There Is Purpose in
Your Scars
2014-07-27
Acts 22:17-22 (ESV)
17 “When I had returned to
Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of
Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue
after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I
myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those
who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go,
for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’22 Up
to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said,
“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”
Scars remind us of the past but they
don’t determine our future.
· Forgiven sin and past foolishness doesn’t
have to hinder future ministry.
o
God
uses sinful, difficult pasts, to display His transforming power-which brings Him
great glory.
§
The
power of gospel is evident when know what use we are to be & see how God
changed us. Act 22:18-20
With great candor & courage Paul
shared his conversion story.
· He wrongly believed his Jewish
heritage & radical transformation from Christian persecutor to Christian preacher
would convince lost Jews of the truth of the gospel.
o
Giving
of a testimony does not always have expected results. Acts 22:21-22, Gal 3:28
· The Word Gentiles ignited the mob’s anger: Jew & Gentile = w/o Gentile become
Jews
· He didn’t have to say Gentiles, but then he would not
faithfully be quoting what Christ had said to him.
o
It
is tempting when sharing the Gospel to hit lightly on controversial points, or not
share essentials that disturb our generation or human nature.
§
Often
time people share “God loves us” but fail to mention man’s depravity, our need
of Savior & the essential features that make it a saving cross.
God ordains ALL easy and difficult
things in a Christians life for His glory & their good. Ps
76:10a, 139:13, Phil 1:12-14, 1 Pet 4:12, Isa 46:10, Dan 4:35b, Eph
1:11, Job 2:9-10
· It
is not biblical to say God can’t somehow be in the difficult/unfair events of
your life or that suffering does not “mysteriously serve God’s purposes”.
o
Like
Job…we may never know specific “Why?” but we do know “Who?”
· Nothing
in Scripture indicates some things are outside God's sovereign control.
o
God uses evil for His purposes but
He never does evil, never takes pleasure in it or is to blame for it. Jam 1:13-15
§
Sin
arises from the withholding of His restraining action.
·
Jonathan
Edwards analogy: sun brings light/warmth
by its nature, but doesn’t cause dark/cold by dropping below horizon.
The greatness of God's grace & power
can be seen in His choosing undeserving sinners to be His people & we are unqualified
to do His work. 1 Cor 6:9-11, 1:26-31
· strong/weak, common/uncommon; single/married,
rich/poor; educated/uneducated.
o
Divorced,
addicts, alcoholics, Satanists, immoral, those who have had an abortion
- God used your difficult,
sinful past, to make what you what you are today.
- His grace for you always has
been & always will be sufficient…even in difficult times.
· Don’t let past sin, scars, or failures
hinder present/future service to Jesus.
o
I can’t- teach SS (no Bible school),
mentor mom (not perfect parent), etc.______ because _________.
§
It’s not about your abilities but
the Holy Spirit’s power working in you and through you.
Michelangelo
saw in a huge uncut rock a beautiful angel.
·
It just needed the hand of a master
craftsman to bring it out.
o
The grace of God carved a Paul out
of Saul.
§ The
grace of God is carving a masterpiece out of you also.
· Everything
necessary for that masterpiece is already there if you’re a Christian.
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