Thank you for listening to the river.
Bend Church podcast Reverb in church exists to leave all
people to know love and live New Life in Jesus Christ.
We hope that you enjoy this message.
Welcome to church. Tell the person on your right
that you're glad they're here. Go ahead.
Tell them. tell it, tell it, tell the person on your left
that they're actually your favorite and say you matter,
just tell him you matter. I like that.
Wow, welcome to church, everybody.
My name is Jared. I've been here for several weeks
and I'm going to be here for several more.
But as we get in the summer here, we're kind of taking turns
with, who's up here leading from the table.
The that it's not a Pulpit. That's what we used to say.
You know what? I was growing up, the pulpit, we
don't have those anymore, they call this the countertop, that's
what they make, fun of me because I like it to be higher
and they don't they say it's not a table, it's countertop.
So we're preaching from the countertop today but don't worry
because we got Taylor Guthrie in the back and he's the real MVP
and I've never seen somebody follow better than Taylor.
Got three right there on the screen and speaking of speaking
of Taylor we're going to be in Acts chapter 9, verses 1 through
9 today. And he's going to have it up on
the screen for us and I'm so excited to dive in.
We're starting a new series and unfamiliar Road.
An unfamiliar road is, is where we're going to walk through the
conversion of Saul. The Apostle Paul who wrote the
majority of our New Testament, and he was encountered.
With almighty God on the Damascus Road, it was
unfamiliar. And we're going to look at just
how unfamiliar it was. And we're going to also look at
all that God is teaching us through it.
I'm so excited to jump into it with you all Oakwood.
We're grateful that you're with us to.
I know we got a lot of friends over there today.
A lot of friends here and there that are out on vacation and we
love you too. If you're watching online, we
love the ones. In the room just a little bit
more today, but that's okay. We still love you with a little
bit of love. And we're grateful that you're
all joining us today as we dig into this new series inside of
Acts chapter 9. We're going to find three very
important questions that are asked.
The first one is asked by Jesus and then the other two are asked
by Saul and the last question is going to actually be found later
in the book. Kovacs.
But we know that he said it in this scene here in Acts chapter
9 because he later told us about it.
In Acts chapter 22. I'll explain all of that later,
but I just wanted to tell you. There's three very important
questions that we're going to unpack together today.
Let's look at Acts chapter 9. Starting in verse 1.
But Saul still breathing threats and murder against the Disciples
of the Lord. Breathing threats and murder
against the Disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
and ask the high priest for letters to the synagogues at
Damascus. So that if he found any
belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound
to Jerusalem. And now as he went on his way,
he approached Damascus and suddenly light from Heaven Shone
around him and falling to the ground.
He heard a voice saying to him. Saul Saul, why are you
persecuting me? That's the first question.
And he responded, who are you, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, but
rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.
The men who were traveling with him, stood speechless, hearing
the voice, but seeing no one and saw Rose from the ground.
And although his eyes were open, he saw nothing.
He was blinded and so they let him by the hand and brought him
into Damascus. And for three days, he was
without sight and neither eight. Nor drank three days.
He was blinded. This light from heaven was
all-consuming and it fell on the the Caravan that was traveling
to Damascus. Saw was there and saw a fell
blind. This great man.
That the leader of the of the party here that a Pharisee of
Pharisees. Is now being led by the hand
into Damascus because he couldn't see.
Let's start with our first question that we're going to
look at today. And we find that question in
verse 4. Saul Saul, why are you
persecuting me when they would repeat a name twice?
They were adding emphasis in the Hebrew language.
This was a way to add emphasis but it's deeper than just
emphasis. It's also portraying intimate
knowledge, close knowledge. Saul Saul?
If you look in the Bible, you will find several times where
people's names are mentioned like the in this way, repeating
the name twice. If we go back to Mount Moriah
when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac on the
altar, as God told him to do, and he's got his, his blade in
the air. And he's about to do the act and
he hears a voice from heaven. And and what is the voice?
Say, first, Abraham, Abraham? We go to the burning bush scene,
with Moses when God is calling him from the burning bush
miraculous scene and and wouldn't, what is the voice?
What is the voice? That Moses?
Here's say first. The voice says Moses.
Moses Jesus on the cross, when he's hanging on the cross, which
he quotes Psalm 22, right? When he, when he says my father,
my father Why have you forsaken me?
This was a common way. To attribute, intimate.
Personal knowledge on a subject in the Hebrew tongue.
So God here, speaking from Heaven to saw, he says Saul so
he this is a personal touch from Heaven.
Saw I know you, I see you. I know what you're doing.
