Acts 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Hidden in the list of these locations lies a truth about the driving force of the Soul-winner. Paul had been both welcomed and reviled in Iconium. In verse 5 “when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and of the Jews with their rulers” to stone Paul, he left. Paul went to Lystra and laid hands on a crippled man who was healed, but men from Iconium came and stirred up the people of Lystra so that they stoned Paul and left him for dead. Even the disciples stood around the lifeless body of this powerful apostle assuming the same. Yet in verse 20 the Bible says that Paul rose up and recovered. Now we’ve reached verse 21. Three words are leaping from the page of this holy writ: “they returned again.”
Paul went back to the very place of false accusations. He preached again to the people who carried ill-intent against him. Paul was so driven by the need to reach them that he risked his own life to bring to them this great Gospel. He was obsessed with saving the lost. Souls were his all consuming motive. Iconium couldn’t keep him away and it makes me wonder what would happen if we held that same fervency. Jude knew how critical it was to save a soul. Jude 1:22-23 And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
The drive of the End-time Church must be the saving of the lost. It is our Sole-Purpose… our Soul-Purpose. If we believe that Jesus is coming back, then our lives must be given for the Cause of the Kingdom. Iconium is waiting for someone to return again.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole