Acts 13:4

We began the 13th chapter of Acts last week, and we saw that in the city of Antioch, there were five men that God had called and ordained as prophets and teachers over the fellowship of believers there. As they were gathered together, we saw that they ministered unto the Lord in Acts 13, verse 2. While they were ministering and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them, saying, "Separate unto Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." After they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away.

Now, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, we see in verse 4 that it is God who sends. It is God who works. In fact, in Philippians chapter 2, we read that it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. However, before God can work in you and through you, that separation unto God for the work is essential. We see this in Acts 13, verse 2. They ministered to the Lord, they fasted, and God instructed them to separate Barnabas and Saul for the work He had called them to. Until we are separated, consecrated, and given over to God for His work, we will never experience God using us or working through us in the powerful way that we will see in the remainder of the book of Acts.

It is essential that I yield myself to the working of God and allow Him to work in my life. I must come to Him and say, "You are my Lord," and lay my life down before Him. This is why the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, urged them in verse 1 of chapter 12, "I beg you that you would present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Paul desired that the church at Rome and every believer within the body of Christ would experience the abundant life that God came to give through Jesus Christ, as stated in John chapter 10, verse 10.

Jesus said, "The thief has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but I have come that you might have life, and that more abundantly." It was Paul's desire that every member of the body of Christ would experience that abundant life. But first comes that separating unto the Lord.

When Saul and Barnabas were separated unto the Lord for the work that He had called them to, the church sent them out, and God sent them forth. They departed, we read, unto Seleucia. Now, Seleucia was not far from the city of Antioch, but it was a coastal city right there on the Mediterranean Sea, much like the environment we live in here in Southern California. It was the place you would go, kind of the first stop, if you were going to be journeying to the other regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

So, Saul and Barnabas went down to Seleucia, and they decided that they were going to go to Cyprus. This brings up a question: Why Cyprus? What was it that caused them to figure, "Well, we should go to Cyprus," which was an island 60 miles off the coast, just west of Seleucia? If you may remember, back in Acts chapter 4, when we were first introduced to Barnabas, we found that he was a Jewish man from the tribe of Levi, but he was from the region of Cyprus. He was from that actual place, that island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Perhaps Barnabas said, "Well, let's just go and minister to people that are among my family, and we'll see what God does." So, Barnabas and Saul took a boat from there and came to Salamis, which was a city on the eastern side of Cyprus. They preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and John Mark was their minister. John Mark was with them as they preached the word of God. If you would underline that in verse 5: they preached the word of God.

The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the church at Corinth, said, "We preach not ourselves, but we preach Christ and Him crucified." You see, I don't know if you've ever noticed, but we, as human beings, have a tendency to focus upon ourselves. Nobody else struggles with that, right? We can tend to be somewhat self-focused. Perhaps you've found that as you're introduced to new people from time to time, maybe not within the church, but out in the work world or wherever you are, they love to talk about themselves. There is the temptation for us sometimes...

To just be self-absorbed and self-focused and only talk about ourselves is not the way we should approach our faith. We see in the Scriptures that the Apostle Paul and the rest of the disciples preached Christ. When God begins to do a work in my life and in yours, He changes our outlook, and that change comes forth in the way that we speak.

However, we also recognize that Paul, in his day, and we, in our day, have no power in and of ourselves to save people. It is the Word of God that is the power of God unto salvation. They went to the synagogue of the Jews in the city of Salamis and preached the Word of God. This approach of going to the synagogue will be the standard operating procedure for Paul the Apostle in his ministry in the Book of Acts. Just about every city he visits, the very first thing he does is identify where the synagogue of the Jews is located.

On the Sabbath day, he, along with whoever is traveling with him, will go to the synagogue. During this period, many synagogues had what we might call an open synagogue policy. A synagogue would run a little bit differently than the church here in America today. The Jewish people would gather together on the Sabbath, which is Saturday. As they gathered, they would worship the Lord, perhaps with a hymn or a psalm, and then they would read from the Law and the Prophets. After that, they would give an opportunity for one of the other leaders or rulers within that synagogue to stand and give an exhortation or perhaps teach on that passage.

If a traveling rabbi came into the synagogue, they would often defer to him. They would say, "Hey brother, where are you from?" The rabbi would respond, and then the leader of the synagogue would invite him to share. Paul took advantage of this open synagogue policy. Every city he visited, he looked for a synagogue.

