A Word From God Series

So what did he do, did he give up? No, when Paul didn’t have success in the usual place, he changed course and went someplace different. What is the lesson for us? There are some people that we can preach to for years and never see fruit. Some people just aren’t going to respond to the gospel, maybe they won’t respond to us, or the message itself. What do we do? It’s not that we give up on them, but we do look for other people to share with. I have a friend who is like a brother to me. In fact I talk to him more then I talk to my sister. I’ve prayed and talked with him about Christ since we were kids, I’m talk about third grade. He sometimes he seems to be moving closer, sometimes he seems to be moving further away. I will never give up on my friend, but I will also not let him be the focus of my personal witnessing either.

Some people just aren’t going to respond, our job isn’t to make them respond our job is to be faithful to share. And like Paul sometimes when we share our faith, they will say bad things about us. It’s ok it happens, maybe that means that like Paul we simply share someplace else, but it doesn’t mean that we let it stop us. Paul would say they’re just words, I don’t see any scars. If we want to reach our world for Christ we can’t let words stop us either. When we see a closed door we have to look for one that is open.

Paul was used to going to the synagogue and debating. That is what had worked. But now it’s not working, so rather then keep doing the same thing, he tries something new. Look at verse 7, “Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.” He said he was going to go to the gentiles and he did. Not just who he was speaking to but where he stayed. He’s always stayed with Jews until now, but not he goes and stays with Titius and we’re not told that he’s a Jew but “a worshiper of God.” Paul is intentionally doing everything he can to reach his culture. He’s trying to understand the culture so that he can communicate the message rather then make the culture understand him so they can understand the message.

The results are interesting, look at the next few verses, “Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.” He tells the Jews he’s done with them, everyone in the synagogue, I’m done with you. The result, the leader of the ruler of the synagogue, and his household are saved. But it’s not just that, Paul did go out and preach to the gentiles and the result is that many of the Corinthians were saved as well. Paul changes, he does it different then he’s done it before and the result is that many people were saved.

We saw it last week and we see it again here, if we want to reach a changing world for Christ, we have to be willing to change, not the message, because that is God’s but the way that we do it. That is an uncomfortable path, not just for us, but for Paul. The path of change is often dangerous and full of doubt. Even for Paul. Look at the vision that God has to send to him, verse 9, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” God doesn’t appear in vision’s often, when He does there’s a reason. He appears in this vision and tells Paul not to be afraid. Why does He have to do that? Because Paul is afraid, he’s changed his approach, he’s changed where he preaches, he’s changed who he preaches to. It’s a lot of change, and it has him nervous, but God says, do not be afraid. Sometimes we have to change, we change the music, we bring in a new children’s program, but if we are preaching the gospel of Christ and trying to reach our community for God and make disciples, then the message that God has for us is, “Do not be afraid.” Paul changed, his world was full of doubt, but God spoke and told Paul to stay on the path. Change is not easy but if God is in it then we must do it.