Text: Acts 8:1-2 and 2 Timothy 4:7

Introduction

Every human that turned out to be one of the great men of God today must have been prayed for by someone despite their old shortccomings. As a man of God who have you been praying for?

Acts 8:1-2

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

• One inportant point to note from our text is that Saul (Paul) was in total agreement to the death of Stephen in fact from my own point of view , he not just in agreement with it, he also supervised the act of stoning Stephen to death. As we can see in Acts 7 : 58-60

Acts 7:58-60

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

• If Saul (Paul ) was not prayed the prayer of forgiveness for by the dying Stephen only God would have known what could have become of Paul because even Stephen was and is a saint so God sanctioned his prayer.

  We shall be looking at Paul life and I pray each and everyone of us will be able mirror ourselves and take the right step of righteousness in Jesus name.

Paul the persecutor

As have been stated above, he persecuted christians and supervised the killing of Stephen Act 7: 58, 8: 1 and 9: 1-2

Acts 7:58-60

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

God has never called any perfect person in the past or now.

Some of us did more than what Paul before we were arrested by God. But HE perfects those he calls.

Acts 8:1-2

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

Acts 9:1-2

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

He went on and on in his persecution.

Hence,

👉🏾 From our scriptural texts we could see that Paul was just like many of us that we were involved in a lot of sins that someone of are too ashamed to even share with others . He openly committed his own against the body of Christ.

The man Paul was a man of many perspectives.

Paul the learned and well trained man

👉🏾A lots of us have been to tertiary institutions, well exposed before God called us just like Paul who was a member the scribes

👉🏾 Trained by the great Gamaliel Acts 5:34

👉🏾 Member of the Pharisee

👉🏾Sanhedrin member

👉🏾A lawyer by training

However, He made use of his past training to defend his faith as we could see in Acts 23:5-7

Acts 23:5-10

[5]Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

[6]But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

[7]And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

[8]For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

[9]And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

[10]And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

How many of us are actually making use of those our past skills and knowledge for the blessing of the body of Christ?

Paul met with and was called by Jesus Christ our Lord

👉🏾 Just Moses in Exodus 3; 1-6, and many of us as men of God Paul met with Jesus on his way to Damascus and made a turn around. Acts 9: 1-6

Now the question is: are you called by God or circumstances and or by parents? Some were called by their mentors.

You must have to have been trained to be a good trainer

*He was trained and but retrained*

👉🏾Lots of feel because we ve acquired knowledge from tertiary institutions

👉🏾I can see visions and prophecy

👉🏾 I have seen Jesus Christ

👉🏾 I don't like my mentor

👉🏾 Iam older than my teacher

👉🏾 My mentor doesn't know how to speak good English or mange his time well

👉🏾My mentor is too dirty and unorganized

👉🏾He talks too much

We refuse to either be trained or complete our training ordained and ordered by God .

Paul despised the shame, forgot his connections, his past training and obeyed the author and finisher of our faith

1. He prayed for and mentored by Stephen as we read earlier, no wonder he could be preaching vengeance is of God repeatedly in Romans and Corithians.

You will always be like your mentor and those who pray for you

2. He was trained by Barnabas Acts 9:27-28, 11:25, 13

Wether you are called by God or not, whosoever that called you. One is that you have to be faithful with the calling and cooperate with God

See,i want us to realize that it wasn't God who called Stephen, And he made impact.He was called by the Apostles of Jesus Christ.

Acts 9:26-30

[26]And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

[27]But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

[28]And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

[29]And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.

[30]Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

So, I discovered it is biblical to be called by any Spirit filled man into the work of God.Did we get that?

Spirit filled man and not spirit filled man. i.e Spirit of God and not spirit of mamon.

As an Apostle God did not show him everything, visions and prophecies

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:29

[29]The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

God is still who does whatever He likes

He did not show him the plots against his life till He revealed it a small boy in Acts 23: 12-17

Acts 23:12-17

[12]And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

[13]And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

[14]And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

[15]Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

[16]And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

[17]Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

As minister of God let us go and let God, he may decide to show you and may decide otherwise, if God had shown Paul the revelation of the plot or conspiracy against him , he wouldn't have taken the boy to go and tell the centurion.

So many of us feel since we are prophet and called by God we should know all things.

Paul was a Realistic man of God

Romans 7:14-20

[14]For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

[15]For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

[16]If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

[17]Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

[18]For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[19]For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

[20]Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

And i strongly want to believe that those people plotted to Kill Paul would die in hunger

Because, Paul was still alive after two years to that time they made plot

How many us including you and I own up to the sins that we are or having been battling with ?

Being a man of God is immunization against sin, you and have work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Jesus whoever wants to follow Him must deny himself and take his cross and follow Him.

I can now see why Paul never saw suffering for the Gospel as anything

Suffered and fought for the Gospels

2 Corinthians 7:4-5

[4]Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

[5]For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

Another perspective about him is that

He mentored others

1. Timothy

2. Titus and many others

1 Timothy 6:1

Titus 1: 1-4

Philemon 1:1

1 Timothy 1:1-2

[1]Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

[2]Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Timothy 4:11-16

[11]These things command and teach.

[12]Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

[13]Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

[14]Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

[15]Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

[16]Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Titus 1:1-4

[1]Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

[2]In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

[3]But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

[4]To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

He could refer to Titus as Son , Timothy and others cos he trained them .

Who have you trained?

I think being a man of God or pastor suppose to be an elder brother in the journey of salvation. So for I talk to about he follows will be a younger one. So I should share struggles with him in relating with God and whatever is own experience might it not be new when to sharing. But can only happen in discipleship.

Conclusion

1 Timothy 6:12

[12]Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.