INTRODUCTION
You have been saved to serve. Every Believer can live out their potential by accepting their responsibility to serve. There are three responsibilities ...
1. A NEW STATUS TO CELEBRATE (v15a)
In the movie “The Freshman” Matthew Broderick plays the part of Clark Kellogg. He travels to New York to study and in the process is robbed. The robbery begins a journey into the Mafia underworld and Broderick finds himself entangled in an illegal exotic live animal smuggling ring. He had no intention of being there, but has no way out. Then Tina, a mobsters daughter, tells him that the robbery was not random. That her father, played by Marlin Brando, chose Broderick before he moved to New York. He was hand-picked to become a part of their mob family.
Now being a part of God’s family has no similarity to being in the Godfather’s family! (i.e. the Mafia). But the sentiment in this part of the movie reflects what is true about God’s selection process.
God chose each of his children to be a part of his family – a spiritual and eternal family.
a. Christ decided for us, we did not decide for Christ.
We see this at work in Saul’s life. What caused Saul to turn around and follow Jesus? Here he was – a Pharisee zealous to capture and imprison Christians, and traveling around Israel doing just that. Now he has all the sudden turned around and heading in completely the opposite direction. What caused this change?
Well, as we read in Chapter 9, Jesus intervened in his life in a significant way on the road to Damascus. We might expect that the Lord might zap Saul and wipe him out for all the cruelty he had dished out to the church. Saul deserved punishment. But instead the Lord is kind to him. Jesus appears to Saul and challenges him about his life and spares him.
The Lord also spoke to Ananias in a vision saying that Saul was his “chosen instrument” (v15a). A little bit like Marlin Barndo and Matthew Broderick in “The Freshman.”
What we learn here is that Saul did not “decide for Christ,” as we might say. It was just the opposite – Saul was deciding against Christ and persecuting his church. No – what we learn is that it was Christ who decided for Saul!
This was not the first time Jesus had spoken to Saul. Earlier the Lord had said to him, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). This was a Greek proverb and it means, “Resistance is useless.” The Lord had chosen Saul and Saul could do nothing to stop it.
What a wonderful and affirming place to be in our spirit when we consider that the Lord chooses us and we can do nothing to stop him.
In fact the Lord had your salvation in mind before the beginning of time. In 2 Timothy Saul explains that he was “Chosen before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). And that the Lord had a plan for his life right from the day he was born. Galatians 1:15 says he was “Set apart from birth.” And what was true in Saul’s experience is true for every Believer - - - Chosen by Jesus and nothing can stop it; chosen before the beginning of time, and set apart for a purpose from the day we were born.
So what difference should this truth make to us?
Well, this new status as a child chosen by God before the beginning of time, and set apart for him from birth – brings some responsibilities.
First, I don’t know about you, but this truth motivates me to worship God. i.e. Worship in the broad (correct) sense that everyone is worshipping God by using their gifts to serve him to the best of their ability. Worship = showing God his worth – what he means to us. We do that by using the gifts he has given us.
Paul worshipped after his meeting with Jesus on the Damascus road. He was blinded, so he couldn’t do much practically speaking, he had to be lead by the hand to Damascus – but v11 tells us he was doing everything he could – praying!
Our responsibility is to use our unique gifts with confidence – he has chosen us, this should give us confidence.
Think, “God chose me to be in this marriage, family, workplace, street, footy team, church etc. I am his chosen instrument in this situation.”
So God will achieve marvelous and wonderful things because of us as we confidently use the unique gifts he has given us as his children. Our first responsibility is to live according to the new status the Lord has granted us.
2. A NEW SERVICE TO CARRY OUT
Sadly many Believers leave it there and they miss out on all that the Lord has for them. There’s more to the Christian life than coming into the family of God – as wonderful as that is.
Some people might believe that it was enough for the Lord to arrest Saul and stop his war against the church? Surely now everyone could live in peace - the Jewish faith and the Christian faith co-existing alongside one another? Surely it was enough for Saul to now show a little tolerance towards the church, maybe find a nice fellowship that provided good teaching, lively praise choruses, and who used all the latest technology? Surely now all the Lord would require of Saul was for him to settle down to the quiet Christian life.
