The city of Lystra gave Paul both a high point and a low point in his ministry. On the low end, he was stoned by an irate mob, dragged out of town and left for dead. On the high end, it was there that he met Timothy, his “true son in the faith,” a faithful friend and assistant in his work. These are Paul’s intructions to the young man.
Sunday was the installation service for Pastor Mark Radke at the nearby Garfield Park United Church of Christ. Mark is a good friend and partner in ministry in our area of Indianapolis. He was kind enough to ask me to speak for the occasion.
“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”
– Mark Twain
This section of Philippians teaches us that we need to live lives that others can emulate. More than that, we need to remember that the example that we show the world may be the only evidence they care to see regarding the reality of faith in Jesus Christ. As Christians, we owe the world a reliable example of a well-lived life.
This week we transition into Paul’s second missionary trip. It starts with a brief controversy with Barnabas over the need to bring along John Mark. It ends with the ministry multiplied as Mark and Barnabas go one way while Paul and Silas go another. Timothy is then shortly added to the team. We’ll close with a few principles for multiplying ministry.
Audio: Acts15d-16a.mp3
Notes: Acts15d-16a.pdf
Central Reflections 