November 15th~One Person at a Time

Acts 15:22-17:15

After Paul and Barnabas completed their first missionary journey and returned to Antioch, it was not long until they decided to go again, this time to check on the churches they had started (Acts 15:36). However, God had different plans in mind for them. After a sharp disagreement arose regarding John Mark, who had quit during the first mission trip, Paul and Barnabas decided to go their separate ways. Barnabas and John Mark went back to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas went back to Galatia (v.37-41).

While Paul and Silas did not experience a great deal of success in Asia Minor, as the Holy Spirit would not let them stay long (16:6-8), they did meet a young man named Timothy. He was a disciple of Christ, half-Jew, well thought of by the people of Lystra. Paul and Silas convinced him to join them on their journey. Of course, he would eventually become a great leader in the early Church.

Because the Spirit did not present opportunities for them in Asia, Paul was convinced by a dream that God wanted them to travel to Macedonia (16:6-10). While this may seem like a trivial course correction, it was actually a momentous occasion. The Gospel was going to Europe for the first time. An entire continent was introduced to Christ. The impact that Christianity would one day have in Europe would change the world, and it all began here with this “Macedonian Call.” Along the way, Paul and Silas met a physician named Luke (v.10), who was the man God used to pen one of the Gospel ac- counts, as well as the book of Acts.

While Paul and the others met with resistance in Europe, as they did everywhere else, they also met with success in a place called Philippi. A woman named Lydia was the first European convert. They were also able to convert a jailer and his family to Christianity, after God sent a startling earthquake. The Lord was doing some amazing things, and He was using Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy to do so. Their persistence, despite opposition, brought people to Christ.

Daily Reflection

The Apostle Paul was a special emissary for the Lord; His impact for the Kingdom of God will never be matched. However, his strategy for reaching the world for Christ was simple — one person at a time. It was Timothy, then Luke and Lydia, then the jailer and his family. Though Paul had the ability to reach thousands at a time, he did what we can do — personal evangelism. We simply tell the people we know and meet about the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

Who was it that told you about Christ?

While God can and does use evangelists to save thousands at a time, more than likely your con- version happened because someone you know told you about Christ. Likewise, God wants to use you to tell others in your sphere of influence about him — family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors — one person at a time.

Paul could not be everywhere, so he revealed the second strategy for spreading the Gospel — churches. He encouraged and organized those who converted to join together into local bodies of believers, to minister to each other and to the community. The Church is God’s means for reaching the lost. Still, even the Church requires individuals, like you, to share their faith. Are you participating in your local church? Are you sharing your faith with others? “How can they believe in Him whom they’ve not heard, and how can they hear unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14, 15).

BiAY.org | Day 319 — 46 Days to Go