All of us are the lead characters in our own story. Sometimes our stories are driven by our decisions, sometimes by things outside of our control. We want to control how our stories are told (see Facebook) but also don’t generally consider our own stories to be particularly interesting. We don’t usually have epic adventures or amazing, exotic encounters.
Paul could certainly be considered to have had an amazing story – but the most important parts were not his shipwrecks and great speeches or even his conversion on the road to Damascus. They were his relationships, created by the Providence of God.
Priscilla and Acquila, businesspeople who become leaders under Paul’s training, and who went on to train Apollos, a Egyptian who went on to become a great leader as well. Timothy, Paul’s fearful Turkish/Jewish intern who was trained up into a pastor and saint. Even Stephanas, Fortunatas and Achaicus, who we know nothing about except that they were key characters in the early Church.
The key parts of Paul’s life were not the cinematic high points, but the impact he had on the people he came in contact with.
Paul believed two things about how God works: God plans things in His providence, and that we need to take every opportunity available to do God’s work.
Paul also understood that the work of God was not just dependent on him, but on the work of many others throughout the world. Those who he led to Christ now in turn refresh him. Paul didn’t just minister to others, but he also received ministry from those he led to Christ. That’s the kingdom of God on Earth.
He had to stay in Ephesus, but knew that the work of God continued elsewhere.
God is always at work. Through Providence, he puts particular people in our lives at particular times with particular purposes. Do we use those relationships only for our own good and own purposes? Or do we take the opportunities we are given to demonstrate the love of God in all its various facets? If we pass up these opportunities, God will still work His plan, but we will not be a part of that story.
We need each other to do the work of God. Not just the 20% who naturally get involved and do 80% of the work in most churches, but everyone. The health of a church can be indicated by the proportion of people engaged in the work of the body.
The beauty of the conclusion of this letter to the Corinthians is seeing all the connections that Paul made within the early church, the networks of servanthood and grace that stretched around the world. That is the same beauty we can be a part of every day as we love and serve each other and the world around us.
– Sermon Notes, Brent Rood, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA
1 Corinthians 16:5-24
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