Men at Work -or- (Business As Usual)

 

An opening statement needs to be made. The message really has no connection to the 1980s rock band Men at Work or their album "Business As Usual". Other than Barnabas and Paul are the men at work and what they attempt to do is simply live their lives for Jesus as if business is usual and nothing strange or spiteful is going on. But, there has been plenty going on. 

Persecution. Prison. Misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Misconstruing their words and message. Attempted stonings and attacks. Our fearless disciples and apostles have been through much already in the Acts account of the early church. How does a person carry on? How do we just do the work without getting sidetracked or held up by our own fears and inhibitions? Somehow, Baranbas and Saul do exactly that. 💯 Somehow, they learn that this work that needs to be done is about more than themselves or their own agenda. The plan and direction come from above. Look at the wording in the opening sentence of chapter 14...

With all they have been through so far in thse early days of the church, how do these men jst go on "as usual"? For many of us, if people aren't listening, if our audiece would rather not have us around, wouldn't you just want to give up? Maybe, rethink your career choice and go another way. But, for people who walk in "The Way" there is no other. And, look at the situation they currently find themselves in. There will always be pros and cons that drive our feelings about the work we are invested in. Right off the bat there is a real reason that is evident. "...they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed." However, no matter how well we do our work, there will almost always be those that are not impressed. "...the Jews who refused to believe..." and when people get riled up and bent out of shape, the next issue comes about as well, "...stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers." Paul would later write to his Ephesian audience about this struggle and battle we seem to be in. From chapter 6...

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Luke doesn't make that connection as he records the events of Acts for us, but you can see what is happening. The enemy is always stirring and sifting behind the scenes. Our scripture this morning eludes to the opposing Jews and Gentiles making plans to mistreat and stone Barnabas and Paul. They either want to kill them or, at least, drive them from the area. Thank goodness our men at work find out about the plan then find a way to slip out of town unnoticed. The two preachers head down to the villages of Lystra and Derbe "where they continued to preach the gospel". 

Part of our "business as usual" dealing with the world should be clearly spoken to, in that, we are always going to be dealing with people who have an idea or notion they cannot part with under any circumstances. The people in Lystra and Derbe have long been exposed to Greek mythology. They have temples built to these gods. They have given their lives and devotion to these false names and connotations. They don't know anything else. It seems that Barnabas and Paul are able to sway some, but not all. As we read Acts, we should be encouraged in our understand of the goal. We are here to give the message to all or, at least, the ones who will listen. We are not challenged to save them all. We are here to save as many as we can. God already knows that not all will be saved. The door is open for all of them. Only the ones who respond get to come through. 

If (and this is a hard "if" for us to bear) the sharing of the gospel were to bring us to a place where it nearly cost us our lives, how many of us would get up off the cold hard ground and go right back into the very place that nearly took that life from us? That is exactly what Paul does. He goes right back in. He doesn't give up. It is clear that the work, maybe for the moment, is done in that city or village. The next day they moved on and left Lystra and head for Derbe, our account says. However, in the course of that same day, Paul nearly loses his life. He seems dead by all summations. Life is still given to him. How many of us would seek to get out of town right then? Not Paul. He wants to go right back in there and show the crowds that they do not have the final say. God does. And its business as usual. 

Am I reading this correctly? They go to Derbe. This next section seem to elude to the idea that they "won a large number of disciples." Then were do they go back through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. Isn't Lystra where they just tried to kill Paul? And, he just marches right back through their town as if to say "Look at us doing the Lord's work!" What he actually shares is that followers of Jesus must endure hardship of many kinds in order to enter the Kingdom of God. What Jesus told his followers in the beginning has held true. From Mark 10.29-31

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Paul and Barnabas set the example for us in that we should forget about ourselves, give up a life centered on what we want and what we think, and go in the boldness of Jesus Christ to preach and share a message of freedom and forgiveness. Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in the churches where they have visited. This means they have spent more time and energy to educate and teach these new leaders how they should lead and encourage the church. It was not just a simple "you found Jesus" now "we wish you well, you'll do fine on your own." kind of thing. No, these two men stay in these villages for some time to make sure that the work is grounded and centered. It takes an investment of personal means to make sure that the church will succeed and grow they way God wants it to be. 

How much time and energy are you willing to put into this?

Let your heart and mind mull over that this week. 

Blessings