1 Corinthians 16:8,9 - "But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has been opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."
USA Today published the results of the following Hilton survey in January 2001:
Percentage of Americans who say they:
Need more fun: 68
Need a long vacation: 67
Often feel stressed: 66
Feel time is crunched: 60
Want less work, more play: 51
Feel pressured to succeed: 49
Feel overwhelmed: 48
And you thought you were alone! Obviously a lot of us need to find some solutions to our stress.
And I think Paul has something to help us here. Even though there are adversaries at Ephesus, he says he’s going to stay on there for a while because God has opened doors of opportunity.
What follows this statement are applications of his ability to take obstacles and turn them into opportunities.
He gives us four insightful people-principles that will turn our stress into success.
1. The Timothy Principle - We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
1 Corinthians 16:10,11 - "Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear: for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no man despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me: for I am waiting for him with the brethren."
By closely examining Paul’s letters to Timothy you will see that fear was a big problem for Timothy.
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
And in 1 Timothy 4:12: "Let no man despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
Apparently Timothy had a problem feeling people didn’t think much of his leadership skills because he was young and inexperienced. He was timid and fearful about people who opposed his work.
So Paul’s encouragement to him was, "Don’t be afraid. Don’t let people belittle your calling from God."
Now this principle is not reserved for pastors and missionaries (although it is a great message for them). This truth applies to all of us.
Everyone’s life has its obstacles. Will you quit because you are afraid, or will you see your obstacles as opportunities?
Fear is a powerful tool of the tempter and his agents.
Paul’s admonition in verse 13 is very applicable here: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."
Christ-followers must be people of courage. That does not mean we are not tempted to be afraid. Courage simply means we keep on doing what’s right even when we are tempted not to because of our fears.
When the firemen and policemen entered the World Trade Center on September 11 they were afraid. But they were heroes because they did their duty in spite of their fear.
The church is not just interested in getting people out of burning buildings. We are interested in keeping people out of a burning hell! This task is going to take some courageous heroes.
One such individual entered my family’s life in 1971. I was 15 and my father had died that August. I lived with my mother and two older brothers in a rented duplex apartment. And in the other adjoining apartment lived a widow who came home drunk Christmas night and caught her apartment (and ours) on fire by leaving a cigarette in her chair.
A man coming home from work at 2 am in the morning saw the blazes and knocked on our door, saving our lives.
Now here’s the interesting thing. That same hero had to pull the widow from her apartment as she was kicking and screaming. She was either so drunk she misunderstood his motives or she wanted to die in the fire. I don’t know. But I do know that man didn’t pay any attention to her and saved her in spite of her objections.
That hero illustrates what we need in the church today. People who will not only overcome their fear, but also overcome the objections of others who do not want to be saved.
According to Paul - God has given us the power to do just that!
2. The Apollos Principle - Don’t pout just because you don’t get your way.
1 Corinthians 16:12 - "Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time."
Notice that there’s no apparent bitterness on Paul’s part because another well-known preacher of the day didn’t go to Corinth when Paul requested.
How could Paul respond like this when he didn’t get his way? Look at verse 14: "Let all that you do be done with love."
When you don’t get your way in life, don’t pout. Instead, love others and give them the same level of respect you desire when you don’t think you should do what they want you to do.
A lot of times followers of Christ get in a huff when they don’t get their way. Sometimes they won’t even talk to each other.
Like the man who had a fight with his wife so they were giving one another the silent treatment.
Problem was the man realized his wife would have to wake him at 5:00 am for an early morning business flight to Chicago. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me up at 5:00 am."
The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 am, and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go let his anger out on his wife when he noticed a piece of paper by his bed...it said, "It is 5:00 am, wake up."
Now Paul didn’t give Apollos the silent treatment just because Apollos didn’t do what he wanted him to. Instead he respected the decision of Apollos.
Do you respect the opinions and decisions of others in the church when they disagree with you? You should.
Some of the obstacles that bring opportunity happen right in the church. You don’t have to go out into the unchurched world to see obstacles. We create a lot of obstacles for ourselves!
Satan will try to get us discombobulated over something someone else in the church says or does. It’s up to us to follow the admonition, "Resist the devil and he will flee." (James 4:7b)
Our problem is that we think the devil doesn’t operate inside the church walls. It’s almost as if we believe there is a "force field" around the church property that doesn’t allow the devil in. Boy are we naive.
