The Call - Called to Remember

This month we have been looking at the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul.  Paul was called by God to take the news of Jesus to the gentiles and it was Paul’s faithfulness to this mission that led to the establishment of churches across the Roman Empire which laid the foundation for the Christian faith to spread around the world.  Paul’s letters to these churches fill the New Testament and continue to teach us today what it means to follow Jesus.  We are looking at Paul’s life not just to learn about history but to learn from Paul how we can better hear and respond to God’s call in our own life. 

God calls all of us to follow Jesus in ways that only we can.  God calls us to be a witness to His love in the places only we go and God calls us to use the unique gifts He has given us to help and encourage others.  While Paul was called to spread the news of Jesus around the world, he would not have been able to do this if others had not followed the call of God in their lives and helped Paul. 

A man named Ananias was called by God to walk down the street and pray with Paul and it was that visit and prayer that healed Paul and opened his eyes to the power of Jesus.  Last week we saw how Barnabas was called by God to be an encourager of Paul and it was Barnabas who called him into ministry.  Because these people were faithful to the call of God in their lives Paul was able to follow God’s call in his life.  Each of us has a unique call and being faithful that call is important not only to our lives but to the work of God in the world. 

Last week we heard that after years of preparation, God called Paul and Barnabas to go on what was Paul’s first missionary journey.   Paul travelled throughout Asia Minor teaching and preaching about Jesus and along the way they established small communities of believers in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. 

While Paul met opposition and persecution everywhere he went, he kept going and when the trip was over he went back to Antioch and shared with the people all that God had done.  Acts 14:27-28.

Sometime later, Paul and Barnabas discussed going back to these churches to see how they were doing.  Barnabas, wanted to take with them a man named John Mark, but Paul didn’t want him along because John Mark had deserted them on the first journey.  Paul and Barnabas disagreed so strongly that they parted ways.  Barnabas and John Mark sailed to Cyprus where they worked to strengthen the churches there and Paul took another leader, Silas, and went over land to the churches in the region of Galatia. 

There are two things we learn from this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas.  The first is that we often have disagreements on what God is calling us to do but these differences don’t have to derail or destroy the work of God.  Barnabas and John Mark went in one direction and Paul and Silas went in another.  They both continued the work of God, they both did what God was calling them to do and they both used their gifts the way God wanted them to.  Their disagreement didn’t end God’s work – in some ways it expanded it. 

The second thing we learn is that while they disagreed - they didn’t end their relationship.  Both Barnabas and John Mark worked with Paul and supported him in the years to come.  We can disagree on things in the life of the church and we can even go our separate ways but we need to support and respect each other in the process. 

In the history of the church there have been many divisions and disagreements.  The church has divided over theological issues, political issues, social issues, economic issues, racial issues and just about every other issue you can think of.  There are great divides today in how we look at issues like human sexuality and social justice and what we learn from Paul and Barnabas is that if we do go our separate ways we need to remember two things: 
#1 – the work of God continues.  
#2 – we need to treat each other with grace and respect so that the door is always opened for working together in the future.  

So Paul and Silas began a journey that took them over land to the churches in Derbe and Lystra and in Lystra they were joined by a man named Timothy.  While Timothy was young, Paul saw great promise in him and became his mentor.  Paul remembered how Barnabas had given him a chance and encouraged him when no one else would so now Paul was willing to take a chance on Timothy and encourage him.  Remembering how others have encouraged us and helped us in the past can help us reach out and encourage others and this is all part of God’s call in our lives. 

Paul, Silas and now Timothy traveled across the northern regions of Galatia but at every turn they encountered obstacles.  Acts 16:6-8

I love this passage because it shows us what trying to discern the will of God often looks like.  Paul knew God had called him to take the message of Jesus to the gentiles and he was looking north the entire time.  Paul had his own idea of what God’s call looked like and he tried several different ways to make it happen but every time he was prevented from moving in that direction.  We don’t know what these obstacles were, but they were firm which meant that Paul had no choice but to keep going west until they got to Troas. 

