 Okay. So we'll just continue from where we left. We will have the others joining us soon. So we said that we are in the city of Listra right now where Paul and Barnabas are ministering and very similar to Peter and John. They have seen the miraculous restoration of a man who was crippled from birth and he stood up on his feet and the specific reason why this person received this restoration is because of the faith which he had. So we know Jesus talked about faith and he said according to your faith. So this person had faith. We could also say that Paul was sad and this miracle took place. Amazing miracle took place. So when it happened the people we are told they saw what happened and they were just amazed. Obviously someone who's never walked an entire lifetime oneness that person and his family being amazed but people around also being very amazed by this. So he lived okay and the people they were so impressed we are told that in their own language and it's called the Lyconian language they are praising. They are praising Paul and Barnabas and they are saying the gods have come down to us in the kindness of men. So people speak in their own language. It shows that they are giving credit okay and appreciation, words of appreciation. So they are really happy with Paul and Barnabas and the miracle that has taken place. So you know they are they are just rejoicing over the miracle and Paul and Barnabas and what are they saying? They are saying the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men. So in their culture okay and in the philosophy, philosophy, a Greek philosophy they would have gods come down to the earth and there were many gods so they thought okay there was a network issue apologies. So I was saying that people are getting ready to worship these two men thinking that they are gods. So Paul and Barnabas it is likely that they didn't understand because they were being praised in the Lyconian language. So when people were saying things they had no idea what was going to happen but it's only later when they saw that oxen are being brought, garlands are being brought, what is going on? They realize that these people think we are gods. So what is the reaction? You remember even Peter? Peter was greatly honored, greatly honored and then when people were looking at Peter and John he says to the people why are you looking at us? This man was healed because of the power in the name of Jesus so we are not the people who have done anything great okay. So even when that miracle happened the normal rest the people is they will look at the people, look at the ministers here also and the crippled man is healed they are thinking oh gods Jesus and Hermes are here let us worship people. You know it's a big lesson for who are serving God. From time to time you know the ministry goes well definitely there are times when ministry also does not go great you know you go and you only get opposition in a certain place but at times when things go well and particularly when notable miracles happen what happens to people they look at us and so impressed they say oh pastor you know you are anointed and people giving us attention, people will start giving us admiration adoration and to the extent here these are unbelievers they had Paul and Barnabas are gods to that level okay that they want to sacrifice for them. So the admiration of people how to deal with the admiration of people you know we have to be very clear that we are just this whom God is using yes the bible says that we honor those who are ministers especially those who are dealing with the word of God but that's about it there is that honor which is due for them we should not elevate to the position of God and what if we get that response from people you know we should be very careful because God's glory does not belong to man okay and we've studied the builders that we cannot take God's glory we should give God his glory because only he deserves it who did this miracle the power of God the Holy Spirit who is working through Paul and Barnabas did the miracle remember we said acts of the apostles is actually the acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles so Paul and Barnabas are very clear we are not gods or anything we are people just like you even Peter and John said that why are you looking at us come on nothing special about us if you believe even this power can flow through you okay so we have to be very clear on that otherwise if we are not clear people will start treating us like gods that is wrong we should not take that kind of admiration so both of these people verse 14 it says when the apostles Barnabas and Paul you know till now we were talking about the 12 apostles obviously it's 11 because Judas went away from God but Matthias was chosen so 12 apostles were the leaders of the church now in acts 14 14 for the first time you see this we are calling Paul and Barnabas as apostles and Paul and Barnabas they heard that the people want to worship them what did they do we are told that they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude trying out and saying men doing these things we also are men with the same as you and preach to you that you should turn from these those things to the living God who made the heaven the earth the sea and all things that are in them so what are they doing you know tore their clothes tore their clothes it's it's a sign of showing your disgust for blasphemy okay blasphemy is going against God so how can man called as God that is blasphemy so that is the reason they are expressed you know they're they're ang disgust and they're saying don't do this don't do this we are just people human beings like you but you must turn what from all these practices of worshiping