Acts 14:6-7 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.
Have you ever had to live on the “lamb”, running from the law, or an abuser, staying hidden to avoid capture? We see these types of moments portrayed in movies and various episodic programming. Hiding seems to be so much fun and excitement. No wonder people run for their lives!
But in all seriousness, out text recounts one such move by Barnabas and Paul as they have been sent on a missionary trip. They stop in a city and seem to stay until they get kicked out, having spoiled the plot to capture and kill them. And the work they start continues even after they leave.
What I love is, even when they have to run for their lives, they continue their primary mission of preaching the gospel. I see the stereotype door-to-door salesmen of the 50’s and 60’s in this country. They were always doing the sales pitch, no matter the circumstance. Waiting in line, eating at the diner counter, sitting on the bus. Every encounter was an opportunity to talk about their product.
Barnabas and Paul are the same way. They are always talking about Jesus and what He accomplished. Nothing stops them. They have a quota to meet: the whole world. They won’t be satisfied until that quota is met.
They have traveled from Jerusalem to the far corner of modern day Turkey. This reached further than previously reached. On the day of pentecost, inhabitants of this region had been present at the initial explosion of this new Jesus movement. But Barnabas and Paul go to spend focused time on winning, discipleship, and training of leaders.
And this takes time and effort. These two leaders work diligently to accomplish this purpose. They are united in their pursuits and effective in their efforts.
Are we this laser focused in our lives? I know I am not. I get easily distracted from what I am doing in any given moment. I have a tendency to drift off course, or hop from ship to ship.
But when it comes to teaching, I tend to be focused. But I don’t carry that focus on sharing the Good News into the everyday moments and encounters of my life. I don’t turn every interaction into an overt moment to share the riches of Chris’s death and resurrection.
Now I am sure that Barnabas and Paul had normal, everyday conversations as well. They talked about the baseball game and the funny cat video. (Well, maybe not these things exactly.) But they did talk about the wheel falling off the ox cart and the need for rain. They would have talked the politics of the day and the prospects for future growth.
But in the middle of those conversations, they would have been listening to the Holy Spirit, waiting for the prompting to steer the conversation to eternal matters. How could they contain the joy they had personally experienced since their encounters with Jesus. They were compelled by their love for others.
Are we compelled to share when the Holy Spirit prompts?
The Arnold Journey 