What I like about this passage is that it shows us even Paul struggled to figure out God’s specific plan.  He knew God called him to share the gospel with the gentiles but the details of this plan didn’t come all at once.  Paul had to move forward step by step and evaluate his circumstances and surroundings and ask for clarity and direction.  When we face obstacles in life it may seem like God is closing a door and when that happens it becomes easy to think that we heard God’s call wrong and just give up, but instead of giving up we need to remember the call and keep moving forward. 

Paul knew he was called to preach and teach about Jesus.  He knew he was called to take the news of Jesus to the gentiles and whether it was east or west, north or south didn’t really matter, Paul just had to keep going.  We always need to remember the call in our lives and keep going.  What has God called us to do?  Who has God called us to be?  Where has God called us to go?  God’s call doesn’t always come with clear directions so we have to be open and responsive as the Spirit of God leads us. 

Once Paul was in Troas God called out to him in a dream to go over to Macedonia.  Acts 16:9-10.  Sometimes God closes doors to direct us and sometimes God speaks clearly and opens doors.  While it is always a step of faith when we make a decision, if we are trusting God to lead us than we can have confidence that the new step will help make the way clear.  Paul simply trusted that what he had heard from God was the way he needed to go and he went.  Acts 16:11-15.

Paul’s plan when he got to a new city was to first go to the Jewish synagogue and share with his fellow Jews the story of Jesus and invite them to accept Jesus as the Messiah but when Paul arrived in Philippi, it doesn’t say he went to the synagogue but to a river.  Philippi had a mostly Roman population which means it didn’t have a large enough Jewish community to support a synagogue.  You needed 10 married Jewish men to form a synagogue and if a community didn’t have that then the Jewish people would often gather along the banks of a river to pray.  So on the Sabbath, Paul went to the river where he found a group of woman in worship and among them was a woman named Lydia. 

Because there is no mention of Lydia’s husband, it is assumed that she is either divorced or a widow.  Either way she is a single mom working hard to care for her family and while others may have looked down on her because of her position in life – Paul did not. 
Like Jesus did on so many occasions, Paul saw the value and dignity of this woman.  He saw the Holy Spirit moving in her heart and life and when she accepted Jesus as the Messiah Paul baptized her and her family.  This is a significant moment because this is the first recorded convert and baptism on what we would consider today to be European soil and it wasn’t a man from Macedonia it was a single mom. 

In this baptism we see that Paul is remembering that the message and work of Jesus was all about sharing the unconditional love of God with all people.  It was about the grace of God which offers forgiveness, hope and new life to all people.  Paul remembered how Jesus reached out to those who were often seen as the least likely to be loved and cared for and he cared for them.  In this baptism we see that Paul remembering and continuing the work of Jesus. 

This baptism is also a call for us to remember.  It is a call for us to remember our baptism.  For most of us, baptism may have taken place when we were infants so there is no remembering the actual event.  I don’t remember being baptized, I had to ask my parents when and where I was baptized and to be honest, they couldn’t remember, so when I talk about remembering our baptism I am not talking about remembering an event, I am taking about remembering what being baptized is all about. 

Baptism tells us five important things we are called to remember.
1. God loves us.  Baptism tells us that God loves us and created us in love.  Baptism tells us that all of life is valuable and precious because we have been created in the image of God.  Baptism is an act of love – not our love toward God or even our love for our children or those being baptized but God’s love for us. 

2. God claims us.  In baptism God claims us as his own.  God is saying, you are my child and I will be your God.  I will walk with you and be with through life.  One of the reasons that we don’t talk about re-baptizing people is because God is always faithful to his promise.  While we fail and may need to recommit ourselves to God – God never fails.  Once God claims us as his own – he keeps us close and always reaches out to us with grace and love.

3. God forgives us.  Baptism also reminds us of being washed clean and forgiven.  When Paul baptized Lydia and her family they went into the river and laid back and went under the water, they were washed clean.  In baptism the stain of sin is washed away and we are forgiven.  When we remember our baptism we remember that God forgives us.  King David said, cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.  (Psalm 51:7).  Baptism is not washing ourselves clean but God washing us clean with his grace and love.

4. God gives us life.  Baptism is also about new life.  When we come up from the water we are set free from sin and given the grace and power to live a new life.  Baptism is a sign of our desire to live a new way and a reminder that by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we can live a new way and experience new life.  When we remember our baptism we are reminded that new life is possible for all of us because of God.

