Acts 13 - What I do with Jesus affects what I do for eternity

Three verses into chapter 13 we see an incredible picture of how the church should work and function. We read in the previous chapter that the church at Antioch was growing rapidly, and in chapter 13 we see what should happen, but unfortunately is something that doesn’t usually happen. Rather than getting caught up in gathering as many people together as they could and buying some land and putting up a massive building to have church in, they decided to send off Saul and Barnabas to work elsewhere. They realized and understood that the “church of Jesus Christ” was much more and much bigger than Antioch, much more and much bigger than just their body of believers. They knew that God calls people to minister in different places at different times, so rather than holding tightly onto their members and leaders, they fasted for them, prayed over them, laid hands on them, and sent them off. Incredible. As I read the words in Acts 13 I realize that I am blessed as I feel like I am a part of an Acts 13 church plant. Westwind church, a plant of Cornerstone Church of Ames, has fasted and prayed and laid hands on their people, their members and some of their core leaders, and are sending them off to come plant a church in Indianola. It isn’t a split or a separation or two groups of people going separate ways, it is the church in Antioch sending off Barnabas and Saul to go minister in another place where there is even more need. This is how ministry is supposed to look. This is how Christ’s church and church leaders are supposed to act, and it’s only possible because they were all living in and led by the Holy Spirit.

From this point on in Acts we get to see Saul/Paul work and we really see his ministry and what he is about. Now Paul is a man, and should not and will not be lifted above Jesus, but Paul is a man we should look to and, to be honest, try to be like. As he says in 1 Corinthians 11, “imitate me as I imitate Christ”. Paul was such a living, breathing example of how Jesus lived that we should follow his example as well. But, we should never fall into the trap of elevating him higher than his rightful place, as a sinner deserving of hell but saved by grace.

Paul and Barnabas arrive in Salamis and just start preaching the gospel to everyone they meet and see, and then they run into this Bar-Jesus guy. Paul, again filled by the Spirit (I’m starting to notice a theme here) looks straight at him and calls him out for who he was and what he was doing. But, as we looked at earlier on in Acts, Paul didn’t get upset about things Bar-Jesus was doing against him, but only what he was doing against God. I can hear the “righteous anger” in Paul’s words to him. And, not coincidentally in my mind, the proconsul sees how Paul handles the situation with godliness, clearly sees God empowering and working through Paul, and turns and places his faith in God as well. If Paul would have reacted with “unrighteous anger”, I’m not sure we would have seen the same result.

Paul arrives in Antioch in Pisidia and is given the opportunity to speak in the temple, and boy does he take advantage. Sitting in the midst of Jews and Jewish leaders, he proceeds to recount the history of their people, to build a rapport with them and to remind them that he is one of them. But, although he is one of them in ancestry and in history, he doesn’t hesitate to make it very clear that he is different from them in a major way. He doesn’t stop with talking about Abraham or King Saul or David, he continues right on to one of David’s ancestors, Jesus. Paul does an awesome job at pointing out where the Jewish people in the past had failed to recognize what the prophets had said, how those leaders in Jerusalem fulfilled the prophecy spoken by their own people by denying that Jesus was the Messiah, and how those present that day better be careful that they don’t become a part of that prophecy as well. He brings the message with such clarity and directness, an example that I need to follow after when teaching the message of the gospel. Even in the midst of a crowd of people that would likely react very negatively to the message, he didn’t shy away from the truth. And, as was proven all throughout scripture and in our world today, when you preach the truth, people respond. One of the ways God has led and challenged me over the last couple years is in how I prepare and deliver the sermons and lessons that I teach. He convicted me years ago to stop trying to dress up scripture and quit trying to come up with what I think my audience needs to hear then go and hunt to find the scripture to support it, but rather to just teach through Scripture, to let Scripture teach itself! It is no wonder in my mind that the challenge he put before me a couple years ago is now being matched up with the mission and philosophy of New Heights Church, which is to teach through the entire Bible, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse.

As Paul was leaving the synagogue, he was asked to come back. People wanted more. And while I am sure that Paul was a gifted preacher and teacher, what the people wanted more of was the Word, the Truth, so they asked him to come back. It makes me think of the people around me and my influence on them. Do I have people asking me to come back? Do I leave conversations with those people wanting more? The answer to both of those questions is no, and that isn’t how it should be, that isn’t how I desire it to be. So, as I reflect upon why that is, I really believe because I’m not giving them what their heart and soul truly thirsts for, the words of God. I have plenty of words of man that I am ready and willing to share. I have plenty of insights and lessons and things that I know and I will happily talk about those things, but people aren’t knocking down my door to hear those words, and they shouldn’t be! As I look at the first 13 days of 2012, I have noticed a substantial difference in the facebook notes, emails, and messages I’ve received from people. My level of communication and conversation with people has increased a lot, and the only thing that is really different than 2011 is this blog. Ever since I’ve been spending more time in the Bible and writing what God has been challenging me with and inspiring me with, people have been paying attention and seeking more. Not seeking more of me, seeking more of God’s word. That is how it should be, all the time with all conversations. Speaking God’s truth and God’s words, not my own, and it is incredibly convicting and humiliating really that I have lived such a high majority of my life speaking my words and not God’s.

Father you have once again pointed this out as a glaring weakness in my life. I speak of myself and my wisdom far more often than I speak of you and that needs to change. I need your Spirit to fill me up and speak through me because if I leave it up to me it will continue to be all about me. Change my heart.

The next week almost the entire town showed up to hear him preach, and Paul doesn’t even get to because of sin. Not his sin, but the sin of the Jews. Once again, pride and jealousy rear their ugly heads and the Jews start talking badly about Paul and Barnabas and run them out of town. Before they leave, however, Paul makes an incredible statement. “But since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life…” The decision to believe in God or not, the consequence of choosing to follow Jesus or not, is eternal. It’s not a decision that has a short term effect or even a longer short term effect, it’s eternal. What we decide to do with Jesus is a much bigger decision than what to do with our money. It’s a much bigger decision than what to do for lunch or where to move and live. What we decide to do with Jesus results in what we do with eternity, and I don’t approach my conversations with nonbelievers with the urgency that should be there to help them understand who Jesus is and what effect He has on their lives, one way or another. We are all affected by Jesus, because with His death the whole order and structure of things on this Earth changed. We are either with Him or against Him. I am with Him, and I know that, but I must be less passive and more aggressive in sharing that hope and trust that I have in Him to those around me that are against Him. What my friends and family decide to do with Jesus will affect what they do for eternity, and I’ve got to take at least partial responsibility in making sure they know that.

The last verse of Acts 13. “And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit”. I want to be able to say that about myself on a much more regular basis. Lord help me!