morning church. Today's scripture is taken from the book of Acts chapter 14, verses 8 through 18. Again, that's Acts chapter 14, verses 8 through 18, and the Word of the Lord reads. Now at Listera, there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, and Paul looked intently at him and seen that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice. Stand up right on your feet, and he springed up and began walking. And when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices saying in Lyconian, the gods have come down to us in the lightness of men. Barnabas, they call Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd crying out, men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of light and nature with you, and we bring you good news that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them. In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without witness. For he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. Amen. Well, it is that Sunday before Thanksgiving. That's typical. We have quite a few people out traveling and we have people who have traveled to be with us. And so we want to welcome you if you are visiting with us this morning, welcome, welcome to East Point Church. We pray that you would indeed be encouraged and challenged by what you see, what you hear, the fellowship that you are in. We pray that we would indeed point you to Christ. We pray for those who are not with us in our midst, those who are our regular family members, that they are traveling. We want to remember them in our prayers, and those who will be traveling this week, we want to remember them as well. Can we turn me down just a little bit? There we go. Amen. Well, we have come to what I would suggest is a very important passage of Scripture, particularly as we seek to understand the disciples calling and taking the message of Jesus Christ out into the world. We have been going through action, we have been looking at here in this section what is known as Paul's first missionary trip, his first missionary journey. And he is going to be out on that short term mission trip, literally over two years. And now we come to an incident as they have entered into the territory that is known as iconium. And they have come to these towns that are called Listera and Derby, Listera in particular. And they are in Listera as they are preaching. They perform a miracle. Miracles are always interesting in the Bible. Whenever I read about a miracle, I am always asking myself just what is a miracle? And why are miracles in the Bible? You have asked yourself that question. Why are there miracles? God doesn't have to perform miracles. Why are there miracles in the Bible? Now, when you read the Bible and you talk about these things, you might get the impression that there are miracles all over the Bible. And the way that a lot of people talk about miracles, you would think that the Bible was nothing more than a miracle book. But the fact that a matter is, there are large sections and portions of the Bible that contain no miracles at all. I hope I can reach a Bible again. And so, since these miracles are not something that are happening on every page of the Bible, there's long periods of time in redemptive history where there are no, record, recorded miracles. When we do come across miracles in the Bible, we need to be asking the question, what is the purpose of this miracle? What is the point of the miracle? Has God just shown it all? That's one to show you how powerful it, how awesome it is. No, beloved, I don't think so. On the contrary, I believe that miracles or as the Bible usually refers to them as signs, they are signs and signs signify something. The signs that Jesus performed signify something, the signs that the apostles would perform signify something. And that's what signs do, right? They signify something, they are pointers. Now, pointers on the road, they are pointers on the journey, they are always pointing you somewhere. So what is the signs in the Bible? And that's why it's important that when you come across a sign in the Bible that you don't get caught up in the sign. No matter how beautiful, no matter how wonderful, no matter how well the sign is designed, the sign admits for you to keep moving to a greater, deeper truth and reality. To go out here and the sign says, you know, Atlanta, North, you don't sit there at the sign and say, wow, what a wonderful sign. Wow, how marvelous, how beautiful. You realize, ah, that sign is pointing to where I want to go. That sign is telling me that if I follow what this sign intends for me to know, I'm going to get where I need to go. That's important, I love it. That's important because people chase signs like dogs, chase cars. You know what a dog does when he catches a car? Nothing goes look for another car. Not that people do what miracles, not that people do with signs. They chase miracles and then they go from miracle event and miracle event and when they get to one miracle event, they see what's supposed to be a miracle and what they do. They go chase another one because like dogs chasing cars. They have no understanding. They have no understanding of the purpose of a miracle. So this morning, I want us to not get caught up in the sign, admire the sign, be fascinated with the sign, follow the love of the sign that we fail to get to where the sign is pointing us, namely the person and the power of Jesus. That's the point. That's the point. And this morning, we want to look at Paul and Barnum as they're beginning to wrap up this first missionary trip. These disciples, apostles performed a miracle. They have been preaching in Iconium and in the area there, they had ran as we saw last week. They had ran into some opposition. They have found success and proclaiming the gospel. The first part of chapter 14, but they also ran into some opposition in Iconium and therefore they had to flee from Iconium and then flee from Iconium. They come to Lystra, cities in Lyconia. And while they were there, they continued to preach. But this time you notice something is different. This time they are preaching in the streets. Normally was was their practice. Remember that they