Acts 14:21-23 After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “‘It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
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In the 20th century, the focus in the evangelical community was church growth. In the 21st century, it shifted in the direction of church planting.
In both, the emphasis was to spread the good news of the gospel. Truth be told, it is easier to grow an established church than it is to plant a new one. Yet, what we have seen in these past twenty years or so has been the impact these new churches are making around in the United States and throughout the world. The young pastors that are leading these young churches are planting roots that are growing in areas that had been spiritually dry areas.
Paul and Barnabas were practicing church planting and it was killing them — literally! They were continually being harassed and persecuted, even to the point that in Lystra (a city in what would be in central Turkey today), “Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.” (14:19-20). All in day’s work, right?
Despite the persecution, Paul told the disciples, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (v.22). And with that, they appointed elders for every church, and committed them for their work with prayer and fasting. Paul and Barnabas knew that if the church is going to be birthed, it needed to be established and girded up in prayer.
PRAYER STARTER…
O Gracious Father, you have called us to take the good news of the gospel into the whole world, and yet for disciples to grow they need to be joined together into a church body. We pray today for church planting that would truly represent the kingdom of God for the glory of God.
(Continue this prayer as the Holy Spirit directs you personally. Pray especially for our missionaries around the world who are continually facing danger for the sake of gospel and the church. )