At church on Sunday I began to wonder what Paul would look like if we met him in 2017……

 

He had an incredible education

He was a citizen of Rome

He was born into favor as a Jew

He was rich, comfortable, and respected

 

Not only was he “safe” around family, he was “safe” around the enemies of his family.

 

You see, as a citizen of Rome AND of Jewish heritage, Paul could play both sides of the fence without fear.  He could flourish in a time where execution was common and somehow be in good standing with the oppressor and the oppressed.  There would be no better place to sit in life if you wanted to live in comfort and privilege.

 

Imagine…..having both the republicans and the democrats appreciate you?

 

Imagine…..being able to worship with Muslims and Jews and Christians and Hindus?

 

Imagine…..being in good standing with both the people who got ripped off—-AND the guy who ripped them off?

 

But that’s just it isn’t it?

 

None of these things are truly possible and none will bring us to a place of peace…..

 

I think the word we might most commonly use today would be:  “Two Faced”

 

And we all do it…….

 

We try to live on both sides of the fence and we truly do…..Negotiate with the enemy.

 

There is no peace that will come with making a treaty with a guy who wants to exterminate you…..and that is exactly who Satan is—the enemy of our souls who wants to end us.

 

Paul had a radical conversion……And as I stood in worship this last weekend I began to be convicted about what his conversion might have looked like……

  • It would be similar to LeBron James giving up basketball and money and becoming an inner city hero
  • It would be like Donald Trump giving up the presidency, the twitter, the power, the money, and everything else—to go feed the poor
  • It would be like Hillary Clinton giving $50,000,000 to kids in Africa and setting up mega church there

 

And what did Paul say?

 

Philippians 3  7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

 

Conversions occur when someone sees something so clearly that other things don’t have any value at all.

 

It isn’t that God has a plan to strip us of all we have that He might make our daily walk empty of money, free from fun, and void of comfort…..

 

It’s this:  When God gets a hold of us—-the other stuff looks like trash….garbage.

 

Let’s all cry out today and ask for conversion and transformation.

 

Let’s all cry out and ask Him to fill us with a love that overflows out of our countenance.

 

Let’s all ask Him to radically change our hearts in the places where He wants to do a mighty work.

 

When He does it won’t matter what lies in front of us……

because it will be nothing compared to what lies within us.

 

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J