Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the First Reading, which was read earlier.

How many of us enjoy their job? I mean when the alarm clock goes off, you’re excited about getting up and going to work each and every day of the week? I doubt that there are many who truly enjoy their job that much. While you and I might not fall under that category, there was at least one man who did: Saul.

At the time of Saul, the Church grew to the point that the Jerusalem congregation had to call additional men to the public ministry in order to carry out the affairs of the Church. At the same time, the Sanhedrin continued to search for a way to stop the spread of the Gospel. According to Luke, “every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” Stephen was among the seven chosen by the congregation in Jerusalem. Unafraid to proclaim the Gospel, Stephen did great wonders and miracles. But opposition soon arose. When the unbelieving Jews accused Stephen of blasphemy, he was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin. With Saul giving his approval, Stephen was stoned.

Saul, a self-appointed crusader for Judaism, continued the persecution of the Christian Church that began with the martyrdom of Stephen. The threat he offered to the Church was real and murderous. He woke up each morning ready to stamp out this heretical teaching by the followers of Christ and each night he went to bed with the blood of the saints on his hands. This is what Saul lived for and he enjoyed it to no end. He even would go to the high priest and ask for letters which would not only allow him access to the synagogue at Damascus, but also the authority to speak there. This gave him the opportunity to go after all those who were members of “the Way,” that is, all those who were followers of Jesus.

This is what Saul lived for and he took great delight in purging Christianity from the world. He was good at what he did, probably one of the best at the time. But all of that would change in a flash of brilliant light.

While on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul and asked one question: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” This literally was the life-changing event for Saul. Coming into the presence of Christ, Saul falls to the ground. He learned that day in persecuting those who belonged to the Way, the followers of Christ, he had also been persecuting Jesus Himself. From this point on, Jesus would be giving the directions in Saul’s life and telling him what to do, all for the sake of the Church.

Saul thought that his vocation was to destroy Christianity. Instead, Jesus saw fit to use him to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. When Saul meets Ananias, Ananias tells him that the Lord had sent him to Saul that he may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is Saul’s call into the ministry to be a servant of Christ. From that moment on, he sought to promote Christianity so that all peoples would know of the love that we have in Christ Jesus, a love which took Him to the cross in order to die so that all who call upon His name would have everlasting life.

Paul becomes the Lord’s foremost missionary to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the Jews. He will preach to Jews in the synagogue wherever his travels take him. He will spar with the intellectuals of Athens about their many gods. He’ll testify before rulers and even Caesar himself. He’ll even set his sights on the far reaches of Spain. He will proclaim Christ to different races and different social classes. And throughout his preaching and his epistles, the message is the same. He proclaims Christ crucified and risen. He emphasizes the importance of pure doctrine and Holy Baptism. He writes about the Lord’s Supper and insists that it be kept according to God’s Word.

As the people of God’s Church, we are called to serve in various ways. We are called to spread and preach the Gospel in our various vocations. We are fashioned as tools in the hands of God, to be used where and when He needs us, to proclaim that saving message of Jesus Christ to the right person at the right time. We are to be used as tools to carry out God’s plan for building His kingdom. That doesn’t mean that we will become a missionary like Paul was. It doesn’t mean that we will write to a number of churches and visit them, all to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor does it mean that everyone here will become a pastor. No, we will be used by God where and when He needs us.

So where do we come in to this? We are called to spread the Gospel. Paul writes to Timothy that “God our Savior, desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God chooses us to be His disciples, followers of Jesus, to spread the Gospel. He chooses us in our Baptism, making us His beloved children. He prepares us as we gather in His House, centered upon His Word and His Blessed Sacraments. We come so we ourselves may be fed with the bread of life, that we may be strengthened in our faith, so that we in turn may spread the Gospel to others. It is not just enough to call yourself a Christian; you must be fed regularly or your faith will suffer. When we ourselves are not fed, we will not be able to feed others with the Word of God.

Let us remain faithful to our Lord’s Word, proclaim Christ and Him crucified, and point people to the means of grace where the Lord has promised to be found with forgiveness. If we suffer criticism, it is not reason to be dismayed, as long as we have the Lord’s favor.

And make no mistake: You do have the Lord’s favor. Behold the great mercy of God that He would forgive the likes of Saul the persecutor for his sins of false doctrine and violent practice. He extends the same mercy to you. You have the Lord’s favor because Christ has died in your place and risen again. You have the Lord’s favor because, just as He did for Saul, the Lord has made you His in Holy Baptism. You have the Lord’s favor because, as He did for Saul, the Lord continues to forgive your sins, continues to proclaim, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” You know the Lord is with you because the Lord comes to be with you: He gives you His very body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

Saul’s past and circumstances and life experiences might be far different from you and me, but the Lord treats him the same way He treats us. He calls us to repentance with His Law. Then He makes and keeps you His own for the sake of Jesus Christ. For the sake of God’s only Son, the Father says to you that you are forgiven for all of your sins. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.