Acts 14:1-20: Perseverance in Gospel Ministry

Acts 14:1-20: Perseverance in Gospel Ministry

We’ve been working our way passage by passage through the book of Acts, and today the next passage we come to is Acts 14:1-20. It says,

1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 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. 8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 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. 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. 

May God bless the reading of his Word.

Many of you may have heard that just a few weeks ago—on January 8, to be exact—a new law took effect in Canada banning a practice that’s often called “conversion therapy.” The law defines this practice as any “practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; [or] change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth.” And, if you notice, that definition is quite broad. It would conceivably include not only conversations in the counseling office in which a professional counselor tries to lead a person toward a biblical understanding of sexuality but would also include many other things such as preaching about biblical sexuality or even praying in a way that implies a biblical understanding of sexuality. All of that is now illegal in Canada and carries a prison sentence of up to five years. Let that sink in. 

That means any pastor in Canada to who preaches a biblical view of sexuality now risks imprisonment for five years. Any parent who guides their child toward a biblical understanding of sexuality now risks imprisonment for five years. Any friend who shares the gospel with an LGBT friend and implies that following Jesus involves repenting of sinful sexual behaviors now risks imprisonment for five years. And this is Canada—not China or North Korea or some oppressive Middle Eastern country, but Canada—that’s just passed this law. And, by the way, the bill that just became law was passed unanimously in the Canadian legislature. Not a single member of the legislature—even from the supposedly conservative party—voted against this bill. The governing authorities in Canada voted unanimously to make any form of LGBT conversion therapy illegal. 

Now, let me just say that my purpose this morning isn’t to be unloving in any way toward those who identify as LGBT. We as a church love such individuals, we care for them, and we pray that they would find the same hope and joy and purpose in Jesus that we ourselves have found. However, I do believe this law that’s recently taken effect in Canada is indicative of what’s coming in America. This is the end game of the so-called Progressive movement. In case there was any doubt, it’s now quite clear that their ultimate goal isn’t simply to promote a more diverse and inclusive society but also to decisively silence all dissenting voices. The tolerance of which they speak is a tolerance that only goes one way. And if you’re on the wrong side of that tolerance, you don’t just get canceled or even fined. You go to prison. And that’s no longer just a theoretical threat. It’s a reality right now in Canada. And we have to wonder just how long it will be until it’s a reality here in America as well. The time may soon be upon us when simply being a faithful Christian in America requires considerable sacrifice.

Yet the good news is that this isn’t anything new in church history, nor is it anything that the Bible doesn’t equip us for. In fact, the main passage we’ll be looking at today—Acts 14:1-20—is a perfect example of a passage that helps us significantly in this area. We see here how Paul remained faithful in his gospel ministry regardless of the cost. That’s the main idea of this passage. Paul remained faithful in his gospel ministry regardless of the cost. 

So let’s look at some of the difficulties Paul faced in the course of his ministry. First of all, let’s not forget about what Paul’s just experienced at the end of the previous chapter. Speaking of Paul’s ministry in Antioch, Acts 13:50-51 tells us this: 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. So that’s the experience Paul’s just come out of and what has brought him now to Iconium. The Jews back in the city of Antioch were so militantly opposed to his ministry that they persuaded the governing officials of the city that Paul had to go and managed to have both him and Barnabas driven out of the city. Paul’s own countrymen, whom he had traveled hundreds of miles to minister to, rejected him even to the point of going out of their way to have him expelled from the city. I think it’s safe to say that Paul understood very well how it felt to be rejected by those you care about—even as you’re simply trying to minister to them. Perhaps some of you have felt that pain as well. 

So after being expelled from Antioch, Paul travels 90 miles to Iconium. And that’s where chapter 14 picks up. Again, as is his pattern, Paul goes first to the synagogue and speaks persuasively about Jesus, with the result, verse 1 states, that “a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.” But, again, some of the Jews stirred up trouble and turned people against Paul and Barnabas. As a result, we read in verses 4-7, 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 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. 

