WWUTT 1088 Through Many Tribulations We Enter the Kingdom of God?

Paul and Barnabas went back to the towns where they had been persecuted and encouraged the brothers there saying, through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

You will be persecuted, because God said you will be, when we understand the text.

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Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you, Becky. We come back to our study of the book of Acts. This week we've been in chapter 14, and we'll finish up the chapter today.

I'm going to start reading in verse 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. 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. When they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the

Lord, in whom they had believed. So remember yesterday we saw

Paul and Barnabas go to Lystra and performed a miracle there. They healed a lame man.

And when the people saw this miracle, they started worshiping Paul and Barnabas, believing them to be

Greek gods that had come in the flesh. Barnabas was called Zeus, Paul was referred to as Hermes.

And they're even bringing out sacrifices to them. And Paul and Barnabas tear their robes and they say, no, no, don't do this.

We are men just like you. And we come to you with good news. The gospel.

They wanted to direct the people to the true God, who is Christ. But the people were exalting

Paul and Barnabas as though they themselves were gods. You know, it was all the way back in chapter 10 that we read about Peter going to Cornelius' house and Cornelius fell down at Peter's feet and Peter said, no, no, don't do that.

I'm just a man. I'm a man like you. In chapter 12, we read about the death of Herod and the people were praising

Herod as being a god. And the Lord judged him by striking him dead because unlike Peter and Paul.

So the story of Herod is sandwiched right between these stories of Peter and Paul. Unlike the two of them,

Herod loved that the people were calling him a god. So he fancied himself as being godlike.

And because he gave glory to himself instead of the Lord, God struck him down, judged him, and he died a very miserable death in the last days of his life.

But here, just like Peter, Paul and Barnabas are telling the people to stop worshiping them.

But it did not dissuade the people. Verse 18. Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Now, because the people expect Paul and Barnabas to behave as gods and they don't behave as gods.

In fact, they're telling the people, don't worship the Greek gods, worship the true God. Then it wasn't all that difficult for the

Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium into Lystra to convince the people to put

Paul and Barnabas to death. In this case, it was just Paul. Paul was the one who was the speaker.

That's why he got called Hermes by the people, since Hermes was the god of language in ancient

Greece. But because of the Jews' antagonism against Paul and Barnabas, they end up coming from these other cities, finding out that Paul and Barnabas are there preaching the gospel, and they managed to convince the people to put

Paul to death. They persuaded the crowds. Now, that's really all we've got here in verse 19.

There's not a whole lot of detail as to how this happened, how they were able to persuade the crowds or in what manner and in what words.

But the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, the people stoned

Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Doesn't say that he actually died, but he received such a beating from this stoning that it appeared to them like Paul had died.

So they drag him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. Paul referred to this stoning, by the way.

He talked about it in 2 Corinthians 11 and in 2 Timothy 3. It's there in verse 10 where he says to Timothy, you have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch and Iconium and at Lystra, which persecutions

I endured, yet from them all the Lord rescued me. So this would have been that stoning right here that Paul mentions in 2

Timothy 3, the persecutions that he suffered at Antioch, Iconium and at Lystra.

The people supposing that he was dead, left him for dead. It says in verse 20, but when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city.

Now, the disciples probably gathered around him because they were going to mourn over him.

But then he just gets up, at least as far as the narrative goes, as far as what we know from what's said here,

Paul got up under his own power. So it wasn't like the disciples gathered about him and then raised him from the dead or healed him.

The Holy Spirit may very well have healed him, but it was just Paul just getting up. He just got up and entered the city, the very same place where he just got stoned.

He goes back to that place. And on the next day, he went on with Barnabas to Derby. Nobody seemed to question this.

This had to have been something miraculous, though, that had taken place because to receive a beating like that and have appeared dead and then to just get up and be able to walk on to the next city, there certainly had to have been a healing from the

Holy Spirit. But I mean, it's still a serious persecution. This was a serious beating that Paul endured here.

And as Paul will go on to share with Timothy, it's part of being a Christian. It's what we need to come to expect.

But people are going to hate us because of the Christ whom we believe in and the godliness that we are pursuing.

Paul goes on to say right after he talks about these persecutions that he went through in verse 12, 2

Timothy 3, 12, Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

That's not just people who stand in a city square and preach the gospel, telling people to repent from their sin and follow

Christ. Yeah, sure. I mean, those people that are that are really getting a crowd stirred up, we would expect them to possibly be physically abused for the message that they are preaching.

