God
has a tendency to interrupt our plan for our life.
Have you noticed?
He does it often, if we let Him.
He did it here Moses, and even through Moses protested Five
Times, God used Moses to change history as we know it, and He is one of the
most famous men in world history and literature.
Saul of Tarsus was interrupted in his plan to be the
Pharisee of Pharisees, the Jew of Jews, the Rabbi of Rabbis. On the road to Damascus, Jesus intervened in
his life, and Saul’s vision was changed-literally!
He too became one
of the most famous men in world history and literature.
As we read of the lives of Moses and Saul, it seems
obvious to us what God had planned for their time here on Earth.
But it wasn’t obvious to them. They had to walk it out day by day with faith
in God, His Plan, His Provision, and His Power.
Remember God’s answer to Moses’ first protest “How can
you expect me to lead the people out of Egypt”
Then God told him, “I will be with you. And this will serve as
proof that I have sent you: When you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt,
you will return here to worship God at this very mountain.”
For Moses, it
would only be when he looked back, would he realize that it was actually God
leading him. Not necessarily the most
comfortable confirmation.
After Saul’s
encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, according to his letter to the
Galatians he went out to Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Three years
later he finally made it to Jerusalem, where he got into trouble with the
religious authorities, and the disciples sent him to Caesarea and on to Tarsus,
his hometown.
Over the next
decade, Saul became a willing adventurer for Jesus. He learned that God’s plan for his life was
much bigger than his own. It was a specific plan that he had been prepared for
since his birth. Listen to how he
describes this plan and purpose in a letter to his friends in Ephesus.
8 God saved you
by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it
is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things
we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s
masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good
things he planned for us long ago. Eph 2:8-10
Saul underwent
a transition from his life goals to living out God’s adventure for him. It was a journey with many twists and turns,
but one of the most fruitful lives for the Kingdom of its time. Listen to what
he wrote in one of his final letters:
As for me, my
life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is
near. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I
have remained faithful.
2 Timothy 4:6-7
Paul could look back as realize that
for the most part, it was God leading him from Damascus, to the deserts of
Arabia, to Jerusalem, to Tarsus, to Antioch, and then on four missionary
journeys that we know about. It was an
adventure that he did not plan, nor strategize.
It “just happened” and Paul changed history- he changed his world.
In
Acts 11 thru 14, we get to see exactly how this happened.
As
we do, I hope that you are paying attention!
It cost nothing to pay attention!
I know that many of you are serious
about your relationship with the Lord.
You call Him Lord and you allow Him
to be the Maximum Leader in your life.
You live a life of service to Him,
giving up your rights to your own agenda.
You know that He has the best for
you, and you want it
Others of you are trying to figure
this Christian Thing out. Pay
Attention!
Because you will see that the life
of a true unreligious follower of Jesus is the most amazing adventure possible
in this existence.
It is the most fulfilling experience
in this life!
All the good things in life are
awaiting you, here and in the world to come.
All you have to do is step into the flow, and let God lead you.
Are you willing?
That's a good question to leave with.
We will continue with Part 2.
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