More of the Same

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     When they went to the next town, they used the same procedure, and got the same results.  More of the same – including stoning this time. Some things you don't really want to take up a notch.  Sometimes the same procedure does not bring the same result.



Lystra
     Acts 14:7-20
          Compare & contrast

The same kind of miracle took place in Acts 3. The result there was mixed. There was some hostility, but also the number of saved people in Jerusalem increasing dramatically (Acts 4:4). In both cases the people perceived that something superhuman had happened, and they called it a God thing. The difference came in what the word god meant to them. In Jerusalem that is Jehovah God. In Lystra the different culture prompted a different correlation and response. We need to know the culture we address.



Leaving
     Acts 14:21-28
          Encouragement & elders

It is impressive that in such a short time the apostles established churches, appointing elders in each location, and left them ready to be churches on their own. How did they determine who would be called elders, when every believer there had only been saved a short time? They followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and trusted Him. In our church outreach efforts, we need to set up viable, sustainable work wherever we go.



Learning
     Acts 15:1-6, 11-13, 19-21
          Customs & conflict

Circumcision and the Law of Moses became a point of contention as the church moved outside Jerusalem. Custom in Jerusalem meant that the people of that church were from a background where that was in place and not an issue. In Antioch and other Gentile locations it was not practiced and could not be assumed. Was that important? The question was taken up in a council in Jerusalem. The result was a letter sent from the apostles and elders to say that keeping the Law was not part of salvation, but there were some things recommended, because of the common presence of synagogues and the awareness of the Law all over the region. Even though it was not all essential, it was practical.



Intent

We need to be willing to go with some things that are not essential if it prevents trouble. Otherwise, our intentions will be suspect, and our effectiveness will be limited. It is subject to the culture we find ourselves in, and its difference from ours.

Aside: who are the apostles mentioned in Acts 14:14? Hmmmm.

Set Apart

    Graduation

It is the time of the year when people are finishing one part of their life and preparing to start whatever comes next. Saul is about to become the Paul we all know.

Returns
    Acts 12:25 -13:13
        Sent, successful

Barnabas and Saul were set apart and sent out, without a full itinerary or job description. They went to Cyprus, where Barnabas came from. It is there that things change from “Barnabas and Saul”, to “Paul and his companions”. Barnabas was the more prominent until then, but he was the kind of guy willing to invest in someone, and willing to see them do well.
BtW, Paul did not decide to blind the sorcerer, but declared that the hand of God was on him and therefore he would be blind. He said what he saw.



Rehearsal
    Acts 13:14-23
        Divine doings

Paul speaks and re-tells the story of the Israel. It is not just the story of things that happened, but the story of what God did. God chose, delivered, destroyed, distributed, gave… It is all about Him. Maybe we should see our lives that way.




Remission
    Acts 13:26, 29-32, 38-39
        Promise preached

The message leads up to David being the king, and the prophet who predicted that Jesus would not be left in the grave. It is the same point made by Peter in Acts 2. Unlike when Peter preached in Acts 10, when Paul says that forgiveness is available because of Jesus, there is no immediate response. The Holy Spirit does not fall. Paul warns the hearers not to miss the salvation promised by the prophets, as the prophets predicted many would.



Reception
    Acts 13:42-52
        Mixed multitude

Paul and Barnabas ended up leaving the town, shaking the dust off their clothes. Even so, notice the joy mentioned. The believers who were left behind had joy, because they had Jesus. Even Paul and Barnabas could have joy as they left, because they had been faithful to their calling.


    Graduations
Paul and Barnabas moved from one place to another and from one stage to another. That happens a lot. Don’t think of one of them as The One that your whole life revolves around. There are many graduations in life before all is said and done. The time you are in now is not just preparation for something else. It is life, here and now. And there is more to come.