Satan even attended Jesus’ staff meetings. He had to say to Simon Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan" (Matthew 16:23), because Simon opposed Christ’s announcement that he was going to suffer and die.
Now I’m not suggesting we handle our disagreements with one another by saying "get thee behind me Satan", because we’re not the Lord. But I am suggesting that Satan will try to make obstacles out of personality differences and disagreements you and I have with other Christ-followers.
Some folks can really whine about how they left a church because they didn’t get their way. Paul didn’t. He didn’t quit the work of God just because Apollos didn’t jump when he snapped his fingers.
We must behave with the love of Christ for others.
"Let all that you do be done with love". Love people. Paul loved people and people loved him. That’s why he had so many friends to talk about at the end of this letter.
He mentions more of them.
3. The SFA Principle - Give recognition when it is due.
1 Corinthians 16:15-18 - "I urge you, brethren - you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints - that you submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us. I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatas, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. For they refreshed my spirit and yours; therefore acknowledge such men."
Paul told the church to submit to and give recognition to this trio of lesser-known church servants: Stephanas, Fortunatas, and Achaicus.
These men had "devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints", and Paul didn’t think this should go unappreciated.
The principle about turning obstacles into opportunities is this: don’t just dwell on the troubled people, dwell on the people doing good things too.
I heard a preacher say one time our churches are plagued with "high-maintenance, low-impact" members.
And the church leadership and body spends so much time dwelling on keeping the troublemakers happy that the good folks often get ignored.
Paul had "adversaries" in Ephesus. He had them every where he went. And so will every servant of Christ. But he did not talk about the adversaries, he talked about those "devoted to the ministry of the saints."
These men, Stephanas, Fortunatas, and Achaicus, were a blessing to Paul and to the church. They "refreshed" Paul and the church.
Someone needed to dwell on and recognize their efforts.
Workers in the church need more appreciation than criticism. If you come across a devoted follower of Christ, let them know how their example has blessed you. Pat them on the back, hug their neck, buy them a token of appreciation, invite them to your home for dinner.
If a worker in the church does something you don’t like, give them the benefit of the doubt and at least thank God they are working!
We can be so refreshing to one another in times of stress if we will only minister to one another with grateful, appreciative hearts!
4. The Aquila and Priscilla Principle - Open your hands, your heart, and your home to others.
1 Corinthians 16:19,20 - "The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss."
Now here’s a husband and wife team that was so special to the work of God that they are mentioned six times in the New Testament! Paul met them at Corinth because they were tentmakers like he was. (Acts 18:1-3)
Then when Paul moved from Corinth to Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla packed up and moved their business with them so they could assist him in founding a church there. They proved so capable that Paul left them there to take care of the church while he returned to Antioch.
It was while they were at Ephesus that they even assisted Apollos in a better understanding of the truth of the gospel. Later, they assisted Timothy in his ministry at Ephesus as well.
Aquila and Priscilla were cited by Paul because they too had learned how to turn obstacles into opportunities.
This couple opened up their heart and home to Paul as an itinerate preacher, and later, to the entire church.
Church buildings did not exist in those days. Even now, they do not exist in many parts of the world. House-church organizations even say that as we enter the Twenty-first Century, more belivers meet in house churches around the world than those who meet in church buildings! That’s because in many areas they can’t afford, or governments won’t allow them to build, church buildings.
In western culture we erroneously believe that since we have buildings to meet in - we don’t need hospitality any more.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Entering one another’s home provides a welcome relief from stress. When another family feeds and entertains you in their home you realize you are not just another face in the crowd.
You feel free to let your hair down and be yourself in a more informal setting. Close bonds are built as you laugh and cry together in small groups.
You know the church was close in Paul’s day - because he says they greeted one another with a holy kiss.
The modern western hemisphere equivalent would be a "holy handshake".
Why greet one another when we meet? Because it’s a way of saying, "there is no barrier between us, my hands are open to you because my heart is open to you."
People in western culture are often over-stressed because they are so isolated. But when they make a connection with others their stresses can be more easily dealt with.
Surveys have proven that there is emotional, psychological, and even sometimes physical healing in the human touch. We connect. We need this connection because the stresses of life make us feel so disconnected.
Aquila and Priscillas are much needed today in the western church.
How are your people skills? The answer to that question will determine how you handle stress.