So here we see that the persecution against Paul and Barnabas is escalating. Back in Antioch, it simply says that they were expelled from the area. But here in Iconium, an attempt is made on their lives. Verse 5 states that their opponents try to stone them. Stoning was a distinctly Jewish form of execution prescribed in the Old Testament for a variety of offenses, including blasphemy, which is likely what the Jews here think Paul and Barnabas are guilty of. Fortunately, Paul and Barnabas get wind of their plans and are able to get out of town before anything bad happens. Verse 6 tells us that they flee to Lystra and continue to preach the gospel. 

Then the subsequent verses record some events in Lystra that are…rather interesting. After Paul heals a crippled man, the people of Lystra try to worship him and Barnabas as gods—thinking that Barnabas is Zeus and that Paul is Hermes. And it gets pretty wild—they even try to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, though Paul and Barnabas are able to persuade them not to do that. 

However, things take a sudden turn in verses 19-20: 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. So one minute, the people of Lystra are trying to worship Paul as a god, and the next, they’re stoning him. Talk about being fickle! It reminds me of the fickleness of the crowds in Jerusalem during Jesus’ earthly ministry. One day, during what’s often called the triumphal entry, the crowds are hailing Jesus as a hero. Yet, just a few days later, many of those very same people are demanding his crucifixion. 

Similarly, the people of Lystra quickly turn against Paul and stone him to death—or, at least, think they stone him to death. As we read here, he actually survives. I don’t know if he was knocked unconscious or simply pretended to be dead—that’s probably what I’d do—but somehow Paul survives. And he doesn’t just survive, but, incredibly, he actually gets up, enters the city again, and sets out the next day on a journey to another city in order to continue spreading the gospel. That might be one of the most incredible things recorded in the New Testament. I mean, imagine today going on an overseas mission trip somewhere and being beaten to within an inch of your life by the people of the area. Is there anyone here who would just rest up for a single day and then continue your evangelistic efforts in that country? Probably not. I’m pretty sure that, for just about everyone here, myself included, the mission trip would probably be over at that point. We’d probably recuperate at an overseas hospital for as long as necessary and then travel back to America once we felt well enough to do so. 

But not Paul. You can almost picture him there on the ground after being stoned. Stoning, of course, means that people would literally throw large stones at you until you died. It was as brutal and bloody a way to die as just about any form of execution that’s ever been devised. So Paul must have been a bloody mess on the ground. He probably looked something like human roadkill. Yet, somehow, he gets up, enters Lystra again, and the next day begins his journey to his next destination—the city of Derbe—an astounding distance of 58 miles away. I have no idea how he was able to do that. But somehow, he was. That’s how determined he was to continue spreading the gospel. 

So, the natural question is, how in the world was he that motivated to continue his gospel ministry? Was he insane? Did he enjoy suffering? What motivated him to keep going? That’s the question I find most fascinating about this text and that I’d like to spend the rest of our time today discussing. I’d like to use some of Paul’s own writings elsewhere in the New Testament to try to get into his mind and figure out what make him tick and ultimately discover the secret to his incredible perseverance.

One of the most important and revealing passages is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. After speaking extensively in the previous chapter of his significant experiences of suffering, Paul explains why he’s continued his ministry. He states, 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. The key phrase in these verses is right at the very beginning: “the love of Christ controls us.” Other translations say that the love of Christ “compels” us. It’s almost as if Paul, in a manner of speaking, doesn’t have any other option. Christ’s love is so marvelous and so staggering that it compels Paul to live as he does. 

And that love, Paul says, is seen chiefly in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He states that “one has died for all.” In reality, we’re the ones who deserved to face God’s judgment for our sins. We’ve sinned, the consequence for sin is judgment, so we deserved that judgment. Yet Jesus, in an act of incomprehensible love, suffered that judgement in our place when he died on the cross. That’s what it means to say that he died “for” us—he died both as our substitute and for our benefit. He faced God’s wrath so we wouldn’t have to and then demonstrated that God the Father had indeed accepted his sacrifice by rising from the dead. 

And after Paul came to understand all of this, he was never the same again. From now on, the love of Christ would “control” him and “compel” him to live a life of singular devotion to Jesus. What other option did he have? How else could he respond to the one who loved him with such love? That’s why Paul was able to pick his bloody self up from the ground outside of Lystra and set out the very next day to continue telling people about Jesus. Jesus had suffered even greater agony on the cross than anything that happened outside of Lystra, and that drove Paul to keep going. He was so grateful for the love Jesus had shown to him that he wanted to serve Jesus literally with every ounce of strength he had left.  

