Cyprus, the World – Acts 13:4-12

I thought about looking at this passage through a mere study of Barjesus or Sergius Paulus,

But as I meditated on it, I realized that this is a actually a synopsis of the world in general.

Here we are reading about Cyprus in the 1^st century AD, but this could be anywhere in the world in the 21^st century.

We might change the names to protect the guilty, but those names are a part of the illustration.

The Holy Spirit is holding up a mirror before us, and we see our world dressed in ancient garb.

The fact of the matter is that every person in this room is represented by either Barjesus, Paulus or Paul.

And it is essential that we understand who we actually are.

Let’s consider 4 things: a curious society, a deadly religion, an accurate denunciation and divine results.

We begin with a representative of a CURIOUS SOCIETY.

When Paul and Barnabas left their homes in Antioch they traveled thirty miles or so down to Seleucia.

From there they caught a ship and sailed about a hundred miles to the nearest major community on the island of Cyprus.

Like so many other places around the Mediterranean, Salamis had drawn hundreds of Jews,

So the missionaries had a ready contact point and some common ground upon which to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We aren’t told how long they ministered in Salamis and the surrounding regions,

But eventually they worked their way to the western side of the island and the capital city of Paphos.

By that time many of the inhabitants of Cyprus had heard about Christ and His missionaries, and that included the Roman deputy or governor.

Verse 7 says that Sergius Paulus desired to hear the word of God.

It appears that as the days of the New Testament advanced the phrase “the word of God” was more and more coming to mean “the gospel of Christ.”

The Jews on this island had certainly brought the Old Testament scriptures with them.

Paulus had access to the law of Moses and to the prophets long before Paul and Barnabas arrived.

But now a pair of Jews were preaching that the Messiah had already come.

This was the part of the Word of God that greatly intrigued this Roman.

But before we get to that let’s think about what Sergius Paulus and his society represent in my message.

As far as the things of God are concerned Paulus was a part of an alien society.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh,

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,

And strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

A year ago, a friend of mine loaned me a documentary video about a blind man who visited a really, really remote part of Siberia on the northern border of central China.

It is an absolutely unique place called Tuva.

There isn’t another place anywhere on earth quite like Tuva in its language, culture, music, food, economy; and in just about everything else.

And here was a blind man with serious medical problems trying to cope in an alien world.

It was a fascinating film.

But the differences between Tuva and the United States are actually less spectacular than the differences between the Kingdom of God and the world.

Sergius Paulus was from an alien society; a spiritually LOST society; a spiritually DEAD society.

It was a society which thought and lived on a horizontal plane with little or no recognition of the divine.

If Jehovah had not built a little fire in this man’s heart, he would never have had any interest whatsoever in the things of the Lord, because, as the Bible says, no man by nature seeketh after God.

But Paulus WAS a prudent man.

That means that he was well-educated in political science and the affairs of the world.

He knew the tricks necessary to make the people of his little kingdom sufficiently satisfied with his rule.

And on the other hand, he knew how to please the Emperor and the senate in Rome.

Sergius Paulus may have had a good liberal arts education, and he may have studied science as well.

We remember that one of the kings of Israel was not only a politician but an amateur biologist too.

Paulus was smart enough to know that what Paul and Barnabas were preaching was sufficiently powerful to make major changes in his world.

So Sergius Paul was, at the very least, curious about their message.

Paul has told us, and many of us know by experience that is it that …

Satan, “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,

Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Not only has he blinded mens’ minds, but he has been diligent about numbing their hearts as well.

The message of Paul and Barnabas has been circumnavigating the world for 2,100 years now.

And in many corners of the globe the gospel is as common as grass.

But like the grass, the world only tolerates its presence and does its best to keep it mowed and manageable.

But then every once in a while, the Lord uses some means to pick the heart, stir the conscience and excite the mind of someone, making them want to hear the Word of God.

Maybe its fear of what Christ or Christianity might do to their peaceful little corner of the world.

Maybe it’s the approach of great unknown called “death.”

Maybe it’s the joy and the testimony of an exuberant missionary or more common Christian.

But we do live in a world with a moderate degree of curiosity.

For example, science is fueled by curiosity.

What makes things tick, and what lies beyond that farthest planet or at the depths of the sea?

What causes this disease, and why is it that certain kinds of people never suffer from that disease?

We live in a world of science, and scientific minds ought to be just as interested in the metaphysical world as they are in the physical world.

True men of science are as concerned about their souls as they are the beating of their hearts.

That’s where the missionary comes in, and that ought to be a part of our lives as ambassadors for Christ.

We could be and should be used to excite those curious minds into investigating what makes US tick.

Curiosity which isn’t channeled unto the things of the Lord is a misuse of that special gift from God.

