27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
02 Acts 14 08-20 THE MINISTRY AT LYSTRA 51 Acts 14 18 Restored to true worship of God
📖 Acts 14:08-20
2/51 – Thu, 11 Dec 2025 – *Restored to true worship of God*- _Acts 14:08-20_ – THE MINISTRY AT LYSTRA – _Romans 12:01_
_Acts 14:18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them._
The people of Lystra were determined to worship Barnabas and Paul as deities, even trying to offer them sacrifices. Barnabas and Paul struggled to prevent the crowd from doing so, which was overcome with hysteria. Soon after, the same group that viewed Barnabas and Paul as gods, quickly turned against them, and stoned them, almost to their death.
*Idolatry, at its core is a rejection of God and replacing God with the ‘self’.* Man does not want to surrender and submit to God but wants to make his own choices of worshipping whatsoever or whomsoever he desires.
_Jeremiah 2:13 "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water._ This is what we have done. We have forsaken God and have chosen for ourselves our own agenda in life that can never sustain and satisfy us.
The matter of worship of God was one of the primary principles that the Lord God was putting in place through His first command to Adam. _Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."_
In giving this command, while, simultaneously, giving man the freedom to exercise his will, the Lord was putting in place, worship of God. *Worship of God is the submission of the self or our will to God, willingly.* _Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship._ (NIV) / _Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; *it is no longer I who live*, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me._
Thus, when man and woman ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were rejecting God to be worshipped, and instead they enthroned themselves to be worshipped. *We must understand this truth- every disobedience to the command of God is a rejection of God to be worshipped and replacing this with worship to ourselves.* This is the cosmic rebellion of man.
Idolatry is a matter of the heart of man. In our hearts we enthrone ourselves. _Ezekiel 14:3 "Son of man, these men *have set up their idols in their hearts*, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?_
Iniquity is man choosing to go his own way and rejecting God. _Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; *We have turned, every one, to his own way;* And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all._
When we say that there was no sin in Jesus, we must know that though Jesus was one with the Father, He submitted to the will of the Father. _John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me._
Prayer is necessary so that we do not yield to the flesh, which does not want to submit to the will of God. _Matthew 26:39-42 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, *not as I will, but as You will*." (40) Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? (41) *Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.*" (42) Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, *"O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."*
The Lord was resolving the primary problem of man of replacing God with ourselves. *Sin is utterly sinful for sin became a law within us that brought us to bondage to the devil.* _Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good._ / _II Timothy 2:26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, *having been taken captive by him to do his will*._
Jesus took on flesh to deliver us from the captivity of the devil, which is worship of the self. _Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage._
Submitting to the will of the Father, Jesus went to the cross, He died, was buried, and rose again for us. _II Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, *that those who live should live no longer for themselves*, but for Him who died for them and rose again._
```The Lord has restored us to true worship of Him.```