When we get to Acts chapter 16, we will find that when he came to the city of Philippi, there was no synagogue because there wasn't a large population of Jewish men there. Instead, he went to the next place where the Jewish people or the God-fearers would gather if they didn't have a synagogue. They would often gather by a body of water or a river to worship God on the Sabbath, and that is where Paul went in Acts chapter 16.

But here, in his first stop on his first missionary journey, we see what will become a consistent pattern in his ministry.

His standard operating procedure was to go to the synagogue and preach the word of God. John Mark was with him at this point. When they had gone through the isle of Cyprus, they came to the other side of the island, to the city of Paphos, where they found a certain sorcerer. Not only was he a sorcerer, but he was also a false prophet, as Luke tells us. Furthermore, he was a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus.

The word "Bar" in Hebrew means "son of," so his name literally meant "son of Jesus." Obviously, this was not referring to Jesus of Nazareth; we know that to be the case. Very likely, his father's name was Jesus, which is why he was called "son of Jesus." However, it appears that Luke, the author of the book of Acts, didn't even want to call him that. Instead, he refers to him by his other name, which we see in verse 8: Elimus.

They came to Paphos and were met by a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, and a Jewish man. This is a very interesting combination. In fact, it's kind of like that SAT test: Which of these does not belong? He was a sorcerer, he was a prophet—though Luke refers to him as a false prophet—and he was a Jew. Why is this such an odd combination?

If you turn in your Bibles to the Old Testament, to the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible, you will find Moses giving the children of Israel the law of God for the second time, just before they enter the promised land. Notice what Moses says to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 9. He states, "When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations that inhabit that land."

In verse 10, he continues, "There shall not be found among you one that makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord. Because of these abominations, the Lord your God...

God, through Moses, tells His people that when they come into the land, they are not to spend any time with wizards, sorcerers, or those who cause their children to pass through fire, literally those who sacrifice their children. These works are an abomination, and yet this man in the city of Paphos on the island of Cyprus was a Jewish man who was also a sorcerer. Not only that, we are told that he was a false prophet.

He likely thought of himself as a prophet. In Deuteronomy, just a few chapters to the left, we find further instruction. In Deuteronomy 13:1, Moses speaks the law of God to the children of Israel. He says, "If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder, performing some sort of miraculous thing, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass whereof he spoke unto you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods which you have not known; let us serve them,' thou shalt not listen to the words of that prophet."

Moses emphasizes that when a prophet or a dreamer of dreams comes into your midst and shows you some sort of miraculous sign, and then says to depart from the Lord, you should not listen to him. Moses warns, "Do not hearken unto the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God proves you; He tests you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

Verse 4 states, "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, keep His commandments, and obey His voice. You shall serve Him and cleave unto Him." The consequence for that false prophet or dreamer of dreams was severe; it was a capital crime in the nation of Israel and in the law of God to be a false prophet.

This man, Elimus or Bar-Jesus, was in a very precarious position. He was a Jewish man who was a sorcerer, which is an abomination to God, and a false prophet. Yet, he held some sort of privileged position of power in the city of Paphos on the island of Cyprus, as we read in verse 7 that this man had power with the deputy of that region.

In that region, there was a deputy of the country named Sergius Paulus, a prudent and intelligent man. He called for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to hear the word of God. Barnabas and Saul were traveling through the region of Cyprus, and word had spread that they were preaching the word of God. Sergius Paulus, the governor of that Roman colony on the island of Cyprus, expressed his desire to hear from them.

As Barnabas and Saul came before the deputy, Saul was there to preach the word of God. However, Elimus, the sorcerer—whose name was interpreted as such—opposed them, seeking to turn the deputy away from the faith. While Saul and Barnabas were presenting the gospel to Sergius Paulus, Elimus, also known as Bar-Jesus, interjected, trying to distract from the message.

Have you ever experienced a similar situation? Perhaps you were trying to share the word of God with a co-worker, family member, or friend, and someone else stood by, interrupting with questions or comments that distracted from the conversation. How would you react to that?

Let's look at how Paul responded, as it is quite interesting. Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He fixed his gaze upon Elimus and addressed him directly. Paul said, "O full of subtlety and mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord God? How long will you continue to distort the truth?"

Then, turning his attention back to Elimus, Paul declared, "Now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." Immediately, a mist and darkness fell upon Elimus, and he began to seek someone to lead him by the hand.

To lead him by the hand—how cool is that? I mean, how cool would it be if you're standing there, talking with a co-worker, and there's that one person who is constantly interjecting, constantly seeking to go against you? You just turn to them and say, "You son of the devil, blindness be upon you!" Boom! They can't see.

