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[Music] well good morning welcome to free raised Baptist Church nice to have everyone here this morning just by way of announcements and then we'll begin worship so this evening is our annual general meeting so that begins at 7 p.m. in the in the fellowship hall upstairs so please put that on your calendars the annual general meeting this Saturday at 7 o'clock and then Georgiana Van Wert has requested baptism we made that announcement last week and so we'll make it again this week she's actually here today she was she had to be be away last Sunday so it's wonderful that that jordana desires to take to to come into membership and be baptized so we look forward to that no date has been announced for that or is being announced that it's just it's coming in if you know within a few weeks then next next Sunday March the is March the 1st normally we would have the Lord's Supper on March the first we're gonna postpone it by one week so it'll be March the 8th instead because next week pastor Butler and pastor Kirkpatrick from the from the church in Surrey they're doing a swap so Pastor Mike for Patrick will be preaching here next Sunday morning and evening pastor Butler will be in Surrey morning evening so we'll have the Lord's Supper the following the following Sunday which is March the 8th well that's it for announcements please turn turn with me in your Bibles excuse me to Psalm 5 Psalm 5 Psalm chapter 5 to the chief musician with flutes a psalm of David give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation give heed to the voice of my cry my king and my god for to you I will pray my voice you shall hear in the morning O Lord in the morning I will direct it to you and I will look up for you or not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness nor shall evil is well with you the boastful shall not stand in your sight you hate all workers of iniquity you shall destroy those who speak falsehood the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man but as for me I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy in fear of you I will worship toward your holy temple lead me O Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies make your way straight before my face for there is no faithfulness in their mouths their inward part is destruction their throat is an open tomb they flatter with their tongue pronounce them guilty Oh God let them fall by their own counsels cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions for they have rebelled against you but let all those rejoice who put their trust in you let them ever shout for joy because you defend them let those also who love your name be joyful in you for you O Lord will bless the righteous with favor you will surround him as with a shield amen well please turn with me your hymn books to him number 282 282 in Alaska to please stand [Music] [Music] amen you may be seated well let's go to God in prayer our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come into your holy presence now this morning through your son the Lord Jesus Christ that that one who does make intercession on behalf of his children the Lord we are truly thankful that we are found in Christ Jesus this day that that you look upon us not because of any worthiness that we have in ourselves but because of the worthiness that we have imputed to us through your son the Lord Jesus Christ how grateful we are father that you sought us when we were not seeking you you set your love upon us that we would be caught that we would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that you would call us your sons and your daughters and how we gratefully are father we get to call you Abba Father this day thank you Lord that you have chosen to Tabernacle amongst your people and we pray that you would be pleased to bless us this day as we come into your presence as we worship you but father we would have much much dealings or many dealings with it with the God of gods the king of all Kings the lord of all lords thank you Lord that you have created this earth in the space of six days and all was very good in and you gave rest as that example to ourselves that we would take one day and seven to rest from our labors to rest from the the the the worries and the concerns and and the the busyness of our everyday lives and to have this day to come into your presence and to come into your church and and to to bow before you and that would follow even come with with humble adoration before a great God a God who who has who has sought us and removed our stony hearts and given to us fleshly hearts you've Group you've lifted us up from that miry pit of sin and despair and father you've caused us to to trust in you and to worship you this day so Lord for these things we truly gave you our grateful thanks and pray that your blessing might be upon our worship service here this day thank you Lord that we have your word whereby to to be instructed from when we pray lord your blessing to be upon your word as it's given out from this pulpit this day bless our pastor bless bless him with strength function and health Mon hi to declare your word and declare it to declare it with with with with unction and with with with the definitiveness we thank you Lord that yours is not a hopeful word that it's not a maybe but rather your word is the very mind of God and how thankful we are that we can have it on our laps this day that has been given to us so that we might be instructed from it to be instructed by it and we pray Lord that would be for the for the building up of the Saints here in this place and for the edification and and for peralta me for the salvation of sinners as well or we do pray that you would come and mercy this day that you would be pleased to save individuals this day perhaps they may be older individuals perhaps they may be young I perhaps they may be young people or children father we pray that you would just in your great mercy that you would move upon hearts this day plough up those those the soil of one's heart and we do pray Lord that seed that that gospel seed might fall upon soil that has been made ready to receive the Word of God and that Lord they would they would look upon the Lord Jesus Christ and believe one whom they've heard of for many many weeks many years perhaps both at home and here in the church and yet father have chosen not to believe how we prayed you'd move upon hearts this day and cause cause those who are to be found in Christ Jesus to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ well we know you to be a kind God a good God a merciful God and truly we are all trophies of that this day that we we sought not after you yet father you sought after us as that as that father of the prodigal son is a great example of one who who who went seeking that that son who was afar off while he was afar off he sought after him and and he brought him and kissed him and and made a great feast for him truly Lord this this be speaks of a kind got a good God a God who desires to save and we pray that you be pleased to save even here in this place this day Lord we do pray not just for ourselves with we pray for other churches in Chilliwack and we pray for our sister churches in Vernon and in in Surrey as well we pray though that were the name of Christ is lifted up this day the Lord you would be pleased to add your blessing and as they worship you this day Lord Lord we pray that you would meet with them Tabernacle with them and give to them your presence as well and we pray that you would be worshiped all over this earth we think of we think of the missionary Enterprise those in the other side of the world father who are meeting this day as well to bring praise and and worship and glory to you we pray Lord that you would be that you would receive that worship we see that that praise their praise even this day strengthen those who who perhaps are weary not of the work but perhaps weary in the work we pray Lord that you would just give aid and help to each of them and cause cause those those heavy hands to be lifted up this day Lord we pray that they might delight themselves in you as as ministers as as preachers of the gospel we pray lo that you would be pleased to give to them a strength from on high that that they would be like as the as the Eagle feel that strengthened and that mountain help that does come from on high to give that which is required to bring the Word of God Lord we pray that your word might be a word that would that would be go out across this nation of ours we know Lord that that we are deserving of much much punishment from you yet father we pray that in the midst of your wrath you'd be merciful to us as a nation cause those those individuals in high places Lord to fear you to fear the God who before whom they will stand and give an account one day we pray Lord that you would cause them to believe in the gospel themselves and they would that they would rule us as god-fearers we do pray the Lord we pray that you would bring peace to our nation we know our nation is a is a nation that is torn apart in many ways by by lack of peace but we know Lord that this is not due to two to two anything that that is spoken of in in our newspapers or in our news but rather it's