In God’s Service
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As I have been reading through the book of Acts, I see that the “missionaries”, like the disciples and
Paul, went into various cities and did 4 things.
- preached the gospel
- started churches
- trained disciples
- encouraged them to do the work of the ministry
Then they left and went somewhere else to do the same thing.
We have to leave soon for a time. This will be difficult for us, because we have grown to love you and
we want to see the work continue in a strong and positive direction.
We are leaving Barry in charge, but you must understand that the future of this work does not depend
on us or Barry. It depends on you.
Commission
I was thinking to ask you to do something for me. I want to reach every person in Albania with the
gospel. But I am only one person. So I want to ask you to go for me to every person. Speak to them
for me. Tell them the things I have told you. Give them the message I have given you.
And then I realized – that is exactly what Jesus has said to us.
John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Paul further explained this plan:
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
So, you see, if God tells me, and I tell you, and you tell others, and they tell others, soon everyone will
hear.
But if you don’t tell them, they won’t hear.
Listen to what Paul says in Romans 10:
Romans 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching
to them?
But you may think, “But I’m not like Pastor Rick. I’m not like Pastor Barry. I’m not like Paul.”
God uses many different kinds of people.
Paul was a famous persecutor of the church and God used him.
Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He
went to the high priest
Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
- Paul was a man full of passion.
- He asked for authority to hunt down the believers.
- He defended his faith with enthusiasm.
- He worked with all of his energy for what he believed in.
But then, on the way to Damascus, he had a revelation of Jesus. Paul was full of hatred for this
teacher and his followers who had disrupted his way of life and his religion. He was intent on
destroying them.
Then Jesus appeared to him.
We must understand this – meeting Jesus is a spiritual experience. No one can “convince” you of this
spiritual truth. It is not simply a mental acceptance of a truth. It is a spiritual realization. It is, as Jesus
called it, a “rebirth” in the spirit of a person.
Paul was a very intelligent man. He could argue and debate with anyone and win. He knew all the
reasons why Jesus couldn’t possibly have been who he claimed to be.
But then Jesus revealed the truth to him. It was a spiritual awakening.
And Paul was changed.
When you truly meet Jesus, your life will change. Paul had the same personality. He had the same
character. He was still a very active person full of passion. But his purpose for living changed.
Paul traveled all over the world that he knew and preached to all that he could. He wrote extensively.
And he changed his world.
Most of us are not like Paul.
BUT, then there was this man named Ananias.
Ananias was a nobody and God used him.
Acts 9:10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,
"Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.
Ananias was nothing like Paul. He never traveled anywhere. The Bible never tells us of Ananias
preaching. He didn’t write any books of the New Testament. In fact, we never hear anything more
about him.
But we know this:
- God spoke to him in a vision and sent him to speak to Paul
- He was afraid, but he still obeyed what God told him.
- He didn’t consider this job too small for him – preaching to a congregation of one.
- He changed his world!
Without Ananias, there would not have been a Paul.
Note this: The ministry of Ananias was just as important as the ministry of Paul!
But what if you are not like Paul or Ananias? There were others.
Barnabas was a quiet encourager and God used him.
Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his
journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had
preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
Look at the important service of Barnabas. I believe the most important things that Barnabas did were
his times of encouragement to others.
In fact, his name means “encouragement”.
We see two major events involving Barnabas.
The first occasion was where the leaders had rejected Paul, but Barnabas believed in him and
encouraged him and literally brought him into ministry.
Again, where would Paul have been without Barnabas?
The second thing we see is when Paul rejected Mark, but Barnabas believed in him and defended him
even to the point of separating from Paul over the issue. Later, Mark became very important in the
gospel work.
Where would Mark have been without Barnabas?
Who can you encourage? Who can you help to be successful? Most people are more concerned
with their own success than they are with helping someone else be successful.
Finally, there was Peter.
Peter was a fiery, impetuous personality and God used him. Peter was a person who would have
made most of us nervous. He was loud, quick tempered, and tended to speak out his opinions. In
fact, he was called “the son of thunder” because of his personality. He was probably irritating.
But God also used him in powerful ways. Note this one occasion mentioned in this chapter of Acts.
Acts 9:32 As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
Acts 9:40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning
towards the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat
up.
Notice he did this the same way Jesus did. He was just imitating Jesus.
I believe that is the key.
We do not have to have a certain kind of personality to be useful to God. We don’t have to be just
like others whom we admire.
