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I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago, to go to one of the biggest college football games ever, the University of Texas vs. Ohio State. While I was there I realized that it did not matter whether you are a fan, alumni, or just a person mooching off a season ticket holder (like myself), that when the band starts playing the Texas fight song, “The Eyes of Texas,” you cannot help but sing along. It is so exciting to see a sea of burnt orange standing with their pointer finger and pinky in the air and singing, “until Gabriel blows his horn.” At that point you move from spectator to participant. For those on the outside, or at home watching the game on TV, this may seem strange because at that point you are a spectator. However, if you are in the stands, participating, there is absolutely no way you can just sit and watch everyone else sing their hearts out. You have to sing. You can’t keep from singing. Isn’t that the same way with our faith? The bible tells us that, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing (spectators), but to those that are being saved (participant) it is the power of life.” We can see this truth fleshed out through the life of the Apostle Paul. In Acts 8 we meet Paul, who was at that point named Saul, who was a spectator to the faith and a persecutor of the church. He was present during Stephen’s sermon and stoning. Verse 3 says that Saul made havoc of the church and was dragging men and women to prison because of their belief. Saul knew that the name of Jesus Christ was beginning to spread throughout the land and he was watching it happen. However, everything changes when we read on into chapter 9. This is where we see that God shown a light down on Saul and gave him his calling. His calling was very clear in verse 15 and 16. It reads, “for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel, for I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Saul immediately began preaching boldly in the name of Jesus. What was the change? How could a man who was a persecutor of the church change instantly into arguably the most influential Christian of all time? The answer is Jesus. Coming face to face with Jesus, and understanding his calling, changes everything. At this very moment he moved from spectator to participant, or from Saul to Paul.
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These verses also give us a little more understanding of why Paul had to suffer so much. 2 Corinthians 11: 24-27 (from the Message) says: I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
How could anyone go through all of that and still have so much joy? Paul obviously got the bigger picture. He had met Jesus and was doing the work that he was called to do. This understanding of his calling and his new identity in Christ is the reason that he could go through such difficult times and still say, “but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)
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