The Road Less Traveled...May 2024

 

 

Leadership Principles

As leaders in YWAM and if you are involved in another organization there are principles of leadership that must be developed in your life if you are going to be successful.  There are differing styles of leadership and each one has advantages and disadvantages. What each person in leadership must do is find the style of leadership that fits their personality, giftings and the needs and goals of the organization that they are working with or for.  There are certain qualities that every leader in a Christian organization must have in order to conduct themselves in a manner that is first pleasing to God and secondly effective in moving the people they work with toward the mission and goals of the organization.

Nehemiah 1

We can study many biblical leaders to learn principles from their lives that will help us develop as leaders.  One leader who has impacted my life is Nehemiah.  He was young of the men taken captive by the Babylonians to serve in the court of the King as his cupbearer.  He had to be a man of good character in order for the King to entrust him with this position.  One of the fears of the King was that someone would poison his food or drink and that would cause him to die.  Nehemiah job was to make sure this did not happen on his watch. Death to the King would result in death to Nehemiah.

Preparation for Leadership: Nehemiah established himself in his work and won the favor of the King.  He was faithful in his job and this was noted by the King.  Nehemiah did not have a character issue that would ban him from any position of leadership God would desire for him.  How we live our lives each day in service to those placed in leadership over us is very important.  If we are not in submission to leadership and operating within the standards, values and ethics of the leaders we will not be qualified to lead others and expect them to be submissive to us.  Nehemiah learned how to serve the King and did it in such a way that the King trusted him and gave him opportunities that he probably would never have received.

There are many people who would love to leave their secular jobs to work with a Christian organization.  This is a noble desire but the proof of being ready to leave a job is how well you performed your job with your previous company or the secular organization.  The work habits you develop, the attitudes toward your work and fellow workers will be carried over into your new work place.  If you have not been a faithful worker and have not worked well with others, you will not find it easier to work within a mission and positions of leadership will not be instantly granted to you. If your previous work record has not been good or pleasing to the Lord, steps will need to be taken to make changes. God is the God of second opportunities but when they are presented we must do everything we can to allow God and those he places over us to bring about the changes.

Nehemiah was placed in a leadership position because of his faithfulness to serve the King. 

A Leader must have a God given vision: When he heard the news of how Jerusalem was in desperate need of repair, it became a personal challenge to him to do something to bring about a change.  His heart’s desire was to go himself and do whatever he could to rebuild the walls of the city and restore God’s people.  He knew that he would need permission from the King to take a leave of absence to do what was in his heart to do.  He knew that the King had the power to release him or retain him but he also knew that God has the ability to change the heart of a King through the prayers of his people.

A leader must have a God given vision, a vision that God will bless and support and provide the people as well as the resources that are needed to see the vision come to pass. If God is not in the vision, it will fail and result in great frustration.  A good idea is not the same as a God idea but a God idea is a good idea.  God had a claim on the city of Jerusalem.  It was his city, he had chosen to have a temple built where the people from many nations could gather to worship him.  His zeal for his name and the name of the city he had chosen would accomplish the mission.

Nehemiah became the man God would use to restore the city and the people.  He had proven himself faithful in his secular job and was ready to be given a God sized vision of what he could do for God and his people.

Leaders must be people who pray:  Nehemiah’s first priority was to seek God in prayer and ask him to give him favor with the King when he presented his petition.  It was obvious to the King that Nehemiah was not his normal self.  Something was bothering him and the King was concerned enough for him that he asked him what was going on.  The King could have replaced Nehemiah but because he had developed his relationship with the King wanted to know what was going on.  The burden Nehemiah felt for his people and for the city of Jerusalem brought him to his knees in prayer and fasting.  If this burden was truly from God then he must pray and seek God’s intervention to make it become a reality.

Leaders have to be people of prayer.  Prayer demonstrates our need for God’s intervention and our lack of ability to accomplish on our own what God has placed in our heart to do.  Prayer is God’s channel to communicate to us his desires and strategies that he wants us to use to accomplish the vision. Throughout Nehemiah’s leadership, he focused on prayer.  He knew that task was greater than his abilities and he needed God’s wisdom and favor to accomplish it.  The vision was birthed in prayer and sustained by prayer.  Prayer keeps us in the position God wants us to be.  When we fail to pray, we act on our own wisdom and experiences that often are not in agreement with how God wants us to act.  Whatever ministry we have been given we must constantly be praying for God’s direction, his provision and favor among those we are ministering to.  One of the principle values of YWAM is to pray and seek God before attempting anything and then to continue to pray.  God does not have any auto pilot control feature in our lives.  We can’t sit back and neglect prayer, we will fail or the results will not be what they could be or should be.

