1. Paul's Conversion and Calling
Acts 9:3-6
3 As he neared Damascus on his
journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the
ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute
me?” 5 "Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. 6 "I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting," he replied.
Acts 9:15-16
15 But the Lord said to Ananias,
"Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles
and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he
must suffer for my name.”
2. God's grace in Paul's calling
Galatians 1:15-17
15 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.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10
9 For I am the least of the apostles
and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me
was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but
the grace of God that was with me.
3. Prophetic dimension of Paul's calling
Galatians 1:15
But when God, who set me apart from
birth and called me by his grace, was pleased .....
Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.
Jeremiah 1:5
5 Before I formed you In the womb I
knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the
nations."
Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, you islands; hear
this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth
he has made mention of my name.
4. Proclamation through the means of Prayer and the
Word
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Finally, brothers, pray for us that
the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with
you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not
everyone has faith.
Ephesians 6:19-20
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I
open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will
fearlessly make known the mystery of
the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare
it fearlessly, as I should.
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
5. Perseverance in the faith
1 Corinthians 69-11
9 Do you not know that the wicked
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually
immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual
offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you
were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Acts 9:15-16
15 But the Lord said to Ananias,
“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and
their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he
must suffer for my name.”
=========================
I want to
start with this word, Mission Impossible. We grew up with this movie. Why do I
start with this? Last time the person receive the mission on a tape and it self
destructs. He never fails in his mission. The last one I saw the lady was
better than Tom Cruise. Forgot what's her name.
Why I
start with this? To really understand Paul we need to know him. In question 3,
we ask what best describes Paul. He was not an academic theologian. He was a
theologian that is mission oriented. Why is it mission impossible? He was just
a man just like us. So we need to ask ourselves this one can do or cannot do?
He
persecuted the Jews and now he has to preach to them and some more the
gentiles. The Jews don't mix with the gentiles. It would be like mission
impossible but at the end of the day he got the job done. How to I know?
Because we are all here.
Incidents
in our life more or less define us. All of us or many of us are defined by
specific incidents in our life. For some if they have a broken marriage, they
may say everything is alright for me until I met this man. That was the turning
point for that person's life.
The
defining moment in Paul's life is on the Damascus Road where he had an
encounter with Jesus Christ. Acts 9, 22, 26.
Acts 9:1-5
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still
breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the
high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that
if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might
take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and
heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting,” he replied.
Acts 9:17
Then Ananias went to the house and
entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus,
who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you
may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Paul
himself said he saw the Lord. Exactly what he saw we don't know. It may be the
resurrected Jesus with his nail print hands. Paul studied to be a rabbi, a
religious teacher and he was top of his class. His intellect did not develop
after his encounter with Jesus Christ. It was already there. He just used it to
persecute the Jews. He judged Steven and also other Christians. He would have
heard testimony after testimony. We do not know what state he was in but he is
someone who has persecuted followers of Jesus but at night he probably was also
thinking of Jesus but more in persecuting him, being murderous at heart. He was
a man not at peace. That is when the words of the gospel starts to bear
meaning. Crisis point and turning point in his life.
I want to
work on this encounter thing. I am not anti Pentecostal. I believe in signs and
wonders but I believe in a balanced view.
I've had
people who came and tell me that I saw Jesus and he was standing at the door.
After one month, she said she saw Jesus again. And then a third time she told
me that she saw Jesus again. After the third time, I asked myself why Jesus
didn't visit me? Jesus appeared to Paul. What happened to him?
Acts 9:15-16
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go!
This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their
kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer
for my name.”
Often we
forget verse 16. We are not looking just at Paul's conversion but his
commission. My first take on encounter is that if the Lord come to you in a
vivid encounter and you see him in his glory, I would say he has something for
you to do.
Some of
you may say it's only Paul. Let's look at Moses at the burning bush. It not
only burn the bushes but also Moses.
Of course
it was very nice for Moses to encounter God but at verse 10 you see the
commission.
Exodus 3:10
So now, go. I am sending you to
Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
So after
the third time I asked the lady why did Jesus come to you three times? I asked
if Jesus wanted her to do something. After that I never heard from her again.
This is
the technical term of what we call a calling. For Paul it was a missionary
call. I'm not saying God will not come and visit you. There may be a strong
presence or visions but if God comes to you all the time, you have to look at
what God wants you to do.
