Qualities of a Great Servant

RIVERSIDE INDONESIAN FELLOWSHIP
Go to content

Qualities of a Great Servant

Riverside Indonesian Fellowship
Published by Stanley Pouw in 2016 · 13 November 2016
Acts 14:1-10

Acts 14 deals in the beginning with qualities of a great servant of Christ in any place, not necessarily as a missionary. But since the passage deals with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, certainly these are qualities that we should study. We know that every job has certain qualifications. And it is God's design to use the people who most closely fit His qualifications for the most significant tasks.

So if we as Christians ask ourselves why it seems that we never really get in on what God is doing, it may be that we are not qualified yet. God wants to use the most qualified people to do things because the results are ultimately and eternally significant. Well, here we find two people who were super qualified. Now there are at least eight qualifications found in this chapter and we will study them over the next couple of weeks.

Let me say this at the beginning that you can read Acts 14 and never hear one of those qualifications. But, it is taken out of the narrative. This chapter is about Paul and Barnabas who went from Iconium to Lystra to Derbe, and back again. And while they were doing it, they were preaching and creating opposition and in the flow of that narrative, they exhibit these eight qualities of effective missionary service.

Now notice, this is a chapter where Paul just exhibits them without saying a word and we can see them just leaping off the page. So here we see them in practice, not just talking about it but doing it. Quality No.1 that makes for effective Christian witness is the ministry of spiritual gifts. Now this is generally revealed throughout Acts 14 and we will take it just in generally on an overall basis.

Last week, we saw that they went to Antioch in Galatia and there they preached Christ and created a riot. They were then thrown out of Antioch, so they proceeded further into Asia Minor, to a town called Iconium. We see them in Acts 14:1, as they have arrived at that town carrying the gospel to the pagan world, and they are ministering using their spiritual gifts. Every Christian at the moment of salvation receives spiritual gifts.

A spiritual gift is not a natural ability. It is not something you exercise in your own strength. It is a channel through which the Holy Spirit ministers through you to others. There are varying spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and in Romans 12 and all believers should be aware of their spiritual gifts because this is how God uses you. Now the first one that Paul and Barnabas use is the gift of preaching.

Acts 14:1 says, “Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.” Here they exercised the gift of preaching which is a spirit-given ability to declare the gospel with clarity and power. In verse 21, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, (that's the city of Derby) and made many disciples.” There they are again exercising the gift of preaching.

But they had another gift, they had the gift of teaching also. Notice verse 21 again, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many..." Verse 22, "Confirming the souls of the disciples..." The only way to confirm somebody is to teach them doctrines of Scripture. So they exhibited again their gift of teaching.

Thirdly, they had another gift that is the gift of exhortation. Sometimes it's exhibited publicly. Sometimes it's exhibited in a one-to-one basis in counseling. It is the ability to encourage somebody to pursue a certain course of action. So first they would preach the gospel, then they would teach doctrine, then they would encourage people to follow what they just learned. Notice verse 22, "Strengthening the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith.”

They also had the gift of administration. The Bible says that is the ability to put the pieces together to make all that function. Notice verse 23, “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” They went back after they had gone through those cities and organized the church in each city on their return.

Those are all leadership gifts and those are the gifts that pastor-teachers and evangelists still have today. Those are gifts necessary for the teaching pastor to declare the gospel, to teach doctrine, to encourage people to follow it and to organize for effective functioning within the body of Christ. Now those are permanent gifts.

There were also special gifts just for the Apostles which we don't have today. In 2 Corinthians 12:12 it says, “Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.” This is the gift of miracles. It is a temporary gift given to them to confirm their preaching since the New Testament was not completed yet.

Now it is not a question of saying, "Oh, I wish God would use my gifts." It is already functioning with your gifts and then being moved by God into critical situations. Peter was just going everywhere doing a lot of things. God uses people who are already busy and actively ministering their gifts. And the Spirit of God will direct you to the strategic places where you are going to see those gifts maximized.

From the time of Paul's conversion, he began to minister. As soon as he was saved it says he was preaching in Damascus and he never stopped preaching and he was teaching. When Barnabas was looking for a good guy to help him in Antioch, he wanted the guy he knew was functioning already. And he found Saul and made him his co-pastor. Because the Spirit of God is always collecting people who are functioning already.

If you have got some spiritual gifts, use them. That is the beginning of effective ministry service. Now there is a second qualification that really comes out of the first seven verses is: boldness. We need to be reminded that boldness is a basic ingredient to the Christian experience. Let us begin by looking at verse 1 and follow the pattern of boldness revealed in the city of Iconium.

Iconium is about 100 miles southeast of Antioch. Remember that they were kicked out but they did not give up and quit. They stayed right where they were and pursued the path the Spirit of God had led and they came to Iconium. Verse 1, "They went both together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.”

We see again that Paul goes to the Jews because he loves them and he knows there's a ready-made audience. And he knows also that if some of the Jews get saved, they can help him win the Gentiles. Well, they both preached with tremendous results. People believed, but we have no idea whether they continued in the faith and were really saved. The pattern so far has been to go into the synagogue and have a terrific start. And then immediately after that, trouble.