would go to the synagogue. They would go to the synagogue and preach. And when they got to the synagogue, there will be people gathered there who are gathered around the Bible. The Old Testament scriptures and Paul and Barnabas and the other disciples that would with them would stand up and give an opportunity. They would preach and they would proclaim Christ from the Old Testament. Well in Lystra, apparently there is no synagogue. There is no synagogue. And therefore they have nowhere to go, but that doesn't frustrate them or stop them from preaching the gospel. So what do they do? They take to the streets and they are preaching on the streets. And in our text this morning the Bible says they are preaching in Lystra, on the streets. In the midst of their preaching, in the midst of the crowd listening to the preaching of Paul and Barnabas, there was a man. There was a man. The Bible says there was a man who was sitting. No doubt everybody else around there was probably standing standing in the street listening to the Apostles priest. But there was this man who was standing. He was sitting the Bible says he was sitting because he could not stand. He could not use his feet. Notice what it says in verse 8. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. And this is the problem. Because you know whenever there is a miracle there's always the reason that there's a miracle is because there's a problem. And again God is just showing off. There's a problem. Whenever there's a miracle performed it's performed because there was a problem. Jesus turned the water in the wine wine because there was a problem. Jesus calms the rage and see what are the disciples in the boat wine because the storm had become a problem. Whenever there's a miracle performed because there was a problem. And here's the problem. There's a problem here. The man is crippled and he can't walk. He has never walked. That's the problem. And the problem is reminiscent of Peter's first miracle. That's chapter 3 after Pentecost and Peter and John are going and walking into the temple and they come across a man who is there at the temple gates. And what is his problem? He can't walk. He hasn't been able to walk since his birth. He was crippled. Could not use his feet. Notice that the Bible makes the emphasis on the fact that this is a melody that has been his since birth. That's the emphasis. For the condition did not come upon him as the result of some accident or bad decision later in life. But from birth this man was disabled. He was disabled. His disability therefore points to his inability. His disability points to his inability. He was disabled and therefore he was unable to walk. Feet were made for walking. Feet were made for standing feet were made for walking. That is the purpose for which God created them to walk in his will, to walk in his way, to walk for his glory. That's why feet were created. These feet therefore were unable to do that for which they had been created. That beloved is a problem. So we see the problem here. The miracle comes because of the problem. So then if we know the problem then we can better understand the purpose. The purpose of the miracle. The purpose of this miracle is actually to remind us of our own weakness. Don't miss this. When you see the lame man. See yourself this morning before the grace and the power of God came to you. See yourself for what this man's condition is speaking to. It speaks to in ability like Jesus healing the man born blind. Don't able. See like Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. He's unable to resurrect himself and live again. It reminds us of our own inability to worship God as we ought to because of sin. Do you understand that because of sin all of us are born with a disability born came into the world with a disability. It reminds us that we are unable to do that for which we were created. Namely to worship and please God. Cyber human being is born with this disability unable to worship and please God and yet this is the reason for which every human being has been designed and created for the worship of God and yet every human being comes into the world disabled. That's a problem. 51 verse 5 reminds us that we are born in sin. And therefore Paul said in Romans chapter 3 beginning in verse 10 that there is no one who was righteous, no not one. No one seeks for God in Romans chapter 8 and verse 8 reminds us that those who are in the flesh therefore those who are in sin those who are born in this condition can not please God. That is the reason you have been created to please and worship God and yet the Bible says you cannot do that. That is a problem because of sin Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 3 you and I are by nature we were children of wrath. So this miracle reminds us that we are all born with this disability that is sin. We are born unable to worship we are born unable to please God unable to do that for which we have been created. Here is the point of the miracle your inability may be a problem for you but your inability is not a problem. This is the point of all miracles. When you read of the miracles in the Bible this miracle in particular this morning you see this man who is born in this helpless disabled condition you have to ask yourself the question that the Bible asks is there anything too hard for God and the answer to that question is no. For here is Paul and Barnaby preaching preaching the glory of God in Christ Jesus and Paul looks at this man sitting there and he discerns the truth. He discern that the man who was crippled and his feet had already just now been healed in his heart. He looked intently in his face and he seized in his eyes that the word of God that was being preached had become an implanted word. That man had received the truth of God by faith and it was beginning to show in his continent. He looked at him and said the power of God have changed his heart and now watch it. Change his life looks at that man and he tells him stand upright on your feet. Or as Peter did in Acts 3 he says in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk. Notice something. Notice this. Paul commands this man to do what