“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24)
After Paul revisited the church that he had served before, the Holy Spirit urged him to go to Jerusalem, so he obeyed. Although Paul did not know what would happen to him in the future, he knew that the Holy Spirit was already present in these cities, and that he would encounter hardships and prison.
Paul knew that there were prison and hardships facing him on his previous journey, and this experience would be different from his previous prison disaster, and even mean that he would be unable to meet with brothers and sisters. This meant that what he was to face would far exceed his previous encounters, and this hardships was likely to cost him his life. Paul did not back down and didn't even care about his own life and chose to obey the Holy Spirit. The purpose was to insist on completing his journey, fulfilling the duties and missions he had received from God, so that the people could hear the gospel. From the subsequent biblical records, we can see that when Paul went to Jerusalem, he was falsely accused by the Jews in the temple, was arrested by soldiers, then was sent to Rome, and later martyred there.
Although Paul was finally martyred, he could face Christ without fear. He could do this because he had fulfilled the mission entrusted by Christ and was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. As he himself said: " I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7) It was because Paul attached great importance to the call and the mission from God that he became the greatest missionary in the history of the church.
In every age, God calls people to participate in his great mission. But today there are not many people like Paul who are not afraid of the hardships because of their trust in God and are willing to sacrifice their lives for the mission of God. Because people often love themselves more than God and value their own affairs more than God's call, this leads to them to be ashamed and failure to trust God.
Today when many people choose to serve God, they often don’t bear the burden of the mission to which they are called. Instead, they check if the environment and conditions are comfortable. Some people are unwilling to respond to God's call, even may even try to escape. Some people can't escape, but they are unwilling to answer the call immediately. So they bargain with God and postpone their service to Him. Even if these people respond to the call, they will back down because of difficulties they may face, and they may even again want to escape God’s call. How can such a person be loyal to God's mission? And how can he not be afraid of the hardships that he encounters, or even disregard his life and safety?
Christians are called to follow a narrow path, a path of service to God that is more difficult. Naturally, there are more challenges and hardships. It is absolutely impossible that someone who serves God faithfully will not endure hardships. If a person who is called by God or entrusted by God, wants to fulfill the mission he has received and be qualified for his position, he must have Paul’s will. He must not be afraid of hardships, must be committed, and even disregard his own life and safety. Such faithful ministry is a matter of course, and is worthy of God's office.
(Note: The author of this article is a co-worker of a grassroots church in Fujian)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
使徒行传灵修系列：理所当然的事奉
现在我往耶路撒冷去，心甚迫切，不知道在那里要遇见什么事。但知道圣灵在各城里向我指证，说有捆锁与患难等待我。我却不以性命为念，也不看为宝贵，只要行完我的路程，成就我从主耶稣所领受的职事，证明神恩惠的福音。（使徒行传20:22-24）
保罗在重访完曾经服侍过的教会之后，圣灵催逼着他往耶路撒冷去，于是他就顺服圣灵的带领。虽然保罗不知道接下来会有什么样的事情发生在他身上，但是他却知道圣灵早已在各城，多次地向他证明，他即将会遭遇到捆锁与患难。
保罗明知道前面的行程有困锁与患难等待着他，而且这个困锁不同以往的牢狱之灾，甚至会让他再也无法与弟兄姊妹们见面。这就意味着等待他的困锁与患难远超过他之前的遭遇，这次的患难很可能会使他失丧性命。保罗却没有因此而退缩，他连自己性命都不顾，也要选择顺服圣灵的带领。其目的是为要坚持走完他的行程，完成他从神所领受的职分与使命，使世人得着这福音。从后续的圣经记载可得知，保罗此次上耶路撒冷，在耶路撒冷圣殿遭到犹太人诬陷，导致被兵丁抓捕，之后又被送到罗马，后来在罗马殉道。
虽然保罗最后殉道了，但是他可以坦然无惧地面对基督，因为他完成了基督所托付的使命，没有愧对自己所领受的职分。正如他自己所说的：“那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了。”（提后4:7）正是保罗非常重视神的呼召与神所托付的使命，才使他成为教会史上最伟大的宣教士。
