Lord, what do you want me to do? How often we have spoken these very words. How often I have prayed this prayer.
Today we live in a world that seems to leave us so helpless in the midst of crisis. Whether it comes in the form of World events such as war and famine in Africa, to the tragedy on a college campus, to the tragedies that face us right here in our communities. We find ourselves asking, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
Paul asked this very question of Jesus on the road to Damascus. This dialogue can be found in the King James and New King James Versions. The New Revised Standard Version, as well as other versions condenses this conversation to Jesus’ command for Paul. Listen to these two versions: Here is the NRSV version.
“But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”(Acts 9:6 NRSV)
Now here is the NKJV version of Acts 9:6
So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?’’ And the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’’
Now why am I so concerned about the wording? Mainly because I want you to be able to see where I am coming from. I am not sure why it was left out. I guess it was so that it would be a more condensed and shorter reading. It should be noted that Paul does recount this himself in Acts 22:10.
I feel personally it is a very important part of the story of Paul’s conversion. This is the very moment that Paul gives of himself to serve Jesus Christ. Remember for years Paul thought he was doing the Lord’s work. For years, experts guess about 6 to 10 years, he had lead the charge to persecute the new community of believers. He had successfully scattered the church in Jerusalem all in the name of God.
He felt he was doing God’s will. However, on that road he was brought to realization he wasn’t doing the will of the Lord. And through that meeting on the Damascus road Paul turned his service over to the Lord.
Sometimes, it can be so easy to feel that we are doing the work of the Lord, when what we are really doing is trying to satisfy our own desires. For example, in the case of Paul, he was being the judge, the jury and the executioner. He was not seeking God’s will, but instead was carrying out what he (Paul) thought was best and what he (Paul) felt God wanted. He never consulted God on the issue; he just took the matter into his own hands.
Though it may not be to the extreme of what Paul did, Christians today still do this. As I just said, sometimes it is much easier to just try to do things on our own, instead of letting go and allowing God to have control of it.
When this happens, it is time for renewal in Christ. This is the time when a person needs to go to God in prayer and let Christ lead their lives. However, the person MUST let Christ have control of it. You see, prayer is nothing and spiritual renewal is nothing if you do not let Christ lead your life.
In today’s scripture readings both from Acts chapter 9 and the Gospel According to John chapter 21, we have great examples of this. Think back on the Gospel reading for a moment. This is much more than a fishing story. You have the disciples, here at a crossroads in their lives. They had no idea what they were to do with their lives, Jesus was kind of in and out. Simon Peter had no idea what to do, so he turned to the only thing he knew how, fishing.
Now we know from our reading that they did not have much success. In fact, Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John fished all night and caught absolutely nothing. It wasn’t until Jesus arrived and suggested they fish in another spot that they had success.
What was the difference? Why had it all changed when Jesus showed up? What were the disciples doing that they hadn’t done before?
For one, these disciples chose not to follow Jesus’ instructions. In Matthew it is recorded in Chapter 28 they were commanded by Jesus to go and wait for him in the mountains near the Sea of Galilee. Obviously, fishing on the lake is not waiting in the mountains for him to return.
You see, again Simon Peter felt he knew better than Jesus as to what was best for him. Most likely, he felt that it was probably better for him to return to his former occupation than begin his life in the mission field as a true missionary rather than a disciple.
We as people do this too. We are no different than Simon Peter in this aspect. Instead of recognizing we need help from God, we try to solve our problems on our own. Think about if Simon Peter, Thomas, James, John and Nathaniel had just stayed where Jesus had told them too, they would not have wasted a whole night hopelessly fishing for nothing.
Think about how different it would be if Paul had not listened to the Lord. He would have hopelessly walked around in the wilderness of Jordan, blind and would have probably died out there. Paul had to depend on his companions to guide him, and have faith in Jesus that when he reached Damascus the disciples and followers of Christ would accept him and his friends into their homes.
What would have that meant for us today? Most of the New Testament would not exist. In fact, most of the writings that tell us how to be and live as Christians would be nonexistent. We would have had none of the teaching of Paul. No Romans, Corinthians, or Acts of the Apostles. They would have never existed, all because Paul could have chosen to follow his own path, instead of the one God laid out for him.
All this talk of following Christ reminds me of an experience I had the other day. Russ Davis called me the other day and asked if I would like to roll some ground for him so he could plant oats. This was definitely something I was interested in so I went out to the farm west of his and met him there.
I climbed upon the tractor it was an International/Farmall Hydro 70, and behind it was a very antiquated looking roller. As I would learn later it dated from the early 1900’s and was first pulled by horses.
When we reached the field, Russ climbed on the tractor and introduced me to a new piece of technology. You see the tractor itself was 31 years old, the driver 39, and the roller was 100. However, this other piece of equipment was a Global Positioning System. Russ explained this device would allow me to roll the ground without going over the same ground twice. That can be a real problem if you have a very large field to do.
Without that little device to tell you where you are on the field or which pass you were on. You could get lost in a real hurry. You could find yourself making crooked rows, instead of nice, straight ones. You may have started out straight, however when you find yourself turning your head to check on the roller, or when you make your turns you may not be able to find your way back.
It is like that with Christ as well. Last week Bernie brought up the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. When Peter turned his attention away from Jesus, he began to sink.
Now because Paul had become so intent on wiping out the newly formed Christian communities, he had turned his focus away from serving God. He had turned a deaf ear and blind eye to the teachings and the acts of the disciples in order to increase his own influence within the Jewish community.
Simon Peter, rather than stay around and wait for what Jesus wanted him to do, chose to try to do his own thing. As I said before, without any success.
Given the events that have happened over the past several weeks, this is definitely a time when our focus should be on what God wants for our lives and our churches. Whether the call is for spiritual rejuvenation or for spiritual healing, we need to let God lead the way.
In other words if we let God lead the way, if we do as He directs us to do, we cannot go wrong. In fact, I would like us all to claim this piece of scripture from 2 Samuel. Any time we feel the need to step out and do our own thing like Simon Peter did look to this scripture:
"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31 NIV)
This is what Paul did on his way to Damascus. This is what Ananias did when God commanded him to go and find Paul in Damascus. Ananias had many concerns about this as he had heard many things about Paul that were not good. However, Ananias did it because his faith in God was stronger than his fear. This is what Simon Peter and the disciples finally did when Jesus told them to fish on the other side of the boat. Lastly, nearly 3000 years before Jesus this is what Noah and his family built a boat purely on the faith that God knew what he was doing.
So when Jesus calls for you, how are you going to answer? Are you going to say,” Who me? Are you kidding” and run away, or are you going to answer,
“Lord, what do you want me to do?’’
The choice is simple, the follow through isn’t always a walk in the park. My challenge for you all is that you will not allow fear of the unknown to overtake you. As long as you have faith in God, there is nothing you cannot do. Like Paul, Ananias, Peter and Noah, we need to allow our faith in God to be stronger than any doubt or fear we may ever have.
“Lord, what do you want me to do?’’ Amen.
