Paul: Saved to Serve
By David Woods
Open: Would you like to tell us about the time you accepted Christ as your Saviour and Lord?
[Paul] was born in Asia Minor in the vicinity of Tarsus, the son of a strict Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and was given the Jewish name, Saul, and the Latin name, Paul. By heredity, he was also a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-28) which gave him some further distinction. His father must have been somewhat wealthy, because Saul was given what would have been considered the best education available.
He was reared and taught in the traditions of the Pharisees, which included not only the elementary school of the local synagogue, but at the age of thirteen he began the preparations for becoming a rabbi. This included learning a trade by which he could support himself. Saul was taught tentmaking. At the age of fifteen he left home for studies in the rabbinical college at Jerusalem. It was there that he became a student of a noted teacher, Gamaliel.
Among the Jews, eighteen was the proper age for marriage, and marriage was accounted as a sacred obligation. "It seems likely that Saul, a devout Jew and a strict Pharisee, would marry in due course; and the inference is confirmed by the fact that he was subsequently enrolled in the high court of the Sanhedrin and on at least one memorable occasion participated in its judicial procedure. For it was required among the qualifications of a Sanhedrist, that he should be not only a married man, but a father (David Smith, The Life and Letters of St. Paul). Apparently his wife and child died, and he lived most of his life a widower. Saul must have been a practicing rabbi in a synagogue in his home town of Tarsus, where he also plied his trade of tentmaking.
Saul must have heard of the happenings surrounding the ministry of Jesus, and this devout young Pharisee saw it as a serious threat to the faith of his fathers (Judaism). He may have gone to Jerusalem for Passover. At any rate, he must have been present when Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin. After hearing Stephen's defense and the condemnation of the Sanhedrin, Saul joined the group who dragged Stephen outside the city where he was stoned to death.
("Teaching Tips" Adult Teacher's Insights, p. 78.)
Read Acts 9:1-5
Discussion: How do you think the Jewish religious establishment viewed Paul in his pre-conversion days?
Discussion: Was Paul's slaughter of the saints "murder" or "misguided actions of a man zealous for God"?
Obviously, we cannot condone Saul's persecution of the Christians, however...
Discussion: Is there anything admirable to note about Saul in his mission to eradicate the Church?
Discussion: How are Christ's words in verse four reassuring to Christians who are suffering for their faith?
Discussion: Why does Saul address his question "Who are you" to his "Lord"?
Jesus told Saul, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." This indicates the Holy Spirit had been convicting Saul of his sin and the truth of the Gospel for some time, yet Saul had resisted continually.
Most Christians can also recount times when they were still in rebellion against God of being terribly miserable as the result of their sins and the Holy Spirit's conviction.
Discussion: If our sinner friend is going through a miserable time (lost his job, etc.), do our prayers for him to be relieved of that misery conflict with the work of the Holy Spirit?
Discussion: Since we know the Holy Spirit's conviction often results in the sinner's misery, how can we capitalize on this to be more effective in our Christian witness?
Read Acts 9:6-9
Saul appears to have acknowledged and trusted in Christ as Lord and Saviour when he asked the question, "Who art thou, Lord?"
Discussion: What is the significance of Saul's second question, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?"
Discussion: Can one have Christ as his "Saviour" but not as his "Lord"? Why?
Discussion: What does it mean to "serve God"?
Discussion: What is the difference between "service" and "obedience"?
Discussion: Can you obey God without serving Him?
Discussion: What right does Christ have to expect us to serve Him?
Read Ephesians 2:8-10
The primary point of this lesson is this:
Big Idea: Christ saves us to serve Him.
The world has it backwards. Sinners, such as Saul, try to gain salvation by their good works. The glorious truth of the Gospel is that we don't have to do anything to get saved. Indeed, no work is good enough to save us. We are saved only through the grace of Christ.
However, a truth that seems to have been lost among many churches is that we have been saved to serve God. God expects us to obey Him; but our obedience is not only in keeping the Ten Commandments. Our obedience leads us to "serve" God in a variety of ways.
In just a moment, I would like us to discuss one of God's people who served Him at this crucial juncture of Saul's life. However, I would like us first to talk a little more about Saul.
Discussion: Why do you think Christ caused Saul's eyes to be blinded? Was it just the natural result of the bright light Saul saw or did Christ cause Saul to be blinded on purpose?
Read Acts 9:10-16
Discussion: What should be the Christian's first response to God's call?
Discussion: How does our gossip about evil people often discount the power of God?
Discussion: Was Ananias' objection rebellion against God?
Discussion: What does Ananias' story teach us about the impact one person can make for God?
"The mission of the Church of God (Holiness) is to exalt Christ, equip the Church, and evangelize the world."
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