Life Lessons - Paul

We carry on with our Life Lessons series. This week we come to Paul, the Apostle. If you know anything about Paul you will know that I am not going to do his life and ministry justice on a Sunday morning. In fact, there are whole books written about his life and ministry, whole sermon series have been preached about him. 

The one aspect I want to look at today about Paul’s life is this: perseverance. Paul kept going when others would have given up. Once saved, he did not look back. 

Here’s some background on Paul:

• Born in Tarsus, a Roman city in the South East of Asia Minor (Southern Turkey today)
• Best education in his youth possible in the Empire at that time. Tarsus renowned for its eduction.
• From strictest of Jewish families, pure blooded (Acts 23:6, Phil 3:5).
• He had a sister and a nephew (Acts 23:16) and some other relatives (Romans 16:7, 11).
• At 13 years old went to Jerusalem to study law under the most famous Jewish academic of the day, Gamaliel.
• A few years after the resurrection he is seen as one of the chief persecutors  of the new Church (Acts 7:58)
• He is dramatically converted on the way to hunt out and kill Christians (Acts 9).
• Paul's ministry, from his unique conversion to his tragic execution spanned about 30 years. 
• During that time he took three missionary journeys - Acts 13: 2-14; 15:36-18:22; 18:23-20:38.
• According to Christian History Magazine, he covered about 14,000 miles, mostly on foot. 
• In two years and three months, under the ministry of Paul, all Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord Jesus, according to Acts 19:8-10 (Third missionary journey).
• He was a prolific writer, penning 13 books of the NT we have today, 28% of the NT in terms of the number of actual words (http://www.alecsatin.com/ever-wonder/how-much-of-the-new-testament-was-written-by-paul/).

• Paul didn’t look very impressive. Earliest recorded description of him is: “A man of middling size, and his hair was scanty, and his legs were a little crooked, and his knees were far apart; he had large eyes, and his eyebrows met, and his nose was somewhat long.”

He endured extreme hardships:

2 Corinthians 11:24-27: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Through all of this how did Paul keep going? How can we keep going too?

Here are some things:

The Conversion

Speaking before Agrippa Paul retells his testimony of Acts 9.

Acts 26:12-19: “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.”

Paul’s conversion needed to be very public given the mission he was on to destroy the Christians (Acts 9:1-2).

He knew he had met with Jesus. Many today will persecute and making the name of Jesus and when they are confronted with the truth will ask: who are you? The answer will be “I am Jesus!”

Paul’s conversion may have been dramatic, but so was his life beforehand. We should not think that everyone is going to have a “road to Damascus experience,” but rather everyone would see as change in their life after salvation. We all have a story through.

We have heard some of those stories today, those testimonies of grace.

Some testimonies talk dramatic conversions. Some will talk about “drifting” into the Kingdom. However you became a Christian know that you are saved.

When the going gets tough remind yourself of the grace of God in your life. He loved you before you knew Him. He sent His sone to die for you. He has redeemed you and placed you as a son or a daughter in the Kingdom of Jesus.

The Christ

2 Timothy 1:12: That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day

Paul was helped through his tough times by reminding himself in whom he had believed. He know that Jesus was the Messiah, the Saviour, the Champion.

When you face difficulties do not forget in whom you have believed. 

Jesus is trustworthy! He is more than just a good teacher. He is more than just an historical figure. He is more than just a name to be ridiculed.

• He is the wonderful counsellor, everlasting father, mighty God, prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6-7).
• He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:19)
• He is the One who is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11)
• He is the way when you are lost
• He is the truth in a world of misinformation
• He is the life when there is no hope
• He is the only way to the Father, to heaven, to eternity (John 14:6)

He is all of this and so much more. Paul knew Him. And he knew that Jesus knew Paul.

Yet Paul considered himself a slave:

Romans 1:1: Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God (NKJV)

Bondservant: A bondservant is a slave. In some Bibles the word bondservant is the translation of the Greek word doulos, which means “one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.” Other translations use the word slave or servant.

In Roman times, the term bondservant or slave could refer to someone who voluntarily served others. But it usually referred to one who was held in a permanent position of servitude. Under Roman law, a bondservant was considered the owner’s personal property. Slaves essentially had no rights and could even be killed with impunity by their owners.

However, a bondservant could remain in service voluntarily if their time of servitude came to an end (Exodus 21:5-6).

They would be identified by a pierced ear - a gold earring being placed there so that everyone would know that this person could live free but has chosen to remain with the master they loved.

In tough times remember who Whom you know and that He knows you. Remember whose you are!

The Cause

The third thing that kept Paul going through tough times was the cause he was living for.  He no longer lived for himself. He no longer lived for things that were temporary, He lived for the cause of Christ.

Acts 26: 19-23:  “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul was living for the cause greater than himself. Are you? Are our priorities of this world or are they of the things that are eternal, the salvation of the lost, the joy of being saved.

This cause would cost Paul his life! He describes himself as a fool:

1 Corinthians 4:9-10 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonoured!

Paul was a fool for Christ, for His cause. Whose fool are we? Are we serving our selfish ends or the ends of the Kingdom. 

We may need to re-evaluate what we are living for is when the slightest wind blows against us we buckle and fold.

The cause keeps Paul going. Does it keep you going?

The Christians

Paul found a source of encouragement from other Christians. Some he had led to the Lord. Some would have come to faith part from him.

When Paul struggled, was imprisoned, as beaten and persecuted, he remembered the encouragement from other Christians.

Philippians 1: 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. (compare Phil 4:18).

Paul gave plenty of instructions to encourage one another (2 Cor 13:11; 1 Thess. 4:18, 5:11 etc)

Lifting each other up, spurring one another along the Way, walking alongside one another, is so important.

Think about the times when a kind word has been spoken to you. Think about the times when in the midst of crisis a Christian came alongside and said, “It’ll be OK.”

We all need encouragement. We all need to be determined to encourage those around us.

You see God has arrange the Church into one big family, but also smaller families of congregations. We have to be there for each other, alongside each other. The church is community. 

Psalm 68:6: God sets the lonely in families…

Paul, alone in a prison cell writing Philippians, still knows he is not alone, he is part of the bigger picture, the bigger family. So are you!

Landing

So what keeps you gong through tough times? You may have many answers and many preferences.

May your conversion keep you going. You're saved!

May Christ keep you going. You are His!

May the cause keep you going. You're part of something bigger!

May Christians keep you going. You are part of the family!