Spiritual leaders are like scalpels and sign posts

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 14:23

Though God ordains and works through elders in local churches, the Lord Himself is the Lord of the Church. The elders are not. As a scalpel can neither perform nor take credit for a successful surgery, the elders are merely instruments in the hands of the Lord.

This was true of the Apostolic church planters, Paul and Barnabas, and of the elders they appointed in the churches that God, through them, established.

That is why the task of spiritual leaders, whether elders or otherwise, is to “commend the people to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Spiritual leaders are like sign posts. They are not the destination, they merely point to the destination, which is the Lord Himself. They commend the people to the Lord by preaching and teaching and counseling from the Word of God. They commend the people to the Lord by praying for the people and giving Him all the glory for any spiritual growth and blessing they or the people experience.

Those who are spiritual leaders, or aspire to be, must bear these things in mind. And the people they lead do well to pray for their leaders, that God would use them as they commend the flock of God to the Lord.

Prayer and fasting about appointing elders

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 14:23

What is meant by appointing elders with “prayer and fasting”? It means that this matter is given serious spiritual consideration. Prayer is an essential component to all Christian decision making. But when it comes to appointing elders, much prayer is needed because the stakes are so high and the consequences of a wrong decision can be catastrophic. Fasting, whether literally or not, underscores the seriousness of the decision even more.

It is much better to be overly cautious than to later realize than an elder cannot serve and has to be removed.

The serious prayer that goes into the decision to appointing elders is not the responsibility of the elders alone. The congregation should be praying for the Lord to raise up elders, and that only those God raises up become elders. Are you praying about this for our church?

May I encourage you to pray for more elders. Pray especially for the Lord to raise up younger men. While the term “elder” does refer to a man’s experience, churches are blessed when young men aspire to become elders. As 1 Timothy 3:1 says:

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

As a footnote, observe that Acts 14:23 ends with these words: they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” The elders and the congregation do not make anyone an elder. Only God does that. But we appoint elders “believing / trusting” the Lord to use the men He has called.

What is meant by appointed?

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 14:23

We last considered the reason for a “plurality of elders (meaning more than one). This time, what is meant by elders being “appointed”? Some say this means the entire congregation (or at least the formal membership) appoints by voting and the “majority rules.” Others say that the Apostles appointed the first elders and that elders appoint subsequent elders ever since.

The way other churches understand this is that while the elders have the spiritual responsibility to appoint only biblically qualified men to be elders, they seek the approval of the congregation. This is what we do at Grace Bible Church. The elders put potential elders through a rigorous vetting procedure (including applications, interviews, and references from the men’s wives, and from others both inside and outside of the church).

Once the elders are satisfied that the candidate is well qualified, they inform the church, asking for feedback. After three weeks, any negative feedback is investigated, at which time the candidate’s name may either be withdrawn, or if the negative feedback is judged not to be disqualifying, the process continues. In our history, we have only received negative feed back once. In every other instance, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

This process insures that an unqualified man is not “voted in” based on sheer popularity, and that the congregation’s opinions are given proper consideration.

What is meant by “prayed with fasting”? Next time.

Why a "plurality" of elders?

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 14:23

An aspect of church planting is appointing elders. Without elders you may not have a church. Of course there may be circumstances in which a church is without elders, but that must be seen as a temporary situation. That church would hopefully get an elder or two, and if that church is a member of an association of churches (yet another reason for associations of like-minded churches!), the churches in the association can help.

It is also worthy to note that when elders of churches are mentioned in the New Testament, it is always plural (1), meaning a church should have more than one elder. Why a “plurality” of elders (meaning more than one)?

• A consensus of a plurality of elders lends greater credibility because there is wisdom “in a multitude of counselors” (Proverbs 15:22). This doesn’t guarantee that all the elders agree on everything perfectly, but that they pray through and work through matters until there is a consensus (2).

• Having more than one elder helps keep the church from becoming a one man show.

• Having more than one elder helps ensure that a church is not left with no elders if something happens to one of them.

What about choosing elders? Next time…

(1) The Bible never speaks of the elder of a church.
(2) Consensus means that (a) everyone is involved in the decision making process, and (b) even if everyone is not 100% agreed, all can live with, and be supportive of the decision.

What if I cannot find a Christian church to my liking?

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 14:23

The first official missionary venture (Paul and Barnabas, & Co.) was more than an evangelism crusade. It was a church planting enterprise. While simply doing evangelism is commendable, that the first missionaries set out to evangelize and establish churches is instructive:

While we are saved individually, we are saved into Christ’s Church. The modern notion that a person can be a Christian and have nothing to do with a local church is simply unbiblical (1). Each individual must receive Christ personally. But saved individuals are instantly members of Christ’s Church, and are to become members of a local church.

