The Power of God
The Power of God
Acts 14:8-28
There was a man in Italy who was not only hostile to Christianity, but afraid of it. After he died, his last wishes were to have a large stone slab placed over his body. The slab was covered with the words, “I do not want to be raised from the dead. I don’t believe in it.” Apparently when he was buried a simple acorn fell into the grave. After a hundred years that small acorn grew into a giant oak tree and split that cement slab in two. A pastor came upon that broken slab and asked, “If an acorn, which has power of biological life in it, can split a slab of that magnitude, what can the acorn of God’s resurrection power do in a person’s life?”
Do you underestimate God’s power? We were praying as a staff this week that God would bring us summer interns and we need 20 to cover all our teaching slots. I asked Pastor Grant to pray for 20 interns then right before he started praying I interrupted and said let’s make it 15. There was a pause, and feeling slightly guilty, I said, “God, I believe you can give us 20.” Was I doubting God’s power? Was I afraid to ask God for what we actually needed? Does that ever happen to you? You may want to ask God for “X” but you only ask for “Y” thinking that “X” would be way too big of a request. And there may be a subtle thought that, “God not being able to do”. Do you underestimate God’s power?
The book of Acts consistently displays the power of God. God’s power has not diminished. It has not weakened. God is still active. As a child every Sunday I was reminded of this truth in the Apostles Creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” I pray you will be reminded to believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth and not to underestimate his power.
Displaying the Restorative Power of God
One of Luke’s aims in writing the Book of Acts was to defend Paul’s apostleship. Peter’s apostleship was never in question because of his close relationship with the Lord Jesus and Jesus’ declaration to Peter as the “Rock.” Paul, however, was not converted until after the resurrection on the road to Damascus. Luke already highlighted how God was granting signs and wonders through the Paul and Barnabas’s hands in Acts 14:3, but this miracle was to highlight how Paul’s apostolic authority was just like Peter’s. Acts 3:1–6,
[1] Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. [2] And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. [3] Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. [4] And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” [5] And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. [6] But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Now hear Acts 14:8–10,
[8] Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. [9] He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, [10] said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
The miracles are very similar. One in a Jewish context at the temple and one in a Gentile context. Paul and Peter were both ministering in the power of God. Both have apostolic power and authority.
Remember miracles are given to validate the word of God. Verse 9, the lame man, “listened to Paul speaking.” The man heard the word and believed. Therefore, God chose to display his power to restore this man to health. Paul spoke, “Stand upright on your feet.” And immediately, “he sprang up and began walking.” Notice he spoke in a loud voice drawing the crowd’s attention to this miracle. Do not underestimate the restorative power of God. God has the power to transform any and every situation. He has the power to transform any and every person. Beloved, look at your own conversion. You were spiritually crippled from birth and never walked towards God, but in an instant God spoke in a loud voice to your heart, “Come!” Our hearts were convicted of sins, we repented, rose went forth and followed Jesus as Lord. If that happened to us, it can happen to anyone.
If you are a Christian, the Spirit of Christ dwells in you. And if you have the Spirit, you will have the power to overcome sin in your life. Romans 8:10–11,
[10] But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Do not underestimate the power of God, but display it. Display God’s restorative power in a transformed life. A life no longer bent towards sin but towards righteousness.
Declaring the Creative Power of God
After the miracle, the Gentiles in Lystra immediately understood the miracle as a divine act. Acts 14:11–13,
[11] And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” [12] Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. [13] And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
The people immediately recognized the power was “otherworldly” but attributed the power to their gods, Zeus and Hermes. On 8 A.D., famed poet Ovid wrote, Metamorphoses, on how the gods changed or went through a metamorphosis to become like man. In the poem, Ovid shows how the gods came to earth to test the hospitality of the people. Those who mistreated them were killed and those who were kind were given extreme wealth. The people did not want to be judged by the gods and destroyed so they offered sacrifices.
Human beings are interpreters. We are always interpreting events based on our knowledge. For example, if your experience is that people are only ever nice to you because they want something from you, you will interpret someone’s kindness as a sign they want something from you. The Gentiles interpreted what they saw from their own knowledge and praised Paul and Barnabas as gods. And of course this terrified them. Acts 14:14–18
[14] But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, [15] “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. [16] In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. [17] Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” [18] Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
Paul had to re-interpret what the people understood. Paul begins by highlighting his own humanity saying, “We are men of like nature with you.” We are nothing special. We are mere men, but mere men who bring good news. He then gives a charge and the reasons they should listen to his charge.
The charge, “You should turn from these vain things to a living God.” The vain things were their empty or meaningless religion of believing in false gods. They oriented their lives around gods of their own making. Many today may not be following Zeus or Hermes, but they are governing their lives on horoscopes, astrology, karma, reincarnation and other empty religions. We must, like Paul, urge people to turn away from these vain things to a living God. Paul grounds his argument in God’s creation, Acts 14:15–17,
[15] “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. [16] In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. [17] Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
The Gentiles would have believed that Zeus was the one who “did good.” There was an inscription found in Phrygia and Pisidia stating that Zeus was, “the one who does good and is fruitful.” It was not Zeus, but God Almighty who created the world and has been satisfying your hearts with fruitful seasons sending rain from heaven. Verse 16 is a key verse, “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.” God is now doing something new. He is called all men and women to repentance. Based on the scene and Paul trying to get them to refrain from sacrificing to him, he does not give his full missionary speech here, but we know his message as he says something very similar in Athens, Acts 17:30–31
[30] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, [31] because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
There is only one God and he is the Creator of everything and deserves our worship. Turn from vain things. Repent from empty religion and superstition. There is only one who deserves to be praised.
