Bent Oak Church

Having stirred up the city, Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, but even in their suffering, the Spirit was at work. Their time in prison would lead to the miraculous conversion of a prison guard, along with his whole family. Pastor Barry Kinzer shares from the passage. 

As Paul and his companions set foot in Macedonia, they found themselves in a new position. They had no place to start. But the Spirit had called them and soon led them to their first convert. But where the gospel is preached, there is also opposition and disruption. 

Paul began his second missionary journey with modest goals. His desire was to visit churches he had already planted. But while traveling, the Holy Spirit began to close doors and change Paul's plans. The Spirit also gave Paul a vision of greater work than he had previously envisioned. We take a closer look at how the Spirit leads us through our own open and closed doors. 

Acts 15 contains one of the greatest depictions of church unity yet; Luke includes in the same chapter one of the most trivial disagreements of the New Testament. We look at what caused the separation between Paul and Barnabas and recognize how it helps us think about our own church experiences and the work God is doing.

Last week, we saw the churches gathering to settle disagreements. In this week's sermon, we're looking at the letter that emerged from their meeting and the requests the Jewish believers had for the Gentiles. Their advice turns out to matter far beyond just the First Century.

As the gospel continued to spread amongst the Gentiles, the church faced questions about how to welcome these new believers. Returning to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas helped guide the first church council and its celebration of what God was doing. 

While the citizens of Lystra had seen a miracle and been moved to worship, it didn't take much to shift their passions to violence. As the crowd turned, Paul was stoned and left for dead. He used it as a chance to demonstrate the strength and faithfulness required to follow Christ and enter the kingdom. 

As Paul and Barnabas continued on their first missionary journey, they came to the city of Lystra. After a lame man was healed, the town was convinced that Paul and Barnabas were gods. Paul pleaded with them to turn their attention instead to the living God and not to them or their idols.

As Paul's first missionary journey continues, they arrive in Antioch in Pisidia. Paul steps forward in the synagogue to speak. His sermon parallels earlier sermons in Acts. By this speech, Luke highlights the unchanging center of the church's message: Jesus. 

Paul and Barnabas embark on their missionary journey in Cyprus, facing fierce opposition from a false prophet. As Paul steps into the leadership role, he powerfully confronts the deception of Bar-Jesus, illustrating that spreading the gospel is a spiritual battle, not just a debate. The immediate blindness of Bar-Jesus serves as a poignant symbol of spiritual awakening. Listeners are reminded that opposition is a natural part of gospel work, and they are encouraged to remain bold in sharing the truth empowered by the Holy Spirit.