1 00:00:07,950 --> 00:00:12,910 Acts Chapter 9, the title This morning's message is so great a 2 00:00:12,910 --> 00:00:15,950 salvation. I pray that you have your 3 00:00:15,950 --> 00:00:19,710 listening ears on to hear what the Holy Spirit says to us 4 00:00:19,710 --> 00:00:22,310 today. As you get a hold of what 5 00:00:22,310 --> 00:00:28,150 happens here in Chapter 9, you will then understand the rest of 6 00:00:28,150 --> 00:00:31,110 the New Testament in regard to Paul's letters. 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:37,480 If you can't grasp what Chapter 9 is really about, then you miss 8 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,960 out. As Paul continually in his 9 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,480 letters, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, so on Thessalonians 10 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,640 he refers back to the events in Chapter 9 of Acts. 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:58,880 Couple of questions as we start. How truthful is the salvation 12 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,760 that is spoken of in the Bible? I mean, is it real? 13 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,600 And you know, if you're saved and you know, if someone's a 14 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,880 Christian, we hear words like born again. 15 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:15,080 Billy Graham was asked why do you always preach born again? 16 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,280 He says simple, because Jesus said you must be born again to 17 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:25,680 enter the Kingdom of heaven. The Bible tells us, it says 18 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:30,520 these words. Jesus died for everyone, so that 19 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:35,760 those who receive his new life will no longer live for 20 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,120 themselves. That means when you become a 21 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,760 Christian, you stop living for yourself. 22 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:48,840 The old life gone finished. The old ways, old habits, old 23 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,720 plans, old goals, old directions changed. 24 00:01:54,960 --> 00:02:00,400 Instead, they will live for Christ who died and was raised 25 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,360 for them. It goes on in that scripture to 26 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:10,000 say this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a 27 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:12,880 new person. You've changed. 28 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:19,760 The old life is gone. A new life has begun. 29 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,040 Baptism. When we have a baptism service 30 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,360 that's coming up in March, it's actually a funeral service. 31 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:32,880 It's a funeral service we take to the beach and we have the 32 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,760 people who say ask them have you received Christ as your Lord and 33 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,040 Saviour? Yes, I have received Christ as 34 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,840 my Lord and Saviour by faith. So now we take them into the 35 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,040 water and we have a funeral service and to the public, and 36 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,680 they expressing to their family, to their friends, and to the 37 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,200 Lord, I am dying to my old ways. And we lower them back as if 38 00:02:55,200 --> 00:03:00,440 lowering them into the grave. That's the end of that person. 39 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,560 And then as they are raised up out of the water, Romans chapter 40 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,760 5 and 6 says now that they walk in the newness of life, they 41 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,320 yield their members, that is their hands, their feet, their 42 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:16,000 minds, their finances, their talents to the Lord. 43 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,840 That's what baptism is. It doesn't save you. 44 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:27,960 It's a demonstration that I am now a Christian and the old me, 45 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:37,600 that you knew how I lived, how I planned, is gone, Peter says on 46 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,960 Peter 123. For you have been born again. 47 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:46,640 He quotes Jesus, but not to a life that will quickly end. 48 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,760 No, your new life. So there is new life, and 49 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,960 salvation will last forever. For God so loved the world that 50 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,280 he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him 51 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,640 should not perish that it that means be dead. 52 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,680 Dead to the ways of God, separated from God. 53 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:10,600 That's what death is. But shall receive eternal life. 54 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,880 What is eternal life? It's forever when you get it. 55 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,760 The moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, 56 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,520 you will live forever. You live forever. 57 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,480 Peter goes on to say. Your new life will last forever 58 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:33,200 because it comes from the eternal living Word of God. 59 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,280 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 60 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:43,200 So a new life. Well, we've spoken about it. 61 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,480 But is the change because you see people go to church and 62 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,240 they're just the same, you know, they're, they're no different. 63 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,560 They're still angry, grumpy, they swear they carry on, 64 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,280 they're selfish, but yeah, that yet they still go to church. 65 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:07,800 Is change possible? Can a person receive Christ and 66 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:09,240 truly change? Yes. 67 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,960 Can a man or a woman who has lived a certain way or a 68 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:24,240 lifestyle that was previously wicked, sinful, deprived, 69 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:31,000 selfish, can that life actually change and begin to live for the 70 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,760 glory of God? Well, this morning the Bible 71 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:40,040 tell us that that change is absolutely possible. 72 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,280 This morning the Bible will tell us we are never to write anyone 73 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:49,720 off who we think is unreachable for God. 74 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,720 Just no chance. My dad, my brother, my son, 75 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,400 there's no chance. My son just went, listen, 76 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:03,120 there's no chance. You can't say that the first 77 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:04,720 martyr of the church. We did. 78 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,200 Acts chapter 8, a disciple of Jesus Christ. 79 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,840 Stephen was his name, chosen man of Horus, report full of the 80 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:17,280 Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 8, he preaches his 81 00:06:17,280 --> 00:06:20,280 first recorded only recorded message and then he's killed. 