We just have to submit our lives to God, obey what he tells us, and do what he did – imitate him.
Paul, went into various cities and did 4 things.
- preached the gospel
- started churches
- trained disciples
- encouraged them to do the work of the ministry
Then they left and went somewhere else to do the same thing.
We have to leave soon for a time. This will be difficult for us, because we have grown to love you and
we want to see the work continue in a strong and positive direction.
We are leaving Barry in charge, but you must understand that the future of this work does not depend
on us or Barry. It depends on you.
Commission
I was thinking to ask you to do something for me. I want to reach every person in Albania with the
gospel. But I am only one person. So I want to ask you to go for me to every person. Speak to them
for me. Tell them the things I have told you. Give them the message I have given you.
And then I realized – that is exactly what Jesus has said to us.
John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Paul further explained this plan:
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
So, you see, if God tells me, and I tell you, and you tell others, and they tell others, soon everyone will
hear.
But if you don’t tell them, they won’t hear.
Listen to what Paul says in Romans 10:
Romans 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching
to them?
But you may think, “But I’m not like Pastor Rick. I’m not like Pastor Barry. I’m not like Paul.”
God uses many different kinds of people.
Paul was a famous persecutor of the church and God used him.
Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He
went to the high priest
Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
- Paul was a man full of passion.
- He asked for authority to hunt down the believers.
- He defended his faith with enthusiasm.
- He worked with all of his energy for what he believed in.
But then, on the way to Damascus, he had a revelation of Jesus. Paul was full of hatred for this
teacher and his followers who had disrupted his way of life and his religion. He was intent on
destroying them.
Then Jesus appeared to him.
We must understand this – meeting Jesus is a spiritual experience. No one can “convince” you of this
spiritual truth. It is not simply a mental acceptance of a truth. It is a spiritual realization. It is, as Jesus
called it, a “rebirth” in the spirit of a person.
Paul was a very intelligent man. He could argue and debate with anyone and win. He knew all the
reasons why Jesus couldn’t possibly have been who he claimed to be.
But then Jesus revealed the truth to him. It was a spiritual awakening.
And Paul was changed.
When you truly meet Jesus, your life will change. Paul had the same personality. He had the same
character. He was still a very active person full of passion. But his purpose for living changed.
Paul traveled all over the world that he knew and preached to all that he could. He wrote extensively.
And he changed his world.
Most of us are not like Paul.
BUT, then there was this man named Ananias.
Ananias was a nobody and God used him.
Acts 9:10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,
"Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.
Ananias was nothing like Paul. He never traveled anywhere. The Bible never tells us of Ananias
preaching. He didn’t write any books of the New Testament. In fact, we never hear anything more
about him.
But we know this:
- God spoke to him in a vision and sent him to speak to Paul
- He was afraid, but he still obeyed what God told him.
- He didn’t consider this job too small for him – preaching to a congregation of one.
- He changed his world!
Without Ananias, there would not have been a Paul.
Note this: The ministry of Ananias was just as important as the ministry of Paul!
But what if you are not like Paul or Ananias? There were others.
Barnabas was a quiet encourager and God used him.
Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his
journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had
preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
Look at the important service of Barnabas. I believe the most important things that Barnabas did were
his times of encouragement to others.
In fact, his name means “encouragement”.
We see two major events involving Barnabas.
The first occasion was where the leaders had rejected Paul, but Barnabas believed in him and
encouraged him and literally brought him into ministry.
Again, where would Paul have been without Barnabas?
The second thing we see is when Paul rejected Mark, but Barnabas believed in him and defended him
even to the point of separating from Paul over the issue. Later, Mark became very important in the
gospel work.
Where would Mark have been without Barnabas?
Who can you encourage? Who can you help to be successful? Most people are more concerned
with their own success than they are with helping someone else be successful.
Finally, there was Peter.
Peter was a fiery, impetuous personality and God used him. Peter was a person who would have
made most of us nervous. He was loud, quick tempered, and tended to speak out his opinions. In
fact, he was called “the son of thunder” because of his personality. He was probably irritating.
But God also used him in powerful ways. Note this one occasion mentioned in this chapter of Acts.
Acts 9:32 As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
Acts 9:40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning
towards the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat
up.
Notice he did this the same way Jesus did. He was just imitating Jesus.
I believe that is the key.
We do not have to have a certain kind of personality to be useful to God. We don’t have to be just
like others whom we admire.
We just have to submit our lives to God, obey what he tells us, and do what he did – imitate him.