Part 1 – Paul: Saved and Set to Serve
Lesson Information
Series: Patiently Serving
Title: Part 1: Paul: Saved and Set to Serve
Speaker: Dr. Benny M. Abante, Jr.
Passage: Acts 9:4-6 (KJV)
Service: New Life Bible Class
Date: January 05, 2017
January Theme: PATIENTLY SERVING
PAUL: SAVED AND SET TO SERVE
ACTS 9:1-16; 26
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee
what thou must do.
– Acts 9:4-6 KJV
In Acts 9, we begin to read about Paul (Saul) whom the Bible described as the persecutor of the believers of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-2). But in verse 3, we find Paul encountering his own “Damascus” experience. He was arrested by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and Paul found salvation and forgiveness of all his sins in Christ alone (Acts 9:3-6).
MESSAGE
As believers of the Lord, we stand as His chosen vessels to bear witness of Him and His Gospel. His work is divine and so is our battle. The need to be equipped with the grace and power of God to be able to perform our divine task has been already met by the Lord Jesus Himself. There is no need for us to rely upon our own abilities and strength. He built in us the same strong qualities that we can see in Paul—both in his life and service to God. So what are these qualities that we can find in the transformed apostle Paul?
1. Strong Will and Personality (Acts 9:15, 16: 2 Cor. 4:7; Jn 15:16). The Lord said, “… he is a chosen vessel unto Me…” Transformed Paul possessed a very strong will and personality that prepared him for the Gospel of the Lord. The Lord made him as such because He chose him. And this does not only apply to Paul but it is also true to every believer of the Lord. As the Lord chooses to use us, He equips us with strong will and per-sonality that like Paul we can do and triumph in His work.
2. Spirituality (Romans 8:4; Gal. 5:22-23). Paul was very sensitive to God’s leading and this was evident in his complete obedience to the Lord’s instruc-tions. He has his eyes and mind all focused on the Lord and the things of God, realizing that only through the power of the Spirit in his life (not his own power and ability and skills and the things of the world), that he can do what he has to for the Gospel and for all the ekklesias the Lord has given and entrusted to his care.
3. Humility (Phil. 3:7-9). Paul has laid down aside whatever he has achieved in life and has chosen the Lord, His Word and His ministry over and above all the riches and fame this world could proffer him. For Paul, humility is to know Christ only and to live for Him and for others. It is dying to oneself.
4. Life-long Commitment (Phil. 3:13-14; 1:21). Paul has committed his life, service and all to the Lord since the day he got saved. For him, life is fleeting that it should be wholly dedicated, used and spent for the Lord and His Gospel. Short of this is a wasted and meaningless life.
CONCLUSION
Paul could have been a national hero (he was choleric leader) and a patriot (Jewish zealot) but before King Agrippa and Festus and the rest of the Jewish leaders, he boldly and unashamedly declared his gene-alogy, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus and his new found faith and life in Christ (Acts 26; Rom. 1:16). Are we like Paul who can live for God and serve Him while patient-ly waiting for His promised return?
—Dr. Benny M. Abante, Jr., 01.08.17