ultimately because people are at enmity with you and there is hatred and and and and towards one another and how we pray lo that you'd bring healing to our nation through the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we know Lord that this is our only hope and so it's in that we hope this day where we pray for any and all who are sick amongst us some who are not here this day due to illness and sickness we pray Lord that you would just give strength to them and cause them to know your help and your aid we pray they would know the Spirit of the Living God lifting them up this day and we do pray Lord that in due time you would give to them health and strength and we do pray Lord that you would be pleased to to bless them with with with great thoughts of yourself even as their to read your word and and entertain your word we pray Lord that you would bless that word and cause it to be for their advocating for their building up and we pray that you would give them comfort and aid and strength this day so let me just ask your blessing upon all these things we know Lord that we are needy people and so do we go to the God who can help and has promised to help needy people we pray Lord that you would just be pleased to strengthen us this day by your holy word and we just pray your blessing and your spirit to be upon us here in this place and it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to the second hand which is 92 Psalm 92 or him 92 b-v isn't Bob and Hashmi to please stand [Music] [Music] be seated and please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts Acts chapter 17 we'll finish the seventeenth chapter as we continue to read through the New Testament we saw in the first half of this chapter just as you're turning to it that certainly there was persecution there was an assault made upon upon Paul and and his companions and so ultimately God simply use that to push them along and so they Paul ends up by himself here in Athens and this is his his what he observed in Athens as well as his address to the Athenians on Mars Hill so Acts chapter 17 will begin at 16 and we'll go to the end of the chapter now while Paul waited for them at Athens his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshippers and in the marketplace daily with those who happen to be there then certain epicurean and stoic philosophers encountered him and some said what does this babbler want to say others said he seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection and they took him and brought him to the Areopagus saying may we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak for you are bringing some strange things to our ears therefore we want to know what these things mean for all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear something new then Paul stood in the midst of the areopagus and said men of Athens I perceive that in all things you are very religious for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship I even found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaimed to you God who made the world and everything in it since he is lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with nor is he worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life breath and all things and he has made them from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and as determined there are three appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for him and find him though he is not far from each one of us for in him we live and move and have our being as also some of your own poets have said for we are also his offspring therefore since we are the offspring of God we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone something shaped by art and man's devising truly these times of ignorance God overlooked but now commands all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained he has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead and when they heard of the resurrection of the Dead some mocked while others said we will hear you again on this matter so Paul departed from among them however some men joined him and believed among them die osseous and the Areopagus a woman named Damaris and other men with them well we certainly see here that the paul was when he brought teaching to them they certainly had the he brought to them two two objects and his in his preaching and his teaching here the mrl with immortality of the soul and they had already known that they say here but also the resurrection of the body it was a new idea to them and so here again we see Paul as he has all through the books of Acts or through the chapters and acts here and Peter before him just a faithful preacher he faithfully preached the things that that that he that was contained in the gospel and certainly it wasn't like he had a great many coming to the Lord doesn't say that the throngs all laid down there laid down their idols laid down there they're false ideas and and and sought the true and living God it says some of them a few of them and ultimately isn't that isn't that the truth of the gospel the gospel is to be preached the gospel is to be taught but the results are left up to God and we ought not to take upon ourselves the results of preaching the results of sharing the gospel but rather leave that to God and says certainly Paul did here certainly the the Puritans of old when asked well was it a good was it a good was it a good successful ministry was a successful church service and they said well if the Word of God was taught it was successful that's that's all they that's all they thought they weren't looking for results was the Word of God taught faithfully and the doctrines of God held to purely and if they were then it was then it was a success and ultimate because that puts the that puts the results in God's hands and it takes it from us and truly that is one of the comforting things of being of the Reformed faith reformed reformed doctrine is that it really does and Trust and Trust all things to God of heaven and earth well that's print our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we praise you that same gospel that was preached to these Athenians those many years ago from the lips of Paul are still the same gospel is preached today we thank you Lord that you have preserved that gospel through faithful men down through the centuries and even through the zone to our own day now that it is a faithful proclaiming of your word of your gospel the Lord Jesus Christ that that one who is resurrected as the firstfruits of the dead so to Lord we look forward to being to being in heaven with you one day how we praise you for that gospel that is a saving gospel it's not it's not a it's not a gospel of hopefully or we might be saved but rather it's a it's a it's a it's a it is a faithful gospel you have promised that you will not lose one to whom the father has given and how we praise you father we were counted amongst them and we pray that you would be pleased to bless this day bless our pastor as he declares this same gospel these same truths contained in your word Lord we look to you and create your Holy Spirit might attend in our worship service as we continue to worship that you would attend the preaching that you would attend everything is said from this pulpit that would be on to your on to your glorification and on to our edification we do pray load that you would be pleased to bless and Tabernacle here amongst us this morning continue in our worship we do pray and it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to our last hand before we do go to preaching and that is 541 of the they'll be played to a different tune that it's hymn number 541 koshkin please stand [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] amen you see well please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 14 acts 14 we will conclude God willing the first missionary journey this morning our focus is on verses 19 to 28 but I want to begin reading in verse 8 in I'm sorry verse yes verse 8 in chapter 14 and in Lystra a certain man without strength and his feet was sitting a from his mother's womb who had never walked this man heard Paul speaking Paul observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed said with a loud voice stand up straight on your feet and he leaped and walked now when they the people saw what Paul had done they raised their voices saying in the like own Ian's language the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men and Barnabas they called Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker then the priest of Zeus whose temple was in front of their city brought oxen and Garland's to the gates intending to sacrifice with the multitudes but when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude crying out and saying men why are you doing these things we also amend with the same nature as you and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the Living God who made the heaven the earth the sea and all things that are in them who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways nevertheless he did not leave himself without witness and that he did good gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness and with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them