Seven Cities From Tarsus
More
on Paul’s Journeys
Outline Version
October
16, 1996
0. from Tarsus - lost, without Christ
Galatians 1:11-24 (NRSV) {1} For I want
you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is
not of human origin; {12} for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was
I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. {13} You
have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently
persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. {14} I advanced in
Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous
for the traditions of my ancestors.
1. to Damascus - revelation and commandment
{15} But when God, who had set me apart
before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased {16} to reveal
his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles
Paul had a
personal revelation of Christ as per Acts 9.
2. to Arabia - testing decision and struggle
{16b} I did not confer with any human
being, {17} nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles
before me, but I went away at once into Arabia,
Not unlike
Jesus, who had his "Arabia" as per Luke 4
3. to Damascus - restoration and assurance
{17b} and afterwards I returned to
Damascus.
There he
made his decision known to Ananias
4. to Jerusalem - discipleship and self-examination
{18} Then after three years I did go up to
Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; {19} but I did not
see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. {20} In what I am
writing to you, before God, I do not lie!
{22} and I was still unknown by sight to
the churches of Judea that are in Christ; {23} they only heard it said,
"The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he
once tried to destroy." {24} And they glorified God because of me.
5. to Cilicia (Tarsus) - home mission
{21} Then I went into the regions of Syria
and Cilicia,
Jesus also
went home to Nazareth to proclaim his mission and was there violently
discouraged.
Once upon a time the devil decided to sell
his weapons - so he held a "flee market" for demons. He spread his wares on a table and labeled
each with a price. There lay hatred, malice, envy, despair, sickness, lust --
all his well-known weapons. But off to
one side lay a little wooden club. It
was old and worn, but priced far higher than the rest.
Beelzebub asked the devil, "why the high price for a worn-out
club?" The devil replied,
"Why, this is the little bat I call "discouragement." It's expensive because it is so much easier
to use than the others. You see, nobody
knows "discouragement" belongs to me, so I use it first to beat the
gumption out of Christians till he bleeds a little. Then I crawl in the wound and use any weapon that suits me
best."
A
discouraging word at home has caused the ruin of many would-be apostles of
Christ.
How many
would-bes stopped because nobody much said "Go"!
Author John
Powell relates a true story:
My friend was in the Bahamas. A large, restless crowd gathered there
toward the end of a pier. The man
walked down the pier to investigate all the noise and commotion.
He discovered a young man making last-minute preparations for a solo
journey around the world in a homemade boat.
Everyone on the pier was pessimistic.
They were trying to tell the sailor all the things that could go
wrong. "The sun will broil
you!" "You won't have enough
food." "That boat won't stand the waves in a storm." "It's
never been done before." "You'll never make it."
When my friend heard all these discouraging words, he felt an
irresistible desire to offer some encouragement. As the little boat drifted away towards the horizon, my friend
went to the end of the pier, waving both arms wildly. He kept shouting: "Bon Voyage! You're really something!
We're with you. We're proud of you!"
If you will
not go on the mission yourself, at least offer the cold cup of encouragement
and support to those who do.
6. on outreach mission to Galatia
A result of
his mission to Galatia - revelation:
3:{1} You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched
you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as
crucified!
Another
result - apostasy:
2:{4} But because of false believers
secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ
Jesus, so that they might enslave us-- {5} we did not submit to them even for a
moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.
Another
result - persecution:
6:{17} From now on, let no one make
trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.
The most
violent persecution of Christians in history is taking place today around the
world perpetrated by non-Christian fundamentalists. But the vilest persecution in this country is perpetrated on
Christians by other Christians. Paul
received both forms.
7. to Jerusalem and beyond - the ultimate
mission
2:1-5 Then after fourteen years I went up
again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. {2} I went up in
response to a revelation. Then I laid before them the gospel that I proclaim
among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not
run, in vain.
He didn't do
so well with human relations this time.
For, by this time, he was no longer "junior." He was now a full-fledged Apostle. He
"opposed Cephas to his face"
(2:11).
James wrote
against Paul's doctrine of faith.
Peter wrote
that Paul was hard to understand.
Nevertheless,
Paul was so sure of his calling that he persevered on behalf of the Gentiles
he'd converted "back home" to the point where his doctrine of
salvation by grace though faith was accepted.
You and I
haven't yet reached our Jerusalem.
Perhaps you've gone far on your apostolic journey. Perhaps you've just begun. But look back now and see from whence you've
come.
But now the journey lies ahead for you,
your loved ones, this church. What will
it bring? I want to leave you with a
story that I hope will be an encouragement as Jesus brings you closer and
closer to the high calling in these last days.
A
little girl was taking a cross-country trip on the Amtrak. In the course of the day her train crossed a
number of rivers. The water seen in
advance always awakened doubts and fears in the child. It was so dangerous. She didn't understand how it could safely be
crossed.
But as they drew near the river, a bridge appeared, and furnished the
way over. Several times the same thing happened, and finally she leaned back,
and with a long breath of relief and confidence, declared:
"Somebody has put in bridges for us all
the way!"
Friend, such
are sturdy bridges, for God has built them for us all the way.
NOTES
First preached October 16,
1996 pm. Illustrations from Parsons
Bible Illustrator.
A famous explorer in South
America was once driven back and forced to abandon his journey by an almost
invisible foe. He was equipped to meet
leopards and serpents and crocodiles.
They proved to be no threat, but he had failed to reckon with the little
fellers -- the billions of "chiggers" that infested the area. Someone has composed the following ditty
about these tiny invaders:
Here's to the chigger,
the bug that's no bigger
Than the end of a
very small pin;
But the itch that he
raises simply amazes,
And that's where the
rub comes in!