Before we jump into that a little bit more, notice in verse 9 that it says Saul was also called Paul. You remember that Saul was a Hebrew man from the tribe of Benjamin, but he grew up in a Greek territory in the Roman Empire called Tarsus. It was not uncommon in that day for him to have two different names. His father gave him the name Saul, named after the great king, the first king of Israel, who was also from the tribe of Benjamin. However, Saul was also given a Greek name, Paul or Paulus.

It's interesting because the definitions of these two names, although they sound very similar in English, have different meanings in the original language. Saul means "one who is desired," while Paul means "little." What an interesting difference! For the rest of the book of Acts, Saul of Tarsus is going to be referred to as the Apostle Paul. This is very likely because he was ministering in a predominantly Greek culture in the Roman Empire, and most of the people would associate him with that Greek Roman name, Paulus.

Even so, the difference between "one who is desired" and "little" is significant. Throughout the rest of his life, he really does take on the character attributes of one who is little. He was a humble man. Not only that, we know from some church history records that Paul was a very short man, a short man with somewhat of a balding head. Some can identify with this. He had a very large Roman nose, and some testimonies say that he had kind of bowed legs.

When I think of the Apostle Paul, this is no offense, I think of my dad. I love my father, but my dad is a smaller man, an Italian man with a good Italian nose, and he has very bowed legs. He's not quite balding, though; this is a good thing. But Paul the Apostle, this little man of great faith, was someone God would use in a powerful way.

He was filled with the Spirit, and he turned to this sorcerer who, under the Old Testament law, would have been viewed as an abomination and likely put to death. Yet, notice the grace of God as he withstood the work of God. He was standing in the way of what God desired to do. Can you think of another person in the Book of Acts, another Jew, who was also standing in the way of what God was desiring to do? It was the very man who turned to him and said, "You son of the devil," Saul of Tarsus.

What did God do to Saul of Tarsus when he was standing against God's work? God met him on the road to Damascus with a bright shining light. He said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul replied, "Who are you, Lord?" and the response was, "I am Jesus whom you persecute. Isn't it hard for you to kick against the goads?" From that point on, for the next three days, what happened to Saul of Tarsus? He was blinded. Perhaps in Saul's mind, and later Paul's mind, he thought, "Hey, this is what God does to contradictors: you're blind. Blindness shall be upon you for a season." Immediately, there fell upon him a mist and darkness, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Notice the result of this powerful work. In verse 12, the deputy, Sergius Paulus, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. Formerly, this man, Sergius Paulus, had been enticed by the power of this magician, this sorcerer, Elimus. Yet now, Elimus was shown for what he really was: an imposter. He did not have the power of God. He had some sort of power; we don't know exactly what that was, but Paul said he was a child of the devil. Very likely, his power came from the enemy, but he was revealed for who he really was at that very moment. The power that he had over the deputy of that region was instantly released by the power of God.

It's awesome to see what God can do. You may remember a year or so ago, we were going through the Gospel of John here on Sunday mornings. We looked at how the Gospel of John is constructed around seven "I am" statements that Jesus made and seven miracles that Jesus performed. We talked about this a number of times as we were going through the Gospel of John.

Miracles substantiated His message. The works that He did proved that the words He spoke were true. In very much the same way, the miraculous work performed at this point proved that the words Paul was saying were true to the deputy who was hearing them.

Notice where his astonishment was. At the end of verse 12, it says that the deputy was astonished at the teaching or the doctrine of the Lord. It doesn't say he was astonished by the work. Why? Well, this sorcerer, Bar-Jesus, also performed miracles. He also performed works; that was a normal thing to Sergius Paulus. It was no big deal. But the word that Paul was speaking was grabbing his heart and transforming his mind. He was on the edge of placing his faith in Jesus, and this work only secured it. It pointed out that everything Bar-Jesus had said to him was not true because he had no power in comparison to the power of God, the God that Paul was speaking of.

You see, a lot of times we think, if only I could perform a miracle, then this person— that co-worker, that family member—would get it. If only I were able to turn to that person and say, "Blindness be upon you," then everybody in the workplace would all go, "Can I go to your church?" But it says here that he was astonished at the doctrine of God, the teaching of the Lord.

