8/30/20

butter spray

But the words of my mouth. And the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you Lord my rock and my redeemer. amen

This is the final sermon in a series on villains this morning. We are going to be talking about Saul to Paul. Last week we talked about Saul in the Old Testament this week. We're going to talk about Saul to Paul in the New Testament found in Acts. We're going to be focusing on chapter 7 through 9, like many of the good stories and scripture. It goes a little bit long to read word for word. And so I'm going to share an Abridged version of that story.

one of my favorite parts of scripture Is Stephen before he is about to be stoned he gives what my wife likes to term as the what for. He gives the the Sanhedrin the what for? There there in a temple in any starts off. Being accused of being a follower of the way. Which we would eventually term is the church.

When accused he is responses. To tell the story of God. starts with Abraham you goes through how how we didn't have any descendants, but God told him. That they would inhabit this land. And you goes through when he tells all the the story that he tells is how God worked and got to work and got to work and he gets to this point.

With the culmination of this story is in Jesus Christ.

And any says he? Just like all the profits that got it sent before you treated him horribly. You're an amount of town. You didn't listen to him. And then when the Son of God comes you kill him.

And this group of leaders. Says they gnash their teeth at him. They can't wait to get at him. They're offended. So they run him out of town. the purpose of stoning him and they get him there to town outside of town and they lay a coat. a young man's feet name Saul it says it's all approved of the stoning of Stephen.

Saul

Probably viewed himself as a very good view.

He was responsible for protecting. this faith and the way that it was left out.

but here He approved of the stoning. Steven and even after that he he went to get a letter to get permission to go to this place called Damascus and round people up people meeting women and men or men and women and putting them in prison for their faith. Anyone who followed this thing called the way?

It'ss letter. And he goes out with some of his men. He's on his way to Damascus. Maybe some of you know the story he gets knocked off of his donkey. You blinded?

voice comes and says Why do you persecute mean?

Saul's response is who are you Lord?

Now I think. That when Saul said who are you Lord? He already knew that God was speaking to him.

the question that's all had is This is who I thought God was.

But now who is God? Who is God now? You got change for Saul?

Not a hundred percent yet cuz he was blinded.

He told to go to Damascus to find the street called Straight Street. I'm guessing there's some kind of Greek joke there something and and he's to find this person named ananias. Who will be expecting him? Ananias was a member of the way. Go to think about it in terms think about it in terms of Damascus. As far as the way was was Rebel territory, okay? So the interlinking of rebels had shown and passed information on that saw was coming to town. So they knew what they were looking for. They also knew not to trust. saw ananias is sitting here. Learning that Saul is coming. He has a decision to make. Does he welcomed this person who is hunting his people into his home? Does he care for him?

Does he teach him about Jesus and this way called away? Or or is Saul really just looking for more information in which to persecute. More the followers of the way.

See if we were members of the way at that point in time. There would be one villain that we would know. We did not want to meet. And that was Saul. And here's Saul is wanting to learn more about the way. vulnerable cuz he didn't have site.

when we look at villains

I think part of looking at well represented villain isn't just all the negative right? It's also all of the life history. so I looked it to

I was in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

I'm looking for a good villain. I want to find a villain that I can relate to. The villain from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse isn't always bad. You just can't trust them quite right? He's a big guy. Where's some overhauls from time to time anybody? Guess who I'm speaking about? His name is Pete Pete. And Pete just wants to be friends with the rest of the people at Nikki Mouse Clubhouse. Sometimes he's mean sometimes he's not. Easton Flex

he's real.

Sometimes we can see ourselves or people we know. in teeth representation

so back to Paul.

After Saul becomes Paul.

What many? What have I say? Is a conversion experience?

The Turning from one way of living to the other. And for some of us that's an immediate thing that happens and for some of us, it's something that happens over time. And 4 for some of us.

It would have been raised in the church that the feelings kind of always. A little bit uncertain about what exactly conversion is. But Paul is no question different than who he was before. So what is Paul do with this information? Does Paul after representing authority to the people of the way begin to speak out against the people that he was once a part of? No.

You begin to speak for something. For God's love and mercy available to everyone.

Did the biggest villain in the New Testament becomes the biggest proponent for the kingdom of God? That's what happens.

You can't take the New Testament and take out all of the writings of Paul. And still have the Christian formation that we have experienced this day. And most of Paul's writings happened. When he was imprisoned.

For being a member of the way himself.

at the testimony

right now in this world There was a large emphasis on US versus them.

This Is Us and there's an

in our family of Faith there is just an us. interconnected when I started off in ministry will actually probably when I start off in seminary like most seminarians, I was convinced that if you just let me go get at them. And straighten some things out, right? People just don't know how to lead. This is what's going to happen. We're going to do this as can be great. Then I got into Ministry and found things are more complex. It's possible to disagree with someone in love them. And that's rocks. It'd be a lot easier if we couldn't do both of those things.

To being a Community of Faith isn't about an officer and then it's an us. unified by one purpose to make disciples of Jesus Christ That was the purpose that Paul was unified by. Spreading the knowledge and love of God all the world around. ordinance pre-coated you take a trip after you jump through all the Hoops you get to go on a trip right you go on a trip with the dish up and then people and you invite maybe your congregation's along and you go somewhere last time. They took a trip to England, right? this trip pre covid we were told was supposed to be the travels of Paul via cruise ship now imagine this with pre covid-19 kay-bear is no better trip to go on than a cruise to the Mediterranean on all the awesome places that Paul stop to eat fish. Which is something where they have everywhere they go cuz it's a tourist trap as well. Right? So you stop everywhere. To eat fish. But the reality is Paul traveled. Paul traveled to tell people the good news of Jesus Christ

That was his Newfound purpose in living. Just like we have a newfound purpose in living. As we live out our faith. to share the love of God with others so that others might become Disciples of Christ. as well

not sure exactly why.

Paul didn't immediately go back and tell all of the people that he used to be friends with about this way called the way. probably partially because

they know I'm a little too well.

even to them

He probably was a little over the top.

see Paul was a villain.

But his love of God changed how he lived out grace and mercy. enough We have the story of Paul.

Because there's no one on this Earth. No one on this Earth. Who God's grace and mercy and love can work through? No one. No one who would you would put in a box and label as of them? Is beyond the love of God?

Just like you yourself. It's not beyond the love of God.

All those times that we are tempted. To put someone else on another box.

Pause example tells us that we can't do that. We have to believe in God's opportunity for each and every person no matter their life story.

the guy forgot to use to work through

there is no villain. There is no Pete. Beyond the love of God.

That's good news.

Sky News we need to share.

That's the kind of face. We need to have.

That's the kind of love we need others to feel.

May God use you.

by God use ananias like God used Paul

even

even though sometimes

we may feel a little bit closer to Saul.

God uses everyone Who makes himself available? to share the love of God

amen