people you know and all kinds of teachings that you have done from all this to the living God and they're introducing the living God as a creator they're saying he made the heaven the earth the sea all things that are in them okay and they continue to talk to the people in their own whatever the people understand so in that culture Greek culture they knew that God had created you know gods had created so they're trying to tell the people look there is only one God he's a living God and he is the creator and then they continue to add to it and they say who is 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 a rain from the heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness the people understood that the job or the work God is also to bless people so they knew see basically Paul and Barnabas are talking in there with their understanding and they say you believe that God is a God who does good things for the people so let us tell you that this God this living God whom we are preaching he's one God he is the creator and he's the one who does good good life of the people right he gives rain he gives good seasons fruitful seasons when you saw in in your fields and he fills our hearts with food and gladness so he's a good God who brings blessing on our lives so you put your faith in this God okay but even when they were talking sense to the people you know we read that the people were not willing you know it is like it's so sad you remember Aaron when Moses went to worship God and when he came back he saw that the people had forced him to get jewelry molded in of a calf and worship so people had a mindset of their own and they were just not willing to listen they just wanted to do what they wanted to do okay we want to worship okay and here are Paul and Barnabas they're telling them no please don't do this but what are these these admirers of Paul and Barnabas doing they are not ready they want to make the sacrifices okay so then what happens then the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there so all this is going on but did the Jews who opposed them in the other cities from where they got expelled from Antioch and Iconium no they had to flee they had to run away because those Jews had made up their minds we are going to stone these people so they're coming to Lystra they must have heard you know what these people have gone to Lystra and there they have done this miracle also and now the whole the whole region you know Lyconium the whole region they are praising Paul and Barnabas and they want to make sacrifices so these Jews would have been upset they would have thought okay wait let us teach them a lesson we'll go there we'll tell them you know that these are not good people or the their doctrine is not true and we are going to kill them so they go there try to persuade the multitudes meaning again you remember poison the minds of the Gentiles is what we read earlier so here also they come with all their talks and with all their rumors and they try to convince them don't believe don't believe and then you know they take the step to actually stone Paul they drag him out of the city have you seen this happen somebody being dragged out of the city and being stoned earlier anybody was dragged and stoned yeah very good very good yeah that's true so see whenever they wanted to kill someone apparently stoning was a sure shot way they could stone and generally the person would die so the Jews have made up their minds we are going to kill these people and they would do it outside the city and that is why they are dragging Paul outside the city of Lystra and there they take him and they stone Paul what happened to Barnabas no we don't read much whether they spared Barnabas and they only took Paul but what is happening to Paul you remember we we read at the end of Stephen being stoned that the clothes were brought and they were put at the feet of Saul so in a sense history is repeating itself what Paul had done to Stephen it's happening to him now okay I don't know what thoughts went through Paul's mind at that time but that same man who was the chief in charge of the execution of Stephen is now being stoned outside the city okay and when he stoned him we are told that you know they left him because whenever the crowd stoned somebody and that person is dead they leave so they leave him they stoned him sorry and then they drag him outside the city supposing him to be dead so yeah they stoned him and then they took him outside the city and they left him so we are told that sub him to be dead now again it's not clear whether he was dead some people say that Paul was dead you know and he did rise from the dead some say things like that but then others say that no it wasn't him dying but he would have been severely injured but whatever the case whatever the case okay either or he severely injured what happens verse 20 however when the disciples gathered around him so the disciples would have heard check out Paul they've thrown him outside the city so they've all gone there and they gathered around him so our assumption what do the disciples generally do in a situation any difficult situation what have we seen the disciples doing when Paul and Peter and John were threatened they prayed when Peter was in prison they prayed right now Paul is beaten what we expect they gather around him meaning most likely simply they won't gather they would have prayed for Paul we don't know what are all the things that they have done but they would have ministered their faith so they gather around him and the next thing that we see here is he rose up now you you think with me can a person who has been hit and the stoning in those days we are not talking like small strong boulders they can hit