Acts 13:13-15

                                                             Acts 13:13-15

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

 

The first missionary journey continues to progress.  This short passage has some important lessons in it that are good to observe about ministry.  The following passage is so long and so important that it may easily swallow up that which might be learned from this passage.  There are many things about being in ministry that will take us by surprise.  The same was true for Paul and his companions.  It is not an easy task but is one that requires for us to be faithful.

 

THE MINISTRY INVOLVES DIFICULTY: Travel is something that most people consider to be a leisurely activity to be associated with a vacation.  In Paul’s day, it was nothing like that.  The only real means of transportation were ships that sailed over dangerous waters or walking for days on dangerous roads.  No matter how one traveled, it represented danger and discomfort.  The mission on which Paul, Barnabas and John were embarking had the added pressure of facing persecution upon arrival at the destination.  The was not an easy life.  John decided it was not the type of life he could handle and returned home.  This made things even more difficult for Paul and Barnabas because there is safety in numbers as well as the ability to distribute the workload along the way.  Security and comfort are highly valued by people everywhere.  Danger and discomfort are the realities the missionary will face.  It is important to count that cost.

 

THE MINISTRY INVOLVES AVAILABILITY: A big part of ministry is simply being available to do whatever the Spirit of God might ask us to do.  Paul and Barnabas were available to go from city to city and then be open to whatever the Lord might want to do.  Many times, we shy away from ministry because we doubt our own abilities to do certain things.  That should not be an issue in our lives.  Our abilities do not determine success of an endeavor.  The Spirit of God has all the abilities that are necessary to do any task.  He makes those abilities available to those who make themselves available to Him.  Don’t quit of refuse to do some ministry out of fears of inabilities.  God only requires our availability.

 

THE MINISTRY INVOLVES OPPORTUNITY: Paul and Barnabas made themselves available in the synagogue as they listened to the reading of God’s Word.   When the reading was over, the leaders of the synagogue gave them an opportunity to bring a word of encouragement.  I find this request interesting because it implies a level of discouragement on the part of the people in the synagogue.  The Jewish people have been oppressed from the beginning of their history.  They were under the control of Rome in the days of Paul.  Despite the promises of God in Scripture, they people must have been discouraged wondering about when those promises might come true.  That represented an opportunity for Paul and Barnabas to share the message of Christ.  When we see people facing necessities, we should always consider that God may be opening a door of opportunity to us to share a word of encouragement called the Gospel. 

 

APPLICATION: Expect hardship to be a natural consequence of living in obedience to the Lord.  Don’t allow comfort and security to become idols that prevent full participation in the mission of God.  Don’t focus on or be discouraged by inabilities but make sure that availability in unhindered.  Pray and be ready for any and all opportunities the Lord provides.

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