During my many years of coaching various sports, I have had to bench a player or two. Usually, it was because of an attitude problem or some violation of a team rule or expectation…. But there were those times I would tell a player that I was sitting her on the bench for awhile so that she could get a feel for the game and the offense and/or defense we were running. “Now, I want you to observe number 10. Watch how she keeps her knees bent and her balance. She engages her opponent increasing the pressure and closing the distance the closer she gets to the goal.” …
This same thing appears to have happened to me in the ministry. As I was wrapping up my college campus ministry phrase, I approached my early mentor, Elmer Hiebert, with a friend and expressed how I felt that the Lord was pulling me out of the “game”. My friend felt the same way. I will never forget what Elmer told both of us: “Maybe it’s like a coach who pulls his players out of the first quarter so that they can be fresh when he puts them back in in the fourth quarter.” Does the Lord do such a thing?
It appears that He does, especially in light of our main text this morning. The young Saul (aka Paul, later to become an apostle) started out with a bang, witnessing to all that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the long awaited Messiah, and though he had a measure of success, things also got a little hairy. So the church sent him back to his home town. He appears to be “benched” for almost 10 years. (Oh, he was most assuredly busy with the tasks at hand growing in the faith while making tents, but he clearly wasn’t on the radar of recorded church history.) Then his early mentor, Barnabas, seeks Saul out to join him with some small tasks (see Acts 11:28-36). Slowly, Saul, aka Paul (his Roman name), begins to fulfill the destiny the Lord presented to him on the Road to Damascus (see Acts 26:16ff)….
Brothers and sisters, you may be feeling like the Lord has pulled you out of the “game” benched you for some silly mistake (aka sin), but is it possible that He is “benching” you for quite another reason? Maybe He wants you to watch that number 10, learning from them how they engage the opponent or how they are learning the offense and defense the He wants you to run? Quite possibly so? What do you think? Your thoughts?
Main Text: — Acts 13:1-3 (NIV84)— In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Additional Scriptures to Renew Your Thoughts
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.— Galatians 4:4–5 (NIV84)
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”— Exodus 3:1–3 (NIV84)
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.— Genesis 39:1 (NIV84)
Lord Jesus Christ, I put You on as my Slippers of Patience especially during this season of my life as I faithful receive Your training…. In Your Name, Amen.
Pastor Mike