Acts 13:4-12

Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to the book of Acts, chapter 13.

Acts 13 · chapter mention

Acts, chapter 13. It's good to be back with you today.

Acts 13 · chapter mention

If you were here with us last Sunday, you know that I had a bit of a stomach flu and was out.

Or maybe you didn't know I had a stomach flu, but I had a stomach flu and was out.

And it's good to be with you, both not to be doing what I was doing last Sunday morning,

and to be here to open God's Word and to consider its truth to us this morning.

Our text for today is Acts 13, verses 4 through 12.

Acts 13:4–12

But there are a few things I think need to be noted from the beginning of Acts 13,

and so we're going to look at and read together verses 1 through 12.

And we've come to a fairly pivotal place in the book of Acts,

transitioning from the gospel being proclaimed primarily in Jerusalem,

and it moving outward from this place.

The story is going, its main character being Peter is kind of setting,

and its main character being Paul is rising.

And it's where we find ourselves in a couple of chapters here,

this action that's taking place.

And at the beginning of chapter 13, into verse 4,

we see Barnabas and Paul commissioned for the very first missionary journey.

And so we read, beginning in verse 1,

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers,

Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,

Lucius of Cyrene,

Menaion, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch,

and Saul.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,

the Holy Spirit said,

Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Then after fasting and praying,

they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So being sent out by the Holy Spirit,

they went down to Seleucia,

and from there sailed to Cyprus.

When they arrived at Salamis,

they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews,

and they had John to assist them.

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos,

they came upon a certain magician,

a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

He was with the proconsul,

Sergius Paulus,

a man of intelligence,

who summoned Barnabas and Saul

and sought to hear the word of God.

But Elimas the magician,

for that is the meaning of his name,

opposed them,

seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

But Saul,

who was also called Paul,

filled with the Holy Spirit,

looked intently at him and said,

You son of the devil,

you enemy of all righteousness,

full of all deceit and villainy,

will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

And now behold,

the hand of the Lord is upon you,

and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.

Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him,

and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

Then the proconsul believed,

when he saw what had occurred,

for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Beloved, this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and for our good.

We would all do well to listen to it

in order to believe its promises

and obey its commands.

Now before we get into the story itself,

let's get to the stage just a little bit.

And maybe you're not like me,

but I'm a very visual learner,

and so I like to understand where they are

and where they're traveling from

and where they're traveling to.

So we'll see if we can pull this off

and get a map up on the screen for you there.

I did do that for my iPad, if you're wondering,

which is pretty amazing.

So they are currently in Antioch, right?

We see the church forming at the end of chapter 11 in Antioch.

The gospel has gone forward because of a dispersion,

because of the persecution that's arisen in Jerusalem.

So the gospel has gone out.

People have gone about gossiping the word of God.

We see at the last part of chapter 11

that primarily the gospel is being preached to Jews.

But here in chapter 11,

we see that some disciples begin to preach the gospel to Gentiles,

and this church in Antioch is formed.

Now Antioch is about 300 miles north of Jerusalem.

Now you can see it way over on the far right-hand side of the screen there.

Yes, I'm doing that for my iPad.

Isn't that fun?

So they're in Antioch, the church in Antioch.

You recall that Barnabas, needing some help,

went and found Paul, brought Paul with him,

and they remained in Antioch,

and they're teaching in Antioch right at the end of chapter 11.

So they travel from Antioch to Seleucia,

about 16 miles, right?

And go down from Antioch to Seleucia,

to the coast about 16 miles,

and they sail to Salamis on the island of Cyprus.

Now Cyprus is where Barnabas is from.

We find that out in Acts 4, verse 36.

Acts 4:36

Barnabas' name is Joseph,

but he's also called Barnabas the son of encouragement by the church.

And so Paul and Barnabas are commissioned to go back to Barnabas' hometown.

They land on Salamis about 130 miles from Seleucia to Salamis,

this journey in the Mediterranean.

They land on Salamis,

and they travel all over the island of Cyprus,

what the text tells us.

So they go all about the island of Cyprus.

Exactly what that looks like, I don't know,

but it's definitely not a straight arrow from Salamis to Paphos, right?

They're traveling all about the island of Cyprus

until they arrive at Paphos.

Paphos is the capital of Cyprus,

and there we see in our text that the gospel is preached to the proconsul,

which would have been like the governor,

the Roman appointed governor of the island of Cyprus.