5. God fills us with the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus came up from the waters of baptism it says that the spirit of God came upon him in the form of a dove.  While I have yet to see a dove appear at any baptism I have done, that doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit has not been present.  Baptism is a sacrament of the church because we believe the spirit of God is present in the life of the child and parents and church in a very specific way.  God doesn’t just fill the person being baptized God fills and works in the community as well.   

Behind every call of God is a call to remember – to remember our baptism.  There is no call to mission and ministry without first a call to be baptized and remember that God loves us and claims us and forgives us and gives us a new life filled with the power of God’s spirit.  The reason we can move forward and be faithful to God’s call in our lives is because God loves us and claims us and forgives us and gives us a new life filled with the power of His spirit. 

In those moments when we may struggle to hear God’s call or wonder which direction we are supposed to go in order to be faithful, we need to remember our baptism and trust that the one who called us is the one who loves us and the one who will lead us. 

Next Steps
Called To Remember

1.  Read about Paul’s second missionary journey in Acts 15:36 – 18:23. 

2.  Paul remembered how Barnabas believed and encouraged him so he believed in and encouraged Timothy.  Remember the ways you have been encouraged and use those examples as ways you can encourage others. 

3.  Paul didn’t see obstacles as a reason to give up but as means of God providing direction (See Acts 16:6-11)
• What obstacles are you facing today? 
• How can these be signs pointing you in the direction God wants you to go? 

4.  God also called Paul forward in a dream. 
• What dreams and visions has God given you? 
• How can these dreams give you direction? 
• What will it take for you to go?

5.  When we “Remember our Baptism” we remember that:
• God _____loves__ ___ us.
• God _____claims_____us.
• God _____forgives____us.
• God gives us ____life___.
• God fills us with the __Holy_    __Spirit_. 

6.  How can remembering your baptism help you stay faithful to God’s call in your life? 

the Call - Called to Go

Last week we started a series looking at the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul.  Next to Jesus, Paul is perhaps the most influential person who has ever lived because it was Paul who established Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire which helped take the good news of Jesus to the entire world.  Paul is the author of 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament and half of the book of Acts describes the journeys Paul made.  Last week we heard how Jesus called Paul to stop resisting and surrender to him so that God could use him for his purpose and Paul finally did.  Paul was baptized and started to trust in and follow Jesus.

Paul was in Damascus when he accepted Christ and after preaching there for a short period of time he went into the wilderness of Arabia for three years.  Galatians 1:17-19  We have no record of what Paul did during these years but it is interesting to think about how many of the people God called to be a leader spent time in the wilderness.  Moses spent time alone on Mt. Sinai.  The prophet Elijah spent time alone on Mt. Horeb and Jesus spent time alone in the wilderness after he was baptized.  The wilderness is really just a vast desert area that is incredibly desolate and yet stunningly beautiful.

Here are some pictures of the wilderness in Israel and as I stood and looked out, there were two things that came to me.

#1 – God is huge and vast and powerful.  Like standing on the top of a mountain and seeing for miles around – the vastness and power of creation are clear.  The God who calls us is big and can do big things.  #2 – the wilderness is desolate, which reminds us how much we need God.  The wilderness drives us to God in ways that nothing else can and perhaps that was what Paul needed.  Paul needed time to be with God to rethink his life and his faith.  His world view and theology had been transformed by the reality of Jesus and Paul needed time to rethink his life and the wilderness gave him that time to think and pray and listen.

After three years in the wilderness, Paul returned to Damascus and then back to Jerusalem. Now the last time Paul was in Jerusalem he had given approval for the stoning of Stephen so the followers of Jesus were afraid of meeting with Paul.  Acts 9:26-27

While most were afraid of Paul, Barnabas took a chance and met with him and it was Barnabas who was willing to introduce Paul to the Apostles.  After that meeting, Peter and Paul met together for 15 days, but when some of the Jewish leaders heard about Paul’s conversion they wanted to have Paul killed.  Paul has gone from persecuting the followers of Jesus to being persecuted for being a follower of Jesus so Paul fled for his life and returned to Tarsus, which was his home.  For the next 10 years Paul remained in Tarsus and we hear nothing of what happened to him, but chances are good he went home to live with his parents.  You see, nothing much changes in our world.  A successful man with everything in front of him suddenly goes through a career change and ends up living with his parents.

Think how difficult these years must have been for Paul.  Paul was a driven and ambitious man.  He had the best education, excelled in all things, had an experience with the risen Christ and been told that he was going to take the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles but now he was living at home.  Many people face this situation.  You get a great degree but then can’t find a job so move in with your parents.  The company downsizes and you go from a position in management to no position at all.  You feel called to a new career path but no doors open and so you just mark time for a while wondering if you heard right.

Many of God’s leaders went through this same situation and a kind or in-between time.  Joseph was told he would be a leader but then spent 20 years working in Pharaoh’s court and sitting in Pharaoh’s prison.  Moses started out as a Prince but then spent 40 years in the wilderness as a shepherd.  David was told he was going to be the king of Israel but then spent 25 years running from the current king, Saul, who wanted to kill him.

These in-between years can be difficult but we need to remember that they are not the end.  Joseph, Moses and David all became great leaders, their time in-between being called and finally having that call fulfilled was a time of growth and preparation.  For each of them, and for Paul these were times of humility, times of learning and times of developing faith and trust.  These are the times that prepare us for God’s future.  We may not see all that God is doing in us through these times and we may not see how God is laying the groundwork for our mission – but God is at work.  God is preparing us for more.  God’s call in our lives and God’s ultimate call to “go” don’t always come at the same moment and this time in-between is a time for us to be faithful and prepare.  God was preparing Paul.  God taught him humility, perseverance, faithfulness and trust and none of these traits are developed quickly, they take time and in Paul’s case they took 10 years.

Things started to change for Paul when a revival took place in the city of Antioch.  Antioch was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire with a population of about 500,000 people.  It had a large Jewish population and many of those people started following Jesus but then many Greeks living in this area also started to follow Jesus.  The church leaders in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to see what was going on and when he arrived, Barnabas was amazed at what he saw God doing.  True revival was taking place and leaders were needed to help organize and teach the people.

Barnabas knew what was needed was a leader who was familiar with Greek culture and language, someone who knew the finer points of Jewish theology and someone who knew the power of conversion that comes with Jesus.  There was only one person who fit this profile and that was Paul.  So Barnabas travelled to Tarsus and found Paul making tents and brought him to Antioch to help lead this growing movement.
 
This is the second time Barnabas has showed his faith and trust in Paul.  First he was willing to take Paul and introduce him to the Apostles and now he gets Paul to help lead a revival.  Barnabas believed in Paul.  He saw gifts and graces in Paul and he opened doors for Paul to use those gifts.  The name Barnabas means Son of Encouragement and that is exactly what Barnabas was – an encouragement.  Paul’s life story shows us the importance of having a Barnabas or encourager in our own lives.  We all need someone who will believe in us and encourage us.

During high school my Barnabas was a couple named Ed & Jo Foster.  They were my youth leaders who believed in me and trusted me and called me to step up and lead at times when I wanted to walk away.  Every church I have served has had a Barnabas – a person (or people) who have seen more in me than I ever saw in myself and who encouraged me to keep going.  Many of you are a Barnabas to me by your prayers, words of encouragement and trust.

Who has been a Barnabas in your life?  Who has encouraged you to do more than you thought you could do and be more than you thought you could be?  Who believed in you when no else did and who has given you opportunities to learn and grow as well as fail and succeed?  Maybe it was a teacher or coach, maybe it was a mentor or friend. Your encourager could also be your spouse or parent or grandparent.

We all need a Barnabas and we all need to be a Barnabas to someone else.  So let me ask you, Who are you encouraging?  Who has God placed in your life that needs to be encouraged and called forth to greater things?  Who needs you to invest in them so they can fulfill the plans God has for them?  God places people like this in our lives all the time and it is up to us to see them and encourage them.  Step out and encourage someone today and see what God will do in both your lives.