I want to
look at this word calling. Paul saw the Lord and Ananias came to him. Paul's
writings like the ones we have in Galatians 1:15-17, you see what Paul's
calling was like.
Galatians 1:15-17
15 But when God, who set me apart
from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his
Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response
was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see
those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned
to Damascus.
You will
find the "set me apart from birth" and "called me by his
grace".
1 Corinthians 15:9-10
9 For I am the least of the apostles
and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me
was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the
grace of God that was with me.
You find
the word grace appears 3 times.
Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
"Servant
of Christ Jesus" and the word "set apart."
What was
on Paul's mind when he wrote all these. When Paul was called he had this
awareness that his calling was by the grace of God and nothing to do with his
abilities. The word grace appears because Paul wants to emphasise that it is
not because of his abilities. If it's his abilities there may be others better
than him. It was to show that God chose him because of his sovereign will. Paul
is saying if he did not choose me he would have chosen somebody else. He was
dispensable.
It was
also a prophetic call, a call that's was in line with the prophetic call of the
OT prophets.
- It was a personal call
It was not someone else telling him he should do this. If God wants
to call you he will speak to you directly. The prophet will affirm what's in
your heart. There is a personal dimension. God through prophets will affirm the
calling.
- It is always purposeful
God had a specific task for Paul, a mission.
- It is providential
God not just called but he also equipped Paul for the mission.
Let's
look at these three in the life of Paul. God called him personally in that
encounter. He was called for a purpose and it was providential. It helps us to
understand the question "do you have a calling?".
When we
take this calling in a specific manner, like the Damascus calling then you are
called. Take missionary. Take TOP for example, not all 200 of us will be called
as missionaries. If that happens, pastor Gideon will have an empty church on
Sunday. Not everybody is called to be an evangelist or pastor. The call is for
a function. You may then say you no need to do anything since someone is
already called to do something. Before you enjoy your lazy chair I want to say
this.
All of us
are called to do evangelism but only a few are called to be an evangelist. We
are supposed to do missions but only a few of us are called to be missionaries.
Sometimes we give to missions fund or go on short mission trips. We do missions
but that does not make us a missionary.
Pastors
are called from the root word Shepherd. They are to care for the flock. A
pastor will be someone who is also able to teach. He needs to not only care but
to feed the flock. The shepherd caring for the sheep is a good analogy. You may
care for the sheep but if it's not fed, they will die too. That's just like the
Pastor's call. These are the two main roles.
Do you
know that each and everyone of us is also called to care for one another? Each
of us also have to edify one another. All of us are called to do pastoral work.
The sense of the nature of the work but only a few of us are called to be a
pastor. That is a specific call.
Why am I
spending so much work on this calling? I read a report about Pastors that
dropped out and it's very high so the report asked the question why? They have
a lot of reasons but I would say it has got to do with this calling. It is
personal, purposeful and providential and you will not drop out.
We need
to be very careful. We are all called to so missions but if you are not called
to be a missionary do not do it. There is this physical and spiritual realm.
Why do some become missionaries when they are not called? Sometimes it's
because the church called because there's a need. Or they say pastor told me I
have a calling so must go. Or another may say why you go? Because my wife ask
me to go. You will find you won't last.
The
calling have to come from the the Lord God Almighty. I've had young men in their early twenties
who said they have a calling and those are very important decisions. The first
thing to ascertain is does he really have a call. If yes, then God's plans are
higher than our plans.
Church
growth movement.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
1 As for other matters, brothers and
sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be
honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from
wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.
You will
find these two words. Prayer and message.
Ephesians 6:19-20
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I
speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery
of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may
declare it fearlessly, as I should.
There's
also pray and word.
Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
Our
Christian faith has an objective and subjective elements.
In
situation A, we have someone who tells his friend you are a sinner and Jesus
died for you. And you tell him if you don't have Jesus you will not go to
heaven. You go to hell. You did not pray before you went to your friend.
In
situation B, you prayed and you say the same thing to this person. But you
listened as you speak. Pastor Geoffrey went with me to share with a colleague.
