Worship

“My Testimony” by Elevation Worship

Scripture

“At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, ‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?’ Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

“After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

“When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.” -Acts 9:20-30

Saul’s Initial Ministry

Saul had come to persecute the believers in Damascus, but before he got there, he was encountered by the Lord. He stayed in Damascus and taught that Jesus was the Son of God (a frequent theme in his writings). This was considered his first missionary effort. It is believed that during the space of verses 20-21, he made his way to Arabia to be strengthened in the Lord and do missionary work. He ministered the gospel for three years in Damascus and Arabia. Here’s his account:

“For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.” -Galatians 1:13-17

On the heels of these years of preparation for Saul, persecution ensued. The persecutor was now the persecuted! However, God protected him and provided assistance through the disciples who enabled his escape. How redemptive and profound. Those who suffered at the hands of Saul were now the ones aiding in his protection.

“It was the beginning of many escapes for Paul, and sometimes he didn’t quite escape. Sometimes they caught him, imprisoned him, beat him. He did indeed have to suffer many things for Jesus’ sake.” -James Montgomery Boice

When Saul returned to Jerusalem, even in spite of three years of following Christ, the believers there were still afraid of him. They could not believe, with his history, that he was truly a disciple. When we read his words in the epistles, his love for the saints is so evident, but they didn’t have his written words yet. They had a past history they could not forget—the wounds were deep. People lost their lives at the hands of Saul. How does one forget what happened and what he did? This is where the depth of grace and the transforming power of the Spirit in Saul was speaking a better word. The blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony were the basis for his love for God’s people. His story was being written and spoken through an undeniable and extraordinary love Saul had for the saints.

Barnabas’s Role in Saul’s Ministry

There was one man who stepped on the scene who believed the best about Saul, and his name was Barnabas. He extended love and acceptance to Saul and spoke to the others favorably about him. Barnabas, in essence, fought for the acceptance of Saul into the family of believers in Jerusalem. He also stayed with Peter for 15 days and spent time with James. Their love for him enabled Saul to do ministry in Jerusalem with great boldness.

We need people in our corner who will fight for us, believe the best about us, and pave the way ahead of us.

When persecution ensued, the believers in Jerusalem sent Saul to Tarsus—one of the most prominent cities in the ancient world and the place where universities and philosophy were prominent. Again, Saul was being trained in the counsel of the Lord, trained continually to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

“Somewhere between 8 and 12 years passed in the life of Saul before he again entered into prominent ministry, being sent out as a missionary from the church at Antioch. At that time, it would also be Barnabas who reached out to Saul, remembering him and loving him. … Yet before he became Paul the Apostle, he spent somewhere between 8 and 12 years as Saul the unknown. Those were not wasted years; they were good and necessary years.” -David Guzik

The Biblical Foundation of Saul’s Ministry

It is easy to read this passage in Acts and see it as a day in the life of Saul. But indeed this portion spans many, many years of preparation for Saul—preparation for life and godliness in the face of great persecution and gospel expansion. The Spirit of God was training this man of God to live and to die for Christ on a daily basis. I often wonder how the transforming power of grace allowed him to move forward free from shame and guilt from his past failures and regrets. I wonder if, in these early years, people continually came to him, forgiving him for imprisoning them or putting their family members to death. Christ’s love so deeply deposited in Saul caused a love to overflow from Saul’s life where he loved God’s people so immensely that he could not leave them. God would waste nothing—not one day of Saul’s story. All would be redeemed and all would be made glorious for the sake of Christ.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.” -Philippians 1:21-26

In our process of becoming ones who make it our ambition to preach Christ, our past wounds and regrets are merely a setup for a life of greater grace and greater mercy for the lost and for one another!

Reflection

• Will you allow Christ to use the pain of your story to more deeply love and minister to God’s people?
• Will you believe that every part of your story will not be wasted?
• Will you trust God in the long season of waiting that His purposes for your life will be accomplished?

As He transformed Saul to become a champion for the gospel, so He is transforming His Bride to carry the gospel to the ends of the Earth for His name’s sake!

A Few Key Notes

• Join us on October 12 as we launch our Spanish Arise chapter, Levántate! We will enjoy brunch as our Spanish chapter leader, Flora, shares the heart and vision of Levántate. Tickets are free, but space is limited! RSVP today!
• Save the date for the Arise Fall Luncheon on Tuesday, November 19! We will hear from author and missiologist David Joannes, who wrote “The Mind of a Missionary.” Registration details are coming soon!