then 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 Derby and when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples they to Lystra Iconium and Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God so when they had appointed elders in every Church and prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed and after they had passed through presidio they came to Pamphylia now when they had preached the word in purga they went down to Atalaya from there they sailed to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed now when they had come and gathered the church together they reported all that God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles so they stayed there a long time with the disciples amen well let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you again for the written word of the living and true God we thank you that you have given us these 66 books and we acknowledge and we see and we marvel that they are given by inspiration of God that they are profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness and we pray this morning as we consider this passage that you would encourage our hearts that you would strengthen us that you would confirm us in the faith and that you would cause us to bring glory and honor and praise unto you as well father for those who've come here this morning that are outside of Christ those who are in unbelief we pray that today would be the day of salvation that through the power of your Holy Spirit and according to the written word you would awaken dead sinners and caused them to see the glory of Christ to believe on Him and to repent from their sins and even now forgive us for all sin and transgression against a holy God and please supply to us what we stand in need of namely the holy spirit to take these things and to make them lively and applicable in our own hearts and lives and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well as I said we're going to complete this section concerning the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas now there's two antiox that are mentioned in this particular passage they return to Antioch in Syria remember that was the church that sent them out according to Acts chapter 13 there's another Antioch and that in the region called pasilla and I'll try to make that clear as we move through the exposition this morning but I want to look at two things first the persecution in Lystra excuse me in verses 19 to 20 and then the return to Antioch in Syria in verses 21 to 28 and I want to note first of all with reference to this persecution in Lystra the arrival of the unbelieving Jews notice what we have there in verse 19 when Luke says Jews he doesn't mean all Jews he means the unbelieving Jews he means those who have rejected the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ certainly many of the first converts or all of the first converts were Jews this is not anti-semitism but it is rather Luke highlighting the first enemy of the Church of Christ was unbelieving Israel as time moves on in history we will see that the Roman Empire also becomes antagonistic toward the church but initially the chief persecutor against the church was unbelieving Israel and so Luke mentions that here he says then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there and I want to encourage us to consider how committed the enemies of God are and to encourage us to be equally committed as the Friends of God consider that pasilla and Antioch was 80 miles from Iconium and Iconium was 18 miles from Lystra so those unbelieving Jews from pasilla and Antioch travelled about a hundred miles to come to Lystra and then you have the unbelieving Jews in Iconium that traveled just about 20 miles to get to Lystra why so they can try and stop the spread of Christianity I don't think we as God's people highly or meditate on or consider or or think through the reality of how opposed the enemies of God are to the gospel of free and sovereign grace if you are not in tune with that we encourage you to come to our prayer meetings on Sunday mornings where we basically go around the world and hear various reports from various people that are being persecuted for the cause of God and truth and we see the enemies of the Lord being sold out we see a zeal among them in fact saul of tarsus was breathing threats and murder against the church prior to his conversion there in Acts chapter 9 and it really is something that we need to take into consideration first of all for our own prayer life but then as well for our own protection there is no evidence at least at this particular time in Canada that I can see that the nation is becoming more favorable toward Christianity it may be the case that we ourselves face a degree of persecution and we need to understand how committed the enemies of God are to the cause of God and truth and as well we should be equally I would suggest moreso committed to that cause of God in truth in terms of its propagation and in terms of its advancement so people from pasilla and Antioch travelled 100 miles persons from Iconium traveled 20 miles to get to Lystra so they could stop the spread of the gospel under the preaching of Paul and Barnabas now that brings us to consider this stoning of the Apostle Paul in verses 20 to 21 notice that the Jews persuaded the multitudes we've already seen the opposition of unbelieving Jews in pacinian Antioch in Acts chapter 13 we've seen the opposition of unbelieving Jews in Iconium here at the beginning of Acts chapter 14 and now they've come to Lystra to a people by and large pagan we don't know that there were a lot of Jews in Lystra we don't know that there were a lot of Jews that were listening to the preaching of Paul and Barnabas so we suppose that they were Gentiles and of a pagan sort and these unbelieving Jews come now and they persuade these persons to stone the Apostle Paul why Barnabas wasn't stoned I don't know but Paul certainly fell prey to their murderous rage at this particular time so the Jews ultimately prevail and the people along with the Jews stoned Paul now this is an interesting contrast because in verse 8 these see same people of Lystra were trying to offer sacrifice to the Apostle Paul they thought that gods had come down in the likeness of men they thought that Paul was Hermes they thought that Paul was mercury the that the messenger of the gods and here they are bringing sacrifice to bow before him and to confess his divinity now on this hand they are picking up stones to throw at him and I think Matthew Poole's comment as perceptive here he says the malice malice of Satan is every way great if he cannot destroy the souls of these blessed apostles by making of them to accept of divine worship he will do his utmost to kill their bodies so one way or the other Satan lashes out whether it is to cause these men and pride to receive worship that is not due to them or to have them targeted for destruction by murderous unbelieving Jews and murderous unbelieving Gentiles now for those of us who have been present for the preaching of Acts we have seen that this was announced by our Lord with reference to Paul's ministry if you go back for just a moment to Acts chapter 9 Saul of Tarsus is converted and we see the Lord Christ speaking to this man Ananias telling him essentially to extend to Paul the right hand of fellowship and in 9:15 the Lord said to him go for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake or my name's sake brethren that's the unfortunate reality that Paul will then preach in just a few moments that we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God in other words it's not going to be the case that our lives our pathway our our our journey is going to be you know just marked with with ease and comfort and joy and happiness there's always a cross before the crown remember those sons of Zebedee who come jockeying for position when Christ says to them you don't know what you were asking you don't know about the baptism that I'm going to undergo you don't know what it is to drink the cup that I'm going to drink but in typical disciple like fashion we want all the blessings and all the gifts and all the the crown that God has for us but we don't want to undergo the suffering we don't want to go the way that the Savior went we would rather just sort of check out and have a life of absolute ease now with reference to this stoning of the Apostle Paul notice what it says says the persuaded having persuaded the multitudes they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city I've already shown the contrast on the one hand and verse 18 they're trying to sacrifice to the Apostle Paul and now here in verse 19 they are persuaded by these unbelieving Jews they take up stones and throw them at Paul well if you think back to the Ministry of our Lord Jesus there were at least two occasions where that contrast was seen in Luke chapter 4 the Lord Christ goes into a synagogue on the Sabbath day in Nazareth and he takes the prophet Isaiah and he reads it and he says today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing and we see the response of the people in the synagogue in Luke 4:22 it says so all bore witness to him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth and they said is