At the end of Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were expelled from Antioch of Pisidia; so, they decided to take a break at a seaside resort to reconsider their ministry strategy. Actually, they just shook off the dust of their feet and moved on to Iconium to, you guessed it, preach the gospel. In Acts 14, Barnabas and Paul’s raging fans from Antioch stir up the people of Iconium, leading to a departure to Lystra. There Paul heals a lame man, and Barnabas and Paul suddenly find themselves the object of worship and then a stoning (that took a dark turn quite quickly!). A fascinating myth in Lystra’s histroy plays into events of the chapter, and Paul and Barnabas conclude their missionary journey with a tour back through the churches and a report to their commissioning church in Antioch.

Big Idea: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their Acts, and may they inspire our own.

Outline:

1. Raging Fans
2. The True Myth
3. The Tribulation Tour

Key Takeaways:

• The remarkable story of how God is using Shodankeh Johnson.
• How to be a worship deflector.
• Paul as apologist and how he reached people right where they were.
• A fascinating Lystran myth that plays into the story.
• Reflections on how God has witnessed to the nations throughout history.
• Did Paul go to the third heavan when he was stoned at Lystra?
• Why suffering is a feature, not a flaw of the Christian life.

The post #330 The Acts, Chapter 14 first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.