"ST"

ACTS 9:1-20

The story is told of two brothers who grew up in a little town out in the country. When they were still young men they were arrested, tried and convicted for stealing sheep. Their penalty was restitution and a fine. But some took matters into their own hands and branded the two criminals on the forehead with the letters "ST" to indicate "sheep thief." That way anyone who met them would shun them and they could never forget their shame. The one brother couldn't bear the stigma, and becoming bitter, moved away never to return to the little town of his boyhood. Eventually he died and was forgotten. But the other brother chose a different, more courageous and beneficial course. This brother teaches us a vital lesson about dealing successfully with what we experience in life. So does Paul who, like this brother, was about to get his life turned around. Like the brother, and like Paul, we need to experience a life renewal. Here are some things to think about as we co-operate with Christ to become all He wants us to be. What is the first truth to consider?

• IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO US THAT MATTERS, IT'S HOW WE HANDLE IT! 8, 161:
• Saul was stopped dead in his tracks, blinded and knocked to the ground by the heavenly vision. It was just the beginning of the sufferings God had ordained for him. Through the course of his life Paul would experience beatings, stonings, hunger, privation, shipwreck, imprisonment and ultimate martyrdom. Yet here is how he handled that: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." 2 Corinthians 4:9-11.
• That's how it can be in our lives, too. We experience those events that really shake us up. Sometimes things go our way and then suddenly everything we do turns out wrong. Sometimes we succeed and then experience failure. Sometimes we have happiness and the next moment we face sorrow. But it's how we handle those things that matters; just stop a moment to think about these statements, cliché to be sure, yet true:
• The same sun that hardens the clay melts the wax.
• When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.
• Don't cry over spilt milk.
• If the bread goes dry, make croutons.
• But is that realistic? Is that doable? Here are some examples of some who did just that:
• Job who lost his fortune, family, fame and fitness but "Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." Job 1:22.
• Joseph who was hated by his jealous brothers, cast into a pit and then sold to traders who carted him off to Egypt where he was maliciously accused and jailed. Years later he was reunited with his brothers to whom he said, "as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20.
• Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego who answered King Nebuchadnezzar's threat to cast them into the fiery furnace and said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18.
• Paul who, imprisoned for preaching Christ, wrote from prison, "Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13.
• Sometimes things happen to us that are completely contrary to anything we would have chosen for ourselves. But it isn't what happens to you that matters, it's how you handle it.

The two brothers were caught, convicted, and branded as sheep thieves. The brother who decided to remain in his boyhood town was, indeed, guilty, but he had learned his lesson and was truly repentant. He became an upright and godly citizen. He made restitution for his theft. His brother had forsaken the town and its people, but he said, "I can't run from what I did, so I'll stay here and win back the respect of my neighbors and myself." As the years passed, he built a solid reputation for integrity. The older people saw his change, and the younger ones never even knew about his sin. Those who knew Paul after his conversion might have been pretty amazed to find that this ardent supporter of the Gospel had at one time tried to extinguish its fire! That's another encouraging factor in how to be victorious over the sinful things we do in our lives.

• IT'S NOT WHAT WE'VE DONE THAT MATTERS, IT'S WHAT WE DO FROM NOW ON! 13-15:
• Saul persecuted, tormented and imprisoned Christians, even to the point of delivering them to death. But when he met the risen Jesus, he realized the error of his ways. He then set his heart and mind on the pursuit of a different course. He became a saint!
• We have all done things of which we ought to be ashamed and of which we must repent. But we are in good company! What a rogue's gallery the Bible contains:
• Jonah the prophet who ran away from God, who was swallowed and then vomited up by a huge fish, became the catalyst of revival and repentance in the godless city of Nineveh.
• Zacchaeus who collaborated with Rome to tax his own people, who obviously defrauded and oppressed them was converted, was willing to give away half his own possessions and to restore four fold what he had extorted.
• Peter who denied knowing Jesus 3 times became the first Christian Evangelist.
• Paul who murdered and persecuted followers of Jesus became a devoted follower himself.
• Sometimes we think we've been too bad and there's no chance to start over. But as Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over!" Your usefulness to God isn't terminated with some failure or shortcoming or fault. Your dereliction, your wrongdoing, your deficiency doesn't have to be the final word. As long as life lasts and you have breath and choice, there is opportunity for change.
• So when we awaken to sin and error in our lives we have one of two courses open: to continue to practice it, or to repent and forsake it. But remember, it's not what we've done that matters, it's what we do from now on!

Both brothers were sheep thieves, but they responded differently to their conviction and penalty. One fled, one faced it. Years passed and one day a stranger saw him, now an old man, with the letters "ST" on his forehead. The stranger asked a townsman what the letters signified. He was told, "It happened a long time ago. I've forgotten the particulars, but I think the letters are an abbreviation for 'saint.'" Paul himself experienced the alteration from enemy to ally, from sinner-lost to sinner-saved-by-grace, or in short, to saint. And this demonstrates the last truth for victorious living:

• IT'S NOT WHAT WE WERE THAT MATTERS, IT'S WHAT WE ARE NOW! 20:
• Saul of Tarsus was an enemy, a blasphemer, and a persecutor, but he became an ally, supporter and worshipper of Jesus Christ.
• We may have been, or still may be
• Dishonest and deceitful.
• Lazy and slothful.
• Selfish and greedy.
• Arrogant and smug.
• Hateful and vengeful.
• Immoral and impure.
• Skeptical and unbelieving.
• But Jesus Christ can make us other than what we were or are! We can be like the old man who said, "Well, I ain't what I oughter be, and I ain't what I'm gonner be, but praise God I ain't what I useter be neither!" None who are truly in Christ are what they "uster be." There is ample evidence for that in the New Testament.
• Mary Magdalene was a demoniac servant of Satan possessed by 7 evil spirits but she became a faithful servant of God.
• Thomas was a skeptic, but became a confident proclaimer of the deity of Jesus Christ.
• John Mark was a failure who fled in disgrace from his missionary journey. But he later became a valuable helper to the aged Apostle.
• It is not the past, but the present, not our history but our current situation that counts. Not what we were, but what we are. Listen to this:
• "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ... But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," Ephesians 2:1, 4, 5.
• "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
• "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

From sheep thief to saint. From antagonist to protagonist. From dead in sin to alive in Christ. From old to new creation. That's a profound change. From where, from what, does Jesus need to lead you? What changes does Jesus need to make in your life? And He is able to make the needed changes. There is no failure too great for Him to lead you on to success. There is no lack too great for Him to provide what you need. There is no sin too great to exceed the power of His blood to cleanse or His grace to forgive. We could all put ourselves in the place of those sheep stealing brothers. We've all sinned and fallen short. But Jesus isn't through with us yet. He has something better for us to attain. The worst among us can claim His grace, the best among us still need it. All of us in Christ can at best say, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace." From sheep thief to saint -- that's what Jesus can, and will do, for all who come to Him in simple faith. He calls you today -- will you come?

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