Paul the Apostle tells us in Romans chapter 1 that the word of God is the power of God unto salvation. Miracles, although they can be amazing, do not save people; God's word does. It is far better for you and me to be those who understand and are able to expound upon the word of God. So often, we look for the opportunity to perform a miracle, wishing we had the ability to do that in a situation because that would fix it. But it wouldn't, because Jesus rightly said it is a wicked and perverse generation that seeks after a miraculous sign. It is the word of God that is the power of God unto salvation.

Sergius Paulus, the deputy of the region of Cyprus, on that day, was astonished at the doctrine of God. We read in verse 13 that when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia.

John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. This is an interesting little side note at the end of verse 13, and we'll talk more about this when we get further on in the book of Acts. It is kind of an interesting thing to consider that when Paul and Barnabas, you may remember, traveled down to Jerusalem, they brought a financial offering to the church that was in Jerusalem because that church was struggling financially. They were going through a recession.

When they returned from Jerusalem, they brought with them Barnabas' nephew, a guy by the name of Mark, or John Mark. At the beginning of Acts chapter 13, it says in verse 5 that they brought John as their minister. He was with them, accompanying them, maybe carrying their stuff; who knows? But at this point, very early on in the first missionary journey of Saul and Barnabas, we see that John Mark leaves. They sailed to Cyprus, ministered in Cyprus for a time, and then they sailed north to modern-day Turkey. When they got there, John decided he was going to go back to Jerusalem. He was originally from Jerusalem, so perhaps he was homesick.

We're really not told in the Scriptures why John Mark left; there is a lot of different speculation about what it was. Whatever the case, this caused Paul to be very upset. He was not happy about John Mark leaving. To him, John Mark was a quitter. How do we know that? Well, we're going to study it in more depth in a number of weeks when we get to Acts chapter 16. In Acts chapter 16, Paul and Barnabas are going to go on their second missionary journey, and Barnabas says, "I want to take my nephew John Mark with us." Paul says, "Absolutely not! He left us last time; he's a quitter. He's not going with us."

This became such an issue between Paul and Barnabas that they split ways. Barnabas took John Mark with him and went to Cyprus, while Paul took Silas with him and went up to the region of Galatia. Throughout the rest of the book of Acts, we don't see them serving together. This obviously bothered Paul. Perhaps John was homesick, or perhaps he had become sick physically; we don't really know.

There is one interesting possibility. Look at the beginning of verse 13 in Acts 13:13. It says, "Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos." I don't know if you caught that.

Every time before this in Acts chapter 13, it always said "Barnabas and Saul." Yet now there is a change; it says "Paul and his company." There may be a possibility that Mark was upset that the leadership had changed. He was with his uncle Barnabas, and now Paul has taken the lead and moved on. Perhaps he didn't want to be there with them. For some time, Paul was upset with John Mark, but that would not end up being the case. In Paul's very last letter, his second letter to Timothy, as he wraps things up while in prison in Rome, just about to face his execution, he says to Timothy, "Send Mark to me because he is useful to me in the ministry." You see, God is able to bring about a restoration or resolution to these things.

At this point, Paul was a little perturbed that John didn't stick around. When they departed, they came to Perga and then to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue there. It is interesting to note that in verse 5, we saw that they first went into the synagogue when they had come into the area of Salamis, and now again they come into the synagogue when they arrive in Antioch of Pisidia.

When we read this, we might think, "Well, wait a minute, this is kind of weird. Weren't Paul and Barnabas just sent out from Antioch, and now they're coming back into Antioch to serve?" This might be a little confusing, so let me address that confusion for a moment.

You see, hundreds of years before this, there was a conqueror by the name of Alexander the Great. How many of you have heard of him? Alexander the Great, when he died after 12 years of conquest, was phenomenal. He died at a fairly young age, I believe 32 years old. His kingdom, the Greek Empire, was divided into four sections and given to his four generals. One of his generals continued to conquer different regions of land, and everywhere he went, he founded cities and named 15 of them Antioch. He liked the name Antioch; his father's name was Antioch. So, he continued to name these cities Antioch.

People would say, "Where are you from?" "Antioch." "Well, I'm from Antioch." "Well, I'm from the other Antioch." "Which Antioch?" "Well, it's Antioch of Pisidia." This one is in modern-day Turkey. So, Paul and Barnabas come into modern-day Turkey and Antioch of Pisidia, and they went to the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Day and they sat down. Now, as I mentioned, remember there was that open synagogue policy. Paul would go into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and very likely, he would dress in his typical pharisaical outfit. He had rabbinical clothing with long tassels and pharisaical garb. Remember, this guy was trained in Jerusalem; he sat under one of the leading teachers, Gamaliel. He was possibly on the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and so this guy had power. His name is Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul of the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament was the king. This guy had credentials.