What if I cannot find a Christian church to my liking? Then unite with a Christian church that is the closest to your liking. The Body of Christ is big enough to include Christians who do not agree on everything. Don’t go with the intention of pointing out error, or correcting everything you are at odds with. Go instead loving Christ and His people. You might be surprised at how God may use you there—while remaining faithful to assemble with the folks in an local church (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Appointing elders? Next time.

(1) In rare instances there may be believers where there are no churches, but that is an exception, not the rule. It certainly is not the case in the USA.

Is Christ the ticket to problem free living? Hardly.

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
Acts 14:21-22

Okay, it is not the first thing we tell people when we are pointing them to Christ, but neither is it something we hide nor neglect.

"We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

There are many places in the world today (primarily in communist or Islamist lands) where people know full well that following Christ means suffering and persecution. But here in the land of the free? Sadly, all too often Christ and Christianity are presented as a golden ticket out of all one’s problems. Truth be told—and we must tell it—while Christ and the gospel is the golden ticket to forgiveness of sins and a new life in Christ, it does not take away our temporal problems. In Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are equipped to endure problems—but escape from them? No.

This is important because when the false gospel of a trouble-free life in Christ is embraced, people end up disillusioned. Their problems do not go away, and a fair amount of these “converts” quickly turn away. And why shouldn’t they? What they were led to believe didn’t happen.

Paul and Barnabas told the truth. We must receive Christ, but not as a means to trouble-free living. And don’t those of us who have walked with Him know that to be true!

Let us remember to pray for our brethren in Christ who suffer in ways we can only imagine.

I pray that we will keep on going

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Acts 14:19-20

Remember the Energizer Bunny? He just kept on going.

Paul and Barnabas & Company faced the most bitter opposition—even being stoned and left for dead. But they were not dead. And when they arose, they just kept on going!

You and I have not, and I pray we will never be, faced with martyrdom for the sake of Christ. But regardless of the kinds or trials we may face, or how severe they may be, I pray that we will keep on going. We are not done serving the Lord in this life until we are glorified in His presence. Until then, may the Lord grant us the vision, desire, and strength to continue worshiping, serving, and proclaiming Christ. May we love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31), and may we love our brothers and sisters in Christ as Christ has loved us (John 13:34).

No matter what may befall us, may we go, figuratively, “to the next city,” even as Paul and Barnabas, went literally.

More than conquerors!

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Acts 14:19

Those who hate God’s people, hate us because they hate Him (1 Samuel 8:7, John 15:18-24). If we renounced Christ and joined them in hating Christ, they would love us as they love their own. Besides encouraging us not to take the mistreatment of believers personally, we should also be encouraged that no amount of persecution of God’s people will get rid of Christ or His kingdom. His kingdom cannot fail (Matthew 16:18)!

The Christ hating world mistakenly believes that by getting rid of Christians, they can get rid of Christ. Impossible! Jesus already died and rose victoriously—and so will all who suffer for His name’s sake (Romans 8:16-18). Jesus has already defeated His foes.

Hostility against Christianity, Christians,—and against Christ is on the rise, not only in many places around the world, but in our crumbling society as well. Let us, therefore, be encouraged that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)!

For those who suffer now: Pray! For ourselves who may well suffer as opposition to Christ mounts in the US: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus—(1) in His Word, (2) in prayer, and (3) as we remain in constant fellowship with each other!

"Pray for softer rocks"

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
Acts 14:19

I remember watching a “mini-series” in the early 1980s entitled “Peter and Paul.” It starred Robert Foxworth and Anthony Hopkins as the two apostles. Though it was dramatized with many non-biblical (though not anti-biblical) elements, it was pretty good as I remember.

The first thing that strikes me upon remembering that drama about the book of Acts is that it was aired on network television. Can you imagine that in the year 2021? If it were produced and aired on network TV at all today, Peter and Paul would likely be portrayed either as narrow-minded bigots for claiming Jesus is the only way to Heaven, or else as social justice warriors championing racial and or gender equity! My, how we have fallen!

The other item I always remember was a scene in which after being stoned by their persecutors, while walking to their next destination, someone in the entourage asked Paul (Anthony Hopkins), “What if we are treated similarly in the next town?” Paul’s reply (fictionalized, to be sure), was: “Pray for softer rocks.” Clever writing, wouldn’t you agree?

