Weary, but Still Willing
By Pastor Mike Neal | November 26, 2011
No one should know more about rejection than the Apostle Paul. Time after time in the book of Acts we see him being persecuted for his desire to share the gospel. From Philippi, to Thessalonica, to Berea, Athens, to Corinth Paul causes a stir whenever he preached Christ and was constantly being driven from these places.
This would be a great time to pause and give God thanks, as you thank him for some of the places you have been driven from! So rather than moan or complain Paul counted it as a badge of honor to have suffered this faith for Christ. He even details the things he has suffered in 2 Corinthians 11. Are the things we go through even worthy to be mentioned along with the suffering that other saints have endured?
God reminded Paul that he was not along, he had much people in this city. There are times when we must be reminded the same thing….you are not alone. One of the enemies biggest tricks is to have you think you are alone. He knows if you were to reach out to your spiritual family it would encourage you to go on. If you find yourself right now without a family that will be able to encourage and support you then you are in perfect position to be used by the enemy.
There are three things we have to remember that Paul did that should encourage us as well:
PREACH: He was ALWAYS more concerned with the Kingdom and not himself! The sharing of the gospel was priority number one. He said he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and where and when he shared it never was an issue with him.
PRESS: In spite of all the trouble Paul encountered, there were people who WANTED to hear the gospel. So if people want to HEAR, than the question we must ask ourselves is…are we telling? Are we willing to share the gospel with others? Are we willing to share the gospel when it is not convienant? Are we willing to adjust our schedules to meet the needs of the lost? Paul kept pressing, let’s do the same.
PROMISE: God gives Paul a promise when he says no one would be able to hurt you! That is very comforting to know that in spite of your past God still has a promise for you….so now Paul has adapted to know that God has his back and unlike us, he never spent heavy amounts of time or energy worrying about himself. How much more free we could be if we did the same? So in spite of how rough things may tend to get, we have to focus on his promise. Focusing on his promise keeps us focused during times of turmoils, trouble and trails. Let’s adopt the thinking of the Apostle Paul and even when weary, let’s be willing to keep sharing the gospel.
4 Comments
Helen on December 1, 2011 at 9:41 am.
Some really interesting points you have written. Aided me a lot, just what I was looking for : D.
Android Phones on December 9, 2011 at 1:43 pm.
Thank you for sharing. Not to many people in your position are so gracious. Your article was very poignant and understandable. It helped me to understand very clearly. Thank you for your help.
Android Phones
Levitra on January 14, 2012 at 3:19 am.
Thank you for having written this. That’s the most amazing information I have found about this.
Nephi on January 17, 2012 at 3:01 am.
A rolilng stone is worth two in the bush, thanks to this article.