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Acts 14:1-7  GODS BLESSINGS IN SPITE OF DIFFICULTIES 

Introduction:

	After the Apostle Paul and Barnabas were forced to leave the city of 
Antioch of Pisidia, they went to Iconium which was about 90 miles east of 
Antioch.  At Iconium God continued His blessings upon their ministry as He had 
done at Antioch.  There was opposition, of course, but God continued to bless 
them in spite of the hardships.    

I.  God’s blessings at Iconium

	V. 1, “And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into 
the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake...”  Perhaps you will recall that when 
the leaders of the Jewish synagogue at Antioch denounced Paul and Barnabas and 
their message about Jesus that Paul and Barnabas stopped going to the synagogue.  
Instead they turned to the Gentiles.  This marked a new beginning in the life 
and ministry of these missionaries.  Eventually they would be preaching almost 
exclusively to the Gentiles.  But this did not mean that they would stop 
preaching to Jews when they would have opportunity and it does not mean that 
they stopped going to the Jewish synagogue when it  was possible.  Just as long 
as it was possible Paul and whoever happened to be with him would go first where 
they would preach the gospel to them and the to the Gentiles.  This was God’s 
plan and Paul would not turn away from God’s plan.  
	So one of the first things that Paul and Barnabas did when they got to 
Iconium was to attend services at the Jewish synagogue on the first sabbath 
after their arrival.  Their experience was pretty much a carbon copy of what 
they had experienced at Antioch.  They were given an opportunity to speak before 
the synagogue to bring news from back home and the news which they brought was 
the good news of the gospel.  They brought the good news that Jesus of Nazareth, 
who had been crucified by the Romans at the instigation of the Jewish leaders at 
Jerusalem had arisen from the dead.  They brought the good news that great 
numbers of the disciples of Jesus had seen Jesus and talked with Him after He 
had risen from the dead.  He brought the good news that he, himself, had 
personally seen Jesus and talked with Him as he journeyed to Damascus. He 
brought the good news that Jesus is the Christ who had been promised by the 
prophets of old.  He brought the good news that anyone who would believe in 
Jesus and trust in Him would have all his sins forgiven.  This was especially 
good news because it meant that he would go to heaven when he died.    
	(V. 1), “...that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks 
believed.” This must have been a very large Jewish synagogue, because Luke tells 
us that a great many people believed their message and, thus, a great many 
people were saved and forgiven of all their sins.  It is especially interesting 
to note that among the new converts many were of the Greek bloodline.  They were 
not of the Hebrew bloodline.  They were Gentiles who had turned from their 
worship of idols to the worship of the true God by becoming proselyte members of 
the Jewish synagogue.  
	This was a big advantage to Paul and Barnabas.  At least they did not have 
to seek to  persuade these people to turn from idolatry to the true God.  All 
Paul and Barnabas had to do was to witness to them about the Savior whom the 
true God had sent to save their souls.  So God richly blessed and a large number 
of people believed their message and got saved.  The very first time they 
preached in this city a large number of  people --- both Jews and Gentiles  --- 
got saved.  It seems as if every time these preachers preach there was a large 
number of people who got saved.  As I said earlier, this is almost a carbon copy 
of what had happened at Antioch.  
	By the way, I want you to note that it took a great deal of bravery for 
Paul and Barnabas to go into the synagogue at Iconium and to preach the gospel 
there.  They had just been run out of Antioch for preaching the gospel in that 
synagogue.  Their lives had been in such danger that they had to leave.  But 
what did they do when they got to Iconium?  They went right straight to the 
synagogue and preached the gospel there.  But God blessed their witness for Him 
and a great many people got saved.  
	Luke does not say so, but we can be sure that these new believers at 
Iconium banded themselves and a new church was formed.  It would carry on 
business for the Lord long after Paul and Barnabas would be gone.    

II.  Opposition again
	
	V. 2, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their 
minds evil affected against the brethren.”  They had preached the gospel and a 
great many Jews had believed their message about Jesus and had gotten saved.  
But a great many Jews of the synagogue had not believed their message and had 
not been saved.  It was those who had not believed their message who stirred up 
opposition against them.  The Devil stirred up those unbelieving Jews against 
Paul and Barnabas.  In turn, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the unbelieving 
Gentiles against them and made their minds evil affected against them.  
	I take that to mean that the Gentiles who were members of the Jewish 
synagogue who did not believe Paul and Barnabas were the first to be stirred up 
against them.  .  There must have been a large number of them within the 
synagogue who did not believe Paul and Barnabas and who became angry at them.  
Then those unbelieving Jews and Gentiles of the synagogue went out to the 
Gentiles of the city who were not connected with the synagogue and also stirred 
up a lot of them against Paul and Barnabas.  This, too, is almost a carbon copy 
of what had happened at Antioch.  The unbelievers of the synagogue stirred up 
the unbelievers at large in the city.   