82 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,040 He was arrested, brutally murdered. 83 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:29,160 It was murder because of his faith, because of his love of 84 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:33,320 Christ. Persecution following Stephen's 85 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:38,480 death is launched against the church in Jerusalem. 86 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:44,600 And the believers scatter for their lives because they're 87 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,080 threatened with death. And they take off except for the 88 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,880 disciples, Acts 8 tells us. And they scatter to the four 89 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,720 corners of the earth. And as they scatter, they take 90 00:06:55,720 --> 00:07:00,200 the gospel with them. Wherever they go, men, women, 91 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:06,240 children, entire families are being hunted down, beaten, 92 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:12,760 arrested, gaoled, many put to death simply because of their 93 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,240 faith in Jesus Christ. And the leader of this 94 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:23,000 persecution on the church in Jerusalem, the head guy oversaw 95 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,880 the death of Stephen is a man called Saul. 96 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,200 Yet in our text this morning we'll see that Christ himself 97 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:39,640 will change the hunter Saul to the haunted God would bring Saul 98 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,920 into his Kingdom and change him to Paul. 99 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,600 Paul means little or small. Saul, the religious Pharisee 100 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,360 man. He could argue religion. 101 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,720 He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, member of the 102 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,360 Sanhedrin. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews 103 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,080 of the tribe of Benjamin. He was the overseer of the 104 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,400 church's persecution. He's in charge and that from his 105 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:10,120 high and lofty religious platform, God would bring this 106 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,720 man to the position of what? And what would he make Paul 107 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:21,720 Bondslave the lowest slave in the rank of a family? 108 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,600 He would bring him from this to this, a Bondslave. 109 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:33,039 But a Bondslave was someone who loved to serve the family in 110 00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:36,960 which they were slaves. They would at a time in their 111 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:42,039 lives have an all, a wooden pig driven through their ear at the 112 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:45,720 door of the house, and they would remain in the family even 113 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,360 though they could go free. They said no, we want to stay 114 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,280 slaves to this family. That's what a bond slave was. 115 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,880 Paul's story of his conversion is found three times in 116 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,960 Scripture in great detail. It's first mentioned by Doctor 117 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:06,080 Luke, then testified by Paul on two more occasions. 118 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:12,680 Acts 22, Acts 26. The narration or the coverage of 119 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:17,800 Paul's conversion occupies more space in the Holy Scriptures 120 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,360 than the story of any other event in the New Testament 121 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,760 except that of the crucifixion of Christ. 122 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:33,560 This one then Saul still breathing threats and murder. 123 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,360 Notice this isn't oh you guys lock them up and then let them 124 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,600 go beat them up. No murder. 125 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,200 Still breathing threats and murder, putting to death 126 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:50,280 believers against the disciples of the Lord went to the high 127 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:54,800 priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues in 128 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,840 Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the way, the 129 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,120 Christians weren't called Christians then, they were 130 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,240 called those of the way. Because Jesus said I am the way, 131 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,720 the truth and the life. They were followers of Christ. 132 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:13,480 They were called members of the way where the men or women that 133 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:19,000 he might bring them chained from Damascus, a six day journey back 134 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,720 all the way to Jerusalem, have them put in gaol and have them 135 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:30,320 executed if possible. Saul heard. 136 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:36,240 There are believers in Damascus, Syria. 137 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,600 I'll go, but I need a bit of clout, so I've got to get the 138 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,760 letters so I can go to the synagogue's up there. 139 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,720 I need some finances. I need some men to go with me. 140 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:52,040 And so he gets all that, the high priest give it to him, and 141 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:56,680 off he goes. Saul actually thought with all 142 00:10:56,680 --> 00:11:03,600 his zeal, he was serving God. You know, part of the Nazi Party 143 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,480 prayer and devotion was to serve God. 144 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,800 Let's swear to God to carry out the Fuhrer's plans. 145 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,800 Saul actually thought he was serving God by persecuting the 146 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,320 church. If a reporter from the Jerusalem 147 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,680 Times and had got to Saul said, Saul, can we interview you just 148 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,160 before you head off Damascus? Now you're going on this great 149 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,680 mission. Why are you doing all this? 150 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,480 Saul would have replied. Well, listen, this Jesus of 151 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:44,680 Nazareth, who was crucified dead, he's dead. 152 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,480 Don't expect me to believe that a crucified Carpenter from 153 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:53,440 Nazareth is the promised Messiah. 154 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:58,920 I know who the Messiah is. I know the Bible, or even our 155 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:07,320 law tells us in Deuteronomy 2123 does it not that anybody who was 156 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,200 hung on a tree is cursed? Bible does. 157 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:17,360 Thing is, why was Jesus cursed? He took on our curse, the curse 158 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,040 of death, so that we would be free from the curse. 