So, he comes into the synagogue and sits down. No doubt, some of the rulers of the synagogue see him come in and say, "Oh Rabbi, who are you?" "I'm Saul." "Saul! So great to meet you! Where are you from?" "Jerusalem." "Oh wow, Jerusalem! What did you do in Jerusalem?" "I was a Pharisee." "Really? Who did you sit under?" "Rabbi Gamaliel." "Oh wow! Oh brother Saul, please sit in this prominent seat."

They worship the Lord, and as they do, they read from the Law and the Prophets. After reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto Paul and Barnabas, saying, "You men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak on."

Can you imagine the situation? There they are in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, all the Jewish men seated in the front center rows of the synagogue. Behind them are their wives, the women, and behind them on the walls in the back of the synagogue are the God-fearers, Gentiles who had not converted to Judaism but respected the Law of Moses. They wanted to look into the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These Gentiles were only allowed to sit in the back along the walls, while the Jewish men were in the front and center.

Then they turned to Saul and Barnabas and said, "Brother Saul, rabbi from Jerusalem, do you have a word of exhortation today?" I imagine in my mind that Saul probably turned to Barnabas and said, "Do I have something to share?" Now that I think I do.

So, Paul stood up, beckoning with his hand, and said, "Men of Israel, and you..."

That fear God, give audience. He speaks directly to the men of Israel, the men gathered there in the center of the synagogue, but he also speaks to the Gentiles in the back. He said, "And you God-fearers, also give ear. Listen up! The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt. With a high arm, God brought them out of it.

About the time of forty years, he suffered their manners in the wilderness. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land unto them by lot. After that, he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years until Samuel the prophet. Afterwards, they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. When he had removed him, he raised up unto them another king, David, to whom he gave testimony and said, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will."

Of this man's seed, God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus. This is just the coolest introduction! They turned to Paul and said, "Brother Paul, do you have something to share?"

"I believe I do." He stands up and gives them a brief history of their nation. However, he doesn't only speak to the Jewish men; he also speaks to the Gentile God-fearers in their presence, which was not the custom. They typically would not even address those Gentiles. Although the Jewish men respected those Gentiles more than the common Gentiles, they still looked down upon them and wouldn’t even fully fellowship with them. Yet, Paul stands up and says, "Men of Israel and you God-fearers as well, the God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people."

Notice how many times Paul refers to the work that God did in these few verses. He said God chose our fathers, God exalted those people, he brought them out of the land of Egypt, he suffered their wicked manners as they were in the wilderness, and he destroyed their enemies when they came into the promised land.

He gave them an inheritance in the promised land. He gave them rulers in the form of judges, and they desired a king. They desired a king.

What's interesting about the ancient world is that if you study it, you find that most cities or civilizations rose and became great because of a man. That nation named their nation after that man, and they looked to him as their king. They revered him and respected him. But Israel was different. God chose them. God pulled them out from their enemies in this world. God took care of them. God gave them an inheritance. God led them by judges. God was their king.

One day, they came to Samuel in 1 Samuel chapter 9 and said, "We don't want God; we want a king like the other nations." So God said, "Okay, I'll give you a king." He gave them a king after their own choosing, a man by the name of Saul. The Bible says Saul was head and shoulders above all the men of Israel. He was taller than everybody else, very good-looking, strong, young, and filled with energy. The people said, "That's our king," the king that man would choose for themselves.

Before he had ever done anything great, in fact, he would never fully rise to greatness because he was just a man. But God gave them a king; He gave them King Saul. They liked their king, although he didn't treat them very well, just as God had told them he would.

So, verse 22 reads that God removed that king and raised up another king, David. Why did He raise up this other king, David? This other king was nothing when God anointed him as king; he was just a young shepherd boy, the youngest in his family. Everybody looked down upon him and said, "Who would even want David?" Yet God raised him up to be king and gave him this testimony: "I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will fulfill my will."

What was it about David that made him a man after God's own heart?

David was not perfect. Anyone who studied the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel recognizes that David was subject to anger, fear, and anxiety. He fell into sin, committing adultery and even murdering a man to hide his wrongdoing. He lied about it for a year. Despite all of this, God referred to David as a man after His own heart, stating that he would fulfill His will.