So he's the ruler of Cyprus,

and he's located in this coastal city of Paphos.

Now Cyprus in this day was an incredibly corrupt place.

It was a vile place,

and this is a common theme in the history of the world.

Places that the gospel goes or places that need the gospel.

It was the place in Paphos,

the temple for the worship of Venus existed there.

The Roman Greek god of love was here.

Lots of temple worship,

prostitutes,

a vile, vile place

where they go for this very first time

in their missionary journey

to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, there is so much that can be said of this morning's text.

But I want to set our minds on just one thing this morning,

which we'll consider with three supporting points.

But just one primary thing that we need to consider

in order to warm our hearts this morning.

Note from Luke's account of Barnabas and Saul

on the island of Cyprus,

God's pursuit of his praise.

This is the thing.

This is what I want to focus our attention on this morning from our text.

God's pursuit of God's praise.

Now, this runs thematically all throughout the Scripture.

In fact, we could spend weeks upon weeks

showing you systematically

that God is zealous for his own glory,

for his own worship,

for people to pay attention to him,

to know him and know him for who he is

and exalt him for who he is.

This is what it means for him to seek his praise.

And for us as humans,

I think very readily we can say,

but isn't it wrong to be self-centered?

And as humans, absolutely yes.

But you are not God.

It is right and proper that God seeks his own praise.

God is the most glorious,

the most wonderful thing that we could possibly possess.

And if God were to say,

no, no, don't look at me.

Pay attention to the creation around you.

If he were to veil himself as the creator,

it would be unloving toward us.

It would be ungracious toward us.

We need to behold God.

So he is zealous for his own praise.

In 1 Peter 2, verse 9,

1 Peter 2:9

Peter writes to those who are the elect exiles

of the dispersion,

going out of the gospel of Christ

because of persecution,

in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,

and Bithynia, verse 9,

he writes,

You are a chosen race,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

a people for his own possession.

So you are a people set apart, right?

For what purpose?

Verse 9 tells us

that you may proclaim

the excellencies of him

who called you out of darkness

into his marvelous light.

Because of the reality,

the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ,

you have been set apart

that you might proclaim

the excellencies of him

who saved you in this way.

It is the work of the church

of Jesus Christ

to make God known.

One Old Testament reference

in Ezekiel 36, verses 22 and 23.

Ezekiel 36:22

God tells Israel

that the reason that he will deliver them

from captivity,

from their exile in Babylon

and later Persia,

is for the sake of the praise of his name.

Listen to the language very carefully

what he says.

God speaks to Israel

through the prophet Ezekiel.

Therefore, say to the house of Israel,

Thus says the Lord God,

It is not for your sake,

O house of Israel,

that I am about to act,

but for the sake of my holy name.

So I'm going to bring you back from exile.

I'm going to deliver you from captivity.

But it's really not for your sake.

It's for my sake.

It's for the sake of my holy name,

which you have profaned

among the nations to which you came.

And I will vindicate the holiness

of my great name,

which has been profaned among the nations,

and which you have profaned among them.

And the nations will know

that I am the Lord,

declares the Lord God,

when through you

I vindicate my holiness

before their eyes.

Because of my goodness to you,

my name will be made known.

So God pursues His own praise.

He is zealous for it.

And we see that in our text, right?

Well, the focus can often be

simply about Paul and Barnabas

and their helper,

John Mark, we see in verse 5.

But Paul and Barnabas in verse 4

are sent out by whom?

God.

By the work of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 9,

we see Paul with this scathing indictment

of Elimus the magician.

He's filled with whom?

The Holy Spirit.

Verse 11,

he tells Elimus

that the hand of the Lord

is upon him.

Right?

And God blinds Elimus.

The point is

that it's ultimately

and it's finally

God's pursuit.

It is His purpose in the world.

It is His ministry

that He would be known

and worshipped.

So as we set our minds

on the glorious reality,

that God is zealous for His praise,

we'll do so with three points

concerning God's pursuit.

Number one,

and I'll run back through these,

but number one,

the beneficiaries

of God's pursuit

of His praise.

Number two,

the means of God's pursuit

of His praise.

And number three,

the persistence

of God's pursuit

of His praise.

So number one,

the beneficiaries

of God's pursuit

of His praise.

Beloved,

the gospel is not

man-centered.

