On Kingdom Business

These sixteen verses are a summary of Paul’s travels through Macedonia and Greece.  After the town clerk had returned the town of Ephesus back to some order, Paul called the disciples and encouraged them and said his farewell and departed for Macedonia.  Doctor Luke gives this account that Paul went through the regions encouraging and then he came to Greece.  We are told that after spending three months in Greece the Jews once more plotted against Paul and he left the area.

We have never known an apostle other than what we have read about them in the Scriptures, but we have seen men like Billy Graham who God has called to go all over the world to preach the message of Christ the hope of glory, the redeemer of sin.  They are the headliners, they get the press but it is so important to remember that in the church we have many members but one body, and that each of those members has a role and for many in this world it will often feel as if your role is of little importance to the kingdom of God.

Picking up doctor Luke’s account in verse four, you will see him mention the people that were very much in the center of God’s will doing kingdom business, but many of those names will never make it into a sermon, they will not be remembered by men, but in the eternal kingdom of heaven they will not be forgotten.  “Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.” (Acts 210: 4-6)  God had arranged an advance team to go before and to prepare, to pray and to work with Paul in his missionary travel.

Look at how the Holy Spirit tells the story of Paul’s longwinded speech and a terrible accident and how God used it to show His hand and love for these followers of Christ.

“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.” (Acts 20:7-12 ESV)

As you read the next three verses you will see others used in kingdom business and you will also see Paul making decisions so that he could, if possible, be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.  What application can we apply from this teaching; we all have a very important role in the kingdom, it may not look or even seem important but if that is where God has called you it is of great value to the kingdom of God.  Do not allow the world’s measuring stick to control or put value on what God has called you to do.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice