2022_02_18 Insight Post- Emma Keeton

In Acts chapters 13 and 14 Paul begins his missionary journeys with Barnabas. These men travel to Cyprus, Pisidian, Antioch and Iconium preaching the gospel to the Jews at synagogues first, then outside to the Gentiles. The men received mixed reactions from their message of salvation. Some welcomed the gospel and believed in Jesus, while others were infuriated and had Paul and Barnabas thrown out of the city.

Acts 14: 8-20 shows us the love-hate relationship people had with Paul, Barnabas and the gospel. In Lystra, people witnessed Paul healing a lame man and concluded that Paul and Barnabas were gods. They called Paul, Hermes and Barnabas, Zeus, then began to worship them. Paul and Barnabas corrected the crowd letting them know they were just human and used this as a chance to again share the good news. Unfortunately, some Jews turned the crowd and Paul was dragged outside the city and stoned.

The culture in the ancient world was set up around the worship of gods. People believed that gods controlled their lives and spent a lot of time keeping the gods happy. Your finances, health, crops and fertility were all dependent on the gods, so sacrificing to them was a way of life. Paul’s message of the gospel of Jesus Christ was completely the opposite to this culture. Paul was not just asking people to change their belief system but change their whole life. To be a Christian would be a counter cultural change.

Today, the gods we worship look different to those of ancient Rome. An idol can be defined as anything that replaces the one, true God. Where are we placing hope in idols instead of Jesus? Is it in education? Family? Success? Consumerism? A need to be needed? Anything can become an idol if we place it above God. We can ask God to search our hearts and repent for not placing him first in our lives, but maybe we can ask God to help us to seek him as well. If we seek the kingdom of God first, we can be satisfied with him alone.