Acts 13:1-12
I. Obedience means letting go and stepping out
The church leaders in Antioch had to decide to let Barnabas and Saul go to do the work that God had prepared for them. Barnabas and Saul had to decide to step out in faith, trusting God to continue his work in Antioch as he worked through them to spread the message of the Gospel on the island of Cyprus.
II. Disobedience puts up road blocks to the spread of the Gospel
Bar-Jesus, aka Elymas, was a Jew who knew better than to practice sorcery and false prophecy. He practiced them anyway because it led to position and power. When his position was threatened by the truth of God, he tried to misdirect the proconsul who was seeking the truth.
III. God is not troubled by obstacles in his path
God removed Elymas from being an obstacle by temporarily blinding him. God showed that he is not going to be stopped by the roadblock of disobedience. The proconsul had faith because of the message of the Gospel and God's demonstration that his power was greater than Elymas's sorcery.
Application: We each have the choice of obedience, being an asset in the growth and development of God's Kingdom; or disobedience, being a roadblock that must be removed before the Gospel can be advanced. Which will you be? The choice is up to you.
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