the person they have checked the person supposing him to be dead that means he was severely injured at the at the least but when the disciples gather around him can we call this divine healing can we call this you know divine restoration can we call this resurrection from the dead I think so we can call you know we don't know exactly what happened but one thing we know that God's power strengthened Paul's body God's power strengthened Paul's body and once the disciples have ministered faith he rose up okay does he need 10 more days of bed rest Paul or what what is the situation going to be we see that he went into the city how bold he just went back into the city okay amazing and the next day he departed with Barnabas too Derby yeah Derby so he departed from there so baby you know he went into the city to kind of pick up his things and also Barnabas would have been in the city so he went there and he made a decision okay fine this has reached the limits they've already harmed me and I have recovered how about we go to the next place maybe our time here is over so from Iconium so Iconium what are all the things that take place Iconium you know some believe some don't believe then you have a miracle that oh yeah Iconium some believe some don't believe and then these people had to leave they fled because of the opposition okay then they came to Lystra in Lystra what happened Lystra there was a miracle took place then they want the people wanted to ship Paul and Barnabas and make sacrifices but Paul and Barnabas did not agree and when they did not agree and one more thing you'll notice here about the crowds you know I've shared this also that you know when people appreciate us it's helpful it's very encouraging you know it feels good okay something right whatever ministry I'm doing yeah it is people's lives that's good but if we depend okay on the appreciable it's very dangerous because see these people in Lystra at one point they want to make sacrifice and worship and on Paul and Barnabas they are saying you're gods second instance what are they doing stop Paul throw him out of the city so the people's appreciation you know it is it is like a roller coaster can we can we be stable sit on you know a roller coaster no you're being being taken down you know physically emotionally it's up and down you you'll be all over the place so for us as believers and ministers of God you know we have to depend how Jesus also said my honor comes from God you people honor each other but my honor comes from God so we do receive if someone appreciates we are encouraged by it praise God thank you Jesus for that but it's not like our life depends on it isn't it because we have to do what God has called us to do people will say good people will say bad but that is not we are responsible for the work which God has called us to do so we must be committed to that so don't let the praises of people or the condemnation of the people pull you down be very strong very strong in the spirit and main thing is committed to the work of God tomorrow if nobody knows our name or nobody appreciates us doesn't matter no because we are accountable to God so that is the attitude which Paul and Barnabas had and so in Lystra all this happened now Paul went back into the city with Barnabas again they left the city and went to Derby now what happens yeah in Derby they preach the gospel to that city and made many disciples okay so they did some amount of ministry there and then you see that they are going back through the same route so where are they going they are going back through Lystra through Iconium and through Antioch why are they doing that but they are making a journey back that they have an opportunity to strengthen the believers okay strengthening the believers is also the important and I have actually shared that with all of us now let me just see if I can show you just a moment okay so sorry class I thought I'll show you in the next class but I feel like I should show you right now just to make things easier so yeah let me just show you I didn't keep it ready now it's ready okay let me know whether you are able to yeah are you able to see now are you able to see okay so now it's quite you know easy for us see Antioch of Syria I told you isn't it Antioch of Syria then we said that from there they wanted to travel so they went through this route so you have them going to Salamis and then you have them through Cyprus going to Paphos and we saw you know the ministry which they did there from there they are continuing Perga Pampalia remember we said they went there and okay it's showing in more detail over here Antioch okay can you see that so they go to Antioch and that's where you know they do more ministry in that field and they're expelled right so from there they continue they go to Iconium they do the work there and then they have to leave because of the opposition so they decide okay fine to Listera right so they've come to Listera now and they've done Listera and from there you know when things get hard they leave that place they go to Derby now Derby once they have reached and you know they have raised up a set of believers they want to go back how are they going you know they could have just gone back like this isn't it they could have just gone back either gone through the sea route and then the you know little bit of walk road route and gone back to Antioch but you see they just choose to go back the same way because recently people had believed and those people need to be equipped those people need to be strengthened they need to be encouraged so you understand it's so important it's so important for us to remain in touch if possible ourselves or you know maybe have a leader who is in touch with the new