After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia. They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia. Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed. Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. And they stayed there with the believers for a long time.
Acts of the Apostles 14:21-28 NLT
Paul didn’t just start churches, he replicated leaders. He and Barnabas knew their mission was not to pastor a single church but to start many churches. They made a point to appoint leaders, and they waited until their return journey to appoint them. This allowed them not to be hasty in leadership appointments, and it let them see who had stepped up in their absence. Paul and Barnabas also made leadership a matter of prayer. These leaders were called by God and affirmed by Paul and Barnabas. The leaders were called to take care of churches that were going to have hard times and face real opposition. Their leaders needed to be strong and hold fast to the Lord.
We are all leaders in areas of our lives. One of the biggest leadership challenges we will face is to replicate leaders – not only to pass on the leadership lessons we have learned but to empower others to be even better leaders than we are. That is what Barnabas did in seeking out and empowering Paul. Leaders who follow Christ let Him influence and change people’s lives through them. The goal is to replicate Christian leaders who are committed to prayer, strong in faith, and live to make a difference in people’s lives with Jesus.
Who are you investing in with your life and faith? Who are you allowing to invest in you? How can you do this more?
