Should I Stay or Should I Go? - Week 1 (Acts 14:1-18)

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? - Week 1
Acts 14:1-18

1The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
5Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7And there they preached the Good News.
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe
8While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting 9and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. 10So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” 12They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. 13Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, 15“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, 17but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” 18But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them. —Acts 14:1-18

When people preach the gospel without compromise, inevitably it provokes division because the truth of God divides. We need to understand that, because we live in a time when we abhor anything that could possibly divide us, particularly in the context of the church. As a result, we continually compromise and water down the truth of the Word of God so as to offend no one. —RC Sprouls, Acts (St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary)

What is the Gospel?

16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:16

God loves the world so much. He or She, gave love to everyone so we could live in peace. If you believe in Jesus, awesome, what counts is that you are sincere and of course try to be a good person. And God will give you an abundant life forever. —Many Christians

17God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. —John 3:17

18“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. —John 3:18

JUDGMENT

19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. —John 3:19

Where do you love the darkness more than the light?

20All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” —John 3:20-21

The Gospel is Change

STORY OF THANKSGIVING FROM GUATEMALA (maybe a picture of the team?)

15“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. —Acts 14:15