But Paul is not saying here street preachers will be persecuted. Only evangelists will be will be persecuted.

He's saying all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Peter said in first Peter chapter four, starting in verse three, for the time that is past suffices for doing what the

Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties and lawless idolatry.

With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you, but they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead just because you don't join with them in their sin.

They're going to malign you for that. You want to pursue godliness. The world will hate you.

You don't even have to preach the name of Christ or tell somebody, repent and believe the gospel just because you won't join them in their debauchery.

The world is going to hate you for that. That was the way it was with Lot in Sodom. The people of Sodom hated him because he would not join them in their sinful depravity because you want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.

You're going to be persecuted. You're going to be ridiculed. People will hate you for this because you want to follow

God's word. People will hate you for following the word while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

But Paul says to Timothy 2 Timothy 3 14, but as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

And then I have to read verses 16 and 17 just because all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training and righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Amen to that. So here, Paul is encouraging Timothy and 2

Timothy chapter three, encouraging him to remain in the word and understand that just because you want to pursue godliness, people are going to persecute you for that.

You have Peter in first Peter four saying that that you don't want to join folks in their debauchery and their depravity.

Well, they're going to hate you for that. Those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Why is it that we suffer in our faith, that we go through persecution, that people hate us for the

God we believe in and the Christ whom we serve and worship? Why do people hate us for this?

Because God said they would. I'll talk about this a little bit more because there's more to this story to come, and I don't want to just go through all my cross references this early.

So let's keep going here. And then I've got more passages that I'll throw in with this where Jesus had even told his disciples that they were going to be persecuted.

This is in fulfillment of what God had said to those who follow him. We are going to be persecuted, but this is good news.

And we're actually blessed to suffer for the sake of the name. Remember that when the apostles were beaten earlier in Acts, they went out from there rejoicing after they had just been beaten because they were considered worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.

The apostle Paul was left for dead. Nope. He gets right back up again by the power of the spirit.

He goes right back into the city from which he had just from which he had just been dragged.

He goes right back in there and then goes with Barnabas to Derby. And then he goes back to the cities where they threatened to kill him.

That's what comes up next. When they preached the gospel to that city in Derby and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra where they had just been stoned, where Paul had just been stoned and to Iconium and to Antioch, where the people had come to try to get

Paul to be stoned all the places where Paul was persecuted. He goes back there and and we should be willing to endure the same, though there's people that are going to be hating us for the gospel that we preach and the godliness that we are pursuing.

That's that doesn't mean we tuck tail and run. You know, yesterday I had mentioned that if you're if if somebody is threatening to persecute you, it's

OK to try to escape that persecution. You don't have to stand there and go, well, I mean, the Bible says

I'm supposed to be persecuted. So I guess I just need to stand here and take it. If if you can flee from that, you should.

So you can take the gospel to somebody else who's willing to listen to it. And Jesus said in Matthew 10, 23, when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next.

But that doesn't mean that any time that we face persecution, that that's just permission for you to go, well,

I'm out of here. Anytime something gets hard, I'm going to go somewhere else because Paul and Barnabas end up going back to the very places where their lives were threatened, checking on the brothers whom they had led to the

Lord when they were there. See, things had calmed down a little bit. They were no longer the focus. People's attention was now directed at other things.

They had busied their lives and other stuff. And so they were able to come back into the city without the kind of attention that they had when they left and check on the brothers that they had led to Christ so that they might encourage and build up the church there.

So they go back to Lystra, Iconium and to Antioch. They were strengthened with courage by the

Holy Spirit of God, nothing to fear of men. They worshiped and served and honored the

Lord. So they go back to these cities, strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith.

See how encouraging is that when these men and women were made brothers and sisters in the

Lord because of the gospel that was preached by Paul and Barnabas. They know that Paul and Barnabas were persecuted, and so they fled from there.

But then they come back again to encourage them. So how emboldening is it to this group of people who now see, hey, these men that preached the gospel to us and who had to get away from this persecution, they've come back.

How do they love us? They love us so much to have shared the gospel with us and then risk their own lives coming back in here to check on us and see how we are doing.

And that would have encouraged them all the more to stand in courage against the persecution they no doubt would face in the city where persecution had risen up even against Paul and Barnabas.

So they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.

Once again, those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

First Timothy 4 .12, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you.

Now, once again, why do we go through persecution? Because God said that we would.

And it's to test you that you might be steadfast and sure and strengthened.

Your trust would be all the more in God and not in the things of this world. You long all the more for his kingdom and not this fallen world.