159 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:24,840 Saul didn't know that at the time. 160 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:29,280 Do you think God would take a cursed false prophet, make him 161 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:34,520 the Messiah? This sect, the way is a 162 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:38,680 dangerous sect, and I'll wipe it off the face of the earth before 163 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:41,560 they destroy our historic Jewish faith. 164 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,640 Saul was blind, absolutely blind. 165 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,680 He knew the word of God. To be a Pharisee, you had to be 166 00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:54,800 able to recite the Pentateuch first five books of the Bible, 167 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,720 off by heart, off by heart, to know every word. 168 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,560 Saul was blind, he would later write, Speaking of the nation of 169 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:09,240 Israel as they are today, 2 Corinthians 314. 170 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:16,520 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same vial 171 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:21,160 remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, which is 172 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,560 all that the Jews look to because the vial is taken away 173 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:28,280 in Christ. When was the vial taken away? 174 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:33,840 When he was crucified, remember the vial was torn, the way into 175 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,680 the holy of holies was made open for all to come. 176 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,240 How? Through Jesus blood, the 177 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:45,040 sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Paul went on to say 2 178 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:48,960 Corinthians 316. Nevertheless, when one turns to 179 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,080 the Lord, the vial is taken away. 180 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,680 Jews who become believers. Go. 181 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:02,640 Now I see two on the road to Emmaus. 182 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,760 Well, you know, Jesus is dead. He we thought he was going to be 183 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,800 the one. Along comes a third person. 184 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,560 They don't know who it is. It's Jesus, but they can't 185 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:13,480 recognise him. Why are you so sad? 186 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,120 Oh, well, you know, we had this Jesus. 187 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,200 He was the rabbi and he did great things. 188 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:18,760 But now he's dead and he's buried. 189 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:28,200 And Jesus said all fools, and he gave them a Bible study of all 190 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,920 the things in the Bible in the Old Testament that mentioned the 191 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,880 suffering and persecution and death of the Messiah. 192 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:44,120 And their hearts burnt, their eyes were opened when he broke 193 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,120 bed bread before them, and he disappeared. 194 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:55,200 Saul at the time this time Acts Chapter 9 could not see Christ 195 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,760 in the Old Testament scriptures. Yet he knew the the Bible so 196 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:03,080 well. Saul stumbled at the cross of 197 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,040 Calvary. Daniel speaks about that the 198 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:12,600 stone doesn't he the stumbling stone. 1 Corinthians 123 but we 199 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:17,080 preach Christ crucified, Paul would later say to the Jew, and 200 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,720 he knows a stumbling block. I stumbled on it myself. 201 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000 To the Greeks foolishness. Now that text has a whole new 202 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,480 meaning because Paul's referring it was me. 203 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:36,680 I stumbled on it juice first. Saul at this time was dependent 204 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:41,080 upon his own religious goodness. He goes into great detail in the 205 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:47,840 book of Romans about that Chapter 7, specifically his own 206 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,400 driven righteousness, Pharisee of the Pharisee Hebrew of the 207 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,120 Hebrews, born in the tribe of Benjamin. 208 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,240 But his righteousness was not the righteousness of God. 209 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,120 What does righteousness means? It means you're right standing 210 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:09,120 before God. It means you are right before 211 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,400 God. You're not separated from God by 212 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,200 your sins. Verse one tells us that Saul's 213 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:21,960 behaviour against the followers of Christ was that like that in 214 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:27,320 the Greek language of a wild animal tearing up its prey 215 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:29,880 filled with rage. Yesterday I was watching some 216 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:34,320 National Geographic lions and hyenas and how they fight one 217 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,400 another and how the lions would just RIP shreds out of the 218 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,400 hyenas. This is the same language. 219 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,600 Saul was like a wild animal when he got all the Christians. 220 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:51,480 You just put him in gaol, beat them, whip them kids all. 221 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,200 Even his breath was fuelled with violent rage. 222 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,600 Every breath it says. Then Saul still breathing 223 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:07,560 threats and murders his whole being. 224 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,079 So Saul wasted the churches in Judea. 225 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:16,920 Now he's off to Damascus. He's on the hunt, the hunt down 226 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:21,160 more followers of Christ, the way to do this he needed the 227 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,640 clout, the paperwork from the religious Jewish council in 228 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,760 Jerusalem to achieve this. They backed him with letters, 229 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:34,840 with men and all the resources he needed for the journey, 6 230 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,600 days to seven days from Jerusalem to Damascus by foot. 231 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:45,440 But something happened, got intervened in his life. 232 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,480 It says verse 3, as he journeyed, he came near 233 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,360 Damascus, nearly there, just a couple of hours out. 234 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,880 Suddenly a light shone around him. 235 00:17:56,120 --> 00:18:01,920 Notice it says from heaven. The beam came shooting down from 236 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,440 heaven. This powerful light. 