49 Acts 14:21-28 The Home Run After Derbe | Columbus Baptist Church's Podcast (2024)

Series: Acts Sermon Series

July 28, 2024

Christopher C. Freeman

Title: The Home Run After DerbeText: Acts 14:21-28FCF: We often struggle growing while waiting for glory.Prop: Because God assures all those with saving faith will grow in their faith, we must disciple one another. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 14. In a moment we’ll begin reading starting at verse 21 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Today we will close out the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. As we do we will officially pass the half way point of the book of Acts by verse count. Paul and Barnabas’s missionary journey to Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Southern Galatia has been full of ups and downs. Successes and perceived failures. Many have come to Christ, many have opposed Christ. We’ve seen the polarizing effect of the gospel, the natural wickedness of men, and the power of God to overcome it. And we’ve seen faithful men enduring great peril all for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The close of their journey takes some unexpected turns and ends in an unexpected way – but in a way that provides to us a strong application. Please stand with me to focus better on the reading of and give honor to the Word of God. Invocation:O Lord, You have said that You will search for Your sheep and will seek them out. Seek Your sheep here, we pray, and feed us. Shepherd us today and assist our feeble worship by showing us Yourself in Your Word today. Guide our hearts to greater love and adoration of You through what You have said. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] It is a bright and crisp morning. Dew has saturated every blade of grass. A huge crowd of people have gathered. It is the morning of a 5k run. Hundreds of runners have come dressed in their running attire and are warming up preparing to run in order to win the prize. As the morning progresses and the time for the race to begin draws to only seconds away, the crowd begins to notice that several runners have lined up to begin the race heading in the exact wrong direction. In panic they shout out to the confused runners to turn around and run the other way. As the gun blasts to announce the beginning of the race, quickly the confused runners turn and cross the starting line.Though many who had only just a moment ago been facing the wrong direction, had turned and began running the race with everyone else, oddly, there were a few who upon turning and crossing the starting line… stopped… threw their hands in the air and began celebrating as though they had won the race. The crowd tried to encourage them to run on to win the prize, but they insisted that the prize had already been won, they needed only to wait for it to be given to them. To their great dismay, they, each of them, finished last being disqualified for not finishing the race. As peculiar and nonsensical as this story is, I assure you that such a perspective on the Christian race exists in our day. Many well-meaning Christians truly believe that the race has been won when they cross the starting line. And while it is true that the people who turned and headed the correct way, were rescued from never finishing, they had to still run and finish the race in order to truly be rescued from never finishing. In the same way… as we’ll find in our text… we can say we have been saved from sin and death at conversion and it be true to a certain degree. But that doesn’t eliminate the need for us to run the race and pursue the prize in order to truly be saved from sin and death at the end of our lives. Let this silly story be a guide for us as we close out this first missionary journey. A missions work that was not completed simply because people were converted. Let’s look. I.) Saving faith must be nurtured, grown, and overseen, so we must disciple one another. (21-23)a. [Slide 3] 21 - And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, i. [Slide 4] Filling in the gaps a little, Derbe is 60 miles east of Lystra. That would be over a day’s journey on foot. Most likely they passed through several other cities and although we are not told that they preached the gospel in these locations, we can all but assume they did. ii. [Slide 5] Another reason that calling the book of Acts a historical work is inaccurate, is the editorial brevity Luke employs in creating it. iii. Here in Derbe, Luke affords us 8 Greek words to summarize the whole time of Paul and Barnabas in Derbe preaching the gospel.iv. Luke is not recording a history but rather a defense of the Spirit empowered gospel of Christ going forward through the united and triumphant church.v. All we are told of the events in Derbe is that they preached the gospel there and that many became disciples of Christ.vi. But as far as summaries go – that is a very encouraging one. Far more encouraging than the previous three cities. At least they weren’t run out of Derbe. vii. Then Luke records that the time of their missionary journey had come to an end.viii. He does not tell us the exact reason, although it is probable that there were many of them.1. Finances were a likely cause. Certainly, much of the cost was deferred because of hospitable converts hosting and caring for the traveling missionaries. Nevertheless, travel expenses would certainly take its toll eventually.2. The general health of Paul and Barnabas must be considered as well. Not only is Paul still recovering from Malaria but Paul was recently stoned to the point of death. And Barnabas is probably a good deal older than Paul. Maybe as much as 10-15 years.3. [Slide 6] Location may have been a cause for them to turn back. Derbe is right on a provincial edge of Cappadocia, Cilicia and Galatia. Perhaps they didn’t want to pass through Cappadocia?4. Perhaps the Holy Spirit revealed either at this time or before they left Antioch of Syria that they were only to go to Derbe.ix. One interesting question we must ask is why didn’t they carry on to Tarsus to get back to Antioch of Syria? x. It would have been a much shorter trip for them to continue on through the Taurus Mountains and the Cilician Gates and on to Tarsus and then to Antioch of Syria than it would be for them to go back through Southern Galatia and take a ship back to Seleucia to get to Antioch. xi. Instead, they revisit the places that they had already been (The yellow line on the screen). And certainly, they take added risk on themselves since each of the cities mentioned had run them out and threatened their lives.xii. Why would they risk all this? Why not take the easy way to Tarsus?b. [Slide 7] 22 - strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.”i. Why did they take this risk?ii. Because the mission that the Holy Spirit had sent them on, was only half complete. iii. For now, their missionary work must turn pastoral. Their role now, after preaching the gospel and receiving a harvest, was to make stronger the disciples who had received Christ.iv. Most likely they entered the cities and met in homes avoiding public discourse in order not to re-stir up the mob.v. They ministered to the believers this time, teaching them and even encouraging them to continue in the faith.vi. What does this phrase mean? To continue in the faith.1. It could mean duration. That the race to the Kingdom of God is a marathon and not a sprint. That their faith must endure and hold fast in the things they have believed.2. It could also mean depth. That their faith must grow deeper and stronger in order to weather the storms of false teaching and persecution that are sure to come their way.vii. The next phrase is some of the content of their message. They tell these new believers that the only way they can, and indeed must enter the Kingdom of God is through many afflictions.viii. No one gets an easy ride to the throne. No one endures no hardship and pays no cost. No one gets to sit on the bus bench waiting for Jesus to come.ix. Therefore, both interpretations of continuing in the faith prove true. For our faith is not merely a once made decision or choice, but rather an ongoing firmly held constantly deepening knowledge and growth into Christlikeness. x. The apostles saw to it that these new converts were established, rooted, and given a heading for their growing faith. xi. But they didn’t stop there. For this one-time encouragement to grow was not enough to make sure they did.c. [Slide 8] 23 - And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. i. Here we find another means of the missionaries to insure that these new converts would continue in their faith both in endurance and in growth. ii. Paul and Barnabas, through the leading of the Spirit, appointed Elders for them in every church.iii. A few things on this point.1. First, because the term appointed is used here, we cannot conclude that Elders has the denotative meaning of elderly or older people. It would be foolish to appoint someone as or to be old. They either are older or they aren’t.2. Instead, we ought to see the connotative meaning of the term elder here to refer to the Office of an Elder. The office of an Elder is not unique to New Testament times. Indeed, in Jewish cities there would be Elders of the people who were tasked with making judgments on certain issues affecting the citizens.3. It seems that church Elders take a similar but much more spiritual role in leadership of the people, not just settling disputes but actually caring for and nurturing the souls of the people. Basically, continuing to provide for them all that we saw Paul and Barnabas do in verse 22.4. In Titus 1 we see that the office of the Elder and the office of the overseer are the same office in the church. Titus was instructed to appoint Elders in every church on the island of Crete and then Paul went on to describe the qualifications of such men who should be above reproach because an overseer must be above reproach.5. Therefore, we see as early as AD 47, a mere 15 or so years after Christ’s ascension, the church establishing a plurality of qualified men to lead the church and care for the spiritual maturing and growth of the disciples of Christ in a particular local setting. Not just in Jerusalem – but in every local place where a church was established.iv. We should also notice the great care that was taken to appoint and direct these men.v. We’d expect nothing less of the missionaries given the role that Elders play in the leadership and growth of the church.vi. They are continuing the work that Paul and Barnabas were only able to begin.vii. They pray and fast asking for God’s grace and power to come alongside and go with these Elders to do the job that had been given to them.d. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: The primary point of this section is abundantly clear. Paul and Barnabas’ job was only half done after preaching in these various cities. Their view of their mission can be crystalized into a primary point of truth. Saving faith must be nurtured, grown, and overseen. When someone comes to Christ that is the beginning and not the end of their salvation. Paul and Barnabas return to establish and solidify the souls of these people. It is not enough that they believe on Christ. They must continue in this faith. Both enduring and deepening in it. And to ensure that that happens Paul and Barnabas take the most spiritually mature among them and install them as leaders responsible for guiding that spiritual growth. My friends, spiritual growth is not optional for a genuine believer in Christ. It is mandatory. You must grow, for if you don’t or can’t… then you don’t have saving faith. And that is why we must devote ourselves to disciple one another. Transition:[Slide 10(blank)] This sounds like God has put a lot on our shoulders. He saves them and then leaves them to us to take care of? That doesn’t sound right. It doesn’t sound right because it isn’t right. Let’s read on. II.) God’s grace is at work in His church to expand and strengthen it, so we must disciple one another. (24-28)a. [Slide 11] 24 - And when they passed through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia. 25 - And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 - And from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. i. If we remember from our study of this first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas after landing in Perga went straight to Pisidian Antioch, passing Perga and several other major cities and populated areas to do so.ii. We guessed that this was because Paul had contracted Malaria on the ship and needed to get into a climate that would slow the progress of the disease in his body as he recovered.iii. Now it seems that on their way back home, they took the opportunity to preach the gospel to these places.iv. Here we see them preaching through Pamphylia and in Perga and even in Attalia. v. Although we are not told of the results it is reasonable to assume that Paul and Barnabas saw the Lord move in similar ways as in the other places they had preached.vi. From Attalia they sailed for Syrian Antioch where as Luke points out, they were commissioned in the grace of God to do this great work that they had now completed.vii. There are a couple things said in such a quick way that we should notice. viii. First, it is by the grace of God that they had embarked on this great mission. His empowering and His favor supported and guided all they did. ix. Second, we should see that it is also by the grace of God that they had completed their mission. His empowering and His favor has led them back from disease, pain, trouble, blessing, encouragement, and various other events to see them safely home having established churches throughout Southern Galatia. x. Thus, God’s grace began and completed all that they had done. Luke recognizes this and Paul and Barnabas will recognize this too.b. [Slide 12] 27 - And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. i. It was here that they bore record to the church of all that had happened and how the Lord had blessed their preaching of the gospel and the establishment of churches throughout the area. ii. Notice also how they bore witness that all that was done, good, bad, great and small, was something the Lord had done with them. iii. They also bore record of how the Lord had continued to open the means of faith to unite even gentiles to Christ. iv. One did not need to be Jewish to be united by faith to Christ and His substitutionary atonement for sin. v. Indeed, faith alone is not only required for Jews but for Gentiles also. vi. And so, God’s role in the salvation and growth of His people is highlighted here as the missionaries gave glory to God for all that had happened.c. [Slide 13] 28 - And they spent not a little time with the disciples. i. Most likely this was at the end of AD 47 or beginning of AD 48. ii. The next event recorded in the book of Acts, The Jerusalem Council, occurs around AD 50. iii. So, we can see that at least for a year or two Paul and Barnabas continued to spend time in the church there in Antioch of Syria, discipling and growing the people there and probably gathering financial provision to go on another missionary journey.d. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: Luke is sure to put glory and praise and credit to where it is due. Though Paul and Barnabas were the instrument, the tool, the second cause for these people coming to Christ and seeing spiritual growth… ultimately, the first cause is God. His grace saves and His grace grows His people. His grace began and completed the mission. All the church in Antioch including Paul and Barnabas give testimony to this fact. The Lord alone is able and will save and grow His people. So without pressure for results… we must submit ourselves to disciple one another knowing that the Lord and His grace will bless those efforts in those who are His children.Conclusion:So, what have we learned today CBC and how does it affect how we live? Doctrinal takeaway:[Slide 15] We have learned that Paul and Barnabas were empowered and used of God as a second cause to lead people in Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Southern Galatia to Christ and strengthen and grow them and provide ongoing oversight for their continued and growing faith. This shows us not only that saving faith must be nurtured, grown, and overseen but also that God is still the primary agent behind all of this salvation process. From this we recognize the command of our Lord to make disciples but have the added comfort and promise that He will use us to this effect for those who are His people. Therefore, having this confidence that the Lord will use us, and having this need for ongoing and deepening faith, we must all be involved in making disciples of one another. But let me break this down for us into some very practical ways. 1.) [Slide 16] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that true conversion is a starting line not a finish line.a. We have talked about this often during the 8 years I’ve been your pastor.b. But just because it is an often-repeated theme doesn’t make it any less important to address.c. There are various churches and Christians who consider salvation to be nothing more than a simple prayer or choice made in a person’s life to accept certain facts about Christ and what He has done.d. And if you have prayed this prayer and agree with these facts, then you are saved. You are going to heaven. And there is nothing that can change that.e. You don’t need to study the bible, you don’t need to pray, you don’t need to go to church, you don’t need to serve your fellow believers in any meaningful kind of way, because you have prayed the prayer and you are headed for the Kingdom. Essentially – your job is to wait for Jesus to show up and take you home.f. Now parts of what I have just said are true.g. If a person genuinely processes saving faith, then they are headed for the Kingdom of God and nothing can pluck them out of the hand of God. Jesus promises that all whom the Father has given to Him He will by no means lose even one.h. And oftentimes genuine conversion does come by a person crying out to the Lord in a prayer of repentance of their sin and in humble submission to the gospel that Christ died for sinners and is now their Lord.i. But the text today absolutely decimates all the rest of what these folks believe.j. For the apostles did not consider their Missionary work to be complete until they went back to those who had professed Christ, strengthened their souls, encouraged them to press on in their faith, and appointed spiritual leaders to guide them in that task.k. The apostles assumed that saving faith was not finished at conversion… it was begun at conversion.l. Oddly enough the same people who believe that since they are saved they need not worry about spiritual growth or maturity are quite familiar with the children’s song He’s still working on me.m. Listen to these words i. “He’s still working on me. ii. To make me what I need to be. iii. It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars, the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. iv. How loving and patient He must be. v. Cause He’s still workin on me.n. My friends, there is absolutely no way you can read the New Testament and come away thinking that once you are converted, you can relax and grow at whatever pace is comfortable.o. What does Paul say? I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.p. What does Peter say? Therefore, my brothers, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.q. What does the writer of Hebrews say? Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has now sat down at the right hand of God... But you have not endured in your faith to the point of shedding your own blood.r. My friends… if you want the crown, you must have… first… the cross.s. Saving faith is faith that dies to self every day and lives to Righteousness every day.t. Let me say it very plainly…u. If you are not growing in spiritual maturity… then you cannot know with any certainty that you have saving faith.v. That is why Paul and Barnabas revisited these people… to establish, encourage, and oversee the path of their spiritual growth. w. Conversion is the starting line my friends.2.) [Slide 17] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that we are the primary cause of anyone coming to Christ or growing in the Lord.a. The first half of this is recycled from much of what we’ve seen in the book of Acts.b. I won’t belabor the point.c. I’ll only quickly say that we are NEVER the primary cause of anyone coming to Christ. We are merely tools in the Lord’s hand used to draw and call His elect to saving faith.d. But the second half is such a rebuke to me.e. Pastors, as you may or may not know, are not perfect.f. I wrestle too with pride over spiritual growth under my leadership.g. I wrestle also with embarrassment over lack of spiritual maturity under my leadership.h. Although the second sounds to be less serious, I assure you that both are rooted in the same aberrant theology.i. The erroneous theology is this… that I am the first cause of anyone growing in Christ at all. That I am directly responsible for God’s people growing in their faith.j. To assume that I am directly responsible for the spiritual maturing of a person or to blame for them lagging behind is to think far too highly of myself.k. Instead, I must simply be faithful in teaching doctrine, holiness and love. Ensuring that this teaching is applied and demonstrated in my own life. Then I must trust the Lord that He will grow His people.l. We, all of us, are simply tools used for this end. May we be found faithful in this. 3.) [Slide 18] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop treating discipleship as an optional phase the follows salvation. a. As a counter weight to the previous point, I have heard the argument made that because God is the one who will see to it that the work of salvation is completed in His people,b. Since God promises that Jesus will present us faultless before the throne of God,c. That means that we can see the imperative of making disciples as optional for us.d. That since God will do it, we really only need to be concerned with sharing the gospel, because once they are saved, God will do the rest.e. The error here is the assumption that since we are not the first cause or the primary cause of someone growing in Christ, then we shouldn’t bother being any degree of cause for someone growing in Christ.f. Obviously, Paul and Barnabas didn’t think this was so. They knew God was the primary cause of all their missionary success both in conversions and spiritual growth.g. But they still stopped at each city, to their own peril, and strengthened them, and encouraged them, and saw to it that they had overseers to help them grow.h. No, my friends – discipleship is not optional.4.) [Slide 19] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must disciple each other.a. Indeed, making disciples, helping others to conform to Christ is one of the primary tasks we have been given as His church.b. So much so that all of us have been given unique spiritual gifts to aid in that process.c. Whether it be service oriented gifts or speaking gifts – all of us have been given gifts to help each other to be more like Christ.d. The work of the ministry is first the responsibility of the church as a whole.e. And the aim of ministry is to mature someone in Christlikenss.f. Ephesians 4 is the blueprint for what every church should be doing.g. Our goal is that every person here become like Christ. A lifelong process that will be completed by Christ when we enter His Kingdom.h. The preaching on Sunday, Foundations, Wednesday Night, Basics class, various bible studies - all of these are there to do just that… but even if every person here were to attend every single one of these, it would not remove the imperative upon you to personally and intentionally go and disciple others.i. Teach them the ways of Christ. Show them how to be like Him. That is what the church is commissioned to do.5.) [Slide 20] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God will use us to lead His children home and to conform them to the image of His Son.a. And of course we come back full circle…b. Reminding ourselves and comforting ourselves with this thought.c. God will ultimately save and keep His children.d. We have a role to play. We have a responsibility that the Lord has placed upon us. But its success does not depend on us.e. All we are called to be is a good hammer. Whether the nail is driven in in 4 whacks, 2 whacks, or we find out we’ve been hitting a screw instead of a nail and we need a screw driver instead… it doesn’t matter. Just be the tool that God uses.f. That is all you are called to be.g. One can plant. One can water.h. God gets the increase. [Slide 21 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the church father Gregory of Nazianzen (Naz – eeee – an – zen) May we act like children of God, wherever we are, pure and blameless in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.And may we never be entangled in the snares of the wicked, or bound by the chains of our sins.May the Word in us never be smothered with the cares of this life, so that we would become unfruitful.But help us to walk on the King's Highway, never turning aside to the right hand or the left, and led by the Spirit through the Straight Gate.Then all that we do will prosper, both now and at the time of judgment, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory now and forever, amen. Benediction:May the One Who takes nobodies and makes them somebodies;Who takes the ridiculous and turns it to the sublime;Who raises those from the dustbins and crowns them princes and princesses;Cause you to prosper in every good work And to increase in the knowledge of God. Until we meet again… Go in Peace.