Hi! The scripture reading this week has the fewest words to date this year, however it really packed a punch that I had to wrestle with. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not wrestle. At the same time I do want to continue to grow and be more Christ-like, so I would say consider this an opportunity for some healthy assessment to see if you’re 100% in, and celebrating the possibilities with God or if you’re like me with room to grow.
Acts 9:28-31 [Galatians 1:18-24]
So Saul stayed with them [Barnabas, Peter, others?] and moved about freely in Jerusalem [for 15 days], speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecians Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samara enjoyed a time of peace. It was strenthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
What did God Say?
Let’s step back.
If we are following Paul’s (Saul’s) journey, we know that he had been in Jerusalem to see the High Priest and received permission to haul anyone following “The Way” in Damascus back to Jerusalem to prison. Alright, so on Saul’s way there, he met Jesus! Went to Antioch instead. Met a man named Ananias who prayed for him and got him started in the completely new direction of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, to their kings, and then also to the Jews. Wow!
Saul took his orders seriously and got started immediately in Damascus which undoubtedly cause a stir, whether that caused him to slip out to Arabia, whether the Holy Spirit led him to Arabia, or whether he was somehow invited, off he went.
Side note: Arabia sounds far away, but Damascus is really at the northern tip of this Nabetanian region (AKA Arabia) that Paul traveled around for 3 years.
When his time was up there he returned to Damascus and then headed for Jerusalem for a brief visit. While in Jerusalem we read that even though 3 years had passed, the memory of Saul’s vengeance against Jesus and His followers was still pretty fresh in the Apostles’ minds. So even though he went to connect with them, it took an intervention from a trusted friend and fellow follower named Barnabas to actually allow this meeting.
Paul and Peter met. (That must have been an intense time!)
And in true Paul fashion, while he was hanging out in Jerusalem, he preached. Again, to the point of stirring up trouble which led him to vacate the city and head back to Tarsus, which was his hometown. Paul spent the next 10 years there but that is not covered in our reading for this week.
What did God Say to me?
Paul’s story is fascinating, no doubt. For someone like me who likes to live a quiet and comfortable life, Paul’s ministry opens my eyes to the cost and reward of living full-out for Jesus. Quite the opposite of quiet and comfortable.
More specifically in regards to this text we read that after Paul was converted to Christianity, the church enjoyed a time of peace and growth. Verse 31 says that it (the church) was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit and it grew in numbers.
* First the strength and encouragement came from the Holy Spirit.
* Second the time of peace followed a time of persecution and the fear that pervaded the church. The previous physical fear for their lives was replaced with a healthy fear of the Lord as a way of living.
* Third the growth in numbers accompanied the freedom of they now experienced walking together, led by the Spirit of God.*
The challenge (what I'm saying to you and me too)
1. Whatever strength or encouragement we need comes from God. Romans 12:13 says that God is the source of our hope. That when we trust Him, He will fill us with peace and joy. All of this will overflow from our lives because of the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words it does NOT flow from us without the Holy Spirit. If you’re anything like me, it’s really easy to look for encouragement or “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” strength you need for sticky situations or for hard decisions, etc. from friends or family, or even mustering up what I need from within. Remember in Galatians 1:15-16 when Paul is recounting his calling, he says that he is set apart by God for a specific purpose and his response was not to consult with any man. Isn’t that interesting? He did learn from a lot of men. Barnabas being one of the most influential in his life. But first, he went away to Arabia to learn from God. A GOOD LESSON and reminder for us to seek Him first and fully, that’s 100%!
2. It really stands out to me that this segment of Paul’s story is completed by saying that the believers were living in “the fear of the Lord”. We plainly can read that “the church” was living in fear of their#1 enemy, Saul. After he’s recruited by God, their time of peace, hope, growth, and joy came. Their lives were previously all off-kilter, but now they have been righted and their fear is properly directed to the honor and worship of their God. It’s beautiful, but also a wake-up call.
When we find ourselves without peace, hope, and joy, we are very likely living in fear of something. You might think, no I’m not afraid of anything or anyone. Maybe it’s not that kind of fear, but it’s the fear of failure, meaning you can’t let someone down, or you don’t want to displease someone, or you don’t want to look bad or you’re afraid people won’t like you.
Regardless of what was happening yesterday and who you were living for last week- start living 100% for the Lord today.
3. Growth in numbers. Are you sharing your faith? Is God’s love bubbling over into people’s lives? Are you connecting and investing yourself in helping others in the church? If all of these things are true then the number of people that are growing closer to Jesus because of you is and will continue to grow. If not, maybe it is time to commit yourself to be God’s instrument 100%.
A lot of questions, I know. That’s what this week’s reading led me to. We are in this together so if there is any way that I can help you, please reach out to me.
