Read Acts
14:21-25 & 2 Corinthians 4:1-11
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.
1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we
do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do
not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by
setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience
in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those
who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,
so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but
Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For
God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our
hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the
face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but
not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always
carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also
be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to
death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal
body.
Paul and Barnabas’ perseverance is amazing! When I think how easily
discouraged I can become I am particularly humbled. Although at first viewed as
a god, Paul has now been rejected and stoned. However he gets up, completes a
60-mile trek and preaches the good news of Christ in Derbe. He then returns
through the places he had had all the trouble, “strengthening the disciples and
encouraging them to remain true to the faith.” He poignantly tells them: “We
must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” perhaps with
unhealed wounds cementing the truth of that statement even as he says it.
- On a scale of 1 to 10 how easily discouraged do you think you become? (1 being “not easily discouraged” and 10 being “very easily discouraged”!)
- Why do you think this is?
- What is the best way to deal with disappointment and discouragement?
- How can we help one another in this?
- Who have you actively encouraged this week?
- Are there others it would be good for you to encourage?
- Pray and ask God to bring to your mind people who need some encouraging. Seek wisdom from him as to the best way you can encourage them.
If you have a bit longer :-)
About Paul, Roland Allen wryly notes: 'The first
and most striking difference between his actions and ours is the he founded
”Churches” whilst we found “Missions.”’[1]
In other words, whilst we from the West have often
expressed the colonial tendency to maintain control and impart our culture as
well as our faith, Paul very quickly handed over leadership of the churches he
founded to local people. It was not, however, that Paul left them without
guidance. As John Stott notes, all the churches were exhorted to ‘remain true
to the faith which they had received from him.’[2] Further he left some with the responsibility of
pastoral oversight so the churches were strengthened from the inside, alongside
Paul’s continued but intermittent input. Lastly, as again Stott notes,
‘Indigenous principles rest ultimately on the principle that the church belongs
to God and that he can be trusted to look after his own people.’[3]
However (still tracking with Stott!), Paul was
probably able to hand over the churches here particularly quickly due to the Jewish
background of many in the congregations he had founded. This background had
endowed them with a solid understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures and,
therefore, a good understanding of God and what it meant to live in right
relationship with him. ‘It is doubtful if after only a few months Paul could
have appointed elders in a congregation composed entirely of ex-pagans and
ex-idolators. In such cases there would almost certainly have been a period of
transition from mission to church, while elders were being taught and trained.’[4]
Further, handing over leadership to local people
does not mean that foreign missionaries are entirely redundant. Rather, ‘Once
the church has established its own selfhood…then foreign missionaries will be
welcome as guests, to work under national leadership, to offer specialist
skills and to demonstrate the international nature of church.’[5]
- Any thoughts?
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