Many, if not most of us have wondered how we would hold up if persecuted—especially if we were facing martyrdom. It is a fair question. I believe the best answer is threefold:

1. We needn’t think we must be strong enough right now to face what may or may not happen in the future.

2. God will give us the grace we need when we need it.

3. What we need to do now is prepare for the possibility by “growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ” so that if and when we must face such a thing, we will have developed an abiding trust in Him.

No one is strong enough to endure persecution. But the Lord in us is always and ever strong enough to carry us in any and every situation. Let us be anchored solidly in Him.

Persecution: Pray. Prepare. And keep praying!

And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Acts 14:18-19

If you missed the previous post, you might want to go back and read it to understand the lessons contained in this post.

Some lessons from the previous post…

• We must not let people’s love for us be our aim. That people love Christ is the goal, not that they love us. The desire for people to like us is what commonly keeps us from sharing Christ and the gospel in the first place.

• Angry atheists prove the point in Romans 1 about atheism. Everyone knows there is a God. Those who oppose Him do so because they hate God, otherwise they would disbelieve and move on. Let us not give in to the temptation to hate them. Instead, let us love and pray for these enemies of Christ. Who knows, God may yet be pleased to save some of them (as He did with Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9).

• Opposition to believers is actually opposition to God, so don’t take it personally. We must take persecution seriously, but not personally! (1 Samuel 8:7)

• Caving in to pressure from those who persecute believers doesn’t change their hearts—they will still hate God. But when we are strong in the Lord, that will trouble their hearts.

Lastly, in case you are unaware, persecution of Christians (which is actually hatred of Christ, not us), is on the rise, not only in “other places far away,” but in the US as well. It is subtle, but it is growing. Let us pray. Prepare. And keep praying! Unless the Lord is pleased to bring about a nation-wide revival, our nation’s hatred of Christ is on the rise!

(Footnote: Our national hatred of Christ is not in the hearts of the majority, but the minority who truly hate Him is angry, loud, and has the power of politicians, judges, the media, entertainment and educational industries in their pocket! Let us pray!)

Love 'em, or hate 'em

And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Acts 14:18-19

The people’s reception of Paul and Barnabas at Lystra was positive to the point of being negative. The were so enamored by these gospel preachers that the people wanted to worship the men instead of the Lord they faithfully proclaimed!

Note to self: It is nice when people like me, but the point is not for me to be liked, but for Christ to be received and worshipped.

There were people, however, from previously visited places, namely Antioch and Iconium, who hated Paul and Barnabas (because they hated Christ and the gospel) so much that they followed them to Lystra to oppose them.

A parenthetical thought: This reminds me of antagonistic atheists who vehemently work to oppose Christ and the gospel. Why do they do this? If they believe Christ and the gospel are fairy tales, just disbelieve and move on. I don’t believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but I have no passion to oppose them! Those who disbelieve and feel they must oppose Christ—even violently—do not disbelieve in Christ. They HATE Him! There is a difference!

They hate Him because they know He is real (Romans 1:18-ff) and that they will stand before Him for judgment. They hate the the conviction they feel in their hearts. They foolishly dream that if they shut His people up, they won’t have to bend their knees to Him. (Philippians 2:9-11)

How much did they hate Paul and Barnabas, and CHRIST? Enough to chase them to another city and attempt to kill them!

Some lessons from this next time…

Believers' responsibility toward those who do not believe

…and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:15-17

What responsibility do those who know the Lord have to those who do not know Him? The short answer is to do what we can to lead them to saving faith in Christ. The slightly longer answer is to:

1. Pray for their salvation. Pray that God would send someone, including us, to tell them about Christ and the gospel. Ask The Lord to soften their hearts and to open their eyes and ears to receive the truth by faith—which only He can do!

2. Tell them about Christ. Though we need to be sure we understand the simple gospel, we are to tell what we know, even if we cannot answer every questions and/or objection people may have. We must tell what we know, no matter how simplistic our understanding may be. Remember, only God can change their hearts and save them.

3. Seek always to live a life that affirms, rather than undermines the gospel. Our lives save no one, but if our lives are lived in hypocrisy, we can adversely affect whether people will even listen.

God has always given revelation of Himself to all people, but the revelation is incomplete without Jesus Christ.

How to receive the Lord and know you have

…and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:15-17

Last time we were reminded that what we need most is to hear—and believe the gospel. The good news of the gospel does not save everyone. If that were true, the end of the Bible (Revelation 20-22) would only be about Heaven. But the end of the Bible is not only about Heaven. It is also about God’s wrath in Hell. If everyone were saved, that would be unnecessary.

