Empowered by the Spirit: Boldly Proclaiming Truth

 

Summary

In Acts 13:4-12, we witness the beginning of a pivotal missionary journey led by Paul and Barnabas, commissioned by the Holy Spirit and the early church. This passage highlights the spiritual warfare encountered as they spread the Gospel, particularly in their confrontation with Bar-Jesus, a false prophet. Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas, attempts to thwart the proconsul Sergius Paulus from embracing the faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebukes Elymas, calling him a "son of the devil" and pronouncing temporary blindness upon him. This act of divine judgment not only silences the opposition but also leads Sergius Paulus to believe, astonished by the teaching of the Lord.

This narrative underscores the importance of spiritual boldness and the power of the Holy Spirit in advancing the Gospel. The early church's practice of laying hands and commissioning individuals for ministry is a reminder that true empowerment comes from God. The geographical journey from Antioch to Cyprus symbolizes the expansive reach of the Gospel, breaking cultural and spiritual barriers. The encounter with Elymas serves as a stark reminder of the opposition believers face, yet it also illustrates the triumph of truth over deceit.

Paul's confrontation with Elymas is a call to Christians to stand firm against falsehood and to proclaim the truth with courage. The transformation of Sergius Paulus highlights the power of the Gospel to change hearts, not merely through signs and wonders but through the profound truth of God's Word. This passage challenges us to examine our own commitment to Christ, urging us to flee to the cross as our sole hope for salvation.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Mission: The early church's commissioning of Paul and Barnabas emphasizes that true empowerment for ministry comes from the Holy Spirit. Without His anointing, our efforts are in vain. This reminds us to seek the Spirit's guidance and power in all our endeavors. [04:22]

2. Spiritual Warfare and Boldness: Paul's confrontation with Elymas illustrates the spiritual warfare inherent in spreading the Gospel. His boldness, fueled by the Holy Spirit, serves as a model for us to stand firm against opposition and deceit. [15:46]

3. The Power of Truth: Sergius Paulus's conversion demonstrates that the power of the Gospel lies in its truth. While signs and wonders can draw attention, it is the teaching of the Lord that truly transforms hearts. [26:07]

4. The Danger of Resistance: The narrative warns against resisting the Gospel, as exemplified by Elymas. Persisting in opposition to God's truth leads to spiritual blindness and judgment. This calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure we are not resisting God's call. [23:13]

5. Urgency of Salvation: The sermon challenges us to reflect on our salvation, urging us to trust in Christ alone. It warns of the peril of delaying commitment to Christ, emphasizing the urgency of fleeing to Jesus for eternal life. [27:06]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:21] - Reading from Acts 13:4-12
- [02:05] - Prayer for Understanding
- [02:49] - Commissioning by the Holy Spirit
- [04:22] - The Onset of a Great Mission
- [05:22] - Journey to Cyprus
- [06:04] - Preaching in Salamis
- [06:48] - Encounter with Bar-Jesus
- [07:36] - The Occult and False Prophets
- [09:25] - Historical Accuracy of Luke
- [12:43] - Opposition to the Gospel
- [14:55] - Paul's Bold Rebuke
- [16:49] - The Heart of Paul
- [18:28] - The Power of Preaching
- [22:20] - The Reality of Judgment
- [27:06] - Urgency of Fleeing to Christ
- [28:01] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Acts 13:4-12

