Bentley Baptist Church Sermons
Located in Perth, Western Australia. Listen to the weekly sermons from Bentley Baptist Church. Visit our website for more information.
Bentley Baptist Church Sermons
Enduring Hardship: How Suffering Fuels Gospel Growth
Grace is offensive. Holiness is offensive. Yet people everywhere are hungry for both. This tension sits at the heart of the missionary journeys of Paul and Barnabas as they navigate the treacherous waters of sharing the gospel in first-century cities.
Following their progress through Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and beyond reveals a striking pattern. Initial enthusiasm often erupts into fierce opposition when the exclusive Jewish establishment realizes that God's chosen family is expanding to include "any old, pork-eating, idol-worshipping social reprobate." The message that anyone could come, repent, be baptized and experience transformation threatens those who've built their identity on being spiritually superior.
What's remarkable is not just the opposition they face—public denunciation, stoning, plots against their lives—but their extraordinary resilience. They knew when to stay and when to flee, when to endure and when to move on. Their teaching to new believers wasn't false promises of ease but the stark reality that "it is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." This counterintuitive approach strengthened rather than weakened the early church.
The episode in Lystra highlights a particularly relevant challenge for modern Christians. When Paul heals a lame man, the crowd mistakes him for Hermes and Barnabas for Zeus, completely missing the true source of the miracle. In our spiritually curious but biblically illiterate world, even supernatural encounters won't automatically point people to Jesus without clear explanation.
Following Jesus will make your life better, but not necessarily easier. The spiritual disciplines Paul practiced—solitude, fasting, prayer—build the resilience needed for the journey. In a society increasingly lacking the ability to handle setbacks, these practices prepare us for the inevitable valleys on the path to the kingdom. The gospel still grows most vigorously not in the soil of comfort, but through the faithful perseverance of those willing to count the cost.
© Bentley Baptist Church Inc.
www.bentleybaptist.org
We'll be reading from Acts, chapter 13. We will have it up on the overhead the gospel is good news, isn't it? It's billions of people throughout centuries and centuries can testify to the transforming power of Jesus. They've received his love, hope and joy. They've experienced real life change when they've encountered the gospel. And yet Jesus said that following him means taking up our cross daily and dying to self. And you know, very often it's only through suffering that not only churches grow, as we'll be seeing in our stories today, but that we grow as individuals as well, and that we grow into maturity as people. And so persevering through hardship is the theme of our chapter today, and it's learning to do that is something that's vital to being a healthy human being, let alone a fruitful Christian.
Speaker 1:So if you were here last week, we saw that Paul and Barnabas are in the city of Antioch in Pisidia, a province of Rome different to the Antioch in Syria, where they were sent from, and they've just preached in the synagogue, and we read in Acts, chapter 13,. As they were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters. The following Sabbath, after the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas. Many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God. It's a really encouraging start to the ministry, isn't it? And as the week goes on, apparently word spreads. Perhaps people are talking about this new teaching, maybe something has happened in their lives and people are seeing change happen in the lives of their neighbours. But whatever the reason, by the time the next Sabbath rolls around, we're told, nearly the whole city turns out to hear what's happening. Now, this must have been quite a shock to the synagogue.
Speaker 1:Remember, jews, even in these Gentile cities, are quite exclusive. Jews, even in these Gentile cities, are quite exclusive, and that's when everything starts to go pear-shaped. Now, you know, if you're a regular here, for you and me, we probably like it when the church fills up. Apparently, these Jewish people don't. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him. Filled with jealousy, what exactly do you think they were jealous of? Well, the Jews were keenly aware of their status as God's chosen people, and that was based on their scriptures, the Hebrew scriptures, what we call the Old Testament and they, frankly, had a superior ethical and social system to the Gentiles. They lived more moral lives, they looked after each other as a community and a lot of Gentiles respected them for this, even if they thought they were a bit weird. And so you know, the Jews were special spiritually, ethically, and they knew it and they were proud of it. And so here is Paul coming in now and opening up the club, so to speak, to everyone. Any old, pork-eating, idol-worshipping social reprobate can come, repent of their sins, be baptised and become one of God's people. That was the message Paul was preaching no circumcision, just the message of grace through faith. The Jews didn't like it. The Jews didn't like it.
Speaker 1:But you know, we can suffer from that same kind of mentality that they had. You know, sometimes we think we're owed something or that those people over there don't deserve what we have, because, you know, I've earned it, I've been good, I've done whatever, I've worked hard. And when we have that attitude as Christians, particularly regarding spiritual things, it really can demonstrate a lack of understanding about God's love and grace. You know, when you read the Old Testament it's pretty clear that God didn't choose the Hebrews because they were good, they were special because he chose them. He didn't choose them because they were anything special. They weren't better than anyone else. And he doesn't choose us because we're better or we're special. We're special because he chooses us, but he doesn't choose us because we're special. He chooses us because he is love and it's his love that transforms our lives. But, as we see, these people's jealousy excluded them.