Yet that’s not all that motivated Paul. There was another dynamic at work in his heart as well. And we see it by moving back a chapter in 2 Corinthians to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Remember, Paul’s speaking in this chapter of his extensive suffering, and he says, 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

So, looking at these verses, isn’t it interesting how Paul describes the things he went through? What does he call them in verse 17? “Light momentary affliction.” So everything that took place outside of Lystra? “Light momentary affliction.” And that’s not all. If you read ahead in 2 Corinthians, you see that Paul’s sufferings included a lot more than what happened at Lystra. He writes in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, comparing himself to those opposing his ministry, that he’s dealt with “…far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 

So…there you go. That’s what Paul considers “light momentary affliction” back in 2 Corinthians 4:17. How could he say such a thing? Well, if you notice in those verses, it’s because he’s comparing these afflictions with “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” As he says in the second half of verse 18, he’s comparing things that are “transient” or temporary to things that are “eternal.” In other words, the suffering Paul experienced and even the suffering we often experience might at first seem to be unthinkably difficult. Yet when you compare that suffering to the “eternal weight of glory” that God has in store for his people, you discover that there actually isn’t much of a comparison at all. And that’s not at all to minimize the trials people face in this life. People face some very difficult things, and we’re not minimizing those trials. We’re simply maximizing the glory of what’s to come. That’s where our focus needs to be when we’re facing trials. As Paul says, we have to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” That was Paul’s mindset. 

And back in our main passage of Acts 14, that’s another factor that contributed to Paul being motivated to continue spreading the gospel even after he was stoned and left for dead. And that’s important for us to keep in mind as well. We may never be beaten to within an inch of our lives because of our devotion to Jesus, but make no mistake, there will still be things we have to endure. As I mentioned, just look at Canada if you want to see what’s coming. The price we pay for being faithful Christians might not be as dramatic or extreme as what Paul experiences in Acts 14, but there is a price to pay and will likely been an even steeper price in the years to come. I know how we all love inflation, right? Well, there’s most likely a spiritual inflation of sorts that seems to be just around the corner. And we need to be prepared for that. 

Yet…if you think about our options in light of eternity, the right choice is obvious. And let me appeal very directly to anyone here who perhaps isn’t sure whether it’s worth it to follow Jesus and to be a faithful Christian and to take a bold stand for biblical truths even as those truths become increasingly unpopular and even as the price we’ll have to pay for taking a stand rises higher and higher. For anyone who may be on the fence, first of all, it’s good that you’re giving careful thought to this issue. In fact, in Luke 14, Jesus encourages us to “count the cost” before we decide to follow him. He says in Luke 14:28-30, 28 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” 

In other words, just as we’d want to count the cost before starting a building project, we need to count the cost before deciding to become a follower of Jesus. So let me briefly help you do that this morning with the expectation that the best choice will become abundantly clear. So take out your pencil, grab your calculator, and let’s do some comparing. By the way, these comparisons have been adapted from my good friend, the nineteenth century theologian J. C. Ryle, yet are still just as relevant today as when Ryle suggested them 150 years ago. 

First, let me challenge you to compare the profit and the loss for those who are Christians. Christians may lose various things in this world, but they gain eternal salvation. Conversely, consider Mark 8:36: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” So put that into your mental calculator: the profit and the loss. 

Second, compare the praise and the ridicule. Christians may often be ridiculed by others in this world, yet they have the praise and affirmation of God. And consider how the ridicule comes from the lips of a few feeble and fallible people who are here today and gone tomorrow, while the praise comes from for the eternal King of Kings and Judge of all the earth. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:11-12: 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Third, compare the friends and the enemies. On the one hand, if you’re a Christian, you have the enmity of the devil and those in this world who are opposed to God. On the other hand, you have the favor and friendship of Jesus. Your enemies might be able to cause you a few earthly inconveniences and periods of discomfort, but they can’t cause you any permanent harm. By contrast, your Friend is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by him (Hebrews 7:25), and no one is ever able to snatch his sheep out of his hand (John 10:28). Not surprisingly, Jesus says in Luke 12:5: “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

Fourth, along those lines, compare the troubles of Christians in this world with the troubles that await those who aren’t Christians. Anything Christians might experience is nothing compared to the eternal judgement that awaits those who reject God. A single day in hell is exponentially worse than an entire life spent carrying a cross for Jesus. As we find written in Luke 16:25 to a non-Christian suffering God’s judgment, “Remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus [a Christian] in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.”

