Benefits of Suffering for Christ

We were studying Acts 14 where Paul and Barnabas are stoned by the people in Iconium and greatly misunderstood in Derbe. Never the less the two messengers rejoiced that they were able to give the good news of Jesus Christ to others. What follows is my outline of thoughts on the chapter.


Benefits of Suffering for Christ
  • We participate in the sufferings of Christ. (Colosians 1:24)
  • The suffering becomes non-verbal preaching
  • It is a pragmatic way to take up our cross daily and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24)
Benefits of Preaching in a Hostile Environment
  • Your message is tested for the audience
    • Is the gospel true?
    • Are you motivated by pure motives?
  • You as the messenger must rely on power from above
  • The struggles heightens the importance of the message for the hearers
Benefits of Preaching in an Environmental Context that Distorts the Message of the Gospel
  • It forces the messenger to discern what is timeless and abandon those things that are temporal and fleeting
  • It forces the messenger to set priorities for those things that are most essential and wait on those things that are of lesser priority

Comments

Milton Stanley said…
Good observations. Thanks for sharing them.
9:21 AM
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