Jesus Never Fails / Arthur Luther
Earthly friends may prove untrue, doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you, One who will not fail.
Though the sky be dark and drear, fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near, and He will not fail.
In life’s dark and bitter hour love will still prevail,
Trust His everlasting power—Jesus will not fail.
Chorus: Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails;
Heav’n and earth may pass away, but Jesus never fails.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 18:1-17:
In Corinth
1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.
My Understanding: Paul was a preacher of the word of God. He testified that Jesus was the Christ, and he faced much opposition from people for it - mainly from the Jews. He endured beatings, imprisonments, persecution, stoning, etc. Paul described it like this:
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything (2 Co. 6:3-10).
Sometimes God had Paul stay and keep on sharing the gospel in a particular location despite this ill and abusive treatment, and other times he had him shake the dust off and leave. Yet, even when he left, he did not stop preaching about Jesus Christ. He just went to another place and he shared the gospel message there. There were people who believed the message of the gospel and were saved and there were people who did not believe. Among those who did not believe were those who persecuted, rejected and abused Paul and any other disciples of Jesus Christ preaching the message of the gospel, for that matter. When the Jews kept rejecting the message and they kept up their persecution and abuse, Paul finally shook out his clothes in protest and told them that he was clear of his responsibility of sharing with them the truth of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, and he declared that he would from then on take the message to the Gentiles. Sometimes we need the wisdom of God to know when we are beating a dead horse and it is time to move on. And, Paul recognized that this was the time. So, he went next door to the Gentiles.
Yet, this passage records that one night (don’t know how much later) the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. In the vision he told Paul not to be afraid, to keep on speaking, and to not be silent. Paul listened to God and he stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. Interestingly enough, the passage of scripture quoted above was from a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. So, what he wrote was speaking about his experiences in Corinth that we read about in the book of Acts. It helps to put the two together, I believe, because we have a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding what Paul said in that letter to the Corinthians. Whether or not Paul stayed and taught the Jews or the Gentiles or both does not seem clear, yet he did not let the rejection of the Jews discourage him. He listened to the voice of Jesus speaking words of comfort and encouragement to his heart, and he kept on speaking and was not silent. The Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court, but Gailio rejected their charges against Paul and he had the accusers ejected from the court. God was protecting Paul, just as he had promised, so that the gospel message could continue to be proclaimed and many people could come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
We, too, as followers of Jesus Christ and as his witnesses will face opposition from those who do not accept the message. We may even have to endure rejection from close friends or family members. We may face troubles, hardships and distresses. We may even be regarded as imposters, i.e. as something we are not, even though we are completely genuine in our faith and in our sharing of the gospel message. Yet, even though man may and probably will fail us, Jesus will never fail us. He keeps on encouraging us to not be afraid, to keep on speaking, and to not be silent, for HE is with us. The Lord spoke these words of encouragement to my heart this evening, and I hope it strengthens you, too.
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