Sunnyside First Baptist Church
Don't be Distracted
Acts 13:46–14:19ESV
Acts 13:38ESV
- “… This message of Salvation has been sent.” Acts 13.26Up to this point the Apostle’s have been dealing with Jews, pushing against their law and tradition. Introducing the One that God has sent to be their salvation.Undoubtedly the Disciples have been more than successful.Individuals who were helpless have regained their sight and been healed. An Ethiopian heard, believed and was baptized immediately.Small groups of people at the Temple for worship, at the rivers edge washing clothes have heard the Good News and left their old ways for trust in JesusMany thousands have turned to faith in God after hearing Peter. Others have lined the River Jordan for baptism after hearing and making their life-changing decisions.Paul makes this definitive statement
Acts 13:26 NIV84 26 “Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.Paul goes on to say, that the people of Jerusalem where eye witnesses to Jesus but DID NOT recognize him!!After 4000 years of history, the prophets, the law, the people who should have been looking but were not. They were too busy “doing the law,” instead of “being followers of God.”They were completely distracted!So they completely missed it, or rejected it, or in the case of non-Jews (Gentiles, Pagans and all the others) had no context to understand it.I grew up in a “Christian” home, my Mom died when I was young but my Dad and I would go to church every Saturday night, then go to dinner at a local diner or restaurant.I didn’t participate much in the “education” part of church. I didn’t join the church until about 4 years after my peers.Once I left home, I left that system behind. That’s when it started to happenA relative contacted me and told me about Jesus for the first time.A man on a cold street corner asked me if I was “born again.” I didn’t know what to say...Two distinct times in college where I was invited and heard the Gospel clearly preached.That’s a total of four times that I can remember. That didn’t stop the sender of the message, but my ears where deaf. Plugged up with every single thing in the world except Jesus.I was completely distracted… blindedIt wasn’t until after we were married and crisis hit this unequally yoked couple that I turned my chaotic life over to Christ.I was “to busy” doing life in the fast lane and not feeling any limits, any guidelines. I did NOT have a center of my life. to be a follower of Jesus!I am also talking today to the person who accepted Christ into their life at a younger age and has never known anything but being a follower of Christ. He has either protected you through the many ups and downs of life or you might have stretched Grace and Mercy to cover your wanderingsBy method or a combination, or some hybrid of both, if you sit here or at home as a child of The King you are already a part of His Kingdom.Back to the JewsThey had every opportunity. But they missed itThey were completely distracted!Acts 13:32–33 NIV84 32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “ ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’This “Son,” “Father” relationship that we have is totally unique and it is different than anything we can explain.The opportunity that we have to be called a “Son or daughter” in the Kingdom of God is of eternal consequence.Up to this point EVERY PERSON the Jews has put their faith in HAD DIED… EVERY MAN AND SOME WOMEN THAT TALKED AND WALKED WITH GOD HAD DIED. They went to the grave and decayed.Even David, a man after God’s own heart, died and was buried. And decayed.Except for onePsalm 16:10 NIV84 10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.This is an illusion toActs 13:37 NIV84 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.The Old Testament laid it out for the followers of the Law. But when it was fulled in Acts 13.37 they completely missed. With dire, eternal consequences. Judgement on that final day somewhere in the future will ask if you can call on the Grace and Mercy of Christ that you accepted into your life, as your compass, as your center.Even though the Law and Prophets pointed to the coming Messiah they were so wrapped up in the law theyWere completely distracted!So...Paul then implores… yells at the top of his lungsActs 13:38 NIV84 38 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.