Read Acts 13:1-12

Today I want to inspire and thrill you with the remarkable story about how Paul (initially Saul) set out on his first missionary journey, and draw out some of the principle that lie just beneath the surface.

Behind the fast-moving story recorded in Acts there is a spiritual battle going on <ppt>

Some people would say it’s a battle between good and evil – at one level that is true, but it’s only half the story

The Bible says that God is at work in the affairs of men
That one of his major objectives in this world is to thwart the activity of evil and Satan and bring peace and renewal and freedom and release to individual people
Sometimes the battle that is being fought spiritually bubbles to the surface of our everyday lives

This is a case in point.

Never take the surface events for granted!

Behind the events of our lives there as spiritual factors at work.

In Acts, the focus switches from Peter to Paul <ppt>

Peter, one of Jesus inner circle of disciples, Highly effective leader of the church in Jerusalem.

Paul – became the missionary to the gentiles (non-Jews) and therefore to us. It’s highly likely that we would not have heard to gospel had Paul not met Christ on the road to Damascus

Paul converted in Ch 9

saw a blinding light & heard the voice of the Lord

Was it a sudden conversion? Probably not. We think this because of

his university professor – Gimaliel

He taught Paul to keep his mind open to places where God might be at work, even if our prejudice fins it hard to stomach – “Be careful about opposing these Christians because you might find yourself opposing God.

The death of Stephen.

Paul was minding the coats of those who picked up rocks to hammer Stephen’s body to a pulp
But Stephen prayed forgiveness over them as he died – and saw an image of Jesus – you can’t witness a moment like that and it not have an effect on yourselves
Hints in one of Paul’s letters that he saw Christ.

Several years had passed since the Road to Damascus experience

why did God wait?

many people say that is a man is called and gifted then he should go – immediately, there and then!
why not Paul?

There’s a spiritual principle here:

Your heavenly father is more concerned about what he is doing in you than what he is doing through you. <ppt>

Because God has a lot to do in him!

Paul spent 3 years in desert obscurity and in that time God was moulding this man
then he had to learn to live in a church
to be subject to the discipline and leadership of the elders there (including Peter)

Only then is God going to press the ‘go’ button

I often advise young men who are considering Christian ministry to go and do something in a secular field first, go and build something for a few youres, go and learn to achieve first, before entering the much tougher world of full-time church leadership >>>

Paul had been both called of God, trained in the school of prayer and in the school of hard knocks, integrated into the church – And now God says ‘go’

God’s call comes in two ways

first the call to my heart

second the confirmation to the fellowship

May I plead with any of you today

some of you have the knowledge in your heart that you’re called of God to ‘go’

to ministry here, another church, special mission

may I ask to pray that God will give the fellowship the confirmation.

As a church I believe it is imperative that we listen to God’s voice

to identify men and women He’s gifting for particular ministries
within the church and outside it!

Tonight we’re going to see the first events in Paul’s calling as a missionary – a battle between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan.

Church expansion comes about because of the Holy Spirit’s influence

4. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Selucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

Luke is emphasising that no development of the church came about by chance.

nothing that happens to God’s people happen by chance
God is sovereign in the affairs of men
Did you realise that’s why you’re here today? >>>

This, in particular, was motivated and urged on by the Holy Spirit

overseen by him and
empowered by him.
He owned the project as well as the people.

by the Holy Spirit – here is God dictating the route.

He is the real hero of the book of acts

Selucia – The seaport serving the city of Antioch – 5 mile upstream from the mouth of the Orontes river.

Luke is usually careful to note the points of arrival and departure.
This demonstrates the orderliness of his mind and his desire to let us know that these things actually happened.
They’re not visions, dreams or unsubstantiated stories.

Cyprus. – a significant Jewish population there. The gospel had already been preached there, 11:19-21. Brief history – see Bruce p255

Acts 11 19. Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. … 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Christian ministry is not achieved alone

Barnabas –

a Levite from Cyprus (see 4:36).

His real name was Joseph, Barnabas a nickname (Son of encouragement).
A generous man (4:37 sold a field and gave proceeds).
Therefore Cyprus is Barnabas home town

Principle – where was the first place they wanted to go in their newly discovered ministry – home! <ppt>

We must never neglect the ministry in our home locality.

among the people you live with. >>>
We can spend thousands to send missionaries overseas and little on mission over the road!
Don’t misunderstand this! I am utterly committed to mission work – travelling to take God’s word to people who otherwise may not hear it –
but look where these men travelled first – Barnabas went home!

5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

John . – John a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10)

the Jewish synagogues – Paul usually went here first to start preaching – ‘to the Jew first …’. In most synagogues there were some ‘God-fearers’ with whom Paul could be confident of a good opening when preaching the gospel. Plural implies that the Jewish population was large enough to support more than one synagogue.

was with them as their helper – they couldn’t do it alone.