III.  God’s blessings in spite of opposition

	V. 3, “Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord...”  I 
have repeatedly told you that what happened at Iconium was almost a carbon copy 
of what had happened at Antioch.   But now I want you to note that it was not 
quite a carbon copy.  At Antioch when the opposition arose, they were soon able 
to run Paul and Barnabas out of the city.  The opposition was so great that the 
lives of Paul and Barnabas were in danger and they were forced to leave.  But at 
Iconium they were able to stay a long time in spite of the strong opposition.  
	What made the difference at Iconium?  Luke tells us what made the 
difference.  The difference was the hand of the Lord at work supporting them.  
(V. 3), “...which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs 
and wonders to be done by their hands.”  Paul and Barnabas just kept on 
preaching God’s word at Iconium and the mighty power of God gave witness that 
God had sent these preachers and that they were speaking the truth.  God worked 
miracles among the people at the hands of Paul and Barnabas.  Luke does not give 
any specifics about the miracles, but it is not hard to understand what was 
taking place.  When Paul and Barnabas came in contact with the sick, the 
crippled, the blind or the deaf they called upon the Lord to heal the afflicted 
and the Lord healed.  This was an eye opener to a lot of people in Iconium.  The 
Gentile population  might not have known a great deal about the Jewish religion, 
but they knew that a supernatural power was at work among them miraculously 
healing the sick.  .  We can be sure that multitudes of people throughout the 
city and from all around began to bring their sick and afflicted to Paul and 
Barnabas to be healed.  The opponents were for a while so dumbfounded that they 
did not dare lay their hands on Paul and Barnabas to hurt them.  

IV.  The Devil’s persistence

	V. 4-7, “But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the 
Jews, and part with the apostles.  And when there was an assault made both of 
the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use [them] 
despitefully, and to stone them, They were ware of [it], and fled unto Lystra 
and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:  And 
there they preached the gospel.”  The Devil did  not give up easily.  He 
persisted  in stirring up all the opposition that he could against the message 
of Jesus Christ and against the preachers who preached that message.  As a 
general rule, the Devil has the larger number of followers, but in this case the 
people of the city were about evenly divided.  About half of them stood with 
Paul and Barnabas and about half of them were against them.  
	The half who opposed them made plans to seize them and torture them and to 
stone them to death.  They apparently sought to do this at a time when their 
supporters were not around to help  But the Lord blessed and somehow made them 
aware of the danger and Paul and Barnabas left Iconium went on to the cities of 
Lystra and Derbe.  
	Now we may wonder “Why did the Lord allow Paul and Barnabas to be run out 
of  Iconium?  Surely He had the power to put a stop to their enemies and to 
prevent them from being run out of town.  Why didn’t He?”  
	The answer is found in verses 6 and 7.  After they left Iconium they went 
on to the cities of Lystra and Derbe and preached the gospel there.  In spite of 
all the opposition that arose God was blessing His men and blessing His cause.  
They had won many souls in Antioch and started a church there.  They have won 
many souls in Iconium and started a church there.  Now they move on to Lystra 
and Derbe and start preaching the gospel there.  Surely they will start churches 
there.  God blessed His preachers by allowing them to be driven to the new 
cities.  God also blessed the people of those cities by sending His preachers to 
them.  God blessed His cause by winning many souls to salvation and by starting 
new churches in those cities.  

V.  God’s blessings to us in spite of hardships which we face

	In our lives today we meet with many problems and obstacles.  We may 
sometimes wonder, “Why does the Lord let His people have hardships in this 
world?”  There are many answers to that question.  I confess that I do not know 
all the answers.  I could give some of the answers, but I will not try to do so.  
I just want to make this observation.  In spite of all the hardships which come 
to Christians, God sends His blessings upon them.  He blesses their lives.  He 
makes them productive in His cause.  With every new trial He brings new 
victories, new joys and new blessings.  
	Paul and Barnabas set a good example for us to follow.  They just kept on 
serving the Lord.  They just kept on preaching the gospel wherever they happened 
to be.  We can learn some mighty lessons from them.  We are never to quit 
worshipping the Lord.  We are never to quit witnessing to those who are around 
us.  We are to trust the Lord to take care of us in every situation which we 
face.  Sometimes we must be prepared to shift gears and go another route.  I 
speak out of personal experience.  I have been at this church for thirty-two 
years.  I am too old to expect to stay here another thirty-two years.  My age 
makes it obvious that I will have to reroute and make new adjustments in my 
life.  
	Paul and Barnabas set us a great example.  There are souls in heaven right 
now who most likely would not be there if Paul and Barnabas had not faced the 
hardships which they faced and caused them to go the cities of Iconium, Lystra 
and Derbe.  Let us trust in the Lord whatever comes and keep on keeping on for 
Him.