Are We The Blind Leading The Blind? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Living your life deliberately pointing people to Jesus is a vital and serious part of the Christian life.
SCRIPTURE: Acts 13:4-12
This morning we’re coming to a passage we would have addressed last Sunday evening if the tornado warnings hadn’t had other plans☺️. I fully believe God knows what He’s doing, so I trust we’re looking at these verses now for a reason. Plus, you’re in luck because evening sermons are typically much shorter☺️!
What we’re going to be looking at is the first missionary journey stop for Paul and Barnabas. Let’s look at Acts 13:4-12 and then break down some applications.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
We have their first official stop...and it’s not all sunshine and roses. They encounter active resistance. Nonetheless, the Gospel is spread. What struck me most about this passage as I studied it, and our gist for this morning, is this: Living your life deliberately pointing people to Jesus is a vital and serious part of the Christian life.
I. LIVING YOUR LIFE DELIBERATELY POINTING TO JESUS (4-5)
Let’s start by looking back at verses 4-5. “4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.” I want to make two quick observations here. First, we should be→
On a mission to share the Gospel. This is why they left because this is why they lived. It is what drove them. It was their purpose. They came to town and sought opportunities to share the Gospel. What we see them doing here becomes their pattern. They go first to the synagogues because it was a platform where people who needed to hear would be available to listen. And, it was customary for visiting teachers to be allowed to speak in these settings. However, they wouldn’t stop there. When, almost inevitably, they were forced from the synagogues, they’d go out to the Gentiles. They kept pursuing opportunities.
This should be the mission for our lives, as well. So, let me just pause and ask a searching question: are we, myself included, looking for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus and His salvation? If I’m honest, I would have to say, “Some days, yes, and others, no.” But I can tell you with 100% confidence when I pray for God to open doors for me to share the Gospel, opportunities come. I know this is more of a “takeaway”☺️, but I pray that God would convict me and you both on this point and burn within our hearts a longing to share His gospel and then provide us with opportunities to do it!
The second observation I want to make is that this is→
Not “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” This quote, often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, is used so often in churches sometimes we fail to stop and think about its implications. We do the same thing with the Guest poem, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.” Here’s the deal: we should live rich and vibrant Christian lives. People should see something different in the way we live. However, just living well is not enough. There are many non-Christian people who live wonderful lives. They are kind, patient, and compassionate. In fact, they are much better people than me. But does that save souls? Look at Romans 10:13-15: "13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!""
There are so many wonderful things we should be doing. We should be kind, patient, and compassionate. We should be actively inviting people to church. We should be expressing sympathy and seeking to live helpful and peace-loving lives. However, no degree of decency should or could ever replace our need to actually tell people about Jesus! Supplement, absolutely! In fact, as Christians, we should live like this. We just have to remember the only real good we can do is point people to the only One who can save souls and change hearts! You don’t have to be a preacher to preach. You just have to be a Christian willing to share the good news that changed everything!
II. IS A VITAL & SERIOUS PART OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
For this point, I just want to walk through these next several verses and make a few observations as we go. First, we see that→
The Proconsul Wanted To See, But Bar-Jesus Wanted Him To Stay Blind. (6-8) “6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” Sergius Paulus is a senate-appointed, Roman governor, a prominent man in this area. Bar-Jesus, whose name means “son of Jesus”, appears to have been his advisor. However, their paths diverge seriously here. Sergius Paulus wants to hear the truth, but Bar-Jesus, who had given his life over to deception, wants to keep him blind. Why? What use would a false prophet be when you have been changed by the Way, the Truth, and the Life?
Let me just say this. People wanting to know the truth is a beautiful sign of the grace and gift of God. We can’t miss out on these opportunities. If someone comes to you wanting to know Jesus, don’t hesitate; share Him! Also, don’t get in their way! Next, we see that→
Bar-Jesus Needed To Realize His Darkness. (9-11) “9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.” Let me start by noting that this verse is the first time Saul is referred to as Paul, the name used for him for the rest of Scripture. His name didn’t change. He’d always had both. Saul was his Hebrew name; Paul was his Roman name. As he starts to minister primarily to Gentiles and as he fully recognizes the folly of trying to save himself with the Jewish traditions that once defined his life, it makes sense that he would start going by his Roman name.
However, the bigger thing we see here is the blinding of Bar-Jesus. This whole exchange not only had physical effects, but it also had strong spiritual implications. He needed to realize the darkness in which he was walking and the darkness he was trying to keep others in as well. Paul personally understood this better than anyone as he’d experienced both. He was spiritually blind and went about trying to kill Christians, and when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus--Jesus blinded him.
This darkness is our natural state. We need Jesus to open our eyes. Working to keep people in this state rather than pointing them to the light and love of Jesus is serious, and this passage isn’t the only one to express that. Let’s just look at a few parallel passages quickly this morning→
Matthew 5:19-20: "19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:5-6: "5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."
1 Corinthians 8:12-13: "12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.”
The point is clear, pointing people away from Jesus is nothing to be taken lightly.
Lastly, I want to point out that→
This Sign Was Used On Purpose, But The Power Was In The Word! (12) 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Again, this is why we go out sharing the truth of God’s Word, not merely being good people. The power to change lives is in God’s Word alone!
TAKEAWAYS
1. Know the Gospel.
- God is holy and loving. God is holy, so He can’t just be “ok” with our sin. But, He’s also loving, so He did something about it.
- We are sinners deserving Hell. Romans 3:23, "23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and Romans 6:23, "23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Jesus willingly died in our place, taking our punishment on Himself. Romans 5:8, "8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- If you believe in Him and give Him control of your life, JESUS will save you!. Romans 10:9, "9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
2. Live your life deliberately pointing people to Jesus using His Word. Know His Word. Share His Word!
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