Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever been caught in an unruly crowd, perhaps you might even call them a mob? Did that mob suddenly become violent and were you frightened for your life? That happened once to me, and I was nearly trampled to death as a boy. My father saved my life by raising me up on his shoulders! I’ll never forget that experience and it was probably 65 years ago!
I left you yesterday in a very similar mob scene recorded for us in Acts 14, do you remember? By the power of God, Paul had just healed a crippled man in the town of Lystra. The crowd rushed Paul and Barnabas declaring “the gods have come to us in human form” and they quickly gathered animals and wreaths of flowers about to have a pagan worship service in their honor, including sacrifices! Paul and Barnabas rushed into the crowd declaring “What are you doing? We too are only humans like you…” (Acts 14:11-15) Paul boldly and loudly proclaimed the powerful truth about Jesus. But this crowd had seen a miracle, and, in their delirium, agitators took advantage of the situation and stirred up the crowd turning it into an out-of-control mob.
As you know friends, in such a volatile situation it doesn’t take much for very bad things to happen quickly. Dr. Luke reports: “The crowd stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” (Acts 14:19) While Dr. Luke had not yet joined Paul’s travels; I have no doubt Luke questioned Paul and Barnabas in great detail about this event and wrote these words very carefully.
The crowd dispersed leaving Barnabas, and some others in Lystra who had believed Paul’s preaching, to care for bloodied, nearly dead Paul. Luke writes: “But after the disciples gathered around Paul, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” (Acts 14:20) Pause.
Paul’s recovery from rocks being thrown at him, then dragged out of the city and left for dead, to standing back up, going back into the city, and the next day leaving Lystra, then to walk with Barnabas, nearly 80 miles to the next town, well in my estimation that might be as much a miracle as that crippled man walking! Do you agree?
Before we head down the road with Paul and Barnabas toward Derbe, may I invite you to look at that group of Lystra believers in Jesus, who were helping bloodied Paul back into town? Luke doesn’t name any of them nor does he tell us where Paul and Barnabas stayed that night, or who got water and rags to wash Paul’s wounds.
But about 3 or 4 years later Paul came back to this town and recorded in Acts 16 are these words: “Paul…came to Lystra where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra spoke well of Timothy. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey…” (Acts 16:1-3)
Could it be young Timothy had heard Paul preach? Perhaps he had even been in that crowd which became a mob that day in Lystra? Could it be that after Paul had been dragged out of the city presumed dead, might Timothy have knelt beside Paul, joining the others in praying for him? Then as Paul revived, was it young Timothy who helped him to his feet and maybe was one of those who walked alongside Paul, with Paul’s arm draped over him for support. Might Timothy have insisted Paul come to his home for care? And might his mother have been one who washed Paul’s wounds that day? Might Paul have even stayed in their home that night telling more stories of Jesus? Might that have been the day God began stirring a missionary call in young Timothy?
I’m sure Paul and Barnabas prayed that night, maybe joined by young Timothy and his mother and perhaps others, seeking to know from the Holy Spirit if they should stay in Lystra, despite the rocks, or should they head on to another town? By morning it seems clear the risen Jesus had healed Paul’s wounds enough and given clear enough direction, that Paul and Barnabas left Lystra heading for Derbe. Do you suppose Timothy at least walked with them for a short while, and maybe even invited them to come back again someday?
Was that perhaps one reason the Holy Spirit led Paul back to this town a few years later and yes Timothy did in fact join Paul on Paul’s second missionary journey and as you probably know this young Timothy became one of Paul’s closest friends and apprentices. In days to come we’ll join Paul on his second journey, and we’ll look closely at how Timothy joins him as an important part of Paul’s team.
Luke only gives us one sentence about the time Paul and Barnabas spent in the town of Derbe: “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.” (Acts 14:21) I don’t know exactly how long they stayed in Derbe or how many people trusted Jesus there, but clearly the Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of many people and of all the towns Paul and Barnabas visited on this first missionary journey, Derbe may have been the most spiritually responsive. Pause.
Think back over your life journey. Of all the places where you’ve lived, in which town did YOU experience the most significant spiritual growth personally? Or did you witness the most significant work of God in other people in that place?
Evidently after a short but very productive time in Derbe, the Holy Spirit led Paul and Barnabas to return back to where this remarkable journey began, Syrian Antioch. But rather than continuing east, perhaps 300 miles overland to Syrian Antioch, the Holy Spirit led them to retrace their steps. First back about 80 miles west to Lystra, where Paul had been nearly killed by the rocks thrown at him. I wonder if he stopped to visit with Timothy and his mother?
Then north to Iconium and finally back west to about 100 miles to Pisidian Antioch. Luke describes what Paul and Barnabas did in each of these towns as they retraced their journey: “…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith…Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord Jesus, in whom they put their trust.” (Acts 14:21-23)
Do you see what’s happening here my friends? Do you see the words “elders” and “each church” used for the first time? It had been perhaps 3 years since Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by John Mark, had left Syrian Antioch, commissioned to take the Gospel of Jesus to places where Jesus was unknown. (Acts 13:1-3)
Now there are courageous followers of Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. And those little groups are organized into churches with commissioned leaders whom Paul called “elders”. We can assume all these towns were being significantly impacted by these passionate Christians!
I think we should pause right here for reflection. How long has the name Jesus been known in your town and what spiritual things are happening where you live in the past few years? Are you privileged to live in a place where the Holy Spirit of God is doing things very similar to Lystra, Derbe, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch?
The “lessons learned” notes at the link below will help you think about that, and the worship song I’ve chosen is an old song of celebrating the global church of Jesus, sung by a new generation of Jesus followers! Let’s join the global celebration and tomorrow we’ll complete this journey with Paul and Barnabas, in an amazing homecoming.
Today’s Scripture: Acts 14:11-23.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“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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