Know God to Obey God

More than Salvation

Contemplating the process of conversion we seemed to have simplified making Christians to the following:

Step 1. Believe that God loves you

Step 2. Admit you are a sinner and acknowledge your sins

Step 3. Commit your life to Christ

I understand this over-simplification makes it palatable and easy for someone who wants to be saved to come to salvation.

Here is the problem the year come and go the emotions of becoming a Christian fade… we lose purpose in being a Christian and begin to even doubt our own calling…

Take for an example the following questions

1. What are you saved from? Most will answer from Hell

should answer from (a)myself and (b) to live for Christ

2. What has the Holy Spirit done in your life?

does the Holy Spirit to work…

3. What were you chosen for?

I don’t know

Questions like these bring me to an awareness to the fact that there is more to salvation than just being saved.

The 2 polarizations of Christian Life

Made to know the God of our calling and to Obey the Lord to be used by Him

You cannot have salvation without knowing God

more than just saying or praying

You cannot serve God you do not know

4 take-aways

Calling into Right Salvation

The Work of being Chosen

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Commissioning

Calling into Right Salvation

Acts 9:1–2 ESV

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

The Problem of Religiosity

Taught by the Gamaliel (Acts 22:3)

Knew the Law

Head-knowledge

Religiosity was his zeal.

Commissioned by men

He sought their approval over God’s

Legalism

the belief that religion can save

Today the belief that the ritual of praying or other religious traditions can save

certain way

certain words

certain motions

The Interception

Acts 9:3–4 ESV

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Paul is accomplishing his perceived vocation

Paul is working in the Old Path. (many are found here)

The Law: if you’re a good person

The Law: if you live in perfection

Proved they could not keep the Law with out the Helper

Jesus stops him dead in his tracks

Saul is brought to a place of humility

his friends abandon him

he is left blind

He is knocked off his horse

Paul was waiting for the messiah did not know who the Messiah was

Christ Revealed

Acts 9:5 ESV

And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Serving the Lord?

cannot serve Him unless you know Him

Becoming a Christian is more than just a prayer or change in religions… (wash up get dressed)

Which Lord? (Who are you Lord)

Paul was confused with who he was serving

Paul was alive when Jesus was alive but didn't go to see Jesus instead studied under a religious teacher

Jesus comes to visit Paul

Christ Identifies with the Church

why do you persecute me?

without knowing who God is… without knowing who Christ is… and without knowing who the Holy Spirit it is impossible to worship the Living God

The call on our life is a call to salvation… salvation comes from the call to repentance without which there can be no salvation neither of which can occur if do not know who Jesus is…then

The Work of Being Chosen

Many today have come into salvation (be concerned with what you were called to do)

If you are already serving be concerned with how you are serving

We will all give an account for our lives.

Paul’s account: What do you want me to do

Acts 9:6 ESV

But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

The Lord now instructs Paul what he should do

Paul is brought into obedience

Ananias told to go and lay hands on Paul… He was a follower of The Way and is terrified of this murderer(6-15)

In the meantime Paul spends 3 days in deep reflection not eating food or drinking water… what must have been going through his mind.

“I am blind how can I serve”

Acts 9:15 ESV

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

He is a chosen instrument

not by a person but a purpose that the Lord was about to place in him

If we were to map this out to this point:

knowledge of Christ

repentance

Conversion to obedience

3 days in reflection

not everyone called is chosen (Matt 22)

there are two parts to this choosing

to be chosen by God

to accept the selection

excuses made why they cannot or should not be choses

Paul in this time is counting the cost, self reflection,

Calling is the work of Salvation… Choosing is your vocation

without counting the cost we jump into choosings that are not ours… jobs that we were never selected to be…

Work of the Holy Spirit

Acts 9:17–19 ESV

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

Paul sets out to do God’s will according to his own understanding when he encounters Jesus he is put in a holding pattern waiting for the HS

Paul receives a part of the mission and the remainder is withheld to test his obedience

tested gradually (makes some hesitate)

grows out maturity

Once he is filled with the Holy Spirit

Guided plainly

Acts 16:7 Paul wants Asia but is not allowed to

Empowered (2 Cor 12:2)

given visions

given insight

transported to the third heaven or paradise

No ministry where there is no guidance no guidance where there is no Holy Spirit

There is a large cost when we do not wait on the filling of the Holy Spirit

Acts 27 Paul is filled with fear until the Lord reminds him of his purpose

Abraham losing hope turns to the handmaiden to have a child

David pretends to be crazy

how do we avoid such issues if not by being filled with the Holy Spirit

The scales fell from Paul’s eyes (we need this)

The Work of the Commissioning

In the encounter Paul is radically transformed

He comes to know Jesus

Obeys Him

Is Filled with the Holy Spirit

Now is commissioned

Acts 22:19 ESV

And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.

Paul was accustomed to turning to men for his commissioning to murder Christians… now he would endure to bring life to the gentiles.

He was now seeking his Commission from the Holy Spirit

Ch.9 v16 He will know plainly what the cost is… He was beat stoned scoffed ridiculed… plants in Corinth

The trap is believing I am in control … HS in control

Our Path is shaped to allow us to speak from personal experience

we will affirm or forgo our selection

the manner in which we press in is the manner in which the Lord pours out

Acts 9:31 ESV

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.

The commissioning causes the church to grow when the fear of the Lord is in us

There will be peace

If you want to be used:

Believe in Christ: What do you want from me Lord

Go to your Damascus: Reflect, prepare and count the cost

Be Filled with the HS: Go and complete your purpose in the Lord