• What do we do when we proclaim the Gospel to others and find the message dismissed?
• What do we do when we proclaim God’s Word to others and find our lives in danger?
• What do we do when we proclaim God’s love & share our testimony, only to be heckled for our belief?
• What do we do when we proclaim the goodness of our Father & the truth how He sent Jesus to seek & to save, only to hear someone say, “No, not today”?

What do we do?

• Do we give up & go home—defeated?
• Do we think ill thoughts of those who turned away from God’s message?
• Do we kneel in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to serve Him & to be sent?
• Do we raise our hands, our hearts, & lift our voices in praise for the chance to witness?

What do we do?

This morning, I found myself looking at the clock tick off the minutes, watching as 1:30 became 2: 38, as 2:38 became 3:08.  There are so many reasons why I could not sleep.  Thus, after arising and making coffee, I found myself reading the morning news briefs, then sending a message to someone I love who lives far away from me.

• Then, I saw an Instagram photo and the message my niece posted about her family’s recent mission trip, about how even her young children were learning to serve God on the mission field.
• Then I found myself reading the verses found in Acts 17 about the apostle Paul and one of his missionary partners, Silas.

Missionary Paul—

• Shared the message of Jesus in the Jewish synagogues.
• Preached the gospel even when he was on trial, facing the death penalty.
• Planted numerous churches throughout the known world.
• Invited other believers to join him on his missionary journeys.
• Wrote letters of encouragement, as well as letters of correction & reproof.

BUT—

The man named Saul was not able to walk a life renewed, to become the missionary, apostle Paul—UNTIL Saul became a changed man himself.

The Saul of the 1^st Century had to be changed—through the shed blood of Jesus—acceptance, belief, & confession of Jesus Christ as Lord—to become the child of God we know as the apostle Paul.

You see, the intelligent and highly-educated, persecutor of the Jews, Saul of Tarsus, needed to meet Jesus Christ before the man we know as the apostle Paul could ever know & serve the LORD Jesus Christ!

You see, Saul had to willing make a U-TURN & give his heart to Jesus!

• Saul could not just see Jesus & be sorry for his past actions and thoughts.
• Saul could not just feel sorry for his past life.
• Saul could not just hear about Jesus & think, “I’ll become like those Christians.”
• Saul could not just make the change himself.
• Saul of Tarsus needed to hear Jesus, needed to be changed—from the inside—out!
• Saul needed to make a U-Turn, to totally repent of his sins!
• Saul needed to change directions, make a 180 degree turn & walk in a new way, the ONLY WAY!
• Saul needed to turn completely around & completely change who he followed!
• Saul needed to turn around to completely become a changed man—the child of God named Paul.

What about us?

Has there been a time when we made a U-Turn and began walking in newness of life?

• If so, have we begun to serve the Lord?
• If so, have we allowed our actions, our words, our responses to reflect our obedience to our Savior?

Have we applied today’s scripture to our lives?—“received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily . . .”

Have we prayed each day, asking the Lord where He wants us to serve Him?

Or—

Have we not really made a change at all in our lives so that others may see Jesus?

• What do we do—when the world surrounds us?
• What do we do—when others are watching?
• What do we do—when we are totally alone?

AND—

What do we NEED TO DO—TODAY?

• May we REALLY hear the Word of God!
• May we RECEIVE & EXAMINE the Word of God!
• May we BELIEVE & ACTIVELY apply God’s Word to our lives!