They Knew Your Past - But They Don't Know Your Calling

Ken Tram

Acts 9:19-31; Philippians 3:8

Ever feel like people still see you as who you used to be instead of who God is making you? Pastor Ken follows Saul in Acts 9, newly changed and already facing suspicion from the disciples and a plot on his life, to argue that real conversion leads to a different life, not a comfortable one. He asks whether comfort has quietly replaced calling, and holds up Barnabas as the kind of person who stands beside someone others won’t trust. It’s for anyone who wants more than a safe version of faith.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS MESSAGE

If God loves me as I am, why do I need to change?

Pastor Ken says God loves you where you are, but where you are isn’t where you’re supposed to stay: grace meets you, and truth grows you. He points to Saul, whose life visibly changed after meeting Jesus, and warns that staying comfortable can turn you into an “accidental Pharisee” who worships religion instead of Jesus.

Why were the disciples afraid of Saul, and how should the church treat people with a past?

In Acts 9:26, Saul tried to join the disciples but they were all afraid of him, since he had been persecuting them. Pastor Ken says the church is not a country club for the polished but a rescue mission for the wounded, and that God’s grace goes further than what you’ve done.

Does opposition mean I’m off track?

Not necessarily, says Pastor Ken. In Acts 9, Saul’s boldness led to a plot against his life, and he escaped by being lowered in a basket through the city wall. Pastor Ken suggests opposition “may not mean you’re off track” and can sometimes show you’re where God needs you. He pairs it with Philippians 3:8, counting everything as loss for the sake of knowing Christ.

What is a “Barnabas,” and how can I be one?

In Acts 9:27, Barnabas takes Saul to the apostles and vouches for him when no one else would. Pastor Ken says every church needs people like that, who come alongside someone who is struggling or being judged and walk with them. He prays for a church full of people like Philip, Ananias, and Barnabas rather than comfortable spectators.