he was unable to do. He commands him to do what he was unable to do. How does a man who was unable to walk suddenly just stand up and start walking? A man who was unable to see suddenly start seeing how does a person who was unable to seek God suddenly start seeking God. The truth, the glorious truth beloved is that God, what God commands, God grants. He grants what he commands. Does he command repentance? Then he will grant you repentance. Does he command belief? Philippians chapter 1 verse 29 says that he grants belief. This is the power of God. Beloved is such a game changing because the power and the grace of God enables what sin has disabled. It's what it does. That's the point of the miracle is to show you that what sin has disabled the power and the grace of God enables. And only God can do that. This is why this is why this is why beloved all praise all praise all praise should always be given to God. All the time all the time because there is no power there is no strength in you to overcome anything except through the power and the grace of God. He jumps up the Bible says he makes up and he starts walking ask yourself this morning. Do you have faith? Do you have faith? Do you have faith? Are you trusting in Christ this morning? Do you know who Jesus is? Are you seeking after God? If that is the case then you should stand up and jump and run around because God's power and grace has been real in your life. That's the only reason you do it. The only reason is because you heard the preacher say believe and you believe but you don't understand it was God's power and grace that caused you to believe. He heard Paul say stand up and walk and he stood up but he didn't understand that it was the power of God that did it. It's a grace and mercy of God. It's my God should always get the praise. God should always get the glory. This man should have been jumping up and praising God and praising Christ. He should have ran until he couldn't run anymore. Has the man and acts after three did? The Bible says that he jumped up, left up, went running, singing, praising Christ. Unfortunately this man and seemingly the crowd more importantly should have been praising God. But this crowd doesn't. They don't rather than praise God. They want to praise Paul and Barnabas. They want to praise Paul and Barnabas. Here, beloved you just see the futility of the praise of men. After seeing the miracle, the Paul and Barnabas seen what Paul and Barnabas have done. Seeing the power of God working through these agents that are these apostles, Paul and Barnabas. These people in this crowd thought that Paul and Barnabas was the source of the miracle. They thought Paul and Barnabas therefore were not mere men. They must be more than men. They must be gods. Notice what they say in verse 11. The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men. Paul had performed a miracle for the praise of God and yet the crowd was wanting to give praise to Paul. So they look at Barnabas and they call Barnabas the king of the gods. They say he must be Zeus, big and mighty he is. They look at Paul because Paul is so eloquent and he is the one that is doing most of the preaching. He said he must be Hermes, the mouthpiece of the God, the voice of the God. They say call the newspapers. Get the cameras. We have celebrities that have missed. The gods have come into our midst. Oh, how blessed we are. You see what they did? They were stuck on the sign. They got stuck on the sign. Oh, better yet, better yet. They misread the sign. And thus, they were heading in the wrong direction. They were going the wrong way, the wrong way. Have you ever done that? Look at the sign and thinking he's supposed to be going north on 85. And suddenly you find out you're going south on 85. The problem wasn't the sign. You misread the sign. And so it was. Where these here, beloved, they misread the sign and they were going the wrong way, the wrong way. As they began to make much of Paul and Barnabas. Have gods a month. Look at him. Zeus, Hermes. You know, most people can't handle praise like that. Most people can't handle praise like that. If we were honest, most of us covered praise like that. Now, most people couldn't handle praise like that because we are naturally more impressed with ourselves than we ought to be. And if this was today, if this was Paul, Paul and Barnabas was living today, God forbid. But perhaps this is probably what would have happened. They would have heard that praise. They would have heard the crowd making much of them. They would have sensed that their fame was growing and Paul would look at Barnabas. Hey, man, we need to set up a tent. We need all these people coming. We need to set up a tent. We need to have a miracle crusade. We need to get a website. www.PaulandBarnabas.com. We need to make some videos. Write a book. Let's take up an offering. Let's have a two week long revival. Paul and Barnabas. Initially, initially, didn't even understand what was going on because the people were speaking the language that was foreign to them. And so they looking around at all these people hustling around. They see these people talking loud and all excited. They see people coming down, suddenly people are coming down from the temples together in the street that bring it offering the sacrifices. And Paul and Barnabas are looking at each other like, what's going on? What are you doing? What are you saying? And then suddenly, when somebody explains to them what had happened, Paul and Barnabas said, whoa, slow your roll. Slow your roll here, buddy. Perhaps they remembered what happened to Herod in Acts 12. When he had taken upon himself the praise and the glory of God. Perhaps they remember what the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 42 and verse 8. I am the Lord. That is my name. I will not share my glory with another or my praise with idols. Whatever was the case, whatever sparked in them the understanding of what was happening and the need to deflect that attention. In verse 15, they say, men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of like nature with you. We, Paul and Barnabas are simply men, mere men of like passions. Look at