Dreamers and Schemers

I'd like to add a PostScript to last week's lesson. I talked about kindness. And as often happens when you use the internet, do you get things that follow up on that topic and sometimes a really good things come through with Monday. They got a little deal there. This person was talking about she's an author and she was writing about people who are older. And so it was very interesting to me, but she said, she had gone to 50 people and ask them what regrets they had about their life prior to this stage in their life. And this is not a scientific me random, it's just 50 people but she pointed out the fact that of the 50 people she talked to forty-three of them said if they wish they have been kinder. And as I saw it I thought you know that this matter they are that is important. So I wanted to share that with you. A couple of our last month, I've mentioned it. I was going to do some lessons through this year, called the dreamers and schemers and I remind you what they are. People who had these dreams visions that God has presented and those two, I'm classifying is dreamers the people who follow what God wants and facilitate what God wants and the schemers who facilitate what they want. And so, will look at individuals or circumstances or situations, are you family said to some degree? But this morning, I'd like, for us to look at the Apostle, Paul Dreamer or schemer.

Now, you're probably going to say, but when are you talking about? Now I Paul's case we have a really simple system that has been delivered to us because he has two names. You know, he's saw us the persecutor and then after he becomes a Christian and after he becomes the light to the Gentiles, then his name is changed to Paul. So we have a very convenient mechanism, the Switchback between the dreamer and the scheme or the steamer the way you're looking at it. Now was that a hundred percent? Absolutely true of his entire experience? As Saul was, he always a schemer. And as Paul was he always a dreamer.

I started Luke chapter 9. This is Paul going to Damascus. This mean while Paul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's, disciples pretty Fierce stuff. He went to the high priest and ask for him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that he found any there who belong to the way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. He is trying to scheme way. Remember at this point in time, we're talking about two overlapping governments. There would be the government of the nation of Israel, but they would also be the broader government of Judaism. And so, while something might be agreeable in Israel, might not be in Syria and it appears that Paul is kind of manipulating the situation a bit, because these Christians have run away. They've left their hiding out that they have been moved. And Paul says no, no, no, no, no, you don't get away from me that easily. I'll find a way to come over there. I continue to mistreat you. So we see a pretty possessed guy pretty intense. In the way he's approaching that situation. And then we know the journey to sleep, verses 3 through 8. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from Heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and Heard a Voice say to him, Saul Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you? Lord saw ask, I am Jesus. Whom you are persecuting, you replied and I get up and go into the city as if we were told you what you must do the been traveling, with Paul's salted, their speechless, they heard the sound, but not did, I see anyone? So I got up from the ground and when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So they let him by the hand in the Damascus for 3 days. He was blind and not did not eat or drink anything. Note, the contrast between verse 1 verse 8 He leaves Judah breathing murderous threats. How does it go into Damascus? Led by the hand, like a week kitten. He's really had the exhausted and the humble. He's certainly been humbled in this situation and certainly in this circumstance.

Got to goes to Anaya and a nice and fun tonight is to teach you why would ananias be hesitant?

I'd like for you to go and teach Bin Laden still alive. That would be a very threatening thing to do. That's really not a job, I'd like to have but he does so he does do that peachy.

They were 17 didn't analyze what do the house and interdit placing his hands on Saul. He said, brother saw the Lord. Jesus who appeared to you on the road and that's you were coming here. I sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes. And he can see again, he got up and was baptized and after taking some food, he bringing the string and a nice teacher teaches, the message that Jesus has delivered and Saul respond to that message. Now broken down, then coming from a different place at that moment that he was when he left a trail of that particular spot. And after or Gerald mentioned this morning that Paul Spencer. Of time in a learning situation and in Galatians, chapter 1 verse 17 to so that, it got to go up to Jerusalem disease. Those who Apostles before I was you said I didn't go up there and have the other guys tell me the story. It is, but I went into Arabia later. I returned to Damascus. That after three years, I'm going to Jerusalem and got a queen with cephus and stay with him for fifteen days. He has a one-on-one home Bible School, really the Lord teaches him, but he needs to know and there's a three-year Gap there where Paul spends a lengthy period of time learning, what he shares in scripture like germ did this morning when you sure you want to Paul learned in his chair and that with the Corinthians, I appreciate the fact that Gerald pointed out that every day was a sacrifice for Jesus. He certainly was sacrificed the Supreme gift for us, but every day was a sacrifice. Okay. 110%. So I'm being a secure, right?

