Fellowship Baptist Church
Sunday, March 26th Am Service

  • Persistent in Pursuit

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    A. Rapport for the time
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    B. Reading of the text
    Acts 14:19–23 ESV
    19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
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    C. Review of the text
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    When we last were in Acts together Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra and healed a man who was crippled from birth.
    Barnabas—Zeus
    Paul—Hermes
    The priest of Zeus tried to make offerings to Paul and Barnaba.
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    D. Relevance of the text
    A Christians heart is to be driven by a persistent pursuit of our Lord. No obstacles in life are to divert our love and our pursuit of the God of creation in whom we have an abiding relationship.
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    I. Enemies of the Cross

    Acts 14:19 ESV
    19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
    Obviously some time has passed between
    Acts 14:17–18 ESV
    17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
    Paul and Barnabas had deflected the Glory away from themselves and toward the one that they served. We know that some in the crowd believed but others did not just like their previous stops. But this time in Lystra we have Jews coming from Antioch and Iconium with a strong desire to stop Paul from speaking.
    This happened back in vs. 5 when Paul and Barnabas are in Iconium. They would escape and flee to Lystra and Derbe before they could catch up with them.
    Acts 14:5–7 ESV
    5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
    But ultimately it was about them continuing to preach the Gospel.
    Jews make it to town from Antioch and Iconium and just as a reminder Pisidian Antioch is some 100 miles away from Lystra. Not just a town down the street. How much hatred must you have in your heart to be willing to travel 100 miles to hunt down Paul? As they arrive in town they persuade the crowds that before wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul to stone him. This has to make us take pause for a moment with Paul.
    Do you realize this was the same thing that Paul himself was in charge of not very long ago?
    Acts 7:58–59 ESV
    58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
    Paul-with his licence to kill was bringing people into the streets and having them stoned
    Leviticus 24:16 ESV
    16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
    There is no doubt that the Jewish crowd that stirred people up this day were using biblical reasoning to stone Paul just like Paul had used to stone Stephen.
    This is the very thing that God said to Ananias back in Acts 9.
    Acts 9:13–16 ESV
    13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
    Paul had left his old way of life behind completely all at once to pursue Christ. But in this instance he is not able to escape instead he is stoned and left for dead. What must Paul had looked like that day stoned at the hand of the Jews and Gentiles who despised the Gospel. It was not Paul they hated but the message that he was determined to share with anyone who might be within distance of in any way.
    Paul would write about this event and his suffering for the Gospel.
    2 Corinthians 11:16–21 ESV
    16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.
    Speaking to Timothy
    2 Timothy 3:10–13 ESV
    10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
    There can be no doubt that suffering for the sake of Christ is a calling that every Christian has on their life.
    T.S. Perseverance is also a part of our life and Paul shows this in the next verses.
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    II. Perseverance Defined

    Acts 14:20–21 ESV
    20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
    Paul was thought to be dead by those that stoned him but God had other plans for Paul. The followers of Christ the disciples obviously knew what was going on and that Paul was stoned and went to check on him after the people dragged him outside the city. Paul rises up and enters back into the city that left him for dead. He and Barnabas head back out to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. Paul preached the Gospel to Derbe after being stoned and left for dead. Oh my what a testimony to perseverance. We must understand that God allowed Paul to be stoned in Lystra and also kept him alive for the Kingdom of God. For those that would see him continue on and encourage others to do the same no matter the circumstances.
    Isaiah 55:6–9 ESV
    6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
    The wicked live one way and we as part of the beloved live another. We have talked for weeks about their being only two groups of people and only two ways. Do we truly understand that our lives are not our own? Do we know that we have been called to so much more?
    Psalm 139:13–14 ESV
    13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
    You are no mistake...
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    1 Peter 2:9 ESV
    9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
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    III. Dedicated to the Church

    Acts 14:22–23 ESV
    22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
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    2 Corinthians 5:14–15 ESV
    14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
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    Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV
    18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
    Ephesians 5:25 ESV
    25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
    Strengthening—To cause someone to become stronger in the sense of more firm and unchanging in attitude or belief
    Encouraging—to cause someone to be encouraged or consoled, either by verbal or nonverbal means. Giving hope or promise..
    Tribulations—times of great suffering or difficulty. Trouble involving direct suffering, persecution
    vs. 22—enter the kingdom of God
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    vs. 23—prayer and fasting—seeking the face of the Lord to appoint the correct people to lead the churches that Paul is establishing for the Kingdom of God
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    Application.
    So what is that motivates you as a christian? Anything? Or are we simply trying to get to lunch every Sunday? Are you motivated during the week to be in Persistent in your pursuit? Or are we allowing other things to get in the way of our living the life Christ has called us to live?
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      • Acts 14:1–23ESV

  • Glorify Thy Name
  • Down at the Cross
  • To God Be the Glory

      • Acts 14:19–23ESV

      • Acts 14:19ESV

      • Acts 14:17–18ESV

      • Acts 14:5–7ESV

      • Acts 7:58–59ESV

      • Leviticus 24:16ESV

      • Acts 9:13–16ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 11:25–28ESV

      • 2 Timothy 3:10–13ESV

      • Acts 14:20–21ESV

      • Isaiah 55:6–9ESV

      • Psalm 139:13–14ESV

      • 1 Peter 2:9ESV

      • Acts 14:22–23ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 5:14–15ESV

      • Ephesians 3:18–19ESV

      • Ephesians 5:25ESV

Fellowship Baptist Church
fellowshipbartlett@gmail.com
901-331-3074
https://fellowshipbartlett.org
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