us. We're not gods. We have bodies just like yours. Our bodies are weak. They are frail. They are subject to sickness. They are subject to disease. They break down just like yours. We are men just like you. Our hearts and minds are just like yours, sinful and self deceiving. The Paul was reminding them that he was not the savior but he himself within the need of a savior. So instructive to us. And you know why? Because we live in a celebrity driven culture. We have been right there in the streets with him. We live in a celebrity driven culture. We love. We love to know the rich and the fans. We love to know the bold and the beautiful. We want to know what they're doing. We want to know where they're living. We want to know what they're shopping for. We love to praise people. We are overly impressed with fame and influence. We're overly concerned with the affairs of the worldly and the fans. And this is true. But I didn't just turn on the TV or go on Facebook or go on the Internet. Go anywhere. We didn't love the praise people. We want to be next to them. We want to take pictures with them. That TV shows and whole cable channels dedicated to what the rich and famous are doing. We laugh it up. We laugh it up. We laugh it up. Why don't you do that in the world, beloved? We're doing it in the church also. In the church, we chase celebrity. That's what we do. That's what we do. Big name, preachers, fancy preachers, popular musicians and artists. We go from conference to conference, from concerts to concerts looking for the fame and the fans. We can't get enough of them. Just got to get close to them so I can get my pictures taken with them. It's like a post on Facebook so people can know that I know somebody. No it's true. Not go places. Be back. Need to sign their vibes. Really? Want to take pictures. As if. You laugh because you know it's true. I mean, let's do it in here. We make much of sinners. Of men and women of like passion. There are no different in you and me. Not at all. This is what Paul said. In the first Corinthians chapter three. Because beloved, you do know that's idolatry. It's all of it. It's idolatry. We, we cloak it in religious words and religiosity but really, it's idolatry. This is what Paul is addressing to the Corinthians. He says, but when one said, I follow Paul and another I follow Paul. He says, are you not being worldly? That's what the world does. He says, are you not being worldly? What then is the Paul? What is Paul? They are nothing more than servants through whom you believe. As God assigned each. Paul says, all I did was plant. All of Paul did was walk. But it was God who gave the increase. Why are you making much of these? Gartners. Who causes all this growth? Not who is the one whose power and grace is on the display. And it's God's power causes men and women to have with blind eyes to see Christ. With deaf ears to suddenly hear Christ. And you're making much of the preacher. In other words, Paul says, we are not the good news. We just bring it. We are not the good news. We just bring it. The gospel is not about Paul. 27, the Saint Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 5. He says, we don't preach ourselves. We preach Christ and ourselves as your servants. You ever watch a show? You ever watch a movie? Or perhaps you've had the privilege of being in a house where there are servants. Who makes much of servants? You ever watch a show where they have servants in, like Downton Abbey or something like that? The best servants are not even noticed. They totally ignore people talk in the presence of servants as if the servants aren't even there. And Paul says, we're just your servants. We preach Christ. Why? Because the gospel, beloved, is not about Paul. It's not about me. It's not about you. The gospel is about God. The gospel is about the sufficiency of God. The gospel is about the power of God. The gospel is about the glory of God. That is the point. And that is the point of the message. That's the message that they preach. Paul and Barnum wants this crowd to know that more important than miracles and more important than men is the message. The message that is the gospel of God. The message that is the good news, the message is that there is only one true God. To notice, as he begins to talk to them, as he begins to correct them, he deflects the praise and he corrects their praise. He corrects the praise by explaining to them again the message and the importance of, but notice something is different about this message than the one that we had read about them preaching in the synagogue. It's a very important, different approach that they take. So those in the synagogue, you understand, would have been familiar with the Old Testament scriptures. They would have been familiar with the law. They would have been familiar with Moses. They would have known who David and Elijah were. They would have known the Old Testament scriptures. But these men out here on the streets of Lystra, they had no idea. They were not familiar at all with Moses. They were not familiar at all with David. They didn't know Elijah from Elijah. Well, that's not fair. Most of us probably don't either. But they worshiped the moon. They worshiped the stars. They worshiped Zeus and the Greek gods. And yet, and yet, beloved, they still needed to hear the good news of the gospel. Because the gospel is good news, not just for those who are familiar with the scriptures, but it is good news for everybody. Everybody needs to hear this news. And therefore, there is a way. There is a way to contextualize that good news so that they are able to understand it so that they can be held and called into account on who God is and what God requires. And this is what the apostles do here. Notice that Paul and Barnabas and sharing this message, they don't start with the Bible and preaching the gospel of God, but they start with creation. Because you do understand that the Bible is not the only revelation of God. It is that revelation that we hold in our hands. It is that revelation that we easily read is that revelation that has come to us from the mouth of God. But the Bible is not the only revelation of God. But God