believers keep encouraging them keep strengthening them in the Lord so the apostles knew the value of that and that is why you see them going back same way so from Derby where Listera but Listera isn't it dangerous for you to go back to Listera it is dangerous but they probably took all precautions and they were careful you know not to be noticed by the Jews they went they spent time with the believers mainly for the believers this time okay earlier they were preaching to the cities but this time mainly for the believers so again Listera again Iconium again Antioch right again through here you see the arrows you know I'm showing like this same route they attract back to their place back to Antioch okay so why are they doing this it seems like you already you know there is a base church and the base church where they return earlier which was the base church which is Jerusalem so Peter John and all Philip they all would go ministry take the report back to the base church these people are doing the same thing they are their work going back to their base church now there must have been leaders over what were they where they doing when Paul and Barnabas were ministering most likely they were taking care of the believers in Antioch continuing to teach continuing to um you know equip the believers and we saw in Acts 13 how they were ministering to the Lord in prayer and fasting so maybe the believers they continued with prayer and fasting some you know supporting the missionary work of Paul and Barnabas so successful successfully they have completed one round one trip is over okay so this is what we see as the first journey first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas so is it clear everyone are you able to see it well yes okay fine so I think you have understood so that gives us a good picture now of how exactly that journey went now let's continue yeah so they're going back in that same way strengthening the souls of the disciples so the primary assignment is the disciples so no wonder Paul and Barnabas are called as apostles right apostles what is one of the roles of the apostolic governance governance oversight of the churches that they have already established to make sure that the disciples are protected they are nurtured okay that they are growing all this is a responsibility to to uh appoint leaders and good leaders to ensure continuity of the church so even though we don't see now what are all the tasks they did we know when you study the apostolic you understand okay these are all ways in which the apostles would have actually worked and helped the disciples so strengthening the souls of the disciples exorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of god now in the very example which Paul and Barnabas set for the believers they would have understood that this journey of faith is not easy because till now they are what have they suffered they have suffered opposition they have suffered mobs or people groups rising up against them accusing them they have even suffered the extent of being Paul was stoned okay all that suffering has taken place so their life itself is an example for the believers and the believers are they are encouraging the believers and they're saying look there are going to be challenges okay it's not going to be easy to do this to the do this work to preach the gospel but through many tribulations okay tribulations according to the struggles that one will go through for the sake of the faith and the preaching of the gospel they say that we must enter the kingdom of god or that simply means keep experiencing okay who god is and what is king all about when we want to see you know thy kingdom come through tribulations through struggles we may have to go through it so they're just telling them look if you are if you are going through difficulties then it is nothing new because even we have gone through and you have seen our very lives so bringing that word of encouragement to the believers okay so also that apostolic responsibility you see there when they had appointed elders in every church why because governance okay things have to be done well in the churches so they had appointed elders in every church and also notice that there are people who have matured in god to take that responsibility of an elder so what a beautiful work has taken place through the first missionary journey there are some people who are now capable of taking on the role of elders so they are appointing elders in every church I'm sure they would have instructed them and told them okay this is the way you must lead the the times of worship this is the way you must teach people about living their lives okay this is the way you must teach them you know about holiness so many things so they would have passed on the doctrine to the elders and the leaders and they would have entrusted the leaders to do the same for the people okay and how do they appoint leaders they did with fasting so you see that also as a practice which the pastors did or the apostles did so they prayed with fasting and they commanded them to the Lord in whom they had believed it's like submitting it's like you know like blessing the leaders saying okay church here are your leaders pray over them god's power is god's amazing power has been given to them right and then you let them lead the work so they move on there and after they had passed through Pisidia they came to Pamphylia now when they had preached the word in Thaga they went down to Atalia you saw that map no so they go a little differently they go to a place called Atalia also and from there they sailed to Antioch so back to Paphos we saw Cyprus one small wind no they didn't go they went straight they sailed back itself it was a sea route