Throughout this story of Nehemiah we witness his prayer life.

Neh 1:4  As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Neh 2:4  Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Neh 4:4  Hear, O our God, for we are despised

Neh 5:19  Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Neh 6:9  For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Neh 6:14  Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

Neh 13:14  Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

Neh 13:29  Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

 

Nehemiah 2

 

Leaders have to be initiators and planners.  They have to know where they are going, what they need, who they need, how long it will take and how they can best do it.  Nehemiah knew what he wanted to do in Jerusalem to preserve the city and reunite the people under God’s leadership.  He planned his route, asked for permission to pass through safely and asked for some of the building materials he needed. When he arrived in Jerusalem he surveyed the area to determine the condition and know more clearly what was needed to get the job done.

Leaders have to be able to convince others of the need to accomplish the vision.  People have to know why you are doing something before they will commit to joining you in accomplishing the vision.  When Nehemiah talked to the leaders of the community he explained to them why they should partner with him.  He emphasized his commitment to the project, he was going to be involved to see it carried through.  He emphasized the need to have the walls constructed for the protection of the city as well as to remove the reproach it was among the nations.  He also explained who he had been given favor and permission by the King as well as Asaph who could give him the timber he needed. He recounted how God’s hand had been upon him to give him favor.  Nehemiah won their hearts, gained their respect and received the response he needed. The project was more than just a wall, it was the opportunity to restore the dignity of the people, reestablish their identity and preserve the city that they loved for the God who had given it to them.

Nehemiah 3: Leaders must also know how to motivate people to do the work. Nehemiah had motivated the people to build the wall through his organizational skills.  He organized the people to rebuild the wall in the area that would be most identified with them.  He placed families in the section of the wall that would be a benefit to them.  The people had motivation to work because they saw the benefit that they would receive from it.  Nehemiah organized the work in such a way that it kept the people motivated.  They took ownership in the work because they saw the benefit it would be to them personally but also to the entire city. They were “all in”.  He entrusted the work to them, having confidence that working together as a team they could do the work.  The people were highly motivated to do the work and accomplished rebuilding the wall in only 52 days.

Chapter 4: Leaders must also know how to handle opposition. There will always be people who the enemy will use to try to stop you from accomplishing your vision. Nehemiah had a couple of people Tobia and Sanballat who did not want the walls rebuilt and they tried several things to distract Nehemiah to cause him to stop the work.

They ridiculed the work. 4:1-3. But Nehemiah relied on God to help and defend them.  They were going against God not just Nehemiah.

Plotted resistance to the project to bring confusion. 4:7-8  Nehemiah took their threats seriously and set guards to protect the people.

Used rumors to discourage them. 4:10-11 Nehemiah encouraged the people to not be afraid and to realize that what they were doing was something God had called them to do and he would be with them.  The work they were doing was going to leave a legacy for future generations and for this reason it was worth continuing the reconstruction.

Nehemiah’s story continues but we are just focusing on the first chapters that establish specific principles of leadership that we can put into practice in our lives.

1. God uses our past as well as our present situations to prepare us for the future positions of leadership.  What is your past and present record say about you?  Are you faithful in what you are doing now to demonstrate that you are ready for a greater leadership role? Nehemiah had established himself as a faithful and dependable worker for the King. 

2. Leaders lead with a God given vision.  What Nehemiah wanted to do was birthed in his heart by God.  Many people must have seen the rubble but only Nehemiah saw the opportunity to bring change. If God is not in the vision do not pursue it.

3. Leaders must be dedicated to prayer.  Nehemiah sought God in prayer and fasting.  He knew he was not able to do the work without God’s involvement through his prayers.

4. Leaders are initiators and planners.  Nehemiah took the initiative to plan the work and carried out his plan to completion.

4. Leaders know who to motivate others. He motivate the people to join in the work by appealing to the benefits it would provide for them and the honor it would bring to God and his people.

5. Leaders know how to handle opposition.  Nehemiah did not give in to the threats of the enemies but relied on God, took appropriate action and encouraged the people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Three Encounters in Evangelism

The message of the gospel is progressing throughout the world but there are still many that have not been exposed to the gospel and have no Christian witness or church in their community.

