21Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in Derbe and won some people to the Lord. Then they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia. 22They encouraged the followers and begged them to remain faithful. They told them, "We have to suffer a lot before we can get into God's kingdom." 23Paul and Barnabas chose some leaders for each of the churches. Then they went without eating and prayed that the Lord would take good care of these leaders. 24Paul and Barnabas went on through Pisidia to Pamphylia, 25where they preached in the town of Perga. Then they went down to Attalia 26and sailed to Antioch in Syria. It was there that they had been placed in God's care for the work they had now completed. 27After arriving in Antioch, they called the church together. They told the people what God had helped them do and how he had made it possible for the Gentiles to believe. 28Then they stayed there with the followers for a long time.
Near the end of his life my dad loved to quote Harry E. Fosdick (he told me not to tell anybody). Mostly he loved Fosdick's view of richness in ministry at old age. Fosdick alluded to the idea that God saves the best for last. He used the beauty of the autumn colors as evidence.
But...we don't get there without being disciplined. We've all known giants of the faith who "crashed and burned". It's no easy thing to do the Lord's work for 50 or more years.
Missions don't last forever. Paul and Barnabas accomplished a great deal but they had an objective in mind. When they achieved their objective they went home.
And they stayed there for a long time...
It seems like a good idea to view our service for the Kingdom in manageable cycles. Otherwise we tend to get tired, lose focus and lose discipline. Before we know it...we are no longer productive. For those of us who have been doing this for a long time...when was the last time we took some time off? For those who are younger, how do you plan to successfully manage the demands for service that know no boundaries?
Sabbath is a reminder that we must rest. Are you tired? Are you having difficulty clearly defining your kingdom goals? Are you discouraged? How about finding your Antioch...and preparing for a big finish?
I'm not suggesting we do nothing...just something different. Remember...we have a long way to go.
Live boldly out there today...
No comments:
Post a Comment