1. This missionary journey took place around 44-46 AD with Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark.

2. The total travel would have been about 1,581 miles.

3. The travel time would have taken about 53 days.

4. The travel would have been both on foot and ship. The total cost would have been more than $17,000.

1. John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas.

2. John Mark was the author of the Gospel of Mark, written a few years after this missionary trip.

3. John Mark did not continue with them very long on this trip. He left them after leaving the Island of Cyprus and landing in Perga.

4. Paul sees John Mark’s leaving as desertion. This later created a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that later separated their missionary journeys.

5. Later Paul recognized him as a co-worker.

6. Paul even recognized that John Mark was not only a co-worker but would be helpful!

1. Their first town was Salamis on the Island of Cyprus. Cyprus was about 100,000 people and considered very wealthy. They preached in the Jewish synagogues.

2. Their next notable town was Paphos. There they met the false prophet, Bar-Jesus. (Bar in Aramaic was son, Ben in Hebrew was son.) Sergius Paulus was an intelligent man and the governor. He wanted to hear the Word of God. He became a believer with significant influence.

3. They traveled by ship to Perga in Pamphylia (modern Turkey). Perga was a large city of around 100,000. There John Mark left them. They traveled uphill about 100 miles to Pisidia, a city of about 100,000 as well. Paul’s first recorded sermon was then given. The sermon gave a history of the Jewish people and their rejection of Jesus. That sermon went well. They were begged to come for a return message the following week. It didn’t go so well the second time around. There were many converts but a mob ran them out of town.

4. The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul’s powerful message converted many but many jealous leaders poisoned the minds of others. The people were divided. Once again, a mob planned on attacking and stoning Paul and Barnabas.

5. Paul and Barnabas fled to Lystra and Derbe and preached there. They did miracles and healed a man who was crippled. The town proclaimed them as gods, Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes. The same story, there were many jealous leaders who incited a mob to attach them and stone them.

6. After preaching in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium and Pisidia, and Perga to strengthen and encourage believers. They appointed elders for each church.

There was no mission plan to reach the world, before Paul and Barnabas and their missionary journey. Paul’s letters, 13 out of 29 books in the New Testament, were all birthed out of these missionary journeys. In fact, within 2 ½ centuries, Christianity had become the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. God had a plan!

1. God always has a plan! It may face difficulty but don’t ever lose sight of God’s plan. Elymas tried to get in the way of the plan…but God’s plan went forward. Ultimately, nothing will stop God’s plan!
He will use fasting and prayer…join the plan!
He will use willing vessels to share the Word…be available!
He will use empowered servants to accomplish His will…keep faithful!
He will make this happen! God’s got this!

2. What if Barnabas had not been the encourager that he was? What would have happened to John Mark? What if Barnabas wasn’t willing to stand by his convictions? How did God use all of that? Can Christians disagree? Can they both be right?

3. What if Paul and Barnabas saw every difficulty as God’s direction to turn back? What if they used all their circumstances to determine their decision? What would have been the outcome? What are the precautions that we all need to have in regard to the interpretation of circumstances?