Summary notes from 29th September 2013 SPACE Acts 9:1-22 "Before & After" Do you remember the TV Game Show “Name that Tune”? It was that game show where the contestants would try to identify a melody in the least number of notes played. Contestants would try to outbid each other by saying ‘I can name that tune in 5 notes’, and it would go on until a contestant would say, ‘OK, name that tune’. Well we’re going to begin by playing a similar game, but this time it’s called ‘Name that person’. Here we go. He said this - ‘I know that nothing good lives in me’ Romans 7:18. He was described as a person who ‘breathed murder and threats’ Acts 1:1 Next he began to destroy the Church, going from house to house, he dragged men and women out of their homes and put them in prison. Acts 8:3. Finally, he approved of the murder of the first person martyred in the Church. Acts 8:1. Yes it’s Paul, or as he was known Saul. What a nasty piece of work. He was a persecutor of the Christian Church. And yet listen to how God described him. ‘A chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles, and their kings and the children of Israel’ Acts 9:15 And yet the transformation that takes place in our reading today is so dramatic that we see a Godly makeover taking place, as this man has an encounter with Jesus. And that’s what we continue to look at over this term – how people of all walks of life are transformed when they have an encounter with Jesus. When people encounter Jesus, their lives are never the same again. So whilst we are on the whole TV thing, how many of you enjoy watching those make-over programmes like DIY SOS, where people have landed in unfortunate circumstances, and you watch how through the intervention of others their lives are transformed forever. It’s times like this that become real turning points in their lives – times when they reflect that their lives have been changed. Maybe for some of you your turning point was the day you met your husband or wife. For me one of the recent turning points was 29th May when we as a family began to accept that Alison had cancer. We all have days which profoundly change your life forever. They become real markers in your life. That before and after experience ; that turning point, is something that God wants each of us to have in our spiritual lives aswell. That is actually what affects us from the inside out – when God’s encounter with us begins to affect every single part of us. Paul in our story has had a most dramatic turning point after he encounters Jesus on the road. But Paul was very blind – I don’t mean on the road – he actually was already blind before he met Jesus. His life was full of ambition, direction and success. He had everything. There was absolutely no reason to change his life. He didn’t think anything was wrong. The truth folks is that Paul is like many of us. Now you could say that that’s simply not the case – you’re not out persecuting the Church. But the fundamental thing with Paul was that he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. You see Paul was already very religious. He wasn’t running away from God, he wasn’t rejecting God’s commandment, he was actually trying to serve God. He was a Pharisee. He was doing everything he could to please God. He was zealous, he was fanatical and passionate. And yet he was completely misled as to what it meant to serve God. And that’s why this story is actually very relevant to our society today. You see if you ask people in the streets today, a good amount will tell you that they are religious. In fact Northern Ireland is ranked as the 8th highest ranking country in the world that believes in the existence of God (45%). But if you delve deeper, what does that mean. People are misled as to what exactly a christian is – we talk about living in a christian culture. But like Saul, have we really understood what a relationship with God means? Have we all had an encounter with God that has completely turned your world around? You know there’s a huge difference between being religious and truly loving God. People would have said that Saul was a very religious man, however he had no loving relationship with God – it was a religion that was full of practice and ritual and nothing else. That’s why God had to knock him down and blind him so that God could finally get his attention. Paul’s turning point in life had now just happened – he had truly had an encounter with Jesus. Can you think of a point in your life that was a real turning point for you spiritually, where an encounter with Jesus changed things forever. I’ll be honest with you – it’s the perception of church attendance, of good living, of denominational differences that makes me sick to the core about what we in Northern Ireland have made Church into. If the Christian life is nothing other than a set of rules without an encounter with Jesus then Church counts for nothing. In fact it’s not how I know church. Because our parents and their parents before them went to church we’ve grown used to a routine in the Church of Ireland. We know the lingo. We know when to stand up and sit down. We know the songs. But that’s the trap which Paul had got himself into. He’s religious to the core, he’s fixed on what he needs to do rather than what he needs to be. And he’s now realized he had completely missed the point. The new Pail has been transformed by God from the inside out. And so I believe that if God has met with us on our Damascus journey, then here are 4 adjustments or turning points that should have or should be taking place : 1. You adjust your focus Paul had to confess that what he was doing was wrong, and he had to turn away from it. For us we may be doing things that we think are perfectly ok, but we’ve missed hearing what God wants to do in us when he gets our attention. And so, what have you been focusing on? Is God changing your focus from the inside? 2. You adjust your time and your energy. Paul was extremely busy. He had been busy pursuing what he thought was important. But once his life was turned around his adjustment wasn’t in how much energy he used. It was an adjustment on where he spent it. And so have you asked God where your energy needs to be spent? Have you even considered that the decisions you make in all aspects of life should involve him first? 3. You adjust your financial resources When Paul turned his back on his religious Pharisees do you think they continued to support him? No I don’t think so. In fact in Acts 18 it says that he was a tent maker – obviously in order to support himself in his ministry. Now I’m not saying that everyone gives up their jobs in order to follow God, but when we have an encounter with Jesus, it truly impacts how we consider where our money goes. I have seen in a number of peoples’ lives how God has supported them when they have obeyed and stepped out in faith. And similarly I know of people who through their success in business they have been able to bless others through their wealth. All I’m saying is that if we are truly followers of Christ then our attention moves away from ourselves and moves to bless others. Our dependence on worldly things moves onto heavenly things. 4. Finally, as your life is transformed, God wants you to see yourself differently. When your life is turned around, then you are a new creation. 5. 6. Paul himself writes to the Corinthians and says this “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” Even Saul changed his name through his encounter with Jesus. Saul the old Pharisee was now Paul the new man of Christ. Saul the old persecutor became Paul the new missionary. Paul received a new identity as he received Christ as his saviour. The old Saul had passed away. And for me the point at which each of us acknowledges our need of God, confesses that he is Lord – that is our new start – out turning point – our makeover – our new creation. So what has been your significant turning point in life? We are all able to recall different points that have changed our lives forever. But I pray that in amongst these, you each can say that the most significant turning point has been your encounter with Jesus. If that hasn’t happened yet, then please examine in yourself why this hasn’t happened. If you’ve got questions then come and talk to me – I won’t bite – In fact I’ll buy you lunch and we can have a proper chat – if you want to delve deeper then come to Alpha this Thursday night. For all of us, I pray that we are able to go out of here rejoicing that like Paul there’s no going back to our past. And like Paul, our past is behind us, we are a new creation. Rev Jonny
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 22:36:28 +0000
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