It is altogether

God-centered.

But aren't we

the great beneficiaries

of that pursuit?

Isn't it wonderful

that as God calls

attention to Himself,

He does so

by the redemption

of a people.

And we are those people.

How wonderful

that we get to be

the wonderful side product

of what God is doing

to make His name known.

So the beneficiaries,

namely,

the church.

Paul,

Barnabas,

and John Mark

as a helper

are sent to carry

the Word of God

to whom?

To the people

of God.

They go to an island

called Cyprus

to call together

God's people

for the praise

of His name.

Can we know

from this text

that the Cyprus

and that is the

correct use,

I looked it up,

responded favorably

to the proclamation

of the gospel?

Can we know

that the Cyprus

responded favorably

to the proclamation

of the gospel?

We know one did

for sure

from our text

this morning,

the proconsul.

We know for a fact

that he did.

In fact,

Sergius Paulus

believed.

He was astonished

at the teaching

of the Lord.

But can we know

from the text?

We can't.

But there is a place

that we can know from.

So turn a couple pages

over to Acts chapter 15.

Acts 15 · chapter mention

We don't know the number,

but we can know

that there was

a favorable response

to the gospel

because of this passage.

Beginning in verse 36,

Acts 15,

Acts 15:36

verse 36.

And after some days,

Paul said to Barnabas,

Let us return

and visit the brothers

in every city

where we proclaim

the word of the Lord

and see how they are.

So there's the premise.

We need to go on a journey.

We need to go back

and visit those

who believed

in the cities.

Let's see how they're doing.

Let's go back around

and let's visit.

Now,

Barnabas agrees.

We don't see that

in Luke's record,

but he says,

verse 37,

Now Barnabas

wanted to take with them,

so he agrees,

let's go,

John called Mark.

Verse 38,

But Paul thought best

not to take with them

one who had withdrawn

from them in Pamphylia

and had not gone with them

to the work.

Now,

just to give you some frame,

we're going to talk about this

in some coming weeks,

but John Mark,

after they left the island,

he got scared

and he turned around

and he ran.

He went back to Jerusalem.

So Paul and Barnabas

get in a fight over this,

right?

Paul doesn't want to take

John Mark,

the coward,

with him,

and Barnabas,

who's his cousin,

still wants to take.

He's ready to give him

a second chance

at this point.

This is this division

that happens.

Acts 13,

13 records this.

Now Paul and his companions

set sail from Paphos

and came to Perga

in Pamphylia,

and John left them

and returned

to Jerusalem.

Right?

Verse 39 of Acts 15,

And there arose

a sharp disagreement

that they separated

from each other.

Barnabas took Mark,

this is John Mark,

Barnabas took Mark

with him

and sailed away

to where?

to Cyprus.

But Paul chose Silas

and departed,

having been commended

by the brothers

to the grace of the Lord,

and he went through Syria

and Cilicia,

strengthening the churches.

Okay?

So they go separate ways,

but the very premise

of what they're going

to go do,

right?

They've agreed together,

we need to go back

to the cities

where we preach the gospel

and people responded

to the gospel,

and let's see how they're doing.

They go separate ways.

Barnabas goes back

to Cyprus.

Not home to lounge,

but to check on the brothers

to see how,

in fact,

they're doing.

So people did respond favorably

as they've traveled

throughout the island

to the grace of God

in the gospel

of Jesus Christ.

Right?

And this is

the wonderful reality

of God's pursuit

of his own praise,

that there are beneficiaries

of that pursuit,

namely,

the church.

So we can see

the beneficiaries

of God's pursuit

of his praise

in our text this morning.

Secondly,

let's look at the means

of God's pursuit

of his praise.

God is pursuing

his praise.

How does he do it?

How does he do it?

First,

with his people.

God pursues

his praise

with his people.

God uses his people

to proclaim

the gospel message

to his people.

Verse 4,

So being sent out

by the Holy Spirit,

they went,

verse 5,

and proclaimed

the word

of God.

Now,

I think it's important,

I think it's helpful

to note

the timeline here

of the early church.

The year

that Barnabas

and Saul

slash Paul

are sent to Cyprus

is A.D. 47.

And we can know that

because of the death

of Herod in chapter 12.

This is a historical fact

that we know.

So it's A.D. 47.

Now,

exactly the time frame

since the resurrection

of Christ,

we can't be completely

sure of.

