The Gospel for the Pagan

Acts-The Gospel in the City PART XVII
Dr. Timothy Keller
07 April 2013

Acts 14:8-23
8In Lystra there sat a man who was lame.  He had been that way from birth and had never walked.  9He listened to Paul as he was speaking.  Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, "Stand up on your feet!"  At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"  12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.  13The 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.

14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15"Friends, why are you doing this?  We too are only human, like you.  We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from those worhtless things to the living God, who made heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.  16In the past, he let all nations go their own way.  17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."  18Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crownd from sacrificing to them.

19Then 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.  20But 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.

21They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.  Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.  "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.  23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Ministering to the polytheistic

LOVE THE NEEDY
--Paul preaches and heals--ministry through words and deeds.
--Pour yourself out to the needs of our neighbors.
--Give money and time away.

IDENTIFY IDOLS
--v.15 Turn from worthles things--they promise fulfillment but leaves us empty.
--Everyone lives for something and its mastering you--makes you angry, etc.
--God will satisfy you and if you fail, he will forgive.

ENDURE HARDSHIPS
--If life is about finding happiness, then suffering disrupts that.
--Suffering is part of Christ.
--When you suffer, you become like him.

Our longings are fulfilled through Jesus.