by Pastor Afolabi Oladele

Our admonition today brings to the fore guideposts for serving the Lord acceptably in a generation where both world and church are embroiled in the struggle between God and gain! Our text of Acts 11:19-24, quoted below with highlights in red spell out guideline to which every believer or assembly of believers must self-check.

Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. Acts11:19-24

What did they preach? The word,

Who is the word? The Lord Jesus

Whose hand was upon them?

To whom did the people turn?

Everything had to conform to the instruction given to Paul in Acts 26:18 and he, Paul, admonished us to do in 1 Corinthians 1:23-30 and 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

​You want to see the Lord work with you, fit into His structure and known plan not going outside of His defined boundaries even when you must meet the people in their elements.

This is the necessary first step in the sequence before the assembling of those that turned to the Lord for discipling as you will observe in the subsequent verses in the quoted text. Is your service conforming to the Lord’s pattern? Or perhaps you want to see your works burnt? Shalom

Photo by Silvio Kundt on Unsplash