Friend, the gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive. The gospel clearly states there is only one way to be made right with God. God created the world. He sends the rain and sunshine. He is the one who satisfies your hearts with food and gladness. And yet, we have not given thanks to him as the living God, but turned to our own way. We are all under judgment and deserve to be punished for denying God’s power in Creation. But God in his kindness sent Jesus Christ, the Creator of the world, to live a perfect life and die a sinner’s death. Jesus died in the place of every man, woman and child who would turn from vain things to serve him as Lord. And God showed for after he was dead and buried, God raised him from the dead on the third day. Now God commands all people everywhere to repent of their sin and be saved from the coming judgment by trusting in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. Friend, the gospel is offensive because it says all other religions are wrong. All other religions are vain and empty.
You may respond to the gospel with offense or you may respond to this message in faith. The crippled man heard Paul speaking and had faith. How will you respond? But let me clear, there is salvation in no one else and there is no other name and no other way but through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ to to be saved. Friend, will you give your life to Jesus?
Church, will you be bold to share this message to those who are practicing vain and empty religions? Do you really believe that Jesus is the only way? If you do, you must declare God’s power to save.
Displaying the Sustaining Power of God
Paul left Antioch and Iconium because the Jews took such offense from the gospel they wanted to kill Paul. And even though Paul left town, the Jews wanted to silence him for good. One moment the crowds are praising Paul for doing a miracle and the next they help to stone him. Acts 14:19,
[19] But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
The Jews had their own message and they persuaded the crowds to stone Paul. They hurled stones at him hitting all parts of his body. Imagine a large crowd screaming in rage with rock after rock hitting Paul’s body. Rocks ripping open his flesh and bruising him. Rocks hitting his hard and causing him to fall to the ground. All the while the crowd continued to scream and the rocks continued to fall until he was left unconscious and supposed to be dead. Luke does not make much of the stoning for he wants us to notice Paul's response. Acts 14:20–23,
[20] But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. [21] When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, [22] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. [23] And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Paul and Barnabas continued to preach the gospel. Notice that they “made many disciples,” in Derbe. Imagine if they had stopped because of the persecution. What would have happened to those disciples? Listen beloved, people will oppose the gospel message. People will strongly oppose the gospel message, but we must continue to preach the gospel and make disciples. We cannot stop, for this life and death. There is no other way people can be saved.
The world will attempt to silence us. They may not do it with stones, but they will do it with lawsuits, public shaming, firings, and a variety of other ways to try to “cancel” the message of the gospel. The culture will try to cancel us. Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Remember Jesus’s warning about the word sown on the rocky ground in Mark 4:16–17,
“the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. [17] And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
Beloved, I want to prepare you for persecution so when it comes you do not fall away. You must dig down deep and believe with all your heart in the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus. We must display God’s sustaining power as we persevere in faith whatever comes our way.
Jews came from Antioch and Iconium to stone Paul at Lystra but Paul returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch to strengthen the disciples and encourage them to continue to share the gospel even with those who stoned him. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Beloved, is there anyone you need to continue to pursue with the gospel who has hurt you?
Paul did not leave the church without a witness but entrusted the gospel message to plurality of elders in every church Acts 14:23,
[23] And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
This is the pattern of the church. The gospel is preached, people believe, elders are appointed and the people commit themselves to the Lord and one another. Last month I was in Utah encouraging and strengthening the church, this month Pastor Victor is in Colombia encouraging and strengthening the church. I love how our church cares for the nations in sending out elders with the gospel to encourage others to continue in the faith. May we always have a heart for others churches and the kingdom of God.
Declaring the Redemptive Power of God
Paul and Barnabas begin making their way back to Antioch sharing the gospel in various towns as they do, Acts 14:24–28,
[24] Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. [25] And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, [26] and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. [27] And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. [28] And they remained no little time with the disciples. (ESV)
The church gathered together and declared all God had done. Beloved, God alone saves. God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles as he did with the Jews. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, to the Jew and the Greek.
What a gathering that would have been! We may not have been able to be there, but we are able to be here each and every week to declare the redemptive power of God in all that He has done and all that He is doing in and through the body of Christ. Beloved, we get to witness the power of God each and every week as the word of God goes forth to sustain and strengthen the disciples and to redeem the lost. Let us never forsake the gathering of ourselves together, but let us encourage one another, as the Day draws near, of all that God is doing to redeem his people. Let us never underestimate the power of God, but declare it to one another. As we now have the opportunity to do in the Lord’s Supper. Let’s pray.