I know what you've done. I know what you're going to do
and I love you. Saul Saul?
Why are you persecuting me? You remember in first John in
this is love. Not that we have loved God, but
that he first, loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins, saw wasn't looking for God at all.
He was going on his way, the opposite direction to murder
God's people. But this is our God even when
Saul was against Jesus, Jesus was still for Saul.
This is Grace. This is Mercy.
This is Love. This is undeserved
uncomprehensible Love as Saul was breathing out threats.
Full of rage towards God's people persecuting Christ's
body. And what does Jesus do?
If you ever thought, like, when I read sections like this, I get
into it. And I like, what stopped God
from raining. Down fire from heaven.
On saw in this moment and just wiping wiping the whole company
out. We've seen him, do it in, Sodom
and Gomorrah. We've seen the great flood come
and wipe away the Earth and Purge the Earth of wickedness.
We What stopped him from doing that, you know, he could have
saved the church by just knocking him out right there.
Look at First Timothy 1:12 through 16.
This is Paul's account of his own life and what God had done
for him and I can't help but think that he had this very
scene in mind. When he wrote these words, I
thank God who has given me strength Christ.
Jesus, our lord because he judged me faithful appointing me
to his service though formerly. I was a blasphemer.
I was a persecutor and insolent opponent.
I was opposed to God. Paul said, but I received Mercy.
Maybe this is your story too. I was totally opposed to God,
but He showed me. Mercy, look at verse 14 and the
grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that
are in Christ. Jesus this saying is trust
worthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save Sinners of whom.
I am the foremost. Paul said.
I might take some exception with that.
Some of you might be in here and say, well, Man killed anybody.
So maybe I'm not the foremost, but if I'm honest, most days I
feel like the foremost of sinners That I have received
Mercy. I didn't deserve it.
I didn't earn it. My path was leading to
destruction. Maybe this is your story too.
Why did God do this to, for Paul?
He tells us right here for this reason that in me, as the
foremost, Jesus Christ might display, his perfect patients,
as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal
life. Why did why did God show Palmer?
See, why did God show me, mercy? Why did God show you?
Mercy for this reason for others, to believe in him for.
Turtle life that they might see through the example of your life
and the transformation that God caused.
His perfect patience. His perfect patience towards me.
What is Mercy? You know, would it?
We talked about these words and we throw them around like, we
know what we're saying. Sometimes it's, these are church
words Mercy where it's not just a church word, but sometimes in
church, if you notice, we say words that we've heard for years
and expect everybody to really understand what it means, What
is Mercy? Let's pretend that you owe me.
$100. But you already spent it and you
don't have it to give to me and but I'm still owed a hundred
dollars if I forgive you, the hundred dollar debt.
I have lost 100 dollars. I can't make you a hundred
dollars richer with the hundred dollars that you owe me.
Without becoming a hundred dollars poorer myself.
She said, I'm saying it because if it's a real debt, it must be
paid. So if I show you Mercy, I must
pay the debt. That's why Christ died.
God didn't say forget it. God said, forgive it.
And he paid it. He went all the way to the point
of death and even death on a cross to pay for it himself.
That's the ultimate form of mercy and now we are alive to
tell the story. Of how he's Grace overflowed on
us and his patients was perfect. And he has given us eternal
life. But when you sink into this
reality and you really remember what he's done and how
undeserved you are of that, does it not produce a response of
just how can it be? How can it be that a sinner?
Like me can be pardoned and set free forgiven not having to earn
it anymore. How can it be?
The answer is Jesus. Paid It All.
That all who trust in him would be forgiven.
She saw was a giant of a man, not physically.
But stature like with the people reputation he was a giant of a
man. Like they looked up to, he was a
leader of leaders, a Pharisee of Pharisees and he believed that
he was absolutely right. He was proud of his Conquest, he
had great power and authority. The high priest gave him the
authority to if you see anybody belonging to the way.
Which is a Christian, you have the authority to persecute to
even kill. This great man.
Riding High. How quickly the Lord Jesus
brought him down. In from the ground, he asked a
very important question which is our second question that we're
looking at today. Who are you?
Lord. Who are you?
Lord find it in verse 5. Who are you?
This is the Gateway question. It said it's the beginning of
Paul's, Christian Journey, his conversion.
He did to ask who are you two? It's the gateway to knowing god.
And in this moment of humility, Paul has a desire to know God.
You know, it must begin with the desire, a willingness, a hunger.
Do you have a desire today? To know him.
I'm challenged by this this week, like do I desire to know
God or would I rather get to know something or someone else?
Acts 4:12 reminds us that there's only one name under
Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Only one name that the search is over.