Don’t leave all the ministry to the minister!

One of the characteristics of this significant move of the Holy Spirit that we are witnessing today is that the ministry is being done by ordinary people.

It’s the un-named unknown christians who will never hit the headlines who are the channels of God’s power.
That is a return to NT thinking.

Spirit-inspred ministry provokes opposition

Than things start hotting up

6 They travelled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-jesus,

Jewish sorcerer – appears a contradiction in terms but is shows haw far away from God’s heart the jewish leaders had allowed themselves to drift if they allowed this kind of thing to continue unchecked.

Paphos – 100 miles journey from Salamis and the Roman administrative centre for the island.

Bar-jesus – mean Son of Jesus – not Jesus Christ!

Jesus a common name, derives from Joshua or ‘Saviour’.

Unusual to find a Jewish magician as the Jews usually shunned all forms of occult activity.

false prophet – not in the sense that he predicted things that didn’t happen (any old fool can do that!)

but that his predictions and sayings led people away from God’s truth.
He claimed to be speaking on behalf of God but he wasn’t.

The word used in the original text helps us here –

yeudoprofhthn – implies imitation of the real thing – looks like it but it isn’t.

E.g. Chatsworth house – door open –

looks like a violin but it isn’t –
it’s only a painting to cover a septic tank!
Very deceptive.

See parable of wheat and tares (matt 13:24-30, :36-43).

Wherever the Lord sows his children, the devil comes along with a counterfeit.
Paul recognised that Elymas was such a counterfeit.

Paul sought out the seekers

7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. (… And they went)

proconsul, Sergius Paulus – Administrative and military head of the island. The gospel impacts on all strata of society.

Typical of today – intelligent man – seeking spiritual reality but not knowing where to look.

mention Seeker services – we’re trying to create a safe place for a dangerous message

BarJesus who was an attendant of the proconsul –

it is interesting how even men of high rank and intelligence sometimes turn to magicians / pseudo-prophets like Bar-Jesus.
This points up the need all people feel for spiritual reality –
the awareness that there’s more to life than training and skills.

And see to what desperate lengths they will go to find reality.

If only I could see into the future? –
there is a seductive quality to people who purport to let us know what’s happening
E.g. Horoscopes.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Elymas – possibly a self appointed name, meaning ‘sorcerer’ or ‘wise-man’.

actually he was anything but!
he’s an anti-christian missionary …

tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. –

here is the proof that he’s a false prophet.
Wherever the Holy Spirit is at work there will always be opposition.

Why did Elymas do this?

Because he could see a threat to his livelihood by the truth of what Paul and Barnabas were saying.
The gospel makes false motives obvious.

Christian Ministry often involves personal risk-taking

9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,

Saul, who was also called Paul – The names mean ‘asked’ and ‘little’ respectively – it is inferred from this that Paul was probably a short man. However, some argue that Paul is simply a Greek derivation from the Hebraic Saul. It may be both since it was customary to have both a Greek name (for relationships in Greek quarters) if your original name was clearly Hebrew. He may have adopted this mane because he was aware that he is now entering a phase of ministry where he will be working primarily with Greeks.

Paul and Barnabas – the ordering of the names now changes until they get back to the Jerusalem church. Possibly indicating that Paul is assuming the leadership of the trio (P, B + John Mark)

10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

Press the Pause button there!

Paul did not know what was about to happen
… Suppose nothing happened
He’d look a fool, have egg on his face!
>>>

Will you never stop perverting – This is the technique of the false prophet.

He starts with what is manifestly the truth
(being a Jew he would know the Jewish scriptures),
he would get so far and then twist it’s meaning
so that it says something subtly different and fundamentally in error.

Many cults like this – take the Bible and then add to it or impose their own interpretation on it.

11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

E.g. man who opposed Charles Wesley

accused in court of something that was manifestly untrue.
shouted out ‘God strike me blind if it isn’t true!’
at that moment he immediately went blind.

We are dealing with God here!

Spiritual change takes place most often when the power of God is seen as well as taught

12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

he was amazed – here is an intelligent man – amazed.

This tells me something about Paul’s’ message and method.

He was well thought-out in his teaching.
An intelligent man like this is not going to be hoodwinked by hype! He’s going to want to sit down and think it through, possibly debate it with Paul over lunch before coming to an intelligent decision.

Beware Christianity that appeals only to the feelings!

Feeling have a place (and a larger place than we Brits usually give them)
but the way to a man’s heart is not through his stomach it’s through his mind.

What happened

he believed – the miracle validated the message.

Oh that we would see the Lord do more of this today!
Much of the preaching in the book of Acts is explanatory >>>

Recap & Pray

Saul of Tarsus … missionary to the gentiles