There's much debate

out there about it.

The range would be

between 14

and 20 years.

I think that's what

you've got to wrap

your mind around

is that it's been

some time

since Acts chapter 1

Acts 1 · chapter mention

to Acts chapter 13.

Acts 13 · chapter mention

We didn't just speed

through six months.

It's been quite an

expanse of time,

the building of the church

in this region

and then beyond.

Between 14

and 20 years,

there's a lot of debate

about when Jesus died.

It ranges from

A.D. 27

to A.D. 33.

Now,

I'm going to argue

for 14 years,

but I'm not going

to this morning.

I'm going to suggest

that Jesus was crucified

in A.D. 33,

but it doesn't really matter

this morning

or maybe at all.

the point being

that a big bunch

of time

has gone by.

The church in Antioch

has existed

for at least

a year.

There's been

a period of time

that they have been,

Barnabas and Saul

have been with them.

Remember Barnabas

and Saul in chapter 12

are sent back

to Jerusalem

and the picture

in Luke's narrative

jumps back

to Jerusalem as well.

So they've been there

and they've now returned

back to Antioch.

And notice

what they're doing

in the meantime.

So not yet commissioned.

Saul has been in Tarsus.

Barnabas goes and gets them.

They go to the church

in Antioch.

They remain with them.

They're teaching them.

They take this trip

to Jerusalem

to deliver some

financial support there.

They're back in Antioch.

And what are they doing

in verse 2?

They're worshiping

the Lord

and they're fasting.

They're gathered together

as the church

in fellowship

together.

They're about the work

of Christian ministry

where they are.

And while they're doing this

the Holy Spirit says

they're together

remember

set apart for me

Barnabas

and Saul

for the work

to which

I have called them.

So there is a calling.

In this case

it's an audible calling.

The Spirit speaks to them.

We don't know exactly

how He does so.

but Luke records it

as audible

speaking to them.

I want you to see

that Paul

and Barnabas

did not have

individual experiences.

They didn't come off

a hill

and report to the church

we feel called

to missions.

The church is together

and they confirm

together

that the Spirit of God

commissioned

Paul and Barnabas

to go to the island

of Cyprus.

What do they do?

Verse 3

they continue fasting

and they pray

and they lay their hands

on them

and they send them off.

They're sent out

by the local church.

It grieves me today

that there's so much

personal experience

in Christianity.

There's so much

feeling called

to a particular thing

without any examination.

There are so many

young people

who want to do

world missions

who don't do

mission at home.

You're not reaching

people here

you will not reach

people in China

or India

or wherever.

Because you know what?

Stuff's harder over there.

You have to do

laundry

by hand.

It's not all romantic.

You still have to go

live your life

and if you're not

willing to pour it out

for the sake of Christ

where you are

with your roommates

and your co-workers

and your classmates

you won't do it.

Abroad.

It starts

now

on your bulletin.

Before I read that

I've heard a lot

in churches

that we all have

a responsibility

to mission.

You're either to go

or you're to send.

And I get the call.

It's a foreign mission call.

I get that.

I get that.

But I don't like

the notion

of labeling people

missionary

because it seems

to suggest

that everyone else

is not.

I love this Spurgeon quote.

Every Christian here

is either a missionary

or an imposter.

God uses

in the pursuit

of His praise

His people.

And beloved,

if we are zealous

for the praise of God

as He is,

as we should be

because of His work

for us

in Christ,

we should want to go.

It should be

the driving passion

of our lives

to make Him known,

to have other people

experience

the goodness of God

in the personal work

of Jesus Christ.

He uses His people.

He'll use you

if you'll avail yourself

to that.

He also uses His Word.

What did Barnabas

and Paul

and John Mark do

when they arrived

on Cyprus?

They did not put on plays.

They didn't come up

with lots of clever analogy.

They proclaimed

the Word of God.

They preached God

as good creator

and sustainer

of the universe.

They preached sin,

death,

and eternal judgment.

They preached the life,

death,

and resurrection

of Jesus Christ.

God's people

are saved

by hearing

the Word of God.

And I don't simply mean

reading the text.

Although I would

strongly suggest

that that's a great place

to start.

We can story

the Word of God too.

We can explain

the Word of God

to people.

We can tell

this big, big, big story.

Some of you may have

come to faith

not by the actual text

being read,

but by somebody

telling you

the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Just simply sharing

with you

that story.

