Acts 18:18-23

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

David Livingstone

David Livingstone studied medicine and in 1841 he sailed to South Africa where he met and married his wife Mary, and have several children.

He made his way north and set out to trek across the Kalahari Desert.

In 1855, he came across the Zambezi falls, called by native populations “Smoke That Thunders” and which Livingstone dubbed Victoria Falls.

By 1856, Livingstone had gone across the continent from west to east.

The life of David Livingstone had similarity to the mission adventure of Paul. In Paul’s time, travelling was very limited to either travel on land or sail on water.

1.  Sail

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Interestingly, mission work is also travel adventure; missionaries are on the move. Paul was never idle; he was always looking for an opportunity to start a church. As missionary, Paul was not obliged to stay and pastor a church until he retired.

If a pastor starts a church and pastors the church until he retires, what should we call him? Is it proper to call him missionary or church planter?

Much to our orientation, when one preaches in a church we call him pastor. Evangelist, missionary, or itinerant preacher, we address them as pastor. Paul called himself an apostle but he never called himself pastor, did he?

Remarkably, Paul wrote distinct offices in Ephesians 4:11, ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.

Aquila and Priscilla found friendship with Paul and sailed with him to Ephesus. They stayed in Ephesus—a city next to Corinth in terms of business opportunities. As usual, Paul went into the synagogue and discussed with the Jews. That time, he promised to come back if it is God’s will but declined to stay a little longer when the Jews asked him to spend more time with them, why?

Remember what Paul said in Acts 18:6, ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Paul did not only say things out frustration, the Holy Spirit in him revealed what he was about to do next—to focus his ministry among Gentiles.

When God allows believers to travel somewhere, He has added plan and purpose.

Jonah

The Lord told Jonah to go and preach in the great city of Nineveh but Jonah went aboard a ship going to the opposite direction and God allowed it. Then God sent a violent storm and the sailors were terrified.

After discussion with hesitations, the sailors threw Jonah overboard. It says in Jonah 1:15-16, ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

God is never mistaken when He chooses someone for a particular ministry. Circumstances God allows us to experience are lesson for us to testify about Him. God knows that Jonah will run away and God used him anyway specifically for the sailors to learn that the God of the Hebrew people is alive and powerful.

The story tells us that Jonah obeyed the Lord and preached repentance in Nineveh. Jonah assumed he could run away from God and the Lord allowed him to escape. When God saved Jonah from the storm and got him alive out of the belly of a huge fish after 3 days and 3 nights, Jonah had something to testify about.

Did Jonah tell the people of Nineveh that disobedience God would trigger storm? Do you believe that storm of life, problem after another problem could have been triggered by our disobedience to the Lord?

If you are planning to be somewhere else, if you are thinking of travelling, if you have considered the idea of relocation, applying for another job, is it because you are obeying the Lord or just running away from Him like Jonah?

Unlike Jonah, Paul did not run away from God, he sailed to the direction he discerned God wanted him to go and strengthen the believers.

 2.  Strengthen

²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. ²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

There was not much drama, activities, or memorable experience to learn from Paul’s visit to the church in Jerusalem. Was he welcomed or just a casual visit?

It was recorded that he spent time in Antioch. Does it mean that the church in Antioch was very accommodating or very hospitable to him? Did Paul find the church of Antioch to be his place for spiritual refresher?

Normally, when Paul stayed in one place for extended time, he almost always found something to do and not just a time of solace or relaxation. Paul might have seen the need to strengthen the disciples in Antioch a little longer. His extended stay in Antioch could have inspired him to discern the need to travel from place to place to strengthen also all the disciples he could encounter.

Would it help us to discern where should we focus our mission endeavor, if we keep on praying for mission opportunities as a church?

It is a blessing and significant step as a church to support and send missionaries.

Fragrant Offering

Let’s read Philippians 4:14-19, ¹⁴ Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵ Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;¹⁶ for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. ¹⁷ Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. ¹⁸ I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Most Christians quote v.19 like a magic mantra or formula to receive blessings. Many are also discouraged and never trusted God’s promises in the Bible because they cannot experience or realize the truth in God’s promises.

Paul added v.19 in connection to the Philippians’ missionary support for him and not just an additional doxology to end his letter. Paul teaches that their missionary support helped him in times of needs but more importantly, the Philippians were actually depositing to their eternal account. The Philippians’ missionary support for Paul was a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice that would please God.

When God is pleased with our offering, like missionary support, it is when we can strongly claim God’s promise in v.19 that God will supply all our needs.

Keep praying that God will raise missionaries from our church.

We surely would desire that v.19 would materialize firsthand among us. Amen

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