237 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,800 Heaven was the source. Then he fell to the ground and 238 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,520 he heard a voice saying to him, saw, saw. 239 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:17,040 Every time Jesus repeats your name, something important is 240 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:22,680 coming up. Why are you persecuting me? 241 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,080 Something happened that would radically change this man's life 242 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:30,360 forever. Literally. 243 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,440 I've been travelling for about 6 days thus far to this point. 244 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:41,880 It was noon, hot. Saul was not taking a break in 245 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,520 this period of the journey. Most travellers did. 246 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,320 But he said no, I want to get to Damascus. 247 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,480 I got I got people to get hold of. 248 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,880 And he was raging to get to Damascus as soon as he could. 249 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,680 Damascus was just a few hours away. 250 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,880 Coming into the view of the travelling party, suddenly Saul 251 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:12,120 is literally fouled by a beam of dazzling light, far brighter and 252 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:16,160 superior than even the brightness of the noon sun in 253 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,640 Syria. The Greek language tells us 254 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,720 specifically that the beam, the shaft, came from heaven. 255 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:31,520 And a voice pierces this dazzling light as Saul finds 256 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:36,240 himself stuck on the ground, stunned. 257 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:43,400 And it's a voice that the Bible says only Saul can understand 258 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,640 and comprehend those around him. The following men, they hear a 259 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,760 voice. They can't understand, hear or 260 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,360 understand any words that are being said. 261 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:56,400 In Acts 26, verse 14, Paul referring back to this time, he 262 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,640 says, when are all. So the whole crew of this 263 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,800 travelling party, when all had fallen to the ground, I heard a 264 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:08,200 voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, 265 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,680 Saul, why are you persecuting me? 266 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,800 And it's hard for you to kick against the goads. 267 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:20,920 The light, what was it? It was none other than the 268 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,280 actual brightness of the face of the Lord. 269 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,560 Jesus Christ, the glorified Saviour. 270 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:33,000 You remember back in the book of Matthew and also Mark it says in 271 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,680 Matthew 17 verse 2, Jesus is on the mount and he was 272 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:43,400 transfigured before James, Peter and John and his face it says 273 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:49,400 shine like the sun dazzled. His clothes became white as 274 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,760 light. Saul responds to the voice and 275 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:59,920 he said, Who are you, Lord? Then the Lord said, Oh man, 276 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:06,600 imagine these words. I am Jesus whom you are 277 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,760 persecuting. It's hard for you to kick 278 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:18,200 against the goats, Saul, Jesus is saying to him, when the 279 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:23,280 stones you approved of, you supervised, you watched over, 280 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,880 held the clothes of those who were throwing them. 281 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:30,120 When the stones fell against Stephen's body, they fell upon 282 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:38,560 me, me. So then remembered the face of 283 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,440 Stephen. Remember, it was the face as of 284 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:48,400 an Angel, how he had watched the rocks slam into Stephen's body, 285 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:54,760 smack into him, and yet Stephen did not resist or cover up. 286 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:01,880 Stephen's words rang in Saul's ears constantly from that moment 287 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:08,000 and again that day, and Stephen's prayer at the end, as 288 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,760 he breathed his laugh before he died, he cried out for 289 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,480 forgiveness to those who sailed him with stones. 290 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:25,240 Lay not their sins against them. So many goads saw all these, I 291 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,400 mean prodding you, you, you saw Stephen, you, you watched you, 292 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,920 you felt what was going on. You knew it was wrong. 293 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:40,280 Notice Jesus did not say, why are you persecuting the church 294 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:46,560 didn't say that. No, he said, why are you 295 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,720 persecuting me? Why? 296 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,400 Why does Jesus say that? And I want you to get an 297 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,480 understanding of what this gathering is. 298 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,360 This is a holy gathering. We use the term the body of 299 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:04,000 Christ. That's because we are, as we 300 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,200 gather here, we are the body of Christ. 301 00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:08,680 Christ is here. People say, well, you know who 302 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,000 was at church today? I like to tell someone every 303 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:12,560 time. You know who's at church today? 304 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,680 Jesus. He was there in the morning, 305 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,480 he's there in the evening, and he'll be here Wednesday night. 306 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,200 He actually is because this is his body. 307 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:27,240 The church is Christ's own body, of which he is the living head. 308 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:34,480 The church is today the visible representation of Jesus Christ 309 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:38,160 in this fallen world. The the fallen world outside 310 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,080 should be able to look at us, the church, and go. 311 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:45,960 That's what Jesus is like. The way they act, the way they 312 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,880 live, the way they carry on their life, their living, that's 313 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,800 a representation of Jesus. The problem is what church is 314 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:01,040 reflecting to the world. Not too good, is it? 315 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,600 Saul's angry objection to Christianity was not that Jesus 316 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:16,320 had been crucified, but for Christ's followers to say that 317 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:23,760 the crucified, dead Jesus was the Messiah, the long expected 318 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,840 king. It was this claim that rattled 319 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,600 Saul's religious cage. Can't say that he's dead. 320 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,880 There was only one thing that would convince Saul. 321 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:46,960 Saul himself must see this dead Jesus of Nazareth, whom he knew 322 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:53,120 had been beaten, crucified, dead, then then buried. 323 00:24:54,560 --> 00:25:01,400 He must seem alive. Saul here Note 2 on the the road 324 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,240 to Damascus. This is not a vision. 325 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:14,920 This is not a dream. Saul was too sane to base the 326 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,960 change of his life upon something like that. 327 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:25,080 Saul always referred to this moment in Acts Chapter 9 as 328 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:30,160 Jesus personally appearing and speaking to him. 329 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:38,680 Saul responds to Jesus voice. So he trembling and astonished 330 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:43,320 said, Lord, what do you want me to do? 331 00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:52,840 And here's the deal. Saul is confronted with a living 332 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,200 Jesus. You see, that's the gospel. 333 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,080 I remember working with a guy. He was a grumpy old fellow, 334 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,840 always angry. Everyone knew he was just angry 335 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:05,880 all the time. Quick tempered. 336 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:07,560 Oh, always flying off the handle. 337 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,960 Anyway, talk to him about the things of the Lord. 338 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:16,160 He says, oh, look, I won't believe that there's life after 339 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,680 death, that there was a God until someone dies and comes 340 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:30,040 back from the dead. And I said someone did you see 341 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,520 so often, you know, you and I even at times you go, Oh God, if 342 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,200 God's real, what's then why is he doing? 343 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,600 Hang on a minute. An evil and adulterous 344 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:43,160 generation seeks after a sign. Jesus said I'll give you 1 like 345 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,600 that of the prophet Jonah. I'll be dead for three days, 346 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,720 three days after three days, I'll be alive. 347 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:56,400 The cross, the resurrection that Jesus Christ is alive is that 348 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:01,280 that is the foundation of all you and I need to have. 349 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,360 It breaks everything because death is our greatest enemy, 350 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:10,320 isn't it? What tears apart a family? 351 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,280 What tears apart someone more than anything else? 352 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,640 Death. It ravages us. 353 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,920 I've done funeral after funeral and I've seen the ravages of 354 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:24,160 death. I've seen the ravages of sin as 355 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,800 I'm there. And I see grandkids crying and 356 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,960 and, and others just weeping and oh, because they're not saved 357 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:38,240 and death is just just ripping through and, and, and Genesis 358 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:43,560 become so real, so tangible at a funeral because the wages of sin 359 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,840 is death. But Jesus came to conquer our 360 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,960 greatest enemy, that which held us all the fear of death. 361 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,480 We sang about it this morning. Wonderful songs. 362 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:01,280 Christ broke the chains of death. 363 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,520 After three days, nothing could hold him because he was 364 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,360 innocent. He took our sins, He buried 365 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:11,280 them, He paid for them. Then he arose from the dead on 366 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,080 the third day, and he's alive forevermore. 367 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:24,280 He's alive forevermore. Jesus is alive. 368 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:28,200 What's the gospel? The gospel is a person. 369 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,280 The gospel. The good news is that Jesus 370 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,480 Christ rose from the dead. That's the gospel. 371 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,880 He is the Messiah, the Son of God. 372 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,640 The gospel message has skin on it. 373 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:53,400 It's real. 1 John 1 The disciples go. 374 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,640 We touched him, we heard him, we felt him. 375 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:04,200 The gospel is a person and Jesus is his name. 376 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:12,120 Saul now had to repent. He's confronted, he's living his 377 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,600 life. This religious man fervent, He's 378 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:21,280 given all, and he's wrong. Not only is he wrong, he's 379 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:27,200 against God. Wow, he's devastated. 380 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,240 It's a difficult thing for a religious self righteous 381 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,960 Pharisee of the Pharisees to do to repent. 382 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:43,680 Saul discovered on the road to Damascus and this is the only 383 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:48,360 path to salvation. That he was a lost Sinner 384 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:57,040 indeed, and that all that he had done previously was trash. 385 00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:58,880 Wow. Think of that. 386 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:06,560 All that he'd given his life and he was now in danger of the 387 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:12,960 judgement of God. For Jesus said to Saul, I am 388 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,680 Jesus whom you are persecuting. Wow. 389 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:23,120 Saul thought he'd been serving God, but in reality he'd been 390 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:28,720 persecuting him. When we, you and I look to our 391 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:35,360 own self righteousness, we too are guilty of the same sin as 392 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,640 Saul has that that of persecuting Christ. 393 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:46,320 Because when we say, well I know the Bible says, but I'll go to 394 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,160 God my way. This is what I believe. 