Tell me story about what happened on the road to Damascus. Several times in the latter part of the book of Acts. And ask at 4:26, he is telling his story in first 14, he did. We all fell on the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, Call Saul. Why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.

What does that mean? The Gold's in early version of barbed wire six, what Appliance of the animals would hit them and wouldn't go any further. It stay in the pan. And it's pretty clear here, but he's talking about Paul scotch or self-conscious.

There are moments in time. When this Chief persecutor is actually having some twinges of conscience at the weather, he's doing the right thing, and sometimes, it's even hard for him. To go forward to do that. Paul emerges as this train mature, chosen vessel. And he takes very seriously his role or bring the light. Did the Gentiles off times in a whirlwind of passion. Knowledge and training are utilizing old skills new skills and and really being a master-servant for Jesus.

in Acts chapter 16, verse 6, to 8, let's flip over to the other side. Just a little bit. When is Paul the dreamer? Is that always totally completely 100%. Interesting Passage

Paul and his companions. Travel through the region aprea in galatia. They both went on the First Missionary trip with Barnabas, they went up into the galatian area. They took a boat to the Mediterranean to Cyprus and the north he wants to see those churches in galatia again but this time instead of going by water they're going to take a land route through Syria and then head back. West from there. Now they'll see those titties like they did derbe, and lystra Iconium. They go to those places, but they do an Overland journey and once they're through there, Paul has some where he wants to go and preach.

Cuz they having been talking about Paul this companions, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching, the word, in the province of Asia. Would they came to the border of my Sia? They tried to enter Bethania, but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to, so they pass by Mencia and went down your ass now. Hopefully, you can see that red line that showing the bills as they come across galatia and his way up here to the north and you can almost hear pulse. Technically Asia resistance because God has prohibited him from going there. Why, who knows it's God's playing? One of the common theory is it, as we all know, the Book of Revelation, addresses, the seven churches of Asia, those churches by and large are going to be spontaneous playing these from the church at Ephesus. When Paul writes the book to the Colossians, he says haven't seen your face. He's never been the colossi but he writes a letter to the. He also tells you at the end of that letter, the letter that I wrote to lay out of Cu. Changing read both in the in the two churches.

This the churches that come out of the of the province of Asia are very different than the mission churches at Falls establishing. There's a large Church Ephesus that the plantings seemed to come from. Maybe God is teaching him a lesson there. Maybe God is showing him another way that there are other ways to do Mission work for whatever reason. God says, don't go preach in Asia and pulse like

I don't really remember the story. It's one of those stories. It's kind of up at one that's holding the family but my parents were upset with my sister and I for some reason can't imagine what it would have been about preschoolers at that point in time and they go for a little walk, come down and he said get your bedroom do not move, one toe out of your bedroom. So when they came back, we were both laying in the hallway. With our feet in the bedroom, watching television. I have that same feeling about Paul here yet. Stay out of eight. Okay, okay, this is too. I keep it over here and technically baby, I'm qualifying there.

Got balls is hard driving type A personality? I didn't take no for an answer and you may be thinking what I thought he was God's still has his own desires and he still could easily know. I can just do so much good work. Elijah.

This has been the Old Testament, you might be a little bit worried. in Acts chapter 16, carrying you doing on this fine and 10 during the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing, you begging him. Come over to Macedonia and help us after Paul. And seeing the vision we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, that God has called us to preach the gospel to them. Can we go back to the map? Just a second. You want. If you knows that red line over the Red country of Asia, you'll see they go in the very northern border if they go over into

The Greek area where Paul is really going to have the the major thrust of the second missionary journey.