There IS a place far more interesting and exciting than the red planet Mars.

Don’t laugh at the thought of Heaven until you have proven that it doesn’t exist, and no one has yet done that, or can do that.

Don’t ignore those thoughts about life beyond the grave until you’ve answered all the evidence that says that it exists.

If there is anything that proves the depraved nature of the heart of man

It’s in the using of man’s native curiosity to try to disprove the existence of God,

When it ought to be used to authenticate what the Lord has revealed about Himself.

In Sergius Paulus we have an illustration of a curious society.

And in Barjesus we have an illustration of a deadly and DIABOLICAL RELIGION.

I am glad that we don’t have any members of the Jewish Anti-defamation League among us,

Because this Jewish sorcerer is a vivid picture of human religion poisoning people to the truth,

And especially the truth about Christ.

Here’s what we know about this man.

He was a Jew, a member of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

He ought to have been a man anxiously awaiting the Messiah Whom his scriptures had foretold.

He ought to have been a servant of Jehovah, an ambassador of the Lord to the rest of the world.

He should have been an encouragement to anyone who came in the Name of the Lord.

But such was not the case with Elymas, Barjesus.

His Hebrew name was Barjesus while his Roman nickname was Elymas – the sorcerer.

The prefix “bar” means “son” in Hebrew, so his names means “the son of Jesus.”

But “Jesus” is the New Testament form of “Joshua,” and it is a very common name.

There was no specific intent by either Luke or by this man’s parents,

But the coincidental relationship of this man to the Lord Jesus is at the least – interesting.

He might have claimed to be a son of Jesus, as so many people in a hundred different sect and cults claim to be Christians.

But to wear the name and to claim the relationship doesn’t make it a matter of fact.

In this case Barjesus was a sorcerer.

Just like Simon the sorcerer of Acts 8, this man was a Jewish knock-off of the Babylonian Magi.

The wise men who came from afar to visit the infant Jesus, were Babylonian Magi.

They were religious leaders and rudimentary scientists,

Who had studied the writings of Daniel the prophet and the signs of the times.

They obviously believed what they had learned and traveled hundreds of miles to see the Messiah.

But the sorcerers Simon and Barjesus weren’t in the same league as those foreign Magi.

They may have pretended to meld together modern science and intelligent religion, but because it was not mixed with the Holy Spirit, the pudding that they had concocted was a foul poison.

In other words, this Barjesus was a FALSE PROPHET.

He was a religious teacher whose basic instructions were lies.

He may have prophesied, but it was not the true message of God.

But he dazzled the minds of other semi-informed religious people.

There were probably people of his own race who believed him.

And he was able to fool the otherwise prudent deputy of Cyprus into looking like a fool.

You might remember when Moses returned to Egypt with the message of Israel’s release, he was opposed by a pair of wicked priests.

Listen to II Timothy 3:1-9 – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”

When Moses returned to Egypt,

Not only did he have to defeat the politicians and the economists, who were using Israel to build their personal fortunes,

But he had to defeat their false and pagan religion and its priests Jannes and Jambres.

And not only did they physically stand in Moses’ way, but they verbally contradicted what he said.

And not only did they verbally contradict him, but they performed some deceptive miracles and Satanic magic.

The real purpose of 90% of religion is to stand in opposition to the Truth of God.

I don’t care if you are talking about Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism;

I don’t care if you are talking about Catholicism, Methodism, or Seventh Day Adventism;

It’s the work of religion to make sure that people don’t hear and receive the Truth of God.

And yes, many times it even claims to be the “Son of Jesus.”

Sometimes it says that Allah is God, keeping people from the Lord Jesus;

Sometimes is says that Mary is the co-redeemer with Christ, keeping people from the Lamb of God;

Sometimes it says that baptism washes away sin, keeping people away from the cross;

Sometimes it says that church membership is the same as heavenly citizenship;

But whatever form it takes, it is the work of religion to keep souls away from a saving knowledge of Christ.

This Barjesus is a perfect picture of worldly religion.

He physically stood against the progress of the gospel and Barnabas and Saul.

He verbally contradicted what they were saying.

And I wouldn’t be surprised as a “sorcerer” if he didn’t have a Satanic tricks up his sleeve as well.

But then we see Paul’s ACCURATE DENUNCIATION.

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness,

Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

It was the Holy Spirit who described the true character of this false prophet.

Subtilty and mischief refer to the man’s evil guile and craftiness.

Do you suppose that he knew that he was a liar and a religious fraud; or was he deceived himself?

Every once in a while I see a little bit of one of those religious television channels.

Am I the only one who sees professional actors who desperately need professional make-up artists?

Am I the only one who sees professional actors with professional tears pouring down their faces pleading for money like professional carnival barkers?

