Thursday Night Bible Study (3): Acts 13

Acts 13

13:1-3 - Here we see how the leaders of the Church of Antioch seek Jesus. The Church at Antioch has been established, the Holy Spirit is using Her to bring people to know Jesus, and make those believers into disciples of Christ. But a Church alive, like the one in Antioch, is always seeking the LORD for next steps. Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul seek the LORD's guiding hand by fasting, worshiping, and praying to Him. What some, mainly me, call the trifecta. Jesus calls us to do all three and we see these 5 men completely seek the LORD through the ways He commands. V2 expresses that while these men were fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to both Barnabas and Saul to start their mission work, first separately and then to the Church leaders. By fasting and praying to the LORD, Saul and Barnabas heard what the LORD called them to do for His glory. I want to challenge you - maybe you're in a spiritual rut, need God's guidance, plead with God for a friend, need to repent of sin - to do as Jesus and the leaders at Antioch did, and fast. Today, Christians pray and worship on a daily, or at least a weekly basis, but we often neglect to fast as Jesus instructs us. Fasting is a powerful tool that will open our minds and hearts to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly.

13:4 - Don't miss this - Saul and Barnabas go, they do what the LORD commands. The two of them don't just hear the instructions, but they listen, they follow. I'm sure it was difficult. I'm sure it was uneasy. I would even bet that doubt, placed in their minds by the cunning deceiver, Satan, caused them to second guess they even heard the voice of God. But Saul and Barnabas ignore those thoughts from their sinful nature and follow Christ's command.

13:5 - As soon as Saul and Barnabas arrive in Salamis, they start to proclaim the word of God. They go straight to the Jewish synagogues and proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They waist no time telling people about Jesus.

13:6-12 - Saul, now called Paul (v9) while filled with the Holy Spirit, lays the smack down on the false prophet named Elymas. Paul proclaims that the Holy Spirit will cause Elymas to go blind because his false teachings have placed him as an adversary of the LORD. Immediately the man becomes blind. Now, that's miraculous and awesome, but what happens next is even better. Because of Paul's teachings of Jesus Christ and the miracle the Holy Spirit did through Paul, the heart of the proconsul was transformed. The proconsul believed in Jesus. Verse 12 explains he saw and heard - it was the Holy Spirit's one-two punch to reveal the Truth of Jesus to this man.

13:13-15 - Once Paul and Barnabas arrived in Pisidian Antioch and on the Sabbath they go to the synagogue. Again, they go to the synagogue to preach about Jesus. After reading from the Old Testament, the leaders ask Paul to speak to the people and to encourage them.

13:16-41 - Paul stands up and begins to preach to the Jews. Paul unpacks for the people how God has orchestrated His actions from the beginning to the coming of Jesus Christ, and how Christ fulfills history perfectly. How history and time and creation were born for Him.

13:16-20 - Paul doesn't just physically stand up, but his speech stands up against the Jews. Paul is preaching a radical message. Paul's first few verses depict how God provided for the Israelites from the onset. He provided for them in slavery, provided a way for them to get out of slavery, and provided them a homeland. God provided as He showed His people His power with getting them out of Egypt and God showed the Israelites His mercy as they complained during the Exodus. God shows His mercy to us as He endures our conduct, our sin, and saves us anyway. God knew every one of our sins, small and large, before He sent His son Jesus, and He sent Him anyway - and Jesus freely gave Himself anyway. That's true love.

13:20-22 - Paul explains that the LORD provided Israel with judges, their first king Saul, and then David. The LORD will provide. When He calls us to do something, He will provide a way. The LORD provides leadership for His people. Saul didn't lean upon the LORD like the LORD demanded a leader to, so the LORD ousted him. The LORD will protect His people, especially from poor leadership.

13:23-25 - Paul expresses that everything that has happened in the world, has happened for the coming, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul goes in deeper with the mentioning of John the Baptist who gave his life to the service of God and to the proclamations that the Christ was near, thus the need for repentance. He believed in God and His son so much, that he lived in a desert wearing animal fur, drinking honey, and eating bugs. That's devotion. That's a faith that more people should live by.

13:26-31 - "it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent." Paul nails it. It's for the world that Jesus was sent - to save us all. What I can't understand is the complexity behind the Jews not recognizing Jesus for what He was, the Messiah, and by belittling Him to a shameful death, they fulfill God's promises. The detail and complexity behind such an event, that's without saying the awe of Jesus' resurrection, baffles me. Thankfully, He's God and we don't have to worry about such 'over-our-head' details. Jesus is the LORD fulfilling His promises to His people. Jesus and the message of salvation are for the people, even those who persecuted Him. His. mercy. blows. my. mind.

