Acts 14 - Start and Release

Verse 3 in this first passage jumped out to me, and it was the last phrase, “the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace by granting signs and wonders be performed through them”. I think it is worth noting that Paul and Barnabas didn’t rely on man’s testimony or man’s defense for what God was doing, but rather God gave the testimony. Paul and Barnabas were preaching a message of healing and forgiveness and grace and all the people of Iconium had to do was look around and see all the healing and forgiveness and grace that was being poured out on the people. Who better to speak for and defend God than Himself! When I think about this concept and try to apply it to my life, I think about what arguments or what factors I have used in the past to convince someone (myself or others) that a ministry or service is needed or one that is already going is successful. When I think about that, I typically use man’s reasoning and man’s perspective to try to prove something, when in reality I should be looking to God. If I have to come up with a lot of convincing reasons why we as a family should choose to do a particular ministry and I have to work really hard at convincing my wife, it probably isn’t what God is doing or directing. Rather, I should be able to point to all the God-things that are happening all around us and it should be fairly easy to say yeah, God is making a lot of things happen and is putting this in front of us, so let’s do it. When it is God’s direction and God’s plan, the details and the decisions are His to make and His to orchestrate. I rely on myself and my own mind far too much, and I point to my own explanations and my own defenses far too much, when I should be pointing to what God is doing. It’s all around, and it’s much easier, it seems like a no-brainer.

This next passage is an opportunity for Paul and Barnabas to once again get tested as to their character and their position before God. And this testing happens to anyone in ministry, really to anyone who is a believer. At some point, either with one person or lots of people, we will be looked at higher than we should be and placed on a pedestal that we don’t deserve to stand on. And, in that moment, our character is tested by what we do and say in those moments. Paul and Barnabas were mistaken for the gods Zeus and Hermes, and things started to get a little crazy. Zeus’ priest shows up and the people come with sacrifices and all kinds of things to give to these two, and Paul and Barnabas can’t believe it. They were so taken back by it, they were so appalled and probably a little fearful that they were getting confused with being a god that they tore their robes and tried to get them to stop. Their character and the purity of their hearts shine through as they don’t hesitate to run into the crowd and tell them to stop. What would I have done? Would I have been so quick to dispel the rumors? Would I have been so convicted and have realized how incredibly wrong this was that I would have reacted in the same way? I’m not so sure. I would love to be able to say I would have reacted the exact same way but I know my heart, what’s deep inside, and I’m not so sure. The materialistic side of me would have thought about all the goods and money and things that would have been given to me. The controlling, power-seeking side of me would have had me drooling at the opportunity to tell people what to do and have complete control of the situation. The sinful side of my heart would have been tempted by all the pleasures and joys that would have come with being a god. I’m not so sure I would have reacted the same way as Paul and Barnabas did, so quickly and decisively. And it might sound funny to think about the decision of whether or not allow people to go on thinking I am a god or not because that is such a far-fetched idea, but how about when I am faced with the decision of how much to give away to God’s church and God’s people. The materialistic side of me still puts up a fight sometimes and reminds me of all the things I could do with the thousands of dollars I give away each year. And there are times where I hesitate; there are times when I think twice. There are times when I listen to the sinful thoughts in my mind rather than the Spirit who resides in my heart and my soul, and I have to fight that battle. Thankfully, if I ask God to fight for me and not try to do it myself, we win. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen and I lose. Paul and Barnabas don’t appear to have struggled with the decision. Rather, they ripped their clothes and went around telling people how wrong they were, not only for thinking they were gods but for believing in all these gods in the first place!

I think it is interesting the time lapse between verses 18 and 19. In verse 18, they barely stop the crowd from sacrificing to them, in other words the crowd thought pretty highly of them still. But, by verse 19, Paul was stoned (by rocks). Some Jews from Antioch and Iconium followed Paul, came to Lystra, and stirred up the people against him. Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? Why couldn’t they just move on and focus on what they were doing and quit worrying about him? If only it were that easy.

They come and they get the crowds to go against Paul and they stone him, they drag him out of the city, and they leave him thinking he was dead. Paul isn’t dead, but it sure seems from the outside that he might have had a screw knocked loose. He gets back up and heads right back into town, before leaving the next day. He just gets stoned and almost killed and he heads right back into town, knowing that God would protect him. Then, after leaving and going to Derbe for a little while, he comes back to Lystra. His trust and faith that God was directing him and leading him was incredible, but it’s all possible because he was living by the Spirit! Where do I shy away from going? What wounds have I endured that I am not willing to re-open, even if God were to ask me to? That’s a humbling thought and a scary one, something I’m not quite sure I’m ready to address so I’m going to keep on moving!

Paul and Barnabas go to the towns, appoint elders, pray over them and entrust them with the ministry of the local church, and continue on down the path that God called them to, the path of church planting. I am loving reading this part of Acts because that is what I feel like God is calling me to, church planting. He has put a desire in my heart to start churches, healthy, Bible-preaching churches, all over Iowa and wherever else He wants them, and I feel like I am responding to that call by joining a church plant here in Indianola. This very clearly appears to be His first step for me and my family, with many more to follow down this path. Paul and Barnabas set an incredible example by starting churches, supporting churches, building leaders in those churches, appointing those leaders to lead, and setting off down the road. They didn’t hold on too tightly to any of them, but understood their purpose and mission in life and lived it out, through the Spirit, the best they could. That’s what I want to do. Whether it is being a part of one church plant or dozens of them, I want to live out my life, through the Spirit, in the way that God has designed me and called me to.