After returning from a journey to the Philippines Elder Harter explores the instruction of the apostle Paul to the Roman church in Romans 12 verses 1-2. Doctrine comes first and duty follows. Scripture tells us that the doctrine as set forth by God should be the cornerstone of our behavior. Elder Harter explains that those that sin or refuse to tell people about our savior Jesus Christ on the basis of salvation by grace truly do not understand grace. Paul outlines the principles of grace in the first eleven chapters of Romans. In chapter 12 we read that we are to present or commit our bodies to God and not pattern our bodies to this world. We are to be transformed on the inside which would therefore change what is on the outside (our actions). This transformation comes from a knowledge of the true meaning of grace, knowing that we are at the mercy of God, and without him we can accomplish nothing. As followers of Christ we should desire to be transformed by the spirit of God in our life that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God in our worship of him.

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Elder Harter exposits Acts 16, following Paul’s missionary journey to Galatia and Philippi. Traveling with Paul, we can learn many lessons applicable to our Christian journey today.

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At the end of Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas begin planning a return to the cities they visited in their first missionary journey together. Paul proposes the trip, and Barnabas agrees–but the agreement ends there. Elder Harter in this message explores the rift that arises between Paul and Barnabas, and finds valuable lessons for us today when we encounter differences of opinion.

A young man named John Mark (later referred to simply as Mark) was the root of contention between these two preachers. Barnabas favored bringing Mark on the return journey to the newly planted Gentile churches. Paul, however, still recalled with hot displeasure how Mark had abruptly abandoned them on the first journey to those same cities. The bible records that “the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other.” Both Barnabas and Paul made return journeys to some of the young churches, but took different routes with different companions. Barnabas took Mark via ship to the island of Cyprus; Paul invited Silas to accompany him overland via Syria and through the mountains of Cilicia.

As he studies the working out of this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, Elder Harter finds three lessons for facing and resolving conflict.

1. Seek to understand the perspectives of others
2. Be gracious when confronted with differences of opinion and practice, particularly in non-critical areas
3. When differences are settled, put them behind you–get over it!

Later in his life, in a letter to the young minister Timothy, Paul demonstrated a much better opinion of Mark, calling him “profitable.” Differences are inevitable in this life, and a generous measure of grace and forgiveness is crucial to us as we journey together.

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Elder Gus Harter speaks from Acts, chapters 13 and 14. This is the third of three messages tracing Paul’s first missionary journey to southern Galatia. The church of Antioch in Syria sponsored and supported Paul’s journey. Paul spent many months among the cities of Galatia, an area in modern-day Turkey: Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (a city of the same name as the one in Syria supporting Paul’s journey). It was during this journey that Paul was stoned, apparently to death, but revived by the Lord to resume preaching the very next day. Here was persecution! Yet the joy evidenced by Paul’s warm letter to the Galations, and his lifelong fellowship with Timothy of Galatia, bear witness to the truth that God’s children can experience joy despite persecution.

Paul also models the proper method of churches giving support to evangelists. The minister follows his burden to carry the gospel message; a church sponsors him; he does the work and returns to report it.

See also parts 1 and 2 of this message.

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This sermon is the second of two messages delivered by Elder Gus Harter outlining the first of Paul’s three missionary journeys. In this message, Elder Harter takes note of how Paul presents the gospel message appropriately for each audience. For Jews, he links the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to the prophecies of the Messiah in the law and the prophets. When speaking to Gentiles, Paul emphasized the resurrection, a miracle that commanded the attention of a people whose false deities had no power over death. Like Paul, the effective Christian evangelist will adapt the message to reach the audience.

See also part 1 and part 3 of this message.

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Continuing a biographical study of the apostle Paul, Elder Gus Harter outlines the first of Paul’s three missionary journeys. Though he trusted God and clearly followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, Paul had a methodical approach to his ministry. When he entered a new area, he first visited the Jewish synagogue in the largest city, and worked outward from there to rural areas and an increasingly Gentile audience. Sometimes this worked well, but it often ended abruptly with controversy and risk to life and limb for Paul and his fellow travelers. Yet Paul never gave up, because his relationship with Christ and his sense of purpose sustained him through any obstacles the world put in his way.

See also part 2 and part 3 of this message.

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God is in the business of changing people who otherwise could not, or would not, be changed. To illustrate God’s power in the lives of His people, Elder Gus Harter pieces together a chronological biography of Saul of Tarsus, known to us today as Paul, apostle to the Gentiles. As a young man, Saul was at the center of orthodox Judaism: privileged by birth as a Roman citizen, educated as a guardian of Jewish law by the greatest scholar of his day, and evidently a rising star in the Jewish community at Jerusalem. Saul was foremost among persecutors of the early church. But when Saul encountered God, he changed. No man could have foretold the extent of that change, for in seven tumultuous years Saul fell from his place at the pinnacle of Jewish orthodoxy to become an exile from his kindred and people, bringing the gospel message to Gentiles far and wide outside Palestine. Let each of us pray for the type of change that comes from an encounter with God, and for the courage to go where the heart of God leads.

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Do circumstances discourage you? Do you find that some people consistently rob you of joy? Are you beset by worry to the extent that you can’t see the good for fear of the bad? The apostle Paul has a remedy. In the book of Philippians, Paul outlines a mindset that will establish and preserve your joy regardless of circumstances. Writing from prison, Paul does not promise the followers of Christ that joy will come from circumstances. Instead, Paul outlines a powerful way of thinking–a mindset–that focuses our attention on spiritual things. When our focus is on the things of Christ, and how we can serve Him, joy will come, and it will endure.

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Elder Harter continues a study on the life of Paul by focusing on Barnabas. Barnabas was a man with great gifts and a position of influence in the early church, but he labored diligently to build up Paul’s ministry rather than his own. In Paul, Barnabas recognized a set of gifts and talents that were just right for the needs of the people he served. Rather than attempt to be all that Paul was, Barnabas encouraged and supported Paul–that is, he willingly played second fiddle. Elder Harter traces this partnership through the New Testament scriptures, and compares it with other scriptural examples of second fiddlers.

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The life of Paul inspires the disciple of Christ by example. Paul suffered greatly following his conversion to Christianity, and the Bible teaches that all the disciples of Christ can expect hardship in this life. The question we must answer, for ourselves and those around us, is this: how will we respond? Because of his close relationship with Jesus Christ, Paul could count his suffering all joy. We should likewise stay close to Christ so we can face suffering when it comes.

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