13:32-35 - Jesus fulfills the promises of God to the Israelites. Jesus' resurrection and conquering of death is the point of history.

13:36 & 37 - Like King David, God will put an end to our lives. But until the LORD does, we are to serve God's purpose for our lives. If you haven't dropped dead, then God isn't finished with you. He wants to know you more, wants you to know Him more, and wants to do work in you/us. Live for Him, serve Him, and do His will for your life. God's purpose never stopped for Jesus - He still saves people 2000 years after He conquered death!

13:38-40 - The kicker. Paul drops the bomb that Jesus died the horrible death to save humanity from our sins and to forgive us. That through the acceptance of Jesus Christ, we are justified from our sins. Paul continues that Jesus justifies us from sin, something that following the Law of Moses could never do. Basically, with that statement Paul does three things: 1) He speaks Truth. 2) His message, during this place and time, takes a quicker turn down radical road. 3) Paul is stating that good works, following the Law, will not get anyone anywhere. Only Jesus Christ saves and forgives of sins - not the Law. That is an extremely bold statement, a true statement, but radically bold.

13:41 - absolutely amazing. Most of the time, actions of the LORD are unexplainable, that's why they are of the LORD. He does the impossible. He is the unexplainable. Paul is pleading with the Jews to accept the Truth and to not be like their fathers who put the Messiah to death. Paul's recitation of Hab. 1:5 is extremely accurate. He is begging the Jews to accept Jesus, that they not doubt, scorn, or make a mockery of Him. Paul doesn't want them to fall in the same trap as their fathers. How many of us have fallen in that trap? How many of you don't believe? Make a mockery? The coolest thing is that Jesus died for us, even though we mock Him, lie to Him, and at times, doubt Him.

13:42 & 43 - The Jewish people were moved by Paul's preaching in the synagogue. So much so that they ask him to speak again next week and even follow him around town. Two things here grabbed my attention. 1) The congregation want Paul to speak again. They want to hear more about Jesus. They realize that God fulfills His promises and that they are missing something; that they are missing Jesus and His Holy Spirit. 2) Paul and Barnabas walk and talk with the congregation. They encourage and urge the people to continue in their walks with God. Paul isn't too good, isn't too tired, and isn't too prideful, to speak and encourage the people. As a leader, Paul gives himself for the glory of God. We could all learn from him.

13:44-48 - Fast-forward to the next Sabbath and almost the entire city came together to hear Paul speak. Paul doesn't disappoint. He preaches the message of Jesus and in return, some of the Jews in the area began to bash him. Filled with jealousy, which is sin, the Jews begin to slander Paul and Barnabas, and their teaching of Jesus. But Paul wasn't having any of it - he answers his opposition boldly and speaks truth to their hearts. Truth they don't want to hear and truth they don't accept. So Paul transitions his focus to the Gentiles because the Jews "do not consider themselves worthy of eternal life." We aren't worthy but there in lies the beauty of Christ's love. Paul continued to preach Jesus and those Gentiles whom the LORD appointed to eternal life believed in Him. Now, "appointed to eternal life?" It means, those people whom God had chosen and opened their hearts to receive Jesus on that day. God is omnipotent. He knows who and when and where we will accept Jesus. He knew when before the earth was spoken into existence. The Gentiles believed in Jesus and began their relationships with Him, forever saved, forever to be with Him.

13:49-52 - The Hand of the LORD was with Paul and his preaching so that the word of God spread throughout the area Paul was staying. With all standing up for Jesus and preaching His Good News, there will be opposition. There will be opposition every time we stand up for Jesus, spread His love, and His awesomeness. We need to continue to rest in Jesus when this persecution, because of being His disciples, arises in our lives. Paul and Barnabas kick the dust from their feet as the Jews booted them from Dodge, just as Jesus commands the His disciples. Its an act of shrugging off the persecution, keeping one's eyes on the future, JESUS, and not the past. Paul and Barnabas leave Pisidian Antioch because of the Jews, but simultaneously, because its God's will for them to preach Jesus' name to Iconium. God will receive glory from every situation - good and bad, joyous and sorrowful - He demands praise.

Chapter 13, like the entire Bible, unfolds God's plan to receive glory no matter what position His disciples are in. In what seems like a 'spiritual funk' or hardship, God will unfold His plan and guide us to give Him all glory.