Okay, now I just wanted to mention
some things to some of our younger listeners and if you'll turn
with me to Acts chapter 14 please, Acts chapter 14. Just as we're turning there,
let me throw that up there on the screen as well and then you'll
see what we're talking about. We've spoken a little bit about
this map before, how the apostles started their journey down there
at the right hand quarter of the page at number one the arrow.
They traveled from Antioch to Cyprus then went through Cyprus
number two. Number three the arrow took them
up into that southern coastline of what we now call Turkey and
they went in there at Perga and Pamphylia. They headed up to
Antioch and last week we were with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas
in Antioch, and we discovered there that they preached a sermon
pointing out that the Lord Jesus Christ was the one that the whole
nation of Israel had looked to as the promised Messiah. And
while there were a number of people believed, especially amongst
the Gentiles, we find that the Jews were largely opposed to
the message of the Apostle. He was caused to leave Antioch. He was rejected. There was persecution raised
in Antioch against Paul and Barnabas, and they left the area. And they went, arrow five, to
Iconium, and it's Iconium that we're going to be meeting Paul
and Barnabas today. And so we're in Acts chapter
14, and we're going to read a few verses just today, but we'll
start at verse one. And it came to pass in Iconium
that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews,
and so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of
the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred
up the Gentiles and made their minds evil-affected against the
brethren. Long time, therefore, abode they
speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the
word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done
by their hands. But the multitude of the city
was divided, and part held with the Jews and part with the apostles,
When there was an assault made both of the Gentiles and also
of the Jews with their rulers to use them despitefully and
to stone them, they were aware of it and fled to Lystra and
Derbe, cities of Lyconia, and unto the region that lieth round
about. And there they preached the gospel. So they moved from Iconium, they
had gone to Iconium, because they had been chased out of Antioch
and after a time preaching the gospel in Iconium, they were
chased from there. There was a threatening of stoning
and that's the little six and the little seven. So they went
to Lystra and Derby and the area around that region called Liconia. So here we find the apostles
once again preaching the gospel and seeking for opportunity to
lift up the Lord Jesus Christ. They had gone to this town. It's
not a little town, it was even at that time a wealthy and important
city. in the region. It's called in
scripture Iconium and if you see the word written there you'll
see that the first part of the word is icon and we all know
what icons are nowadays as far as computers are concerned. Everyone
has to have their icon. Well that's what the word comes
from and it means little image or a little picture which is
exactly and precisely how we understand the word icon today. So here's a little image, a little
picture and it's memorialised in the name of the town Iconium. And they left, when they left
Antioch to go to Iconium, they left a little group of believers
and converts at Antioch, because where they went and preached
the gospel, while there was opposition and persecution, while they were
chased away, they left, nevertheless, a remnant people, a little group,
a little flock, and these people continued to worship together
as the Apostle Paul and Barnabas moved on. There was trouble where
the preaching of the gospel was made, but there was also fruit
that was born through that ministry. That town of Iconium, where they
went to, is still there in Turkey. It's in modern Turkey today,
and it is still an important city. In fact, it's now called
Konya, so it's got that same Iconium. Konya is still there,
and it is a city of more than 2 million people. So Paul was
there when it was a town very many years ago and still it is
a mighty city today. And when Paul got to Iconium,
he began by speaking to the Jews in the synagogue. And we're told
that many Jews and Greeks, or those who understood the language
of the Greeks, so they would be Gentiles probably, they believed
the message that he spoke. They believed that the Lord Jesus
Christ was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah. Then we're
told that there were unbelieving Jews also. And the true gospel
will always cause division. It will always cause division
and it will always attract opposition. This is what we find here. Religion often tries to be at
peace with its society and that's understandable. We don't want
to be aggravating our friends and our neighbours by our preaching. But the truth of the matter is
that where the gospel is truly preached and is understood for
what it says, that there is a people that God is choosing out from
this world to be his flock, his sheep, his people, then it will
generate opposition from the devil. And the devil gets angry
and the devil raises up opposition to the preaching of the true
gospel. But note this, that the cause
of Christ and the gospel of Christ cannot and will not fail, and
the Lord Jesus Christ will gather his people. So what Paul found
at Antioch in Pisidia, he also finds here, that some people
believe, but there is opposition and persecution against the gospel. And we're told that the apostles
testified the word of His grace. You see, this was the message
that they were bringing. The word of His grace. It's a lovely little phrase there
in verse 3 of Acts chapter 14. Because they were persecuted,
we're told that They stood their ground for a long time. They
abode there preaching the gospel, speaking boldly even against
the opposition they encountered and gave testimony to the word
of his grace, the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we're also told that
there were signs and wonders, that the apostles were given
gifts that they were able to perform perhaps gifts of healing
and and casting out of devils and that gave a powerful witness
to the truth of that gospel, that gospel of grace that they
proclaimed. And finally it became too much
for the people here in Iconium and the Perhaps it took a little
bit of time for the opposition to be organised, but finally
the apostles were attacked seriously and with the intention to kill
them. They were to be killed by stoning. And I want you to notice what
happens because I think it's interesting. We're told that
they fled. We're told that the apostles
fled. Now that might not be the first thing we would think might
happen. and I've no doubt that they left
the town at the direction of the Lord Jesus. But it was also
a wise thing to do because by this means they preserved their
gospel ministry. Paul need not be afraid of these
people because he knew that the Lord protected him. But neither
need he be wasteful with his life. And there were no believers
in Iconium. There was a little church established
there. and there were plenty of other
places to preach. So Paul looked a little bit to
the south. He looked a little bit to this
area of Iconia and Lystra and Derby and the towns and cities
that were there. And he and Barnabas left Iconium
and they headed away to preach. They went to Lystra, they went
to Derby, they went to the area around about. And they took the
message to the sinners that they found there. They went to seek
the Lord's sheep. And this is what the gospel does.
We remind ourselves that the Lord Jesus Christ is likened
to that shepherd that counts his sheep and he says, there's
99 sheep here in the fold, but one is missing. He has to go
out into the wilderness, out into the weather, out into the
storm, in order to find that sheep that is lost. And that's
the work of the Gospel today. The Lord Jesus Christ goes forth,
not personally as a shepherd, but in the pastoral ministry
of the gospel. The gospel is preached, and when
the gospel is preached, the Lord's sheep are gathered in. And we
don't hide the gospel. We're not ashamed of the gospel.
We preach it boldly, just as the apostles did. And the Holy
Spirit will apply that gospel to open the hearts of men and
women, and young people, boys and girls. to hear the voice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the ministry of the Apostle
goes on and here he is moving through this region and preaching
the gospel of salvation. We'll pick up on another occasion
with the Apostle and Barnabas as they go on in their ministry,
but thank you for listening for a little while to that this morning.