And my friend said I have to think about it. Pastor Geoffrey kept quiet for a
while and then Pastor Geoffrey spoke and my friend accepted the Lord. When you
are sharing the gospel to someone you must be in a prayerful stance. You are
not just dealing with the intellectual but also the will of the person.
Or you
may go to the person and say you want to accept Jesus or not. If you do I'll
pray for you.
What's
the difference between the three? The first one you do it based on your own
strength. You may argue till Kingdom come and he will not accept Jesus.
The
second one is you understand that conviction come from God, it's a heart thing
and the spirit of God will touch the heart. That's the subjective part. The
objective part is that the words will speak to the head.
The third
way the person may accept the Lord but he may not really know what that means.
The person may end up believing in a false gospel. A person with a false gospel
has a closed mind. A person who does not know the gospel is more open. Like in
prison, those who don't know the gospel is in the prison cell but those with
false gospels are like the hard core criminals locked in maximum security. It
is very difficult to break through for these people.
The power
of God comes with the presence of God. When I pray for you I'm trying to bring
the presence and power of God into your life. The gospel is good news.
Sometimes
at crusades we have so many go out but we have little results. They want the
healing but not the healer.
Let's
look at what's happening in America. I'm not against mega churches.
The
church growth movement from the 80s until now we have many movements like the
healing movement, the faith movement, the holy laughter movement. Then there is
the church growth movement and it is defined by numbers.
They
believe that you go into a neighbourhood of rich people you do not preach about
bread and butter. They will tell you they drive a Mercedes and have no material
needs. But in a poor neighbourhood then it makes sense. They do a demographic
survey and your preaching has to be structured to their needs. The ones who do
the survey don't even have to be a Christian, they are only doing a job. So the
pastor will ask the surveyor what to preach and it works. Because it's based on
surveys. So the non Christian tells the pastor what to preach. It became men
oriented. They preach what the people want to hear and when you do that they'll
come.
Do we
want to preach what the people want to hear or what God wants the people to
hear?
We are
proclaiming the gospel not promoting the gospel. That's the difference. When
people like Paul, when they preach the gospel of God they are trying to make
men into God's image. To grow more Christ-like. But when you are promoting the
gospel you are trying to make God into man's image.
And you
actually have another golden calf at the bottom of the mountain when Moses is
up in the mountains looking to God. It is like what we have here. That's how we
distort the gospel.
The
proclamation of the gospel must primarily be by prayer and the word. This
without fail is what the Lord will bless.
======================
Questions
- Which of the following descriptions best describes the apostle Paul? Theologian, church planter, pastor , missionary
- What should be our motivation when we engage in evangelism like?
When we
say ministry it can be like driving the van or ushering or playing in the
worship team etc. Why? It's because I want to bless the people or because the
church has a need or because the pastor say so or because it's fun. All these
may be reasons. But what was primarily in Paul's thinking when he was called?
Paul was given a mission and he wants to accomplish his mission. He has a
mission to the gentiles but in Paul's writing do you see his focus was the
mission? This is where we come back to lesson one. The centrality of Jesus
Christ. For Paul, this was the ultimate motivation that everything he does will
bring glory to God. If Paul's total focus is on the mission then the mission is
an end and he'll do anything where the means justify the end.
For
example if he wants to plant a church in Corinth and it's not working he may do
what's necessary to accomplish the mission of planting a church in Corinth
including maybe bribing the officials? Growing the church becomes an end but
does it bring glory to God? That's the question. When you do it for the glory
of God you are not stressed by the result. When you do ministry based on this
you are relieved of the stress. Because mission and ministry in not our end,
it's always for the glory of God.
God is
more interested in the means than the ministry success.
In
America 80% of churches are small churches in the suburbs with less than 100 in
their congregation. The young leave to go to the cities and the old goes to
heaven so their size is always small. So when these pastors are asked why they
do it, they just say because they are called and it's for the glory of God. For
all we know these will be rewarded more in heaven.
It is
always good to remind yourself that there is no better concrete summary than
the reformation summary.
Sola fide
Sola
scriptura
Sola
christus
Sola
gratia.
And the
last one is Soli Deo Gloria, to the glory of God alone. Ministry may be
difficult but ministry will be full of joy.
The
apostle's call was a missionary call and for us every ministry we do we are
called to do it for the glory of God. God expects us just to be faithful. He is
interested in us and not what we achieve.
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