Provided it is

founded in the truth,

it has

saving power.

So God's people

are saved

by hearing

the Word of God

and then by grace,

through faith,

in the personal work

of Jesus Christ,

they are snatched

from the clutches

of sin and death

for the praise

of His name.

Just in passing,

tomorrow,

499 years ago,

the Protestant Reformation

began

in a place called

Wittenberg, Germany.

in order to

recapture

these truths

for the church.

They hadn't been lost,

but they were largely

forgotten.

I'd encourage you

tomorrow

not to celebrate

Halloween,

but instead

to celebrate

Reformation Day.

All types of costumes

abound

from

such a thing.

Five Latin phrases

emerged

from the Reformation

to summarize

its basic

theological principles,

and these phrases

are still useful

to us.

I don't use Latin

to sound smart.

I really want you

to know that.

It's good

to have

phrasing in our mind

that we wouldn't

use normally,

I think,

to help us remember

deep theological

truths.

So I'm just going to

rattle them off to you.

You can look these up.

The solas.

Solas,

Latin for

alone,

and you've got

things that follow.

So,

sola scriptura.

The Word of God

alone

tells us

that we are saved

sola gratia

by grace alone,

sola fide

through faith alone,

solas Christus

in the person

and work

of Christ alone,

sola

Deo

Gloria

to the glory

of God

alone.

The Wi-Fi password

is hidden amongst

those Latin phrases

if you want to get

on our Wi-Fi.

Sola scriptura.

Like the Word of God

alone tells us

that we are saved

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in the personal work

of Jesus Christ alone,

to the glory

of God

alone.

Glorious,

glorious

truths.

Ephesians 2,

8 and 9,

for by grace

you have been saved

through faith.

And this is not

your own doing,

it is the gift

of God,

not a result

of works

that no one

may boast.

Faith comes

from hearing

and hearing

from the Word

of God.

God births

in us faith.

There's nothing

we can do

to earn

the favor

of God,

but praise

the Lord

in Christ

He is pleased

with us.

Last week's

bulletin

I would have

used,

I'm going to use it,

George Whitfield

once said,

works,

works,

a man

get to heaven

by works,

I would assume

think of climbing

to the moon

on a rope

of sand.

Now some

in the proclamation

of the gospel

will respond

favorably to it.

Sadly,

others will not.

Favorably

in our text,

the church

referenced in Acts 15,

right,

that they're

proclaiming to here

in Acts 13,

right,

the proconsul,

we see him

respond favorably

to the gospel.

Now there's a

character in our text

that responds

unfavorably.

He's called

two names,

the first,

Bar-Jesus,

and the second,

Elimus.

Now Bar-Jesus

simply means

son of Joshua.

It's not that

complex,

in fact,

Jesus was a really

common name

of the day,

Yeshua,

Joshua,

right?

Verse 6 says

that he was a

Jewish,

Jewish descent,

false prophet.

Just a few

verses later,

verse 8,

he is called

Elimus,

which was his

Roman name.

It seemed that

many people had

both in this case.

This is the text

where we see

Saul,

also called

Paul.

Some people have

the notion that

Saul was his

pre-conversion name

and Paul was his

post-conversion name,

as God throughout

biblical history

has renamed people

at times.

Not the case here.

Saul was his

Jewish name,

Paul was his

Roman name.

And here he

finds himself

on a largely

Gentile island,

primarily Gentile

island,

preaching the

gospel,

likely using,

instead of his

Jewish name,

his Roman name,

simply to become

all things to all

people,

to relate more

closely to them.

Interestingly,

in our text,

the pro-consul's

name is what?

Sergius

Paulus.

His name is

Paul.

And I just

would imagine

that Saul

meets him

and goes,

hey,

my name is

Paul too.

I have something

I want to share

with you.

We have more

in common

than you know.

So some will

respond favorably,

some will

respond unfavorably.

And how do we

make sense of this?

There's much

effort today

to convince

people that

Jesus is the

way,

the truth,

and the life.

And I would

definitely argue

that we should

plead the case

of Christ to

people,

that we need

to employ

apologetics,

that we want

to argue

for Christ.

But at the

end of it all,

it's going to be

faith birthed

in people that

will bring them

to saving faith

in Jesus Christ.

Now turn with me

if you will

to 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:1–6

chapter 4

verses 1

through 6.

