“How to Spot a Christian”
(Acts 14:1-28)
Series: The Church on Fire!
Rev. Todd A. Linn
First Baptist Church Henderson KY
(12-16-07) (AM)
- Take God’s word and open to Acts, chapter 14.
We are continuing a series of messages through the book of Acts, a series on the early church entitled, “The Church on Fire!” This morning we are finishing our study of the first planned, missionary journey outside of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. We’re reading about Paul and Barnabas’s taking the Gospel hundreds of miles away from their home base.
Many commentators have noted a sort of pattern that emerges when you study the missionary journeys of Paul. The pattern is basically: they share the gospel and some believe, then they are persecuted and move on to another city. We’ll study all of chapter 14 this morning, but let’s first read just the first seven verses.
- Stand in honor of the reading of God’s word.
1 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them,
6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.
7 And they were preaching the gospel there.
- Pray.
Introduction:
I was studying on the internet and interested to learn that there are a number of articles on the worldwide web that will help you spot certain kinds of things or certain kinds of people. For example, there are articles that will help you spot a bad motion picture, and a failing neighborhood. Then there are numerous articles to help you discover scams, such as, “7 ways to spot a weight-loss scam,” how to spot an email scam, a scholarship scam, a knockoff handbag, a fake Rolex, and a fake driver’s license.
And there are many of these types of articles that assist you in spotting certain kinds of people. There’s: how to spot a mover you can trust, how to spot a tradesperson you can trust, and warning articles on how to spot a liar, how to spot a psychopath, and how to spot a con. There’s a book for ladies entitled, “How to spot a dangerous man before you get involved,” and a malpractice article for doctors entitled, “How to spot potential plaintiffs.” And drawing upon the unique contributions of Jeff Foxworthy, you can even find help with how to spot a redneck.
Of course the idea behind these articles is that there are certain characteristics, certain behaviors, of certain kinds of people that giveaway what they’re all about. I thought of that as I read chapter 14. I believe, among other things, that chapter 14 tells us “How to Spot a Christian.” We read about people who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. We read about people who live for God and have a heart for God. We read about people very much like the people listening to this message.
You can spot a Christian a mile away. How? Well, let’s talk about it. You can spot a Christian, first, by what he proclaims. That’s number one. People can tell we’re Christians by:
I. What we Proclaim [1-7]
That is, you can spot a Christian by what he or she considers an important topic of conversation. While the Christian can talk about a number of things like the recent basketball game, the weather, and the political situation, the Christian will inevitably make a point to talk about Jesus.
Verses 1-7 illustrate this truth in the lives of Paul and Barnabas. Look again at your Bibles:
1 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.
Now remember to use your maps in the back of the Bible! If you don’t have a good study Bible I hope Santa brings you one in a few days. Paul and Barnabas enter the city and speak, they proclaim the gospel, so that a great number both of Jews and Greeks believe. But remember the pattern? Here comes persecution:
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
The Bible says in verse 2 that unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, poising their minds against Paul and Barnabas. They’re like, “Don’t listen to these guys. They’re religious fanatics. What do they know?” So what do Paul and Barnabas do? I love this, verse 3:
3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
They “stayed their a long time!” They’re like, “Unless someone is coming after us to kill us, we’re sticking around. We can put up with talk against us.” We’ll note this characteristic of Christians in more detail in a minute, but they don’t easily give-up. They persevere.
4 But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, (Okay, so here comes an attempt on their lives, now, and they’re not senseless, you know..)
6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.
7 And they were preaching the gospel there.
You can spot a Christian by what he proclaims, by what he talks about. How often do you talk about Jesus in your conversations? I was doing some hospital visitation yesterday, and listened as one of our members was describing his situation. I asked about his pain, and he said, “You know, I look around here and I’ve got this equipment over here, and this thing here, and a nice bed to sleep in—and then his eyes filled with tears and he said, “but when I think of what Jesus went through,” and he struggled to finish his words. That’s the mark of a life centered upon the Lord. You can tell a person’s a Christian by what he proclaims, by what he considers important to mention in the conversation.
How often do you work-in the name of “Jesus” in your conversations? See, it’s tempting to read these stories of missionaries going into foreign lands and say, “Well, those people are different.” No, they’re not. In the strictest sense, the word “missionary” just means, “one who is sent.” In that sense, every one of us is a missionary, a missionary at our school and at our workplace, a missionary in our family, a missionary in our neighborhood. The Bible simply says in verse 1 that they “spoke.” You can speak. You can tell others about Jesus. You can tell people how Jesus changed your life.
You may not always share the gospel, but if you’re a Christian, it will bug you when you don’t. Later, you’ll say to yourself, “Now, why didn’t I talk to that person about Jesus?” That’s the mark of a true believer. You can spot a Christian by what he proclaims. Secondly, you can spot a Christian by:
II. Who gets the Praise [8-18]
The Bible says that God was working signs and wonders through these apostles to confirm their preaching of the gospel. Remember: these are apostles. They could do this stuff. You and I are not apostles. But we can learn from them. Let’s read on:
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
Whoa! Time-out! Let’s talk about this for a moment. Things are happening quickly here. Let’s review the events. Verse 9 says Paul is speaking, see that again? You can spot a Christian by what he proclaims. Paul is proclaiming about Jesus and there’s this guy there listening who has been unable to walk since birth. Paul looks right at him and says, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And the guy leaps up and begins walking around.