Currently there are 8 billion people living on the earth.  1 billion are Evangelical Christian, 4 billion have access to the gospel and 3 billion are unreached because there is not a Christian witness or resources available to hear the gospel message.

Coca Cola has a goal of putting a can of coke into the hand of every person on the planet.  Every place I have traveled, coca cola is there.   Our goal as believers should be like that of Coca cola, reaching every person with the gospel message.

There are many challenges today to present the gospel message to people.  When we read the stories in the book of Acts, we can identify the same challenges the early church faced that are similar to the ones we face today.

There are 3 specific encounters that we must be ready to address when we present the gospel.  Paul faced all 3 of these encounters as he traveled on his missionary journeys. 

The first encounter was a truth encounter.  Wherever he went there was almost always opposition to the truth of the message he was preaching to the Jews and the Gentiles.  The Jews refused to accept the fact that Jesus was the Messiah.  When Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch in Pisidia they drew large crowds that wanted to hear the message they were sharing.  However opposition from the Jews came against them. 

Acts 13:44-45 ⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

They could not accept the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, a critical part of the gospel message.

When Paul was in Corinth his message was rejected by the Jews who did not believe that Jesus was the Christ.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. ⁶ But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Acts 18:5-6

Paul was very skilled in presenting the truth and he used the scriptures to convince many people that Jesus was the Messiah.

When we are sharing our faith with people that live their lives according to their own beliefs that are not according to the truth of the scriptures it is important that we address four specific areas that are part of their belief system.

Acts 17:

The first area Paul addressed was Origin. “What is your belief in the origin of man and the universe?”

Every religion and philosophy has an answer to this question. The Stoic philosophers believed in many gods but the Epicureans did not believe in any gods.  The Athenians were worshipping an unknown god.  They believed in many gods and erected idols and altars to them.  The scriptures declare that through observing nature we can come to know that there is a God who created everything (Ps 19:1-6).  Creation reveals the majesty of God and as man acknowledging that there is a God who created everything, he can come to know him.

We as Christians believe that God is self existent, he is the First Cause and he is the Creator of the universe.  We believe we are created in the image and likeness of God. Our origin comes from a loving God who created us and breathed his spirit in us.

One of the mission movies I always show is called “Eatou” which means it is true it is right.  The Zook family lived among a native tribe in Papua New Ginea and presented to them the biblical timeline from eternity past to eternity future.  When they were told about the evolutionary beliefs of some that we came from apes, they replied, “That is stupid.”  They were uneducated people but they had enough sense to realize a lie when they heard it.  Yet their own beliefs in their origin were not any better. They believed they came from two birds.

What you believe about your original has a great influence on the value given to life and how you treat other people.  There is little dignity or honor if you believe you came from an ape or a bird or from corn like some of the Mayans believed.

Likewise if matter is eternal then somehow this matter created mankind through evolutionary processes.

Buddhism never claimed that the world, sun, moon, stars, wind, water, days and nights were created by a powerful god or by a Buddha. Buddhists believe that the world was not created once upon a time, but that the world has been created millions of times every second and will continue to do so by itself and will break away by itself. According to Buddhism, world systems always appear and disappear in the universe. We are just part of a process that will continue forever.  Not much hope here or anything that would give man any dignity or worth.

As we come to know our Creator we also understand our true identity, whose we are.

2. The second area that Paul addressed was Purpose. “What is man’s purpose.”

26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined {their} appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ 29 “Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.

Paul addressed the purpose of man was to know God, to have a relationship with him.  In our relationship with God we experience true and meaningful life.  Our purpose is to be like our Father, to have a Father-child relationship where we come to know our Father in all of his attributes. Man was to multiply and fill the earth and carry the image of God wherever he went.

Those who do not know God’s purpose, live their lives for the most part for selfish reasons.  Accumulating wealth, positions of power and control, pursuit of fleshly pleasures or intellectual superiority are the focus of many people’s lives.

There are people who live their lives for noble causes but one has to question the true motivation of their hearts.  They do what they do to receive something.

3. The third area Paul addressed was morality, “What are the morals you live by?”

30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. “

Paul expressed that each person has a moral code written within them.  Everyone know what “ought” to be done.  This moral code or some may call it conscious is part of our nature that comes from being created in the image and likeness of God.  Paul stated that everyone is called to repent, turn away from evil and follow after what is good and right.  One cannot repent unless there is a conviction that they have done something wrong.