Because of Barnabas, Paul went to Antioch and while he was there they both heard the call of God to go.  Acts 13:2-3

It is important to notice where this call of God took place.  Paul and Barnabas were in worship.  God uses times of worship and prayer to call us and to make that call clear.  I was called to preach while I was preaching during worship.  I was serving as a student associate pastor while in seminary and struggling to figure out if I was called to the local church where preaching every Sunday is obviously a big part of the ministry.  I wasn’t sure this was for me until I preached the first time during worship.

My sermon that Sunday asked the question, what is it that we beg from Jesus?  Do we beg Jesus to save us?  Or do we beg Jesus to leave us so we can live our own lives?  As I was preaching the thought came to me – who am I to tell these people how to live their lives?  And I am not kidding when I say that immediately on top of that thought came this one, there is nothing else I believe and there is no other message worth proclaiming than the message to follow Jesus.  That time of worship was part of God’s call for me to be a local pastor, and worship continued to help shape that call.

Worship helps prepare us for all that God wants to do in our lives.  Worship is often a time when we are more open to God’s spirit and leading and take the time to listen for God’s voice and so worship is a big part of how God prepares us in all seasons of life.  Paul and Barnabas heard the call of God during worship and they followed that call and went on what became for Paul his first missionary journey. 

Paul and Barnabas first sailed to Cyprus because this was Barnabas’ home.  They started in a place that was familiar and where they had connections and before they left Cyprus the roman governor of the entire island accepted Christ.  From Cyprus they sailed to Perga which is in modern day turkey but it say they didn’t stay in Perga but immediately went up to Antioch in the mountains.  We don’t know why Paul did this because usually Paul would preach where ever he landed and he seldom bypassed cities, but we can speculate that Paul didn’t preach in Perga because he was sick.  Galatians 4:13.

It makes sense that if Paul was not feeling well that he would have left the port city which was hot and humid to travel into the mountains where it would have been cool and dry.  While we don’t know what Paul’s illness may have been, there are some who think Paul was suffering with an eye infection because he tells the Galatians that if they could have they would have torn out their own eyes to give to Paul.  Paul’s writings also hint to the fact that he had trouble with his vision but it never slowed him down.

On all of Paul’s journeys his routine was the same.  When he entered a city Paul would go to the synagogue and share with the Jews how Jesus was the Messiah.  Paul did this in Antioch and the people were eager to hear what he had to say so they invited Paul back the next day and a huge crowd gathered to hear his message.  When this happened the leaders of the synagogue became jealous.  Acts 13:45
The Jewish leaders in Antioch were jealous of Paul and the crowds that he was drawing.  They felt he was a threat to their position and power and community so they drove him out of the city.  Instead of giving up and going home, Paul traveled to Iconium.  Now in Iconium, the same thing happened only this time the people wanted to kill him so Paul left and travelled to Lystra and then Derbe.  In Derbe, Paul not only faced opposition from the people there but leaders from both Antioch and Iconium followed Paul to stir up trouble.

Now we might think that Paul would have finally had enough of all this conflict and what seems like failures and just skip on over to his home in Tarsus – but he doesn’t.  Paul returned to Iconium and Antioch where has been run out of town so he could keep preaching and teaching and then he made his way back to Perga so he could share the good news there before sailing back home.

So what do we learn from Paul’s first missionary journey?  It covered over 1,500 miles and would have cost 2/3 of a yearly salary and Paul was driven out of most of the places he went.  But here is what Paul’s journey really teaches us:
Paul was prepared.  Paul was encouraged.  Paul was persistent.

Paul was prepared.  Paul’s 3 years in the wilderness and 10 years at home prepared him for this journey.  Those years taught Paul how to depend on God and how to keep going in the face of disappointments and obstacles.  Paul’s time of preparation taught him humility and how to do things for God’s glory and not his own.  It taught Paul how to listen to God and be faithful to God.  These 13 years of in-between time were not wasted years, they were times of preparation.

God gives all of us seasons of preparation.  We might feel like we are treading water, running on that hamster wheel getting nowhere or just marking time, but we need to look at these seasons as times of preparation for the mission that is coming.  How is God preparing you in this season of your life?  Is worship part of that season and are we taking full advantage of where we are today?