The reason for this designation lies in David's response to his sin. When his sin was exposed, he repented. Saul did not repent, but David did. You can read of his repentance in Psalm 51, where he says, "Against You and You only have I sinned and done this wickedness." He acknowledged that God desires truth in the inward parts, stating that if it were sacrifice and offering, he would give that, but that is not what God desires. Instead, God desires a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. Because of these qualities, David was called a man after God's own heart.

God declared through David that He would fulfill His will. What is that will? It is that from David's seed, God, according to His promise, raised up a Savior for Israel. His name is Jesus. Paul mentions that this was all part of history that the men in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia knew well. They were aware of David; he was their hero who had brought Israel to greatness. Because David was a man after God's own heart, God made a covenant with him, promising that there would never cease to be one from his line upon the throne.

This is why Jesus is referred to as the Son of David. By title, He is the Son of David. Paul stands up and proclaims that from this man's seed, God has brought forth a Savior, and His name is Jesus. The Jews knew that the Messiah would come one day and that He would come from the line of David. Now, as Paul speaks to this group of Jews gathered in Antioch, he declares that the Messiah has come. Can you imagine how the hearts of all those Jewish men must have leaped when Paul said the Messiah has come? Some of them were probably thinking, "Where is He? Is He here, Paul? Is He coming?" The Messiah has come, and now Paul begins to speak about Jesus.

He reveals two responses to Jesus. The first one is in the form of John the Baptist. In verse 24, when John had first preached before His coming, the baptism of repentance was given to all the people of Israel. As John fulfilled his course and was finishing his work, he said, "Whom do you think that I am? I am not He, but behold, there comes one after me whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to lose."

You may remember in the Gospel of John, in the first chapter, the Levites were sent down to inquire of John the Baptist as he was preaching and baptizing people in the wilderness. They came to him and said, "Are you the one? Are you the Messiah?" He replied, "I am not the Messiah." They asked, "Well, who are you?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. But there comes one after me who is greater than me, whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

You see, John had the proper response to Jesus. What was that? Notice what he said: "There's one that comes after me whose sandals I'm not worthy to lose." How many of you have read that before? How many of you thought, "What in the world does that mean?"

During the time of Jesus, there were many traveling rabbis around the land of Israel. As these rabbis would travel, people would begin to follow them and become disciples of that rabbi. They would go everywhere that rabbi went and listen, wondering what he was going to say and what teaching he would bring. You remember in the Gospels that Jesus was one of those rabbis. He had disciples that followed Him. Oftentimes, when we think of His disciples, we think of the twelve, but the Gospels tell us there were more, like seventy. Some were men, some were women; they followed Jesus.

Now, imagine that for a moment. Think about what it would be like if you were one of those rabbis. Everywhere you went, you had an entourage that followed, listening to every word you said. How might I use that? There were some great rabbis who had made rules for the rabbis, establishing certain guidelines. They said that these rabbis could not ask their disciples to do this or that, and one of the things they specified was...

Rabbis were not to ask their disciples to do what they themselves would not do. They were not to impose the task of removing shoes for their feet. Remember, that was the job of the lowest servant; washing a person's feet was considered a very degrading task. Essentially, they said, "Hey, you're not to impose that upon your disciples. That would be the wrong use of your position and power."

But notice what John the Baptist says. He states that there is one who comes after him, someone so great, so much greater than he is, that he wouldn't even be counted worthy to perform the most degrading task of removing the sandals from his feet. John would count it a privilege to do that, but he recognizes that he is not worthy. This is the proper response to Jesus: the recognition that He is greater than anything that could ever be.

Paul says in verse 26, "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you that fears God." He is speaking to the Gentiles in the back when he delivers this word of salvation. This is powerful because Paul speaks not only to the Jews gathered there but also to the Gentiles. He declares that God has sent the word of salvation unto them, you God-fearers.

Then he shows us another response to Jesus in verse 27. "For they that dwell at Jerusalem and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor did they know the voice of the prophets which they read every Sabbath day, have fulfilled them by condemning this man, Jesus." Although they found no cause for death in Him, they desired Pilate that He should be put to death. They had Him slain, and when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the cross, from the tree, and laid Him in a tomb.

Here is this gathering of people in the synagogue in Antioch, and Paul stands up with news from Jerusalem. The news is that the Messiah, the Son of David, has come. No doubt, the hearts of all those people began to beat faster because they had been looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Then this man, Paul, says that the rulers in Jerusalem have killed Him; they put Him to death. I imagine that at that point in time, all the people in that room...

