Defying the odds

With a 135 participants, the congregation that gathered for a divine service with Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider on 28 October 2015 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was small. But it was exactly this situation that the Chief Apostle picked up on with the Bible text he had chosen for the service: “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16: 9).

Recognizing opportunities

Although Ephesus was one of the largest cities at the time, only twelve people accepted the testimony of Paul there, the Chief Apostle said as he explained the background of the Bible text. The Apostle did not lose courage, however. In fact, he saw a great opportunity in Ephesus

The odds that Paul had to cope with are similar to the ones we face when it comes to proclaiming the gospel today. “Most people want to stay with their faith and do not accept the new message. Others are only interested in Jesus Christ because they hope for a better life on earth. And still others are only interested in making money.”

Following Paul’s example

Considering all of this, Paul’s reaction was even more fascinating: “For a great and effective door has been opened to me,” he said. He figured, “If God has sent me to this city, then only because He wants me to do something here.”

“The same applies today. No matter where we are in the world, we have a fantastic opportunity to do something for the Lord,” Chief Apostle Schneider said. “Let’s see how Paul managed to do this work.”

• Paul did not stop talking about the Lord and testifying of his faith. “Let us speak about our faith, our experiences of faith, and what we experience in the divine services as something completely normal and natural.”
• Through Paul, God performed miracles. “Let us also do miracles—those things that people think are impossible to do, but which we do. We are joyful even in hardships. We are full of confidence. We are able to forgive. We are able to bring sacrifices even if we have nothing. We are one despite our differences.”
• Paul also shared the joys and sorrows of the people. “That is also a wonderful way to profess our faith and the message of the gospel. In a world that is becoming more and more selfish, let us share the joys and the sorrows of our neighbour.”
• Paul did not act in his own best interests but out of love. “People must know that we are not just interested in increasing the membership of the Church or its monetary contributions. What we want is to share the glory of the Lord with our neighbour.”

“You see, actually, we are in a very similar situation as Paul,” the Chief Apostle concluded. “Don’t be discouraged. Believe in the activity of living Apostles. As long as they are active on earth it is possible to find souls desiring salvation—in this world and in yonder world.”