“Getting Into Shape: When You Lose Control”
Acts 9:1-19; 1 Cor. 2:1-5 & 9:15-18; 2 Cor. 5:13-15
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m glad for the opportunity to preach to you about Jesus. Some of you are here because you’re curious, some because you’re skeptical, and some to check me out. But you’re all here – whether you know it or not – because God brought you here to hear about His Son – the crucified, dead, buried, risen, ascended, reigning Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let me tell you about a man who met Jesus and found his life forever changed, who knows that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation! It’s a man I know well – the man is me. I HAVE BEEN CAPTURED BY CHRIST. I was raised a strict, loyal Jew. “I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault.” I even had my training under Gamaliel, one of the best of the best.
It’s not surprising then that I despised, I hated the Followers of the Way – those who believed Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God – that He had died on a cross and then had come back to life. But I knew that couldn’t be right. The Son of God – the Messiah – could not die on a cross. Even Moses had said, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” So If Jesus died on a cross it means He was cursed and could not be the Son of God. To preach otherwise, to claim that Jesus is God is blasphemy. But that’s what these followers preached. And far too many people were being influenced by them – many even willing to die for the cause.
There was one, Stephen by name, whose preaching was upsetting us Jews. When the members of the Sanhedrin heard him, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. He had the audacity to say, “Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At that “they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.” Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at my feet. “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Then he died. Hauntingly strange. Hard to forget. He became a rallying point for the followers.
These fanatical followers were now scattering everywhere – even abroad – to preach Jesus. Since it was my goal and calling to exterminate these Jesus followers I became even more diligent in my rampage against them. I hunted and tracked them down even in obscure and distant hiding places. Having heard that they had gained a foothold in Damascus I went to the high priest, who had jurisdiction over them, and got the needed permission to go seize them, bind them, and bring them to prison in Jerusalem. There I could force them to recant, or have them sentenced to die for blasphemy. So I headed for Damascus.
As I neared Damascus, all of a sudden, a bright light flashed around me and sent me crumpling to the ground. As soon as I hit the ground I heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Stunned and overwhelmed I blurted out, “Who are you, Lord?” Then came the words I’ll never forget: “I am Jesus, whom, you are persecuting.” I saw Jesus – just as surely as his disciples had seen Him after His resurrection. I saw the wounds in His hands and feet; I saw His unmistakable face and knew that Jesus was, indeed, alive. And he was telling me to get up and go into the city.
But as I tried to rise up, I discovered I was blind. I could not see. For the first time in my life, I had no control. For the first time in my life, I was dependent on someone else. For over 30 years I had been in charge; I called the shots. But not now. Now all I could do was reach out for help. When we lose control all we can do is trust and commit to the hand that offers to help us. So my compatriots took me by the hand and led me to the city. The ship of my life had been commandeered; my life was being totally redirected; Jesus was in complete control. In reality, it was Jesus who took my hand.
It was during my physical blindness that I realized Jesus was pointing to my spiritual blindness. The darkness of my soul and mind was as dark as the world around me. Jesus made me physically blind so I would be helpless; He made me helpless so I could see the light. So for three days I was blind; I did not eat or drink anything. Then God’s appointed messenger, Ananias, came and shared God’s instructions for me – for my future. The moment he was done I was filled with the Holy Spirt; Jesus was not only alive but He was now alive in me! The scales fell off my eyes; the light had broken through. I was baptized and began to eat again. And once I had regained my strength I set out on my new life and purpose – living as one captured by Christ. Once you’ve encountered Jesus, there’s no escaping Him.
So I have been teaching and preaching ever since. I do what I do, I preach what I preach because I AM COMPELLED BY CHRIST. Jesus’ love compels me. It drives me. It motivates me. He died so I could live. As hard as it is to believe, Jesus loves me. Jesus rescued me – the chief of sinners – with grace. I deserved death and justice, but He redeemed me. I deserved judgement; but He forgave me. I deserved condemnation; but He accepted me and saved me. The truth is, Jesus came into the world to save even the likes of even me. There is no greater love.
And love, by its very nature, demands and compels a response. I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach! So I PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED. I have come to you, my friends, to preach God's truth. I do not use big words and great oratory. For while I am with you, I have made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross. Look at me: I have come to you weak and trembling all over with fear, and my teaching and message are not delivered with skillful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God's Spirit. Just look what Jesus did to me! Look what He’s doing through me! Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.
That’s why I am majoring in Jesus Christ – no matter what! I have been in prison frequently, been flogged severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
But I am committed to keep preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified because of Christ’s love – for me and for you. I want you to know and grasp the unsearchable riches of Christ. He has blessed you in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. He chose you to be holy and blameless. He predestined you to be adopted into His family. He has redeemed you through His blood; He has forgiven you. He has lavished the riches of God’s grace on you. I am lifting up Jesus because He promised that when He was lifted up He would draw all people to Himself. He became poor so you can be rich. He became a son of man so you could become children of God. He died that you might live! May you today grasp how wide and long and how high and deep is the love of Christ. I want you to know the surpassing incomparable greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Listen: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” It’s all because of Christ’s amazing grace and love.
This is what I’ve been COMMISSIONED BY CHRIST to preach. “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.” I have come to you as God’s ambassador. I represent Him. He is making His appeal to you through me - because He loves you. Grab hold of the fact that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for you – so you can be saved. You cannot save yourself; only Jesus can save you. You cannot change your nature; only Jesus can change your nature. You cannot make yourself worthy enough to be reconciled to God; only Jesus can make you worthy and reconcile you to God.
Now is the time of God’s favor; now, today, this moment, is the day of
salvation. Some of you are here because you’ve already lost control of your life. Reach out and grab Jesus’ nail-scarred hand – let Him lead you to your Damascus. Today is the day – now is the time. Some of you are here because you will, sometime, lose control of your life. You will either lose it when you die and face your judgment and death – or you can lose it now by giving control to Jesus and receive life. Today is the day – now is the time. Some of you are living in darkness; grab Jesus’ hand and let Him walk into His light. Today is the day – now is the time. Some of you are convinced Jesus can’t help or save you. Listen – He saved me, the least of saints and the worst of the sinners. Jesus died for the worst of sinners, for the ungrateful, the wayward, the stubborn-hearted, the rebellious – for people just like us. Today is the day – now is the time. Some of you are sick and miserable in your soul; Jesus wants to make you whole. Today is the day – now is the time. I implore you on Christ’s behalf – be reconciled to God. Today is the day – now is the time. I want to pray for you right now.
