This winter we’re looking at the second half of Acts. In the first half of Acts (chapters 1-12), Jerusalem is “home base” for the Christian movement. The ministry of Peter, James, and John is prominently featured. They unflinchingly declare in Jesus, a resurrection from the dead. They announce his ascension to the right hand of God, where he now reigns as our Lord. But salvation belongs first and foremost to the Jewish people. Salvation came through their history and lineage. Jerusalem is their city. The covenants and promises are theirs.
Sadly, the Jews begin to reject Jesus' messianic identity. They doubt his resurrection and divinity. They reject him as King. They reject the Apostle’s message of salvation through faith, by grace, as utterly delusional. In fact, a fuse of hostility is lit. It first manifested itself in the crucifixion of Jesus. But then the Pharisees, Sadducees, Teachers of the Law, the Priestly cast, Jews all the way up the ladder to the Chief Priest, men like Saul, begin to do everything in their power to oppose message of Christ. They go after the Apostles and Believers. They stone Stephen to death. It's very hard for people like us to fathom the campaign of terror levied against the church!
In the second half of Acts (chapters 13-28), Antioch becomes home base. The ministry of Paul (also known as Saul) and Barnabas becomes prominent. Saul's personal encounter with Christ and his conversion story is reiterated throughout Acts. He weaves it into this preaching time and again. By Acts 13 the focus has shifted from Israel, to taking the gospel of grace to the Gentile nations. The notion that salvation could be held out to the nations, infuriates the Jewish class even more. The Jewish Zealots escalate their campaign of terror and extend it empire-wide. Between the Jewish crucifixion of Jesus and Jewish animosity toward emergent Christianity… Jewish hatred toward the Christian if not rivaled (often surpassed) the longstanding Jewish hatred for the Samaritan.
This past week a well-reputed group called “International Christian Concern," released their report “2025 Global Persecution Index." They have documented how up to 300 million Christians (more than at any time in history) are being actively persecuted for their Christian faith. There are twenty highly populated countries in particular, that are Red Zones for Christians. You have governments (Russia, China, N. Korea, Nicaragua, India, Africa, N. Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia), terrorist groups, religious zealots (Hindu, Islamic) all violently opposing Christ. In these places Christians are daily murdered, imprisoned, tortured, raped, attacked, discriminated against, ostracized, displaced, surveilled, severely punished, unjustly tried, and economically wrecked. These places have extremist laws, anti-conversion laws, blasphemy laws, and hostile political climates. If you are curious how Christians exist and even thrive in these places, look no further than Bible, book of Acts.
The enemies of Christ have always wanted one thing, and one thing only. There is one thing they covet more than any single thing, any single behavior, any single concession we could possibly give. And there is one thing that we’ve been more than willing, to give over to the enemies of Christ, more than any other thing. And do you know what that one thing is? It's our silence. “Christian, if you would just sit down and hush-up about Jesus your Messiah and Christ, Jesus your God and Savior, Jesus the resurrected and ascendant King of King and Lord of Lords. Hush up that the grace of God (and the Spirit of God) has been poured out on all nations. Hush up about the power of the gospel to forgive us of sin and bring healing. Hey Christian… Enjoy all the personal peace and prosperity you desire… but in exchange, we demand your silence.”
It's not our preaching the gospel “without words” that provokes hostility. Our niceness. Our tolerance. It’s you preaching “with words” that there is no other name but Christ in whom there is salvation, that stokes the embers of hatred.
We saw in Acts 13 what happens when the church recalibrates its priorities. We see the church enmeshed in worship, fasting, and prayer. They have every intention to hear a clear word from the Spirit of God and obey Him, and they do. They preach publicly, fearlessly in all boldness. In Acts 13 the church is full of gospel conviction because they have gospel clarity. They understand that salvation exists in no other corridor of power, under no other name than the name of Jesus. It's not out of arrogance or hatred that the church takes on God's Unfinished Business. It’s in love, out of compassion. Repent. Believe. Be baptized.
Throughout Acts, we see four powerful dynamics at work in the Church. First, there is Intensified Persecution. Persecution has been the normal experience for the majority of Christian since the beginning. Let me illustrate:
• Acts 2:12-13, on the day of Pentecost, the Jews were “astounded and perplexed” as the Holy Spirit enabled the Church to preach the gospel in all the languages of the people gathered in Jerusalem. The Jews asked one- another, “What does this mean?” But some sneered and mockingly say, “Look, they’re all drunk on new wine!” Nobody enjoys being personally ridiculed.
