The Cost and Rewards of Discipleship

Scripture: Acts 14:27, "On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."

Observation: Jesus talked over and over about the cost of discipleship. He told them that their families would turn from them and that people would want to kill them. He warned them that discipleship was not for the faint of heart. They would have to be dedicated for life and be willing to give up everything to follow Him. Boy was he right. In these two chapters Acts 13 & 14 it records Paul and Barnabas' attempts to spread the gospel. In many of the cities the Jews wanted them gone. In one city they got word that people wanted to harm them so they left and went to another city. But the people who wanted to kill them followed them it records that Paul was stoned but did not die. At the end they tell the people at Antioch, not about how they almost were killed but about how the Lord had opened the door to share the gospel with the Gentiles. All of thier labor was worth it to them.

Application: Am I willing to give up my life and risk it to share the gospel with people I don't even know and who may not even care? Am I willing to possibly face death just to have an opportunity to see people come to know Jesus? I know what my answer should be, but I'm not so sure that I would do as of this point in my life. One of the mega themes in the book of Acts is boldness. The disciples did not do the work on their own they used the power of the holy spirit to give them the boldness to face death and have the opportunity to share the gospel with people who may not even care. That is where I am lacking, boldness.

Prayer: Lord, You are worthy of praise. I confess that I lack the trust in the Holy Spirit. I know that if I trust him I will be given the boldness to do the work that you have called me to. Yet, I choose to trust my strength which gets me nowhere. I know that with great risk comes great reward and that is what the early church experienced with spreading the gospel. Many people came to faith in Jesus but it cost them everything. Lord, help me get to the point where I am willing to give up everything, even my life, to spread the gospel of Jesus to people who may not even care, Amen.

Go into the World:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivGlqzgWI5o&feature=PlayList&p=3732C5585EC5E721&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=36