As believers we have both the internal code of morality but we also have God’s Word that gives us greater detail on what is right and wrong in the eyes of God.  The laws of many nations are based on the 10 commandments given to the people of Israel along with the other civil laws that were instituted to create a culture that was different than the Egyptian culture.

Because we have this moral code, we are also held accountable if we violate it.  If there are no consequences to the violations they simply become suggestions and not laws to obey.  There will be a day of judgment and every person will give account for their lives to a righteous God.

Each person must acknowledge that they do have a moral conscience and that they will be held responsible for not living in accordance to the truth that they have received.

The moral climate of the world is changing and the behavior of mankind is denigrating to become like it was in the days of Noah when every thought and intention of the heart was toward evil.  What was rejected 20 years ago is now accepted as normal.  Marriage was defined as a covenant between a man and a woman but now it is between any two people who “love each other.”  The sexual identity of children is now at the discretion of the child.  There is great confusion because of this and the results have not been fully understood. The moral conscience of man is being seared so that what once was wrong is now acceptable behavior.   The culture is now making their own moral code and much of it is in opposition to what we know to be in agreement with the word of God.  Absolute truth has been replace by relativity or personal choice.

4. The final area Paul addressed was Destiny, “What will happen to you when you die?”Or “What is your destiny?”

Paul stated that Jesus was resurrected from the dead indicating that physical death is not the end of life on earth.  There will come a time when everyone will be raised from the dead.  This is the hope we have as believers that there is more to life than what we experience on earth.  We were created to be eternal beings and we have a destiny after we physically die.  The resurrection of Jesus is proof that we too will rise one day.  The resurrection of Jesus is the most convincing evidence that we have of his existence and our future.

Those who do not believe in the resurrection are left with options that are not very promising.  Hindus believe in reincarnation.  Life is cyclical and after death you are reincarnated into another life form based on your karma. You may return as an ant, animal or some other life form.  Other people believe that we simply return to the earth as our body decays.  When life on earth is over, it is over.  There is nothing to look forward to after death.   With this belief the door is open to live in whatever manner you chose as this life is all you have.

These four questions (What is your origin? What is your purpose in life? What moral code do you live by? And What is your final destiny?) are important for us as believers to be able to explain and defend as we encounter people who have a different worldview.  Paul was very direct in confronting the philosophers with their false ideas and worship of idols.  He did not have spectacular results and was rejected and scorned by them.  Yet there was fruit from his labor, some people did give their lives to Christ. 

Like Paul we must be witnesses of the truth of our worldview wherever God sends us.  We must know what we believe and be convinced of it so that our witness will be strong, convincing and most of all in agreement with the truth God has revealed to us.  For many people God is still the "unknown god”.  They have not heard or perhaps have heard and have rejected the message.  Our responsibility is to go to them, share with them and trust God to use our witness to open their heart to receive the truth.

 

The second encounter Paul faces with a power encounter.  When he was in Ephesus there were encounters with evil spirits.

¹¹ Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. Acts 19:11-20

Power encounters demonstrate that God has the ultimate power over evil spirits.  I have had some personal experience dealing with people that are demon possessed in Mexico, Haiti and India.  After one of the crusade in India people came forward for prayer. One of the believers on our team was praying for a woman for deliverance but nothing was happening.  He called me over and asked if I would pray for the lady.  As I prayed for her she immediately fell to the ground and began to move like a snake with her body.  I rebuked the devil and had the lady stand on her feet.  I told her to renounce the devil’s control over her life but she was unable to speak.  The demon had control of her voice.  I prayed against its control and she was able to speak and renounce the devil’s power. Immediately the demon left her body and she was set free.

Missionaries ministering among tribes in the remote area are often required to confront evil spirits and demonstrate to the people that God is Almighty and has power and authority over the demonic forces.

Story of the missionary to South America power encounter.

 

The final encounter is the encounter of commitment. What has this person committed his or her life to do or be?  Is it a commitment one would be willing to die for or just a passing phase of life?

Is the person is seriously ready to make a complete commitment to become a believer in Christ?  Are they willing to renounce their lives of sin and dedicate themselves to a life of obedience and service to the Lord?  Paul experienced this in Athens.  Some of the people that heard his message became believers while other rejected the message or would hear him again.

 

³² And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” ³³ So Paul departed from among them. ³⁴ However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. Acts 17:32-34

A decision must be made regarding the message of the gospel.  To not decide is really a decision of rejection and unwillingness to make a commitment.

