Transformative Power of Faith and Discernment

We are studying the book of Acts, and we are in Acts chapter 13. We are in this space in the book of Acts where Paul and this man Barnabas are going out into the world. They're being commissioned to go out into the world, Asia and then Europe, to share the news of who Jesus is, what he did, and what it means for humanity.

At this point in time, Christianity, or "the Way," as this group is called, the Ecclesia, was hyper-local. It was really confined to a little bit in Jerusalem but mostly focused in Syria and in Antioch. There were a couple of people who came to know Jesus and kind of spread out across the world, but very few. This was a very hyper-local movement, and the aim is to spread this good news, literally to evangelize.

This would be the first missionary journey of Paul. There would be four of them that would spend about 1,400 miles and take about two years. So, on this journey, as we find ourselves reading Acts chapter 13, these men, Paul and Barnabas, and their friend John, who accompanied them, leave Antioch, which is this hub of Christian influence. This is the major hub of the church.

They travel to a port city called Seleucia, and then they travel to the island of Cyprus by ship. They went across the island of Cyprus, teaching people about Jesus, and they end up in a place called Paphos.

Now, when I say these very few people, whether you're here or you're watching online, you're not going to know what these landmarks are. So, I wanted to try to give you an understanding of just how far these locations are and the context.

So, place yourself in Chardon Square. Anybody know where Chardon Square is? You bet! Okay, can you put your mind in Chardon Square, right in the middle of that gazebo? Ain't it pretty?

Alright, now walk to Fairport Harbor. It's about 20 miles. That's about the distance of Antioch to the port city of Seleucia—about the same distance.

From Fairport Harbor, you're going to get in a boat and travel to Canada. It's only 57 miles away. Actually, 57 miles is the span of Lake Erie. It's not very far, is it? Not very far. But if you travel from Fairport Harbor to Canada, 57 miles, that's about the distance between Seleucia and the island of Cyprus.

Now, once you arrive in Cyprus, you're going to get out of your boat. Once you arrive in Canada, you get out of your boat, and if you went from, let's say, Fairport Harbor to Canada, you're going to land in this port city in Canada called Port Stanley.

From there, I want you to walk to Toronto. This is the distance from one side of Cyprus to the other. It's about 140 miles.

So, this is the journey, relatively similar to what Paul, Barnabas, and John undertook. This gives you an understanding of the setting and the distance traveled on this very first leg of this trip, from Antioch to Cyprus and all the way across the island to a city called Paphos.

It's in this city, in this setting, we find Paul and Barnabas and their companion John Mark. Picking up in Acts chapter 13, verse 6, they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus.

The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

Now, I know that you're confused by the name Bar-Jesus. I want you to know with certainty that we don't worship him; we worship Church Jesus, not Bar-Jesus. It's Father's Day, and can I not get a laugh in when I make a dad joke? Bar-Jesus, Church Jesus! Thank you, friend.

I'm going to put the laugh track in when I put this online, you better believe that! In Hebrew, the word "bar" means "son," so this man's name is "son of Yeshua" or "son of Jesus," as we would say it. Jesus or Yeshua was a very common name, so this Bar-Jesus is just a man who we would call the son of Yeshua.

Now, this Bar-Jesus was an attendant of the governor of the region, and his name was Sergius Paulus. "Proconsul" means governor, and Sergius wanted to hear what these men had to say because word about them had spread across the region.

Remember, Paul, Barnabas, and John—PB and J—can't go without PB and J, right? Okay. Paul, Barnabas, and John land on the coast of Cyprus and travel all across the island to Paphos. As they're journeying, word about them and their message has spread.

So, this governor of Paphos says, "Bring them here! I want to hear what they have to say." But Elymas, the sorcerer—Elymas, sorcerer Bar-Jesus—they called him Elymas because he was a sorcerer, opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Have you ever had a bad friend?