May 24, 2010
Acts 13
Pastor Wil Mouer
Opposition to the Gospel
There are times when we will experience “roadblocks” and obstacles in pursuit of advancing the gospel. Paul and Barnabas experienced this in their missionary journeys, with one of these instances recorded in Acts 13.
Also referred to as “The Acts of the Apostles,” this book describes the apostles’ aggressiveness with the gospel. They advanced the kingdom of God boldly, under the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 13:49-52, we read about opposition that Paul and Barnabas faced while ministering in Antioch. Although there was great fruit from their ministry in this region, a group arose that resisted the truth. Verse 50 tells us that “they expelled them from their region.” I try to imagine how discouraged Paul and Barnabas must have felt after experiencing such opposition to the Lord’s work, yet we can learn a lot by their response. Verse 51 reveals that they “shook off” this rejection and moved on to the next assignment.
We need to ask ourselves how well we are doing at advancing the kingdom. We probably won’t experience the same type of resistance to the gospel that Paul and Barnabas did, yet we need to recognize that there is resistance. The enemy is at work to oppose the spread of the gospel. It is our job to be led by the Spirit in our daily lives, so that we allow God to use us as ministers of truth. When we purpose to do this, we must face the reality that we will encounter resistance. Let’s learn from this example of how to “shake off” the opposition and keep moving forward.
Pastor Wil directs “NextGen” (6th-12th grade and college-age) ministries, developed the “defy” curricula for middle and high students and serves periodically on the weekend teaching team.
