Grace Christian Fellowship: Christian Teachings from Acts

Acts 13:3-52 "Surprise!"

Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant. (Acts 13:3-5)

It is interesting that the first place that they went was to the island of Cyprus. Why did they choose this place? I think it is because Barnabas was from Cyprus. They took along with them John Mark who we find out was the nephew of Barnabas. So he too probably either had been to Cyprus or knew people there. And when they reached Cyprus, they immediately went to preach the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. We will see this over and over in the book of Acts. When Paul and his friends go to a new place they always look for some point of contact. Then once they have a chance they share the gospel. The natural place for Jews to share the gospel was with other Jews. Barnabas and John Mark might even of known some of these people. But along with the Jews there were also gentiles who went to the synagogues and prayed. People like Cornelius, who feared God. Paul reached out to these people with the gospel telling them the good news that Jesus Christ died for everyone's sins, and that it did not matter that they were not Jewish.
This was a good strategy and they carried it out throughout the island of Cyprus. Going from one end of the island to the other, stopping in synagogues and sharing the gospel. But God had something in mind that Barnabas and Paul never dreamed of. Remember that God is able to do far more than we ask or even think.

Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. this man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. (Acts 13:6-12)

You see while Barnabas and Paul were preaching from town to town the Roman governor of the island, a proconsul by the name of Sergius Paulus, heard about them, and invited them to share this teaching with him. What a surprise! But this is how God works. He honors our strategies and plans, appreciates our faithfulness and work, but God is not limited by our efforts. We have seen this with the Ai No Kesshin ministry. We hand out tracts once a month and hope that some of these will bear fruit. But through this God has saved lives, brought joy to childless families and hope to women in trouble. I am faithful in the small thing because I know that the Lord is faithful too. One part of faith is expecting God to do the unexpected.

So here is a totally pagan gentile. Not like the Ethiopian on the road who was interested in Jewish things. Not like the Roman centurion Cornelius who prayed and gave alms. Not like the gentile God fearers who heard Paul preach in the synagogues. Sergius was not seeking after God so much as seeking after the "supernatural". For in his court, Sergius had a sorceror, who advised him on astrology and made magic to try to change the hands of fate. God has really set Barnabas and Peter up. Not only wasn't this part of their plan, but there was opposition involved as well.
But God is faithful. At the critical moment, the showdown between the sorceror and Paul, the Bible says, that Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not saying that Paul suddenly got the Holy Spirit that he didn't have before! No, remember Paul was filled with the Spirit right after Ananias baptized him. What Paul got was an annointing for the task at hand. The Spirit rose up and gave him the spiritual power to fight the battle before him. Specifically, the Spirit gave him the gift of prophecy. Not a gift that we usually see Paul using. Usually he is teaching and sometimes healing. But suddenly Paul looks him right in the eye and exposes him. "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? He sees the truth and speaks it out. This is prophecy. And then he prophecies again, foretelling what God is going to do in the future, and tells that out as well. Paul did not strike the sorceror blind. God did. But Paul spoke it out so that all would know that this was the judgement of God. You know I think that when it was all over, Paul was probably more surprised than anybody. He was probably shaking. Wow, God!

God had also given a promise to Paul. Paul "I have set you as a light to the Gentiles." And Paul was starting to see how God would bring that promise about. It was not of his own planning, but through his faithfulness in going. Paul was surprised at the way things turned out more often than not. But God had given the word through the prophet, "For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you." (Acts 13:41/ Habakkuk 1:5)
God has made promises to each one of us. Be patient. Don't try to second-guess God. When He brings it about we will probably say, "Who would have thought it, but Praise God!" Be faithful in the daily walk, follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. And keep your eyes open for the surprises of God.

Now when Paul and his party set sail for Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment. After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. and afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior -- Jesus -- (Acts 13:13-23)

Paul's method of preaching the gospel was first to remind the Jews of the promise that God had given to them. The promise of Messiah, the promise of a savior, a king like David. God had a long history with Israel. A history of promises given and fulfilled. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many. And God was faithful to His promise. God promised to bring the people out of Egypt and into the land and He was faithful. God promised to David that his descendant would sit on the throne forever. And the Jews should have expected God to keep this promise too.
Let me remind you that God has a long history with you too. Before you were born, God knew you in your motherﾕs womb. God has been with you, protecting you, guiding you, long before you knew Him.
Then Paul gave the good news, And we declare to you glad tidings--that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. (Acts 13:33) ﾒglad tidingsﾓ, that God has kept His promise for both them and us, in that He raised up Jesus Christ from the dead. As we prepare for Easter which is coming the last Sunday of this month, it is vital that we understand the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the heart of the gospel. Without it, Jesus Christ is just a martyr who died for a cause. But unlike every other man, Jesus did not return His body to the ground. Nowhere did his bones slowly waste away. The Scripture says that He did not see ﾒcorruptionﾓ. Instead, Jesus was victorious over death, because death could not hold Him, who is the Life. The resurrection is the proof that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise. The resurrection is the proof that Jesus is the Son of God. The resurrection is the proof that we have the forgiveness of sins. "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." (Romans 6:5)

"For David after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: 'Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.'" (Acts 13: 36-41)

But the Jews did reject the message, they couldn't believe that God had kept His promise in this way. But then a miracle takes place in that the Gentiles beg to hear the words again.

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles, For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. and the word of the Lord was being spread throughout the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:49-52)

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