So how do people receive the benefit of what Jesus did to save His people? In other words, how do we know we are are one of those people Jesus came to save? The one thing God requires of those who are saved is faith. We need to believe the gospel. All of it:

• We must believe that we are sinners, with no ability to deliver ourselves from God’s wrath.

• We must believe that Jesus is the only way by virtue of who His is and what He has done (see the previous post).

• We must trust in Jesus and in Jesus alone, not in anyone or anything else, for if we trust in any one or anything else in addition to Christ, we do not believe Jesus alone is sufficient.

• Those who truly do believe (trust in Jesus) must and will repent: have an earnest desire to turn from sin to follow Christ as the absolute Lord and Master of our lives.

• Those who truly do believe (trust in Jesus), love Jesus and what Jesus loves, including God’s Word and the Church. Conversely, those who love Jesus hate what He hates, including our own sin and sin in general.

One last thought: What responsibility do those who know the Lord have toward those who do not know Him?

What we need most of all…

…and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:15-17

Last time we considered how God revealed Himself, in different ways, to all people everywhere. We mentioned that when Jesus came, the one gospel of Jesus is the ultimate revelation to all people (whether Jew or Gentile).

We left off with some questions: Why Jesus? How does one receive forgiveness? What is the responsibility of those who are saved? Stay tuned. Let’s chip away at those…

Why Jesus? Because, being God and man, the one and only God-man, He alone is worthy to pay for our sins, since He had no sins of His own. And because becoming a man, He was also able to die. Before His incarnation, being God but not man, He could not die!

Why Jesus? Because God’s entire revelation of Himself and His plan for humanity in the Old Testament point to Jesus (John 5:39-40). Jesus is the fulfillment of every aspect of the Old Testament (the covenants, the law, the poetry, and the prophets)!

Why Jesus? Because (though He is ever and always sinless!), He alone lived a sinless life, and died a sinner’s death for those He came to save. And because He rose from the dead the third day, defeating sin, death, Hell, and Satan for those He died for!

I hope you are not one who thinks, “Why does this pastor keep telling us the gospel over and over! We already know it!” Here is the answer: Because the gospel is the greatest news of all time and eternity! Those who tire of being reminded of God’s grace do not understand that the gospel is everything. No matter what else is happening, whether easy or difficult, what we need most of all at all times and in all circumstances is to have our minds marinated in the gospel—over and over and over again!

Next Time: How does one receive forgiveness? What is the responsibility of those who are saved?

God's plans throughout the ages

…and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:15-17

From the time God created Adam and Eve until His giving of His law, people in general were allowed to “walk in their own ways.” This doesn’t mean that God was not in sovereign control of all things. It means that He sovereignly allowed people the freedom to continue in sin with only a limited understanding of Him and of His ways. God then gave His law, which provided great detail about what God expected. God gave His Law to Israel. Israel was to be a light to the Gentile “nations,” which in general Israel did not do.

From that time until the coming of Christ, God continued to allow the Gentile “nations” to “walk in their own ways.” But through all of time, God, through nature, gave all people enough light to know there is a God and that they are accountable to Him (Romans 1:20). Virtually all of Gentile humanity rejected the light by which God revealed Himself, and continued in rebellion, “suppressing [rejecting] the truth in unrighteousness.”

The good news is that when Christ came, the message of the gospel has been to all people, both Jews who had the Law and Gentiles who only had the limited revelation of God in nature (Romans 1-2).

All people (Jew and Gentile ) stand condemned by their sin. The only hope of any people (Jew or Gentile) is forgiveness, which is only in Christ Jesus.

Why Jesus? How does one receive forgiveness? What is the responsibility of those who are saved? Stay tuned.

They need His saving grace, just as we do

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them… Acts 14:11-15

I wish I knew who first uttered the words, “I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.” Did you ever think of the fact that:

• All human beings are spiritual in the sense that we are created in the image of God, who is spirit?

• All human beings are spiritual since we are spirits who dwell in physical bodies, and that when our bodies die, our spirits live on—for eternity?

• The devil is spiritual?

• Every false religion (all but faith in Christ are false) is spiritual in the sense that they are spiritually false?

• All worship (whether of the Creator or His creation) is spiritual in the sense of either worshiping or rejecting God, who is Spirit?

If you think you are okay because you are spiritual, and yet do not worship God and His Son, Jesus Christ, your spirituality will condemn, rather than commend you on Judgment Day.