If there's just one name. Do I desire to know him?
John 3:17 God did not send his son into the world to condemn
the world but in order that the world might be saved through
him. Do I desire to know him This is
the gateway to life. This question, who are you?
Lord John 17:3 Jesus prayed in the garden.
He said, in this is eternal life that they know you and Jesus
Christ, whom you have sent. He said, this is eternal life.
This is the gateway to life eternal knowing the one true
God. And Jesus Christ.
Whom you have sent do we want to know?
God. Look at what Paul wrote in
Philippians, 3, starting in verse 4, though.
I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh.
Also, if anyone else thinks, he has reason for confidence in the
flesh. I have more, you may say well
that sounds pretty prideful. That sounds pretty arrogant.
Paul He's making a point that in this life, all of the accolades
that were set before him he accomplished.
He climbed the ladder of success.
He gained Authority, he gained power.
He did what the world with the religious tradition taught him
to do. Circumcised on the eighth day of
the people of Israel of The Tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews as to the law a Pharisee, as to Zeal, a
persecutor of the church as to righteousness under the law
blameless. He's saying, I did it.
All right, I'm blameless. but, Whatever gain.
I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Whatever gain I had, I thought I was doing it.
Rightly I thought I was climbing the right ladder, I thought I
was earning my way to something more.
I that was told and I taught and I learned and I taught other
people to learn that, this was the way.
But whatever gain I had I counted as loss.
Why for the sake of Christ? Indeed, I count everything as
loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
Jesus my Lord the surpassing worth of knowing, Who are you?
Lord this, where it all began. Who are you?
Jesus, who are you really? He's reminding us here.
That nothing can compare to the worth of knowing Christ as Lord.
This question was the beginning of Saul's conversion but he
didn't stop asking it. He continually search The Riches
of Christ, and this is why this question is so important for us
today as well, because it's not just the gateway to eternal
life. It, it's a question to be asked
daily. Who are you?
When we come to the Bible, who are you?
Because when we know who he is, the confidence that we have to
face life is entirely strengthened.
In Acts 22 Paul stood before the rulers in Jerusalem and shared
his testimony. And in this account, we find
that third question that I was telling you about in Acts 22
verse 6. The third and final question
that we'll look at today. Paul's talking about the same
experience that we read in Acts chapter 9, as I was on my way
and Drew near to Damascus about noon, a great light from Heaven.
Suddenly Shone around me, fun fact, it was high noon that the
sun was at the highest point of the Middle Eastern sky and God's
light. Outshined it And I fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to me Saul Saul, why are you
persecuting me and I answered who are you?
Lord and he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are
persecuting. Now those who are with me, saw
the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was
speaking to me. And I said, third question, what
shall I do? Lord.
What shall I do? In other words, what do you want
me to do? I love this question.
This is such a hard question for us to ask if we're honest.
What do you want me to do? Look at two things about this
question. The first thing is Paul's
willingness to obey is immediate Who are you?
Lord. I'm Jesus of Nazareth.
Whom you are persecuting. Conviction.
Fell on Saul and immediately. He says what do you want me to
do? Thomas a kempis in the imitation
of Christ said, this instant obedience is the only kind of
obedience there is delayed. Obedience is disobedience.
I thought about not putting that in there because I didn't really
like reading it to be honest. Delayed obedience.
His disobedience. I give me a day.
Give me a week to kind of get through some stuff and then I'll
do what I hear you telling me to do God.
Give me a day. Just give me some time.
I'll lay that down. I'll lay that down.
Once I get my feet under me a little more on this other thing
or maybe the other side of how we negotiate with him, if you'll
just give me then I'll never do again.
If you just give me that girl for the rest of my life, I will
never ever, ever say that four letter word ever again, you just
give her to me. Delayed obedience is
disobedience. Now here's the good news, God is
merciful and gracious through it all, and he's still leading us
on as we're delaying our obedience, but if you're like
me, you are constantly finding a way to sort of delay.
The obedient was that really God?
Who said, was that really what he told me to do?
His willingness to obey was immediate.
The second thing I want you to notice about this question is,
how Paul made it personal to him?
He said what must I do? Lord.
What shall I do? What do you want me to do?
You see it's really easy to ask for others?
What do you want us to do? I'll go tell them.
Paul didn't do that. He made it personal.
He said. I take responsibility for me.
And I'm willing to obey now. Real change happens when you
take responsibility. Saw looking into heaven.
He saw this bright light. He was blinded.
Jesus was there, and Jesus convicted him of his sins sauce.
All I know you. I love you.
Why are you persecuting me? And in that conviction, saw it
immediately owned his responsibility to obey.
