‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 26:16-18 (NIV)
The complete passage referenced above provides us with some helpful information about Paul’s background. He was zealous against the Lord’s people until he had an encounter with Jesus while on his way to Damascus. Jesus had plans and a purpose for Paul. In the Scripture verses above, we see that Jesus appointed Paul to be a servant of the people and a witness for Christ. After that encounter with Jesus, Paul became zealous for Jesus. As we study the Bible, we learn that God has a purpose and a plan for each of us. May we also get up, stand on our feet, and assume our place and purpose within the body of Christ. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
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. Acts 9: 27-28 (NIV)
Sometimes our reputation goes before us, setting the stage for how people view us or behave toward us. What we say, our opinions or attitudes, our actions, or the positions we take can lead others to draw some conclusions about who we are as people. Because real personal change is difficult, it can be hard to change someone’s opinion of us once it has been formed. We may find, at some point, we need someone to stand up for us. Jesus does that; He intercedes for us, with the Father, every day. May we be grateful for what Jesus does on our behalf. May we be able to enjoy a time of peace and be strengthened just as Saul (later named Paul) was. May we also be encouraged by the Holy Spirit as we seek to grow the kingdom for the glory of God. Amen.
As Christians, we can find comfort in knowing that God will preserve our lives. He is our eternal hope. Today’s passage is Psalm 121.
Psalm 121(NIV) 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Opening Prayer: After Jesus was crucified the disciples must have thought it was the end of His ministry. Was it time to go back to their old lives? They were fearful and didn’t have much left to give. They must have felt defeated and alone. They might have asked, “What is left for us to do?” Jesus had told them, “Follow me.” But, what does that mean? Jesus told His disciples that too. He said; “Feed my sheep, take care of my sheep.” We are to do what Jesus did – take care of the flock, both spiritually and physically, and spread the Good News of the gospels. May we be faithful followers of Jesus, the Christ! May we follow Jesus by doing what He did. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all things. May all be done for the glory of God. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Message [used with permission from A Sermon for Every Sunday]: Fishing, Failure, and a Future – Third Sunday of Easter by Will Willimon, a legendary preacher.
“Late in life I got into fly fishing,” Will Willimon says. “The thing that impresses one about fly fishing, an aspect of the sport that stays with you no matter how long you practice it, is failure.” The Christian life is like that in many ways. You practice and practice and think you’ve got it just right and you still fail. In this week’s Gospel lesson, John 21:1-19, failure permeates every part of the story. The disciples had gone back to fishing, but, as Willimon points out, “Their fishing didn’t go much better than their discipleship.” Still Jesus comes to the disciples and “re-calls” Peter. He calls Peter to love him and then commissions him to feed his sheep. In spite of Peter’s past failure, Jesus puts Peter in charge of his flock. What can Jesus do with our failure if we too allow Jesus’ words, “Follow me,” to ring in our ears?
Closing Prayer: Serving the Lord can be challenging. We often meet up with resistance, defeat, and repeated failure. We often need reassurance of our value, purpose, and call to follow Him. May we not give up. Instead, we will soar on wings like eagles; [we] will run and not grow weary, [we] will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31, NIV). May we throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV). Amen.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. John 21:7 (NIV)
Have you ever been overjoyed to see someone you care about that you hadn’t seen for a while or that you were seeing unexpectedly? It can be very exciting. We can be overcome with emotion and happiness at the sight of our loved one. May we look expectantly every day for the joy that comes from spending time with the Lord. May we be prepared to meet with Him each day. May the time spent with the Lord and the decision to follow Him more closely be our top priority. May the fellowship time spent with the Lord strengthen and sustain us throughout our day. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”Luke 14:12-14 (NIV)
Too often we can find ourselves in situations where those who give expect something in return for their giving or those who receive will feel obligated to return the favor. This type of situation can be especially difficult for those who are unable to return the favor or cannot repay. It can also be difficult for those who feel the pressure to comply with some of the demands that appear to be coming from the giver. This passage reminds us that the earthly reward is not what we should be seeking. May we focus on doing the kind of good that can only be repaid or rewarded by the Lord, our God “at the resurrection of the righteous.” Amen.
Faithfully Yours Forever 