Coping with setbacks (Acts 13:1–12) Mike Taylor 30 January 2011.

Coping with setbacks(Acts 13:1–12)

Mike Taylor

30 January 2011

The dirtiest footballers in the Bible

Saul and Barnabus

The dirtiest footballers in the Bible

After they had fasted and prayed, they placed their handson [Saul and Barnabus] and sent them off (Acts 13:3, NIV)

A place and time of blessing

Sailing to Cyprus, preaching the word

In the will of God, successful

So the moral is …

Spend time worshipping GodAnd everything will work out

Just fine.

(Acts 13:1-5)

(a very short sermon)

So the moral is …

Spend time worshipping GodAnd everything will work out

Just fine.

(Acts 13:1-5)

ScreeeeEEEEEECH!

An evil wizard!(v6b-8)

Setbacks happen …

Unpredictably, at any time

?!?!

What were Paul's thoughts?

What were Paul's thoughts?

A. It's a rebuke from God!

“We must have done something wrong – but what?”

What were Paul's thoughts?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!

“Resist it! Fight it! Don't let it stop us!”

What were Paul's thoughts?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!C. It's a test from God!

“Is this some kind of test?!”

What were Paul's thoughts?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!C. It's a test from God!D. That's just life.

“Ho hum.”

What causes setbacks for us?

What causes setbacks for us?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!C. It's a test from God!D. That's just life.

We can't always tell which.

What causes setbacks for us?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!C. It's a test from God!D. That's just life.

These were the options whenour London church plant failed.

What causes setbacks for us?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!C. It's a test from God!D. That's just life.

These were the options whenIntermittent wipe didn't work.

What causes setbacks for us?

A. It's a rebuke from God!B. It's opposition from Satan!C. It's a test from God!D. That's just life.

Whatever the cause, they aretests from God anyway.

What would Jesus do?

It's a serious questionIt's a serious question

What would Jesus do?

You son of the devil, full of everysort of deceit and fraud, and enemyof all that is good! Will you neverstop perverting the true ways of theLord? Watch now, for the Lord haslaid his hand of punishment uponyou, and you will be struck blind.You will not see the sunlight forsome time.

What would Jesus do?

What would Paul do?

What would we do?

What would we do?

You son of the devil, full of everysort of deceit and fraud, and enemyof all that is good! Will you neverstop perverting the true ways of theLord? Watch now, for the Lord haslaid his hand of punishment uponyou, and you will be struck blind.You will not see the sunlight forsome time.?

How Paul handled other setbacks

Then the Jews stirred up theinfluential religious women andThe leaders of the city, and theyincited a mob against Paul andBarnabas and ran them out of town.

– Acts 13:50–51

How Paul handled other setbacks

Then the Jews stirred up theinfluential religious women andThe leaders of the city, and theyincited a mob against Paul andBarnabas and ran them out of town.So they shook the dust from theirfeet as a sign of rejection andWent to the town of Iconium.

– Acts 13:50–51

How Paul handled other setbacks

Paul and Silas travelled through the area ofPhrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirithad prevented them from preaching the wordin the province of Asia at that time. Thencoming to the borders of Mysia, they headednorth for the province of Bithynia, butagain the Spirit of Jesus did not allow themto go there.

– Acts 16:6–8

How Paul handled other setbacks

Paul and Silas travelled through the area ofPhrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirithad prevented them from preaching the wordin the province of Asia at that time. Thencoming to the borders of Mysia, they headednorth for the province of Bithynia, butagain the Spirit of Jesus did not allow themto go there. So instead, they went onthrough Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

– Acts 16:6–8

What Paul did this time

You son of the devil, full of everysort of deceit and fraud, and enemyof all that is good! Will you neverstop perverting the true ways of theLord? Watch now, for the Lord haslaid his hand of punishment uponyou, and you will be struck blind.You will not see the sunlight forsome time.

What Paul did this time

You son of the devil, full of everysort of deceit and fraud, and enemyof all that is good! Will you neverstop perverting the true ways of theLord? Watch now, for the Lord haslaid his hand of punishment uponyou, and you will be struck blind.You will not see the sunlight forsome time.

Why?Why this time?Why?Why this time?

Why was Paul harsher than us?

Some possible answers …

1. He was an apostle, we're not.

Why was Paul harsher than us?

Some possible answers …

1. He was an apostle, we're not.2. That was then, this is now.

Why was Paul harsher than us?

Some possible answers …

1. He was an apostle, we're not.2. That was then, this is now.3. We should be more like Paul in this passage.

Why was Paul harsher than us?

Some possible answers …

1. He was an apostle, we're not.2. That was then, this is now.3. We should be more like Paul in this passage (but less like him in others).

Why was Paul harsher than us?

The real answer …

1. He was an apostle, we're not.2. That was then, this is now.3. We should be more like Paul in this passage (but less like him in others).We don't

knowWe don't

knowThree little words …

How should we interpretdifficult bible passages like this?

With honesty and humility.

How should we interpretdifficult bible passages like this?

With honesty and humility.

Applies to:The withering of the fig tree

How should we interpretdifficult bible passages like this?

With honesty and humility.

Applies to:The withering of the fig tree

The parable of shrewd steward

How should we interpretdifficult bible passages like this?

With honesty and humility.

Applies to:The withering of the fig tree

The parable of shrewd stewardGod's sovereignty vs. our free will

How should we interpretdifficult bible passages like this?

With honesty and humility.

Applies to:The withering of the fig tree

The parable of shrewd stewardGod's sovereignty vs. our free will

Interpreting days of creation

I'm blind!I'm blind!

Are you blind, ref?!

I'm blind!I'm blind!

Now Elymas faces his own setback.How will he respond?As Paul did when he was blind?

And finally ...

When the governor saw what had happened,he became a believer, for he was astonishedat the teaching about the Lord.

– Acts 13:12

He responded to the teaching about the Lordrather than to the miracle.

Signs exist to point the way to something.

Coping with setbacks(Acts 13:1–12)

Mike Taylor

30 January 2011