Missions in Acts Part 8: Believers Commended

Believers Commended-Acts 14:23; 16:40

After Paul consecrated the leadership, he commended the believers. We see this in Acts 14:23 and 16:40. The word “commend” here would mean to entrust. They entrusted them to the Lord. That means that they had set leadership in its place and then entrusted not only the leaders to continue in the Lord but the church to continue in the Lord. They entrusted that the Lord would continue to work in the church and grow the church. They entrusted that the leaders would continue to lead them in the way they should be led. They entrusted that God would continue to use that church and then after they had entrusted them to the Lord, they departed and went on either to the next city or next place God was taking them. As missionaries, we must be willing to entrust the churches to the Lord. So often, we treat them like we would a baby and want to lord over them and know everything going on. We do not trust them or entrust them to the Lord. But you must one day turn over the church not only to the people, but to the Lord. Trust the Lord to continue working in them, trust the leadership to keep leading them towards the Lord and trust the Lord that he will grow the work. Again, it is not our work or our ministry it is God’s! It is His church and He will grow and bless it!