Acts 14

http://www.esvbible.org/Acts+14/

Paul and barnabas repeated what they had done in Antioch near Pisidia in Iconium. They preached in the Synagogues, and many Jews and gentiles believed. There were still some Jewish officials, however, who did not believe what Paul and Barnabas had to say, and they began to poison the minds of the gentiles who listened to Paul and Barnabas. Even still, Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly about the Lord. Do not be ashamed of Him or what He has done and can do because He is truly amazing. If you are true to Him, He will keep you safely in His plan. He will use you to better the world. Eventually, some of the people in Iconium decided to attack Paul and Barnabas and stone them, so Paul and Barnabas escaped and continued spreading the Good News in nearby cities. They never lost hope in Jesus' cause, even though they were persecuted everywhere they went and had to flee for their lives. They trusted that the Lord knew what He was doing. God always knows what He is doing. Speak freely about Him with no fear.

Sometimes, people just will not listen to what you have to say about Jesus. Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra. Paul saw a man who could not stand and healed him. The people who saw him do this thought he must be a god, so they took Paul and Barnabas to the temple to sacrifice bulls to. When the apostles heard what was happening, they were infuriated. They told the people that they were human and came to speak of the one, true God. They began speaking about how great God is, but the people did not heed them and sacrificed to them anyway. The Jews from Antioch and Iconium ended up showing and turning the people in Lystra against Paul and Barnabas. The people tried to stone Paul, and when they thought he was dead, they dragged him from the city. There, the disciples rescued him. Although God may be on your side, the Enemy is strong in those who are unsaved. They can be so blind to what you tell them the Good News, and they reject it. Be careful because they can even turn violent like in the Middle East or China.

Paul and Barnabas went back through the cities they had travelled to in order to ensure that the churches in each of those cities were in trustworthy and capable hands. They had the church choose leaders that they thought were filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, Paul and Barnabas prayed for each leader and entrusted them to the Lord. Finally, they had completed the mission God had given them, so they headed back to Antioch in Syria to be with the disciples there. It is important after doing missions to leave the people in capable hands. It is also important to complete the mission before you leave or to entrust it to people who can complete it.