When they had preached the gospel of that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
– Acts 14:21–23
What a powerful summary of what just happened. So we talked about in Acts 13, this was the first missionary journey that Paul and Barnabas were on. And they had gone from city to city, making disciples, gathering them together in the churches and then moving on to the next city and doing the same thing.
Acts 14:21–23 Narrates How Paul and Barnabas Encouraged the New Converts
Now they’re retracing their steps back and they’re going back to encourage these new disciples and these new churches to continue in the faith. And listen to this verse, verse 22, saying to them, these new believers, that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. Do you hear that? This is initial discipleship. Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. This is encouraging new believers that the road ahead will not be easy. Exactly what Jesus told his disciples. “In this world, you will have tribulation.” And that’s the first thing these disciples are hearing. As followers of Jesus, you will have many tribulations.
I just want to encourage you to let that soak in. Whether you’re a new follower of Jesus or you’ve been a follower of Jesus for years or decades even, don’t ever be surprised by tribulation, by many tribulations. Jesus never promised us this road would be easy, for any of us who follow Him. Actually follow Him. And I emphasize that because it’s real easy to claim the name of Jesus but not actually follow Him.
At least in some cultures like my own, and this is increasingly less so, but cultural Christianity is definitely still possible where I live to claim the name of Jesus, but to not actually follow Him as a disciple of Jesus, to grow as a disciple of Jesus, to make disciples of Jesus among the nations because that’s a little too much or that’s a little too costly. But when you actually follow Jesus, when you give your life to being a disciple and making disciples of Jesus, many tribulations will come from all kinds of different directions in all kinds of different ways.
Acts 14:21–23 Reminds Us that Spreading the Gospel is Costly
We see all over the book of Acts that the gospel does not spread through the health, wealth, and prosperity of Christians. The gospel spreads through people who lay down their lives to follow Christ, to proclaim Christ, to become more and more like Jesus and to make disciples of Jesus. And so if you’re walking through tribulation right now, know that Acts 14:22 has made clear to our brothers and sisters from the very beginning that we should not be surprised by this. But don’t forget what Jesus said to His disciples right after he told them, “In this world, you will have tribulation,” he said, “but take heart because I have overcome the world.”
So continue in the faith, Acts 14:22. May your soul be strengthened today amidst tribulation because you know the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. The one who is in you has overcome sin, suffering, Satan, and death itself. So you have all the reason in the world for confidence today. Do not be afraid. He is with you. God is in you. He is for you.
Oh God, we pray that you would help each of us to endure through whatever tribulations come our way, knowing that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. Help us, oh God, to continue in the faith, to trust in you in the middle of tribulation. We pray specifically right now for each person listening to this who’s just walking through the fire flood right now. God, I pray, we pray together you would strengthen our brothers and sisters, their souls just like Acts 14:22 says today, even through this short podcast.
Praying for the Amarakaire People
And God, we pray for all of our lives, for a willingness to endure tribulation, whatever that means. As we follow you and as we lead others to follow you, God help us to make disciples of the nation’s knowing that will mean many tribulations. We pray for the Amarakaire people, the jungles of Southern Peru. God, please praise up laborers who will endure many tribulations to spread the gospel to them and to 7,000 other unreached people groups in the world. Lord, forgive us for not being willing to pay the price to reach the nations of the world with the gospel. God, we pray that you would raise us up as a church in our day that will gladly endure many tribulations to make disciples of all the nations. We pray all of this according to your word in Acts 14:21–23. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