395 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:53,680 This is what I'm comfortable with when we are saying his 396 00:30:53,680 --> 00:31:00,080 coming, his death, his resurrection are not needed in 397 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:07,720 my life, that they have no value for me or to me. 398 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:13,160 They have no effect on me. Doesn't matter, I'll do God my 399 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:17,280 way. That's self righteousness, but 400 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:24,000 it's also persecuting Jesus. You see our self righteousness, 401 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:32,160 our self righteous lives, our own religious rules in reality 402 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:36,120 compared to God's perfect righteousness, the Bible 403 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:47,440 declares like filthy rags. Isaiah 64, six, But we are all 404 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:54,440 like an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are like 405 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,280 filthy rags. You should look that up and see 406 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,040 specifically what he's talking about. 407 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:06,160 Now. All of Saul's values changed, so 408 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,160 should mine when I become a believer. 409 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,880 Now he was a new person. Why? 410 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,120 Because he trusted in the risen Jesus Christ. 411 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,160 Saul was saved by God on the road to Damascus. 412 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,280 Why was he saved? Good on your soul, good chap. 413 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,160 Now off you go. Can't live your life. 414 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,240 Hold it. And I'm going to say it over and 415 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:35,640 over until Jesus comes. You are saved to serve. 416 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:39,560 You don't get saved. And well, I got my ticket to 417 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,760 heaven. Now I go off and please myself. 418 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,600 Live how we want to. You know, we're a young married 419 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,320 couple or a family. We're doing our own thing or 420 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,120 we're in our retirement now. Just do what I please. 421 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,040 Sorry. It don't work that way. 422 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:59,040 That's not how I read the Bible. You are saved to serve. 423 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:00,640 You will. I don't know if I want that. 424 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:02,320 OK. You don't have to have that. 425 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:09,520 That's your choice, but in the Bible it says we are saved to 426 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:19,800 serve in Acts 2616 because God had a special work for Saul Paul 427 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:25,720 to do Acts 2616. Paul referring back to this time 428 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,240 adds this, but rise and stand on your feet. 429 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:32,600 Jesus speaking to him, for I have appeared to you. 430 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:38,720 Notice it's not a vision. This is Jesus himself for this 431 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:39,840 purpose. Why? 432 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,480 To make you a minister. What's a minister? 433 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:48,160 A servant and a witness. Both of the things which you 434 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:52,720 have seen, and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 435 00:33:53,560 --> 00:34:00,280 I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from 436 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:04,440 the Gentiles to whom I now send you. 437 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:11,000 There's the job to open their eyes in order to turn them from 438 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:16,480 darkness to light and from the power of Satan. 439 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:22,800 That's the third thing to God, that they may receive 440 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:28,120 forgiveness, 4th thing of sins and inheritance. 441 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,840 Fifth thing among those who are sanctified. 442 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,400 How did it always happen? By faith in me. 443 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:42,159 The Hebrew of the Hebrews would now become the apostle to the 444 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:46,560 Gentiles. God has done this in our days. 445 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:51,639 How's that? God has taken selfish Australian 446 00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:55,760 men, consumed with nothing but their own lives. 447 00:34:55,760 --> 00:35:00,560 And men, Australian men are like that, their own importance, 448 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:07,880 living for pleasure, getting the next toy and change them to 449 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:13,800 devoted men of God now with a loving passion and are now to be 450 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:18,960 found teaching Sunday school children how to know to love 451 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,440 Jesus Christ through the word of God. 452 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:31,160 This legalistic Prince of religious prowess unashamedly 453 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:35,720 would become the great proclaimer of the Amazing Grace 454 00:35:35,720 --> 00:35:41,320 of God. Romans chapter 123-4567 talks 455 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,080 about our sin and how we fail, how we struggle. 456 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:45,920 There's none righteous, no, not one. 457 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:47,760 We've all fallen short of the glory of God. 458 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:50,040 We want to do the right thing, but we go ahead and do the wrong 459 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,800 thing or what's going to happen to us. 460 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,440 Romans chapter right. There is therefore now no 461 00:35:56,440 --> 00:36:01,760 condemnation to those who are what in Christ Jesus who work no 462 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:05,320 work no longer after the flesh, but after the spirit as a 463 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:08,720 dramatic change. What I what what God wants to 464 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:14,160 see and what we need to see what we see in Saul is that when you 465 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,600 become a believer, you actually change. 466 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,440 You're not the same, Jack, same Jill, as you always have been. 467 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:29,120 You look the same, and your family, your marriage, the way 468 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,920 you raise your kids, what you do with your time, what you do with 469 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:38,120 your finances, all that changes if you're a follower of Jesus 470 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:48,320 Christ according to the Bible. You see, up until now Saul had 471 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:52,760 been living a life of that, of a wild, angry animal fighting 472 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,280 against the promptings of God, the gods. 473 00:36:55,520 --> 00:37:00,760 But then he would go on to say, I am not ashamed of the gospel 474 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:01,760 of Christ. Why? 475 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:05,400 Now this verse has greater meaning now that we know Acts 476 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:10,360 Chapter 9, doesn't it? For it is the power of God to 477 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:14,240 salvation for everyone who believes. 478 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,640 And now these words become even more important. 