Our summer series deals with the life and missionary trips of a man named Saul, better known as the Apostle Paul.

Over the course of this series, we have seen a lot of change when it comes to Paul. The last few weeks we saw the first "stops" along the missionary journey for Paul and Barnabas (Cyprus, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Antioch).

Today we are in Acts 14:8-20. Last week, Gary Nelson talked about Paul and Barnabas' time in Iconium. We saw the importance of the Gospel, the impact of the Gospel, and the impediments to the Gospel.
As you may remember, the ones in opposition to the Gospel and message of Paul and Barnabas planned to mistreat and stone them!
We saw in Acts 14:6-7 that they fled that area and went to Lystra and Derbe, and surrounding areas, where they continued to announce the Good News.

It is in Lystra and Derbe where we pick up today.
In verses 8-10 we see Paul speaking to a man who was lame from birth. When Paul saw this man's faith, he told him to "stand up on your feet!" The man jumped up and began walking around. This is the foundation for the story that plays out today.

Let's take a look at the city of Lystra. It was a small town in Turkey that was known for nothing much other than mythology.
Around 8 AD, the Roman author Ovid wrote a story from the area in which the gods Zeus and Hermes appeared in human form and went to 1,000 homes seeking hospitality. However, only one elderly couple welcomed the disguised gods into their home. For this, only that couple was spared the wrath of a flood that destroyed Lystra.
This was the historical context about 40 years later when Paul and Barnabas showed up. When Paul miraculously healed a lame man to demonstrate that God sent he and Barnabas, it made sense that the locals mistook them for their gods of Greek mythology.

There are some differences in what Paul and Barnabas had been doing to what they are now doing in Lystra.

Prior they:
- spoke in the Synagogue there - Jews
- stood up and spoke during the designated time
- spoke to the "brothers" and the "Sons of Abraham"
- spoke about the history of the Jews and the promise of the Messiah

In Lystra they:
- dealt with gentiles (non-Jew) and pagans (counter-Christian), not primarily a Jewish audience
- do not preach the same way but the message is still the same
- see the first real push to stop the spread of the Gospel

Luke, the author of Acts, begins to get very detailed here.
Paul sees a man who was "sitting" - "born crippled" - "never walked."
Many details to say the same thing. Paul sees that the man believes in God and tells him to "stand up on your feet!" The man jumped up and began walking around.
They are not in the synagogue, they are on the streets.
This sounds very similar to Acts 3 when Peter and John come into Jerusalem and heal the lame beggar. The difference is that Peter and John were able to speak to an understanding crowd.
Acts 3:12

Here in Lystra, the crowds shout in Lycaonian, "the gods have become like humans and come down to us!" They call Barnabas, Zeus, and call Paul, Hermes.
The people wanted to show honor and worship Paul and Barnabas because they thought they were gods.
Paul and Barnabas were shocked, tore their clothes and shouted to the people.
Acts 14:11-14

Think about it, the people were worshipping Paul and Barnabas as idols. They could have accepted the praise. Do we do this? Do we get in the way of God's glory? Do we take credit for what God has done? Do we chalk it up to chance? Or do we give God glory?

They presented the Gospel just as they had in Cyprus and Iconium, however they weren't speaking to the Jews. With the Jews they spoke of Jewish history, culture, and Scripture. Here Paul started in the beginning and showed 3 things to the people of Lystra.
- God is LIVING
- God is LEADING
- God is LOVING
Acts 14:15-18

Paul speaks to people that are not educated on who God is or hardly any of the Jewish cultural pieces.
So Paul introduces them to God.
Genesis 1:1
John 1:1
John 1:14
Paul introduced them to God in the same way that we should introduce others to Him.
He is LIVING - He is not artificial, not a fake or an idol.
He is LEADING - We do not define Him, we do not change Him, we do not earn Him.
He is LOVING - It is not our works, it is not our gifts, it is not our show.

Paul shares in verse 15 the same way that we should today.
"We are bringing you the Good News!"

Have you heard the Good News?
Have you responded to the Good News?
Have you changed because of the Good News?
Have you shared the Good News?

In verses 19 and 20 we see that some Jews came and enraged the crowd. They intended to finish the job they started in verse 5. But the followers gather around Paul and he gets back up and goes back into the city. The next day he travels with Barnabas to Derbe.

Like Paul, what makes someone get up and get back at it again?

Dwight L. Moody story

How do you see the WORLD?
We need to be on MISSION.
We have GOOD NEWS!