Have you ever imagined that nobody did that better than Paul! Paul is an amazing person. Over 10 years He travelled 8100 miles, mostly on foot, planted 20 churches, wrote 13 to 14 of the 27 books of the N.T., brought the gospel to Europe, broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile, got the attention of the whole World, commissioned the most complete writing of the life of Christ and the early history of the church, and was executed for his testimony of Christ. But it didn’t start that way.... The first time we meet him is in Acts 7:57-8:3 where we left off last week. Who is this guy and where did he come from?.. He was born a Jew in Syria. He was of the tribe of Benjamin and a Roman citizen by birth. He was very bright. He was accepted to the school of Gamaliel. He was appointed a Pharisee at a very early age. He was more zealous for the preservation of Jewish doctrine and culture than anyone. Christianity was a threat. Until one day... (tell the story of his conversion) He went to Arabia (probably Mt. Sinai) for 3 years. Jesus was forging an Apostle. He went back to Damascus, then Jerusalem, then to Tarsus for 10 years. Then the Holy Spirit sent him out... Over the next 10 years, God changed the world through Paul! In Lystra, he was considered a god, then stoned, but went back into the city. In Philippi, he kept his Roman citizenship a secret to reach a jailor and inmates. In Athens, he reasoned with the greatest minds of his age. In Corinth, he made the decision to reach the whole Gentile world. In Ephesus, he filled a stadium with 25,000 protestors rioting against him. In Jerusalem, over 40 men vowed not to eat or drink till they killed him. In Rome, he converted the guards who were chained to him. Because of Paul, the world would never be the same! Today, we are changed through what Jesus did through him. Great! But what does any of this have to do with me? I can’t change the world! You can change the world for somebody! When you find the upper story you can help someone else to find it. But you say you can’t do anything like Paul... Paul was only doing what God called him to do. Acts 9:15-16. Look at Ananias...just a guy living in Damascus. No Ananias... no Paul! God will only hold you accountable for what he has called you to do. The question is, “What has He called me to do?” You may be praying for that... that’s the wrong prayer. Look at Paul before his specific calling... 13 years of waiting... 13 years of joining God where He was working until the Holy Spirit set him apart. Today might be your Damascus road. Today may be Arabia. Today may be Tarsus. Today may be your specific call. In any case, you know what to do. Happy Sunday Pals...
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 14:56:01 +0000
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