How Many...

Acts 18:9-10
Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

Corinth
Corinth was an ancient city founded on a natural trade route with a good harbor for ship traffic. It was destroyed by the Romans about 147 BC but rebuilt by Julius Caesar a century later. The revived, rebuilt Corinth exceeded all the cities of the world, for its splendor, magnificence and opulence. Its public buildings and baths were embellished with beautiful columns that gave birth to the Corinthian Order in Architecture. According to history, Corinth became a leading city of Greece and the seat of the Roman proconsul for the Roman province of Achaia.

Corinth was known for its wealth and luxury with a bustling commercial and industrial center boasting a population of almost 700,000. However, Corinth was also renowned for its drunkenness and immorality. It was a vile city that epitomized the decadence of the Greek world. The city was the site of a great temple of Aphrodite, whose priestesses, known as sacred prostitutes, freely roamed the streets while plying their trade. So notorious was this city for its lewd conduct that the verb “corinthize” came to signify the act of being a prostitute and the phrase “a Corinthian girl” was synonymous with the term harlot.

In Acts 16:9-10 Paul responded to a vision from God calling him to Macedonia. The fulfillment of that calling would lead Paul to found churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and possibly Athens before finally turning his attention to Corinth. Corinth proved to be a testing ground. Here, Paul experienced obstacles and opposition, but it was also here that Paul had his greatest breakthrough in his first missionary journey.

In the narrative of Acts 18 we find Paul in the process of endeavoring to evangelize Corinth. We catch small glimpses into his ministry there. We know from the witness of scripture that he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. We also know that they opposed and reviled him, to the extent that he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent.”

Up to this point in the Acts account, in every city that Paul visits opposition to his ministry normally results in him being forced to leave a place of ministry and move on. It is likely that, as we come to verse 9, Paul was discouraged by the violent opposition of the Jews and probably was in danger of his life. He was likely entertaining thoughts of moving on and ministering elsewhere. He references his mindset and condition in 1 Corinthians 3:20 (ESV) when he says “And a I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling…” However, as his moral dipped low, God stepped in with a vision.

“Be not Afraid,” the Lord said. Though his enemies plotted his demise the spirit informed him, “No man will be permitted to lay hands on you.” But God didn’t stop with a promise of protection. He provided an incredible glimpse into his plan and purpose for Paul in Corinth. “Speak and hold not thy peace,” the Lord declares, “for I have much people in this city.”

I have much people!
The Lord looked at the teaming masses of immoral people in Corinth and said to Paul, “I have many in this city who are my people.” What a phenomenal statement! God wasn’t talking about a church that was already established. He was talking about people that were still lost, people that hadn’t yet heard the gospel message, people that were desperate, hurting and bound in sin.

What he was saying to Paul was that there were many in Corinth that had not resisted his Spirit. There were many, in the midst of the sin and vice of Corinth, that God looked at and said, their heart is tender towards me. They haven’t spurned my advances and they are ready to embrace my Gospel as soon as you declare it to them. Speak! Hold not thy peace. There are many that are ready to hear the gospel. Speak! Tell somebody because there are people here that are ready! They are mine, God said, and I’m commissioning you to reach out to them.

How many?
When I recently read this passage I was stirred in my spirit. I began to recognize the fact that when the Lord looks down at Lake City he sees more than a small apostolic church struggling to survive. He sees the multitude of people that are bound in sin and mired in the immorality and vices of this world. As he gazed upon those people he marks out those among that number that are sensitive to him, those that are hungry, those that haven’t rejected his advances. And of them he says to the church, “Speak. Hold not thy peace. I have many people in this city!”

I have come to the realization that God has people in our city that are his. People that don't know truth. People that haven't ever visited our church. People that are hungry for a change and are ready for someone to sahre with them the wonderful truth that we have.

There are those within this city that live within blocks of this church that have not rejected the spirit of God but have hungered after him. They've made mistakes, they are bound in sin and tradition. They don't know the truth but they are ungry, they are sensitive to God and God is commissioning us to reach out to them! It’s our job to reach them. It’s our job to speak to them. It’s our job to hold not our peace but proclaim the saving message of God’s love and forgiveness. Its our job to lead them to the cross of Calvary, to take them to an alter of repentance and bury them in the waters of baptism that they might receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They are HIS people and they are our commission.

I have pondered the question for several weeks now. How many are there? I've come to the conclusion that there are more than we have even begun to imagine. I believe there are more than our church can contain. I believe that God has MANY in our city.

I've also come to the conclusion that we will never know how many there are until we reach out to them. Unless we reach them, they will never come. Unless we invite them the will never enter the church. Unless we tell them they will never hear. Unless we show them they will never see.

Paul stayed in Corinth and ministered for 18 months. It became the greatest revival of his ministry to that point. All because he heard the voice of the Lord and answered the call. The greatest revival the church has ever experienced is before us. I believe that the Lord is sending a message to the church that isn't much different from the message He sent to Paul. Don't stop now. I have many people in this city.

I think its time we endeavored to discover just how many there are...