This text,

Paul writing,

helps us understand

why their

proclamation was

received favorably

by some,

but not by

Elimus.

Why did the

proconsul believe,

but Elimus

did not?

Verse 1,

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4.

Therefore,

having this

ministry by

the mercy

of God,

we do not

lose heart.

He's talking

about proclaiming

the gospel.

Some people

will respond,

some people

will not.

We do not

lose heart.

Why?

But we

have renounced

disgraceful,

underhanded

ways.

We refuse

to practice

cunning,

or to

tamper

with God's

word,

but by

the

open

statement

of the

truth.

So you

see what

he's saying?

We don't

lose heart

because we

have not

been

deceitful,

we've not

been cunning,

we have not

tampered with

God's word,

but by the

open statement

of the

truth,

we would

commend

ourselves

to

everyone's

conscience

in the

sight of

God.

And even

if our

gospel is

veiled,

it is

veiled to

those

who are

perishing.

So if

people don't

understand it,

if it's

veiled,

it's hidden

from them,

it's hidden

from those

who are

perishing.

In their

case,

the God

of this

world has

blinded the

minds of

the unbelievers

to keep

them from

seeing the

light of

the gospel

of the

glory of

Christ,

who is

the image

of God.

For what

we proclaim

is not

ourselves,

but Jesus

Christ

as Lord,

with ourselves

as your

servants

for Jesus

sake.

For God

who said,

let light

shine out

of darkness,

who created

light,

the light

of the

world,

he said,

let light

shine out

of darkness,

has shown

in our

hearts to

give the

light of

the knowledge

of the

glory of

God in

the face

of Jesus

Christ.

So they

preach,

they preach

the good

news,

they proclaim

the truth,

and they

understand that

some will

respond favorably

and some

will not.

But yet

they keep

preaching.

A man

one time

asked Charles

Spurgeon

why,

if some

people were

elect,

he preached

the gospel

at all,

and he

said,

if there

were a

yellow stripe

on the

elect's

back,

I would

simply go

around lifting

up their

shirt tails.

But since

there are

not,

we preach

the gospel.

Verse 12,

right,

the proconsul

believes.

The gospel,

the glory

of God,

and the

face of

Jesus Christ

is not

hidden from

him.

It says,

when he saw

what had

occurred,

so he sees

this thing

happen to

Elymas,

right,

does he

believe because

of what he

saw happen

to Elymas?

I'd suggest

not,

for he

was astonished

not at what

happened to

Elymas at

the teaching

of the

Lord,

at the

word of

God

proclaimed.

So,

God employs

means for

the pursuit

of his

praise.

His people,

his word,

and from

our text

today,

there are

some other

means,

but from

our text

today,

thirdly,

his

suffering.

As God

pursues

his praise,

he does

so with

his

suffering.

The

proclamation

of Jesus

Christ

and the

suffering

of Jesus

Christ,

they walk

hand in

hand.

They walk

hand in

hand.

If you

propagate the

word of

God,

if you

proclaim the

gospel of

Jesus Christ,

you will

be persecuted.

And we

often have

these really

big notions

of persecution

that are a

reality.

We see a

lot of it

in the

book of

Acts.

We see a

lot of it

in the

world today.

In fact,

next Sunday

is the

International

Day of

Prayer for

the

Persecuted

Church.

And we're

going to

take some

time to

do that

and consider

that together.

But I

fear sometimes

we think of

that as such

a far-off

thing.

Really,

the type of

persecution

we're talking

about next

Sunday is

beatings and

imprisonment and

martyrdom.

We need to

join in prayer

for churches

that are

experiencing that

around the

world.

Undoubtedly,

we shouldn't

think that we're

too much like

them.

However,

we also

shouldn't think

that we're

too different

from them.

Those who

desire to

live godly in

Christ Jesus

will be

persecuted.

If you're

not feeling

any pushback

from the

world,

you're not

proclaiming the

gospel of

Jesus Christ

as you

should.

The two

walk hand

in hand.

They are

mutually

inclusive.

They're

mutually

inclusive.

We're not

saved from

persecution

because we're

Americans.

Christians.

But

Elimus the

magician,

verse 8,

for that's

the meaning

of his

name.

Elimus

means

Greek,

wise,

or magical.

Opposed

them.

The Greek

word for

opposed is

a little

stronger

than we

may think.