so they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commanded to the grace of God which they had completed so now these people have commissioned new elders and new leaders in the new churches but at once you know it was these people Paul and Barnabas who were commissioned by the church by the leaders in Antioch to do the work as missionaries or apostles so they go back to the base church and thankfully you know they had completed the work of God but you see here we are told the grace of God for the work which they had come completed so what do we need for doing the work of the ministry you know we need God's grace right grace is nothing but supernatural empowering God so we need God's supernatural empowering Luke knew that that God's work cannot be done in our own strength God's work has to be done in the strength of God and that is saying the grace of God so how did they complete the work through the grace of God was it he no even the first journey was not at all easy and they thought three of them will do but the so-called assistant John Mark what happened to him he left in the beginning only so only Paul and Barnabas struggling going traveling you know continuing the work which they needed to do but how did they do it the grace of God so we need the grace of God to complete the work of God so which the work which they had completed it says so does it mean that all the work is over no because in our lives one more thing which we have to notice is that you see that there is the life vision for example you know Paul was called as an apostle to the Gentiles in that life vision you know you will see eating us through a journey and there are assignments even in the silent years of Paul we don't know what assignments God gave him maybe he was pasting a church who knows right so these details we don't know but we know that there are assignments so when we read here that the work of God which they had completed one assignment is over more assignments to come okay so that is how things are then in verse 27 now when they had come and gathered the church together they reported all that God had done with them okay how beautiful you know there is a body of believers there is a body of elders that has commissioned Paul and Barnabas okay you go they are still been supporting them through prayer and continuing to build the church now when these people come back what happens to encourage those who had sent them they are sharing all the reports okay so they they're reporting all that they did Paul and Barnabas didn't know but here it says reported all that God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles so some of the key things that are taking place the works of God and mainly you know the Gentiles remember Gentiles were the ones who were more open they were more in an iconium to listen to the gossip so they are happy about that and they're telling the other believers that this is what happened and giving them a good report so you know when we talk about missionaries and missions trips so many things we can learn from here so when we go on a trip we come back what do we do we can share what God did we can share you know all the doors that God opened we can share you know how God built the faith of people when we went and did the ministry so the report is given back to the church and then it says so they stayed there a long time with the disciples so it's probable that after the missionary journey they are back to their teaching responsibility equipping responsibility they stay there for a longer time okay back in the church of Antioch of Syria so this is a little bit about the journey so far yeah at this point any thoughts anything that you all are wondering about do you want to just add or highlight something then after that I can go to Acts chapter 15 but you've you've you got something from Paul's missionary journey okay so what impressed you the most if you wanted to okay like what really impacted you in this first journey okay I'm asking to I'm needing to call people uh yeah Kiran do you think you have anything to say yes ma'am it was like I'm just thinking about that like the people between the believers in between they they have some some Jews some another another they they started to like something in between them but Paul is they feel Paul was like one part of the different party was like sharing the gospel and good news and he stayed no he stayed for some more time and he shared so that's so I just encourage you about everything that we have read and also I'm sure you know some parts of it would have particularly you know getting your attention so think about all these things all right so let's continue now we will go to Acts chapter 15 this is more about you know a decision which needs to be made so what is happening here uh we we find that while Paul and Barnabas were you know um engaged in all this work there were some men from Judea who care and who taught the brethren remember we said we have to be committed to the doctrine of the apostles now there is some teaching some new teaching that people are bringing into the to the church so what are these people from Judea saying obviously um gospel has spread through the entire region whose have been scattered so there are believers everywhere so when we read uh some places where uh Paul and all will go it is already there how are they there Paul never went there before maybe somebody has preached the gospel so the gospel is spreading not just through Paul and Barnabas but even through the lives of other believers so there were some believers in Judea and they apparently were teaching the believers now remember we said the doors of the gospel have opened for the Gentiles so uh these people were teaching that