Title: The Preparation of Paul the Trailblazer for God
Text: Acts 9:20-22
and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”
But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Introduction
A trailblazer is a person who blazes a trail for others to follow.
The Apostle Paul was one such person. Before his encounter with Christ, he blazed the trails of persecution wherever he went. He was there at Stephen’s stoning. He was responsible for the great persecution that broke out in Jerusalem. Unknown to Paul at that time, God was about to transform Paul from one who blazes the trails of persecution to one who will become a Trailblazer for God.
Through Paul’s missionary journey and the letters he wrote to the churches, Christianity grew from a small group of believers to a worldwide faith.
Long after Paul was gone; his writings continue to affect the church.
When the church was in darkness, Martin Luther read Paul’s writing and started the reformation.
Much of the New Testament doctrines we have today are based on the doctrines inspired by the Holy Spirit which was written and taught by Paul.
There were probably other trailblazers which were not recorded in the book of Acts. The apostle Thomas was said to have brought the Gospel all the way to India at Chennai, where he was speared to death. I was in Chennai a couple of years back and was told that Chennai has one of the highest concentrations of believers and it was credited to the works of Thomas.
In the beginning of the church, God used many lives and through them wrote exciting history of the church. He raised up many trailblazers and used them to bring the gospel into new frontiers.
I believed that God wants to raise up many more trailblazers in this time and hour.
Ac 2:17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Eight years ago, God gave me a vision to raise up a generation of youths who will blaze the earth with revival fires. A Generation of Youths who will become trailblazers for Him.
Today we will examine the life of Paul so as to determine the qualities in his life that makes him a trailblazer.
There are four things which I want to share regarding the Preparation of a Trailblazer
a. The Invisible Hands of the Potter.
God prepared Paul even when he was Saul. The potter was preparing Saul, through his family, through his upbringing, his religious education.
His up bringing, developed Paul’s Character.
Paul was sent to the Jewish school of learning at Jerusalem to study law. He was around 13 when he began his studies under the well-known Gamaliel. Gamaliel was a rabbi and very educated. Due to his religious education, Paul was well versed with the Old Testament scriptures. That is why when Paul encountered Christ, he could preach the word immediately.
In the same way, you have to believe that what you have gone through in life, your family background, you experiences positive or negative has been allowed by God to prepare you for the purposes he has for your life.
Don’t be ashamed of your family background, or even the past experiences. God is working silently in the background, making you the man and woman He wants you to be.
Even when you have yet to know him, the invisible hands of the Potter was already working in your life.
b. Moulding through negative experiences.(Acts 9:26)
When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
The church is not perfect, nether are Christians. In every church, there are bound to be negative experiences. How many believers departed away from God because they were disillusioned with the church?
Saul was converted to Paul, but the church could not accept him at first as they were unsure whether he was a true convert. They suspected that he was a spy sent from the religious authorities. However Paul was not hurt nor stumbled.
I have gone through a few churches, and I had a fair share of negative experiences. I realized that God used these experiences to prepare me. The Spirit often said to me during those times, “You don’t like what you see in the lives of these pastors and leaders, next time do not become like them.”
I never leave a church because of negative experiences. I leave only when my time is up and I sense God calling me to serve in another church.
In the same way, never be stumbled by negative experiences in church. These negative experiences are there to prepare us to become better men and women for God.
c. Conquering the dominating sins (Romans 8:13)
Paul wrote about the struggles between the flesh and the Spirit.
In Romans Chapter 8 Paul speaks bout the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. Evidently Paul must have gone through the spiritual battles between the flesh and the Spirit. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, Paul was able put to death the deeds of the Flesh.
That is why in Paul said
“RO 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Paul conquered the dominating sins in his life and he declared in Galatians 2:20
“GAL 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Trailblazers are men and women who conquered dominating sins in their lives.
Smith Wigglesworth had been at one time a man of foul temper. To correct this problem, he got alone with God, shutting himself away until he had complete victory over his emotions. He became the opposite of what he had been. Instead of violently reacting to circumstances, he was possessed of a great calm, no matter what the circumstance. He never reacted when people criticise him or even persecute him.
In your battle against sin, do not come under the weight of satan’s accusation and condemnation. Condemnation and guilt does not come from God the Father.
At the same time you will have to be:
a. Broken over your sins.
b. Be willing to take reasonable actions that will help you overcome the sin.
c. Asking the Holy Spirit’s help in putting to death the areas of sin.
d. Spend time praying and fasting.
The dominating sin of this generation is sensuality and worldliness.
Smith Wigglesworth said that “Worldliness is anything that cools my affection towards God.”
4. Learning during the years of wilderness (Gal 2:1)
Paul spent 14 years in obscurity before Barnabas went to look for Paul for help in the teaching ministry at Antioch.
GAL 2:1 Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also
There are moments in our lives whereby there seems to be nothing happening. Sometimes we wonder, has God forgotten the call his has given me? However these years of wilderness are actually set there by God as a final stage of preparation for the trailblazer.
Paul did not waste those 14 years of his life. He was not sleeping in the dessert or drinking coffee everyday. He was not playing computer games nor was he watching his favourite television program. He was preparing himself for the ministry God has given to him.
Acts 11:25-26
And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;
and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Paul was in the school of the Holy Spirit during those obscured years and at the perfect timing of God, he was a prepared vessel of the Lord.
Having learnt from the Holy Spirit, Paul was use mightily by God in Antioch in the teaching ministry. His ministry brought such an impact on the disciples there that people started calling them “Christians” which means “like Christ”.
Many are called by few are chosen. Why? The reason is because those who are called do not prepare themselves for the particular ministry God has given. Of course there are others who reject the call of God in their lives.
Friends, if God has called you, don’t see there waiting for it to happen without preparing yourselves.
Prepare yourselves by praying and seeking the face of God. Prepare yourselves by reading up in the area of your calling.
Conclusion
Are you willing to be a Trailblazer for God, blazing the trails of revival fires into every corner of society and into every nation tongue and tribe?
Go through the season of preparation, don’t be pull down by your background, take hardship with a positive mindset knowing the God is preparing you. Overcome the dominating sins in your life; overcome it through discipline and the power of the Spirit. Start envisioning your ministry calling and prepare yourself spiritually. In God’s timing, the trailblazer within you will be unleashed to impact this nation and the world for Jesus.
