For the past bunch of years, I have spent one week every August teaching classes to new pastors. I do this in conjunction with several other pastors who have been serving in ministry for several decades. In those classes, we try to cover as much ground as we can. We teach theology, practical ministry, marriage and family counseling, missions, evangelism, and personal finance.
One of the professors this year was a man named Bill who has a very interesting life story. His father had been a pastor so he grew up in the church, but he didn't really get serious about his faith until he was almost an adult. When he finished high school, he went to college and took a German class because he was interested in learning languages. He failed that class, but his interest in studying languages didn't diminish. Eventually, he became proficient in several languages, and the Lord called him to serve as a missionary to the country of Guatemala.
The primary language spoken in Guatemala is Spanish, but there are also many Mayan languages spoken in the country. Of the Mayan languages, Kʼicheʼ is the language most commonly spoken, but speakers of that language didn't have a Bible they could read in their native tongue, so Bill decided to give them one. He started by translating the New Testament, then he translated the Old Testament. This was in addition to all the other work he was doing in the country.
The translation process took years, but eventually, he was able to present a completed Bible to the people of Guatemala who speak Kʼicheʼ. I was very impressed with his story, and it amazed me to see what the Lord has done through him since he dedicated his life toward answering this calling.
Dedicating your life to the calling God has placed upon it is wise to do, but it doesn't always get off to a smooth start. A great example of that can be found in Acts 9:19b-31.
I. A dedicated life uses the voice it's given
“For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. ”
Acts 9 tells us about the miraculous conversion of Saul who was later called Paul. I consider his life, conversion, and subsequent ministry both inspiring and fascinating. I don't know what you did right after you came to faith in Jesus, but Saul didn't waste any time when it came to the work of evangelism. Once Saul became convinced that Jesus was alive, the Messiah, and Lord over all creation, he wanted to tell people about Jesus immediately.
Saul was someone who knew the Scriptures, but until he came to faith in Jesus, he didn't fully understand what he was reading. Once he came to the understanding of who Jesus is, and how all Scripture is pointing us to Jesus, Saul didn't want to waste a minute. His life that had been dedicated to persecuting Christians was now going to be dedicated to telling people about Jesus. And because Saul knew the Scriptures as well as he did, I believe he began utilizing the prophetic portions of the Old Testament to prove to others that Jesus was the Christ.
Saul came to terms with the voice he had been given and he made great use of that voice. His example makes me wonder about you and me. Do we have a full appreciation of the voice we've been given? What has the Lord equipped you to do that could also become the primary way you introduce others to Him?
In recent years, the Lord has convinced me that my hobbies aren't just hobbies. They have a greater purpose. I used to consider myself someone who wrote books and blog posts and recorded podcasts as a hobby, but now those mediums have become the primary way I'm telling others about Him. In the process, people who don't share my faith in Jesus have started to ask me more about writing and recording which I find very exciting because in the process I'm always given an opportunity to speak about Christ, and that's what I honestly care about most.
Are you using your voice? What has the Lord made you good at that can become the primary way you're able to testify about Him? I'm certain there's something, so don't let self-doubt or personal insecurities creep into your mind to keep you from speaking up.
II. A dedicated life is unstoppable
“When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. ”
When I was working as a camp director, it was very common for people to donate furniture, tools, and other items to the ministry once they no longer wanted them. If their donations still had some life in them, we'd use them. I'll never forget using a lawn tractor that was donated to us one summer.
I was pleased to see that it started up nicely and seemed to do a good job cutting the grass, but I learned the hard way that it had one fatal flaw. If you used it on a hill, you were in trouble. It had no brakes (which is probably why it was donated). Once you picked up some momentum going down a hill, there was absolutely no way you were going to stop. You just had to hold on and steer until you reached level ground.
When Saul dedicated his live to the calling Christ had given him, there was no stopping him. Saul was so faithful to his mission that the Jewish leaders he had once partnered with, put together a plot to kill him. But God made sure Saul heard about it ahead of time, and with the help of the people in Damascus that Saul had been teaching, he was secretly let out of the city by placing him in a basket that was attached to ropes, then lowered over the city wall.
When I read a story like this, it reminds me that a dedicated life is literally unstoppable if the Lord is directing the steps that are being taken. No plot against Saul could successfully take his life one day earlier than the Lord had planned. Everything the Lord wanted Saul to accomplish would be accomplished before his time on earth was complete.
The same is true for you and me. If we're in the center of God's will, fully submitted to His timing and His plan, we are unstoppable. The Lord goes before us and the Lord protects us along the way. There is nothing in this world to be afraid of because the Lord will surround you with the help you need. And if necessary, He will make sure there's a basket big enough to fit you, and friends who are strong enough to lower you down a city wall. You'll have what you need.
III. A dedicated life develops a reputation
“And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. ”
When you're reading this passage, it could be easy to think Verse 26 describes something that took place days or minutes after Verse 25, but as far as I can tell, there's at least a three year time span between Saul being snuck out of Damascus and visiting Jerusalem. How do we know that, and what was Saul doing during that three year period?
The answer to that is given to us in the book of Galatians where Saul/Paul says...
"But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days". (Galatians 1:15-18)
Three years is a decent amount of time to commit to learning, and Jesus made certain Saul had the training he needed for the rest of his task. But Saul still had an old reputation to overcome. There were some people that still viewed him through the lens of the life he once led and they were very hesitant to let him anywhere near them. Does that sound familiar to you? Are there people in your life that treat you that way too?
By this time, Saul had developed a track record of faithfulness that others were able to attest to. Barnabas spoke well of Saul and calmed the fears of the early church. Then Saul continued to make the gospel known, which confirmed the kind words Barnabas had said of him.
Your reputation will follow your dedication.
IV. A dedicated life has a unique walk
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. ”
Recently, I was told a story about a man who was trying to hide his identity. He went to great lengths to do so including putting a pebble in his shoe. When asked why he had done that, he admitted that it forced him to walk with a very convincing limp, and since he walked differently, he was able to mask his real identity for a time.
In Christ, we've been given a new identity. In Him, we walk differently. The early church was learning more about this walk by observing the miraculous work the Lord had been doing in Saul's life. He was a changed man. He was a dedicated man, and they learned more about what it means to follow Jesus because of him.
In the process, the church continued to grow in faith. They learned the importance of walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. And their faith in the midst of pressure and persecution was attractive to many others who eventually became part of the family of God as well.
If your life has been dedicated to Christ, and committed to the calling He has placed on it, you'll learn to walk differently, and I believe the Lord will providentially direct your steps.
© John Stange, 2021