circumcision is very very important even as a practice for the believers so they were saying something like unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved so when Paul and Barnabas heard this uh they were upset they were angry and you read that they like argued or they fought there was a dispute okay uh which which took place with such people and uh they decided that this matter should not be ignored that we are going to take this matter we are going to escalate this matter so in the case of the uh church the first century church what is escalation of of the issue take it to the other apostles and where are the other apostles they are in Jerusalem so Paul and Barnabas they decided okay let's take this issue how can these these people from Judea say that without if you're a Gentile and you're not circumcised you can't be saved we've never seen Jesus say things like that so they were very angry and upset so they decided they will take this matter to Jerusalem and in Jerusalem the apostles were there and the elders were also there so um it's a very specific question for which they go there okay so they went uh they traveled up it says uh and even while they're traveling up okay they pass through some regions it says uh Phoenicia Samaria and describing the conversion of the Gentiles and they cause great joy to all the brethren so you know it's um um amazing how you know wherever they are going whichever way they are passing through they're continuing to do the work of the ministry they're continuing to preach the word of God equip the people and it's causing great joy in the lives of the people so even en route they are ministering and they finally come to Jerusalem where they had to bring the question before the people and what happens you know when they come to Jerusalem they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders and they reported all things that God had done with them so earlier you remember we said Paul when he got converted and he wanted to come to Jerusalem even the apostles they were not ready to receive him only Barnabas was the person who advocated for Paul and he brought it but now after years have passed by and people have seen the fruit of salvation in the Paul okay not just as a believer but also as a minister the earlier passage he's being called what Apostle acts 14 14 Apostle so he has gained that or you could say that God has given him that favor he's recognized as a minister God now so what is the response of the Jerusalem church they are they are accepting of the uh of Paul and Barnabas okay and when they go down a pollen pollen Barnabas are from Antioch so they share about the church they share about you know all the things that have happened in their missionary journey and this will cause the church of Jerusalem to actually rejoice in what God has done now when these people came and you know they brought that particular issue isn't it uh so among the believers there were some who were from the sect of the Pharisees now we know the Pharisees that you know they were traditional they were very ritualistic okay from background but these people had believed God so uh hopefully you know they would have they would have learned the the truth of God's word and changed some of their ways but you notice that these people these Pharisees also were advocating for circumcision and they said that no no no it is necessary don't you remember Moses had commanded us to be circumcised so uh why is it an issue if the brethren from Judea are teaching about circumcision why can't we just uh adopt that teaching so you have uh some sort of an opposition even in Jerusalem to this uh to the matter to Paul and Barnabas okay so what I'll do is I think I will I will stop here and we will continue in the next class we will go a little deeper in how this matter is dealt with okay so what is the issue here the issue is it's not salvation by faith but it is salvation uh by faith that people are agreeing but an additional step or you know the work that a Gentile believer needed to do was to be circumcised in their body now if they were not circumcised in their body then uh they were being told that you cannot be saved your salvation is not complete that that is the issue but Paul and Barnabas are very seriously against this matter okay and we will see how they discuss it with the council here at Jerusalem we will call it the council because uh it's like a decision-making body of apostles elders and everybody and now leaders from uh the church of Antioch so we will look into that entire process of decision-making in the next session so at this point um yeah okay there's a comment here in the chat so that says interesting to think about Paul's transformation of how he was and how God changed him yeah he was a killer and then he became uh he came to aid souls for God's kingdom yeah very true uh Sidharth and it's I mean God's power is able to change and transform lives and Paul is a great example you know we we thank God for that so yeah let's uh close in prayer then and so that you know you could also move on to your next class I would request one of us to please go ahead and pray uh Sidharth are you able to pray yeah I'm sure okay please go ahead God we just want to thank you for this data given us thank you for helping us to learn on the book of Acts Lord I just want to pray that you help us to be like Paul Lord help us to be a people of transformation of God that we will build your kingdom as Paul did I pray that the helpers and guide us and bless the next class that we are about to have which is namely pray amen amen amen yeah thank you thank you Sidharth and thank you class God bless you continue to have a great day we'll meet again in our next session okay bye for now