Paul and at , Antioch, and Iconium and 14 Visuals • A map of Asia Minor that shows the places Paul has gone. o I suggest that you make your own map and begin with it empty. As you talk about the cities that Paul visits (both this week and in the weeks to come), fill out the map. For each city, make a small picture of one of the things that happened there for the kids to remember. Introduction • Who are we talking about the past few weeks? Paul. Who is with Paul? Barnabas. What are they doing? Going to tell others about • This week, we’re going to talk about what Paul and Barnabas did as missionaries on their first missionary journey. • This week, we’re going to cover three places that they went: Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, and Iconium. Cyprus • When Paul and Barnabas sailed to Cyprus, they first went into the synagogue to preach the . • A synagogue is like a church for Jewish people. Only a real church talks each week about Jesus and what Jesus did on the cross. The people in the synagogue didn’t believe in Jesus. So Paul and Barnabas came to tell them that Jesus had come, and he was the one they had been waiting for. • Well, when Paul and Barnabas came to Cyprus, there was a man there named . Sergius Paulus was a really important person in the land. And he wanted to know more about who Jesus was. • Paul and Barnabas came to him and told him the gospel. Told him that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again. • But there was another man, , the sorcerer. Elymas did not believe in Jesus. In fact, he hated Jesus or talking about God. And when Paul talked to Sergius about the gospel, Elymas would say, “That’s not true. It’s all a lie.” • And finally Paul was so tired of Elymas saying things that weren’t true, that he turned to him and said, “You child of the devil, won’t you ever stop blocking the work of God? Because you’re doing this, God make you blind that you cannot see the sun.” • And Elymas went blind. • When Sergius saw that God was powerful enough to make Elymas go blind just like that, he believed that Jesus Christ really did die for his sins. Antioch • When Paul and Barnabus left Cyprus, they came to Antioch in Pisidia. At Antioch, they went straight to the synagogue to tell them that Jesus has come at last. • In fact, Acts 13 even tells us what they said. Paul told how God had sent Saul to lead Israel, but he wasn’t the one. And God had sent David to lead, but he wasn’t the one. And God had sent , and he wasn’t the one. The one who came to forgive sins wasn’t going to decay in the grave. He was going to live forever. It was Jesus • Jesus did die, but he rose again. And he did it all for our sins. • And do you know what happened? Half of the people believed. And half of the people rejected. They said. No. That’s not for us. Iconium • When Paul and Barnabas got to Iconium, do you know where they went first? The synagogue. • And do you know what Paul did at the synagogue? He preached about Jesus. In fact, the says that Paul did signs and wonders. • And do you know what happened with the people at Iconium? Some of them said, “Wow! This man is doing miracles, he must be from God. I believe in Jesus.” And others said, “This man is trying to trick us. This isn’t true. We don’t want to believe that.” • And the people who didn’t believe were so upset with Paul and Barnabas that they were about to stone them, throw large rocks at them, when Paul and Barnabas decided to leave. They just decided to get out of the city. Conclusion • Did you notice a pattern in the stories tonight? Some people accepted while others rejected. • Why do you think some of the people weren’t willing to accept Jesus as forgiver of their sins? . Paul called Elymas a child of Satan because Elymas tried to keep Jesus from being preached because he was working for Satan. • Satan wants to keep people from knowing the truth about Jesus. And it works. There are some people he gets. • How do we work against Satan? Through the Word of God. By preaching. Through Jesus. By knowing what Jesus did and why. Satan can’t get to us if we’re trusting Christ. • And Satan is working on you. Satan wants some of you not to believe in Jesus or to listen to what I’m saying right now. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is also working, and he will bring some of you to hear and accept what I’m saying. • Don’t give in to Satan and let him trick you. Fight him by listening to and reading the Word of God and by thinking about what Jesus has done for You. • Let’s pray.