A changed life.
Lessons from the book of Acts (#5)
In Acts chapter 9, a young man named Saul goes from “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (verse 1) to being hunted by Jews who “plotted to kill him” (verse 23).
What happened? What changed?
Jesus had confronted Saul on the road to Damascus and turned his life around. Paul began living the life that God had planned for him and was becoming the man that God wanted him to become.
Almost immediately Saul proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” (verse 20) And all who heard him were amazed. (verse 21)
Saul discovered early on that being a Christian wasn’t going to be easy.
The Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill him and the Jerusalem disciples were afraid of him.
Paul was experiencing some of the things Jesus addressed in Matthew 10.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:16-22 ESV)
Paul chose to be obedient and to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ESV)
What can we learn from these passages of scripture?
- If you are a Christian, Christ has changed your life.
- We are called to ambassadors for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
- The task of sharing Christ with others can be difficult.
- If we want to be effective in sharing our faith we need to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) We should be wise in avoiding danger and harmless in not forcibly opposing our audience.
- We are not to be anxious how we are to speak or what we are to say, for what we are to say will be given to us in that hour. (Matthew 10:19 paraphrased)
- We need to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 ESV)
Remember what Jesus said to his disciples (and to us). “… behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 ESV)
Go therefore and make disciples.
Check out “Whoever Believes….”
