Becoming Blind To See Series

Sincerity of intent does not guarantee truth, but it does make one trench in.

Islamic terrorists believe they are serving God. Unlike Paul, they target random people. But the motive -- religious zeal -- is the same.

Not only does Jesus reveal Himself to Saul as Messiah and Lord, but He also informs him that Saul will take the message of Jesus to the gentiles, according to Acts 26:14-18

And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

D. He IMMEDIATELY submits himself to his new Lord (6)

E. Bystanders KNEW something had happened (7)

They heard the voice, but could not understand it. According to Acts 26, the voice of Jesus spoke to Paul in Hebrew.

F. Saul was made BLIND so that he could see (8-9)

He was so traumatized, so shocked, had so much to process that he didn’t even eat or drink. This blinding is probably part of Jesus’ plan to humble Paul -- and to give him time to process what had happened.

Our Sovereign Lord is able to abduct, smite, and transform.

II. God Is Still in the Abducting and TRANSFORMING Business

A. Persecution is much worse now than it was THEN

B. God still saves people by His Sovereign ZAP

• What do we mean by "Sovereign Grace"

• "We believe that God is sovereign over all things, including the salvation of individual sinners, and that all things, including salvation, have as their ultimate goal the glory of God." [www.sovereigngraceministries.org]

In 1990, there were only three known Christians in Kazakhstan and no Christians in Uzbekistan, but now more than 15,000 in Kazakhstan and 30, 000 in Uzbekistan. There were only 500 Christians in Iran on 1979, but more than one million Iranians believing Jesus Christ today, most of whom meet in underground house churches.

In Sudan, more than one million have converted since 2000, and some 5 million have become Christians since the early 1990s, despite a radical Islamic regime and an on-going genocide that has killed more than 200,000. Seminaries are being held in caves to train pastors to shepherd the huge numbers of people coming to Christ. Why such a dramatic spiritual awakening? "People have seen real Islam, and they want Jesus instead," one Sudanese evangelical leader said.

One of the most dramatic developments is that many Muslims -- including Shiites in Iran and Iraq -- are seeing dreams and visions of Jesus and thus coming into churches explaining that they have already converted and now need a Bible and guidance on how to follow Jesus. [source: www.islam-watch.org]