Acts - Week 47

Week 47 Acts 14 

Day 1 

READ 

Acts 14:16-18 

16 In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, 17 but 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.” 18 But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them. 

Paul and Barnabas were trying to keep the people from treating them as gods. They told them about the true God who had shown them common grace. The people had received good crops that provided food and joyful hearts. Yet, the people at Lystra could hardly be restrained in their intent to sacrifice to them. This was a conflict between Christ-followers and idol worshippers.  

REFLECT 

Think of how you can use God’s common grace to show unbelievers how they have been blessed even if they do not believe in the true God. Perhaps this will start them thinking.  

RESPOND 

Sometimes it is necessary to distinguish between common grace and special grace. Common grace is similar to the saying, “It rains the same on the just and unjust man.” Special grace is when a person trusts in Jesus by grace through faith in the Savior of the world. Talk with your disciple about other distinctions between common and special grace.  

Day 2 

READ 

Acts 14:19-20 

19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. 20 But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 

Some antagonistic Jews came from where Paul and Barnabas had been. They persuaded the crowds to follow them. Now, instead of worshipping Paul and Barnabas, those in Lystra wanted to kill them. Was Paul dead or only appeared that way? Some believe he actually died and wrote about the experience later.  As believers were around him, he was incredibly able to get up and go back into town. The following day Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe. This may have been when he met Timothy. 

REFLECT 

Think about sometimes God could perform a miracle, at other times He can give unusual strength to face obstacles. No one knows what a sovereign God chooses to do, but there can be confidence of being in God’s loving, just hands. 

RESPOND 

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. Some believe this was Paul’s experience when he was stoned and left for dead in Lystra. There is much in this passage to discuss with your disciple.  

Day 3 

READ 

Acts 14:21-22 

21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. 

After preaching the gospel in Derbe where many came to Jesus, Paul and Barnabas now begin retracing the path they had come on. Notice what they did in each place: they strengthened believers, encouraged them to continue in the faith and reminded them of the need to suffer persecution. These were messages meant to make believers spiritually stronger but also to warn them of things to come. Paul and Barnabas presented the Christian life as one of both joy and hardship.  

REFLECT 

Have you found that being a Christ-follower has brought both joy and some hardships? Have you lost some former friends after you came to Jesus? Have you found new friends? 

RESPOND 

You and your disciple need to pray for other believers. Read Ephesians 1:15-23 to see what the apostle Paul prayed for believers. 

Day 4 

READ 

Acts 14:23-25 

23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia. 25 They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia. 

Some might be content to lead people to Jesus and move on to another place. Paul and Barnabas were concerned to follow up believers and establish leaders in every church. It is remarkable that in such a short time, a local church was established with leadership. Paul and Barnabas were now on their way back to Antioch of Syria from which they had departed on this missionary trip. 

REFLECT 

Are there some you know who have made a decision for Christ, but have not been followed up? You could be the one to help spiritually strengthen and encourage them.  

RESPOND 

Talk with your disciple about the important need to strengthen and encourage those who have trusted in Jesus. Share with each other what your experience has been in this regard, both as a new Christian and now as one in the faith for some time. 

Day 5 

READ 

Acts 14:26-28 

26 Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed. 27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. 28 And they stayed there with the believers for a long time. 

This reporting to the sending church is what some call the “First Missionary Conference.” Paul and Barnabas told of what God had done through them, not what they had done for God. Of great importance was the outreach to the Gentiles. Up to this point believers were mostly of Jewish background but now the door was shown to be wide open to the Gentiles. Christianity is general in that it is for all, but it is particular in that only those are saved who believe in Jesus. 

REFLECT 

Have you thought about the gospel not being for just one ethnic group, as some nations believe, but is for the entire world? Rejoice in this and pray for the world. 

RESPOND 

Read 1 John 2:1-2 that reveals Jesus’ sacrifice was not just for one ethnic group but for the entire world. No one is excluded from the benefits of this sacrifice on the cross, but must believe in Jesus by grace through faith in Him in order to benefit from His sacrifice.