Regarding those around us who comfort themselves that they are “spiritual rather than religious,” as tempting as it may be to laugh or simply criticize, instead pray for and seek opportunity to point them to Christ. Just as we need His saving grace, so do they.

So-called atheists

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them… Acts 14:11-15

People are innately religious. Created by God, in God’s image, for the purpose of worshiping God, humans either worship the Creator (God) or the creation (things God has created).

There is a third category that is growing rather rapidly in our generation. So-called: atheists. I say “so-called” atheists, because most who claim that title are not atheists at all. Here is why:

Romans 1:18-25 clearly informs us that everyone knows that God exists because God has revealed Himself in nature. Many, however, reject this universal revelation of God. They do all they can to shut their ears and harden their hearts toward God. Most do this by worshiping the creation instead of the Creator. A tiny percentage of people go a step further “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18) by insisting that there is no God and claiming the title “atheist.” But these do not really disbelieve in God. Instead these dislike and even detest God. Why? Because knowing there is a Creator God, they know they are accountable to and will one day be judged by God. They don’t like that, so they insist God that God does not exist. Insistence that God does not exist, no matter how vehement, will help no one when they stand before Him on Judgment Day.

A footnote regarding atheism: Because everyone is privy to the revelation of God, no one is naturally atheistic. Atheists must be trained to disbelieve in God—either by their own rebellious hearts, or by others who seek to convince them. The entire public education system (and especially higher education is based on the [false] premise that there is no God. Why would any Christian seek to be educated [indoctrinated] in such a false educational system? Remember: “The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 1:7

" ...the opium of the people."

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them… Acts 14:11-15

I recently heard a non-Christian say that it is possible that human beings are innately religious. He wasn’t sure, but it seemed possible. Folks, human beings are most definitely innately religious! Everywhere on the planet, throughout all of time, the vast majority of human beings are religious. Why? Because God created us with an innate awareness of the existence of God (Romans 1:18-19) and because God created human beings (in His image) to worship Him. So, human beings are innately religious and almost always fall into one of two groups.

The first group (fulfilling our reason for being) worship the Creator of all things, the God of the Bible.

The second group, because they are created to worship, naturally worship something. They worship the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:20-25). Worship of the creation instead of the Creator has as many varieties as there are created things.

When Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel, and subsequently were used by God to heal the disabled man, the people rejected the gospel and worshipped Paul and Barnabas, instead of Christ whom they proclaimed.

Karl Marx once said, “Religion is the opium of the people.” He meant it as a dig against Judaism and Christianity, which he rejected in favor of worshiping the “god” of atheistic communism. But Marx was correct that false religion (worshipping the creation instead of the Creator) dulls people to true worship of the one and only true and living God.

Oh! The kindness of the Lord!

And they were preaching the gospel there. And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked. Acts 14:7-10

Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in Lystra (v.7). Though the Lord did miracles through these men, their primary activity and goal was to preach the gospel—not to perform miracles.

This man whose feet and legs did not work heard the preaching of the gospel (v.8-9) Even before the man received a gift of physical healing, he heard and apparently received the Lord as a result of the preaching. Why might we think this? Because Paul saw that the man “had faith to be healed” (v.9).

What kind of faith was that and how did Paul observe it? The man apparently received the Lord, professing saving faith in Christ. Granted, saving faith does not guarantee physical healing, but Paul was given supernatural insight that in addition to saving this man, God also wanted to heal him physically (v.9).

The Lord, through Paul, granted this newly saved man, physical healing of his feet and legs. The man not only stood, “he leaped and walked!” (v.10)

The kindness of the Lord! Oh! The kindness of the Lord!

People have all sorts of ideas concerning what Christianity and the church are about.

And they were preaching the gospel there. Acts 14:7

People have all sorts of ideas concerning what Christianity and the Church are about.

Most of them are wrong.

Some say Christianity and the Church are to be about social services—feeding, clothing, and housing people. Those are good, but they are not what Christianity and the Church are about.

Others say Christianity and the Church are about helping people feel better. This idea quickly devolves into the idea that what people need most is to feel good about themselves, and that the way to make this happen is feel-good therapy. Spiritually healthy Christians usually do feel better. But they feel better not about themselves. They feel better because they know that they are sinful creatures deserving the wrath of God—but who have instead received the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Still others are willing to tolerate Christianity and the Church as long as Christians keep their faith to themselves and behind the closed doors of the church building (and stay out of political and social discourse in public!). Jesus didn’t think this way. He told His disciples to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Christianity and the Church are about Christ and the gospel. If we are not preaching Christ and the gospel, we are not acting “Christianly” and have stopped being what the Church is called to be.