“My brothers...”He is still speaking to the Jews.They did NOT respond! They were JEALOUS again and were abusive to Paul because of who he was and what he said.They were completely distracted!Paul and Barnabas had enough!!!They knew that in spite of their best efforts, in spite of having their personal testimonies, in spite of having the sum total of history, prophets and law on their side.The Jews were not interested… Instead they worshipped the Law and Law fulfilled the Law.Principle #1 - Don’t get distracted when the world throws the kitchen sink at you!Stay the course keep your goal in mind. The world with distract you.I want to move to the next principle hear but before I do, let’s talk about verse 46 and 47Acts 13:46–47 NIV84 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 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.’”Principle #2 - Sometimes it’s necessary to speak BOLDLY and use words.As a last ditch effort afterActs 2:42 NIV84 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.Sometimes it is necessary to speak boldly. After devoting themselves, spending time together and significant time time together, where they taught, had fellowship, ate together and prayed.It’s necessary to speak boldly into someone’s life!It is our responsibility as people who are living under and enjoying the advantages of the Grace of God through faith in Christ aloneto develop relationships,to eat together,to work and play alongside people,to pray for people,to live a life that is worth emulating, to live a life that is worth replicating, that’s worth modeling.Finally, after ALL OF THAT… SPEAK BOLDLY INTO THEIR LIVES!Acts 13:46 NIV84 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.They were distracted… they were unreachable at that time!Paul turned to the old testament, as a way to pave the way, orient his audience using their very own wordsTo provide clarity in a time of distraction!Isaiah 42:6 NIV84 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,Looking at the prophets, it is clear, all along that the Jews where to be a Covenant people, and a light for the Gentiles.Then looking at another Isaiah passageIsaiah 49:7 NIV84 7 This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”Principle #3 - We have the Word of God, the work of the Apostles & Disciples, AND OUR PERSONAL TESTIMONIES...What good are those?What use is a book that is 2-4,000 years old?What good is it to read about 12 guys to lived 2,000 years ago and travelled the Mediterranean talking about Jesus and winning my thousands to Christ,What good it is to explain the martyrdom of many thousands of people for the cause of Christ,what good would it do to tell someone how you found Christ and how that changed you?THE VALUE IS IMMEASURABLE!Your going to say… I don’t have all of those things that I do, or my parents have, or Jeff has, or _____ has.You still have your yourself, your story as pretty or as ugly as it is. You still have what your relationship with God, you still know what Grace and Mercy is because of Jesus and His work on the cross.In Chapter 14 Paul and Barnabas arrive at Iconium in Southwest modern day Turkey.It’s the same story but a different chapterActs 14:1–3 NIV84 1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.In Lystra and Derbe also in TurkeyPaul healed, the lame man walked.In this case… the people were so blinded soDistracted by worship of Zeus and Hermes, idolsThey were distracted by the worship of idolsActs 14:11–13 NIV84 11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.Last principle. I’m not calling anyone out here, but I’m calling us all out here including myselfPrinciple #4 - Get rid of the worthless idols in your life.Paul says, “We are bringing Good News, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God.”I know, I know I don’t have any idols in my life either. Nothing stops or gets in the way of my relationship with Jesus.I have no distractions that keep me from that... NONEI push every worldly thing away so that my life is about Jesus, worship and witnesses to others, preaching to them, leading them to Christ.I have just told you at least 4 bald faced lies!I am as distracted as you are!The only cure is to completely let Jesus be the guide in our livesWithout excuse, without errorLet him mend and mold you, completely into the person that He wants you to be.Pray and ask him to send people into your life that mend and mold you into the person the He wants you to be. Pray for a mentor, pray for a well grounded in the word teacher,Listen carefully, he may shock you what he is asking you to do. He may be asking you to be that mentor, that teacher in someone else’s life. God will use your words to bring His words.Here is my final thought… Paul and Barnabas were on a journey to bring a saving knowledge of Jesus to the known world. Sometimes they brought thousands to Christ and other times, even after bring thousands to ChristActs 14:19–20 NIV84 19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.It’s not always going to work out the way we want it… I hope that we DO NOT HAVE TO BE STONED, literally having stones pummeled against our bodies. But if we do so be it.After that the disciples all gathered around him, maybe to protect him from further stoning, Paul got up and went back into the town.I’ll leave you with this...Paul’s focus was laser sharp! Nearly as sharp as a two-edged sword that we have in the Word of God.Hebrews 4:12 NIV84 12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - The Lion And The Lamb
- What A Beautiful Name
Acts 13:26ESV
Acts 13:32–33ESV
Psalm 16:10ESV
Acts 13:37ESV
Acts 13:38ESV
Acts 13:46–47ESV
Acts 2:42ESV
Acts 13:46ESV
Isaiah 42:6ESV
Isaiah 49:7ESV
Acts 14:1–3ESV
Acts 14:11–13ESV
Acts 14:19–20ESV
Hebrews 4:12ESV
- Jesus Messiah
Sunnyside First Baptist Church
509-837-3084
11 members • 3 followers