this not Joseph's son then the Lord Jesus directed attention to God's sovereignty God's election God's predestination God's justice well how do you think the people responded at that point in Luke 4 28 and 29 it says so all those in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the city and they led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built that they might throw him down over the cliff on the one hand he's got this gracious word flowing from his mouth until it's something they don't like and once it's something they don't like they turn on a dime and now they want to terminate him well the same sort of contrast is seen in the passion in Matthew 21 Jesus enters into Jerusalem what do the crowds cry XANA blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord they ascribed to Jesus the reality that he is the Davidic sign and a few chapters later when Pilate asks what do you want me to do with Jesus your king they cry out away with him away with him crucify him so you see it's the same sort of thing as the master so the disciple if the master is treated with abject contempt then the disciples likewise will be treated with that same sort of contempt so they stoned Paul and then they dragged him out of the city and notice the degree to which he's injured it says supposing him to be dead J Alexander says this was not for burial this stone dragging him out of the city this was not for burial but for exposure and to free the city from the impurity incurred by the presence of a corpse so odious according to the notions both of Jews and Gentiles the kids I'm not sure that you understand what's happening here bad people took up big rocks and threw them at the Apostle Paul that man we tell you ought to be your hero over any hockey player and over any you know entertainer it ought to be the Apostle Paul that we are tutoring our sons and our daughters to look up to but that Paul who we esteemed so highly and so wonderfully is treated with this kind of barbarism in the city of Lystra why because he was there to do good to the souls of men again I don't think we understand the the rage and the enemy enmity of those who oppose the truth as it is in Jesus it's John chapter 3 isn't it Christ tells us that men hate the darkness they hate the light they would rather dwell in the darkness and not come to the light lest their evil deeds be exposed that's what happens in the proclamation of the truth and as a result these unbelieving Jews instigate these lists runs so that Paul is stone he's dragged out of the city but then verse 20 starts with however we seek God's purpose we see God's plan we see God's triumph we see God's opposition against the opposers of God verse 20 tells us however when the disciples gathered around him most likely in shock most likely with grief most likely with great concern most likely with a lot of tears because Paul had been stoned and the disciples are now over his what they view or believed to be his dead body but what we find is that he is a when the disciples gather around him he rose up and went into the city now many of the commentators suggest that this was a miracle that perhaps he had been dead and God raised him from the dead or that he was seriously injury injured and that God in a miraculous display of his power raised him up so that he could continue in gospel ministry whichever it is it encourages me to see as there is tenacity among the opposers of the gospel there is to met tenacity among the the friends of the gospel you can't keep Paul down Paul is God's man and Paul is on a mission and Paul ain't gonna quit he rises up and then he goes back into the city and then the next morning he travels to Derby now it's important that we understand how far Derby was because I think it illustrates for us the reality of the tenacity and the commitment of the Apostle Paul it's about a 60 mile trip now remember Paul doesn't have a Jetta Paul doesn't have a train Paul doesn't have a bus Paul doesn't even have a burro most likely Paul has his feet and Paul then goes on for 60 miles to this next city of Derby to do what to preach the gospel and brethren as he returns to the various cities we need to remember that those various cities each contained a contingency of persons that stood in opposition to the Apostle Paul so while the enemies may try their hardest to try and terminate and extinguish and liquidate the Church of the Living God God has his men God has raised up some with courage God has raised up some that aren't Craven over ease and comfort but rather that are committed to the proclamation of Christ and him crucified when we read accounts like this it makes heads or tails out of the statements of the Apostle in his writings when he says I determined to know nothing among you to the Corinthians except Christ and him crucified we're not shocked by that at all are we we don't say what's he talking about no we see in the book of Acts his commitment in Galatians 6:17 he's referring to these particular events when he says concerning the Judaizers from now on let no one trouble me for I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus he speaks concerning this particular stoning in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 25 where he is highlighting in contrast to the super apostles that the Corinthians were somehow fawning all over Paul says look I've been through all these sorts of things I have gone through all of this Porcher all of this punishment and pain and it may sound like he's boasting in the context but he's not Paul knows that if the Corinthians listen to these fakes then they will end up shipwrecked as far as Paul is concerned and this is absolutely correct if they disavow Paul they disavow his gospel and that's why Paul in second Corinthians sounds like he's defending himself he is because his defense of himself is the defence of the Christian gospel and if the Corinthians turned back from that and they follow these men that are deceivers these men that are that are messengers of Satan then they will ultimately end up in hell so these passages in the book of Acts validate or confirm or highlight for us what Paul will later write in his various epistles to the churches that brings us to the return to Antioch in Syria again this is not the Antioch in Pisidia where these unbelieving Jews had traveled 100 miles from but they're going back to the church that sent them now I will just say it would have been easy and it would have been quick to proceed east from Derby to pass through Tarsus and to get back to Antioch in Syria with little to no problem whatsoever but they had concerns they had other objectives they had other mission instead of ease of passage to get back to their place of of safety in the first place we notice what Paul does in verse 21 in terms of the preaching of the gospel so as we move through this conclusion of the missionary journey I want to look at first the preaching of the gospel secondly the strengthening of the disciples third the appointment of elders and fourth the journey to Antioch that's why they take the longer route back that's why they go in an indirect route because they want to go back to the churches where they had made disciples so that they could strengthen them so that they can confirm them and so that they can leave a preaching ministry in place for the maturation of God's people because that's always the purpose and plan it's not just get them saved but it's get them stabilized it's get them persevering it's get them enduring it's get them in the fight and in the battle it's get them going onward to a Manuel's land in a way that is consistent with God's purpose and plan that's what motivates that's what activates the apostles in this instance but notice in verse 21 and when they had preached the gospel to that city dhurbey and made many disciples they striated trakone ium and Antioch so the Jews tried to kill him and God continues to bless his preaching I could just hear Paul right now I mean not hear him audibly but musing on this perhaps I shouldn't continue in this pathway Paul was a man like other men Paul asks for prayer that God give him boldness to speak the word as he ought according to Ephesians chapter 6 Paul wasn't this native macho you know guns blazing sort of a fellow when you read first Corinthians he he highlights his unimpressive nests he demonstrates just how unimpressive he is in terms of his role as an apostle with reference to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ you think it dawned on him to well maybe I shouldn't continue on maybe I shouldn't persevere maybe I should go back maybe I should go lick my wounds that's not ball he goes to Derby he preaches the gospel and God underscores the validity and the blessedness of his ministry by adding disciples to the church John Calvin comments it is also gathered what an invincible heart he Paul bear against all evils and afflictions for he creepeth not into a corner we're like an over worn soldier he may live idly but he goeth to the same places where he was uncourteous ly and cruelly handled but a little before and after he preaches the gospel in Derby as it says they returned to Lystra Iconium and Antioch so the same way they had come is the same way they're going to return FF Bruce makes this