(Read Acts 17:13-17)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” Paul and Silas had a great time in Berea. The Apostles liked the fact that the Bereans, unlike the believers in Thessalonica, actually searched the scriptures every day to double check what they were teaching. Paul had no problem with being double-checked, because he wanted the believers to trust God and not him. When people know that what you are teaching has clearly come from God, their trust can rightly be in God and they won’t have to rely on you for growth or fulfillment.
Berea seems like the first place where Paul and Silas were completely received. No mobs were formed, no riots broke out, and the Apostles were not facing much opposition. But unfortunately, when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. The Bereans did not want to see Paul get hurt, so they sent him away to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. The group escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him.
In Athens, while he was waiting for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him, Paul began to walk around the city. The Apostle was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw. The idols were basically all over the city. So, in typical Paul-fashion, he did not wait for Silas and Timothy. Paul could not help but operate in the Grace God had placed on his life. Paul went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles. Before long he was speaking daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
Take a moment to imagine this amazing man. Paul was preaching in Athens — the city that housed the Temple of Athena (the Parthenon), the Temple of Hephaestus, and Temple of Olympian Zeus (or Olympeion), and the city was was once the home of Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. This does not seem like a place that would be open to the Gospel, but Paul seemingly could not stop himself from fulfilling his divine call. He preached everywhere with fearless and reckless abandon. This man stood alone (without Silas or Timothy) in the public square of Athens, in the middle of idols and idolaters, and he preached the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Why? Because that is what he was called to do!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God made plans for you before the foundations of the world – you are here for a reason. You are not here to simply suck-in and blow-out air. The Apostle Paul found his purpose and once he did, he operated with seemingly inexhaustible passion. Have you found your purpose?
2. You are predisposed to be good at what you are called to do. There are some things you are simply good at. Many times people don’t realize why they have been good at something all their lives until God reveals to them their purpose and they learn that God put the gift down inside of them. God gifted you to do certain things. Have you found out what gifts His placed inside of you?
3. Some things bother you because you are called to address them. When Paul walked around the city and saw all the idols, it bothered him, because he was called to preach Christ. Some things may bother you, because God called you to do something about it. It might be racism, social injustice, poverty, starving children, sickness, the growing prison population, poor leadership in a certain area, politics, government, the church, and the list could go on. The point is that certain things will bother you that will not bother others, because you are called to do something about it. So, my question is, what bothers you to the point where you can’t stand sitting back and letting it happen?
4. You have divine Grace to do what God called you to do. Once you find your purpose you will also be able to freely tap into God’s Grace. God’s Grace is freely available to you to do what He has called you to do. Sometimes people get frustrated because they are making a demand on God for something that He did not call them to do. God is not obligated to give you what He did not ordain for you to have. But when you find your purpose and you align your life with it, you will find that God’s Grace will freely flow TO you and then THROUGH You.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for making plans for me before the foundations of the world. I am not a mistake. I was born for a reason. I am here for a purpose. You gifted me to be able to do things I could not do without You. All my life I have been predisposed for certain things and I now realize that it is because those things are tied to my purpose. In my purpose I find peace. I don’t have to waste time asking You for things that I am not destined to have. I have done that enough in life and I thank You for helping me to be focused in my faith-walk. In my purpose I find my passion. I don’t need anyone to motivate me to do what I am called to do. My passion comes from within. I get up every morning ready to pursue my purpose. In my purpose I find fulfillment. There is a level of satisfaction I receive from You Father, when I get incrementally closer to Your overall expected destination for my life. In my purpose I find peace. I have an internal peace that cannot be shaken. I am at rest. I love You, I love myself, and I love others. I rest in Your presence, I sleep well, and I am able to resist stress, because my purpose brings me internal peace. Father, thank You for calling me, for revealing to me what I am called to do, and for then giving me the Grace to fulfill it everywhere I go! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
