We are 19 chapters into the book of Acts, and the theme can get a little overwhelming. The followers of Jesus living out the commissioning of Jesus:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

But while the theme is their living it out, the overwhelming theme is God working in and through imperfect people in imperfect environments and situations.

I often think about what Acts could have been–a writing with the purpose to just compel simple compliance. It could have been story after story of impressive people having super hero moments, a fiction of perfection, popularity, favor, ease, utopia, and faultless effectiveness.

If it had gone that direction, the fiction may have felt compelling for a moment. But as we all know–then life happens.

God is in life’s imperfections. God is at work when things are hard. God is faithful in the less-than-ideal. God trusts and empowers us. It doesn’t lead to a simple perfection, but:

But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. (Acts 12:24)

These things can become easy to say or repeat or intelligibly talk about, but the intention of this text–of Scripture–is not to help us speak intelligibly. The intention is internal transformation.

The text is a window into the turmoil of the early followers of Jesus.

When I walk into the ripples of life, when things don’t go well, when challenge is everywhere, when the ideal feels so far away, the reality is that less than ideal is not without impact.

When I am in that reality of struggle, I can find myself being a bad judge of what God thinks of me or what others think of me. I can find myself being a bad judge of myself. Maybe everyone else is doing well, everyone else is okay–and then there is me. Have you felt that?

What are some obstacles to being able to know what others think of you?

Let’s move into the next step in this:

What are some obstacles to being able to know what God thinks of you?

Last week we talked about how insecurity is available. This is what the people in Acts were walking in, and it’s what we often walk in, too. And today the next step in that: persistence is available.

We are going to take a minute to build a list of different environments in your life–not just physical environments–but areas in your life where there are expectations on you. We aren't even going to share it, but it will build perspective as to where we are going today. What are the environments in your life where expectations of you are present? Things like work, home, parenting, marriage, church…

What are the environments in your life where expectations of you are present?

I don’t know about you, but most of the time in life, I am doing my best. There are certainly days where I’m not. But in general, yeah, I’m doing my best. You might feel similarly, you might feel differently, but I’d bet most people don’t live day to day trying to do their worst. That’s a very unsustainable life with a very fast downward slope.

But think about this in terms of expectations–the concept of doing your best in the environments you find yourself in. As you look at your list, let’s process for a moment.

What is the impact of thinking that “doing your best” is not enough in your environments?

I love the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

But then life happens.

Or we just have a framework or theology that tells us how bad we are, and that God’s handiwork-ness only applies to faith stuff, but somehow we’re still just bad.

What is the impact of thinking that if God put me in their shoes, I would do so much better than them?

What is the impact of thinking that if God put them in my shoes, they would do so much better than me?

The thing that I find most amazing and fascinating in the life of Paul is how happenstance it seemed like his ministry was. It’s easy to look back at Paul’s life and see this amazing missionary journey and all the successes he had. But when we jump into the specific stories of Paul’s life, he is intentional, deliberate and persistent.

Even when we see lots of Paul’s successes, we have to remember he was 100% human, not divine, and probably struggled with lots of things we do–fear of failure, comparison, inferiority, pride… We could make a long list. It is so easy to read with a filter that only allows you to see success, success, success, but that is not what is written.

He was commitmented and persistent to what he felt commissioned to. In failure, in opposition, in hardship. He got up and tried again.

He was not deity. He was human. He had to have moments of feeling that he was failing, struggling, wondering why he was doing this. But he persisted.

I think oftentimes we get caught in this belief that life should be easy, or that a successful life is an easy life. We think life’s struggles mean that we are failures, that people are disappointed in us, or that even God is disappointed in us. When life happens, all we have and all we do and all we are doesn't feel like enough. It can quickly make it feel like we are failing.

Persistence is available, but…

There are so many things happening in this chapter. Paul is at it again on his missionary journeys. He is discipling. There were extraordinary miracles:

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. (Acts 19:11-12)

There were unbelievable showdowns, or spiritual battles:

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. (Acts 19:13-16)

There was resistance. People turning to Jesus was costing people money, which led to persecution:

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” (Acts 19:23-27)

And in this all, Paul is facing “it” again–a moment where there was a Y in the road. He could think, I am the worst at this. Someone else should do this. I can’t do this. I am failing at this. OR he could think, I am commissioned and called to this. I am compelled in this. God trusts me. How can I be trustworthy?

Persistence was available.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel like the little you have or the little you can do isn't enough. Paul came into one of the most influential cities of his day with almost nothing to show for his past success. He most likely felt overwhelmed, and his initial attempts in the synagogues were deemed unsuccessful. So what did Paul do? He shifted focus, he changed methodologies, he leaned on his past experiences. He took his message to the market and eventually found success. 

Sometimes we get stuck. When we have a realization that the need is too big, too hard, too much, then maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly where you need to be. If you could do it all, then there would be no room for God. 

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. (Acts 19 8-12)

We see this immense persistence in Paul’s life. Where did he “get it” from? Where would he have read about it in his scriptures or other writings? How did he choose this?

We can see persistence as something you either have or don’t have. But that doesn’t feel right. What are the definitions of having or not having persistence? Anyone can do something hard once. But how does someone repeatedly choose difficult things?

What are some differences between someone who persists and someone who gives up?

Remember where we have come today in our conversation: our understanding of others' perspectives of us and of God’s perspective of us; the feelings and the impact of feeling your best is not enough; the line between persistence and the lack of persistence.

You are well placed. God has a plan for you in your local.

My faith says that God’s HR department is limitless–not confined by time or by labor shortage, and able to change and transform. And as we are placed in our local, God is ecstatic that you are there.

In a moment of “life” in your world it can be easy to pray:  God, what is going on? Where are You? Are You going to do something? Are You going to bring someone or something into this situation? God, are You not seeing what is happening here? Do something!

But here again are Paul’s words:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Pray: Persistence is available. Amen.

Where do you have the opportunity to persist?

Take It Deeper Questions:

• Read Acts 19.
• What makes someone Spiritually authentic?
• What makes someone Spiritually inauthentic?
• Can faith in Jesus become self-serving? How do you know when a line is crossed?
• What is success as a follower of Christ?
• Where do you see success in this chapter? How does identifying their success in the midst of turmoil nudge you?

Bible Reading Plan:

• Joshua 12
• Joshua 13
• Joshua 14
• Acts 24
• Acts 25
• Acts 26