observation he says tribute must be paid to the courage of the two men in returning so soon to Lystra Iconium and facility in antioch cities from which they had so lately been expelled with shameful shameful brutality think about this brethren and I don't think any of us would ever a faulted Paul and said yeah just go past Tarsus back to Antioch in Syria and you know he'll there would be nothing wrong with that in fact ultimately when they returned to Antioch in Syria they reap they spend a long time there with the disciples so it's not that it's never okay for a minister of the gospel to seek some respite it's not good it's never okay for the disciples of Christ to come apart and rest awhile fact Jesus counsels that in Mark's Gospel Mark chapter 5 it's not that it's never okay to run or flee from a city where there is intense or grievous persecution it's not that it's not okay but we see the tenacity of the Apostle Paul in contrast to the tenacity of these unbelieving Jews we have Paul determined to know nothing among men except Christ and him crucified Paul is a man worthy of our emulation worthy of our imitation now notice secondly in terms of the conclusion of the missionary journey the strengthening of the disciples we see verse 22 first there's this general sort of emphasis or a sort of a general statement or declaration and then a specific exhortation given by Paul to the churches but let's look at the general first of all verse 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith they strengthen the souls of the disciples they're not medical doctors they can't strengthen the bodies of the disciples they're not the civil state they cannot protect the physical bodies of the disciples but rather they are ministers of the gospel and so they have this capacity to strengthen the souls of the disciples you see strength and and exhortation and perseverance and endurance see brethren we preach the gospel in the hopes that God will save sinners but once sinners are saved it's not the case that we're done it's not that it's over remember there's two legs with reference to the Great Commission go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit so you make disciples and you baptize those disciples and then teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age so the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of sinners is absolutely crucial but the proclamation of the word of God for the strengthening and for the confirmation and for the growth and incur a persevering of those saved sinners is absolutely crucial as well that's why in 2nd Timothy 4 Paul tells Timothy preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching in other words your job isn't done when the disciples are made the job begins when the disciples are made and that's the emphasis in our text strengthening the souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and that's repetitive in the book of Acts notice an acts 11 at verse 23 acts 11 in verse 23 when he was or when he came and had seen the grace of God this is Barnabas he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord 13:43 1343 the city and Antioch now when the congregation had broken up many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas who speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God so you see brethren it's not just our initial belief in the gospel that is certainly crucial that is certainly absolutely necessary by the grace of God we hear of our sin by the grace of God we look unto Jesus by the grace of God we believe on him and by the grace of God we are saved but has saved men and women we need to continue we need to persevere I mean I think at times we would love it to be converted and then drop dead and end up in the bosom of our Savior wouldn't we just musing with one of the sisters in the prayer meeting this morning you know the thought of saying the last Amen after my final sermon and then dropping dead sounds quite attractive to me not because I have a death wish but I don't know what I'll do for twenty more years if God should sustain me beyond that you know brethren it isn't that way we don't get what we want God is the Lord I preached recently from the sixth commandment relative to the to the sin of euthanasia it's not in our prerogative to determine when our lives end God the Lord is sovereign over all such things and while it may seem attractive to believe the gospel with that thief on the cross expire and then end up in paradise on that day that ain't the way it is for most of us there is a time between our first coming to Jesus until that time we breathe our last what are we supposed to do are we supposed to lounge around are we supposed to have less commitment to the gospel than the enemies of it due to its termination and destruction are we supposed to just relax and chill and and just come what may are we actually bound by second Peter three well we're called to grow in the Grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ why don't we take that as a command why don't we embody that in our lives why don't we see that that is achieved by us in this present evil age why would we miss the supper when the supper is given by the householder himself for the encouragement and the confident confirmation and the edification of his people why is it that we oftentimes betray less commitment to the gospel of our salvation than the enemy's due to its destruction why is it the case that only the Apostle Paul is the sort of fellow that continues tirelessly to determine to know nothing among sinners except Christ and him crucified brethren there needs to be an emphasis on this aspect of church life strengthening the souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith notice in 1532 now Judas and Silas agzam cells being prophets also exhorted and strengthen the Brethren with many words 15:41 1541 and he went through Syria and siliceous strengthening the churches 1823 1823 after he had spent some time there he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order strengthening all the disciples the Geneva Bible tells us it is the office of the ministers not only to teach but also to confirm them that are taught and prepare them to the cross see brethren that's crucial in church life that is absolutely requisite in church life now notice the specific exhortation we see the general statement strengthening the souls exhorting them to continue in the faith notice the specific exhortation which I guarantee you nobody sat there dumbfounded saying what's he mean by that what's he talking about let no one trouble me for I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus so if it a miracle of God raising the apostle from the dead or close to death he didn't scrub off all those brand marks you still saw it in Paul you still saw the effects of the stoning so when Paul says we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God nobody's in the audience going well what's he talking about it's written all over his body they understand they see they know they're able to interpret things correctly but this is a very powerful statement that jives with the rest of the New Testament we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God that's the exhortation you see the emphasis of our Lord Jesus Christ in both John 15 and 16 I mean you see it all over in the preaching and teaching of our Lord Jesus you see it in the Beatitudes blessed are you and then persecute you well what's he saying what's he telling us he's telling us that as we follow him the people that hate him are gonna persecute us it's really quite that simple John 15 he tells them the world's gonna hate you they hated me they're gonna hate you John 16:33 he says you in this world you will have many tribulations but be of good cheer I've overcome the world we see it in the emphasis of our Lord Jesus Christ we see it in the experience of the church in the book of Acts we don't see persecution until chapter 4 then we see it in chapter 4 we see it in chapter 5 we see it in chapter 6 we see it in Chapter 7 we see it in chapter 8 we see it in chapter 9 we see it in Chapter 12 you see it consistently as the experience of God's people it is the reality that as we live in this sin curse world as sinners are opposed to our master they're going to be opposed to us as well Paul writes of his experience in the first missionary journey in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 at verse 11 and then he articulates the principle in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 at verse 12 he says yes and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will what they'll suffer now I don't think that means that every single moment of every single day is abject misery for the people of God I don't think that Paul says to the Philippians I know how to abound and I know how to be abased so they're worse wasn't the constant a basement of the Apostle it wasn't the case that he never had a nice meal it wasn't the case that he was always in a prison but these things will happen to those who are in Christ Jesus there will be a degree of persecution and again not a prophet not the son of a prophet but I would suspect you would all agree what we see obtaining in the nation that we live in is not increased friendliness to the