Paul was encouraged.  Paul would have never made that first journey if it had not been for Barnabas.  Barnabas was the one who took Paul to Antioch where the call came and having Barnabas on the trip helped Paul keep going because Barnabas was the encourager, the cheer leader and the one who kept Paul going.

Who is encouraging you?  God places a Barnabas in all our lives but we have to be willing to see them and hear their words of encouragement and at times go with them.  Paul was willing to listen and go with Barnabas not once but twice and we have to be willing to listen and step out in faith with those who are encouraging us.

Paul was persistent.  He kept going.  When it would have been easy to give up and go home – Paul stayed faithful.  The reason Paul kept going was because his time in the wilderness taught him how to depend on a Big God who had Big Dreams.  Paul believed in his call but more importantly he believed in the God who called him.

When it comes to following God’s call in our lives we need to be persistent.  Nothing comes easily.  We will face disappointments, sickness and failure but when we have heard God’s voice and trust God’s call we can’t see those things as signs telling us to stop but obstacles to overcome because the one who has called us to go will always go with us.  The God who called us is Big and God has BIG Dreams for us.  So listen to God’s call in your life.  In worship, prayer and reflection hear the call, prepare yourself, walk with others and step out in faith never looking back and never giving up.

Next Steps

Called To Go – Paul’s First Missionary Journey

1. Time to Prepare

Read Acts 9:19-30, Acts 11:19-30, Acts 12:25-13:3

How is God preparing you during this season of your life?

Use the following spiritual disciples to help God prepare you for the future.

• Worship
• Prayer and Fasting
• Service and Giving
• Reading and Reflecting of Scripture

2. Time to Encourage

Name the people who have encouraged you in life. 

·         How did their words and actions help you do more than you thought you could do and be more than you thought you could be?

Who has God put in your life today to encourage? 

·         In what specific ways can you be an encouragement to that person this week? 

3. Time to Persist

Read Paul’s First Missionary Journey – Acts 13:4 - 14:28.  Identify all the times Paul persevered when it would have been easier to give up. 

• How did Paul’s preparation help him keep going? 
• How did the presence of Barnabas help keep Paul going? 
• What obstacles do you need to push through? 
• Where do you need to persevere through disappointments and failures?  

The Call ~ Called to Christ

Today we are beginning a series looking at the life and teaching of the Apostle Paul.  Next to Jesus, Paul is perhaps the most influential person who has ever walked the earth because it was Paul’s life and teaching that gave shape to the church and it has been the Christian Church that has had the greatest impact on the world.  Paul is the author of 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament and half the book of Acts is given to the journeys of Paul that helped spread the gospel and establish churches throughout the Roman Empire.  It really was the work of God through Paul that made Christianity its own religion and not just a sect within Judaism and so Paul’s impact on the world is second to none. 

All we know about Paul’s life comes to us through the letters he wrote to the churches and some information we find in the book of Acts.  Here is what Paul tells us about his early life.
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia… a citizen of an important city… circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews…
Brought up in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law being zealous of God… I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age… 
I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and woman and putting them in prison.    (Acts 22:3a, 21:39b, Philippians 3:5, Acts 22:3b, Galatians 1:14a, Acts 22:4)

So let’s start at the beginning.  Tarsus (map) is in modern day Turkey and in Paul’s day it was a strategic and important city in the Roman Empire because it sat on a major trade route between Rome to the west and Africa and Asia to the south and east.  If people or goods were traveling over land the only way to get through the mountains was through what was called the Cilician Gate.  This gate was really a pass that went through the mountains near Tarsus. 

Tarsus was so important to Rome that all landowners in the city became Roman Citizens and their children were made Roman Citizens which gave them all certain rights and privileges.  Tarsus was also a free city which meant that the people did not have to pay taxes and the reason Rome did this was so that they would remain loyal to Rome and always keep the trade route and pass open. 

Because of all this, Tarsus was a place where people wanted to live and it became one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and a place of wealth, learning and culture.  Great schools and universities were established in Tarsus and Paul was educated in these schools and went far in his education.  At some point Paul went to Jerusalem to learn from one of the greatest Jewish rabbis of his day, Gamaliel.  There was also a version of the Olympic Games held in Tarsus that Paul would have known well and those games were used by Paul as a metaphor for how we need to live out our faith.  Because Tarsus was a major trading and business center many skilled craftsmen settled in this area and since Paul was known as a tentmaker it means that his parents were probably tentmakers who taught that skill and business to Paul. 

