Before James Garfield went into politics and became president, he taught at what is now Hiram College in Ohio. The ambidextrous Garfield would amuse his students by writing on a chalkboard with both hands—one in Greek and the other in Latin—at the same time! It is said that on one occasion a father came to Garfield and complained that the academic course at the school was too long and arduous and asked if it could be shortened. “Certainly,” Garfield replied. “But it all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, He takes a hundred years. When He wants to make a squash, He requires only two months.”
In a world filled with people looking for shortcuts to success and ways to avoid work, we are called by God to work as soldiers of Christ—patiently, diligently, and consistently. Regardless of what those around us do, we have the responsibility to work hard. Our gospel labors are not dependent on whether others in the church are working too. We labor for something of eternal value – the souls of men! There are no shortcuts in God’s economy. (Source: Developing the Leaders Around You, John Maxwell)
The gospel is the work of the church! It is our mission in life! One on a mission must be consistent, even in conflict, for the work of gospel.
1. CONSISTENCY IS KEY (Acts 13:42-44)
Paul and Barnabas have just finished preaching to the Jews on the Sabbath in the Antioch of Pisidia synagogue. The Sabbath meeting was dismissed, and these two preachers are invited to preach to the Gentiles on the next Sabbath! After the sermon, Paul and Barnabas continue reasoning the scriptures with those who followed them.
Here is the real clincher: on the next sabbath day, almost the whole city came to hear the preaching!
In 1939 just before the outbreak of World War II, Germany and Russia signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. This treaty promised that neither nation would attack the other, and it laid out a plan for how they would divide the nations of Eastern Europe between them. Yet in 1941, without warning or provocation, Adolf Hitler sent his tanks across the Russian border in a sneak attack. Hitler had no interest in keeping his word; the treaty was meant only as a temporary measure until he could do what he wanted. (Source: The Collapse of the Soviet Empire, George J. Neimanis)
The devil will tell you anything you want to hear to get you to do what he wants you to do. He is a master liar; in fact, Jesus declared Satan to be "the father of lies" (John 8:44). The devil breaks every promise that he makes. He never delivers what he leads us to expect. While sin may be enjoyable for a little while (Hebrews 11:25), it always leads to a bitter end.
We sometimes believe the lie that no one wants to hear about the gospel today. That is simply not true. That is a message from the father of lies! In fact, Jesus even says in Matthew 9:36-38 that there are many ready to be saved. May we not be deterred with fear, manipulation, or even intimidation from sharing the truth of the gospel. Many stands ready to hear and accept God’s saving grace today!
2. CONFLICT IS EXPECTED (Acts 13:45-47)
When the gospel is bearing fruit, conflict will arise. The Jews saw the attention the people gave these preachers and their message, and they became “filled with envy.” This word for envy denotes “wrath indignation.” Huge numbers of people were gathering to hear the very doctrine the Jewish religious leaders had rejected. This threatened to overthrow their position and religion! The Jews begin with contradicting these new preachers in town and they end with blaspheming. This blaspheming would include their vilifying Jesus, Luke 22:65. (Source: Barnes Notes on the Bible).
I recently viewed a reel on social media of a dash cam of a man traveling on a 6-lane highway. It showed a driver of a white truck cutting this man off and clearly driving with rage, speeding up and then slamming on his brakes (when traffic did not require a slowdown). Then the driver suddenly stopped his truck in front of the dash cam car, and he jumped out the door. He began briskly walking toward this man’s vehicle when a police officer walks past the dash cam car and sternly instructing the man to get back in his truck. You then heard the man with the dash cam saying, “Yes! HAHAHA! Yes!”
Acting in anger is a dangerous act indeed!
“Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”—Ambrose Bierce
“Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.”—Benjamin Franklin
“A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”—Benjamin Franklin
When people become enraged, they speak with little forethought and even less consideration for how God would view their spoken thoughts. Here in Acts 13:48-49, the Jews’ anger was fueled by envy. Envy hurts your testimony, hurts those around you, and hurts the work of the gospel (v. 45). However, envy does the most damage to the one who embraces it and reveals the most of that person (v. 46-47). Envy is no small matter. Take a look at 5 of the markers the scriptures give envy. Envy is:
…is forbidden – Romans 13:13
…is a work of the flesh – Gal. 5:21
…proof of carnal mindedness – I Cor. 3:1, 3
…hinders your spiritual growth – I Pet. 2:1-2
…leads to every evil work – Jas. 3:16
The scripture is clear that no good thing comes from envy. So, root out the weed of envy from your heart. Plead with God to help you see it, confess it, repent of it, forsake it, and move closer in for deeper relationship with Jesus!
3. COMMUNICATION IS ACCOMPLISHED (Acts 13:48-49)
The salvation of the Gentiles was “a matter of divine arrangement and apostolic effort” (Source: Jamieson, Faucett, & Brown Commentary). These verses are clear. Without any force in the interpretation, the declaration made here points to the salvation of these (and the rest of the past, present, and future church) as a movement of predestination (Rom. 8:28-30). God called these souls before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4; I Peter 1:18-21) to Himself.
Have you already accepted the saving grace of Jesus Christ as your own? Do you already have a vibrant relationship with Jesus that began with Him saving you from certain destruction? If so, never forget this truth: God drew you to Himself before you ever had a desire for Him! God almighty loves YOU! If you have not yet accepted that wondrous gift of a relationship with God Himself, then know this: He is calling YOU to accept His gift today (Rom. 3:10, 23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:13; John 3:16-18)!
Adoniram Judson labored faithfully in Burma for eighteen years without a furlough, and for the first six years he did not have a single Burmese convert. He said that he never saw a ship leave Burma without wanting to board it and go home. When his wife became sick and had to go home for two years without him, he wrote: “If we could find some quiet resting place on earth where we could spend the rest of our days in peace and perform the ordinary services of religion.” But he then wrote: “Life is short. Happiness consists not in outward circumstances. Millions of Burmese are perishing. I am almost the only person on earth who has attained their language to communicate salvation.”
God has a specific job for you, and you are the person God wants to accomplish it. Source: A Memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson, Volume 1, Francis Wayland
Holy Spirit enabled consistency is vital to the work of God for the believer! It takes:
1. Hard work. Disciple of Jesus— do not give up on the mission God gave you because it is hard! Plenty of things in life are hard. This gospel mission yields far more than anything else could offer.
2. Confession. Disciple of Jesus— do not excuse away the mission God gave you for something worth far less!
3. Nurture relationship with Jesus. Disciple of Jesus— do not live in neutral and miss the mission God gave you. Engage today!