Footsteps of Paul ~ 5 Big insights ~Mars Hill Athens

What does it mean when you are so influential that people want to retrace your footsteps? Saint Paul was that kind of man. I wanted to walk in Saint Paul’s footsteps; To maybe come to know a little of what drove and empowered him to share the Gospel of Jesus to “the ends of the earth;” to understand a little of what the Roman world was like at that time in history; and to better understand how one person can, literally, “Change the world.”

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some insights from this journey. The Christians near Jerusalem say that the land is “the fifth Gospel.” In other words, when you see the land and understand where the historical places are located, what the citizens were doing and what the geography looked like, then we can have a better understanding of the biblical witness. This is definitely true of Paul’s witness in the New Testament.

Can we change the world too? Paul believed that he was making a difference in the known world. He was commissioned by the resurrected Jesus to preach to the gentiles. We are all commissioned by Jesus, just sometimes that commissioning is less obvious than a blinding light and a stay in Damascus. An encounter with Jesus changes lives, and in turn, we are to be God’s agents to transform the world. What has Jesus commissioned you to do?

So, here are five big insights (amongst a dozen of them):

1) The area in which he traveled was so expansive! Yes, we know this in our heads, but to actually travel in the seas and go where he went by ship from Greece to Turkey; that gives new meaning when he tells the Corinthians he was  shipwrecked three times.

2) Paul was always adapting the gospel message to the local culture. Once again, we know this in our heads, but there were new insights in Corinth, Athens and Ephesus to some of the local customs which I will share in my next post. He spoke of those customs in his letters. For today, enjoy the picture from Mars Hill where Paul preached the sermon about the Unknown God; and explained that this God can be known, and his name is Jesus.

3) Paul was always looking to grow the Christian community. Community was important to Paul. You cannot be a Christian on your own. Paul worked hard to grow community in each city in which he preached the Gospel message. You cannot be a Christian on your own. The brothers and sisters of community help each other grow and help each other stay accountable. This is still as true today as it was in Paul’s day.

4) Paul was in tune and listening to the Holy Spirit in all of his work. If he had not heard the spirit’s calling in a vision he would not have gone to Greece (Macedonia). If he had not been listening he might not have been willing to go to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey even though the Spirit had told him that prison awaited him. We always need to be listening for the Holy Spirit’s voice, which is still alive and well today. Leadership is important; using our God given talent is important; but we always need to be listening for God’s still small voice and not do what “we want to do.” How do we practice the discipline of listening to God?

5) Paul died a martyr’s death for political reasons. While he was arrested in Jerusalem for seemingly breaking Jewish customs, ultimately he was beheaded for saying, “Jesus is Lord.” Mike Slaughter brought this home in his teachings. Jesus is Lord is a political statement. There were many gods in the Roman world, all of them could be worshiped, but there was only one lord, and that was the Caesar. If Jesus was Lord, then Caesar was not. This was a political statement which cost Paul and many other Christians their lives.

I wanted to walk in Paul’s footsteps because the Risen Christ had commissioned him to change the world! Paul was commissioned to go and tell. Each of us is to go and tell; each of us is commissioned. How is Jesus commissioning you to change the world?

Doing and Being

Doing and Being: I am a doer; maybe you are too. But I KNOW the constant need to stop and “be.” Our lives are full, busy to the max. I think I have not seen a period of time when families and individuals have been so stressed. What does it look like to take time to “be?”

It is not easy to “be.” Scripture says, “Be still, be still and know that I am God!” This is a command, not a suggestion.

Pastors are always running too, always doing something. Even in the midst of a busy day, I am learning the art (ever in progress) of taking even a short time to “be.” I also recognize the need to take longer periods of retreat so that I can “be.” This weekend our women at TUMC are going on retreat, in the midst of retreat, I will have some time to “be,” and I am very much looking forward to that time.

Here are some ideas that might help you “be” even in the midst of a busy day. Maybe you can steal away some moments to help “be,” even in the midst of a busy, crazy, day.

• Listen to a song on you tube which reminds you of who God created you to “be.” No ideas? Here is one good one.
• Repeat a phrase of Scripture over and over, as a breath prayer. Meditate on that Scripture. How about the one above, “Be Still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
• Take a walk in nature. Look up and around. What do you notice that you are usually too busy to see?
• Close your eyes and imagine what it is like to be surrounded by the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit look like to you: a bright light, tongues of fire, a dove?
• Imagine what it would look like to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from him. Mary, Maratha’s sister found this a wonderful place to be.
• Use visuals from blogs that help focus on God to allow God to penetrate to the depths of your soul. This one can get you started, by Jan Richardson. Meditate on one of the pictures. Where do you see God?

May you find time today to “BE” in the midst of your busy day.

The Story Chapter 28 Introduction

While in the church calendar year we are still in the Easter season until Pentecost, in The Story we fly through the resurrection appearances of Jesus to land on the day of Pentecost. While we might be moving quickly, you might want to pause to contemplate the resurrection appearances of Jesus. The appearance to the two on the Road to Emmaus happened on Easter Sunday itself. The Apostle Paul gives a list of those who saw the resurrected Jesus to the people of Corinth.

Prior to the ascension of Jesus, he gives instructions to those who are left behind, we often call this The Great Commission, “Go into all the world making disciples and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus also told them to wait for the gift that would be given on what we call the day of Pentecost. Pentecost was a festival for which the faithful Jews would come to Jerusalem, so there were many from what is known as the diaspora there when the Holy Spirit fell upon the Apostles.

Here is the exciting part, the Holy Spirit empowered the believers to speak in languages they had never studied. The Holy spirit gave gifts of the spirit which were used to build the kingdom of God; The Holy Spirit continues to give gifts today for building the kingdom of God.

Sometimes it is hard for us to imagine that God continues to bless believers with miraculous gifts of the Holy spirit that are not learned and do not fall under our categories of understanding. That is the way God works. God is beyond being put into a box or fitting into our categories of understanding. We are told that if we pray to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit that God will bless us with them. What gifts can you use for the building of God’s kingdom; Prophecy, healing, wisdom, tongues? Pray for the baptism of the Holy spirit upon you. Open up your heart, God will provide.