Four things to copy from Paul
Pastor Denis shares what he admires most about Paul, and what we can learn from him
One of my favourite Bible characters is the Apostle Paul. I admire his strong will and determination to fight for what he really believed was right, and to please God. He had such a strong passion to please God. He never did things by halves! When he was persecuting the Church he put all his efforts into it; when he was converted, he put all his efforts into preaching the gospel.
Paul’s achievements
Paul was a great character. He authored 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. He started churches wherever he went and was able to write to those churches to encourage them. So many of the great themes of the New Testament come from Paul. The great chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13, for example, is the standard-bearer for what love should be. The fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-3 – love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, peace, longsuffering, self-control - the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the supernatural enablement to do God’s work, and that we don’t have to struggle on our own; it’s not just about our personal skills and abilities. All of these were penned by the Apostle Paul.
Four things to copy from Paul
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Put our titles, status, opinions to one side and put on the same mind that was in Christ Jesus, who, though He was equal with God, He humbled himself and became like a servant (Philippians 2:6,7). Paul was a scholar and a Roman citizen, and a Pharisee of Pharisees, who counted it all rubbish compared to knowing Jesus (Phil 3:8).
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Be an ambassador of the Gospel and recognise that we represent Jesus Christ and that we demonstrate Christlikeness to others in the way that we communicate and live, and in the choices that we make.
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Tell your story - He told his story wherever he went, including what he was before, his encounter with Jesus, and what he was like afterwards. We need to do the same thing. No one can contest your story. It’s your personal experience. People can’t challenge that or take it away from you.
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Push through the difficult times. Paul persisted when his back was against a wall. There are times when you couldn’t see how he was going to get through, but he pushes through and relies on divine help and favour. I suppose he was the eternal optimist. That’s the best way to be when circumstances are really against you.
Ultimately, though, Paul sought to imitate Christ and encouraged all the believers to do the same. His life is a reminder that God can use anyone’s talents, personalities, and even their misplaced passions, for His glory.
Photo credits: A.D. Kingdom and Empire, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
You can now listen to our sermon series on the book of Acts on our website.