Gather:
How has it felt to not be be able to do “normal” things during COVID-19?
Have you noticed divisions in our community or our nation?
Have people generally been kind one another in our city? our state? our country?
Hear:
Acts 14:2-7
14 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews,together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the gospel.
Pause:
Take a minute and meditate on this story.
Wonder:
How do you think Paul and Barnabas felt as people were believing?
How do you think they felt when others were “poisoning” minds against them?
At the beginning, middle and end of this passage, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel. Would you have done that too?
Debrief:
People in our world are debating everything from masks, to what food products you should buy, to which people or groups you are “allowed” to support on social media. As Christians, it is easy to get caught up in these debates because, frankly, there are no sports to talk about. Personally, some of these debates frustrate me to my core and have actually kept me lying awake some nights!
Paul and Barnabas had a one track mind. I think if they were lying awake at night it was because they were trying to figure out more ways to deliver the gospel message to more people. I’m sure they were concerned about the divisiveness surrounding them, but they continued to press forward in service of God’s kingdom.
Perhaps I should spend more time considering, like Paul and Barnabas, how to share the gospel in a divided world. Perhaps praying that God’s word changes the hearts of men toward the Creator of Heaven and earth would be a better way of passing the time than scrolling through frustrating social media feeds or staring blankly at a dark bedroom ceiling. There will always be divisiveness around us - what we choose to do about it is what matters. Will we choose to focus on the Kingdom-minded objective of preaching Christ or wallow in the divisiveness of the world around us?
Paul gives some great advice to the church of Corinth on how we can be all things to all people so that some may be saved:
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. (1 Corinthians 9:20-22)
Bless:
Dear God,
Help us to be more concerned about sharing your gospel than about winning arguments. Help us to put others first. Help us to speak boldly and effectively so that many will believe.
Amen.