There is something positive to be said for determination and perseverance. These are character traits we need to be teaching our children and practicing ourselves. It is not good enough to start; we must finish the job. In II Timothy 4:7, Paul’s words should be our words when we have finished our life here on earth. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
In Acts 14, Paul is continuing on his first missionary journey. They arrived at Iconium, and as was customary, they went to the synagogue to preach. At this synagogue, there were Jews and Greeks. These Greeks would have been Gentiles who had gone through the Jewish rituals and been grafted into the church. He preaches to all in the synagogue, and there were many Jews and Greeks who believed the gospel. This would have been very encouraging to Paul and Barnabas.
Act 14:1 “Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.”
Paul was always ready to preach the gospel, and it was a bonus when it was received as these Jews and Greeks in the church had done. However, Satan is always plotting and seeking to destroy any good that a Christian can do. In verse 2, those Jews and Gentiles who did not believe stirred up the church and spoke evil against Paul and Barnabas. They poisoned the minds of the hearers.
Act 14:2 “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”
While this would have been heartbreaking for Paul and Barnabas, they did not quit. It seems the Jews and Gentiles did not forcibly remove Paul and Barnabas from the church, so they continued to speak boldly about Jesus. In verse 3, we are told they stayed for a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord. I am sure many appreciated their boldness, and some probably prayed for friends and relatives to listen to them and accept Jesus. However, just like today, the people were divided.
Act 14:3-4 “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.”
After presenting the gospel and seeing many come to know Christ, the evil of this world stepped in, and they sought to kill Paul and Barnabas. Word had spread that the opposition wanted to stone them to death, so they left and went to Lystra and Derbe.
Act 14:5-6 “When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country.”
Did this stop Paul and Barnabas? No, the opposition caused them to move to another location. The people of Iconium had heard, and there were enough people who responded to continue spreading the gospel. God’s work was not stopped. Paul and Barnabas never backed down; they kept pushing forward to share the gospel. Opposition did not change what they were doing; it only opened up new avenues to preach and teach salvation by the grace of God.
Act 14:7 “and there they continued to preach the gospel.”
What keeps you from pushing forward and sharing the gospel? Is it fear that you won’t know what to say? Let me remind you of Paul’s witness to others, he shared what happened to him. All you need to know to win someone to Christ is to tell your story of how you were saved. If they have questions you cannot answer, tell them you will find out and get back to them, or take them to your pastor. Do not allow fear to keep you from doing what God has left you here to do. Maybe it is your schedule that keeps you quiet. You have so much to do and so many obligations that you don’t feel you have time to engage in a conversation about your faith. If this is the case, you have your priorities all wrong. Nothing is more important than telling someone about Jesus. Maybe you think they will think their life is none of your business, or that you are being judgmental. This may be true, but if they accept Christ, they will thank you for all eternity. Another answer I get is that they have told people, and it has not produced any fruit. The people they were praying for or talking to did not get saved. Let me remind you that we sow he seed, only God can give the increase. He does the saving, not us.
We must keep pushing forward because people’s eternity is at stake. We must keep pushing forward because God commands us to. We must keep pushing forward because we love Jesus and we want to show our gratitude and love for all He has done for us. We must never sacrifice the eternity of another for our own comfort or convenience. Keep pushing forward.