This is a model for us. It's a challenging model
listening to the voice of God and when you hear it it produces
action. How many of you know, that you
don't have to, don't have to respond to raise your hand
because this this is hard, but you can quench his voice in your
life by continually either delaying or outright disobeying.
Gratifying the flesh, rather than walking by the spirit.
This is a model for us to obey and not only obey, but obey
immediately Look at his quote from David Platt, just to give
you one more, you know, devastating challenge, right
here. God beckons storm clouds and
they come he tells the wind to blow and the rain to fall and
they obey immediately he speaks to the mountains, you go there.
And he says, to the Seas, you stop here and they do it.
Everything and all creation responds in obedience to the
Stir until you get to you and me we have the audacity to look God
in the face and say no. Everything in Hawk the
mountains, listen. The oceans.
Have you seen what happened to that sub?
That was trying to look at the Titanic 15,000 feet below sea
level and the pressure. the strength of our oceans is no
match for God's voice, but we Have the audacity to look at him
who commands the sea. Nah.
It's not really going to work for me. or maybe I'll get to it,
but just let me make sure that this is you
Sometimes he speaks in a gentle voice.
In a still Small Voice, like we see in the Old Testament.
And he sometimes it's a whisper, its gentle, sometimes it's
through other people, sometimes it most of the time, it's
jumping out at us from this word and speaking.
Most of the time he doesn't speak like he did on the road to
Damascus. Most of the time he doesn't drop
his glory down in a bright light to Blind you in a moment and
turn you around and 180. But make no mistake, he's the
same God, no matter how he expresses himself.
And I wonder if sometimes we take for granted his mercy and
we forget that the god of the gentle whisper is the same God
that wiped out the Earth with a great flood.
Just thinking about this this week a lot.
I was thinking about my own life and my own obedience in my own
listening to God. I just got overwhelmed.
I just thought how how could God be so merciful To stoop down and
and nudge me from behind like almost with his hand on my
shoulder like a, like I would do with my son.
Come on, come on. Is this way?
Just keep going. Just take another step.
I have more for you. I know, it might hurt for now.
You might be challenging for now, but I'm here.
How could God be so more and the whole time?
I'm trying to do my own thing and he's just not Jared right
here, right here, Jarrod How could he be?
So merciful, not to just strike me down.
Have I taken his Mercy for granted.
If I taking his grace for granted, have I forgotten that
he's the same God of the road to Damascus?
We're going to spend a few moments here because I'm way
ahead of my clock. Ricky coach in Oakwood.
We're going to take a few moments here and I want us to
consider those three things that we talked about today.
We talked about him in the form of a question, but let me put
them in the form of a statement. Now, three things number one,
God's pursuing you If you're here, you're still breathing.
There's still a chance and his love is pursuing.
Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me Jared Jared?
Why are you continuing to go that way?
He's still pursuing number two, he wants you to know him.
You imagine that he wants you to know him as her we started
today. He wants you to know him and
number three, he wants your immediate obedience, he wants
your obedience but he wants it. Now. and I want us to take a few
moments to to really consider this together, not together, but
with God, Maybe it's in your chair.
Maybe it's in the psalter wherever you are in Oakwood,
wherever you need to get to consider these things.
Just you and God, maybe you need to go find somebody.
To talk to das questions with. pray with We're going to give
some time for that. Pastor Greg's there in Oakwood.
He's gonna take it from here, we love you all.
So very much have a great rest of your Sunday.
As we consider these three things, remember the questions
that's all asked and I want to encourage you today to ask these
questions as well. I want you to those two
questions that Saul asked. Don't forget, who are you?
Lord was the first one and the second one was, what do you want
me to do? Who are you?
Lord, show me. Who you are.
Reveal yourself to me? And then, what shall I do?
I'm going to get out of the way. I'm going to pray first.
I'm going to get out of the way and I want us all to consider
these things with God just alone with God.
Who are you show me who you are? What do you want me to do?
Help me to be courageous and step out in faith with how
you're leading. Father God in heaven.
We're here for you. We're here for you only.
We are overwhelmed by your mercy and your grace for us.
We do not deserve it, but still you love us.
And as we come before you got, as we open up our hearts, we
open up our minds. We open up our hands.
We asked you to show us more of who you are and we ask for you
to give us courage. To act on what you're doing and
what you're saying? Help us to be ambassadors for
you. Move the things out of the way
in our hearts. So that you can take your
rightful place as king as Lord. It's in Jesus name, we pray.
Amen. Thank you for listening to the
river. Bend Church podcast.
Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect you
can head over to our website Riverbend Church dot life.