GOD’S CALL ON YOUR LIFE
IS NOT PAVED WITH ROSES
ACTS
The Apostle Paul was on his way to Damascus to
persecute the members of the newly formed church. Having been elevated to
the position of Pharisee, he had the power and authority to find any member of the
church and bring them before the Jewish hierarchy to be tried and killed.
The resurrected Jesus knocked him down, blinded him, and changed the direction
of his life. He was taken to Damascus by his companions and left there.
Ananias a devout Jew and was sent by Christ to give Paul his commission.
Acts 22:14-17
14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
From the text, it looked like Saul (Paul) was given a get-out-of-jail-free card. Not so
his life would be full of trouble preaching the Gospel.
DON’T BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
As long as you are providing entertainment, your so-called friend will be with
you. It was good entertainment for Saul to persecute the members of the church
whom the leading Jews hated and wanted dead. Saul influenced by the leading Jewish
religious folk made a good sport of hunting church members.
The moment Saul got knocked down and blinded, his run dogs left him. They took
Saul to Damascus and left him there never to heard again.
As long as you are doing wrong and financing the entertainment you will have no lack
of companions. When the music stops and the liquor runs out you will be left
by yourself.
CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT TO SERVE GOD.
God has a plan and a training program to get you ready to serve.
You cannot run with the same folk serving God
One Saul received his sight at the hands of Ananias, he went to Arabia for three
years.
Galatians 1:15-19
But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.
God will separate the sheep from the goats. God sent Saul away from his environment
There are times when you have to let go of that which is holding you back from God's plan
Saul’s run dogs were with him when God called. It was God who did not allow them to
understand the directions and purpose given to Saul.
Some things are just between you and God. You may need a new place to grow in the Lord
without the distractions of your past
Still looks like a get-out-of-jail-free card.
YOUR REPUTATION PRECEDES YOU, MUST EARN THE TRUST OF OTHERS
People don't easily forget their past. You can't erase it from their memories.
Some people who know your past, will judge you by your past and keep you
in your past behavior.
Acts 22:17-18
17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
Acts 22:21
"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
Just because you got the call from, Jesus doesn't mean you are ready for the mission.
Your past is your past and you have to deal with the consequences.
Galatians 1:21-2:1
Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they praised God because of me.
2 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas.
It took 17 years for Saul (Paul) to be prepared for the mission God called him to.
ATTACH YOURSELF TO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
Galatians 2:9-10
9 James, Peter, and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
It took 17 years of training and preparation for Paul to get the right hand of fellowship from the
Church leaders.
Paul had to develop a habit of trusting God and preaching the Word of God. He had the
recommendation of those he served outside of the Jerusalem circle.
When Paul came back to Jerusalem, he came with a new reputation
Still looks like a get-out-of-jail-free card to me
GOD GETS YOU READY FOR GOOD TROUBLE
What goes around comes around
Your past is the training ground for what you do in the future.
Starting in Acts chapter 13 is the story of Paul's 3 missionary journeys.
The 13 books of the New Testament that Paul wrote are the doctrine of Jesus Christ
that he taught and preached.
Paul suffered greatly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Chapter 14 the Leading Jews from Antioch came to Lystra and stirred up trouble
among the people and had Paul stoned and left for dead.
In Chapter 16 while teaching in Thyatira, a slave girl with a spirit of predicting the
future who made her owner much money, followed Paul claiming he and his companions
were servants of the most high God. Paul called the spirit out to her. Her owners lost the ability to
make money from her, stirred up trouble, and had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison
In Chapter 17 the leading Jewish Religious leaders ran Paul out of Thessalonia.
In Chapter 22 the leading Jewish religious leader plotted to ambush the soldiers
taking Paul to the Synagogue and killing Paul.
God's Got watching eyes over you. The son of Paul's sister learned of the plan
and told Paul and the Roman soldiers who put together a small army to protect Paul.
He was later taken to Rome to be tried by the Romans and killed
PROVE YOURSELF WITH STUDY AND SERVICE
Paul was the only one of the Apostles who had a formal education. He was taught
by the best teacher of the Law, Gamaliel
Acts 22:3-4
Under Gamaliel, I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
He is the only one of the Apostles that is reported to have a law library
Study to show yourself approved 2 Timothy 2:15
2 Timothy 4:13
13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
The following is a breakdown of the letters Paul wrote. He identified himself
as the writer of 12 of the New Testament books.
Galatians (AD 47)
1 and 2 Thessalonians (AD 49—51)
1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans (AD 52—56)
Ephesians, Philemon, Colossians, and Philippians (AD 60—62, during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment)
1 Timothy and Titus (AD 62)
2 Timothy (AD 63—64, during Paul’s second Roman imprisonment)
The book of Hebrews may also have been written by Paul
The exact details of St. Paul's death are unknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded in Rome and thus died as a martyr for his faith. His death was perhaps part of the executions of Christians ordered by the Roman emperor Nero following the great fire in the city in 64 CE.
It is estimated that the Apostle Paul traveled over 10000 miles and establish
14 to 20 churches during his missionary journeys
He was assigned by God to take the Gospel to Rome, the gateway to the world.
Acts 23:11
FREEDOM IS A STATE OF MIND NOT A PLACE
It is known that St. Paul was imprisoned in Rome and wrote several of his epistles (letters) during his captivity there.
Paul was imprisoned but continued to write letters to teach and encourage the churches.
Your work for Christ lives on after you. You never know how many people you are
reaching beyond your life. There are three sets of people you affect with your work
for Christ. There are those who hear you, those who receive the word from others, and those not yet born.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL?
1. NO ONE IS USELESS TO GOD
2. GOD CAN USE ANYONE
3. YOUR PAST IS A TRAINING GROUND FOR GOD’S USE
4. SERVING GOD DOES NOT ERASE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
YOUR PAST.
5. GOD DOES NOT JUDGE YOU BY YOUR PAST BUT BY YOUR HEART
6. BE DETERMINED TO SERVE
7. EARN THE TRUST OF OTHERS BY LIVING
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