gospel it is not increased friendliness to the law of God it is not increased happiness at the presence of the people of God but an increasing enmity an increasing persecuting spirit and when they finally figure out hey we can kill them we can throw rocks at them we can spit on them we can destroy them in the way they used to in the old Roman Empire remember that could you imagine being a Christian in the Roman Empire you think you have problems now being fed to lions was certainly one of the top 10 things that persons had issue with in the early centuries of the Christian Church brethren this may happen again not a prophet nor the son of a prophet but this is a most important exhortation for the Church of Christ in this present age we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God now if you are not aware of what's happening throughout the world then you should get aware you should understand you should know what brothers and sisters are going through you should know about 14 year old humi you should know what's happening in China you should know what's happening in Mayan Mar this is a mandate from God as well in Hebrews chapter 13 we're supposed to remember the prisoners see life I know this is a shock to most of us goes beyond us there is a whole big world out there it's incredible I know it's it's amazing it's it's just massive there was this thing that came out this morning I think some people call it the Sun it was it was gorgeous it was it was awesome to see we get so tied to our own situations into our own circumstances we forget humi we forget India we forget Saudi Arabia we forget the religion of peace visa vie Islam is targeting for destruction people committed to the Prophet Christ brethren these things ought not to be now that they do it it's going to happen that we're neglectful of it that we're negligent of it that we are ignorant of it we're not being faithful to the demands in Hebrews chapter 13 we need to remember the prisoners we need to understand that we are chained with that one part of the body suffers all of the body suffers brethren this is our reality today now notice in the third place on their return journey back to Antioch and Syria they appoint elders they appoint elders in the churches now in two weeks time as Steve said Pastor Mike and I are swapping pulpits he needs to be out of town this week so we're gonna switch next week the following Sunday I'm gonna preach a sermon on the qualification of elders so we're not gonna spend a whole lot of time on verse 23 except for just a few general observations notice in the first place they appoint elders for the Ministry of the word in the churches other words what does the church need they need men to preach they need men to teach they need men that are faithful that will take the word and doctrine and preach it to people and apply it to people and do that until they die that's what the Church of Christ desperately needs now when it comes to this particular verse verse 23 so when they had appointed elders as you might imagine this word appointed has several different meanings not completely different there's overlap to be sure but it's caused no small debate concerning what's happening here did they the Apostles just appoint these elders or did the people in the churches identify men that the Apostles should appoint well as far as this particular verb in this particular text is concerned it is a part of a larger swath of biblical teaching in the New Testament concerning the appointment of elders and I think our confession of faith speaks to it beautifully it says in 26 9 the way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person fitted and gifted by the holy spirit unto the office of bishop or elder in a church is that he be chosen there unto by the common suffrage of the church itself and solemnly set apart by fasting in prayer with imposition of hands of the eldership of the church if there be any before constituted there and so as you can see our confession along with the rest of New Testament teaching understands that in the churches in these cities the people were involved the people knew the men the people offered up their names you see that as well analogously in act 6 with the selection of those meant to function as the first deacons choose from among you men full of the holy spirit full of wisdom who we may give a charge to these things with reference to conduct in the life of the church so the people identify the Apostles appoint now there is an issue here that I think demands our attention this wasn't a long time was it there wasn't 10 years doesn't elder seem to assume somebody with some maturity fact doesn't Paul tell us in first Timothy chapter 3 at verse 6 that a bishop must not be a neophyte a neophyte means a new convert well here you have them passing through preaching the gospel making disciples establishing churches going on and then coming back remember the dates of the first missionary journey I'd love to ask because I've said it over and again yes it was 47 to 48 so they are able to appoint elders in the churches in each of these cities on their return home it really is an interesting observation these men that had been appointed his elders hadn't been to seminary they didn't have you know anywhere near the library that I've got I've been blessed richly to have great resources so how do we understand that I would suggest yet I cannot speak ex cathedra I'm not papal with reference to infallibility on this subject but the context of the church and the particular situation of the man it can be the case and I don't want to sound foul or vicious or unkind that a man could be a Christian for many many years but for whatever reason not have the maturity necessary to engage in eldership or have the gift of able of able to teach whereas you could have a relatively new convert in terms of time in terms of chronology in terms of the clock but God has poured grace upon that particular individual I think one is you know illustration and history would be Charles ain't Spurgeon I mean the guy was preaching as a late teenager that's not normal that's not the way it typically happens but can God do that yes he can and in this instance the missionaries Paul and Barnabas knew that we need to put a preaching ministry in place now we learn from this as well that elders are not necessary for the being of a church notice that these churches were already constituted if we can use that language but they are helpful or necessary for the well-being of the church you understand that distinction can a church function can Vernon be a church without elders yes but you know what will be more better I know that's terrible grammar sorry what will be most bestest will be when they have a man that is among them that Labor's in the word and in doctrine that's the emphasis in Scripture and that's what the apostles do at this particular place now notice they pray with fasting consistent with the installation of these men and then at the end of verse 23 it says they commended them is it the elders or is it the church I would suggest it's both they commanded them elders newly appointed churches having received these elders they appoint a commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed so now let me just draw this out the fact that there is a church and the fact that there is elders doesn't necessarily mean their well-being we need the commendation and we need rather the Lord we need to be commended in to him the one in whom we have belief he is the head of the church he is the king of kings he is the Lord of lords he is the one that makes churches be well and that's precisely what the Apostles do in this particular instance now as far as their journey back verses 24 to 26 there are some additional cities visited on the way back and after they had passed through the city ax they came to Pamphylia now when they had preached the word in purga interestingly it was in purga in acts 13 where John Mark took off it was in purga where John Mark abandoned them departed from them this will be a problem for Paul and Barnabas at the end of chapter 15 when they go back out on the second missionary journey Barnabas wants to take John Mark Paul says I don't want John Mark to go with us he departed from us back in that first missionary journey these men sharply disagreed with one another I didn't punch I don't think they punch the text doesn't indicate whatsoever I got the canons of dort in my head when shared that at the time of the canons of dort some controversy became so hot that two men challenged each other to a duel and then they I guess finished writing the confession of faith well thankfully they walked off the ledge they calmed down they they breathe they thought and you know they didn't kill each other over the writing of a Christian confession of faith it's one theology matter brethren that's when theology was was the queen of the sciences it's sort of lost that at least with reference to the world and certainly in some parts of the church but with reference to these additional cities they go back to purga and they preach there and then they go down to a Daliah and that's a port city and in verse 26 we read from there they sailed to Antioch again not in Placidia Antioch but in Syria from there they