Acts 13

This chapter recounts the time Paul and Barnabas were sent to preach the word of God. They met with great success and many came to believe. But then they came to Antioch in Pisidia (in modern day Turkey). There they encountered great success. But the Jewish leaders of Antioch were jealous of their popularity and stirred up trouble. All the Jews then turned on them and rejected their teaching. So Paul told them that he had been required to preach to them first. As they had rejected the word of God he was now free to preach to the gentiles. The gentiles of Antioch were thrilled and joyfully accepted Jesus. Despite the failure of their mission to convert Jews to Jesus, Paul and Barnabas went on their way full of Joy.

When we are sent out by God to do His word, we are likely to encounter opposition. We may even fail and be rejected. But that is not what concerns God. His concern is that we do His will. Just as Paul and Barnabas failed to convert the Jews of Antioch, we will often fail to achieve what we believe God has sent us to do. God knew the Jews of Antioch would reject Him. But they had to do that in order to demonstrate that the words would first be preached to the Jews and then to outsiders. It was an important symbolic action.

Our ideas of failure are not God’s ideas of failure. Just as Paul and Barnabas were full of Joy as they left Antioch and moved on, so we can move on joyfully when we have carried out God’s instructions. The outcome of those instructions is known only to God. We cannot measure outcomes based on our own ideas of what they should be. 

We need to look at the example of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch to see that God’s idea of success is a cause for Joy, not the feeling of failure.

Acts 8

Once the disciples had experienced the baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost, they remained in Jerusalem. They worshipped together and shared the good news about Jesus to anyone who would listen. Each day more and more people were believing and becoming followers of Jesus.

This was great. But God wanted more. Then Saul happened to the believers in Jerusalem. He unleashed a terrible persecution on the people and they scattered to avoid him. One group went to Samaria and told the people there about Jesus. The people accepted Jesus and were full of Joy. Later in that chapter Phillip was taken away by God and placed on a road away from Jerusalem. There he met an Ethiopian Eunuch who was reading the scriptures. He asked Phillip if he could explain the words and Phillip told him the good news about Jesus. The Eunuch asked to be baptised in a river they passed and Phillip did so. God then took him away to somewhere else. The Eunuch did not mind. He was overjoyed at accepting Jesus and went on his way filled with Joy.

Between these two examples of the Joy of salvation is the story of Simon the Wizard. Here was a man that seemed to accept the good news and followed the disciples around with great interest. Yet when the new followers were baptised in the Spirit, Simon immediately asked for that knowledge. He even offered money to be given that knowledge. He may have felt the good news was attractive, but he did not experience that personal connection with Jesus and the amazing understanding of Jesus as His saviour. True conversion is encountering Jesus personally and accepting all He has given and continues to give us. That true conversion leads to incredible, indescribable joy. 

What happened to Phillip was amazing. The way God arranged for the people to scatter and become missionaries was also amazing. But more amazing was the response of the people upon accepting Jesus and becoming His followers.

Can you remember when you first accepted Jesus as your saviour? Can you remember the immense Joy you experienced at that time? I remember feeling on cloud 9 for weeks after this event. 

This passage is about that joy that is experienced when realising all you have heard about Jesus is true and those promises are for you. That your sins are forgiven and you are in the presence of your saviour. Words cannot express the immensity of that understanding and the incredible Joy experienced.

If you haven’t already done so, may you come to know Jesus as your Saviour and may you experience the incredible Joy of being His follower.

Acts 2:28

This passage is full of Joy.

It is Pentecost and the followers of Jesus are praying in the upper room. Suddenly a mighty wind blows through the room and the people are filled with the Holy Spirit. They start praying and praising God in many languages. They are laughing for Joy and appear to outsiders as being drunk.

But that is not what has happened.

Peter explained to those outsiders what was happening. He spoke about David’s prophesy about Jesus. That his descendant, The Messiah, would make know to all people the way they should go in life. He would fill them with joy in His presence.

So the people were experiencing that. They were in the presence of Jesus and felt such Joy.

We can experience that too.

Not in a manufactured way using a carefully constructed group of songs, or high powered preaching, but by truly worshipping God and seeking Him. Not with the intent to feel Joy but with the intent to give God praise.

Joy is part of the true presence of Jesus. When we truly stop and sacrifice our attention and focus to Jesus, then we will experience that Joy of being in His presence.