ACTS - WEEK 16
The dangers of vain worship.
Read Acts 14:8-20
8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
DISCUSS
1. What stands out to you from this passage?
2. What prompts the people of Lystra to begin worshipping Paul and Barnabas?
3. What temptations could have arisen for Paul and Barnabas in this moment?
4. Why Were Paul and Barnabas so extreme in their response to people trying to worship them?
5. What arguments does Paul give for why people should worship the living God?
6. What does Paul say is the relationship between God and the enjoyable things of life?
7. Where do you see people worshiping ‘worthless’ things?
Read Phillipians 2:5-8
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
8. In what ways do Paul and Barnabas take on the same mindset as Jesus?
APPLY
1. When are you tempted to worship something or someone that is less than God?
2. What would it look like for you to forgo being praised/ admired because of speaking the truth?