Acts 14:21

Acts 14:21 says, And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,  The next day, they departed for Derbe, preaching the gospel and teaching many. Then, they went to Lystra, and Iconium, and to Antioch, confirming and exhorting the disciples, telling them they would go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of God.  This was hardly a prosperity gospel. We may like to tell people to accept Jesus as their Savior and everything will be wonderful, but that is not what God said.  We will be hated and reviled for His namesake. Verse twenty-two adds, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.  Paul and Silas confirmed the believers in these churches and exhorted them to continue in the faith.  They were told that they would enter the kingdom of God through great tribulation and not through riches and prosperity.  I don’t understand why we think that Christians today are any different.  We are promised a cross to take up daily and not a mansion to live in.  Verse twenty-three continues, And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.  While visiting these churches, they also ordained elders in every church.  They prayed and fasted while doing this and commended the church members to God.  We need to work to ensure that new churches have all the workers needed in positions of authority, but it must be done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-four says, And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.  Verse twenty-five adds, And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:  These two verses simply tell us of Paul and Barnabas’s travel back to Antioch.  Verse twenty-six continues, And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.  After visiting the surrounding churches, Paul and Barnabas came back to Antioch.  This was where they had been sent out from, so they returned there.  I don’t believe we should ever see ourselves as totally independent from a local church.  Verse twenty-seven says, And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.  They told the church there what God had been doing with the Gentiles.  If we were sent out by a church today and returned to them after a period of time, would we have anything to tell them about what God had been doing?  If we faced stoning, would we remain true?  Verse twenty-eight adds, And there they abode long time with the disciples.  They stayed with the other disciples a long time.  Paul wasn’t always travelling to share the gospel, and most likely we won’t be either.  Sometimes he enjoyed the fellowship of a local church, and so should we.