This morning’s message very simple!

I want to look at how Paul changed his world to see how we can change ours (just a modest objective!)

When we look at the book of Acts we can slip into thinking that all that happened to Paul was just inevitable.

God is sovereign and He was at work here, therefore Paul was merely a player in God’s game – a valuable player, sure – but a player nonetheless.

I don’t find that very convincing – particularly if I try to put myself in Paul’s shoes.

Paul faced just the same challenges and felt the same fears as we do
and still he changed things – and changed people’s lives – to be the people God always waned them to be!

If we look at Paul and ask how he did it we can unearth some principles about how we can do it.

two key characteristics that Paul displayed

highly proactive

Acts 13:13 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

You don’t do that by accident!

extending his circle of influence >>>

taking decisions that will make a difference. >>>

a diligent leader

“Paul and his companions” – Here is sure evidence that Paul is beginning to assume the leadership of the party. After the incident with the sorcerer this is hardly surprising.

Paul is a highly proactive man – and the book of Acts shows us how God uses men and women like him.
It is sad that some people who are proactive in their jobs leave this habit behind when they begin working with other Christians in the local church
If you know you have get-up-and-go then get-up-and-go! See to it that God’s work is done! Be daily filled with the Holy Spirit! And serve God and the church with a proactive mindset!

the place

14. From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.

Pisidian Antioch. – different Antioch. Mainland turkey.

Significant because is was a

prosperous town – part of the ‘Diaspora’ -<ppt>
i.e. the string of cities where Jews had settled in the preceding century or so.

This was the site of their next outreach

Why here?

why not evangelise on the coast?
because Paul became ill –
possibly with malaria – the scourge of the southerly region
but in spite of his poor health he kept going

Saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”

that was certainly true of Paul

At this point John Mark left them

relationship with him not good
Paul may have felt that he deserted them
although the relationship was made up later.

the method

Can you see how they did it? – what was their strategy

they didn’t start with children / Sunday schools
they went for adults rather than children
and I believe that to be a divine strategy

they didn’t begin social welfare programmes /

getting bogged down in social & political reform
they went straight for the main target – telling people about Jesus Christ
getting people rescued from their sin by preaching the good news

All these things all other things are legitimate and have their place

but THE main aim of all mission is to effectively and powerfully communicate the good news.
and if we don’t do it – who else will?

Notice something else about their strategy

They asked themselves the question ‘where are we likely to find the people who are nearest to God? – we’ll start there.

answer – the synagogue!

It was normal practice for Paul and his party to go to worship on the Sabbath.

these were groups of people who knew something about God but had never had a real relationship with God
never known forgiveness of sin

Principle – start with the people near you whom you think will be most receptive

he started with the receptive”

15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

This was normal practice.

notable visitors asked to say something ‘for encouragement’

Here was Paul’s opportunity!

Paul saw his chance – and took it with both hands
he was alert / in tune with the Spirit of God

I believe that if we’re in tune with him the same will happen for us

16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!

Two distinct groups of people

Jews

God-fearers – gentiles who worshipped God -searching for spiritual reality.
God’s message is for everyone – religious background or not!
>>>

I wonder what he felt like as he stood up?

I expect he was nervous
I expect he wandered what sort of reception he’d get.

Are there spiritually receptive people today?

yes – about a quarter of unchurched people in the UK would come to church, if a friend asked them
They may come out of politeness, or out of curiosity

he built on what they knew

They would just have listened to part of the law and a reading from a prophet

Paul recapped the whole history of Israel
selecting significant instances to show how Jesus was a true, card-carrying Jew – descendant of their great King David.
showing them how some of the prophecies about the Messiah came true in Jesus life.

he interpreted what they believed

In the natural we don’t always spot what the Lord is doing

such is the frailty of our fallen minds
What God is doing often needs interpretation

They needed to see where God’s hand was at work in their history

how he fitted into it all

They needed to have the connection made between what they had seen

what they knew to be true in life
… and the activity of God.

There’s a lovely example of this in the previous section

Sergius Paulus
had the interpretation

‘Aha’ experiences >>>

How can my heart respond to something my mind rejects?

he applied what they understood

They had the pieces of the jigsaw

knowledge >>>
interpretation – here’s how God fits into all this – this is what He’s doing
now the final connection – It applies to me!

Have you ever had that experience of a preacher speaking straight to you?

when actually it’s the Holy Spirit!

E.g. Man at previous church

thought I was preaching at him
came to me in my office – non-plussed – almost angry
‘Why were you talking about me?’
‘Why that subject in the service’
(I was able to show him that the subjects were decided about 3 months in advance
So it wasn’t me who was angling a message to speak to him and expose the guilt and sin in him
It was the Holy Spirit!

38 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

the results

What happens when we communicate the gospel in ‘seeker’ situations?

some were hungry for more

42. As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.

When you meet with God (especially when it’s for the first time) there is always a hunger for more!

I’ve found reality!
This is it!
He satisfies your spirit in a way nothing else possibly could

Times of refreshing

hunger for more of God

it didn’t stop there

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

This is astonishing – and characteristic of true spiritual revival

Multitudes of people wanting to hear God’s message that will satisfy their spiritual thirst.

Revival is a combination of our initiative and God’s sovereignty >>>

some were filled with jealousy

jealous hearts

45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

Sheer green envy >>>

envy arises when my pride is challenged by someone else’s ability or expertise, or money
at its root lies the attitude “they’ve got what I think I ought to have,”
it has a follow-on action “I’m going to make sure they don’t enjoy it, or they fail in some way”
their view – ‘we are the men who should be speaking about God and we want to attract an audience – but look at what this man is doing!”

It takes genuine grace to rejoice in God’s work through someone else when yo feel it should have been you!

This had an effect in Paul.

He has spent his whole life working with Jews and recently preaching Christ to Jewish hearers.

I can’t avoid the conclusion that Paul was so horrified by the reaction of his fellow Jews that this was why he reacted to them

the switch

in the people Paul will reach

46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

A radical change

Not only had the penny dropped in the People’s minds
it also had in Paul

He realised that his message would not be received by them

so he ‘shook the dust off his feet’ (v51)

sign of disgust and derision

George Dempster – evangelist in London in the last century

‘If someone rejects what I tell them about Jesus, I’ll find someone else who won’t’

This is solemn warning – particularly to long-standing Christians

beware of jealousy of what God is doing in the lives of others!

the consequence

in the disciples

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

That’s always the result of my spiritual hunger being satisfied

JOY!

Get alone with God – ‘Lord I want more of you’ >>>

How Paul changed the world