Growing up in Tarsus shaped Paul in many different ways and God used all those things for His purpose and plan.  Being a Roman Citizen, knowing both Greek and Hebrew, receiving an education where he learned how to think and reason and debate the finer points of philosophy and theology, having a marketable skill, understanding business, interacting with a diverse group of people from around the world and seeing how not only goods and resources travelled the Roman Road but how ideas could also spread were all important parts of Paul’s life that God used to take the gospel of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to the world.  We might think of these things as puzzle pieces that God pulled together for his larger mission.

All of our lives are also a collection of puzzle pieces that God pulls together for his purpose and mission.  Each of our lives is filled with a variety of experiences, opportunities skills and learning that are unique and each piece of the puzzle is important to God’s plan.  God can use the good and bad experiences of our lives for his purpose.  God can use our unique home life, education, interests, skills and gifts to help others and to share the love and grace of Jesus. 

When I look at my own life I realize that my education in telecommunications has given me an understanding of the importance of media in spreading the message of Jesus.  While I don’t play any instruments now, growing up playing the violin, tuba, piano, guitar and bass guitar taught me a lot about music which has helped in planning worship.  My three years as a manager of a movie theater often seems like a time when I was just spinning my wheels but I can see now how God used that time to teach me about business and finances as well as public relations, human resources and management which have all been helpful in being a pastor in a local church.  My home life, education, work experience, gifts, interests and skills are pieces of the puzzle that God has used in my life for His purpose and each of our lives is the same.

Even the tragic and painful experiences in our lives can be used by God for his will and purpose.  A friend of mine lost her mother at a young age and after she died her father struggle to keep the family going.  A few years later the family was in a tragic car accident that killed one of her sisters and all of these events happened before Linda was 21 and because of all this loss and pain, Linda struggled with many issues as a young adult.  In time, Linda overcame her problems, went to college and got a degree in counseling because she felt called by God to use her difficult experiences in life to help others.  Linda became a school counselor and worked with teens who were going through some of the same issues she had growing up. God can use every part of our life, even our heartaches and tragedies for his purpose. 

Paul understood that each part of his life could be used by God for His will and purpose which is why Paul was able to say, I know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28.  I want to invite you to think about all the different pieces of your life and how God might be able to use them for His purpose and glory.  How can God use your unique home life?  How can God use your passion for sports or your skills in music or mechanics?  How can God use your business experiences, your current job, you place in school, your circle of friends?  Every piece of the puzzle that is your life is important and can be used by God for his purpose if we will offer ourselves to God. 

Paul’s unique life was going to be used by God but it couldn’t be used until Paul was willing to offer himself to God and for a season of his life Paul was not yielding to God, he was fighting God.  Last week we heard how on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and the last verse of Acts 2 says that the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  The courage and sacrifice of the early followers of Jesus caused the church to grow until there were thousands of followers in Jerusalem. 

The Christian movement grew as a sect within Judaism known as “The Way” because they followed the way of Jesus and the larger this group grew the more of a threat it became to the religious establishment.  Many Jewish leaders became unsettled with this movement so started to harass and persecute those who followed the Way.  In Acts 6 and 7 we hear about one leader in the Way named Stephen who was filled with the Holy Spirit and wouldn’t stop talking about Jesus.  The religious leaders became so enraged at what Stephen was saying that they brought him before the Sanhedrin where he was tried, condemned and then stoned.  As the witnesses where stoning Stephen it says they placed their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul who we know as Paul. Acts 8:1-3

Paul was not only a very educated man who excelled as a leader but he was ambitious.  As a young man he wanted to make a name for himself so he volunteered to go out and arrest those people who followed Jesus.  Acts 9:1-2.

Paul’s drive, leadership and ambition were also pieces of the puzzle that God used for his purpose and plan.  God needed a man driven and ambitious to help spread the gospel across the world and Paul was going to be that man but it wasn’t going to happen until Paul surrendered that ambition to God.  As long as Paul’s ambition was focused on making a name for himself it couldn’t be used by God.  His ambition needed to be given to God. 