479 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,360 For he says for the Jew first, that's me, the Jew first, that 480 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:33,930 was me and the Gentiles. Saul's been kicking against the 481 00:37:33,930 --> 00:37:36,890 goads all his life. What's a goad? 482 00:37:37,370 --> 00:37:41,090 A goad is a rod. It's about 1.8 metres long. 483 00:37:41,690 --> 00:37:45,410 It either had a sharpened point they made on the end or they 484 00:37:45,570 --> 00:37:49,330 sometimes they get a a bit of metal put on the end to cover 485 00:37:49,330 --> 00:37:51,410 the end. And it was the jabbing and 486 00:37:51,410 --> 00:37:55,600 directing as as they get the dirt off the plough, and also to 487 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,560 give the prod to the oxen, to the sheep every now and then. 488 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:06,620 Hey, this way Saul knew all about the goats. 489 00:38:08,540 --> 00:38:13,620 But now grace, peace, forgiveness and humility fell 490 00:38:13,620 --> 00:38:18,700 upon this angry religious man. And God would use him as a 491 00:38:18,700 --> 00:38:20,980 vessel of honour to preach the gospel. 492 00:38:22,980 --> 00:38:27,360 What's the gospel? That Jesus is alive, that Jesus 493 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,440 is the Messiah, He's the Saviour. 494 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:31,480 I want to ask you a question today. 495 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:37,960 As you sit here, are you still fighting, resisting God? 496 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,720 Are you still pushing against the gods? 497 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:45,080 Each time God prods you, you know there's something and God 498 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:46,560 prods you. That's what I want you to do. 499 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,880 And you ask and you push it away. 500 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:56,920 Stuff that God wants you to do. He wants you to get to know him, 501 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,920 read your word, pray, gather with the church, serve in the 502 00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:02,160 church. And you, you push the pride, the 503 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:04,840 goat comes and you, ah, no, I'll just do my own thing. 504 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:13,120 You day after day, God still prods you still some 30 years 505 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:17,320 later, Paul would write that Christ had apprehended him. 506 00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:23,160 You know in the police we call that apprehension rested. 507 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,560 The Christ had apprehended him on the Damascus Rd Philippians 508 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:32,200 chapter 3 verse 12. Not that I have already obtained 509 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:36,360 all this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to 510 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:40,800 take hold of that which Christ took hold of me is why He 511 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,920 grabbed me. That is salvation. 512 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,800 Saul had set out to arrest others, and the Lord arrested 513 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:54,000 him. Saul had to lose his religion 514 00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:57,960 before he could gain the righteousness of Christ. 515 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,240 And you're religious. You of course not go to Calvary 516 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:02,240 Chapel. You can be religious and go to 517 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:07,320 Calvary Chapel. In some of Paul's last words 518 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:11,160 before his execution in Rome, Paul would write one Timothy 519 00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:14,760 1:15. This is a faithful saying and 520 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:18,400 worthy of all acceptance that Christ. 521 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,360 Jesus came into the world. Why? 522 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,240 To save sinners. That's his mission. 523 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:30,720 Of whom I am the worst, I'm the chief. 524 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:34,840 Of whom I'm the chief, I'm the worst. 525 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:42,760 Paul is saying if he can save me, there's no one beyond 526 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:57,320 salvation. Saul was then LED into the city, 527 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:06,040 couldn't see the angry bull at beginning of this journey, now 528 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:09,520 becomes a docile lamb needing to be LED. 529 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:16,400 His spiritual eyes have been opened, but for three days. 530 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:20,040 His physical eyes will be closed for that period. 531 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:28,280 For three days now, Saul would not eat, drink, but instead 532 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:32,320 fully consumed that now he had met with God face to face. 533 00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:38,600 You can imagine his mind, him going over the things, those 534 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:40,800 three days. It's interesting. 535 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:47,960 It's three days, isn't it? Jesus of Nazareth, the one who 536 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,240 had suffered, who had been crucified. 537 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:54,600 But now he's alive, he's real. I've seen him three days. 538 00:41:54,600 --> 00:42:02,320 Paul's old life now dead 3 days, but someday was coming. 539 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:10,960 New life there alone blind Saul would take account of what 540 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:16,000 previously he had considered important, and that he was proud 541 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,960 of. That's why we understand these 542 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,240 scriptures so much the more now. Philippians 3. 543 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:23,560 But what things were gained to me? 544 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:27,280 These I've counted lost for Christ. 545 00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:31,160 Yet indeed I also count all things for loss, for the 546 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:35,520 excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I 547 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:39,160 suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish. 548 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:45,000 My old life, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not 549 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:50,840 having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that 550 00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:54,280 which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which 551 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:58,480 is from God. By faith that I may know Him, 552 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:03,720 the power of His resurrection. I've seen Him, the fellowship of 553 00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:06,720 His sufferings being conformed to His death. 554 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:12,360 You know, I've been in ICU rooms and everyone in every major 555 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:16,560 hospital, the waiting rooms, and I've been to every major 556 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:20,720 Hospice, you know, in each of those rooms, you know what 557 00:43:20,720 --> 00:43:26,760 people do, they think back. They're on the road to Damascus. 558 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:37,120 They're in those three days. They think back and they go, I 559 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:41,600 want to warn you, don't live a life where it's got to take you 560 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:45,720 to be in ICU for you to be in the last hours of your life to 561 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:50,560 look back and go what a waste, how I've ruined my life, how I 562 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:55,160 live for myself, how I selfish. I just drove my own gains and 563 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:58,960 everything else and Christ saved me and I've nothing. 