ACTS 13:49-14:7;14:8-22, 26-27
“TO BE CONTINUED....”
You gotta feel for Paul and Barnabas. Their first mission trip has been a bit sketchy. There's been quite a diverse reaction... Even their friend and partner, John Mark, has had enough. As we heard last week: “At the port of Perga, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.” (Acts 13:13)
Ever have a season in life like that, as if everything that could go wrong does, as if the blue bird of happiness turned out to be the sea gull of incontinence? It reminds me of young Alexander...
“At breakfast Anthony found a Corvette Sting Ray in his breakfast cereal box and Nick found an Undercover Agent ring in his cereal box but in my breakfast cereal box all I found was breakfast cereal. I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
At school Mrs. Dickens liked Paul’s picture of a sailboat better than my picture of an invisible castle. At singing time she said I was too loud. At counting time she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen? I think I’ll move to Australia.
Later, when we picked up my dad at his office he said I couldn’t play with his copying machine, but I forgot. He also said to watch out for the books on his desk, and I was careful as I could…except for my elbow. He also said don’t fool around with his phone, but I think I called Australia. My dad said please don’t pick him up any more. That evening there were lima beans for dinner and I hate lima beans. There was kissing on TV and I hate kissing. When I went to bed the Mickey Mouse night light burned out and I bit my tongue. It’s been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My Mom says some days are like that…even in Australia.” (Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very bad Day)
Ever have an Alexander kind of day or week, or month or year? Ever just want to pack your bags and escape it all and, you know, head to the outback or something? Apparently John Mark did. I don’t know about you, but I can sure relate to poor ole’ Alex – especially the bit about the lima beans!
I imagine we’ve all had our share of trials and setbacks but when I read of the hardships that Paul and Barnabas faced, well, it puts it all into perspective. They’d been sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ but the response has been mixed at best. At Barnabas' home turf on Cyprus, some people got so upset they “incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.” (Acts 13:50)
So they shake the dust from their shoes, (a gesture indicating that they’d rather be in Australia), and head down the road to Iconium. But it's no good. Luke tells us that “The same thing happened in Iconium”. (Acts 14:1) This time a mob rises up with rocks in their hands. And no, they aren’t local landscapers gathering for a convention at the Hard Rock Cafe - they aim to maim!
Booted out of Iconium they move on to Lystra where, after healing a cripple the locals reveal their spiritual confusion by identifying Paul and Barnabas as a couple of their pagan gods, they face similar treatment only this time their adversaries manage to convince those who’d believed their message the day before to join them in ousting and stoning Paul. Imagine how painful that was!
Talk about a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! It’s one thing to be rejected and attacked by those who feel threatened by your message but it’s another to be attacked by those who one day are lifting their hands in praise on account of you and the next are lifting their hands to hurl stones at you!
-2-
Here’s the amazing part: Luke tells us that in spite of these threats and attacks Paul and Barna-bas circle back to revisit the very same cities they just got booted out of! What were they thinking?
Why do they go back? Luke explains: “After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul & Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, & Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith.” (Acts 14:21-22)
If Paul and Barnabas sparked such an angry response in those cities’ imagine the hardships of those first believers who lived and worked there! They would have been instantly ostracized by their peers, mocked in the market place and their children ridiculed in the neighborhood. These folks really needed encouragement! So Paul and Barnabas “encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)
Wait – what?! What kind of encouraging word is that? To be a part of this Jesus movement you must be prepared to suffer many hardships? What kind of pep talk is that?
Paul and Barnabas risked life and limb by returning to these cities that had ousted them so that they might bring a word of encouragement to their beleaguered friends, that went something like this: “Hardships will happen, attacks are inevitable, but don’t lose perspective - God’s kingdom is eternal. The things of this life are not. Stay the course, continue in your faith and keep the kingdom in focus!”
So how do we do that? How do we continue in the faith when life gets crazy? How do we remain faithful when there is much going on to distract, discourage and divide us?
Luke uses a verb tense here to summarize Paul and Barnabas' encouragment to their fellow believers called the aorist active which conveys something ongoing. It’s a verb well illustrated these days by a certain rabbit whose made a certain battery a household word. * This rodent in shades embodies the aorist active verb tense as he keeps going, and going, and going...!