It is important to know that ambition and a drive are not always bad things in our lives.  That spirit and determination can be used by God but only if we will surrender it to Him first.  Paul hadn’t yet surrendered to God, but that moment was coming.  Here’s how it happened in Paul’s own words:  Acts 26:12-15.

Jesus called Paul from a blinding light and asked Paul why he was persecuting him.  Why was Paul kicking against the goads?  A goad is a long stick with a sharp point on the end that was used to drive oxen; it kept them moving forward and in the right direction.  Think of something like a cattle prod.  As long as the ox didn’t fight back the goad didn’t really hurt but if the ox would kick back on the goal it would kick into the sharp point causing pain.  God was trying to goad Paul, he was trying to direct and guide him into the way of life and truth but Paul was resisting.  Paul fought God, he was kicking back and got to the point where to get Paul’s attention Jesus had to strike him blind on the road to Damascus. 

Paul was led into the city where for three days he remained blind.  During that time Jesus spoke to one of his followers, a man named Ananias, and told him to go and place his hands on Paul so that he could regain his sight.  Ananias was afraid to do this because he had heard about Paul and his desire to persecute, arrest and even kill the followers of Jesus, but God goads Ananias, he prods him and assured him that this was God’s will and that Paul was God’s chosen servant to take the news of Jesus to the Gentiles.  In an act of great faith and courage, Ananias finally went to Paul and laid his hands on his eyes and immediately Paul regained his sight and was baptized. 

As important as Paul is to the shaping of the Christian faith and its spread around the world, none of it would have been possible without Ananias.  Sometimes we think that what God calls us to do isn’t very important, but every step of faithful obedience has the power to change the world.  Every simple act of obedience on our part can be used by God to change someone’s life which in turn can touch others, transform a people and change the course of human history.  Ananias’ faithfulness is often overlooked in the life and ministry of Paul, but nothing Paul ever said or did would have been possible with him. 

What is it that God is calling us to do right now?  What simple act of obedience or simple step of faith is God asking us to take?  This one step may the step that opens the door to God’s larger purpose in our lives or in the lives of others.  You and I just might be the Ananias in the life of the next Paul.  To those who were confirmed and baptized today, you might be the Ananias in the life of a friend who will carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to your school or in time to the ends of the world in new and fresh ways.

In the end, God was calling Paul to surrender all the pieces of his life to him so that God could use him to be a missionary to the gentiles and to take the power of the gospel to all the world.  And God was calling Ananias to walk down the street in Damascus to lay his hands on a dangerous man who needed to be healed.  Both of these men surrendered to God and followed the call of God in their lives and the world was never the same. 

How is God calling you?  What is God calling you to do?  Who is God calling you to be?  How is God goading you?  What are the pieces of your life that God wants to bring together for His purpose and plan?  It took Paul some time to answer these questions in his life – but he did.  He was baptized and started to listen and pay attention to God and Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to guide him and he learned from others about Jesus and embraced the call of God in his life.  Can we do the same?  Can we start to listen and pay attention to God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we can embrace the call of God in our own lives?  When we follow the call, our lives will be forever changed. 

Next Steps
Called To Christ

1. Identify the puzzle pieces of your life that God wants to pull together for his purpose.  How can God use the following?
• Home life and family
• Emotional and physical health
• Education
• Interests, skills, passions, gifts
• Good and bad experiences
• Circle of friends and sphere of influence

2. How have you seen, heard and felt God goading you to more closely follow him? 
• When have you listened and followed God? 
• When have you rebelled? 

3. Take time this week to listen for God’s still small voice calling you.  Create times of silence to be still and receptive.

4. While the Apostle Paul was a brilliant orator and could argue the finer points of theology, the best argument Paul ever made for Jesus being the Messiah was offering the proof of his changed life. 
• In what ways has Jesus changed your life? 
• How can this change be offered as proof that Jesus is the Messiah? 

5. Paul would have been nothing without the faithful response of Ananias (Acts 9:10-18). 
• How might God be calling you to be an Ananias in someone else’s life? 
• What faithful act of courage or step of faith is God asking you to take this week?