Lesson Forty One
MISSIONARIES FOR JESUS
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Memory Verse: John 14:27
Further Study: Acts 11:19-26; 13:1-14:20; The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 155-187; The Bible Story, vol. 10, pp. 65-75
I think we can agree that Paul was a prominent and influential evangelist. If he lived today, he’d definitely be one of the big-name evangelists. But what many don’t know is that if you study a timeline of Paul’s life, there’s a fairly large gap between his Damascus Road experience and when he began his official work as a missionary for Jesus.
About four years after his Damascus Road conversion Paul returns to Tarsus for reasons of safety (Acts 9:30). We can only speculate as to what Paul was doing during this time. We don’t catch up with him until Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to engage Paul in ministry (Acts 11:25)—a period of about 10 years.
I’m reading a biography of Paul’s life as pieced together through Scripture, but also research. The author used an interesting expression that captured my attention when describing Paul during these “hidden years.” Paul, he wrote, “plunged right in, preaching and gossiping the gospel to pagans at the market.”* Did you catch it?
Gossip is usually seen as a negative, but by definition gossip is casual or unrestrained conversation. One can absolutely picture the passionate Paul chattering away to anyone who passed by his tent-making operation about Jesus. “Did you hear?” “Do you know?” “Can I tell you what I heard?” Gossiping the gospel.
Gossiping the gospel.
Our Scripture this week introduces us to the spread of the gospel, but it doesn’t start with Paul or Barnabas or even the disciples, now called apostles. It starts with people. No names. No gifted preaching skills. No super evangelists. Just people. People who are passionate about the story of Jesus, sharing the good news of the gospel.
My denomination recently had a large evangelistic campaign in Papua New Guinea. The reports are still coming in, but the baptisms are in the range of more than 300,000! One of my local church members, a minister, was there and with another pastor, baptized 1,500 people in one day! Truly exciting to hear. Yet, it wasn’t the ministers, pastors, church leaders, or big name evangelists that brought those people to Jesus. It was common, ordinary people on fire for God “gossiping the gospel.”
It was common, ordinary people on fire for God.
And that is our charge this week. Become a gossip for Jesus. Talk over the back fence to your neighbor. Chat up the cashier in the grocery store. Elbow the best friend at the birthday party. Let’s be the best gossips we can be for Jesus. Who knew that in gossiping would be where we are renewed?
*John Pollock, The Apostle, (David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO, 1969), p. 65.
Digging Deeper
When we are introduced to Barnabas in Acts 4, we’re told that his name means “son of encouragement.” Then little by little Luke shares with us how Barnabas lives up to his name. In chapter 9, he finds Paul and encourages him in his newfound faith and ministry by bringing him to the apostles and representing him to them. Now we find him in chapter 11, and we learn that he is sent to Antioch by the apostles to learn of how the message about Jesus was faring there. And when Barnabas arrives, he does what he always does—he encourages them. Note how he is described: “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”
We’re not sure what prompts Barnabas to remember Saul, now Paul. Or why he believes that it is now time for Paul to begin his ministry. We do know that it has been about 10 years since they’ve probably seen each other and that the trip was about 100 miles. And again, the encourager leads Paul back into ministry and spreading the good news.
Making it Real
Become a gossip? Seriously? Yes! Think of ways you can talk about Jesus as you go about your daily routines this week. The neighbor on your walk. The people in the store. Even those in your church. Pray about opportunities and then talk about Jesus everywhere you go.
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Merle Poirier writes from Silver Spring, Maryland, where she works as the operation manager for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines as well as the designer for KidsView, a magazine for 8-12-year-olds. She enjoys spending time with her family including being a grandmother to two active little boys, who greatly enjoy Starting With Jesus, and a granddaughter, who’s delighting everyone with her smiles. She is blessed to have all three living close by, continually bringing joy and delight.