Faith in Action
The Early Church Proclaims Faith in ChristFaith in Jesus
Acts 14:21-28 The Message
Plenty of Hard Times
21-22 After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch, putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy: “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times.”23-26 Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying—their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives. Working their way back through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia and preached in Perga. Finally, they made it to Attalia and caught a ship back to Antioch, where it had all started—launched by God’s grace and now safely home by God’s grace. A good piece of work.
27-28 On arrival, they got the church together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in. Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.
For Reflection
No social media for these people! All word of mouth. Individual testimony one-to-one. Who do you trust more, the person who takes the time to talk face-to-face or a nameless person in a paid advertisement?
Not a fair question? Perhaps not in today's world, but it's all that mattered in the early stages of Christianity. Christ is known through you. Not so much your words, but how you act and what others say about you. If some are critical of you because you don't conform to their secular standards, so much the better. If you are known for being kind, hospitable, trustworthy, and honest, and with a sense of humor and justice, building people up rather than tearing them down, strong on knowledge and weak on opinion, you may be known as a Christian.
Not a fair question? Perhaps not in today's world, but it's all that mattered in the early stages of Christianity. Christ is known through you. Not so much your words, but how you act and what others say about you. If some are critical of you because you don't conform to their secular standards, so much the better. If you are known for being kind, hospitable, trustworthy, and honest, and with a sense of humor and justice, building people up rather than tearing them down, strong on knowledge and weak on opinion, you may be known as a Christian.
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