Partnership With God Stories of Faith, Prayer & Fasting A - PDF document

Powerful Speech & Signs Partnership With God Stories of Faith, Prayer & Fasting A Ministry of Signs & Wonders 2020-02-25 • Last week – Jesus and fasting • Today – The apostle Paul and Barnabus – their First Acts 14 Missional journey: Acts 13-14 Acts 14:1-13 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, • Speaking and teaching about who testified to the word of his God grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through • Holy Spirit working miracles them. through them 1

of Good News The Crippled Man Walks A Divided Response ‘Good News’ The Declaration 2020-02-25 • Some believe, others reject the • A man crippled from birth is word (v4) healed by God (v10) • The necessary role of faith – • Even this miracle can be “open the eyes of my heart” misinterpreted (Ephesians 1:18) • Barnabas - Zeus (King of the gods) Paul - Hermes (Messenger of the gods) • The crowd wants to worship them (v12-13) / a Greek audience Acts 14:15-18 Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these • Turn from worthless things worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and • Turn to the living God the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 2

to Good News Turn to the Living God What ‘Worthless Things’ Destroy Us? The Resistance Resistance God’s Goodness 2020-02-25 • The God who gives life • Idols? • Creator (v15) • Career, money, lust, addictions • Provider (v17) • Cannot fully satisfy • Sustainer (v17) Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my • Good news not bad news soul, and do not forget all his (v15-17) benefits… who satisfies you with • Doing good (v17) good as long as you live so that • God’s blessings upon the your youth is renewed like the earth eagle’s. • The crowd quickly turns against them • Stones them and leaves Paul for dead (v19) Acts 14:19-22 3

We are Partners Not Inconsistent with the Gospel Suffering & Persecution Prayer & Fasting Called to Persevere with God 2020-02-25 • We are not promised that life • ‘It is through many will always be sunny persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’ • Resistance/hardship are part of (v22) the process • Keep trusting in God – keep looking to him • ‘Will one thing’ And after they had appointed • The apostles gather with elders for them in each church, leaders in Lystra/Antioch with prayer and fasting they • Appoint elders to lead the entrusted them to the Lord in churches whom they had come to believe. • Entrusted them to the Lord (v23b) 4

Partners/Participants Open & Closed Doors 2020-02-25 • We have been given a deeper • God had opened a door of faith vocation to be participants in for the Gentiles (v27) God’s work • God opens & closes doors • Not lose ourselves in lesser • We have to go through them in things faith • Find our identity in God 5