Fighting the Good Fight

Read Acts 20:13 - 38

I want you to imagine what it would be like if WCAC one day didn’t have any leaders or counselors. No Ben, no Jon Mann, no Jenn, no Spencer, no Kevin, etc. What would happen? Either chaos would ensue, or maybe Ariel would establish a dictatorship on the youth group, who knows? I know personally that if there weren’t leaders to guide the Doulos, I would be very scared and feel helpless. I’m pretty sure you would too. We would all feel like baby robins just pushed out of our nests to fend for ourselves in a cruel world. This is exactly what the Ephesian elders felt when Paul left them. No prophet or disciple, no guide for them anymore. They had to establish God’s kingdom without the very man that showed them how to. Paul warns them, “keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” That’s pretty unnerving. God never said that it would be easy; it’s gonna be a tough journey, and there will be wolves to hunt the sheep. But there is good news. They have their roots in Christ, so how could they fail?

So what does this mean for us? Well, let me ask you this. If you didn’t have, say, Ben to be with you every Saturday, guiding your walk with Christ, how would you fare? Would people still see your actions and think, “Oh, he’s a soldier for Christ?” Would the wolves come in and tear you apart? If you honestly think that you wouldn’t do too well, then I want you to pray. Ask God to fortify you, to show you that He is with you every moment, so that you could wholeheartedly trust in Him. Seek after Him, because a life with God is so much more fulfilling than anything this world could offer. It’s gonna be a tough fight. The contestants are you vs. the entire world. The odds are overwhelming, but we have an ace in the hole. Jesus Christ will turn the tables. But it still won’t be easy. Think you can handle it? I know you can.

Thursday: Pray for the church (small c)
Pray for the Missions Conference that is going on from Nov. 1-8.