Several years ago, I had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. During the surgery the doctor also removed a cyst. It is amazing how much swelling will take place in your body when you start moving things around and cutting things out! Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting itself. Inflammation has a way of making you pay greater attention to your condition! It helps you realize the significance of your situation as it really is.
We must pay attention to the real condition of our own heart.
The “Paul and Barnabas Mission Team” has left Iconium, arrived in Lystra, and Acts 14:7 tells us they began drawing attention to the clear condition of the heart of the people and to the one true God with preaching the gospel (but possibly not in a synagogue this time). The continuation of the gospel pattern practiced in the last two cities is seen in Lystra as well. However, in Lystra we are given a glimpse of the personal gospel encounters and we see a miracle.
Acts 14:8-10 – A Powerful Work of God
We are introduced to a man who has not walked since birth, having no power in his feet. This same man was present during Paul’s sermon and God enables Paul to discern he had faith to be healed. So, Paul calls out, tells the man to stand up, and the man stands and “he leaped and walked.” For a man who had never walked, to stand at once and leap and walk is quite miraculous on numerous levels. What a sight that must have been for everyone present! In this brief account, there was a clear need, a clear faith in God, and clear direction was given.
We love the Bible accounts of Nineveh having revival, Daniel surviving the lion’s den, and the parting the Red Sea to lead the Israelites to cross on dry ground. We marvel at Peter walking on water, Jesus feeding 5,000 people with a little boy’s lunch, and Lazarus’ rising from the dead with Jesus simply saying, “Come forth!”
Here is the simple truth we must remember: We serve the same God who did all that and He is still at work today! God still miraculously heals people of seemingly impossible conditions. Sometimes God heals with stronger physical strength and sometimes God blesses with complete healing in heaven – but the transformation is far more than physical needs. This miracle declares that their message is the real deal and what they are hearing is truth! Who else could possibly do such things other than the Messiah Himself?! God is still transforming our lives today! The gospel transforms your marriage, your children, your thought life, your friendships, your work ethics – and every other area of your life.
What do we see in Acts 14:8-10? If God can do the impossible of enabling the lame to walk for the first time, He can meet your need too! God is your provider. God is your healer. God is the solution to your need. We need God more than anything else!
Acts 14:11-13 – A Persistently Misled People
The people of Lystra were surrounded with gods (gods of their own making), and yet, they did not know the one true God! Their immediate response was to attribute the miracle to their false gods. A false god culture is a no God culture—and a no God culture is hopeless, miserable, and destructive. The people of Lystra were sincere, but they were sincerely wrong. God chose Paul and Barnabas to teach them truth and change this godless culture to a God-fearing culture.
Change tends to be harder on us as we get older. Technology is a fabulous example, isn’t it? Today’s generation has grown up typing on a computer or digital device and tech seems to come naturally to them. Tech is the younger generation’s native language. In contrast, the older generation did not have tech introduced to them until the 1990’s. Many did not even have a home computer until they were well into their adult years. The older generation took classes to learn how to type, but the younger generation grew up typing from their very young years of life. Those older will often ask a young teen (or even young child) for help with tech. Change is not necessarily bad, but it tends to be harder the older we get – and we truly do not understand that truth until we are older.
Paul and Barnabas’ gospel ministry is changing the culture of cities like Iconium and Lystra when multitudes hear the gospel message and believe. Our culture needs to change when we put anything above God as the norm. Our flesh has a constant move toward lifting something or someone higher than God. Our current society is appalled when a politician wants to stop the murder of unborn babies or call a man – a man. Our society wants to call right wrong and wrong right! We must choose to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must take great care that we do not replace the one true God with logic, reason, and feelings – but that we use the Word of God as the standard. We must stay clear on who God is. In our study of Acts 13-14 we have seen that God is sovereign, God is love, God is longsuffering, God is merciful, and God is all-powerful and all-knowing. No matter what your circumstances seem to tell you, you know from God’s own word that He is these things. You know that sometimes your circumstances do not tell you the whole story about God, but that you must choose to trust God!
Acts 14:14-18 – A Prompt Redirection
When Paul and Barnabas realize that the people are calling them gods, they rush to correct this error with clear demonstration of their burden (“they rent their clothes and ran in among the people”). Matthew Henry points out, “We do not learn that they rent their clothes when the people spake of stoning them; but when they spake of worshipping them; they could not bear it, being more concerned for God's honor than their own.” In fact, Acts 14:18 says they barely kept them from performing sacrifices to them as gods.
Paul and Barnabas could have been flattered. After all, Paul had just performed a life changing miracle. This man could now walk for the first time in his life! However, Paul and Barnabas had a biblical view of their own lives with humility and a proper view of God with reverential awe (godly fear). Pride, fear of man, and acceptance of man tends to take over when we step away from biblical humility and fear of God!
You may be old enough to remember the “Red Light Special” that the Kmarts around the nation would feature each week. However, for the rest who do not, please allow this brief explanation.
The store would have a small cart with an attached tall pole. At the top of the pole would be a flashing red light. So, it would go something like this: you are shopping in the store, a manager gets on the store microphone saying, “Attention Kmart shoppers! There is a red light special in the ladies’ department for the next 10 minutes.” Then the speakers would sound off an alarm type sound and the red light would begin turning and flashing for 10 minutes. It was a “X” marks the spot type of promotion, so more people would be drawn to the area (and spend more money).
Our hearts and minds ought to be sounding the “Red Light Alarm” when we find comfort in others giving us the credit that belongs to God. We must pay attention to the real condition of our own heart and to the one true God. If you have genuine relationship with Jesus, then ask yourself how well you know your Savior. Do you rehearse who He is? Do you run to Him as your refuge in hardship, like those in Jesus’ earthly ministry? Do you follow Him out of love for your Savior?
If you have trusted in something else for comfort, security, and hope – and you do not have genuine relationship with Jesus – then I plead with you to accept His offer of saving grace today.