What is Effective Preaching? - Acts 14

In Iconium

14 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country,7 where they continued to preach the gospel.

In the book of Acts, we see the church start to grow rapidly in the area today we know as Turkey.  Iconium is in Central Turkey. Paul and Barnabas went as a team into the synagogue, which was their primary strategy, as they sought to spread the gospel into Asia Minor.  The passage says they "spoke effectively". I would have love to have been there to hear and see what their preaching and teaching was like. Why was it effective?  Because a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.  Notice that both Jews and Greeks were reached for Christ.  

The next paragraph says they "spoke boldly" for the Lord who confirmed the message of his grace.  So we know the content of their message was the gospel, the Good News of God's grace in Christ Jesus.  Not only did they believe in this message themselves, but they preached it boldly. God honored their faithful preaching by making it effective to bring others to salvation.  Romans 10:14-15 says this those who share the Good News with other,   

"But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

As believers we have all been sent to be messengers of the Good News.  Our job isn't to get people to believe the Good News, it is to share it and allow God to draw people to himself.  And it is not complicated.  It is a message of God's love for all people, which He showed by sending His Son into the world not to condemn, it but save it.  And Jesus did what we could not do for ourselves by dying for our sins on the cross, though he was completely innocent.  By his death our sins have been cancelled out.  When God looks at us through the eyes of Jesus, we are set free.  We are forgiven.  We are as cleansed to be white as snow.  We are made whole.  

You may be the only person who knows the person who has not yet heard the Good News. God might have placed this person in your life for you to share it with them.  As you go forth and boldly preach what God has done for everyone through His Son and what He has done for you, the bible says your feet are '"beautiful".  They are beautiful because God is pleased when you are doing what you were sent to do!   As we are faithful with our feet to go out into the world, and faithful with our message of what Jesus has done for the world, we too will be effective in our speaking and many will come to know the Lord!