What Motivated Paul Series

WHAT MOTIVATED PAUL

We live in a world where a lot of people don’t believe in God. But not only that, many people who do believe in God are not exactly passionate about telling those who don’t believe in God about him.

What will motivate us to tell people about Jesus? That’s our subject today.

Over the past month or so we’ve been looking at the apostle Paul in the book of Acts. Today, we reach the point in Paul’s ministry when he came to the beautiful city of Athens.

Paul is often described as the greatest missionary of all time so he’s certainly someone to learn from. What motivated HIM? But before we think about what motivated him, I’d like us to get a sense of just how motivated, how determined, he was.

PAUL WAS DETERMINED

We’re in our fifth talk on Paul in the book of Acts. In Acts 7 and 8, Saul, as he was called then, is persecuting the church. But in Acts 9, there’s a total turnaround. Jesus appears to Saul and he acknowledges him as Lord. But Acts 9 ends with the Jews plotting to kill Saul.

Acts goes back to the story of Peter for a few chapters. But from Acts 13, Acts really centres on Saul. He now stops using his Hebrew name, Saul, and uses his Latin name, Paul.

At the beginning of Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas set out on a missionary journey. But Acts 13 ends with the Jews driving Paul and Barnabas out of Pisidian Antioch.

In Acts 14 they continue to preach. But Paul and Barnabas come close to being stoned in Iconium and Paul IS stoned in Lystra.

In Acts 16 Paul sets off on a second missionary journey, this time with Silas. They’re joined by Timothy and probably also Luke. Paul feels God calling him and his companions to Macedonia in Greece. They get there – and almost as soon as they do, he and Silas are beaten and thrown into prison. Acts 16 ends with Paul and his companions being escorted out of Philippi.

THIS IS THE PATTERN OF PAUL’S MISSION. In most cities he goes to there’s initial interest. Then there’s opposition, often from the Jews. Then there’s civic unrest. Finally, Paul and his companions have to leave.

But in each case, Paul gets up, shakes himself down, and presses on. I hope you’re getting the idea. Paul was VERY determined to share the gospel! The question is WHY? What motivated Paul? What made him so determined?

I’m going to suggest three things which motivated Paul. There are two things that are not in our passage today and one thing that is. I hope that as we think about what motivated Paul we’ll find the same things motivating us.

A SENSE OF GOD’S CALL

The first thing that motivated Paul to do mission was his sense of call.

Earlier in my life I was involved in overseas mission. When someone offers to serve overseas, mission organizations want to know if the person feels CALLED.

Jesus appeared to Paul on the Damascus road. There’s an account of it in Acts 9 but Paul retells what happened in Acts 22 and in Acts 26 and he gives more detail. In Acts 26, Paul is speaking to King Agrippa. He tells King Agrippa that Jesus appeared to him and told him that he was APPOINTING him as a servant and witness, specifically to the Gentiles [Acts 22:16].

Paul sometimes says that Jesus CALLED him. But here, Jesus uses the word APPOINT. I like that word! Jesus is the boss. We are servants. Jesus says, ‘You do this.’ He APPOINTS Paul. Paul has a job to do – and Jesus gave it to him. In six of Paul’s letters, his opening words are ‘Paul, AN APOSTLE.’

Do we feel the same motivation? Has God called US to do something? Has he given US a job to do?

God gives some people a specific calling. In Baptist churches we talk informally about a church calling a minister. But more accurately, THE CHURCH doesn’t call the minister but recognizes that GOD has called the minister. I believe GOD has called me to serve him at Rosebery Park. This makes a difference! If I think that the church, as a group of people, has called me to be the minister, I’m pleased and honoured. But if I think that GOD has called me to serve HIM here then it becomes a lot more serious.

This sense of God’s call doesn’t just apply to ministers and missionaries. God can call people to all sorts of roles.

But whether or not we feel that God has called us to a specific ministry, we all have a GENERAL call to mission.

The last command Jesus gave his disciples before he ascended to heaven was the Great Commission. Jesus was speaking to his disciples but we believe his command applies to all of us. Jesus calls his church – that means us – to go out and make disciples OF ALL NATIONS.