Unhindered at Paphos: Bold Witness When Evil Opposes

Most of us will never stand in a Roman governor's court, but every one of us knows the moment when a word about Jesus is ready to be spoken and something pushes back. In Acts 13:4-12, Barnabas and Saul are sent by the Holy Spirit, walk the long, ordinary road across Cyprus, and meet a false prophet working at the ear of a powerful man. Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, wants to hear the word of God. Elymas wants to stop him. What follows is not a contest of personalities but a display of the Spirit's power: clear courage, judgment with mercy inside it, and a high official who believes because he is amazed at the teaching of the Lord. This message will equip believers of every age to receive boldness before trying to produce it, to discern counterfeit spirituality, to believe that powerful people may be hungry for God, and to speak the gospel plainly, calmly, and without fear.