Life's Two Most Important Questions

Message Title: "Life's Two Most Important Questions"

Message Text: Acts 9:1-9

Introduction: Questions. Questions. Questions. I have six grandchildren and two of them are twin seven year olds. They have asked every question known to man and have invented some above and beyond.

I'm reminded of the lion who woke up one morning and decided it was time to stroll through the jungle and check on his kingdom. He came first to a giraffe chewing on some leaves up in a tree. "Hey, long neck," he asked, "Who's the king of the jungle?" "Why you are on great lion, you are." he replied. "Good answer" the lion growled. Next, he came to a gorilla and asked him, "Hey, big boy. Who's the king of the jungle?" The gorilla replied, "Why you are oh great lion, you are." "Good answer," the lion growled. As he walks on down the path he spotted an elephant spraying himself with water as he stood with his front two feet in the river. "Hey, fat boy." the lion yelled, "Who's the king of the jungle?" The elephant, finishing his spray, looked over at the lion and grabbed him around the neck with his trunk. He beat him on the ground a few times, turned and held him under the water for about thirty seconds, and finally after twirling him around his head a few times, let him fly. The lion landed up against a tree. As he was slideing down the tree trunk he shook his head, looked up at the elephant and said, "Man, you ain't got to get mad just cause you don't know the answer."

Well, friends, I don’t have all the answers. In fact, I've reached that age where I don't even understand the questions. But I believe with all of my heart that the apostle Paul asked life's two most important questions when he met Jesus Christ walking down the road to Damascus.

I. Question One: Who Are You, Lord?

The Lord answered, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It's hard for thee thee to kick against the pricks."

But just who is Jesus? The Bible ascribes to Jesus two titles: Savior and Lord

1. Savior. As the virgin born, Son of God, Jesus Christ - and He alone - has the power to save us from our sin. If we had needed reforming God would have sent us a psychiatrist. If we had needed performance evaluations God would have sent us a CEO. But, because our greatest need was deliverance from a lifestyle of sin, God sent us His very own - one and only - precious, darling, Son to be exactly what we needed - a Savior.

2. Lord. Jesus' second title is Lord which equals "Boss." I got my mind right on this concept early on in life. After I graduated high school I joined the United States Air Force. I was 18 years old and had never been away from home. When I landed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, I was greeted with this statement from my new "Boss", Sgt. Stravinsky, "All right you bunch of maggots, line up against that wall." Maggots? Maggots? I had never been called a maggot before, by anyone. I soon learned my new boss was in charge. Complete charge. I would be told when to go to bed. When to get up. What to do with every waking moment of every day.

A month or so later I understood the “why” of his method. I saw the Sgt. off base one day at a hamburger joint. He came over to my table and asked if he could sit down. “Sure, I said,” not really meaning it. As he sat down He asked, “You don’t like me do you, Wilson?” I didn’t respond the way I felt, but I did say, “Well, Sgt. I just think you’re a little too tough on us.”

His response surprised me. He proceeded to tell me exactly what his job was: to tear us down and build us back up again in “the military way.” He was making sure, to the best of his ability, that we would all come back from Viet Nam alive. The one statement that stayed with me through life is this: “Wilson, you must learn to take orders and obey them instantly if intend to survive this war.” Although I never had to go to Viet Nam, those words God would use years later to help me understand His Lordship.

I met the Lord when I was 27 years old. He no sooner saved when He reminded me of Sgt. words. “Randy, you must learn to obey me if you expect to make it through this old sinful world. Trust Me, I’ve been this way before.” Yes, Jesus Christ is indeed my Boss—and a good one I might add.