Shake The Dust Off Your Feet

Acts 13:50-52

Paul and Barnabas are now in the midst of a successful ministry. When there is success from a spiritual perspective Satan will be there to oppose. In this situation Jews aroused people to persecute Paul and Barnabas and literally chase them out of the area.

Paul remembered counsel from the Lord Jesus to the disciples recorded in Matt. 10:14 “And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.” That was a physical act reflecting a mental attitude we should take toward those who oppose us. Basically the Lord is saying, don’t waste your time on them, move on to someone who will be receptive to you. Don’t get depressed or dejected by opposition. Don’t waste your time arguing with them. Move on.

This is extremely good counsel. Often when I’ve been opposed I’ve felt guilty for not being able to convince someone of something or upset because they reject my witness. This attitude can lead to a hesitancy or fear of sharing our faith, or standing for the truth because we don’t like to be rejected. It may be a cliché but we should remember we are not being rejected, our Savior is. Their relationship with Him is between He and them.

Consider the fact that no one was rejected as much as the Lord Jesus. He was rejected to the point of death; but even in that death, He triumphed. These thoughts bring to my mind one of my favorite passages of Scripture: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.”
You are sure to face opposition in your life. Don’t let it get you down. Shake the dust off your feet and move on. God has great things in mind for you.

God’s Sovereignty

Acts 13:48

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

This verse leads us into a difficult study; the sovereignty of God versus the free will of man. God’s sovereignty is highlighted in the phrase “appointed to eternal life”. The first aspect we will consider is God’s knowledge; it is unlimited and timeless. He has detailed foreknowledge of everything that happens in history. Time is an irrelevant concept to God because he exists eternally. I believe the concept of time exists because of man’s temporary existence on earth. We will be equally unconcerned with time in our eternal state.

God also has a will and a plan that will be accomplished. Paul quotes Exodus 33:19 in Romans 9:15 where God says to Moses “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Paul concludes from that statement “so then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” God has perfect foreknowledge of every thought and action in our lives and knows whether we will trust Him as our Savior, and whether we will live our lives in a manner pleasing to Him.

With that as a backdrop we should consider how then do we exercise our own free will. We are all familiar with John 3:16 that says “whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” There are no constraints or qualifications on “whoever”. Man must decide for himself whether he is going to follow God.

I’ve made that decision and am comforted and assured that God knows every detail of my life; every situation I’m going to face. I’m convinced that if I live my life in His will through the leading of the Holy Spirit He will not only prepare me to face the good times and the tough times, He will also lead me through those times. I’ve experienced that in good times such as finding the life-mate He chose for me and in the difficult times facing serious illness and death of my parents.

I pray that you will be sensitive to His will and plan your life.

Continue In Grace

Acts 13:43

“Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas who, speaking to them were urging them to continue in the grace of God.”

Grace is an interesting word. Strong’s lexicon has the following definition of it: “good will, loving-kindness, favour, the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues”[1].

God’s grace is appropriated in our lives in many ways. First I’m reminded of Eph. 2:8-9 which says “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation or an intimate relationship with God. It is all by His grace. It is impossible to work or earn our way to heaven.

The best example of grace in the Bible is our Lord Jesus Christ. II Cor. 8:9 explains “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” We are rich because of the spiritual inheritance we have in Christ.

I’m reminded of the importance of grace in our lives when I read II Cor. 12:9. Paul had asked God to remove a “thorn in the flesh” and God’s response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness”. Some of us, like Paul have such strong personalities that God chooses to impact our lives in a way that causes us to constantly be reminded of God’s grace. It is sufficient for all our needs.
Finally, notice Paul’s exhortation to “continue in the grace of God”. We have a choice. Often we choose to live our lives in a legalistic manner rather than in God’s grace. We continue in God’s grace by submitting to His will on a moment by moment basis and by confessing our sins as soon as we recognize them in our lives. God can only fulfill His will for us as we live gracefully.

[1]Strong, J. 1996. Enhanced Strong's Lexicon . Woodside Bible Fellowship: Ontario

Paul’s First Sermon

Acts 13:16-41

We have recorded in this passage the first sermon from Paul we see in the Bible. We will find that although Paul is primarily a missionary to the Gentiles, he always goes first to the synagogue when he comes into a town. They were reading the Law and the Prophets there and the synagogue officials offered an opportunity to speak. Paul seized the opportunity.

Notice that Paul begins his message by relating to those in attendance. First, he gives them credit for fearing God, then he begins to review Israel’s history. The following verses (17-22) are an excellent summary of Jewish history beginning with the captivity in Egypt and including the forty years in the wilderness. He mentions the dividing of the land, the time of the judges, and the united kingdom under Saul and David.

Paul then transitions to Jesus, mentioning in verse 23 that from the offspring of David “according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus.” Following that introduction he accuses the Jews in Jerusalem with putting Jesus to death and the exclamation that “God raised Him from the dead” (v. 30). He then explains the good news of salvation (v. 38-39) and encouraged his listeners to take heed to the message. Paul subtly shares the transition from the time of the law to the time of grace.

There are some things we can learn about sharing our testimony with others from this passage. First, begin where they are. Help those that are not in right relationship with Jesus to understand that. Secondly, share the Gospel clearly. Don’t beat around the bush. Finally, encourage those who are listening to make a decision to trust Christ as their Savior. This outline applies to anything you are teaching and may be stated generally as know your audience and begin where they are, clearly state the problem, and then provide the answer with an exhortation to action.

I know that you will be given many opportunities to share the Gospel before many. Paul gives you an outstanding example of how to do that in this passage. I encourage you to be faithful as God gives you opportunity. He will bless you for your faithfulness.

Recognition Of False Teachers

Acts 13: 6-12

One of Satan’s tools is the use of a false prophet; someone who distorts the Word of God or denies it. We see this situation occurring in this passage. Paul and Barnabas recognized the man for who he was and condemned him for what he was doing. We must all be constantly on guard for this device of Satan.

Consider the ways Satan may use a false prophet to influence you. Probably the most blatant method in our culture today is through television. It has become relatively popular to insert religion in some way into many of the programs. Most often the Word is not handled accurately. Because we see these inaccuracies so much and they are so subtle it is easy to begin to believe them.

We may also make acquaintances with those who do not believe as we do. That can easily happen as we make friendships in school, in our neighborhood or at work.

Another way is through the books or articles we read. Often a false prophet will be 99% correct in what he teaches, but the 1% is all he needs to lead Christians astray. We are also exposed to false teaching from those who teach us; perhaps in school, in seminars, or even in church.

I have also had learned individuals come into a Sunday school class and challenge my teaching. That can be instructive for me and I invite others to do that. That can also be destructive if they have misinterpreted the Word of God. While there are places we can legitimately disagree there are a few cardinal doctrines on which we must be firm.

We must examine everything we are taught by others from the perspective of the Bible. If the teaching doesn’t align with it we must either challenge it or turn away from it. That is one reason it is critical that we carefully study God’s Word daily. It is our true guide for life.
I pray that you will be a careful student of the Bible, and will challenge or turn away from those who try to lead you astray.