564 00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:06,760 I achieved nothing to you this morning who still have yet to 565 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:10,640 surrender to Christ. Know this, there is no more 566 00:44:10,720 --> 00:44:17,000 persistent person than God when he decides to save someone. 567 00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:23,000 Saul did not notice this. He didn't say I'm going to 568 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,600 become a Christian. It was the last. 569 00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:31,320 He was nowhere near him. Jesus Christ apprehended him, 570 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:34,400 and you know he's done the same to you. 571 00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:40,960 Saul didn't decide for Christ. He was instead persecuting 572 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:43,680 Christ. It was Christ who decided for 573 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:46,520 him. Christ intervened in Saul's life 574 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,200 to bring him salvation. If you're a believer here today, 575 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:52,160 let me tell you this. It wasn't your doing. 576 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,200 God save you. And why has He saved you? 577 00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:57,720 Not so you can sit here and go, well, I'm going to heaven when I 578 00:44:57,720 --> 00:44:59,280 die. He save you. 579 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:02,160 What? To serve Him you have a 580 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:06,600 ministry. Some of you haven't even opened 581 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:10,400 the envelope, you haven't pulled open the drawer, you haven't 582 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:15,440 walked into the room with all that he has before you in 583 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:20,200 Galatians chapter one verse 15. But when it please God, Saul 584 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:25,080 refers back to this time who separated me from my father on 585 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:29,560 my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his 586 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:33,520 son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles. 587 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:38,080 You see, See the connection, the 2GO hand in hand to reveal his 588 00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:39,200 son in me. Why? 589 00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:41,840 That I might preach him among the Gentiles. 590 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:47,440 Christ is at work and therefore we are to never write someone 591 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:49,960 off as beyond the reach of God. Don't do that. 592 00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:55,840 Jesus Christ died on the cross at a location called Calvary. 593 00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:59,480 But three days later, he rose from the dead. 594 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,200 He was seen for 40 days before he ascended into heaven. 595 00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:06,720 That's fact. Then at the right hand of the 596 00:46:06,720 --> 00:46:09,800 Father, he sat. But there, right now, where he 597 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:15,840 is, he intercedes, He works. He puts his plan into action to 598 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:17,640 bring lost souls into his Kingdom. 599 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:23,400 You're part of that, that same Jesus who spoke to Saul on the 600 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:27,360 road to Damascus. He speaks to you this morning 601 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:32,960 and asked the same question. Why do you persecute him? 602 00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:40,440 Why do you continue to kick against the proddings, His 603 00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:45,400 goods, the things that God has been urging you and speaking to 604 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:51,200 you, turning you, reminding you, telling you, over and over and 605 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:53,720 over, and you keep pushing them aside? 606 00:46:55,040 --> 00:47:00,040 If Christ has spoken to your heart today, will you surrender? 607 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:07,560 Finally, it pleases God to call you to come to Him. 608 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:15,240 He, He, His desire is for you to reveal His Son, Jesus Christ to 609 00:47:15,240 --> 00:47:18,480 your life and change you forever. 610 00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:23,560 Why? Because He has a task for you, a 611 00:47:23,560 --> 00:47:28,120 mission. Today, give your life to Him. 612 00:47:29,720 --> 00:47:34,680 Begin to live the life God created for you. 613 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:45,240 Change from Saul to Paul. Saul, well, the world would say, 614 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:50,320 graduate of the University of Tarsus, The world would say he 615 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:52,880 was a student at the school of Galileo, one of the greatest 616 00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:58,600 rabbi teachers ever. Oh man, this guy is gifted so 617 00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:02,200 well, man, he's trained in the details of the Jewish religion 618 00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:05,800 like nobody else. Man, he can quote, knows the 619 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:15,880 Bible, but he did not know the Lord Jesus Christ today. 620 00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:19,200 This morning is the Damascus Road. 621 00:48:19,200 --> 00:48:22,680 For some of you, today is salvation day. 622 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:27,920 Let's pray. If God has spoken to your heart 623 00:48:27,920 --> 00:48:31,600 today, you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. 624 00:48:31,600 --> 00:48:33,760 No, I'm looking around, eyes closed. 625 00:48:38,720 --> 00:48:47,320 If God has spoken to you today, not for my knowing or knowledge, 626 00:48:49,080 --> 00:48:52,600 but for acknowledgement to God, If God has spoken to your heart 627 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:57,760 today and I won't even look up myself, raise your hand, lift it 628 00:48:57,760 --> 00:49:01,960 up in the air and just say, Lord, I hear you, Lord, I hear 629 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:04,080 you. Just raise that hand and drop it 630 00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:10,760 down and the next thing now as the as we close the services 631 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:14,000 this respond to your acknowledgement. 632 00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:17,440 Lord, what would you have me to do? 633 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:22,280 Lord, what would you have me to do? 634 00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:30,360 If you don't know Christ, then you're dead in your religion. 635 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:35,400 Judgement of God sits upon you today. 636 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:40,400 You can have the same faith and freedom salvation that Saul 637 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:45,200 received on the road to Damascus by praying this prayer right 638 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:47,640 where you are now. Repeat these words after me. 639 00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:53,200 Heavenly Father, I know I'm a Sinner. 640 00:49:55,320 --> 00:50:00,200 Forgive me of myself, Righteousness, my sins, please 641 00:50:00,760 --> 00:50:05,840 forgive me. I by faith now ask you to be my 642 00:50:05,840 --> 00:50:12,680 Lord and Saviour. Save me today Lord Heavenly 643 00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:18,200 Father changed my life. Today I pray this in Jesus name 644 00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:20,600 and I believe it with all my heart. 645 00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:22,800 Amen and Amen.