• As we come to Acts 4:1-4, as Peter and John boldly preach Jesus in the temple courts. The authorities are disturbed. The Priests, Captain of the temple police, the Sadducees “confronted” them. They are “annoyed" they were proclaiming in Jesus a resurrection of the dead. They seize Peter and John, take them into custody, give them a little prison-block-scare-straight treatment, shake them up and threaten them. “You guys need to shut-up about Jesus.” The Apostles refuse. People believe. Church grows by 5,000.
• In Acts 5:17-18 the authorities become “filled with jealousy.” They arrest the apostles and put them in public jail. Their plan backfires, Peter and John get released and keep preaching.
• In Acts 6:8-13, a man named Stephen, full of grace and power, stands boldly and declares salvation and resurrection in Jesus. “Opposition arose"; zealous Jews began to argue with Stephen and challenge his message. But they cannot stand up to the wisdom and Spirit by which Stephen speaks. They secretly persuade men to accuse Stephen of having spoken blasphemy. The zealots stir up the people, the authorities seize Stephen, they take them through the same kangaroo Sanhedrin Court where Christ was unjustly sentenced. They present their false witnesses. Saul is there, he agrees with the court, stoning Stephen to death. Stephen dies… and to his last dying breath he is preaching Jesus!
• By Acts 8:1-3, all hell breaks loose. “A severe persecution broke out", the authorities declare open season on the Church. The Church is scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, as far away as places like Antioch (Acts 13) and Iconium (Acts 14). In Acts 8:3 Saul is “ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.”
• In Acts 9:1-2, “Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”
• {The Lord deals with Saul in Acts 9-10, and Saul becomes a missionary.}
• But friends, in Acts 12:1-3 it gets worse. “About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, 2 and he executed James, John’s brother, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too. . . and bring him to trial…” Terror!
• In Acts 13:44-45 the Jews still filled with Jealousy, and whole town, contradict Paul's preaching and testimony and defense. They insult him. In Acts 13:50 the Jews incite the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stir up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expel them from their district. Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off their feet and go over to Iconium to preach, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit!
• In Acts 14:1-6, the Jewish Zealots follow Paul and Barnabas to Iconimum. They stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against Paul and Barnabas. They intend to further mistreat and stone them, but their plot is foiled.
• By Acts 14:19-20 the Jewish Zealots think they've gotten their prize. “Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.”
So right alongside (1) Intensified Persecution (by Jews), (2) There is Intensified Preaching (by the Apostles). Starting with Peter and John. Remember how they were threatened by the Sanhedrin and ordered to be silent? Acts 3:13, “When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 3:18-20, “So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Do you hear that? We're unable to stop preaching! At every point persecution intensifies for the Christian, their preaching also intensifies. And as their preaching intensifies more and more people repent, believe, and are baptized, by the thousands. The word of the Lord spreads like unstoppable wildfire. Remember where we stopped last week? Acts 13:48-49, “When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”
There is Intensified Persecution (by the Jews), there is Intensified Preaching (by the Apostles). (3) There is an Intensified Power Confrontation (by the Lord). Something Jesus always promised to do was to be with his Apostles and the Church in all their preaching. In Mark 16:15-18, Mark records Jesus’ saying to the Apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”
In other words, right alongside your preaching, I'll be working signs and wonders of the order and magnitude of the days of Moses, Elijah. And then Mark 16:19-20 says this, “So the Lord Jesus, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the accompanying signs.”
In Acts 14 Barnabas and Paul heal a man who was lame from birth, who had never walked in his life. In Acts 14:9-10, “He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around.” By the way this is a parallel miracle to one Peter and John did in Acts 3. The ministry of Paul and Barnabas is in concert with that of Peter, John, and that of our Lord!
But Acts 14:11 says, “When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Acts 14:12-18, “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting, 15 “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way, 17 although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” 18 Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.”
Can you imagine telling an entire city to turn from worthless things—their worthless cult—to trust the living God? Acts 14:19-20, “Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 20 After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.”
Let me ask. What do you consider a greater sign or wonder of God's power? That a man born lame gets to walk… or that a man stoned to death, and left for dead, somehow gets up and goes right back to preaching in the very place, to the very people who just tried to kill him? I don't think we can ever fully anticipate what the Lord might do, or how he might manifest his power. Stephen was left for dead, and died. Saul or Paul was left for dead but stood back up and preached Jesus.
My favorite part comes next. (1) There is Intensified Persecution (by the Jews)… (2) there is Intensified Preaching (by the Apostles)… (3) There is an Intensified Power Confrontation (by the Lord)… (4) There is Intensified Church Planting (by the Church). Acts 14:21-28, “After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” “They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent a considerable time with the disciples.”