Verse 2, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.” And so these Jews who were unbelievers, who did not obey, stirred up the Gentiles against the Apostles. And whoever had believed and apparently some were saved, and they are called "brethren.”

Verse 3 says, “Therefore they (Paul and Barnabas) stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” Now that phrase, "a long time," in the Greek is used elsewhere to speak of a time somewhere between a month and three years. So they remained and they continued to preach and teach, speaking boldly in the Lord.

They knew the resentment was brewing. And yet they were bold in their continuing to preach. And a quality that really makes the difference is the quality of fearlessness. It is the declaration of truth in the face of any opposition. Paul didn't even know how to live any other way than that. He had a tremendous commitment to boldness. Boldness is a necessity to any effective service.

"Well, how was the Lord giving testimony?" By those miracles. They would preach and the Lord would give them the power to do miracles and people would believe and so the Lord was giving testimony by granting signs. It pointed to the power of God. This was the gift of miracles as the Lord confirmed the Word of grace. Well, the city began to polarize. The longer they stayed, the more it polarized.

Verse 4, “But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the Apostles.” Paul and Barnabas, split the town down the middle. They polarized the believers and the unbelievers to two extremes and the thing was a smoldering caldron about ready to explode. Jesus said in Matthew 12, “He that is not with Me is against Me." Jesus even said in Matthew 10, "I have not come to bring peace but a sword, to divide.”

Verse 5, “And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them.” Gentiles didn't stone people. This was a Jewish form of execution in connection with blasphemy. So the Jews convinced the Gentiles to join in and the whole mob came to kill Paul and Barnabas.

Verse 6-7, “They became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7 And they were preaching the gospel there.” God wants living, bold servants and it was apparent they would not really have any necessity to stay. Their ministry had been completed there. So they took off.

But Paul left an impression on that town, there was a description of Paul from Iconium that says, “He was a man small in size with meeting eyebrows, a rather large nose, bald-headed, bow-legged, strongly built, full of grace, for at times he looked like a man and at times he had the face of an angel.” Now we will never know whether this was true, but he was really remembered in that town.

They only went 18 miles away to a place called Lystra. And they were going the wrong direction away from civilization. The further east they went and the further distance from the coastline and the city of Perga, the greater the dangers. Corrupt magistrates, super-stitious natives, hostile sorcerers, rebellious Jews and a lack of Roman law. But they went because the Holy Spirit sent them to preach Christ.

The third qualification is power. Any effective Christian servant, any effective missionary, will experience the free flow of the power of God. Acts 1:8 says, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Does every Christian have the Holy Spirit? Yes. Does every Christian have power? Yes. Does every Christian exhibit the free flow of that power? No. But they did.

Watch for example verse 8, “And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.” Since he was born he had never walked. Transportation wasn't easily accomplished in those days so it is likely that he had grown up there. Everybody knew he was the town cripple. But he was listening to Paul's presentation of Christ.

Verse 9, “This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed.” God was working on that guy's heart. He was listening and Paul was continuing to stare at him. Out of all people, Paul's eyes stuck on this cripple man. Cripples were everywhere and yet the Spirit of God drew Paul right to that man. And it says, "Paul perceived that he had faith to be healed.”

Paul as an Apostle was given the gift of healing and Paul saw here an opportunity in the power of God to confirm his message. All of a sudden, verse 10, “Paul said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.” Now that's the test of faith for the crippled man. He leaped first, walked later. This guy just got right up and started walking.

Here is Paul right in the middle of his sermon, while ministering his spiritual gift, the Spirit of God was able to let the power flow to accomplish a dynamic miracle. This is just another illustration how that in the life pattern of the man of God, the flow of the Spirit is free to exercise itself at any point. Now that is the kind of power that we are talking about. In the middle of doing one thing, the power of God does another thing.

How could we ever experience that kind of power? It is a question of confession. What is the one thing that bottles up the power? Sin, and sin just needs to be confessed. We need to confess it as soon as we commit it. That just keeps the channel of blessings clear. If you are harboring sin, you are clogging up the channel. A Christian who is so sensitive to sin that as soon as it occurs, he is confessing, is the one in whom the power flows freely.

We can't do miracles like this. We don't need that kind of confirmation. We have the Word of God, but God wants to express His power through us. His power in witnessing, His power in prayer, His power in our spiritual gifts, and His power in accomplishing the ministry He gives us and He wants the free flow of that power. And that comes by living in constant harmony with the Holy Spirit and in confession of sin moment by moment.

Listen what Paul says in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” You also have that power. Ephesians 3:19 says that we are filled with all the fullness of God. That is power, just let it flow. A man of God is effective ministering spiritual gifts, boldness and power. May it be also with you and me. Let us pray.



JOIN OUR MAILING LIST:

© 2017 Ferdy Gunawan
ADDRESS:

2401 Alcott St.
Denver, CO 80211
WEEKLY PROGRAMS

Service 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Children 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Fellowship 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Bible Study (Fridays) 7:00 PM
Phone (720) 338-2434
Email Address: Click here
Back to content