God is a Work
Opening Prayer
Lord, Your power made all things; Your wisdom governs them; Your grace sustains them. Grant me power, wisdom and grace.
Read ACTS 14:21–28
21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
When God begins a work he does not weary and give up. He raises up those who can bring us to maturity.
You know when you are not wanted. The missionaries’ courage in retracing their steps with battered and bruised bodies cannot be overemphasized. Yet the story of missions is of many who went into malaria-infested regions or confronted hostile tribes. By their willingness to die, others were convinced of the truth. In a cynical age, people want to know what the Gospel has cost us, as well as what it offers. After one final leg to Derbe, 66 miles farther on, Paul and Barnabas set off back the way they had come.
Evangelism and discipleship go hand in hand. Coming to faith is the start of a journey, but leadership is needed to help new believers grow. How important teaching and encouragement are and how suitable Paul and Barnabas were to provide just that! There was honesty in their words: “strengthening,” “encouraging” (22). It is interesting that the appointment of leaders took weeks after coming to faith, not decades! The church will never get on the move if we insist that people sit still for years first. Leadership needs to be backed by prayer. It would be interesting to compare how we speak about our leaders to others and how we speak about our leaders to God. Sometimes we get the leaders we deserve.
Completing the circle is important—both in giving and in serving; those who give and send should be blessed by hearing the outcome. In Luke’s summary of their report back, all the focus is on God’s work, not theirs. There is no mention of their suffering or of the opposition—such opposition would become a way of life. Rather the emphasis was on how God had used them to open up a door to the Gentiles.
Apply
Edification (literally, “they discipled many,” 21) and organization (they “appointed elders,” 23) were prominent in Paul and Barnabas’s return visits. In what ways are you discipling others? How are you supporting your church leaders?
Closing prayer
Heavenly Father, I lift up to You church planters and missionaries. The work is not easy and they are special servants of Yours. I pray that Your great grace will be upon them.
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