In Acts 14, we read of Paul and Barnabas’ continuing missionary journey. They went to places such as Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Wherever they went, the people’s response was divided. Some believed, while others didn’t. In Lystra, Paul ministered to a crippled man, who received complete healing. As a result, the townspeople tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as “gods.” When Paul and Barnabas realized what was happening, they convinced the people to worship Jesus and not them. But no sooner had they quieted the crowd than folks came from the previous towns where they had ministered and convinced the people to stone Paul. They took him outside the city and stoned him. They left thinking he was dead, but after they left Paul got up and moved on to the next town. The challenge of facing such persecution everywhere they went didn’t stop Paul and Barnabas from carrying out their mission in Jesus’ name.
In Acts 15, we read of the first “council” of Jesus’ followers. It took place in Jerusalem and focused on the growing division among the believers over whether a Gentile had to become a “Jew” before he or she could become a Christian. Some believed it necessary to follow all the laws of Jews, before becoming a Christian, but Paul, Barnabas and Peter, to name a few, believed Jesus had freed the Gentiles from such rules. After much discussion and debate, James, who presided over the meeting made a vital statement, 19“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.“Acts 15:19 (NIV) What a powerful statement! With that statement, the early church made it possible for Gentiles to follow Jesus without all the encumbrances of the Jewish law. After the meeting ended, Paul and Barnabas were ready to head back to the “mission field.” They had a problem, though. John Mark wanted to go with them. Paul said, “No,” because he had deserted them on a previous journey. Barnabas wanted to give him a second chance. Finally, the disagreement became so heated that Barnabas took Mark, and Paul took Silas and they went their separate ways. This shows us that disagreements happened even among the closest of Jesus’ followers. The end result, though, was the churches were strengthened.
In Acts 16, Timothy joined Paul and Silas, and Paul’s mentoring relationship with Timothy began. It would eventually become so close, that Paul called Timothy his son. As the chapter continues, Paul has a vision of a man in Macedonia calling him to come and help him, which caused Paul to travel in that direction. While they were traveling, they came to Philippi, and there Lydia became a convert, because the Lord opened her heart to hear the message. In addition, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. During the night, while they were singing praises to the Lord, the Lord sent an earthquake, which freed Paul and Silas from their imprisonment. The jailer, thinking all the prisoners had escaped was about to kill himself, because as a Roman jailer, he would have been responsible to take the punishment for any escaped prisoners. Paul called out to him not to harm himself, because everyone was there. The jailer found this to be true. He took Paul and Silas home and cared for their wounds, and then asked the most important question ever, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas led the entire family to the Jesus, and they were all baptized that night!
As we return to Matthew 6, we come to the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus taught about giving, prayer, fasting, and living a worry-free life, through seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. This chapter offers us the Lord’s Prayer, as well as Jesus’ admonition not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven. He also tells us no one can serve two masters and boils it down to this: you cannot serve both God and money. Such a reminder is so vital for us who live in an era when many people believe money is the answer to all life’s problems. The truth is Jesus was, is, and will always be the only answer to all of life’s problems!