sailed to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed now most of the Bibles that we have printed today have these interesting things at the very end that many of us don't even look at they're called maps and those maps typically include the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul so you can sort of follow right along in the geographical movement of these men as they canvass the then-known world with the message of Christ and him crucified now notice verses 27 to 28 concludes the missionary journey as a whole and it's the report given to the church in Antioch verses 27 and 28 now when they had come and gathered the church together the Brethren I think this is an important and vital element of church life certainly the stated meetings for corporate worship Lord's Day morning Lord's Day evening I'm a big fan of the Wednesday night certainly confession study prayer meeting but there are occasions where we have missionaries visit us and there are occasions where we call the people of God to gather together to hear those missionary reports that's something that encourages the people of God since the very outset of the Christian Church it's not something where we ought to have you know for people that show up and say well let's listen to this missionary now I'm not trying to bind anybody's conscience I'm not trying to nag you into attendance at the means I'm just simply suggesting that as far as the history of the church is concerned this is what Christians did somebody came from Timbuktu and they were gonna present a missionary report the church was gathered to hear that why so we could fawn all over the missionaries know so we could glorify God so we could praise and worship our great God so that we could hear the wonderful works of our God and that is precisely what Paul and Barnabus report at the gathering of this church notice now when they had come and gathered the church together they reported all that God had done with that again it wasn't their whammy you know I saw this crippled and Lystra and I I slapped him on the floor and it got up and ran any walk I I just had the power coursing through my veins you you should have seen me that's not Paul what God did God used Paul God used Barnabas God used them not only in the miracle of miraculous displays that we see in the missionary journey but in the preaching of the word of God why were disciples made because Paul was so persuasive if you ask him he says I'm not persuasive but my preaching was in a demonstration of the Spirit and power it was because the Holy Spirit was present that Paul's preaching was effectual and Paul and Barnabas give all glory to God Almighty they are not the sorts of men that we see often in the church that are taking glory for themselves either for healing people or for getting people saved the Lord then according to the Apostles had opened the door to the Gentiles 27c and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles we've seen that in our movement through the first missionary journey you see it specifically there in the city in Antioch when they take that passage from the prophet Isaiah and say we're a light unto the Gentiles but this is as well connected to what is going to follow acts 15 there's going to be a great issue that the church has to face when Gentiles get converted when they believe the gospel is it necessary for them to be circumcised so you see how Luke the author is putting this together in such a way that we see that struck a tight connection that we see that that blessed sort of movement in terms of redemptive history and then as I said verse 28 says the state they stayed there a long time with the disciples not wrong whatsoever notice the goodness of the church now get back out there and get stoned again Paul get back out there and take one for Jesus that they don't do that these men needed to be refreshed they needed to be helped they need to be nourished they needed to be tended to they needed to receive preaching remember the church in Antioch in Syria Paul and Barnabas were two among many the church in Antioch was stacked they had all bunch of men they had all bunch of prophets so wasn't the case I'll finally Paul's back he can preach now he's limping back after having been stoned in Leicester all good what we need you to preach he probably stayed there a long while for the fortification necessary to engage in the second missionary journey after that he probably took a respite or a time of rest so that he could continue on in the third missionary journey and then by the time we get to the book of Acts at the end of the book the book of Acts he's in prison certainly he would have been able to catch up on his sleep there prior to what some have deemed the fourth missionary journey not technically so-called but when Paul is released in 1862 he goes back out and he preaches the gospel more again brethren Paul is not a John Deere tractor the brother needed rest in order to engage in the activities that God had called him unto well in conclusion I've got three thoughts each with a few sub points so if you're you know rejoicing that we're almost done give it about 10 minutes first the persecution of the church and then you can rejoice I'm not saying we're done in ten minutes just kidding first the persecution of the church secondly the proclamation of the church and thirdly the power of God in the church I always think that Isaac is happy when I alliterate first of all in terms of the persecution of the church some point one there is tribulation for the people of God it may not be stoning in Lystra it may not be stoning in Chilliwack it may not be stoning in Abbotsford but all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution Calvin says therefore let the faithful think that they must pass through continual miseries that done let them prepare themselves not for one kind of persecution only but for worse kinds for through God or rather though God handle some men more courteously and gently yet Duffy pamper none of his so daintily that they are free from all tribulations there may be some that get better treatment but he doesn't so pamper any of us in a dainty way that we think or that we should think will ever be free from all persecution with reference to the persecution of the church we ought to as well appreciate not in a favorable way but in the sense of consciousness the tenacity of the enemies of God in the first place they are committed would you drive a hundred miles drive a hundred miles drive a hundred miles to church now some do some go a long way I've often thought especially when I Drive to abbotsford or when I used to drive out to Langley and there's still people language like my people come from Langley there's people that come from without but again were we're driving these enemies of the cross walked a hundred miles to try and stop it I can't stand the enemies of the cross but I appreciate their tenacity their commitment not and again not like I appreciate it keep doing it but there's something to be said about that kind of a spirit they are secondly persuasive they prevailed upon these multitudes these persons that we're gonna sacrifice to Paul are now picking up stones to throw at call they are persuasive brethren that's why we need to know what we're talking about duh I think the Bible says that isn't going to hold up in this generation in any generation if we are not with the apostle able to say to Felix's Festus is Feli and fast I I am not mad but I speak the words of truth and reason we're gonna get obliterated now God is sovereign thankfully Christ is building his church thankfully but that is never an excuse for ignorant on the part of God's people it is certainly not an excuse for ignorant on the part of God's ministers they certainly need to be men that labor hard in the word and in doctrine thirdly I would suggest though the text doesn't tell us but I'm gonna spit ball here they're deceptive they are deceptive how do you turn a worshiper of Paul to a stoner of Paul probably by lying probably by saying things that are absolutely contrary to fact Paul wants good for these people Paul wants them to believe the truth Paul wants them to stop worshiping these useless idols he wants them to give up these vanities and come and serve the true and living God how in the world could the Jews persuade them by saying Oh Paul he's a money-grubbing you know Pig or Paul hates you or Paul he's trying to build his own Kingdom that's what the super apostles doing Corinth in second Corinthians as I said the Apostle has to defend himself against those very charges Oh Paul doesn't have time for you Paul only wants your money Paul's only about Paul that's the kind of stuff that the enemies of the church do how many times have we gotten reports I mean we just read one this morning I happen to be the one that got it in Karnataka India you've got these Hindus who I thought were supposed to be peaceful isn't that kind of like their selling point they bang tambourines and sing whatever it is they say and shave their heads and look peaceful I mean that's what I always thought until I became a believer and I saw the viciousness and the enmity through the the voice of the martyrs prayer letters well these Hindus come to this church in a small village in