Think again. Because with our responsibility to celebrate our new status, comes the responsibility to carry out our new service. And this is what the Lord revealed to Ananias about Saul – that Saul was…
“my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (v15b)
Yes the Lord sets his people apart from the day they are born, but Romans 1:1 tells us that we are set apart for a reason – we are, “Set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1) - set apart to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Along with our new status comes a new service.
But when would be a good time to launch out into our new service. A year after conversion? Six months? Six weeks? Surely we need time to learn the ropes at least.
Wrong. The Lord has been preparing us to start ministry from the moment he chose us – from the moment we were born. Saul began his commission immediately. Directly after his conversion and Ananias’ prayer and receiving the Holy Spirit Saul began to “carry” the name of the Lord - - right there in Damascus.
At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20)
And when he arrived in Jerusalem he began his mission to the world by witnessing first to the foreign Grecian Jews (Acts 9:29).
In the eyes of the Lord, Saul had spent enough time taking lives – now it was time to give it.
And the same is true for us. The moment we come to Jesus our responsibility is to no longer “take life” but to give it - to move from a consumer of church to contributor to church. Jesus said, “I have not come to be served but to serve.” And the Believers mandate is to follow him – to move from someone who simply says they believe – to being someone who lives what they believe.
For example, simply to invite is an act of service. Once, in a parable about the kingdom, Jesus directed us simply to make an invitation to everyone we meet.
Matthew 22:8-10
Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
So we can contribute to the kingdom this week simply by making an invitation.
Here’s a challenging thought. Is our church a consumer in our community or a contributor?
My heart for our church = To be seen as an essential part of our community. That we would be sorely missed if we closed the doors. That our community would do whatever they could to keep us here – because they saw our ministry as a vital part of life in Australind.
Is this wishful thinking?
We have a new service to carry out in our community. The challenge is for each of us to contribute to the mission of our church, and for all of us as a church to contribute to the benefit of our community. As we do this, God will achieve marvelous and wonderful things through us as we surrender to his cause.
3. A NEW SUFFERING TO CONFRONT
Now of course this is going to be easy isn’t it? It’s not going to cost us anything.
Sorry – living a fruitful life often includes struggle and pain.
The Lord told Ananias that Saul “Must suffer for my name” (v16)
Some important passages on the benefits of suffering (Note them) - -
James 1:2-4 = suffering brings us to our fullest potential/fruitfulness (“mature, complete, not lacking anything").
Phil 4:11-13 = suffering develops contentment (a rare commodity today) and strength (“can do all things through him”). It develops a healthy dependence upon the Lord.
Matthew 5:11-12 and 2 Tim 2:12 = Suffering assures us of God’s love and favor and our secure future with him. (i.e. Our suffering is not meaningless)
So our responsibility then, is to grow through struggles and problems. Someone once said if you fail, to fail forward. In other words if you’re going to suffer make sure it’s for the right reasons and that it is a meaningful.
Suffering for being a Christian will mean different things for different people. This week we’re asking you to give up some of your all-to-rare free time to distribute our Easter flyer. There’s a cost in that.
But the cost in carrying out our service comes in all kinds of ways. For some it may be a professional price to pay by refusing to cut ethical corners the way our boss or a client wants us to. It might mean we pay a social price by speaking up for our faith when our friends or work mates are attacking it. It might mean sacrificing your pride and asking for someone’s forgiveness. Perhaps you will have to give up a valued possession because someone else needs it more than you do. Or work less hours to attain a more balanced and God honoring family life.
As we obey despite the cost, the Lord will mold and shape us and make us more fruitful.
God will achieve marvelous and wonderful things in and around us as we serve despite hardships.
CONCLUSION
A new status to celebrate – God’s chosen instruments.
A new service to carry out – chosen to carry his name.
A new suffering confront – chosen to serve despite the difficulties.
These are the responsibilities we must face if we choose to remain in a church that is expecting God to achieve marvelous and wonderful things in people’s lives.
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