Acts 14:1-7

Ministry, like life, can become repetitive. Get up, go to work, come home, sleep and tomorrow do it again. Viewed from a distance, Paul’s missionary work seems repetitive. Go to town, preach in the synagogue, make converts, be run out of town, go to a new town and repeat. Yet, even though there is a pattern to Paul’s missionary work, each town was unique and every single person that heard the Gospel was an individual for whom Christ died. When Paul entered a new town he may have known the pattern his ministry would be taking, but there was no way he could know how each individual would respond to the gospel. Because his ministry was people-focused, for him it would never become repetitive.

At Iconium, Paul spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. The Jews, who refused to believe, began to stir up the other Gentiles and poison their minds against the Believers. Their opposition was not able to turn the town against Paul and Barnabas, and they were able to stay there ministering for a considerable time. The Lord enabled them to perform signs and wonders in order to confirm their message for the believers. Notice that the signs and wonders did not overwhelm the thinking of the nonbelievers. The signs and wonders confirmed and gave confidence to the believers that truth was the foundation for their faith in Jesus.

The opposition to the Gospel was not able to sway the city leadership against Paul and Barnabas. The leadership of the town would not expel the apostles, but they would not protect them either. The opposition plotted to mistreat and even stone the missionaries. Paul and Barnabas discovered the plot and fled to Lystra and Derbe, which was under different political leadership, and there they continued preaching the gospel.

Lord, do not let us become complacent.  Prevent our daily routines from becoming repetitive. Make each day new. Make our lives a confirmation of the power of the Gospel. Amen