Speaker 1:Paul and Barnabas boldly replied to the people who were insulting and contradicting them. It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, to the Jews, since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. We are turning to the Gentiles, for this is what the Lord has commanded us. I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the end of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. You know, as I'm going through this again, reading this passage, I'm like there's so many little nuggets of theology in here, but I'm going to stick to my point about suffering, to my point about suffering. So there's this rejoicing among the Gentiles who receive the message, because the message of grace is appealing, but you know we're not going to read it now because we haven't got time to read everything in the passage this morning.
Speaker 1:But we read in the next verse that the Jews incite prominent people in the city to persecute Paul and Barnabas and basically force them out of the district. And so they go to the next town called Iconium, and in Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue as usual, the pattern that they have when they go into a new town If there's a synagogue they start there. And they spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. It's good news for everyone. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers, and so this is interesting. So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace by enabling them to do signs and wonders. So more opposition, apparently from a different group of Jews, but probably the same mentality, but this time they're able to stay longer. Maybe the power dynamics in town are a little different. Maybe the Jews don't have so many friends in high places. The Lord blesses the ministry, so much so that he performs signs and wonders and enacts. This is typically healings that are taking place.
Speaker 1:You know, as Christians we have this strange relationship with opposition and persecution. On the one hand, you know, there's some Christians can be a prickly bunch, can't they? Do you ever hear someone, maybe on a podcast, or you see them on TV or something, and you're just like they're just being provocative. You don't need to say that, or you don't need to say it in that way. And they have this abrasive edge which people react to. And then those Christians cry oh, persecution. On the other hand, you get Christians who say, oh look, we've just got to be, you know, sort of cuddle up to the culture, not be so rigid about some of our values. You know, just embrace the culture and its values and that sort of thing. More people would come to church.
Speaker 1:And then we have to cry compromise, because you know what the reality is that the gospel is offensive. Grace is offensive To people who lean into law and religion. Grace is really offensive. I mean, doesn't it seem so unfair that God forgives so freely? On the other hand, the call to holiness is offensive to those who think that they're the centre of their moral universe, in a world where my truth is the only truth that matters, declaring that there is a greater truth that's holier than your truth, that's offensive. So the gospel is offensive enough without us putting in a brace of edge on it.
Speaker 1:But here's the thing and this is what we see constantly in this missionary journey is that people are hungry to hear both, both the message of grace and of holiness. People are hungry for a message of hope that includes both God's unconditional love for you and also that you know, actually there is a better way of life. You know it's good news for people who think my life sucks. If you think your life is okay or that you know whatever it is I'm doing, well, the gospel is not going to be so appealing. But if you're just like I know my life sucks, I know I'm ruined. I don't know that God can love me, but when you hear that message that he can, that's good news. And as long as those people are there and as many of you today as long as those people are there, the grace of God is with us to bring the message and we need to persevere in it. You see, they have people there who are receptive to the message and people who are opposing them, so they stay around. It's almost like both the opposition and the receptivity are what are driving them. But not to point. We don't need to persevere to the point of stupidity.
Speaker 1:And so the apostles find out about another plot to their life. Their nemeses from the previous city have arrived in this place, in Iconium, and are stirring up the crowd, and both Jews and Gentiles, apparently, are plotting to kill them. The gospel is an equal opportunity offender, yeah, jew and Gentile. And so the apostles flee to the next city, lystra, and this is a great story. They fled to the Lycanian towns of Lystra and Derby and to the surrounding countryside, and there they continued preaching the gospel.
Speaker 1:In Lystra, a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked and had been lame from birth. He listened as Paul spoke and after looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, paul said in a loud voice stand up on your feet. And he jumped up and began to walk around. And when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted saying in the Lycanian language the gods have come down to us in human form Barnabas. They called Zeus and Paul Hermes because he couldn't shut up. Apparently, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice. The apostles Paul and Barnabas tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd shouting people, why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and everything in them. In the past generations, he allowed all the nations to go their own way, although he did not leave them without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy. Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.
Speaker 1:You know, I think there's a really important lesson for us in this episode. There's a few here, but I'm going to pick one. You know, there's a saying that's attributed to Francis of Assisi, although I'm told he didn't actually say it. But preach always, use words if you must, and what greater wordless sermon is there than a miraculous healing like this? Someone's life is radically changed. He sees, he believes, he's healed. You know, we can imagine this man was probably born with a congenital defect, probably maybe something like club feet or something. He's never walked and so his legs are probably withered from atrophy, and so not only is his physical deformity or lameness healed, but he doesn't need therapy, he's just up and at it. What a miracle. Now this crippled man no longer crippled knew what was happening. And Paul had seen that he had the faith to be healed. He had heard the message. He's getting this Jesus thing at some rudimentary level.
Speaker 1:But for whatever reason, the crowd completely missed the point. Maybe they hadn't heard it, maybe they'd seen the miracle and came running and were late to the party. But whatever, the gospel isn't clear to the crowd. They can see what happened. They can see clearly there's some sort of amazing power at work here. They don't understand why the man was healed, they don't understand whose power healed him.