Now the people are like, “Look at that! That guy has never walked a day in his life. These guys must be gods. They cry out in verse 11, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And they call Barnabas Zeus and Paul, Hermes. Now if you’ll recall your Greek mythology, you’ll remember that Zeus was the stately looking chief of the gods and Hermes was the messenger god who interpreted and spoke for the gods. So the people of Lystra name Barnabas Zeus, apparently because he looked stately enough, and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
Now when we read this account we may wonder why the people so quickly rushed to this conclusion. We might say, “Boy, they really were pagans, weren’t they?!” But historical context is helpful here. There was this old legend about the people of Lystra that had been handed-down over the years. The story goes that many, many, years ago these very gods, Zeus and Hermes, visited the people of Lystra and nobody recognized them nor showed them hospitality, except for one poor, married couple. So angry were Zeus and Hermes that they destroyed the city of Lystra and all of its people. So that’s the story that was handed-down from one generation to the next. So that helps us understand why the people were acting as they were. They were not anxious to repeat the error of their forefathers. They conclude that these two guys must be gods. And they’re ready to worship them. Look at verse 13:
13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
They’re ready to worship Barnabas and Paul. Now watch their response:
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you,
They’re like, “Why are you doing this?!” They are floored. They say, “We’re men with the same nature as you.” That is, “We’re only men. We’re not gods! We’re here to point you to God. We don’t deserve praise. He alone is worthy of praise. He’s the one we’re preaching about.”
Read on there inv verse 15:
and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,
16 “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
When Paul and Barnabas were in the synagogue, they taught the Jews how the Old Testament Scriptures pointed to Jesus. But here they are talking to Gentiles, to people unfamiliar with the Old Testament, so they talk to them about the God of creation. They’re saying, “God created everything. He provides our every need. He gives us all things, rain from heaven, fruitful seasons: He fills our hearts with food and gladness.” So they’re pointing the Gentiles to God who alone is worthy of praise. But the Bible says:
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
Even with these words, they had great difficulty in keeping the people from sacrificing to them. But note again: you can spot a Christian by who gets the praise. Barnabas and Paul are quick to deflect the praise directed to them upwards to God. They’re like, “There’s only One Person worthy of praise and that is God.” We should be quick to direct praise upwards to God.
I like the story of the woman who was going out of the sanctuary and shook the pastor’s hand. She said, “That was a good sermon. I really enjoyed it.” He said, “Don’t thank me. Thank God.” She said, “It wasn’t that good.”
Christians are a bit uncomfortable with praise and flattery. Only God is worthy of praise.
How can you spot a Christian? By what he proclaims, by who gets the praise. Thirdly, you can spot a Christian by:
III. How we Persevere [19-28]
Perseverance simply means that we keep-on “keeping on” for the Lord. We don’t stop. We stay faithful. Like a runner in a race, we keep running until we break the tape at the finish line. You can spot a Christian by how he perseveres. Two sub-points here. First:
1) We Refuse to Give-up (19-20)
Paul did not give-up. He continued sharing the Lord no matter what. He persevered. Look at verses 19 and 20.
19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Those are incredible verses! We read them too quickly. The Bible says the unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium tracked Paul down in Lystra. They got the crowd worked into a frenzy and then stoned Paul. I mean they hurled stones at him and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. For them to “suppose” he was dead, he must have looked dead. Verse 20 says the disciples gathered around him and I imagine they’re shaking their heads and sobbing, but then, perhaps Paul cries out, “Quit planning my funeral!” He gets up and where does he go? Verse 20—back “into the city!” He’s like, “Let’s get back to work.” He spends the night there and only then does he depart for the city of Derbe.
By the way, this is the context for what Paul later writes to Timothy in the oft-quoted passage on persecution. Let me read it to you:
2 Timothy 3:11-12, “persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra — what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. In a moment we’ll read down in verse 22 that Barnabas and Paul teach the new Christians that they “must go through many tribulations” to “enter the kingdom of God.” Persecution, suffering, and trials are all part of the Christian experience. It is through “many” tribulations that we must go.
A couple years ago I remember getting on one of these rides at the annual Tri-Fest here in Henderson. I remember that ride shaking me this way and that. And I remember thinking, “Man, this ride better stop really soon or I’m going to be in big-time trouble.” I had just eaten, you know! Finally the ride stopped and I was thinking, “Praise God. Thank you, Lord.” Then, there was the sound of the engine slowly cranking back-up and I realized we were now going to go—backwards. More tribulation!
But that’s how it often is in the Christian life. Who says Christians never face difficulties? People with empty heads and closed Bibles. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution and will endure “many tribulations” before entering the kingdom of God. We refused to give-up. Say, “I refuse to give-up!” Secondly:
2) We Resolve to Grow-up (21-28)
We resolve to grow. You can spot a Christian by how he perseveres. He doesn’t give-up, and he continues to grow-up. He grows in his walk with the Lord. Verse 21:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city (Derbe) and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
By the way, note that on your map, okay? You’ll see the heart of Paul and Barnabas for the work of the Lord. The Bible says they travel East through Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. Had they kept going in this direction a little further they would have arrived at the original place of departure. In fact, they could have stopped in Paul’s hometown of Tarsus and he could have taken a little time-off. But we see here the heart of these guys. Rather than continuing East and getting home sooner, they go West, right back through the cities where they had faced persecution. Why? To disciple the new Christians:
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
There’s that phrase again, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” They’re telling that to the new Christians. What a great thing to tell a baby Christian! How I wish someone had told me. They’re discipling them. They’re teaching them, strengthening them, encouraging them to press on, and telling them they will suffer trials and tribulations. They’re helping them grow.
23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.
So they complete the first missionary journey and they’re back at the originating city and they give a missionary report:
27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
We’re talking about how to spot a Christian. Are you a Christian? Can people spot you a mile away? Think about it. Others can tell whether I’m a Christian by what I proclaim, by who gets the praise, by how I persevere. Bow your heads. If you are a believer, silently say to God, “I refuse to give-up.” Now say, “I resolve to grow-up.” If you’re not a Christian, turn to Christ this morning.
- Stand for prayer.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.