability. Perhaps like so many in his condition, there is little he can do except beg for money to survive.
Now the man with a dis- ability hears the preaching of Paul about Jesus. The man’s response to this message is the beginning of faith. The text de- scribes Paul looking closely at him. From what Paul sees, perhaps by various expres- sions of body language, the apostle understands that the man has faith to be healed.
Perceiving the man’s faith, Paul boldly commands him to do what he has never done be- fore: stand on his heretofore powerless legs. The man does that and more, like the man Peter had healed (Acts 3:8).
If the power of Jesus can ac- complish this miracle, then surely it can bring the fullness of God’s blessings to the peo- ple of Lystra!
Acts 14: 15-18
Responding to the people of Lystra, Paul and Barnabas re- mind them that God never leaves himself “without wit- ness.” Rain and crops, for ex- ample, are evidence of his goodness. Later Paul wrote that this evidence in nature leaves people with an excuse for unbelief (Romans 1:20).
When in doubt about God, look around and you will see abundant evidence that He is at work in the world.
Acts 14:18, 19
Only days after the people in Lystra, thinking Paul and Barnabas were gods, wanted to offer sacrifices to them, they stoned Paul and left him for dead. Jesus understood how changeable crowds can be (John 2:24, 25).
When many people approve of us, we feel good, but that should never cloud our think- ing or affect our decisions. We should not live to please the crowd and don’t put trust in it. Put your trust in God alone.
Paul and Barnabas were persistent in their preaching of the Good News. They consid- ered the cost to themselves to be nothing compared to being obedient to Christ.
Acts 14:21, 22
Paul and Barnabas returned to visit the believers in the cities where they had recently been threatened and physi- cally attacked. They knew the dangers they faced, yet they believed they had a responsi- bility to encourage the new be- lievers.
No matter how inconven- ient or uncomfortable the task may seem, we must always support new believers who need help and encourage- ment. Teaching that persist- ence through faith has great reward.
We all want to be heard. We do not like to be misunder- stood. It’s bad enough when it happens unintentionally, but problems multiply when it happens with malicious in-
tent. Paul’s experience with re- gard to the latter has some- thing to teach us.
Our text continues the story of Paul’s first missionary journey. After traveling across
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