And finally, fifth, compare the pleasures of sin to the pleasures of God. The pleasures found in sin are shallow, empty, and fleeting, while the pleasures found in God are solid, eternal, and all-satisfying. They’re not dependent on earthly health or earthly circumstances. Even death can’t take them away from us but only leads us to experience them more vividly than ever before. As David says to God in Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

So there we have it—five comparisons that help us count the cost to determine if it’s worth it to follow Jesus. And I know I told you to grab a calculator, but, truthfully, you may not even need one to do these calculations. Considered side-by-side with each other, there’s really not much of a comparison between the two options of following Jesus or following some other path. And hopefully, laying things out like this is not only a help to those who are considering Christianity but also an encouragement to those of us who are already Christians. Hopefully, this strengthens your resolve to be firm and steadfast in your commitment regardless of what difficulties may come our way. 

Thinking back to Acts 14, I believe this is the mindset Paul possessed that drove him to live the way he did. And notice that he didn’t just hunker down and try to stay off the radar as a Christian. He took a stand and boldly shared the gospel even though he knew he was inviting more earthly difficulties than he’d otherwise experience. Yet he did it anyway because he had an eternal mindset. Hopefully that challenges you. I know I find it challenging. You know, it’s hard to read about Paul’s incredible perseverance even after being stoned in Acts 14 and not start to wonder: could it be that what we’d view as reckless God simply views as faithful? Again, thinking about Paul’s behavior in Acts 14, could it be that what we’d view as reckless God simply views as faithful? I won’t claim to know the answer to that question, but I certainly believe it’s one that’s worth asking. Maybe, we who are Christians need to be a little more bold in our gospel witness and a little less intimidated by what others might think or say. It all comes back to having an eternal mindset and doing our calculations correctly. 

I once heard an account of how John Chrysostom, a Christian leader in the fourth century, was committed to preaching the Bible faithfully and, in the course of doing so, offended a number of powerful people, including the empress of the Roman Empire. When the Emperor Arcadius summoned Chrysostom and threatened to banish him if he continued preaching the way he had been doing, Chrysostom replied, “Sire, you cannot banish me, for the world is my Father’s house.” “Then I will slay you,” the emperor replied. Yet Chrysostom answered, “Nay, but you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.” So the emperor threatened, “Your treasures will be confiscated.” Yet Chrysostom replied, “Sire, that cannot be, either. My treasures are in heaven, where none can break in and steal.” Finally, in angry desperation, the emperor raised his voice and said, “Then I will drive you from man, and you will have no friends left!” “That you cannot do, either,” answered Chrysostom, “for I have a Friend in heaven who has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” 

Now, Chrysostom did end up being banished, first to Armenia and then even farther away to a Pityus on the Black Sea, though he never actually arrived there because he died on the way. Yet everything he claimed was absolutely true. The things he valued most highly not even the Roman emperor could take away from him. And, friends, the same is true for us. If we’re valuing what the Bible identifies as most valuable, then it doesn’t matter what certain people might think about us, say about us, or even do to us. Nobody will be able to even touch anything essential to our joy. 

I’ll close with this quote from Ryle: “The time is very short. A few more years of watching and praying, a few more tossings on the sea of this world, a few more deaths and changes, a few more winters and summers, and all will be over. We shall have fought our last battle, and shall need to fight no more. The presence and company of Christ will make amends for all we suffer here below. When we see as we have been seen, and look back on the journey of life, we shall wonder at our own faintness of heart. We shall marvel that we made so much of our cross, and thought so little of our crown. We shall marvel that in ‘counting the cost’ we could ever doubt on which side the balance of profit lay. Let us take courage. We are not far from home. It may cost much to be a true Christian and a consistent believer; but it pays.”