What to do when serving God gets really tough (Part 3)

Acts 18: 9-17 

Paul is in Corinth, a really bad City, full of sin,;Paul was afraid to be there, and he knew that he was going to have a tough time serving God

Like Paul, sometimes we go through a tough time serving God

From Paul’s experience in Corinth we learn…What to do when serving God gets really tough!

1/ Get Support

2/ Continue witnessing

3/ Expect God’s help

Acts 18: 9-10 God said to Paul ‘do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent’

Being afraid/fearful, causes us to become silent

What use is a silent witness?

Romans 10:14 ‘But how can they call on Jesus to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them’?

There is no reason to be afraid! The Lord says ‘I am with you; no one is going to attack you and harm you, because I have many people in this City.’

Just like Paul, you can expect God’s help throughout your life-time of ministry

On the day Paul believed in Jesus, the Lord gave him his life-time ministry assignment Acts 9: 6, 15-16

Over a period of 30 years God helped Paul through difficult times

Here, Acts 18: 9-10 witnessing in a sinful City – ‘do not be afraid’

Acts 23: 11 Under arrest in Jerusalem for witnessing – ‘take courage’

Acts 27: 24 In a storm on a prison ship bound for trial in Rome – ‘do not be afraid’

With God’s help in tough times we too can remain faithful and finish our life-time ministry assignment

2 Timothy 4:17 ‘…the Lord stood by me and gave me strength so that I could finish spreading the Good News for all the nations to hear’.

Testimony: many years ago I witnessed to a violent and aggressive Gang member/ I was a little bit afraid!

He was the Gang ‘enforcer’ /he would beat up his own Gang members to maintain Gang discipline

God helped me to witness to him, he believed in Jesus and became a witness for the Lord and eventually went off to Bible College!

Acts 18: 11 As Paul stays on in Corinth his ministry is very successful!

Acts 18: 12-17 Paul is arrested by the Jewish Religious Leaders

They brought him before the Roman Governor in Corinth hoping to silence him

But, the Roman Governor ruled against the Jewish Religious Leaders; Paul was not harmed and was set free

Paul never even got a chance to say a word in his defence! God helped him as He had promised

Because of this ruling, the Church throughout the Roman Empire had freedom to continue witnessing about the message of salvation through Jesus Christ

Dear Friends, when serving God gets tough

Make sure you…Get support, Continue to witness and Expect God’s help

 Know this – God will give you success!

What to do when serving God gets tough (Part 2)

Acts 18: 5-8 Paul is in Corinth

Corinth was a really bad City, full of sin,

Paul was afraid to be there, and he knew that he was going to have a tough time serving God

Like Paul, sometimes we go through a tough time serving God

From Paul’s experience inCorinth we learn…What to do when serving God gets really tough!

Last time: Get Support

2/ Continue witnessing

Jesus never said: “You shall be my witnesses in good times, but when it gets tough – forget about it”

No – we must continue to be His witnesses in both good times and tough times!

When you witness, some people will reject you

When Paul witnessed to the Jews, his own culture/his own people, most of them rejected him Acts 18: 5b – 6a

‘…the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive…’

One reason that people reject the Christian Message is that they think that if they become a Christian they will have to abandon their own culture

Example: the Jews had 3,000 years of cultural history – being Jewish meant everything to them and they didn’t want to give it up!

The Jews opposed Paul because they thought he was trying to change who they were – the very core of their personal identity!

Acts 21: 28 ‘This is the man who is teaching against our people’

It’s the same today – people think that if they become a Christian they will lose their culture, their identity (uniqueness/distinctiveness)

I have good news for you today…When you become a Christian you don’t stop being Asian, you don’t stop being European, you
don’t stop being African, you don’t stop being an Eskimo

You become an Asian Christian, a European Christian, an African Christian, an Eskimo Christian

Sometimes you have to walk away from those who oppose and abuse you

You don’t need opposition – you need success!

V6b ‘…from now on I will go to the Gentiles.’

Acts 18: 7-8 We see that some Jews became Christians and many Gentiles (non-Jews)

Jesus said that witnessing is like sowing seed

Seed = the Word of God

Make sure you sow the Word of God into fertile soil

Those who ‘…hear the Word and accept it…’ Mark 4: 20

Sometimes, serving God can get tough

Make sure you continue to witness, especially to those who will gladly hear and accept the Message of salvation in Jesus Christ alone!

God will give you success!