These notes accompany the sermon by the same name found here.

Introduction

• Today’s text:  Acts 13:1-12
• Summary:  The Lord sends His people from healthy churches to preach the Truth and to face the enemy in the power of the Holy Spirit.

From a Healthy Church 

• There were prophets and teachers. Acts 13:2; Eph. 4:11-12.
• They were worshiping. Acts 13:2; Luke 1:23; 2 Cor. 9:12, Romans 15:27; Philippians 2:17, 30; Heb. 8:6, 9:21; John 4:23.
• They were fasting. Acts 13:2-3; Luke 5:33-35; Matthew 6:16-18.
• Oswald J. Smith, “The light that shines the farthest will shine the brightest at home.”

To Preach the Truth

• The spoken person-to-person proclamation of the Gospel is God’s chosen method for His people to reconcile the world to Himself. Romans 10:13-15; 1 Cor. 1:20-25; Matthew 28:18-20.
• See also John 14:15, 15:16; Acts 9; Matthew 9:36; Hebrews 12:2; Isaiah 55:11.
• The desire of the proconsul was to, “hear the word of God.” Acts 13:7.
• The object of the proconsul’s astonishment was, “the teaching of the Lord.” Acts 13:12.

To Face the Enemy

• See Acts 13:6-11, 16:16-24; Revelation 12:9; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 10:10, 12:31; Luke 4:1-13, 22:31; Matthew 4:1-11;  Mark 9:40.
• There is no neutrality in the world. Mark 9:40 says, “40 For the one who is not against us is for us.”
• Elymas (meaning a wise man) is called false prophet, magician, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, full of deceit and villiany, and Paul accuses him of “making crooked the straight paths of the Lord.”

By the Power of the Holy Spirit

• See Acts 13:2, 9, 1:4-8; John 14-16; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Zechariah 4:6.
• Zechariah 4:6, “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Encouragements

• Do you worship/serve the Lord Jesus Christ?
• Go therefore to preach and face the enemy in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Be ready at all times for the work of the ministry.