Sunk in their seats, they were thinking, "No, they killed the Messiah." But look at the next two words in verse 30: "But God." Would you circle those words in your Bibles? Perhaps they are the most glorious words of this passage and maybe even some of the most glorious words of the entire Bible.

Look at what the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1. He writes, "And you, God has quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." In time past, you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. Among whom you also had your conduct in past times, in the lusts of your flesh, fulfilling the desires of your flesh, and were by nature the children of wrath.

But God, Paul tells the church at Ephesus, you were once dead in trespasses and sins. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins and trespasses, has quickened us together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved. Aren't they glorious words?

The work that God does! Paul has already shown that God was the one who glorified and exalted the children of Israel. He was the one who chose them, took care of them, gave them land, and protected them from their enemies. Yet, they rejected Him. When Jesus, the Messiah, came, John the Baptist received Him, but the nation of Israel largely rejected Him and put Him to death.

But God! Acts chapter 13, verse 30 states, "But God raised Him from the dead." Put a star next to that verse in the margins of your Bible: God raised Him from the dead. Verse 31 says, "And He was seen many days of those that came with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people." Not only did God raise Him from the dead, but He was seen by witnesses.

We declare unto you good news, glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers God has fulfilled. Verse 33 states, "The same unto us their children, in that He has raised Jesus." Put a star next to that in your Bible.

He raised Him from the dead a second time, as it is written also in the second Psalm: "You are my Son; this day have I begotten Thee." As concerning that He raised Him up from the dead the third time, put a star next to that in the margin of your Bible. He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption. He said on this wise, "I give you the sure mercies of David." Wherefore, He said also in another Psalm, "You shall not suffer Your Holy One to see corruption."

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, or he died, and he was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption. But he whom God raised—put a star next to that verse—the fourth time Paul says to this body gathered there at the synagogue in Antioch, "God has raised Him from the dead." God has raised Him from the dead four times. The leaders, the rulers of the Jews put Him to death, but God raised Him from the dead. This is proof, absolute proof, that He is the Savior of mankind. God raised Him again; He saw no corruption.

So, what's the application of this? In verse 38, Paul says to the group gathered there that day, "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." As a result of the fact that He is the Savior and that He is risen from the dead, He is the one that is able to forgive sins.

Remember the story back in the Gospel of Luke? Four men carried their friend, who was paralyzed, to Jesus. He was preaching in a house in Capernaum. They couldn't get in, so they went on the rooftop, opened up a hole in the roof, and lowered that man down to Jesus. What did Jesus say? "Son, your sins are forgiven." There were Pharisees and religious leaders gathered there, and they said within their hearts and their minds, "Who does this man think He is? Only God can forgive sin." Jesus said to them, "Which is harder for me to say to this man: 'Son, your sins are forgiven,' or 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?"

"Take up your bed and walk," but that you might know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. He looked at that man and said, "Son, take up your bed and walk." He rose, took up his bed, and walked out. This is proof that Jesus has the power to heal. All that believe are justified. Not only does Jesus forgive sin, dealing with the punishment of our sins, but He justifies those that believe in Him. This means He is able to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west. He doesn't merely say, "Listen, I'm not going to punish you for what you've done wrong." He says, "I'm doing away with your sin; it no longer exists."

Just as the prophet Isaiah, 700 years before Jesus came, said, "Come, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Because God, by Jesus, the Savior who was crucified 2,000 years ago and rose from the dead, offers man forgiveness of sins and justification unto righteousness through faith. By Him, all the believer is justified from all the things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses could not save you; it exposes your sin. Romans chapter 3, verse 20, says, "By the law comes the knowledge of sin."

Paul told the church at Galatia that the law is our schoolmaster to point us to Christ. It reveals that we are sinners before God and guilty of all, and then it points us to Jesus and says He is the Savior. In verse 40, he says, "Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which was spoken of in the prophets by Habakkuk." In Habakkuk chapter 1, it says, "Behold, you despisers, wonder and perish; for I work a work in your days, you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you."

He warns that you should not allow your heart to be hardened, that you become a despiser and perish. When the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. After they dismissed on that Sabbath day, all the Jews left, and every single one of the Gentiles that were in the back of the room came up to Paul and said, "Would you please come next Sabbath?"

You share these words with us again. They had never heard anything like this before. No one had ever told them that salvation was for them. They were always told that if they wanted to be saved, they first had to become a Jew.

Please come and share these things with us next week. In verse 43, it says, "Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." Paul and Barnabas said, "Listen, stand strong in the grace of God and follow Him."