We learned a lot about how Paul. How God dealt with Paul? It wasn't I told you not to go there. It's come on, Paul. I got a point in the year we need and want your help at this moment. I'm Paul respond to that very positively encourages me. When I think about the things wrong, that God continues to be faithful, and he continues to be helpfully continues to be encouraging and his willingness to forgive us and to keep us in his counsel and his work roof. It's kind of amazing how the loving parents. One of the things that help us out of danger is to Persian. We're constantly battling between the spirit and the carnal. And I think a lot of us would like to do is weed like to be able to take the qualities that are coronal, and put it over here, and we'd like to take the qualities that are spiritual and put them over here.

Because we have personality traits that are not exclusively. One of the other It's how we're using them. I put some The next slide is a about the personality traits of a problem with this. I still don't know what happened to it. I would appreciate the help because on this slide and then when I tried to make it larger, it just puts the wording together and bundle it together where you can't read it at all. So it's a little bit small and I apologize for that. I put it up. There is how many of those qualities can both go to your boat can do both directions, action-oriented adventurous, ambitious assertive, bouldering energetic, proactive unless he's good or bad.

Depends on who's using them. What the motivation is? All kinds of different things. The interpersonal Are a little more, a technical. But when you look at the, the conscientious reliable person whose analytical right, clever curious on and on, you can read those and see that.

Sometimes you have a skill. And it can be very positive. Sometimes you could use that skill. In an evil or marginally manipulative fashion. And it's going in the other direction. When Sean was in second grade his teacher way to deal with his class, that if they were turned in by noon, they didn't have to go outside to recess. They can sit in the classroom and draw, no sunlight to draw a weakly, back to the classroom. And this is like it's the first of school about this time of year, the teacher calls us in a conference and said that it's time for him to go play. Really cramping my style to keep an eye on him. What I expected was somebody to do this for a week or two and then play. So I need you to call to tell Sean that he has to go outside but I was like what was that our church and on Wednesday night she came up to us and said you guys can tell him that. We we're not going to let him do that anymore.

And we always talk about how hardheaded he is and how tenacious he can be, and he won't mind me sharing this because I sure do before, sometimes those are the best. But other times they're exactly what you want. You want somebody who will stand up, you want somebody who's like okay this is the way I'm going to purchase the way I'm going to do it and look at these personality traits Paul head personality traits. He will write in Romans chapter 7 that there's times that I don't know and I don't do what I want to do. And there are times when I do things that I don't want to do. But personality pulls Us in different directions. So it's not just a list of good things and bad things. It's how I'm applying. This is how I'm developing. This is sometimes the patients that I should go or the tenacity that I bring. That allow me to be the person that God wants and intends me to be Has lots of dreams Godzilla. Come to me and say, don't worry, you're safe and it's about 18 months there. If you don't have to worry about be threatened in any way, the one with the man from Macedonia certainly, is there in second Corinthians chapter 11 shoes in chapter 12 of what I would describe as an afterlife Vision, where Paul tells us, how he got this, phone in the Flash and what he wanted God to do. And God said, no. My grace is sufficient for you and turned him down. None of us are totally one of the other would be nice if we had two sides, we could be saw and then to have salt, totally gone. And now we're Paul completely but sometimes their bleed through back and that's part of the challenge that's part of what Satan is constantly doing this. Steamer is trying to lead us and teach us and motivate us to scheme. Instead of fulfilling the dreams that God has for us, would you play with me?

Thank you for your leadership and thank you for the guidance to provide for us. Father, we want to be your people. We want to do the things that you would have us. Do we want to Help your kingdom Grove. And we do not want to do and be engaged in derogatory things. Father, we need your forgiveness. If we make mistakes and we need your help and encouragement and support the validity of the spirit. When were tempted not to do the positive things that come our way. Father, give us discretion and help us to understand that trait. That at one time might be difficult, can be very positive in another context. We pray that you would give us the wisdom and strength to make the kind of choices that make us the instruments that you would have a speed. We pray this for your precious son.

We extend the invitation of Jesus if you would like to respond to that, you're welcome to now. But we say this thing together,