Like the Energizer Bunny we need an energy source far greater than our own. We get energized in primarily three ways. First, by putting and keeping Jesus in the driver seat. We do this by seeking his guidance as we make day-to-day decisions in our life. We develop our inner ear...by regularly being in the Word on our own and in small groups and making worshipping with others a top priority. Luke notes that the early church “worshipped together every day.” (Acts 2:46) They made a shift. Instead of worshipping with others when they weren't otherwise occupied, they organized their schedules so that nothing was a greater priority than public worship. They kept going and going and going...!
Second, we continue in the faith by staying connected to Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, by connecting with others who trust in His grace and can help us mature in our faith, that is, to disciple us. Luke notes that “Paul and Barnabas made disciples in Derbe....and appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord.” (Acts 12:21, 23) That's why we stress being in a small group. We need others to come along side of us, so that when hard times do come, or we are subject to confusing mixed messages, we are grounded and have support.
Third, we continue in the faith by seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It's one reason why we offer the Alpha Course, or offer opportunities to be filled during worship. Luke notes the seventh Pentecost event: “The believers (in Cypress) were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit!” (13:52)
-3-
These three things are vital if we're not to lose perspective or connection when hard times hit – to continually seek connection with Jesus through His Word, His people and through His Spirit.
Max Lucado tells of a prince who put a challenge to his three best knights. They were invited to seek the hand of the King’s beautiful daughter by taking on a test of their worthiness. The test was that of a perilous journey to the king’s castle by way of a dark forest inhabited by the fearful Hopenots, former travelers who’d been disfigured and corrupted by the darkness of the forest.
Each knight was allowed to travel fully armed and could choose one traveling companion for the journey. Then the prince produced an ivory flute and explained, “There are only two of these – this one and another in the possession of the king.” The prince lifted the flute to his lips and played the most beautiful tune. “My father’s flute plays the same song. His song will guide you to the castle. He plays three times each day from the castle wall. Listen for him. Follow his song and you’ll find it.”
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Finally a knight appeared at the castle wall with his companion. All the ladies and lords showed up to hear his story he told to the king's court.
“The Hopenots were crafty. They attacked, but my companion and I fought back. They took our horses, but we continued. What nearly destroyed us, though, was something far worse.
You see, each time the song of your flute would enter the forest, a hundred flutes would begin to play. All around us we heard music, songs from every direction.”
“Then how did you hear my song?” asked the king. “I chose the right companion,” answered the knight as he motioned for his fellow traveler to enter. “I knew there was only one who could play your song exactly like you. There is no one else I would have trusted to be with me all the way. So I asked your son to travel with me. As we journeyed, he played your song. I learned it so well that though a thousand false flutes tried to mask or confuse your music, I could hear your song above them all. Your song was with me all the way.” And with that, the celebration began.
(from Max Lucado’s book, With You All The Way)
Like the wise knight we do well to make Jesus our primary companion as we journey thru life and are confronted by the attacks and deceptions of this dark world, learning the song of the Father that we too can continue on with the prize in mind – entering into Christ’s kingdom and celebrating our union with the bride of Christ.... That's how we not only to survive the dark days but actually thrive...!
Life is a journey, full of distractions, heartache and hardships along the way. There are lots of songs being played but only one brings you into the presence of the King. A couple of weeks ago I shared a text message one of you sent me. You wrote of the last time we invited the Holy Spirit to fill us you had an amazing experience. You heard an angelic song, the Father's song, being sung over you: “It was such a sweet angelic, yet powerful voice, (but when I opened my eyes and looked), there was no one there beside me – just the presence of the Holy Spirit and a deep peace knowing that God will never leave me.” You became acutely aware: “He’s been with me all the way!”
When those around us, like those in Iconium, become “divided in their opinion” (Acts 14:4) and we find ourselves vulnerable to a dark spirit of discouragement, we do well to respond to the Holy Spirit's urging, “calling the church together to be encouraged by everything God has done”, to awaken faith and inspire our perseverance to continue going, and going, and going...after Jesus!
(Acts 14:27)