Rejoice. That's verse 13, but rejoice in so far as you share

Christ's sufferings. If you desire to be Christ -like, you're going to suffer as Christ did.

That you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Now get this, next verse, verse 14, this is a heavy one, okay?

It's heavy. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed.

Because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Folks, I am insulted for the name of Christ every day.

And sometimes those insults come from fellow believers. That's the most astonishing thing.

I have to have grace and patience with others to know. Just because somebody has insulted me does not automatically mean they're not a

Christian. The litmus test of faith is not whether or not you've insulted Gabe Hughes, okay?

So my Lord was gracious and patient with me. And so I must be with others even when they insult me.

It's astonishing that that would come from people within the faith. It comes from people within your own church sometimes.

And Paul warned the elders at Ephesus of that very thing. Acts 20, verse 30.

Fierce wolves will arise among you, attempting to devour and drag off the sheep.

Now in that case, we're actually talking about false teachers. Unbelievers. People who would be revealed to be unbelievers and we need to defend the flock.

But the point still stands that there are going to be people from within your church. People you thought to be your own brothers and sisters and probably still are.

But they get caught in a snare of Satan and they start sowing discord because they've been led astray.

And even still in these situations, we need to be patient with one another. For the Lord has been patient with us.

He was patient with his own disciples. Now aside from the fact that Judas betrayed him, you have

Peter who told Jesus he would go with him to death and then denied him three times.

Just as Jesus said that he would before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times. But Jesus said to Peter, I have prayed for you so that when you turn back, you may encourage your brothers in the faith.

So when someone comes against me, I pray for them and hoping that they will repent and be an encouragement to the rest of the body over that.

Be able to say, look, I was caught in Satan's snare and I have seen the error of my ways.

God has granted repentance, as it says in 2 Timothy 2, 25, and leading people to a knowledge of the truth.

When Jesus was arrested, all of his disciples scattered. They ran away. So when we suffer for the sake of his name, we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

And it's so that we would glorify and honor Christ all the more. We cling to him all the more, knowing that we are growing in Christ likeness and we are sharing in in the things that our

Savior endured for us, but not as great a degree as Christ endured for us, because we don't have to go through the wrath of God.

People who are followers of Christ, who have faith in Jesus, the wrath of God is satisfied.

So while man may do things to us and persecute us, we have nothing to fear of what man does, no matter what he might say or accusations and insults that he might hurl at us.

We do not fear man. We fear God and he has promised us. The Lord has promised he will deliver us through his son,

Jesus Christ. Jesus said to his disciples, behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.

So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. This was Matthew 10, 16.

I'm going on to verse 17 now. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues.

And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the

Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

For it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. Jesus goes on talking about this kind of persecution.

Brother will deliver brother over to death and the father, his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.

And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

And that's what Paul is sharing with the churches here in verse 22,

Acts 14, 22. Continue in the faith because it is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus said to his own disciples in Mark 10, that we will receive the kingdom of God with persecutions.

People will hate us, but we trust in the Lord, our God, and he will save us in the end.

Verse 23. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the

Lord in whom they have believed. Take heart, my brothers and sisters, be courageous, stand strong, remain steadfast, and it is the

Lord who will sustain you. Cling to him. Do not despair when people in this world hate you.

We've been promised that people in this world will hate us, but the Lord loves us through his son,

Jesus Christ. As I said to you, I believe yesterday out of Romans chapter eight, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our

Lord. As David prayed in the Psalms for my mother and my father have forsaken me, but the

Lord will take me in. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you would fill us with courage, that we would not fear the accusations of men that are empty and ultimately cannot do anything to us.

They certainly will hurt for the time and we will feel heartbroken when those that we thought loved us will turn against us.

But we know that in the kingdom of God, if we are pursuing your righteousness, that there is nothing that can harm us by the accusations of men.

Our place is secure in the kingdom of God forever in glory. So help us to cling to you.

And if anytime we face persecution or ridicule or things like that in this life, we rejoice in those things for we share in Christ's sufferings.

And these things cause us to draw to you all the more, trusting less in men and more in God.

And we look all the more for your kingdom that is going to come when all of the horrible things that happen in this world will be gone.

And we will be with our Lord forever in glory because you have promised you will keep us and sustain us by your spirit to the end, sealed by the

Holy Spirit of God for your kingdom forever. We ask for grace and forgiveness and mercy that we would treat one another with these things because you have shown them to us.

And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to When We Understand the

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