The thirteenth chapter is a turning point in the book of Acts. It is what Winston Churchill would have called one of the hinges of history. It marks the beginning of the third phase of our Lord's great commission.

Church we have the privilege and duty of being part of our Lord's great commission. We are part of the most important work in the world today, and the work gets more urgent every day. How are we going to get the job done? Today's Scripture shows us some of the essentials.

1. STRONG COMMITMENT TO SPREAD GOD'S WORD. (V.4-5)
2. STRONG COURAGE TO FACE OUR OPPOSITION. (v.6-8)
3. STRONG CONFIDENCE IN GOD. (V.9-12)

From our text today we learn that when we share the gospel, we engage the enemy of souls in spiritual combat. Spiritual opposition to the gospel is real. Because of this, we need to be ready. We must have courage and be prepared to do spiritual battle.

I think the point of Luke recording this interaction is to show again as he has many times already, the Word of God wins. The courage we need is not from within ourselves but in God and His Word. The word has victory over evil and darkness. Notice verse 12: “Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” 

What ultimately led to the conversion of the Sergius Paulus, wasn’t the supernatural display of power when Bar-Jesus was blinded. What led to the conversion of Sergius Paulus was that he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. The GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. The gospel is our great weapon that God uses to save all who believe. We must handle it accurately and clearly.

God is not going to honour fear and doubt. He's going to honour faith. Faith is at the heart of Christian life and Christian living. It's at the heart of everything. 

Remember what Paul said at the end of his life? “The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” … May we with Paul, be able to say the same!

God will help us to get the job done. Trust Him to do it!

Discussion Questions

1. Should Christians fear the devil? If so, to what extent?
2. How can we discern Satan’s deceptive tactics?
3. How can we know if we’re filled with the Spirit or just acting in impulsive selfishness?
4. To what extent should we use persuasion in presenting the gospel? Can it be over-used?