Acts 14:8-20

                                                                     Acts 14:8-20

Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.  And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.  And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.  In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.  Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.  But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

The passions of men run deep and change directions without notice.  God created man to worship Himself.  All men are worshipers and therefore, must worship.  When they refuse to worship God, they will always turn to something or someone else, or even turn to themselves as an object of worship.  Idolatry springs from the heart of man who rejects God.  However, when an idol does not satisfy, and it never does, man will reject that idol and simply move on to the next object of worship.  Man’s only satisfaction is found in Christ.

 

A MAN IS HEALED: As the Apostles went forward to take the message of Christ to those who were hearing the Gospel for the first time, the Spirit empowered them to do miracles that gave credibility to their message.  A mand who had never walked was hearing of the power of Christ and Paul saw that he had faith to be healed and so he healed him.  I don’t know how Paul knew what he knew or how this man’s faith was born or contributed to his healing.  What I do know is that the Spirit of the living God was working in the lives of both men to bring about the will of God.  Any time we go on mission, we go on mission in the power of and with the cooperation of the Spirit.  He is the one who empowers any miracles that occur and any message that is given.  Any physical healings are secondary to the spiritual transformation the Gospel brings.

 

APOSTLES ARE HAILED: The response to the people in the city to the healing that they witnessed was to worship the men through whom the miracle was performed.  They obviously had something that they didn’t but desperately needed.  Their only frame of reference was that they were gods, so they began to worship them as gods.  This is the human condition.  We worship that which impresses us because we are worshipers.  Instead of seeing God in the display of power and worshiping Him; the people worshiped the instruments God used.  This is a danger every hearer and preacher of God’s Word faces.  Hearers tend to worship preachers and preachers tend to like it.  God who moves in preachers and hearers is the only ONE worthy of worship.

 

THE GOSPEL IS HEARD: Paul and Barnabas were well aware of what was happening and did all in their power to put a stop to the idolatrous act.  They clarified that they were simply men used of God and began to plead with them to turn from this foolish and sinful idolatry.  Instead, of basking in their popularity, they pointed the people to Christ and confronted them with their sin.  This type of humility should be the norm in the lives of all believers.  Unfortunately, we often find ourselves becoming upset when people don’t honor us the way we think we deserve to be honored.  None of us deserve honor or respect apart from the work of Christ in us.  The only thing ANY of us deserve is God’s eternal judgment of our sin.  Only in Christ are we given any standing before God and man.  Our job is to always point those who admire us to Christ.

 

APOSTLES ARE HATED: The Apostle’s actions were spot on but not very popular.  The people became upset at being told they were idolatrous.  They wanted to worship according to their own understanding and anyone who might suggest otherwise was their enemy.  They proceeded to stone Paul whom they had earlier worshiped.  People are fickle like that.  We don’t like being confronted or told that we are wrong.  It is offensive that God rejects the way we try to worship.  It should not surprise us when people reject our message. Suffering is part of the process of God’s mission.  Christ suffered for our salvation.  We are called to pick up His cross and willingly suffer to set men free from their sin through Him no matter the cost.  We must be ready to be hated by many so that some might join us in worshiping our Lord.

 

APPLICATION: God has the power to set me free from all the effects of sin in our lives both physical and spiritual.  We must learn to value the spiritual much more than the physical.  Our hearts have a strong leaning towards idolatry.  An awareness of this truth and proactively combating it must by our priority.  God calls us to proclaim the Gospel no matter what we face, proclaiming Christ is our job description unto death.