The next Sabbath, in verse 44, came, and almost the whole city gathered together. How is it that the following Sabbath the place was packed and almost everybody in the city showed up? Did they just wake up that Sabbath morning and think, "Whoa, I have this sudden urge to go down to that synagogue"? Somebody told them to come and hear the word of God, which is so essential and important.

You see, sometimes you're fearful to share the word of God with your neighbor, your co-worker, your family member, or your friend. Have you ever thought to invite them and say, "Why don't you come and hear the word of God?" That they would be able to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

I heard an atheist years ago in a debate with a believer say, "I don't believe that you really believe these things." The Christian responded, "Well, why do you think that?" The atheist replied, "I just don't believe that you really believe it, because if you really believed that myself and every other unbeliever in the world is going to hell, you would not waste a single breath before you went out into this world telling them."

So the question comes to me and to you: Do we really believe what this says? That all those who do not believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, are not justified and will spend eternity in hell? If we really believe this, it transforms us.

These people heard the word, and it transformed them. They went out into the highways and the byways and said, "You’ve got to come and hear the word of God." The next Sabbath came, and almost the entire city gathered together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled.

With envy, they spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. They tried to contradict all that Paul had to say. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, "It is necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. But seeing that you put it from you and reject it," notice this verse 46, "and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life." Because you, by your free choice, which God has given to you, have rejected God's word and said, "No, I am not worthy of your eternal life."

"We turn away from you and we turn to the Gentiles." For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, "I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad. I think that's a major understatement. When they heard this, they leapt for joy and glorified the word of the Lord. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, and the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

But the Jews stirred up devout and honorable women and chief men in the city, and they raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas. They expelled them from their coasts. So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off of their feet against them and came to the city of Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost.

How do you react? How do you respond when you are rejected? You see, a lot of times we get angry, we get upset, we plead with people, "No, you gotta listen to me! Don't reject!" Yet that's not what we see in the example of Paul and Barnabas. They fulfilled exactly what Jesus had told His disciples to do in Luke chapter 9, verse 5. When Jesus sent His disciples to the work, He said, "If they don't receive you, just shake the dust from your feet and go on to the next city. It'll be a testimony against them in the day of judgment."

As I've studied these things over the years, I've come to a point where, when people say, "I don't agree with you. I don't want to hear what you have to say," they reject it. I say, "God has given you free choice. You are allowed to reject what I'm saying." But let me read to you from Hebrews 10, verse 26.

It says, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no more sacrifice for sin." So I tell them, listen, I've told you the truth of the Word of God; you rejected it. I just want you to forward to a certain and fearful judgment of fiery indignation, which shall devour God's enemies.

Do not allow the person you share the gospel with, when they reject it, to walk away comfortable. Tell them, "Listen, it's your free choice to choose. If you don't want to follow God, that's fine. All you have to look forward to is eternal hell." I will show you the chapter and verse that proves it. I guarantee you they are going to get in their car, and that verse is going to keep them up at night.

Don't just say, "Well, thanks for talking with me today. Have a great day. God bless you," because He won't. He won't leave them with something that sticks in their side like a thorn as they go. The Word of God is like that.

How many runners do we have here? A few of you runners will understand this more than anybody. Have you ever been running along and you get that tiny little pebble in your shoe? You can't seem to get it out, and you're dancing around, hitting your foot on the ground, trying to get it to move down to your toe, or you can't even find it in your shoe? Oh, it drives you crazy! That verse is like that little rock; it drives you crazy.

Acts chapter 13 shows us the work that God does. God is the Savior. God was the one that called the children of Israel. It was God who saved them; it was God that brought them out of Egypt. It was God that took care of them; it was God that gave them land. It was God that did everything for them, and they rejected God.

Today, you have that choice. You have that opportunity. God is the one that's given you life. You have an opportunity to reject Him, and if you reject Him, all you have to look forward to is judgment. But if you follow Him, He has promised abundant life. Amen.

Let's stand and pray. God, I do thank you for your...

The word is sharper than any two-edged sword; it is powerful. For some today, it is a little rock in their shoe. But, Lord, we also know it is your power to salvation for everyone that believes, not just for a Jew, but for all mankind.

Thank you, Lord, for saving me, one who was once dead in trespasses and sins, but you have given me life. Oh, Lord, those glorious words: "But God."

As we go from this place today, I pray that you would remind us of these things throughout the week as we walk in this world as lights in a dark place. We ask it in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, "Love to you." Thank you.