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Our focus for today will be on the topic of togetherness in the work of the gospel. The believers in the early church were challenged by the Holy Spirit to move out of Jerusalem taking the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ to the surrounding neighbours. They also covered the surrounding countries of Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Derbe and Iconium (present day Turkey).
The Apostle Paul partnered with Barnabas, his fellow brother in Christ, who had encouraged him as a new believer to move out of Jerusalem into the mission field. What pleased the Lord so much was that they both kept their first love warm and fresh for the Lord. The Lord blessed them with success in their preaching of His Word. They were able to bring out God’s Word directly into the open to shine as a light in the dark provinces that the Lord had called them to go. They had to wholeheartedly trust God for their message of salvation, the timing for the preaching and the city of His choice. They preached the appropriate messages and God convicted the people of their sin.
When we seek to bring God’s message of salvation into a dark and sinful world, we will never loose our salt and light. His sharp Word will convict and cut into the hearts and lives of unbelievers, opening them up to His grace, love and hope in His Name. Strangely but surely as the Word of God spreads, for His Church to be built, we see at the end of Acts Chapters 13 and 14, diversity in responses; unbelief and attacks on the Lord and His name will actually intensify rather than subside. When we open our lives to others and allow our testimony to flow out, there will always be some who are touched by our testimony and some who will directly reject us and even oppose us.
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This is where serving the Lord together, our oneness with each other and our combined faith in the Lord and His Word will hold us together. This special Christian togetherness will help to overcome all discouragement and dissent. In spite of the trials and difficulties we undergo, our Lord’s name will always be glorified since He reigns over all situations as seen at the end of Chapter 14.