Paul and Barnabas, who were sent out by the Antioch church, finished their evangelistic trip and returned to the Antioch church. Today’s passage is about what they did at the end of their evangelistic trip and what they did when they returned to the Antioch church. Today let’s look at 3 things that are necessary for a church to be born and built up.
1. The need to be encouraged in the faith (vs. 19-22)
In verse 19 they are facing a deathly dangerous situation. “Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” (19) Thinking that he was dead, the disciples gathered around him, and all at once, “he got up and went back into the city.” (20) The disciples must have learned what it means to follow the Lord by seeing him hurt to the point of death and standing up and going back into the city. Then “the next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe” (20) where they shared the Gospel and many became disciples.
After preaching the Gospel in Derbe, Paul and Barnabas rent back to Lystra, Inconium, and Antioch where they had previously been persecuted. If you look at a map, you can see that if you go South East from Derbe, you will arrive at Paul’s hometown, Tarsus. If you continue on the road, you will arrive at Antioch, the city of Paul’s home church. However, they didn’t use this shorter route, but returned to the cities where they had established churches. The reason is given in verse 22. They went there to strengthen the disciples and encourage them to remain true to the faith. In other words they went to encourage the Christians that they had evangelized and were saved.
When we look at Paul’s evangelism, it wasn’t just planting seeds in a field, “sowing seeds evangelism”. When the seeds which he planted, sprouted he educated them in the faith and pastored them. He didn’t just plant seeds because it is not easy to remain true to the faith. We need encouragement in our faith. We need support. By being encouraged and supported by Christian fellowship, we are able to continue in our faith.
In Japan we may not experience the kind of persecution that Paul experienced in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, but as Jesus said in Matt 7:13, 14, the road to the kingdom of God is very narrow especially in Japan. This makes the road very narrow and rough causing many difficulties along the way. Therefore, we need confidence that the road of faith, the road to God’s kingdom is the right road.
We meet many problems along the road of faith, but we are not on the wrong road. We have entered the gate of life. We must remember this and encourage each other, and support each other. Faith is not a lonely endeavor.
Hebrews 12:1
Like a cloud there are many witnesses and many friends that are walking in the same faith. With these people we need to encourage each other and walk towards the kingdom of God. This is the church.
II. Appointing elders in each church (vs.23)
Even though Paul knew it was dangerous, Paul returned to the towns where he had earlier evangelized in and encouraged the Christians who had been saved. However, that is not the only reason they returned to the towns they had evangelized in. They appointed elders in each church, “and with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust.” (23) In other words, Paul who had been called to preach the Gospel in many places could not stay with one congregation for a long time. Therefore, so that the people who believed in Christ could continue in their faith he had to commit them to the Lord. In other words, he chose elders in each church.
Paul appointed elders in each church and committed the care of the Christians to them. This is the same as committing them to the Lord. By doing this, the Church’s Lord, the head, Jesus Christ by His word and the Holy Spirit took care of and built up His church. Sometimes it is thought that the church should be spiritual and therefore organization is not important. However, for evangelism and for us to encourage each other and continue in the faith it is important that Church be organized and structured.
Next let’s look at what it means that Paul “appointed elders for them in each church” (23) First of all the appointed elders “in each church”. The elders in Lystra were chosen from the Lystra church. The Iconium elders were chosen from the Iconium church. The Antioch elders were chosen from the Antioch church. That is because no matter how small a church, each church’s situation and circumstances are different. Therefore leaders are needed that can work within that situation. Therefore elders were chosen in each church so that the special needs of each church could be met.
Secondly, they didn’t appoint an elder, but “elders”. This protected the church from being run by one person’s thinking and likes. It helps the church to be able to listen to the Lord’s voice. Also by the church being structured under the leadership of elders makes it possible for the church to hear the Lord’s Word. The purpose of the structuring of the church was so that they could hear the Lord’s voice, the Lord can make His will clear and that the church will follow Him. This is committing the church to the Lord.
In 2 weeks we will be having the church yearly meeting. The most important thing about the meeting is this I think. The church listens to the Lord’s voice, knows what the Lord’s will is, and follows that will. This is committing the church to the Lord.
Matt. 16:18
This type of church has Jesus Christ as the head and is not shaken.
III. Count the blessings of God (vs. 24-28)
Next Paul and Barnabas returned to the Antioch Church and reported to them. They “reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” (27) Especially notice that Paul and Barnabas returned to the Antioch Church, “where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had completed.” (26) However, when you think back upon their evangelistic work, there are a lot of things that happened that it is hard to say that it was the grace of God. In Cyprus there was the conflict with the Jewish sorcerer. After that problem was solved and they started out on their evangelistic trip again, next John Mark left them and returned home. In Lystra the people tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Inconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city.” (14:19) Therefore, when you reflect on their mission trip, it doesn’t seem like God’s grace, but continuous troubles. However, when Paul reflected on the trip, he realized that the trip began by committing the trip to the grace of God and it was finished by the grace of God. This was because everything they did on the trip they believed was done by the presence of God. Paul and Barnabas toiled and labored, but they understood that it was God who really did the work. This means that Paul and Barnabas were servants, but the real work of the church was done by God himself.
On their trip Paul and Barnabas faced many troubles. At times they fell. Some times they didn’t even know whether the Gospel was moving forward or not. However, when they reflected back on the trip, they realized that God’s hand was with them and that everything was by the grace of God.
Therefore, when we are discouraged and down, we mustn’t loose a calm heart and an ability to count the blessings and works of God. Now we are starting a new church year. When we think about last year, God was with us and did everything that happened last year. There were disappointments and successes, many things, but they were all by God’s grace. Those who look forward to God’s grace will receive even more power. Let’s count God’s abundant grace and then start a new year with vision and move forward.