Jesus challenged his disciples to be willing to take up the cross and follow him.  This was a commitment unto death.  Our commitment to obedience to the Lord is a testimony to others that can have a tremendous influence in the lives of others.

 

How committed are we to give our lives 100% to the Lord and sharing the gospel with those who are unreached?  What is our level of commitment to Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the 3 billion that have never heard.

 

I want to close the message of a story of a young lady whom God called to be a missionary in Malaysia. David Bowler shared this story that was passed on to me from a friend.

At one of his services he gave and Altar call and a young lady named Marcy, who graduated from Bible College came forward.  She was a very petite lady.  She surrendered her life to God to go to the foreign field. She had a desire to go to Malaysia, to a group of head hunters. No missionaries had gone there for 11 years.  These people were cannibals and had eaten people who tried to reach them.  The oil companies left the area because of their people being attacked and eaten. 

David Bowler, was a special forces Green Beret, highly decorated soldier who could lift 650 lbs.  All he could think of was the conditions were not right for this young girl to go to these people.  Her parents tried to talk her out of it.  David Bowler tried to talk her out of it but she replied to him, “You are the man of God who taught me of the God of the impossible”.  Marcy asked for prayer.  David felt he was putting a death sentence on her by allowing her to go.  He thought she would be eaten. He prayed for her, that God would let her die quickly.  No mission board would send her because it was a suicide mission.  Marcy spent 30 days in preparation hoping and praying that someone would go with her but, no one would go, and she would have to go alone.  The day arrived when Marcy would be taken to the cannibal people.  There were no roads to the people, she would have to enter by helicopter and even this was dangerous.  The cannibals knew how to bring down a helicopter with their spears, so Marcy had to repel 250 feet to get to the ground. They dropped her down and told her they would come back 60 days later.  The pilot said he would be back but she would not.  He asked her if she understood the conditions were not right. Marcy replied that she had asked and she was going.  

When they dropped her down, the pilot began to cry. Their thoughts were to say goodbye because you will never see her again.  For the next 60 days everyone prayed for her protection and prayed God would just take her and not suffer if she was attacked.

60 days later the helicopter returned.  They found Marcy, with 70 people she led to Christ!  She found out that they only ate men!!!  The people had a 200-year Legend that a female god would come to them from the sky.  So when she was lowered by the helicopter they thought God had arrive so they worshipped her. She told them she was not God but would lead them to God.

 

In our witness to the people that do not know the Lord, we must be prepared to deal with the 3 encounters we addressed today: Truth encounter to identify what people believe to be true regarding their origin, purpose, morality and destiny, Power encounter to demonstrate that God is Almighty and more powerful than demonic forces. Commitment encounter to challenge their complete dedication and obedience to follow Jesus.

 

 

 

 

The Apostle Paul’s The Life of Faith

We live in a time when there are still billions of people who have not heard the gospel.

(Illustration of 8 people representing the population of the world)

1 billion are evangelical Christians

3 billion are unreached people groups; less than 1 in 50 are Christ followers

As a church our mission is to go into all the world to preach the gospel. 

Coca cola has a goal of putting a can of coke into the hand of every person on the planet.

The Apostle Paul was one of the first missionaries God called and sent out to the unreached people and his life is an example for us to follow. He was always looking for new territory to share the gospel message.

He lived his life in such a way that he could tell others to follow me as I follow Christ.  He had no problem stating that others should imitate his way of life.  He was not perfect but his life was one of constant pursuit of God and striving to do what God called him to do.

2Ti_1:13  Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

As I look at his life of faith there are four important aspects of his life of faith.  We see these demonstrated in Acts 17: 1-12.

Act 17:1  Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 

Act 17:2  And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 

Act 17:3  explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 

Act 17:4  And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 

Act 17:5  But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 

Act 17:6  And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 

Act 17:7  and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 

Act 17:8  And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 

Act 17:9  And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 

Paul and Silas in Berea

Act 17:10  The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 

Act 17:11  Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 

Act 17:12  Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 

Paul had previously been in Philippi where he was run out of town, stoned and left for dead.  But God miraculously spared his life and Paul continued on his mission.

The first aspect of Paul’s life was marked by obedience to the calling and ministry God had given to him.

 When Paul received his calling in Damascus he immediately responded in obedience to the vision and mission God had given him.

