Missionary Conference – 4 Missionaries wanting to go to foreign country to spread gospel

 South Sudan
 New Zealand
 Panama
 Uruguay

Not all countries are as free as we are in the United States – Sudan/South Sudan has been in a civil war
with Sudan being a Muslim country.

History – we can learn from history – lessons learned from others who have already learned so we do
not make the same mistakes.

A missionary we can learn from in the Bible is the Apostle Paul.

Paul –

Around AD 5 – born in a city called Tarsus – A prosperous city in the province of Cilicia – which granted
him Roman Citizenship

Between AD 20 – 30 (Age 15 – 25) – Studied Torah under the instruction of Gamaliel; becomes a
pharisee

Between 30 – 33 – persecutes Christians – Same time of Jesus Crucifixion

Around 33 AD – meets Jesus on the way to Damascus – gets saved and changes his name to Paul

- First Missionary journey – AD 46 – 48 Acts 13 - 14

- Second Missionary journey – AD 49 – 52 Acts 15:39 – 18:22
- Third Missionary journey – AD 53 – 57 Acts 18:23 – 21:16
- Trip to Rome – AD 59 – 62 Acts 27 – 28:16

Around 64 AD – put to death in Rome

Born in Tarsus – A prosperous city in the province of Cilicia – which granted him Roman citizenship.
- No Roman citizen could be tortured, whipped or receive the death penalty without being first
found guilty of treason while being held by the Roman tribune in Jerusalem.
- Treason – crime of betraying one’s country, someone or something

Jesus was born 4 BC – 29 AD

- Paul was around 4 when Jesus was teaching in the temple as a 12 year old boy Luke 2:41- 52
(read 41 – 42, 46 – 49)
As Jesus was nearing the end of his 3 year ministry (so around 28 or 29 AD) he rebukes the Pharisees in
Matthew 23 (Read Matthew 23:23 – 28). At this same time Paul was finishing up his training as a
Pharisee.
- Can you see the connection on why Paul starting persecuting Christians??
- Sometimes our pride can get in the way of seeing the truth and this is what was happening here
with Paul.

Acts 7:58 - 8:4 – Paul dragging Christians out of their houses and sending them to prison putting some of
them to death.

Acts 9:1 - 6 - Paul was going to go to Damascus and find more Christians to drag to prison and possibly
put to death, but on his way he met Jesus and was saved!

- It does not matter what we have done in the past, we can all be saved just like Paul.
- Paul called himself the chief of all sinners for his persecution of Christians.

- You must believe that you have sinned - Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God

- And that there is a penalty for that sin is death and Hell – Romans 6:23a – For the wages of sin is
death

- You cannot pay for your sins – only trusting in Jesus who shed his blood and died to pay for our
sins – Romans 6:23b – But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ephesians
2:8a – For by grace of you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:.

- Jesus invites you to be saved today – Romans 10:13 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.

It was only after Paul trusted Jesus to be his personal savior that he could be used for God’s work as a
missionary.

Over the next several weeks we will be looking at Paul’s missionary journey’s and at some of the cities
he established churches.