has revealed Himself in the world He has created as well. And even without the Bible, even without the law and even without the prophet, the God of the Bible, the one and true living God, the Creator God still bears witness to His majesty. He is still there. He is still proclaiming His glory. He is still majestic. He is still to be worshiped. But the Psalmist said in Psalm 19, the heavens proclaim the glory of God. The God's display has craftsmanship. Day after day, they continue to speak. Did you that? Day after day, they continue to speak. Night after night, they make Him known. They speak without a sound or a word. Their voices are never heard. And yet their message has gone throughout the earth and their words to all the world. God has their home made in the heavens for the Son. Did you hear that? He speaks through the created order. He is revealing Himself. And it's what Paul said in verse 15, the living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in it. The problem below. The problem is that rather than seeking to know the true and living God, men and women suppress this truth and unrighteousness. They suppress the truth of the revelation of God that is all around them and therefore create God of their own fancy and their own imagination. And they give them names like Zeus and Hermes ever to see the glory of creation. It should cause you and I to wonder. It should cause every human being to wonder. It should humble you that God would create such a vast and wonderful and amazing universe and put you in it. And then on top of that, reveal Himself to you a speck of sand on the seashore of the universe. When you understand that, it should humble you. You should fall to your knees and say as David said in Psalm 8 in verse 3. When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, I ask the question, what is mankind that you are mindful of Him? Human beings that you care for them have amazing, and here's the good news. That He doesn't just, He is not only mindful of you and I, but He has sent His Son. He has regarded our humble estate in this creation. He has sent His Son into the world that whosoever believes upon Jesus Christ shall have everlasting life. Stablish a relationship with the God who created the heavens and the earth. This is the glory and the majesty. I wonder of the gospel. Please not just the Creator God. Then you understand that He is the gracious God. He is that detached from His creation. He doesn't just create you and let you run off to your own destruction. And He has designed and designed to be gracious to you and beloved. Here's the amazing thing again. He's not just gracious to you who believe. He has been gracious to the unbeliever. It's not what He says. Even to those who don't worship Him, He has been verse 17, a good God. Good by giving range from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Listen beloved, listen, listen, listen. All over, all over Atlanta this morning. There are men and women sleeping in, sitting up at home, clicking through the channels, going to football games, going shopping and hanging out at the stores. And all this time they're taking for granted the goodness of God. They're taking for granted that the sun will come up tomorrow. They're taking for granted that they're going to be bred in the pantry tomorrow. They're taking for granted that they're going to be food to eat and water to drink. They're taking it all for granted. Here is the even more disturbing part that today some of us will do the same. Take it for granted. Even after hearing this message like those in Listeria, and we will leave here this day, and no sooner we get into our vehicles, turn again to vain and worth this. Not hearing, not hearing, not hearing. Notice what it says in verse 18. Even with these words, they scarcely restrain the people from offering sacrifices to them. That might be a sad response to the message of God and the gospel as you can read in the Bible. Even after hearing these words, they insisted on offering sacrifices to Paul and Marps. But of it, don't be distracted this morning. Listen, listen, don't be deceived. You can be in the presence of the Word of Christ. Hear the message of salvation. Sit under the priest's word and still be in idolatry because you make it about everything and everyone except Jesus. They were distracted by the world and their own imaginations. What about you this morning? We'll leave here and the gods of this world. Once again, seek the lay claim to our hearts and minds. Even after hearing this word, you and I will leave here and want to offer sacrifice to the God of money, to the God of pleasure, to the God of sex, to the God of popularity, to the God of fame, to all the gods the world has to offer. We will leave here. Even after hearing this word and insist on offering those sacrifice. Oh, yet this is the message that Jesus came to give. This is the message that the apostles preach. You don't need for the God who has created you. The God who has made heavens and the earth the one true and living God. Has this morning revealed Himself to you as the only one worthy of your praise, worthy of your worship? He is the one and true living God. Won't you worship Him? Not just this moment. Act yourself. Act yourself the question. Are you really worshiping Christ? Because if you are not worshiping Christ, you are worshiping in idol. Every moment of every day. Is it really about Jesus? Is Jesus all and all? You know, we sing songs like, all I have is Christ, and give me Jesus, and Christ is all, all and all, this world to me. And yet after thinking and after hearing, will we be like these people in Christra, and others can scarcely keep us from offering sacrifices to God of our own. Christ is here this morning, and He is here, not just as Creator God, but He is here as Savior and Lord. He delights to deliver us from our idols, search your heart this morning. Are there idols there? Yes. Pray by the power of God that they would be removed, exposed and removed. And when they are, don't thank the preacher. Give praise. Give praise to the one to whom the praise is due, namely Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let's pray.