Who is your audience?

Listen along here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/39124489/who-is-your-au...

Last spring, I flew to New York City and on to Greece, where about 40 of us from eight different states traveled in the footsteps of Paul--something I had longed to do for many years. How incredible it was, and I will go back! But, you could rightly ask, 'Which footsteps of Paul did you trace?' The apostle made four journeys across land and sea--three to take the good news of Jesus Christ to Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Syria and beyond; then, Paul went to Rome, where he had so much longed to go for years!

In Acts chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch, Syria, to preach the Word, the hand of the Holy Spirit obviously leading them and anointing Paul as he delivered his first sermon as well. But as it was for Jesus, so it would be for Paul--when the Jews saw the crowds flocking to Paul, responding to the message that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, they were filled with jealousy,1 threatening Paul and Barnabas with their lives. Undaunted, the two men continued on their mission, preaching to the Gentiles as well - the word of the Lord spreading to the whole region.2

We have been talking about how life-giving it is to know our unique God-given purpose and then to live it out with intention. Could there be any greater role model than Paul?! Not only did he know he was meant to preach the gospel, he was uniquely gifted to do so, knowing the scriptures as he did. Think of it--steeped in the Law and the Prophets through his Torah training under highly-regarded Gamaliel of Jerusalem, he could authoritatively cite the prophecies about the Messiah and show how Jesus was the exact fulfillment of them.

And then, God told him he was sending him to the Gentiles. Okay, so that means all--God was sending Paul to all y'all. "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some."3

Chapter 14 has it all - preaching, the miraculous, mobsters and threats, salvations ...

Read/listen to Acts 14: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts 14&version=ESV

But for now imagine you and I are along with him and Barnabas on their first journey of taking the gospel message of life in Jesus Christ deeper into Europe and Asia. Acts chapter 14 is crazy ridiculous in the victories and the hardships--what do you notice in these first several verses?

"...in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. And there they preached the Good News.  Acts 14.1-7

This behavior is not normal.  Threatened with stoning, running for their lives . . . they keep preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. What?! Think of it--there was no earthly glory or material gain for Paul and Barnabas.  Then again, their social standing was of no consequence to them whatsoever... they did what they did for an audience of One:  God. It was their sole purpose to honor God.

Friends, this is the dawn of a new week, why not embody that yourself, and even write somewhere "My purpose this week is to honor God".

And then break it down how you will do that daily.

Commit yourself to the Lord first thing, starting each day in His Word (like with this!), offering each day to him in prayer.

Simply, morning prayers ought include:

->Praising God for who he is                                                                         ->Asking him to search our hearts that we might confess any sin                                      ->Asking for his wisdom, blessing and favor                                                     ->Lifting before him, by name, those we know who need relationship with Him--his healing, guidance and strength         

->Thanking him for our blessings, naming them.

When the days sometimes seem dark, the way long, and the pressure great, I remind myself that I am loved by the King, the One with whom I will spend eternity. Paul never lost sight of that, and I'm convinced that is what made him relentless in his desire to take the saving news of Jesus to everyone he could, no matter the personal cost.

Paul sought the approval of One. That is what made him such a standout...throwing it back to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDKOraZrLzQ&list=RDZDKOraZrLzQ&a...

Let's do this.

Christine - PastorWoman.net

Acts, no. 38

1 - Acts 13.45

2 - Acts 13.49

3 - 1 Corinthians 9.22