So, what’s the plan? {Acts 18}
11:30 PM
By Lisa Thayer
Has
your life changed since you began trusting and following Jesus?
If
it hasn’t, why not?
Chapter
18 shows us how God accomplishes His plan through every day people. How do you know you are living out God’s plan
for your life?
I’ve
been praying for discernment recently because I’ve felt like I wasn’t following
God’s plan. It is so easy to have
desires and look at them and see how they look like they would increase God’s
Kingdom, but God seems to be blocking your way.
Like perhaps you want to start up a bible study at your house or
church. Or perhaps you believe you are
in the wrong job. Perhaps you feel led
to go into ministry work.
I’m
going to share three ways to know you are living your life according to God’s
plan.
1. Are you
investing your life into others?
Paul moves in with these two refugees, Aquilla and
Priscilla and develops a very good friendship.
He takes them to Ephesus where he leaves them (v. 18). By the time he writes his first letter to the
Corinthians, Aquilla and Priscilla are leading a house church.
Aquilla and Priscilla in turn meet Apollos and
invest their life into him. Apollos was
preaching about Jesus, but didn’t quite know the whole story. So Aquilla and Priscilla left their tent
making business and invested their time in Apollos.
Have you given up your life to teach others who
will pass along the faith? Are you
willing to live God’s plan in your life and then pass along what He does in
your life to others?
2. Do you find
security in Christ and not in your plan? (vs. 9-10)
God gives Paul two
promises
-
Presence and Security
-
I am with you
-
No one will harm you
Jesus promised in Matthew
28 to be with us always. In Ephesians
1:3, Paul reminds us that we are blessed with Christ Jesus with every spiritual
blessings. And again in Romans 8:38-39
Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Are you running from God’s
presence? Does life have you scared of
something and you are running away from the one person who can save you from
it? You need to come to Him who is
greater than all our fears. Charles
Spurgeon said, “the fear of God kills all other fears in our hearts.” The security you need is in Christ. But the problem is you are running – your
problem is your sin and you keep running from God. You need to rest in His salvation for
you. Jesus separated Himself from God
the Father so you could never be separated from Him again! (Just let that sink in)
God
always calls His people to circumstances that require them to Trust in Him!
3. Are you risking
enough? (vs. 9-10)
Most of us only want these two promises – God with
us and His protection. We want to hear
‘I am with you and not harm will come your way.’ But God never gives His presence without calling
us into action! He told Paul to go on
speaking! Paul was afraid! Just like you and I are.
Is your commitment to the gospel causing you to
risk anything?
Are you climbing a ladder to accomplish your
desires? Your career? Your dream home? Your next vacation? Your personal relationships? Just to elevate yourself?
Or is your life wrapped up in a cross that you are
willing to give yourself away for? Are
your arms out-stretched to serve? Or are
you keeping your hands on that next rung of the ladder?
Maybe you’re living your
life with a religious candy coating – a lot of people are.
The testimony of the Church is that God saved
us. I think everyone of us who
understand the gospel would say, ‘I am a
miracle of God’s grace. God saved me and
sometimes I just cannot believe it!’ But here’s the thing – God didn’t save you FROM something. He saved you FOR something. And that’s
His plan. To make disciples all around.
So what’s your next step? Maybe it’s simply trusting Him for your
salvation and you’ve never done that.
Maybe it’s investing your life into other believers in your home church
or someplace else. Maybe it’s stepping
out in a conversation with a co-worker, a friend, or a family member, trusting
that God’s plan is more important than your plan with them. Maybe it’s opening your bible and reading it
alongside us and beginning a new step of faith.
God
accomplishes His plan through every day people who give up their plan for His.
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