By David Faust
One of my favorite parts of the book of Acts is its last verse. Luke ends his account of the early church’s history on an upbeat note. He summarizes the apostle Paul’s ministry while under house arrest in Rome by exclaiming, “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” (Acts 28:31).
FACING THE OBSTACLES
In the first century, many things hindered the spread of the gospel. Transportation was limited; having no cars, buses, planes, or trains made travel much more difficult. Technology and communication were limited. People had no computers, printers, phones, modern postal systems, or microphones to amplify their preaching. Yet, within 30 years of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, the gospel was impacting the capital of the Roman empire as Paul, a former Pharisee, boldly taught the message he once violently opposed.
That final verse of Acts encourages me, but it also challenges me. I don’t want my own flaws or pessimism to hinder God’s work, but frankly, at times I feel discouraged by all the hindrances Christians face today. Secularism prevails. Churches are being marginalized, while immorality is normalized and celebrated. Biblical values are mocked and ignored. I need to remind myself that even though hindrances abounded in first-century Rome, somehow the gospel continued to advance.
SEEING GOD AT WORK
When I ministered in Baldwin, New York, in the 1970s and ’80s, our young congregation faced many obstacles. Our little handful of believers worshipped together in a rented facility. We found an empty building the Episcopal Church had closed because of what they called a “lack of interest in the community.” The building looked a bit run-down, but we decided to buy the property if we could.
I put on a suit and tie and drove to the headquarters of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island to meet with their officials.
“How much do you want for the building and the parsonage next to it?” I asked.
“$170,000,” they answered. (That was quite a reasonable price, even in 1979.)
I swallowed hard and made a counteroffer. “Would you take $85,000?”
To my surprise they said yes, but now I didn’t know what to do because we didn’t have $85,000! Somehow, by God’s grace the funding came together. We purchased the property and began holding worship services there on Sundays. The building needed a lot of work. After spending mornings in the church’s office, I would change my clothes and spend my afternoons outside with a paintbrush and a bucket of paint, sprucing up the building and meeting curious passersby. My wife, Candy, and I served with that church for 10 years, through tough times and exhilarating times, before leaving in 1988 so I could join the faculty of Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary.
Fast-forward 35 years. On a sunny Sunday morning this past May, we visited that congregation, now known as One Life Christian Church. A friendly woman greeted us at the front door and asked, “Is this your first time here?” Tears filled my eyes as the building filled up with people (mostly African American and Latino) singing God’s praises and sharing in Communion. The property is now debt-free and most of the church’s leaders are bi-vocational, which keeps costs down.
Even when times are hard and things look grim, nothing can stop the gospel of Christ. Let’s never allow our lack of faith to hinder God’s work.
Personal Challenge: What is hindering your relationship with God right now? Ask the Lord to remove it or help you to keep serving him in spite of it.
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