GROUP FELLOWSHIP NOTES:  SPRING 2006 MARCH 21/23

‘THE SPREADING FLAME - How they brought the good news ... to Rome’

(5) ACTS 14.1-28 :  THE GOSPEL SPREADS IN TURKEY

INTRODUCTION: Two or three years after James’ execution and Peter’s rescue, in AD 46, Paul begins his first missionary trip with Barnabas and John Mark (Acts 13). They travel and preach through Cyprus, then John Mark returns home but Paul and Barnabas cross over into the mainland of Turkey, then called Asia Minor, which was divided up into a lot of Roman Provinces. They immediately head inland to the large and important city of Antioch in Pisidia.  This was a Roman colony.  Here Paul attends synagogue for two Sabbaths and takes the opportunity offered to preach about Jesus (13.13-48). This causes a city-wide stir!  Not a few become believers but their opponents stir up persecution and expel the two from the city. They travel on along the Roman road to Iconium, 80 miles away.

This week we follow the events of their visit to Iconium, Lystra and Derbe told in Acts 14.

I. THE GOSPEL IN ICONIUM: 14.1-6 : A CITY DIVIDED

The account of the visit to Iconium is a short summary of what seems a typical visit to a city with a large Jewish community.  It repeats the pattern of the visit just made to Antioch.

1. THE ACTIVITY IN ICONIUM - typical activity

The apostles’ activity:

• What was their chosen method when seeking to evangelise a foreign city? Why? Was it a good method?  Any lessons for us?
• [Paul’s message: If you are interested to know exactly what Paul preached on such occasions in the synagogues, Acts 13.16-41 contains the one account of a complete sermon by Paul!]
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The Lord’s activity:

• What aid did the Lord give them? What do you make of this?

2. THE RESPONSE IN ICONIUM – typical response

• How would you summarise the response they got?
• What response should we expect today to the gospel?  If we aren’t successful, does it mean we have failed?

3. THE REACTION OF THE APOSTLES  (14.6)

• What do you make of the apostles’ reactions? when do you stay and when do you go?

II.  THE GOSPEL IN LYSTRA: 14.8-21 WORSHIPPED AND STONED!

Lystra was a Roman colony too and was only 8 miles from Iconium; but it was in the different district of Lycaonia, with its own language and its own distinct people. The mission in Lystra goes quite differently.

1. ‘ADULATION’ AT LYSTRA:  14.8-18

• What is so different about the course of the mission in Lystra?
• What do you make of the Lycaonians’ response? why such an extreme response?
• (Get your leader to tell you about the legend of a visit from the gods to Lystra in former days)
• What sort of people are the Lycaonians shown to be?
• How did Paul try to counter their response? what message did he preach to them?
• Have you ever thought of miracles creating problems for the gospel instead of helping it?  What sort of problems could miracles create? Which poses a bigger problem for the gospel : atheism or superstition?

2. ‘ASSASSINATION’ AT LYSTRA:  14.19-20

• Scarcely persuaded from worship (14.18) the Lystrans seems easily persuaded to stoning! Why Paul and not others?
• How do you account for so extreme a change of attitude?
• What do you make of what happened to Paul after he was stoned? And what do you make of what Paul did after the stoning (14.20-21)?  What would you have done?
• Did Paul and Barnabas have any success at all in Lystra? (14.20-22 and 16.1-3)

III. ONWARD WITH THE GOSPEL!: 14.20 -26

After the experience at Lystra, it would have been so easy for Paul and Barnabas to travel on through the Cilician Gate, back to convalescence at Tarsus or Antioch. But instead it is further mission in Derbe (sixty miles away) and then a return to all the cities to consolidate the disciples.

• What does this tell us about the apostles?
• What does it tell us about the task of mission? Its importance?  Its priorities?
• What do we learn about the task of ‘discipling’ from Paul and Barnabas’ actions and message? How important is ‘aftercare’ for new Christians?
• How can we best strengthen them in their new faith?

IV.HOME REJOICING! 14.26-28

Back to the place (Antioch in Syria) from which they set our. Try and picture the meeting of the church at Antioch when they first heard about all the events recorded in Acts 13-14!