In their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas encountered a skeptical audience.

Many had been raised in the ancient Hebrew tradition and saw Paul's efforts as traitorous.

Well today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall continues to describe this epic journey

and the struggles that Paul and Barnabas faced along the way. Through their courage and resilience,

we discover what it means to be bold in our generation as genuine ambassadors for the truth.

Chuck titled today's message, The Jagged Edge of Authentic Ministry.

Let's pick up the story now in Acts chapter 13.

Look at verse 13.

Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphalia.

Okay, let's look again. You go north of Paphos and you will come up to Perga. See it?

Right there on the coast of the Pamphilian shores, you'll see Perga.

Okay?

The Pamphilian coastline is rugged to this day.

It's inhospitable.

It is southern Turkey, not a place where many cruise ships stop.

It is not a visual feast to spend time along that rugged coastline, and it certainly wasn't

in the first century, but it was there they were called. You don't go to where it's comfortable,

and you don't go where you prefer to go. You go where you're called when you're in ministry.

And so the Lord led them to go up to Perga at Pamphalia. John deserted them, and then they began to work

their way around what we know today as southern Turkey. While they are in Listra, a fascinating thing

happens. Let me go back for a moment to this chapter. Chapter 14, I want you to see it. Chapter 14, verse 9, the man was listening to Paul as he spoke,

who when he had fixed his gaze on him had seen that he had the faith to be made well,

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