April 22, 2007

"Why Kick the Goads?"

by Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson

Acts 9: 1-20

Opening Illustration – Cheetos in the air filter

What does it take to make an enemy into a friend?

Damascus Road story – not a conversion; display of grace.

Acts – sequel to Luke. Not clear where Luke got this story.

Tell story

Calling of Paul uses images of Jeremiah’s call (slide)

Differences between Luke’s version and Paul’s (Slide).

Paul is trying to portray Christianity as united in Roman Empire.

What is Luke trying do with his traditions about Paul?

Story teaches that God embraces enemies and attempts to turn them into friends.
God doesn’t strike Paul dead to stop persecution. God sees Paul’s passion and shows Paul how to use it for God’s purposes.

God gives us the opportunity to correct the wrongheaded zeal of youth.

God does not leave us alone. God often goads us along in ways we may not even realize.


Illustration: Conversation with Dr. Meyers – wishing I was more mature when I was younger.

I wanted to quit ministry because I was such a perfectionist and couldn’t tolerate my own inexperience.

God is more patient with us than we are with ourselves. Sometimes in our zeal to do the right thing, or even the wrong thing, we may not even realize the consequences of our actions. But more often than not, God goads us in the right direction and gives us the chance to make things right.

Every day of our lives we have the chance to make that change of direction. This passage is a challenge for us to reconsider the rightness of our actions and see if our perception looks a little different in the light of Christ.