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?

The Story Chapter 30 Introduction

Do you remember the early airline industry? Does Pan Am mean anything to you?

I used to travel around the world in a previous job. I loved my job. I loved meeting the people of other lands and learning about their culture and lives. I loved eating their food! I was blessed to have been in the international circuit for five years, in fact I had so many “points” on Pan Am that I had two free 30 day world passes on Pan Am. (Which my husband and I subsequently used.) Those were in the days when you sat for every mile earned.

I also have shame in my previous life. That shame is that I met people from every land and country, and never once shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with them.  In fact I remember one time in particular when the conversation moved towards my religious beliefs I quickly changed the subject. Like Paul, I was on fire, but for the wrong things. Like Paul I was using my talents and gifts, not for bad things, but not for the purpose which God intended them to be used for.

Praise God that we serve a God of grace who says, “I have covered your past with my blood, now let’s move into the future together.” Praise God that God has taken me with all my brokenness and pain and created something new. We are new in Christ Jesus. Transformation is possible. A resurrection of new possibilities exist in this life and beyond.

God took Paul and created something new. Paul went on his “pan-am” journeys, when journeying was not so easy, and was willing to risk everything in order to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The message was so compelling that he was willing to forgo everything:  being stoned, beaten and imprisoned for the opportunity to share the Good News. New churches were planted all over the “known world” of the Roman Empire because of the work of Paul, who ultimately gave his life for the sake of sharing the Gospel message.

God has taken me too, and created something new. I would love a “do over” for  some of the missed opportunities, but I also recognize that there are new opportunities ahead. I pray I don’t miss those new opportunities that are placed before me.

How about you? What opportunities are you facing to be like Paul and risk everything to share the Good News of Jesus?

This song reminds me of the change God works in us, and how we are to be used for God’s splendor.