He

resisted

or he

was hostile

toward this

message.

And what

did he

seek to

do?

He

sought

to turn

the

proconsul

away from

the

faith.

This

is a

picture

of

persecution

the way

we may

experience

it

today.

Simple

opposition

to the

message

of Jesus

Christ.

Seeking

to intervene

and turn

people

away

from

the

way

of

faith.

Listen to

what Paul

wrote in

Colossians

Colossians 1:24

chapter 1

verse 24.

Now I

rejoice

in my

sufferings

for your

sake.

And in

my flesh,

peculiar

phrasing

here,

I am

filling

up what

is lacking

in

Christ's

afflictions

for the

sake of

his

body,

that is

the

church.

I am

filling

up what

is lacking

in

Christ's

afflictions

for the

sake of

his

body,

that is

the

church.

Is

Paul

suggesting

that

Christ's

suffering

wasn't

enough?

May it

never be.

Paul is

not saying

that Christ's

suffering was

lacking in

its power.

What he

is saying

is that

Christ's

suffering

needs to

be displayed

to those

who will

believe in

him.

Life,

death,

and

resurrection

is given

power as

we proclaim

the truth

of the

gospel as

we suffer

for their

sake.

Proclamation

and persecution

are mutually

inclusive.

inclusive.

People

around us

need to

see us

encounter

resistance

to the

glorious

truth of

the

gospel

and

press

through

it

all

the

same.

They

need to

hear us

continue

to preach

the word

of God

when people

don't like

us for

doing so.

When people

think us

strange,

when we

lose a

job because

of the

proclamation

of the

gospel,

people need

to see

us press

on

through that.

The two

things are

mutually

inclusive.

So we

see the

beneficiaries

of God's

pursuit of

his praise,

the church,

the means

of God's

pursuit of

his praise,

his people,

his word,

and his

suffering.

And finally,

we see the

persistence of

God's

pursuit of

his praise.

Praise God

that he is

persistent in

his pursuit

of his

praise.

God

intended

to save

the proconsul

and nothing

would stand

in his

way.

I hope

that's a

great

encouragement

to you

this morning.

God had

an intention

for the

governor

of Cyprus

and nothing

would stand

in his

way.

He created

a church

in Antioch,

he commissioned

missionaries

to Cyprus,

and he brought

them to

the proconsul,

Sergius

Paulus.

And in the

face of the

opposition of

Elimus,

catch this,

that in

verse 9,

Saul,

who's also

called Paul,

is filled

with the

Holy Spirit.

I would

not suggest

that anytime

somebody opposes

your proclamation

of the gospel,

that you call

them a son

of the devil.

I would

advise caution

in speaking

the way

that Paul

speaks here,

but Paul

certainly doesn't

seem to be

frightened at

all by this

man,

does he?

He's filled

with the

Holy Spirit,

moved by

the Spirit

to say

to him,

you son

of the

devil,

you enemy

of all

righteousness,

full of

deceit and

villainy,

will you

not stop

making crooked

the straight

paths of

the Lord?

What is

meant by

that,

making crooked

the straight

paths of

the Lord?

And we get

a little bit

of a hint

if you look

in verse

8,

Luke records

that Elimus

was seeking

to turn

the proconsul

away from

the faith.

And the

Greek word

for making

crooked

and the

Greek word

for seeking

to turn,

it's a single

word and

it's the same

word.

So these two

correspond,

right?

Seeking to

turn and

making crooked

correspond,

which leads

me to believe

that also

the faith

and the

straight paths

of the

Lord

correspond.

So God

has straight

paths

leading to

faith.

And He

will not

allow them

to be made

crooked.

He will

not allow

one of His

own to be

turned

from His

praise.

Praise Him

for that.

After Peter

proclaims that

Jesus is the

Christ in

Matthew 16,

18,

Jesus says,

and I tell

you,

you are Peter,

and on this

rock,

He's talking

about the

proclamation

that Jesus

is the

Christ,

not on

Peter.

He's talking

about the

proclamation

on this

rock that

you have

said,

I am

the

Christ,

I will

build

my

church,

and the

gates of

hell shall

not prevail

against it.

They will

not stand

in opposition

to the

advance

of the

church.

So we

can see

God's

pursuit

of His

praise as

we observe

the

beneficiaries

of God's

pursuit

of His

praise,

the means

of God's