Acts 14 – The Gospel That Flourishes In Every Context

The Gospel in Every Context

Despite continued trials, despite a variety of changing settings and situations, regions and people, despite opposition in the places they were, and opposition following them from the places they’d been – the Gospel flourished and the church grew. During Paul and Barnabas missionary journey, they ministered to a multitude of people with diverse nationalities and backgrounds, cities with different Governors, leaders and systems in place, powerful cities and poor cities, to religious people and non-religious people, to Jews and Gentiles…AND THE GOSPEL FLOURISHED IN EVERY CONTEXT. 

What is our challenge today from Acts 14?

If we are to be a “community of transformation” for Jesus in our region…

1. We have to make sure our message is EFFECTIVE. 

Paul and Barnabas taught the Good News of Jesus in a way that was quantifiably EFFECTIVE. (v. 1)

Q: Is our voice being heeded or just heard? Are we bringing the harmony of truth or adding to the noise and division? Remember the God we serve whispers, and speaks to us in a still small voice (1 Kings 19). Maybe we should do better at reflecting that – Rather than shouting at those who have their ears plugged (or are shouting at us), let’s lean in and speak to those who are ready to listen (and our message will be more effective). 

2. We must not dismiss, mock or fight against those we are called TO REACH.

“But those who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers”

Poisoned their minds – “mind-poisoned” people didn’t become people to chastise, avoid, mock or DISMISS. 

Q: Are you dismissing, diminishing or devaluing those who oppose your message of Jesus? Are the people on “the other side” of the argument, aisle, or cultural perspective from you enemies to fight or opportunities to (see God’s) love made manifest?

Too often I have heard people label, mock and dismiss others – and if that’s you, you can’t say “they did it first” – this isn’t 1st grade recess on the playground. This is a call to a higher way, a better way – of living and loving those around us into relationship with Jesus.

3. We have to exhibit a KINGDOM PATIENCE as God  works.

How did Paul and Barnabas respond in Acts 14? “So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there…” and “spoke boldly” and  “saw SIGNS AND WONDERS”…

Q: How have you responded to people who seemingly are opposed to or not interested in your faith in Jesus and the way you live that out? 

Are you willing to wait in the tension with them – not to prove them wrong – but to allow for God to work? To continue to speak boldly of Jesus in our lives and expect miracles to take place that are far better indicators of the presence of God than our frustrated, dismissive or defensive attitudes/postures toward the “world out there…”

4. We must carry an awareness to see through the lens of “God, what are you doing?”

God healed a man lame from birth because Paul RECOGNIZED that the man had faith (v. 9).

Q: Are we living with our eyes open to the faith that is rising around us, being ready to move with God when we see it? 

DO YOU TYPICALLY FOCUS ON what is hell up to, or what is heaven up to? (Two types of Christians – One sows seeds, one sows hopelessness…(what’s the point of planting if you already believe the seed will bear no fruit and the season will never change?)

Instead, stir up faith! Watch for it like PAUL did…Be ready to act…and “SIGNS AND WONDERS” will follow. 

Q: What would be a SIGN AND WONDER that someone would recognize in our world today? 

I contend a community that is motivated by love (1 Cor. 16), putting others above themselves (Phil. 2:3), who are selflessly living for a greater cause than whatever the current squabble is within culture (2 Tim. 2:23) and caring for the world around them in tangible ways (despite probable disagreement with each other on some things…). 

Typically I would call this a cop-out – “That’s not miraculous…” 

• Provision from nothing is miraculous. 
• Someone turning to Jesus in a radical way who has despised Him is miraculous. 
• Angelic visitations are miraculous
• Jesus appearing to people in dreams is miraculous
• physical, emotional, spiritual and mental healings that are tangible – those are miracles. 

Typically, I’d say “don’t tell me how and everybody got along” is miraculous…”

Typically. But in this moment in our nation, the greatest miracle I am crying out for is a group of people embedded within our city – who pursue unity in Jesus together (John 17:21)  in a way that demonstrates something to the world around us (even to other Christians and churches) that is healing the tearing and fragmenting that is taking place AND IS RECOGNIZABLY DIFFERENT to those who don’t know Jesus. 

We aren’t unified because of our nationality. We are unified because of our age. We aren’t unified because of our job similarity, or income level. We aren’t unified because of our political party. None of these things have the power to unify us – we need something greater to unify us in a way that is IMPOSSIBLE apart from Jesus. 

That would be A MIRACLE…right? 

Example: What if people experienced PEACE and TRUST and LOVE and ACCEPTANCE that felt like stepping out of a storm into shelter – when they stepped into this Jesus community? (here at church, at your home group, over coffee or in friendship or working with you…). 

A Community of Transformation

If we are to be a COMMUNITY OF TRANSFORMATION, we must learn this lesson from the early church:

Historical Context: Despite continued trials, despite a variety of changing settings and situations, regions and people, despite opposition in the places they were, and opposition following them from the places they’d been – the Gospel flourished and the church grew. During Paul and Barnabas missionary journey, they ministered to a multitude of people with diverse nationalities and backgrounds, cities with different Governors, leaders and systems in place, powerful cities and poor cities, to religious people and non-religious people, to Jews and Gentiles…AND THE GOSPEL FLOURISHED IN EVERY CONTEXT. 

Present Day Application: Despite trials, despite a variety of changing settings and situations, despite some stumbling and bumbling (some externally caused, and some self-inflicted), despite opposition – The Gospel (the true Good News of Jesus) will flourish and His church will grow…

…IF THE PRAYER OF OUR HEART IS “change us to be whatever you need us to be in this context, and the ones to come. We are ready. You are the REFINER. Make us INTO keys that unlock people’s hearts to Jesus in our region, and may they join us as disciples and followers of Jesus – stepping into a MIRACULOUSLY UNITED community that is the OPPOSITE of what CURRENT CULTURE and much of ‘CHRISTIAN” CULTURE is modeling today…”