The Set-Up

 

Church planters must love this portion of Scripture.  It all looks so smooth sailing but we know Paul and Barnabas went through a rough patch, to put it mildly, to reach this state of progress, "The Set-Up".

What I'm talking about is that the two brothers-in-Christ had been faithfully preaching the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Exciting times because they, 

"won many disciples" (Acts 14:21).

These newborns were not left to their own devices.  Praise the Lord, Paul and Barnabas hung around and

 "strengthened the believers and encouraged them" (Acts 14:22 GoodNews)

even at the risk of their own lives, yet again. 

What did they strengthen and encourage them in?  Did you take note?  Was it a long doctrinal spat of teaching?  Teachings they were to remain steadfast in?

Writer Luke wrote that they,

"encouraged them  to remain true to the faith" (vs 22 GoodNews again).

They had need of gumption and backbone which they'd get through their faith in Jesus Christ and the aid of the Holy Spirit indwelling them.

Why did they need this?  Paul and Barnabas warned,

"We must go  through many hardships..." (vs 22 NIV).

Persecution was rife.  Paul and Barnabas had already experienced plenty of that as they were goaded from town and city to town and city; Paul even having been stoned to death and left for dead (so their persecutors thought).  The threat was real and constant.  They could not have gone through this on their own strength.  They were warning the believers that they needed to be genuinely sincere in their faith because of the hardship they'd face.  They too, would not be exempted.

Faith.  Not faith in themselves but in their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, would be their bulwark.  We have the Same Source of strength and encouragement today.    Be encouraged to be strong in your faith in Jesus Christ.

I just heard today from an Open Doors* video that there are currently about 360,000 Christians living in countries that severely persecute believers who have faith in Jesus Christ.  This is still very much an issue today as it was back in Paul and Barnabas' day.  The Source of reliance is still the same:  Jesus Christ.

After Paul and Barnabas had won the large number of disciples to Christ, strengthened and encouraged them to "remain true to the faith", look at the next step of progression in forming a more solidified assembly of believers.

The "Set-Up"... In each church, 

"they appointed elders" (Acts 14:23).

They didn't just simply pick them.  They had prayers and fastings.  Silences.  Waiting.  Waiting upon the Lord's direction to see how the Holy Spirit would direct.   Then they could,

 "commend them to the Lord in Whom they had put their trust" (vs  23).

They did this in each church in the area.  Three were mentioned.  How these men, Paul and Barnabas must have rejoiced, not in pride, but in the blessing from the Lord that He had counted them worthy of their calling to which He had called them.  They'd earned treasure for the Kingdom of God.

Three new nucleuses of potential to multiply and win futher large numbers of disciples for Christ.  Further assemblies and overrseers to in turn, continue "The Set-Up" process new church plant to new church plant and from generation to generation.  Our Heavenly Father no doubt delights to see this on-goingness of bearing fruit for Him.

                                                    ~ERC  October 2021~

Based on Acts 14:21-27 GoodNews/NIV.

*About the timing of this video, it's now January 2022, when I saw the video,  that I'm blogging this Set-Up  entry which was originally written in October 2021.