FRIDAY 28 May 2021 “Transition”

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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

Have you ever felt rejected even though you were trying to do something very good, very helpful? It wasn’t a misunderstanding, it was simply outright rejection of the help you were trying to offer?

Let’s take a look at that, as we continue our travels with Paul and Barnabas, on their first missionary journey. We’re in chapter 13 of the book of Acts of the Bible. Paul had made a powerful and skillful presentation of the good news of Jesus in the Synagogue, in the city of Pisidian Antioch, in what is today modern day Turkey. The Jews who heard him that day were so impressed with his thorough understanding of Jewish history and Scriptures, that they invited Paul and Barnabas back for the following Sabbath, to continue sharing more remarkable truths about Jesus. Luke, the author of this book of Acts, writes: “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.” (Acts 13:44)

Have you ever seen this happen? Paul and Barnabas were bringing good news, great news, for everyone in that city. God loved the people of Pisidian Antioch and had sent Jesus to make it possible for them to be forgiven of their sin guilt, live in a vibrant relationship with God now, and have the assurance of eternal life in heaven after their death! But then, as now, not everyone heard that as good news!

Jesus had once said “No one comes to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them…Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me.” (John 6:44,45) So, friends do you see what’s happening here? God the Father was awakening a spiritual thirst in some people in Pisidian Antioch, and as Paul spoke the Gospel of Jesus to them their thirst was being quenched by the truth of Jesus! But the devil cannot stand by idle and let that happen… not then and not now! Why? Because the devil wants every person to live painful lives in bondage to their sin and hurtful of other people.

The devil wants people to live with increasing shame and guilt as every new mistake piles on top of all their past sins. Satan then wants people to come to the end of their lives never having experienced new life in Christ, die in their sin and shame, and spend eternity with him and all his demons in hell! So do you see the tactics the devil used to disrupt what God was doing in Pisidian Antioch? Jealousy, abusive talk, criticism, discord, division. Have you seen any evidence of this in your city: when God is awakening spiritual thirst in people, the devil responds with similar tactics and schemes to stop it? What do you think about that?

So Paul and Barnabas answered the opposition from the Jewish leaders by saying: “We were obliged to speak the word of God to you Jews first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:46,47) Oh my!

Paul was quoting one of the most powerful statements of God in Isaiah 42:5-8. Jews were proud of that statement, for they understood it to mean they were the light. They were convinced they were God’s favorite people and would show the rest of the world what it looks like when God’s favor is upon you. But Paul was taking it much further! Paul was saying God intended for His salvation to be extended to ALL people everywhere, not only Jews. That was incredibly offensive to Jews.

The ONLY possible way that might work, in their minds, was if a Gentile would go through all the Jewish ceremonies, including circumcision, to be acceptable to Jews. Of course they would NEVER become a natural born member of one of the 12 tribes of the Jews, but they would be accepted in the Synagogue as a worshiper of God with them. It would be kind of a second class Jewish person.

But that was not at all what Paul was saying here. Paul was saying Jesus died for the salvation of Gentiles as well as Jews, and Gentiles could be saved and drawn into the same privileged relationship with God that God intended for Jews. It was preposterous to Jews… but this issue became the predominant issue for the rest of Paul’s life and ministry. Paul had received his commission from Jesus… to take the Gospel of Jesus to Gentiles and their kings (Acts 9:15) in full view of the Jews. The result of course would be rejection of Paul by the Jews and persecution of Paul, much like he once horribly persecuted the followers of Jesus. (Acts 8:1) But Jesus had said it often… “I tell you the truth, WHOEVER hears My words and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. They have crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

On this Sabbath day, in Pisidian Antioch, the crowd of people was so large the Synagogue could not hold them all, so it became an outdoor crowd and we can safely presume many Gentiles were drawn to listen to this radical preacher, Paul. All week long the ‘buzz’ on the street and in the market had been what they heard from Paul last Sabbath, so I imagine the anticipation for what more Paul would say this Sabbath was very high! So Luke describes the reaction this way: “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” The Gentile response to Paul’s Gospel was enthusiastic and contagious! While Luke doesn’t write it, we can presume these Gentile believers were baptized and then the Holy Spirit came upon them as He had come upon Cornelius and his houseful of Gentiles in Caesarea and upon the Samaritan believers in Samaria with Philip, remember?

But Luke wants us to be sure we see the picture in Pisidian Antioch clearly. In this euphoria of Gentiles trusting Jesus, Luke writes: “But the Jews incited the God fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region. So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:50-52) Who are these people filled with the Holy Spirit and joy? These are those in Pisidian Antioch, both Jews and Gentiles, who have believed the truth of Paul’s message and fully trusted Jesus to be their Savior.

As Paul and Barnabas leave Pisidian Antioch, rejected by some, and applauded by others, I believe they are leaving behind a city divided spiritually into at least these groups:

1st…Synagogue member Jews who strongly hold to their Jewish traditions and reject Jesus as Messiah.

2nd… Jews who hold to their Jewish traditions but also declare Jesus to be their Messiah and are now ‘born again’, baptized disciples of Jesus.

3rd…Secular Gentiles who reject Jesus and are either not at all religious or worship false gods

4th…Some Gentiles who have joined Judaism and worship with the Jews

5th… Some Gentiles who have believed Paul’s message about Jesus, have been ‘born again’, baptized, and are disciples of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit.

Could I ask you to take a moment and consider your city? How would you characterize your city…spiritually? How long have you lived in your city? How has your city changed in the past 20 years, 50 years? If you are part of a church, how is your church influencing your city? And what do you project for the spiritual and moral condition of your city over the next 10 or 20 years?

When we read the Bible and it speaks of places where we’ve never been, unless we stop and take a moment, we miss so much. I’ve placed in your notes a map of the region in Paul’s time, can you recognize our modern middle east in this map of Paul and Barnabas’ first journey, taking the Gospel first to the Island of Cyprus, then north to the city of Perga where John left them, then further north to Antioch, in the region of Pisidia? It was well over 100 miles from Perga to Antioch, and Paul and Barnabas would have walked that journey! Then Luke tells us they left Antioch heading east, again more than a 100 mile journey to the city of Iconium. What do you suppose Paul and Barnabas talked about as they walked those 100+ miles to Iconium? Was their time in Pisidian Antioch a success? What should they do differently in Iconium?

In closing today, what does the regional map look like where you live? And if you were to draw lines representing your travels over the past weeks and months… where have those travels taken you? And if you consider the influence you’ve had on the places where you’ve been over the past year or two, what do you see? And finally, what is happening right now SPIRITUALLY in the towns and cities on the map of the region of our world where you live? Ponder that friends… it’s significant isn’t it?

I invite you to step into God’s throne room. Stand alongside Jesus, and together, look at the region where you live, what does Jesus see? What do you feel led to say to Jesus about the region of our world where you live?

Here’s a song that may help you do that. . .

Today’s Scripture is Acts 13:44-52.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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