Act 13 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Paul's First Mission Read all of Acts 13 here.

In Acts 13 Saul (soon to become Paul) and Barnabas set out on their mission to carry the good news of the Gospel to "the ends of the earth." They travel through 7 cities, three regions, and through various temples and synagogues. They carry their message with passion and conviction. The church today has much to learn from their committment to this mission. Four things stand out for me in chapter 13 that I think really apply to us in the church today.

ONE - Paul and Barnabas are not afraid to be direct, even confrontational. They know they have good news to share and they will not let anything get in the way. As chapter 13 opens we hear these words from Paul:

"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

This was spoken by Paul to a "false prophet." Paul knew that if he was going to proclaim this message he had to confront anything that stood against it. What are the things that followers of Christ today would be called to confront?

TWO - Paul connects the Gospel to a story they already know. In Acts 13:16-22 Paul recounts the story of the People of Israel all the way to King David. Those who were gathered in the temple that day would have known this story very well. Then in verse 23 and following Paul begins to connect Jesus to this story. Paul doesn't say - "what you knew before was wrong and you must start over with a new story." No - Paul takes great care in connecting this new Gospel to a story that they already know, a story that is very close to their hearts. In what ways does the Gospel of Jesus connect to the stories of people in the 21st century culture?

THREE - They looked for places in which the Gospel could do something completely new. Paul and Barnabas were not afraid to go beyond the temples and synagogues. They carried their message even to the Gentiles (or non-Jews). Before this, this non-Jewish crowd was not even considered human in the eyes of the Jewish Leaders. Paul and Barnabas knew that Jesus had been intentional about carrying his message beyond those already on the "inside." Who are the groups in today's culture that we are afraid to share the good news with? How could the church do something new in the world today?

FOUR - They could shake the dust off of their shoes and move on. As humans we do not want to fail. I am sure that Paul was no different - of course when he preached he wanted people to hear his message and be transformed. Of course this was not always the case. Often times the crowd would turn on him. As Chapter 13 ends we see that Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off of their feet and move on. They have not been completely successful in their work and yet they Holy Spirit continues to fill them with joy and purpose. As the church today, we have to do all that we can to proclaim the Gospel, and then we have to be content to walk away and let the Holy Spirit do its work. Have you ever felt unsuccessful as an apostle of Christ? Have you had to shake the dust off? How did the Holy Spirit work in that situation?

Continue to think this week about how the Holy Spirit is empowering you to carry the good news about Jesus to "the ends of the earth." What is difficult for you? What is new? What fills you with joy?

Pastor Sara

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.