When Paul gave his testimony before Agrippa he testified of his obedience.

Act 26:16  But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 

Act 26:17  delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 

Act 26:18  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 

Act 26:19  “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 

Act 26:20  but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 

He passionately pursued his calling to preach the gospel to the Gentiles as well as his own people.  His obedience brought him to many cities where he preached the gospel message.  After leaving Philippi he and his companions moved on to Thessalonica where he continued his mission

As believers in Christ we each have a calling and a ministry that God assigns to us.  Our response should be one of obedience to passionately fulfill the calling of God on our lives.  Just as Paul declared to Agrippa we should also be able to say, “I have not been disobedient to the heavenly vision” or in many of our situations what we know to be God’s calling in our lives.

Act 26:19  “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

Paul encourage Timothy and others to fulfill their ministry and at the end of his life he could confidently 2Ti 4:7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

 

The second aspect of Paul’s life of faith was his obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

He was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go to Asia and Bithynia.  Through a vision in the night, he was redirected to go to Macedonia.  He followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and obeyed what he was told to do. (Acts 16:6-10)

Being led of the Holy Spirit is essential in fulfilling the ministry God has given each one of us.  We must learn to hear his voice and obey him.  He is the administrator of evangelizing the nations.  He knows where we need to go to be at the right place at the right time.

Holy Spirit leads us in our ministry.  While in Peru, I met a Missionary who had been ministering in the in the jungles with a doctor to bring medical attention and the word of God.  They felt the HS was telling them to go to a tribe in the jungle they had not visited, nor did they know how to get there.  They were directed by the Holy Spirit who went before them and spoke to them.  They followed his voice until they reached the village.  When they arrived there as man sitting in an open area by himself.  He was the chief of the tribe.  The missionaries did not speak his language and there was no interpreter, but they began to share the gospel message.  Each would share part of the story and they took turns until the message was communicated.  The chief then motioned for them to follow him to the village in the dark.  He woke up all the villagers and gathered them together to listen to what he had to say.  The chief explained the gospel message to the villagers and they all responded by bowing on their knees and lifting their hands toward heaven in acceptance of Jesus as their Savior.

These missionaries, like Paul obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and brought the gospel message to this tribe.

The third aspect of Paul’s life was overcoming the testing and trials of his faith.

Fulfilling his mission was not an easy task. He constantly faced opposition from both Jews and Gentiles.  While in Thessalonica he was once again opposed by the Jews who rejected his message.  The opposition turned violent and once again the people who accompanied Paul as well as the new believers feared for his life.  God has prepared Paul for the opposition when he called him to the ministry.  Persecution and suffering was part of the calling.

Acts 9:16 …I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

 In spite of the forewarning, Paul fulfilled his ministry. For most of us going through constant testing and trials could become wearisome and discouraging.  Yet these trials and tests are not designed to destroy us but to strengthen our faith.  Trials reveal what is really inside of us.  They show us who we are and what qualities God has placed in us or what areas of our lives need to be addressed.

Paul was beaten severely and left for dead but God raised him up and he continued his ministry.  He had to flee for his life in Thessalonica and while in Jerusalem the Roman soldiers had to intervene to keep him from being attacked by the Jews.  On his journey to Rome, he endured a horrific storm that ended in a crash and he had to swim to the shore.  Persecution and hardships were part of his fulfilling his ministry.

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 describes the many trials that Paul endured for the sake of the gospel being spread.

Afflictions, imprisonments, tumults, labors, sleepless nights, hunger, punished etc.

James the brother of Jesus also experienced trials and test of his faith but his perspective was different than what most people would embrace.

Jas 1:2  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 

Jas 1:3  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 

Jas 1:4  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Paul knew that in spite of the difficulties he encountered that God was in control and was ordering his steps. These trials did not stop him from continuing his ministry but strengthened him to move forward.  Trials are designed to perfect our faith not destroy our faith.  Through our trials and tests God is teaching us and equipping us to pursue the ministry.

The fourth aspect of the life of faith of Paul was his tenacity of faith.  Tenacity is gripping something tightly, determination and persistence.   Paul was not a quitter.  He tenaciously pursued his calling and would not give up.  His commitment to his calling was for his entire life. When one door closed he moved on to another location.  When he was run out of Thessalonica he moved on to Berea.  He was determined to fulfill his mission of reaching the lost.