Speaker 1:And you know, we live in a society with increasing spiritual awareness but decreasing Christian memory, and so we can't assume that the good things that happen to us, and maybe even if God works a miracle in our lives, we just can't assume that people are going to say oh, praise God. God is real. We can use the same words sometimes when we're talking about spiritual things to people and we're meaning one thing and they're meaning something completely different and there's no connect. We don't have to Bible bash people when we're sharing the gospel, but we do need to be clear about who Jesus is, what he's done, the power that's at work in our life. Make sure that Jesus gets the glory and they understand at some level the good news.
Speaker 1:Anyway, once again this crowd is fickle. So many crowds are fickle in Acts and so probably some time later, because some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium so they had to have time to get there. They won the crowds over. They got what they wanted. This time they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead. Apparently, barnabas wasn't there at the time. Barnabas wasn't there at the time. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town and the next day he left with Barnabas for Derby. They got out of Dodge and apparently in Derby we're not going to read the story there because there's not much to read.
Speaker 1:Apparently they had a fruitful and uneventful ministry and so after some time there they had preached the gospel in that town, derby, and made many disciples. They returned to Lystra, to Iaconium and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them it is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. And when they'd appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. So did you just pick up the message that the apostles used to strengthen them with? This is not something that you'd. It's a bit counterintuitive. Persevere in the faith and expect hardship. Persevere in the faith and expect hardship. In fact, they say not just to expect hardship, but hardship is necessary for us to enter the kingdom of God. And of course, we've just been reading. Paul knew all about hardship. People publicly denounced him, maligned and tried to murder him. He ran from city to city, fleeing persecution, but always preached the gospel, because for every persecutor there were many people who were hungry for the good news. And so the church grew everywhere he went.
Speaker 1:Friends for us, following Jesus will make your life better, but it won't necessarily make it easier. Hardships must come, paul says why? Well, I think three reasons. One, because the Christian life is one, frankly, of battling sin and temptation. When we're saved this mortal flesh, the temptations don't all go away. God gives us grace to begin to learn to resist that temptation. Some take a little longer to learn than others, but we still have to resist. We still battle with sin. By God's grace, we grow in holiness and overcome sin. But it's still a painful internal struggle. So that's the first reason. Secondly, because you have an enemy that wants to take you down or take you out, morally, spiritually, psychologically, even physically, despite the very human attacks that Paul experienced. He says in Ephesians that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. So the devil's out to get you and out to get me. Because you belong to God. You got someone stronger on your side. There's no match, but nevertheless Three. Someone stronger on your side, there's no match, but nevertheless three because we have to.
Speaker 1:People love darkness and hate the light. Now, not everyone, as we've been seeing. There are many people who long for the light and that's one reason we need to make sure that we shine our light brightly so they can find the light of Jesus. But there are also many people who hate the light and will mock, ridicule and even try to harm us reputationally, sometimes physically, if you're in that environment. And so we must endure hardships. Why? Because of sin, because of the devil and because of the world.
Speaker 1:Maybe you've heard that before, but you know there's a problem that's particularly unique to the 21st century. I hear from psychologists and teachers how many particularly young people today lack resilience and can't handle setbacks. Now, that's not grumpy old Alex saying that? I probably am grumpy, but I'm not making that up. I hear that from people at the coalface. You know, we've become an alarmingly soft society, and so the question for us as God's people is how do we develop the kind of resilience that is going to see us through the hardships that must come so we can get into the kingdom of God and so that we can shine a light and help people find the light? Well, one of the ways we've got community together.
Speaker 1:But God has also given us a great gift in spiritual practices, what we used to call wait for it spiritual disciplines Don't like that word, of course, when we think of spiritual disciplines or spiritual practices, we talk a lot about prayer and Bible reading and so on, but there are also, I think, particular practices that can really build our strength, and these are practices of restraint. In the Bible we see Jesus went alone, practiced solitude If he had a mobile phone he would have turned that off got out somewhere, just him and the Father, and unplugged. Him and the Father and unplugged. There's the practice of fasting from food, actually experiencing hunger, and there are other practices like this as well. And when we discipline ourselves with these, when the disciplines come externally, we're a lot more ready to meet them. I can handle this. I know I can handle this. I've done it before.
Speaker 1:Now I know many of you are doing John Mark Comer's Practicing the Way. It's a book, it's an online series and so on. I commend that to you. If you're wondering where to start with exploring spiritual practices, practising the way, look, I don't know about you, but I'm someone who flees conflict and I hate. I flee hardship. I like my comfortable Australian suburban life, but comfort doesn't stimulate growth, doesn't stimulate personal growth and it doesn't stimulate gospel growth. Wherever the gospel goes, whether in your heart or in your city, there will be opposition. Now I don't think the lesson of Acts is that we should go look for trouble. Paul and Barnabas had to discern when it was time to endure and when it was time to flee. But the lesson is don't be surprised when it comes. Persevere through it. God works all things together for those who love him. It is part of his maturing you. And here's the thing, as we reflect on something like Psalm 23,. It says we endure the valley of the shadow of death, that we find eternal life at the other end.