Observation Questions:
1. What role did the Holy Spirit play in the commissioning of Paul and Barnabas for their missionary journey? [03:33]
2. How did Paul respond to Elymas's attempt to turn the proconsul away from the faith? What was the outcome of this confrontation? [15:46]
3. What was Sergius Paulus's reaction to the events he witnessed, and what ultimately led him to believe? [26:07]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the narrative of Paul and Barnabas's journey illustrate the importance of spiritual boldness in the face of opposition? [14:55]
2. In what ways does the story of Elymas serve as a warning against resisting the Gospel? [23:13]
3. How does the conversion of Sergius Paulus demonstrate the power of the Gospel beyond signs and wonders? [26:07]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the Holy Spirit guiding you in a decision or action. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [04:22]
2. Have you ever faced opposition when sharing your faith? How did you handle it, and what might you do differently in the future? [15:46]
3. Elymas resisted the truth and faced consequences. Are there areas in your life where you might be resisting God's truth? How can you address this resistance? [23:13]
4. Sergius Paulus was astonished by the teaching of the Lord. What aspects of the Gospel have astonished or deeply impacted you? How can you share this with others? [26:07]
5. The sermon emphasized the urgency of salvation. Are there people in your life who need to hear the Gospel? How can you approach them with love and urgency? [27:06]
6. Consider the practice of laying hands and commissioning in the early church. How can your church community support and empower individuals for ministry today? [03:33]
7. Reflect on your commitment to Christ. Are there areas where you need to deepen your trust in Him? What steps can you take to strengthen your relationship with Jesus? [27:06]

Devotional

Day 1: Empowerment Through the Holy Spirit
The early church's commissioning of Paul and Barnabas serves as a powerful reminder that true empowerment for ministry comes from the Holy Spirit. As they embarked on their missionary journey, it was the Holy Spirit who guided and anointed them for the task ahead. This divine empowerment is essential for any endeavor in spreading the Gospel, as human efforts alone are insufficient. The Holy Spirit's role is not just to equip but also to guide and sustain believers in their mission. As we seek to serve God, we must continually seek the Spirit's guidance and power, recognizing that without Him, our efforts are in vain. [04:22]

Acts 1:8 (ESV): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit's empowerment rather than your own strength?


Day 2: Boldness in Spiritual Warfare
Paul's confrontation with Elymas in Acts 13 illustrates the spiritual warfare inherent in spreading the Gospel. Elymas, a false prophet, sought to oppose the truth and prevent the proconsul from embracing the faith. However, Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly rebuked Elymas, demonstrating the power of God over deceit. This narrative encourages believers to stand firm against opposition and to proclaim the truth with courage. Spiritual boldness is not about being confrontational but about being steadfast in the face of adversity, trusting that God will prevail. [15:46]

Ephesians 6:12-13 (ESV): "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

Reflection: How can you cultivate spiritual boldness in your life to stand firm against the challenges you face today?


Day 3: The Transformative Power of Truth
The conversion of Sergius Paulus highlights the transformative power of the Gospel. While signs and wonders can capture attention, it is the profound truth of God's Word that truly changes hearts. Sergius Paulus was astonished by the teaching of the Lord, which led him to believe. This underscores the importance of faithfully proclaiming the truth, trusting that it is God's Word that has the power to transform lives. As believers, we are called to share the Gospel with confidence, knowing that it is the truth that sets people free. [26:07]

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV): "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Reflection: In what ways can you prioritize sharing the truth of God's Word with those around you this week?


Day 4: The Consequences of Resisting the Gospel
The narrative of Elymas serves as a warning against resisting the Gospel. His opposition to God's truth led to spiritual blindness and judgment. This story calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure we are not resisting God's call in our lives. Persisting in opposition to the truth can lead to dire consequences, both spiritually and relationally. As believers, we must remain open to God's leading and be willing to submit to His will, recognizing that His ways are higher than ours. [23:13]

Proverbs 29:1 (ESV): "He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing."

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you might be resisting God's truth? How can you surrender these areas to Him today?


Day 5: The Urgency of Salvation
The sermon challenges us to reflect on our salvation, emphasizing the urgency of fleeing to Christ for eternal life. Delaying commitment to Christ can have eternal consequences, and the call to trust in Him alone is pressing. This urgency is not just about securing our own salvation but also about sharing the hope of the Gospel with others. As believers, we are called to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing the fleeting nature of life and the importance of making Christ known. [27:06]

2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV): "For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the message of salvation today, and how can you share it with them in a loving and urgent manner?