Am I the only one who hears sermons manufactured by ghost-writers?

Am I the only one cares that these poor servants of God often live in million dollar estates and drive around in fleets of cars worth a quarter of their homes?

“O full of subtitly and all mischief, thou child of the Devil.”

This last statement, as you know, comes from the lips of the Lord Jesus Himself in John 8:44:

“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

This Elymas was a CHILD OF THE DEVIL, because he was not a child of God.

Everyone is either one or the other.

But this man had not been born again, as Jesus had instructed Nicodemus.

He had not been adopted into the family of the Lord.

In fact he was dead in his sins and the uncircumcision of his heart.

He couldn’t be a part of the family whose middle name is life, because he was spiritually dead.

And he was an ENEMY OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

What is it to pervert? It is to twist and distort.

In one of our Lord’s sermons He made a comparison between two roads.

One was broad and easy with a wide gate and no toll booths.

According to Christ the majority of the people of the world are motoring down that broad road.

Unfortunately for all those eternal souls, its only destination is eternal destruction – Hell.

And then there was a narrow road with a very tight, strait gate and relatively few travelers.

That road has been especially designed by the Lord and on it there are no detours.

That second road leads to life eternal.

Barjesus was in the business of perverting, twisting and distorting the right ways of the Lord.

He was trying to twist the road to God and His glory.

Or if you’d prefer, Barjesus made it his job in life to twist the word and will of God.

“Yea, hath God really said what the Bible says that He has said?”

Yes, if that’s what the Bible says He’s said, then He’s said it, and you better believe it.

The description in these verses was given to describe one very real man of ancient history.

But it could be given to describe people of the 20^th and 21^st Centuries as well.

Since Paul didn’t use any key and restricting ethnic words,

And since what he said links so closely with other statements from throughout the Bible,

I believe that what he said is pretty representative of nearly all the religious peoples of the earth to some degree or other.

Your neighbor may not be vicious in his hatred against the people of God, or even against Christ,

But unless he becomes a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus and lives in repentance before God, then he too is a child of the devil.

And unless he is a loves and lives the righteousness of Christ, then he is in some way perverting the right ways of the Lord just as much as Elymus.

In fact, these things may even be true of YOU.

“Ye must be born again! Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

To be religious is not sufficient; you must truly be a child of God.

Following Paul’s denunciation came a taste of DIVINE JUDGMENT.

“And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.”

The man had been a tool of Satan in an attempt the blind the mind of Sergius Paul and others,

And now the Lord has blinded him.

Do you see the irony of Barjesus’ blindness?

Paul too, knew what it was to be struck blind by the power of the Lord.

He, too, was forced to look inside and to compare what he found there with the Truth of God.

But Paul indeed had become a child of God.

There is no indication whatsoever that Elymas Barjesus was ever born again.

The words of judgment that he heard found no lodging and took no root in his heart.

His blindness might have made him more angry with the God of this evangelist, but it didn’t make him consider the source of the power.

On the other hand there was Sergius Paulus.

Not only had the Lord put a spark of curiosity in his heart, which prompted a desire to hear the missionary message,

But when he saw what the power of Christ could do to someone who had apparently demonstrated his own deceptive power in days gone by,

Paulus had to take seriously the things that he saw and heard.

Notice the precise words of verse 12 – “Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.”

Paulus saw what had happened to his personal magi,

But it was the doctrine, the teaching of Paul and Barnabas that he believed.

He was not like so many of the early friends of the Lord Jesus in the Gospels,

Who only believed the miracles,

This man believed the gospel and the rest of the doctrines that the missionaries were preaching.

He believed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God, the Messiah.

He believed that the Lord Jesus was taken and by wicked hands was crucified and slain.

He believed that after 72 hours Christ awoke from the dead and departed from His tomb.

He believed that for about a month and a half Jesus appeared to his disciples and instructed them more fully in the gospel and glory of God.

And He probably also believed that Paul had seen him on while on his way to Damascus to persecute the saints who were there.

The miracle of Barjesus’ judgment might have intensified his curiosity,

But his faith was in Christ not in the miracle.

And I believe that if it was possible to fully investigate today,

We would find the Roman Deputy Sergius Paulus with the Lord Jesus in Glory,

And the Jew Barjesus with Herod Agrippa in Hell.

But – what will it be for you a hundred years from now?

Will you be found with Christ?

Are you in Christ at this moment?

Is your faith in Christ? Have you repented of your sin against God?

Have you been born again?

Or are you still in doubt, still in sin, and still in eternal jeopardy?

All that I can do is plead with you to bow before the cross of Christ this morning.

Turn to Christ.

Enter the strait gate – which is the Saviour.

Let the blood of Christ fall upon you and cleanse you from your sins.