Many of the stories we read of missionaries are examples of great determination and persistence in spite of what appeared to be no tangible results.  William Carey was a shoe repairman who God called to go to India.  When he presented his proposed mission to his church board he was rejected and told the God did not need him to go to India, if God wanted to save the people he would do it himself.  Carey would not give up the calling and even though his wife resisted he went to India.  For 7 years he preached the gospel but had zero converts.  He did not give up but found another way to reach the people through his linguistic skills which enabled him to create a written language and translate the Bible into the language of his people.  One night there was a fire in his home that destroyed all the written work he had done.  Yet he persisted and rewrote what had been lost.  His work in India was very fruitful and continues to have an impact on the nation even though he has been dead since 1834.  He left a legacy because of his tenacity and persistence.

The final aspect of the life of faith of Paul was his reward of faith.  Each ministry location Paul went to produced fruit, there were people who accepted the gospel message and churches were formed.  In Thessalonica

Act 17:4  And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

Paul had developed a strategy of reaching the people with the gospel and he faithfully used it to show from the Scriptures that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

His work produced results which was seeing people come to faith in Christ.  The new believers were his reward for his faithful ministry.  This had to be a great encouragement to him to continue to go to new areas to preach the gospel.

When he left Thessalonica he went on to Berea and witness the reward of his faith when the received his message.

Act 17:11  Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 

Act 17:12  Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 

It is a joy to be able to see the positive results of the work of the ministry God has given us.  To see lives transformed by the power of the Gospel message and the work of the Holy Spirit bring great satisfaction to our lives and motivate us to continue.

God blesses our lives of faith by rewarding us by seeing the fruit of our labor but we also have a greater reward that is waiting for us.  Paul at the end of his life looked forward to the reward that was prepared for him.

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

God is a rewarder and he has something special for each one of us who finish the race.

I want to close the message of a story of a young lady whom God called to be a missionary in Malaysia. David Bowler shared this story that was passed on to me from a friend.

At one of his services he gave and Altar call and a young lady named Marcy, who graduated from Bible College came forward.  She was a very petite lady.  She surrendered her life to God to go to the foreign field. She had a desire to go to Malaysia, to a group of head hunters. No missionaries had gone there for 11 years.  These people were cannibals and had eaten people who tried to reach them.  The oil companies left the area because of their people being attacked and eaten. 

David Bowler, was a special forces Green Beret, highly decorated soldier who could lift 650 lbs.  All he could think of was the conditions were not right for this young girl to go to these people.  Her parents tried to talk her out of it.  David Bowler tried to talk her out of it but she replied to him, “You are the man of God who taught me of the God of the impossible”.  Marcy asked for prayer.  David felt he was putting a death sentence on her by allowing her to go.  He thought she would be eaten. He prayed for her, that God would let her die quickly.  No mission board would send her because it was a suicide mission.  Marcy spent 30 days in preparation hoping and praying that someone would go with her but, no one would go, and she would have to go alone.  The day arrived when Marcy would be taken to the cannibal people.  There were no roads to the people, she would have to enter by helicopter and even this was dangerous.  The cannibals knew how to bring down a helicopter with their spears, so Marcy had to repel 250 feet to get to the ground.

They dropped her down and told her they would come back 60 days later.  The pilot said he would be back but she would not.  He asked her if she understood the conditions were not right. Marcy replied that she had asked and she was going.  

When they dropped her down, the pilot began to cry. Their thoughts were to say goodbye because you will never see her again.  For the next 60 days everyone prayed for her protection and prayed God would just take her and not suffer if she was attacked.

60 days later the helicopter returned.  They found Marcy, with 70 people she led to Christ!  She found out that they only ate men!!!  The people had a 200 year Legend that a female god would come to them from the sky.  So when she was lowered by the helicopter they thought God had arrive so they worshipped her. She told them she was not God but would lead them to God.

An incredible story but we have an incredible God who call us to follow him, to take risks with him. Age, experience, conditions are not a problem for God so we can set them aside and believe that he will take us as we are to make us what he wants and needs us to be.  Nothing is too difficult for him.

Marcy’s life exemplifies that same life of faith that Paul’s life exemplified.

·         Obedience

·         Tests and trial

·         Tenacity and persistence

·         Reward

Where will your journey of faith take you?  Are you willing to take risks with God directing your steps?  Are you holding back and giving more power to fears or the counsel of others?  Whatever hindrances we see are not always the same in God’s view and that gives us hope for an exciting future.