Karnataka in India and they're trying to oppose they're trying to shut him down and then these guys these Hindus beat the children and they restrained the adults and then the cops come and the cops are told that it was the Christians who had beaten the Hindus well then finally it comes out the Hindus say well no it didn't really happen that way so you know what the compromise was on the part of the cops well we won't do anything that isn't that garden-variety isn't that happen all over the place Christians are walked all over brethren again I'm not suggesting we arm up and we you know Rambo everybody that that ever speaks a bad thing about Jesus Christ the Lord but we need to be mindful of this they are committed they are persuasive they are deceptive and very often they are vicious violent and murderous why do you think they dragged him out of the city yes Alexander is right not to give him a proper burial but for exposure they supposed him to be dead that was their endgame that was their goal that was their desire they didn't want him according to verse 20 raise up going to the city of Lystra again and then leave the next morning travel the 60 miles to Derby and then lift up his voice spare not cry aloud and preach the gospel to sinners that's not what they wanted they wanted to terminate the Apostle Paul so I can't in with is words this is the last point with reference to the persecution of the church the perseverance of the servants of God tenacity courage courage and perseverance of the Apostle Paul by the grace of God second Timothy three ten and eleven I quoted verse 12 all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution but in verses 10 and 11 he tells Timothy but you have carefully followed my doctrine manner of life purpose faith long-suffering love perseverance persecutions afflictions which happen to me at Antioch at Iconium at Lystra what persecutions are endured and out of them all the Lord delivered me it's beautiful isn't it Paul endured but it was God's deliverance Paul endured because of God Paul and Dohrn because of Matthew 16 I will build my church jesus says the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it Paul always understood that reality God made him in a certain way tenacious courageous zealous diligent all that but any glory for the existence of Paul must go to God and not Paul secondly the proclamation of the church we notice in this first missionary journey the preaching of the gospel for the salvation of sinners we had old sermon on that in acts 14 one remember they so spoke that a great multitude believed that is absolutely crucial the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of sinners it's not going to happen apart from that for since in the wisdom of the world the world through wisdom did not know God it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe God is absolutely sovereign God has for ordain whatsoever comes to pass God has engaged in the this decree this eternal decree but God's equally ordained the means to arrive at the end and one of those means is the proclamation of gospel truth for the salvation of sinners the proclamation in the church doesn't end there the preaching of the word for the edification and strengthening of saved sinners that's a very important aspect of church life and then a third thing relative to the proclamation of the church is the appointment of elders to carry on the apostolic tradition of preaching and teaching the word and doctrine you see that is no small concern of the Apostles when they go back through these cities what do they do they appoint elders why because you need the word yeah you can read your Bible on your own and you should each and every day absolutely positively please take this as a wonderful endorsement to that activity they're men given by Christ to the church according to Acts chapter 4 Ephesians chapter 4 and these men given to the church by Christ are given for a specific purpose in terms of the preaching ministry 1st Timothy chapter 3 as I said we'll deal with that text in more detail in two weeks time the Lord willing but in first Timothy 3:2 there's one aspect of gift that an elder must possess he must be able to teach that doesn't mean he must be CH Spurgeon that doesn't mean he must be a and Martin that does not mean he must be the every Sunday preacher morning and evening but he must be able to teach he must be able to articulate the truth to others must be able to explain the cross without the confusion of antinomianism or the confusion of legalism he needs to be able to define Westminster Shorter Catechism 33 relative to the doctrine of justification he must be apt to teach and elders aren't only apt to teach in terms of the public ministry but what often times is more difficult is in private ministry dealing with the myriad of pastoral issues and concerns and questions that come up elders have to know Scripture that's what Paul says Paul says with reference to paying elders that you pay those who labor in the word and doctrine that's their function in the context of the church and we see that emphasis in this first missionary journey in Titus 1:9 the elder must hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who contradict so feed teach and preach to those who are with you and be able to refute those who aren't John Calvin commenting on acts 14:23 and the appointment of elders he says furthermore this place teaches that the church cannot want an ordinary ministry that means it cannot lack it that's crucial and then he says neither can any be counted Christians before God but those who during their whole life are willing to learn that's a powerful statement but I think very obvious here in acts 14 and the last statement or the last head terms of application is the power of God in the church he spared and sustained his servants now the the only reason I don't lean toward a miraculous healing and maybe I should is typically when there is a miracle it's conspicuous in other words when we see this man in Lystra who's crippled it's a conspicuous act of God and we see at times the the pronouncement made in the name of Jesus or with reference to the power of God but either way whether it's miracle or not what God does in raising up Paul having been stoned in Lystra and then marching to Derby and then heading back through these cities that is God's grace brethren we need that grace secondly he provided for his churches not money and not power and not prestige but faithful men who'd be able to preach and teach the Word of God that's God's power as well God confounded his enemies could you imagine traveling a hundred miles to kill somebody and failing now I'm not trying to get into the mind of a criminal reprobate but I think I'd be perplexed did didn't we stone didn't we drag him out of the city what didn't we think he was dead but he's lived to fight another day why because of the God of Israel beautiful and then finally with reference to not just this section though we see it there in verse 21 but to the entirety of the first missionary journey how is God's power displayed he saves his people from their sins God is merciful God blesses the preaching of the gospel God blesses the message concerning his son the Lord Jesus Christ who lived who died and who was raised the third day so that all who looked to him in faith all who believed on him will have everlasting life as our brother said with reference to Paul in Athens it wasn't like multitudes throng to the Apostle to hear his preaching but some did in this first missionary journey it wasn't like multitudes throng to hear his preaching but some did and that's all glory given to God it is the reality that under his blessing sinners are saved well let us pray father we thank you for your word and we thank you for this time that we can reflect upon these things and I pray that you would encourage us that you would strengthen us that we would understand the reality of tribulation and persecution associated with entrance into the kingdom of God not as if it's a merit not as if it's a credit not as if it's a feather in our cap but it part and parcel of serving the master the master who was hated in this world his servants will certainly be hated as well father encouraged our hearts and strengthen us as individuals as families and as a Church of Jesus Christ and again we prayed for the various persons throughout the earth that are understanding acts 14:22 in a way far more powerfully than we are the reality that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God be merciful to your people strengthen them grant them grace to persevere and to endure and father be glorified in this and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll stand and close our service by singing number 568 568 [Music] the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace father may these things be true for each of us may you go with us now may grant us grace to sanctify the day to enjoy the day they use it as the market day of the soul and bring us together tonight that we may again worship you corporately singing praises to you looking at your Holy Scripture understanding hopefully more concerning your law and we pray these things through Christ Jesus our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation you