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able to resist the wisdom and 
the spirit by which he spoke. In other words, he was besting 
them, he was showing them from their own scriptures that this 
Jesus was in fact the Christ. So instead of yielding, instead 
of embracing the L, they secretly induced men to say, we have heard 
him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God. And they stirred 
up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came upon 
him, seized him and brought him to the council. They also set 
up false witnesses who said, this man does not cease to speak 
blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. Look 
at what these men are doing. They're committing conspiracy 
to commit murder. They knew that blasphemy was 
a capital offense. They knew that blasphemy was 
looked down upon by the Jewish Sanhedrin. So they charge him 
of being a blasphemer and then they deliver him over to the 
Sanhedrin. And that's precisely the action 
that the Sanhedrin pursues. The end of chapter 7 culminates, 
chapter 7 and chapter 8 culminates in the stoning death of Stephen. So this antipathy, or this animosity, 
or this opposition, or persecution of the church. Notice in Acts 
chapter 13, prior to Iconium, in Pisidian Antioch, we see the 
same sort of a response from the unbelieving Jews. Notice 
in verse 45, But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were 
filled with envy, and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed 
the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold 
and said, It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken 
to you first. But since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy 
of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For 
so the Lord has commanded us, I have set you as a light to 
the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends 
of the earth. We already read verse 48, drop down to verse 
49. The word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the 
region, but the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women 
and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against 
Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region. But they 
shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to 
Iconium, and the disciples were filled with joy and with the 
Holy Spirit. Brethren, just to show or illustrate that this 
was not a one-off in the Apostolic Church. This was something that 
was common, it was routine, it was repetitious, and it was regular. 
They were opposed by unbelieving Jews, and as time progressed, 
they were opposed by the Roman Empire. And you see that pattern 
throughout. Chapter 14, notice in verses 
19 and 20, we read that. Then Jews from Antioch. Now think 
about this. Think about this. These men were 
animated to such a degree with their enmity and their hatred 
for the Apostle Paul that it would cost them something. So Pisidian Antioch was 80 miles 
from Iconium. They didn't jump in their car 
with their air conditioner or their heater, depending on what 
time of the year it was. They hoofed it for 80 miles. And then Iconium was 18 miles 
from Listrong. So we're talking about some distance 
here, right? Sometimes I think politically, 
I don't want to get political, but politically, the commies 
try a whole lot harder to impose their will for society than the 
conservatives or the anti-communists. We're just lulled to sleep while 
they're out destroying society. Well here, these men were animated 
with such opposition against Paul that they would travel 80 
miles, 98 miles, just so they could rid the earth of the Apostle 
Paul. So notice in verse 19, "...then 
Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there to Lystra, and having 
persuaded the multitudes..." And this is common. This is what 
happens with Jesus in the Passion Week when He comes into the Holy 
City. What happens? Well, the unbelieving 
Jews, the religious leaders, stirred up the opposition. Oh, 
this guy claims this, or this guy claims that, or this guy 
forbids paying taxes to Caesar. They don't just immediately assault 
him themselves, but rather they stir up the crowd. They turn 
the enmity of the crowd against that particular fellow. And that's 
what they do. Jews from Antioch and Iconium 
came there. and having persuaded the multitudes, 
they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing 
him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered 
around him, he rose up and went into the city, and the next day 
he departed with Barnabas to Derbe." Now Derbe was 60 miles 
from Lystra. I'm sorry, if I was stoned to 
the point where somebody thought I was dead, I doubt the next 
day I'd be making a 60 mile foot trip to get to the next destination. I probably would have called 
in sick, taken a week off and, you know, tried to lick my wounds 
and got back to some degree of good health. So while these men 
are out there in their opposition to the Apostle Paul, engaged 
in this kind of lawlessness, the Apostle Paul is committed 
and convicted that he must continue on to proclaim the glorious gospel 
of Jesus Christ the Lord. So back to Iconium, the particular 
tactic in verse 2, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles 
and poisoned their minds against the brethren. The idea being 
is that they poison their minds against the brethren, which means 
to cause someone to think badly about another, to make angry, 
to embitter. In other words, they're not going 
to just take out their enmity against the apostles, but they 
want everybody involved. The Jews appealing to the Gentiles, 
these are the criminals, let's go after them and let's hurt 
them. Notice the faithfulness of the 
brethren in verse 3. It says, therefore they stayed 
there a long time. So the Jews obviously fail, for 
which we can rejoice. So whatever they do in verse 
2, it fails. Verse 3, therefore they stayed 
there a long time. The therefore points to the response 
by Paul and Barnabas. Because the Jews were strenuously 
attempting to silence them, they continued preaching the Word 
of the Lord. Now, there are times where you 
need to cut your losses. There are times when you need 
to shake off the dust from your feet. We see that at the end 
of chapter 13. Notice in 51, But they shook 
off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. Well, here in verse 3 of chapter 
14, it wasn't that time yet. If the Jews are going to stir 
up the Gentiles and poison their minds against the brethren, the 
apostle is going to meet that opposition with continuing preaching 
with reference to the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord. So 
the Jews obviously fail, the brethren are being faithful, 
and then notice that the Lord confirms that faithfulness in 
verse 3b. Therefore, they stayed there 
a long time, notice, speaking boldly in the Lord, who is bearing 
witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to 
be done by their hands." So they meet the opposition of the Jews 
who are attempting to poison the minds of the Greeks against 
Paul and Barnabas. And I should say that if you 
look at verse 4, and then drop down to somewhere further in 
the chapter, it refers to Paul and Barnabas as apostles. There's 
a specific meaning of the word apostle and a more general usage. Typically, we refer to it as 
the 12, the men appointed by Jesus to function in a particular 
capacity to be the ambassadors to take the gospel elsewhere. 
Paul was obviously an apostle. Barnabas wasn't, technically 
speaking. The more broader or general meaning 
of apostle is someone sent, someone delegated a task sent on a particular 
mission. And so Barnabas does bear that 
in him relative to the broader usage of the word apostle. But 
notice, the Lord bears witness to his word. So when we see that 
in verse 3, therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly 
in the Lord. So again, when it comes to this 
antipathy, this opposition, this enmity directed at Paul and Barnabas 
by these Jews, stirring up the minds of these Gentiles, they 
don't kowtow, they don't wander away and cry, they don't seek 
a therapy session, they speak boldly in the Lord. And the Lord 
affirms this, the Lord bore witness to the word of His grace. Gil 
says this is the gospel, so called because it is a publication of 
the grace and favor of God to the sons of men, in the choice 
of some of them to everlasting life, in the mission of his son 
to redeem them, in the justification of them by his righteousness, 
and in the forgiveness of them through his blood, in the regeneration 
of them by his spirit, in adopting them into his family, and making 
them heirs of eternal life. I think that's a good gloss. 
Speaking boldly in the Lord who is bearing witness to the word 
of His grace. And then if you've ever wondered 
why the signs and the miracles that often accompany the giving 
of revelation, it's right here. Notice in verse 3, Therefore 
they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, 
who was bearing witness to the word of his grace, granting signs 
and wonders to be done by their hands. The Lord is the worker 
of signs and wonders. The men are the instruments. It's not that Paul has some intrinsic 
ability or power conveyed upon him from on high so that he can 
just snap his fingers and then people are healed. The Bible 
has a lot of miracles. The Bible has a lot of signs 
and a lot of wonders. But, they are compartmentalized. And they are compartmentalized 
at times of revelation. Or, rather, God's giving of revelation. Signs and wonders aren't meant 
to dazzle crowds. Signs and wonders aren't meant 
to fill tents or churches. Signs and wonders are given to 
confirm that the instrument who's affecting the sign or the wonder 
is speaking on behalf of God. Moses did miracles. The prophets 
did miracles. Jesus did miracles. The apostles 
did miracles. What other unique thing happens 
at the time of Moses, at the time of the prophets, at the 
time of Jesus, and at the time of the apostles? The revelation 
of God. He gives His word. He speaks 
His truth. So that the signs and wonders 
done by Moses, done by the prophets, done by our Lord, done by the 
apostles, confirm and authenticate that they are speaking the truth 
as it is in Jesus. They're speaking the truth of 
God's word. The idea that everything is about miracles and signs, 
the idea that the Charismatics and the Pentecostals have, this 
is wrongheaded. Again, the argument is not that 
God can't do these things. The argument is that God does 
do them in and however He wants, but there is a difference in 
terms of what's happening here in the confirmation of the Word 
of God. So these signs and wonders are 
usually wrought through the apostles in the book of Acts. They're 
wrought through Philip, who I would argue is an apostolic man, and 
then ultimately through the apostle Paul in the latter half of the 
book. The signs and wonders confirm that what the men are speaking 
is in fact the truth of God. Turn to the long ending of Mark. 
I realize most of your Bibles will put it off set, say that 
it's not actually scripture. I believe that it is. In Mark 
16, specifically at verse 19, after the Great Commission, We 
read, So then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received 
up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. Notice 
in verse 20, And they went out and preached everywhere, the 
Lord working with them, and confirming the word through the accompanying 
signs. Amen. What's the purpose for 
the sign gifts in the first century? What was the purpose at the time 
of the prophets? What was the purpose at the time 
of Moses to dazzle the Egyptians? No! To confirm that Moses was 
God's man speaking God's word. That's the emphasis that you 
find here in scripture. And then the final aspect of 
our brief narrative is verses 4 to 7. Notice the division of 
the city, the division proper in verses 4 and 5. So, but the 
multitude of the city was divided, part sided with the Jews and 
part with the apostles. And I think that's something 
that Luke does as he writes this particular work. I think he is 
showing the difference or the distinction between unbelieving 
Israel, specifically the Sanhedrin, the religious leaders, the Pharisees, 
the Sadducees, the scribes, and the apostles. There's a transfer 
of leadership in terms of Israel. The true Israel of God is not 
led by apostate, reprobate, unbelieving Israel in the first century. 
The true Israel of God is led by the apostolic preaching of 
the cross. The true Israel of God is about 
the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you see that in verse 
four, but the multitude of the city was divided, It should be 
reminiscent of John's gospel. This happens in Jesus' ministry 
as well. You've got cities divided over 
who he is, specifically in John 7, 43. So there was a division 
among the people because of him. That's an interesting thing. 
The church of the apostles preached and taught and lived in such 
a way that there was an obvious contrast in terms of the makeup 
of a particular city. As well, notice the particular 
contrast here. The multitude of the city was 
divided, part sided with the Jews and part with the apostles. In other words, some hitched 
their wagon to the pony of apostate Israel, and others went with 
the apostles in the proclamation that Jesus was in fact the Christ 
as promised by the Old Testament scriptures. And then notice the 
violence of the opposition. Again, we can disagree. I mentioned that on Sunday night. 
I ripped on dispensationalism. And then I mentioned, I hope 
no dispensationalist that was listening would cry. We'll be 
offended. Why can't we disagree? In matters 
of religion, I mean, come on, I think you're wrong as a Muslim. You shouldn't bomb my neighborhood 
because of that. I think you're wrong because 
you're an unbelieving Jew. You shouldn't throw me in prison 
for that. Again, if it's so outlandish, 
these things we believe and teach, then leave us alone. I think 
that the opposition of the opposers underscores that at some point, 
some place in their darkened hearts, there's some remnant 
of a testimony that these things are true. And they want to silence 
it, they want to destroy it, they want to get it far from 
them. So notice in verse 5, and when a violent attempt was made 
by both the Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to abuse and 
stone them. Turn back to Matthew chapter 
26 for just a moment. Matthew chapter 26. Jesus before the Sanhedrin, specifically 
at verse 62. The high priest arose and said 
to him, Do you answer nothing? What is it these men testify 
against you? But Jesus kept silent. And the 
high priest answered and said to him, I put you under oath 
by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, 
the Son of God. Jesus said to him, It is as you 
said. Nevertheless, I say to you, Hereafter you will see the 
Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming 
on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his 
clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy. What further need 
do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard his 
blasphemy. What do you think? They answered 
and said, He is deserving of death. Then they... Brethren, 
there's some question. People say, well, I can't believe 
that these polished men in the Sanhedrin carried out this act. Yes, this is what Matthew is 
telling us. Then they, the ones who are part 
of the Sanhedrin, the ones who affirm that Jesus is speaking 
blasphemy, then they spat in his face and beat him. And others 
struck him with the palms of their hands saying, prophesy 
to us, Christ, who is the one who struck you? So when we look 
at Iconium in Acts 14, specifically at verse 5, to abuse and stone 
them, it shouldn't surprise us. You know, we read in our prayer 
meetings on every other Sunday morning, we take a tour of the 
world and we look at the persecuted church. And on the one hand, 
it's grief. On the other hand, it's kind 
of encouraging because the Christian church is making such an impact 
in some of these darkened portions of the world that it's causing 
the cockroaches to come out and launch a counterattack. But as well, it demonstrates 
there ain't nothing new under the sun. They persecuted Jesus, 
they persecuted the apostles. You think they're going to leave 
us alone? Especially as we witness an increasingly secular and materialistic 
society? An increasingly communistic society? Brethren, communism is not favorable 
to Jesus Christ. They hate it. They despise it. 
And so when we read this, on the one hand, it's kind of surprising 
because you shouldn't kill people because they have a difference 
of opinion, even in matters of religion. But in light of the 
entirety of scripture, we ought to expect this. So a violent 
attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews with their 
rulers to abuse and stone them. And then notice the departure. 
There are times when it's good to shake the dust off the feet 
and go. They became aware of it and fled 
to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding 
region. So the departure to the cities, 
that'll be dealt with later in this chapter, Lystra next and 
then Derbe. But there's a consistency with 
Christ's instruction in Matthew 10. You can turn there because 
it's a missionary charge. with reference to the disciples 
and their tour of unbelieving Israel. And here specifically 
in chapter 10 he says in verse 21, giving them a heads up, well 
let's just pick up in verse 16 just to reinforce the point. 
Excuse me, behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of 
wolves, therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 
But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and 
scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors 
and kings for my sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 
Now, brethren, that for my sake. That makes it all worthwhile, 
right? If you're there because you're a thief, shame on you. 
You should repent and, you know, hate the fact that you ever did 
something so bad. But if you're there for the sake 
of Jesus, go forward in faith. He's not going to abandon you. 
He's not going to leave you. He's not going to forsake you. 
The Lord Jesus is faithful to the end. So you'll be brought 
before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them 
and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, 
do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will 
be given to you in that hour what you should speak. For it 
is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks 
in you." Now brethren, don't get too mystical or too esoteric 
with that passage. It's not a bad thing to contemplate 
that potential of being hauled off to the gulag. I think a resolution 
now, in a time of peace and safety, God give me the grace, give me 
the wherewithal, give me the courage to withstand whatever 
it is I have to face. Now, trust in the Spirit, He'll 
guide you and lead you and all that sort of thing, but don't 
just empty your mind. Have some sort of a strategy. Verse 21, 
Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child. 
And children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be 
put to death. And you will be hated by all 
for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end 
will be saved. When they persecute you in this 
city, notice, flee to another. For assuredly I say to you, you 
will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son 
of Man comes. So it's not always wrong to flee 
a hostile city. It's not always a mark of a lack 
of courage or of cowardice. In this particular instance, 
in Pisidian Antioch, they shook the dust off from their feet. 
Here in Iconium, they became aware of this death cult that 
wanted to terminate them, so they fled to Lystra and Derbe. 
As Matthew Henry says, in times of persecution, ministers may 
see cause to quit the spot when yet they do not quit the work. Live to fight another day if 
you can do so. There is wisdom in that. And 
then notice that they then, according to verse 7, they were preaching 
the gospel there. Poole says, thousands had not 
heard of Christ if persecution had not driven the ministers 
of the gospel unto them. God working good out of evil 
and causing the sun when it leaves one part to shine upon another. 
It's a good way to approach that text. They were preaching the 
gospel there. Where? Lystra and Derbe, cities 
of Lyconia. Why did they go there? Because 
they were chased out of Lyconia. The same sort of thing happens 
back in chapter 8 in the book of Acts. Notice. Verse 1, now 
Saul was consenting to his death, the death of Stephen, the stoning 
death. And at that time a great persecution arose against the 
church, which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout 
the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. If the persecution 
hadn't come, they wouldn't have been scattered. And the marching 
orders were Jerusalem, then Judea-Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts 
of the earth. Sometimes in God's providence, it's persecution 
that provides the impetus for the gospel to go out and canvass 
even farther. Verse 2, devout men carried Stephen 
to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for 
Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging 
off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore, those 
who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. So in the 
providence of God, the wrath of God shall praise him. Psalm 
76, the psalmist says, even the wrath of man shall praise you. 
So the wrath of man inflicted upon the apostles was the impetus 
for those apostles to then go to neighboring regions to preach 
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Well, in conclusion, I am not 
a prophet nor the son of a prophet. You're probably thinking, wow, 
does he have some line? Is the RCMP coming to round us 
all up or the sheriff out in blank? No, I don't know that, 
but I do see from scripture that it's not far-fetched, brethren, 
for churches and persons who seek to be faithful in this present 
evil age to suffer persecution. In fact, Paul codifies that in 
2 Timothy 3 and verse 12. All who desire to live godly 
in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. It's an inevitability. I mean, 
it may be getting your head chopped off. It may be going to the gulag. 
It may just have people, you know, disassociate from you. Whatever the shape, whatever 
the form, if you're living the way you're supposed to in this 
present evil age, you're probably going to ruffle a few feathers 
along the way. I just think that's something 
we need to embrace. Secondly, not only do we have 
the persistent opposition to the gospel, but we have the perseverance 
of the church. Praise God that Paul wasn't the 
sort of man to get sidelined or sidetracked or to be paralyzed 
with fear. Oh, they said bad things. They 
want to hurt me. They want to put me into prison. 
I'm going to go retire. I'm going to take up golf. I'm 
going to play checkers. I'm going to eat rice pudding. 
I'm just going to live out the remainder of my days in peace 
and tranquility." No, to the very end, the apostle was steadfast. To the very end, the apostle 
stood his ground. We need faithful preachers. They 
so spoke that a great multitude, both of the Jews and of the Greeks, 
believed. We need courageous preachers. Verse 3, therefore they stayed 
there a long time. Don't miss the significance of 
that. It comes after verse 2. The unbelieving Jews stirred 
up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 
Therefore, they stayed there a long time. We need the necessity 
or we have a necessity for wise preachers. Sometimes you've got 
to shake the dust off your feet and move to another city. We 
see that sanctioned, we see that encouraged, we see it blessed 
by God to a further exposure of the gospel to the known world. 
And then finally, the necessity of the Holy Spirit in connection 
with preaching. When we read there, and they 
so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks 
believed, knowing what we know about the sovereignty of God, 
knowing what we know about the depravity of man, knowing what 
we know from the Apostle Paul and his several epistles concerning 
the particular subject, we know that any God-blessed speaking 
of his gospel is attended by his Spirit. It is not possible 
that there can be effectual, blessed preaching apart from 
the Holy Spirit. Paul indicates this in 1 Corinthians 
2, verses 1 to 5. And I, brethren, when I came 
to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring 
to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know 
anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was 
with you in weakness and fear and in much trembling. and my 
speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of 
human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that 
your face should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power 
of God." Spurgeon says, if we have not the spirit which Jesus 
promised, we cannot perform the commission which Jesus gave. 
If we do not have the spirit which Jesus promised, we cannot 
perform the commission which Jesus gave. We get these reports 
and we're very thankful to get them about IRBS and about church 
planting and about missions and about pastors and ministry. Let's pray that they're faithful, 
that they're courageous, that they're wise, and they would 
know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in the proclamation 
of his word. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this brief account 
in Iconium and for the apostolic ministry there, and what a blessing 
and an encouragement it is to us to see that they withstood 
that opposition. They stayed there for a long 
time to proclaim Your truth. God, I pray that You would indeed 
raise up men in our churches that are filled with the Spirit, 
men that are wise, men that are bold, men that are courageous 
and men that are articulate in explaining the truth of the gospel 
of Jesus. I pray for Mike, I pray for Ryan, 
I pray for Dan, I pray for the brothers in Siguitopeque, for 
the brothers in Eldorette, for all those we have close contact 
and communion with, for other men in our community here, we 
pray for Pastor Koopman and Champ and Pastor Schumann. Lord, bless 
these brothers and give them grace and wisdom. And whatever 
may come our way in terms of the future, help us to be steadfast, 
help us to be persevering, and help us to rest upon the promise 
of our blessed Savior, who said that He will build His church 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We ask this 
now in Jesus' name. Amen.