LIFE SCRIPTS

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:42‭-‬52 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/act.13.42-52.NIV.

Before, it was Barnabas and Saul, then Barnabas and Paul the finally Paul and Barnabas. God was preparing Paul for ministry and now He had placed him at the fore. So impactful was their ministry that the people at the synagogue clung to them. They walked with them while interacting to get more benefit from their knowledge of God’s word. They seemed like superstars who had showed up and disrupted the status quo. So much was their popularity that they were invited by this same congregation during the next Sabbath. Our ministry must leave an aftertaste in the mouths of others…not a bad one but one which is sweet. Our interaction with others should leave them yearning for more. But in all this, we must not be ignorant of opposition. When God lifts us up, not everyone is happy. In this case, their fellow Jews were not happy with them. So they set them up by inciting the mob to drive them out of the city. The response of the two was to dust themselves up and keep going to where they were needed. This teaches me not to contend with men. If my services are not required by them, my business is to dust myself and keep on going. There are other souls open to embrace me. There are other people willing to receive me. Infact this event opened up the gospel for the non-Jews. Gentiles now became recipients of God’s word through the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. In fact if Paul was not pushed away by the Jews, he would not have realized his impact as a minister to the Gentiles. Rejection at one end might just mean appointment at another. God uses such to direct us according to His desires.