The First Missionary Journey (Part 2)

The First Missionary Journey
(Part 2)
Acts 14
July 21, 2002


Intro:
A. [NO SCAR? By Amy Carmichael]
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spend,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound, no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And, pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who has no wounds nor scar?
B. Today we continue with part 2 of our study of Paul’s first missionary journey.
I. In Iconium: Division
A. The brothers preached effectively.
Acts 14:1, At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.
1. Following their getting run out of town in Pisidian Antioch, two things happened:
a. Immediately after being persecuted and run out of town in Pisidian Antioch by the Jews, Paul and Barnabas went "as usual into the Jewish synagogue" in Iconium.
1) The last verse in the last chapter tells us that even though they had been persecuted and run out of town in Pisidian Antioch, they were full of joy and the HS.
2) They were full of joy and the HS and therefore did not allow the persecution in the previous town to dissuade them from their usual habit of going into the Jewish synagogue to give them the first opportunity at salvation.
b. The second thing the verse says is that Paul and Barnabas preached effectively.
1) They preached the Scripture effectively.
2) They preached Jesus effectively.
3) They preached so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.
4) They preached in such a way that those who looked into the Scriptures for themselves saw and believed.
2. And I believe we’re seeing the same things today.
a. I believe we are beginning to see more and more preachers who are anointed of God to preach effectively.
b. I believe we are seeing more and more preachers who are preaching in a way that is understandable.
c. I believe we are seeing more and more preachers who are preaching in a way that is affecting peoples’ lives.
d. And I believe we are beginning to see more and more people getting saved.
e. I believe there are more and more people beginning to realize that there are problems in this world and our time is limited.
f. I believe we are going to see more and more people getting saved.
B. The refusers poisoned the believers’ minds.
Acts 14:2, But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
1. There were those "who refused to believe."
a. There were those in Iconium who refused to believe the preaching of Saul and Barnabas about Jesus.
b. There were those in Iconium who refused to believe even though they had preached so effectively that many Jews and Gentiles believed.
c. This wasn’t a case of Paul not making his point.
d. This wasn’t a case of Paul being a poor preacher.
e. This was a case that even though Paul came and taught the Scriptures effectively, there were some of the long-time religious people "who refused to believed."
2. But not only did they refuse to believe themselves,