神在每个时代都不断地呼召人来参与祂的大使命，但是现今像保罗这样愿意为了神的托付而不畏艰辛的人实为不多，愿意为了使命而不惜自己性命的人更是寥寥无几。因为人们往往爱自己，超过爱神，重视自己事情，超过神的呼召，这就导致了许多人辜负了神的托付，有愧于自己所领受的职分。
因为现今许多人在选择服侍的时候，往往不是看负担与使命，而是看环境与条件是否舒适。有些人则是不愿意回应神的呼召，甚至是在想方设法逃避神的呼召。有些人实在是逃避不了，但是又不愿意立即回应呼召，就跟神讨价还价，想着推迟一些时间服侍神。这些人就算回应呼召了，也会因着在服侍中遭遇一些艰难，选择打退堂鼓，甚至会再次起了逃避呼召的念头。这样的人如何能忠心于神的使命，如何能为了神的托付而不畏艰辛，或不顾性命安危。
基督徒所走的路，本身就是窄门小路，服侍神的人所走的路则是更加艰辛，所面临挑战与艰难自然就更多。有谁想要忠心服侍神，又不想吃苦，那绝对是不可能的。一个被神呼召出来服侍神的人，一个领受神托付的人，若是想要完成自己所领受的使命，不愧对自己的职分，就必须要有保罗的心志，为了神的使命与托付不畏艰辛，甚至要不以性命为念。如此忠心的事奉，是理所当然，也这有这样的事奉才能不愧神所赐予的职分。
（注：本文作者为福建一基层教会同工）
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24)
After Paul revisited the church that he had served before, the Holy Spirit urged him to go to Jerusalem, so he obeyed. Although Paul did not know what would happen to him in the future, he knew that the Holy Spirit was already present in these cities, and that he would encounter hardships and prison.
Paul knew that there were prison and hardships facing him on his previous journey, and this experience would be different from his previous prison disaster, and even mean that he would be unable to meet with brothers and sisters. This meant that what he was to face would far exceed his previous encounters, and this hardships was likely to cost him his life. Paul did not back down and didn't even care about his own life and chose to obey the Holy Spirit. The purpose was to insist on completing his journey, fulfilling the duties and missions he had received from God, so that the people could hear the gospel. From the subsequent biblical records, we can see that when Paul went to Jerusalem, he was falsely accused by the Jews in the temple, was arrested by soldiers, then was sent to Rome, and later martyred there.
Although Paul was finally martyred, he could face Christ without fear. He could do this because he had fulfilled the mission entrusted by Christ and was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. As he himself said: " I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7) It was because Paul attached great importance to the call and the mission from God that he became the greatest missionary in the history of the church.
In every age, God calls people to participate in his great mission. But today there are not many people like Paul who are not afraid of the hardships because of their trust in God and are willing to sacrifice their lives for the mission of God. Because people often love themselves more than God and value their own affairs more than God's call, this leads to them to be ashamed and failure to trust God.
Today when many people choose to serve God, they often don’t bear the burden of the mission to which they are called. Instead, they check if the environment and conditions are comfortable. Some people are unwilling to respond to God's call, even may even try to escape. Some people can't escape, but they are unwilling to answer the call immediately. So they bargain with God and postpone their service to Him. Even if these people respond to the call, they will back down because of difficulties they may face, and they may even again want to escape God’s call. How can such a person be loyal to God's mission? And how can he not be afraid of the hardships that he encounters, or even disregard his life and safety?
Christians are called to follow a narrow path, a path of service to God that is more difficult. Naturally, there are more challenges and hardships. It is absolutely impossible that someone who serves God faithfully will not endure hardships. If a person who is called by God or entrusted by God, wants to fulfill the mission he has received and be qualified for his position, he must have Paul’s will. He must not be afraid of hardships, must be committed, and even disregard his own life and safety. Such faithful ministry is a matter of course, and is worthy of God's office.
(Note: The author of this article is a co-worker of a grassroots church in Fujian)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
Devotional Series from Acts: Serve God Faithfully
