July 29, 2018 · Acts 14:24–28

Catch the Wave

After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

“This is a beautiful picture of a people set apart to do God's work. They've gone through their journey. People are coming to know Jesus. It's exciting times, and they come back home to their family, and they say: look what God has done. This is the vision. When I'm thinking about what it looks like to be a community of faith — what does it look like to actually be people committed to travelling together on the wave with God? The first thing I'm noticing here is that they are called of God. They are a hundred per cent sure that this is God's doing. Remember when they were set apart — the Holy Spirit told them, there was prayer and fasting, and what I think is really interesting is that it wasn't just Paul and Barnabas who were called. Each and every disciple in each of these places was called by God. They were drawn by the Holy Spirit. They were called to follow Jesus, and part of that call is always two main things. We know from what Jesus said: love God. Every single human being is called to love God. That's the place in their heart — as they start to pour out their heart back to God, there's this beautiful infilling that happens. He gives you more than you give back to him. This is what humans are meant to do: to love God. We have this desire. He has a passion for you. Some people think eliminating passions, eliminating desire, is the thing — that's not what the Scriptures say. The Scriptures actually say that what we need is the right desire, the good desire, which is for God, and as we start to love God in that passion, then we are equipped and ready to love others, which is part of all of our callings. It doesn't matter if you're a pastor or an elder — you are called by God.”