Quotes

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. (And) They also had John as their assistant. Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. [00:14:14]

Now, the early church used the laying on of hands frequently as a symbol of anointing people with the power and the presence of the Holy Ghost. It was used in ordination. It was used in the benediction at the end of the service. It was used to commission church leaders and workers, again indicating a sense of spiritual consecration, a setting aside and anointing for a sacred task. [00:40:48]

You see, we can commission people, but we have no power. We can license, ordain, and send people for sacred tasks, but unless God the Holy Spirit sends them and anoints them, their labors will be in vain. Now I want us to notice here this morning that what we have in this brief text is the beginning, the onset of the most significant, most important, most vital missionary undertaking in the entire history of the church, indeed in the entire history of the world. [00:47:52]

Paul reminds us later on in his letter to the Romans that his commission was to give the gospel to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. We don’t know how long they stayed in Salamis, but then they went to Paphos on the other end of the island, some 90 miles west of Salamis, and there we read of this encounter with the false prophet. [01:06:24]

Now, we can expect a participation in the occult from oriental religions and mystery religions of the east, but this man who’s known as Bar-Jesus is identified as a Jew, and Jews who cast fortunes, who were soothsayers, fortune-tellers and the like, came under the wrath of God because in the Old Testament in the law of Moses the practice of this kind of sorcery and this kind of magic was an abomination to God and subject to the death penalty. [01:16:00]

As Paul is trying to give the Word of God to the proconsul, he’s interrupted by this false prophet, who’s doing everything that he can to impede the presentation of the gospel and prevent the proconsul from having a favorable response to it. Does that sound strange to you? Those of you who are believers know very well that when you were first converted there were people all around you, friends, family, whatever, who did everything they could to dissuade you from committing your life to Christ. [01:31:20]

And he looked at him and he said, “O full of deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you ever stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” Now again, obviously the apostle had not taken the time to read Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Nor was he bound by the conventions of political correctness of his day. But rather he lashes into this man and gives him what for. [01:52:56]

Now, if you’re familiar with the life of Paul, you know that Paul was a man who over and again manifested a pastor’s heart, a man who admonished us to be gentle, patient, long-suffering, kind and merciful, not combative, not belligerent, not bellicose in our relationships with people – and in that sense, mirroring and reflecting the way in which Jesus dealt with people. [02:03:19]

I thank God that the Apostle Paul loved Sergius Paulus enough to call the enemy of the Gospel out right in front of him, to expose him for what he was, a fraud. He was a deceiver who saw his whole vocation to be to undermine the preaching of the truth. That’s why Paul spent so much time in jail, so many times getting beaten, so many times within a half an inch of his life, and finally paid for it by having his head cut off by Caesar, because he loved the lost and cared about their eternal destiny. [02:24:02]

And then we’re told that this false prophet, who could tell everybody else what was coming next, was groping around for somebody to hold his hand, to lead him in this dark mist that God had put upon him. As for Sergius Paulus, he was astonished. The Apostle Paul comes and tells this fortuneteller, “You son of the devil, you’re going to be blind.” And the proconsul sees that, and we are told he believed. [02:31:52]

It was the Word of God. It was the truth that was proclaimed by Paul and Barnabas and John Mark that overwhelmed Sergius Paulus. And God gave to that man ears to hear and eyes to see, so that when he died, he did not end up in hell. Now every now and then, folks, you have to ask yourself. You have to look in your mirror and you have to look hard, cut away the facade and say, “Where’s my heart? Am I really trusting in Christ and Christ alone for my salvation? [02:41:32]

If I flee to Jesus, He alone is the gateway to Heaven and everlasting life. And every moment that we resist the full commitment of our hearts to Him, the same apostle who spoke to this false prophet says, we are heaping up wrath, piling it up, treasuring it up, making a new deposit every day against the day of wrath. So I say, flee to Jesus if for no other reason than to save your own soul. [02:50:41]

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Transcript
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