Have you ever mapped out your life—where you’ve been, what you’ve done, what has disappointed you, what has surprised you?
Recently our pastoral team has been going through the exercise of putting our lives in identifiable chapters. Each chapter is marked with highs and lows of events, people marked as special, and accomplishments during that time period. One thing that became clear to me when I did this exercise was that when we dedicate ourselves to Christ, God doesn’t waste anything on our life map.
In our study these days, we are learning and applying the fourth and final wall to Building His Church, the Body of Christ. The fourth wall, as we introduced last week, is the Commission Wall—using the Greek word “martus” (the root word for martyr).
This Sunday morning, March 20, we will focus on some of Paul’s life map, found especially in Acts 21–22. Read this ahead of time! Pay attention to the times when, during the difficult days chronicled in these chapters, Paul refers to his own background, education, and personal credentials, and he uses these personal life experiences to open doors for his commissioned (martus) life.
Not only do I want you to read those chapters about Paul’s life map, but I want you to think carefully about your life map as well. The journey of your life to this point in time is like a map. Some of your journey was planned, some of it disappoints you, and some of it has surprised you. But when we give our lives to Christ and his Church Body, we are saying that we will be “martus”—commissioned by him.
Did you know that God can use the map of your life? A commissioned life is a life map given up for the glory of God.
Let’s learn and talk through this on Sunday morning and in our follow-up small group discussions.
Your continuing assignment for the weeks ahead is to read two sections of New Testament scripture side by side, simultaneously:
- Acts 21-28
- 2 Corinthians 1-13
See you Sunday morning at 10 a.m.!
