May 13, 2010 - Acts 13:16

“Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: ‘Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!’” Acts 13:16.
As was their habit, Paul and his other traveling companions went to the synagogue to meet with the local Jews and any other God-fearing people. They always made it their habit to go first to the local synagogue upon arriving in a new location. Paul felt that it was important for him to bring the message of Jesus to his people, the Jews, before taking it to the Gentiles, even though he knew his calling was to go to the Gentiles. He was often met with opposition and hostility, yet he continued to honor his commitment to his people.
Paul had the privilege of sharing the message of Jesus with his people, yet, because of the radical nature of his message, it was difficult for most of his listeners to connect with what he had to say. Most of the people in his audience were not particularly open to this radically different message.
There have been times when I have perceived that my listeners were not very open to hearing the message that I believed God would have me share, yet I shared that message anyway. There have been other times when I backed away from sharing the full message for fear of being rejected by my audience. Paul actions in standing up and saying, “Listen to me!” demonstrate for me his ‘sold-out’ heart to the life and message of Jesus.
Questions to consider: How radical is the message of Jesus to you? What kind of reception do you receive when bringing the message of Jesus to those around you?
Prayer: Father, my desire is to do Your will and to seek to please You in all that I do. Give me wisdom in telling the message of Jesus and the boldness to proclaim what You would have me say. Amen.