Sermon: Paul’s Encounter on the Road to Damascus
Scripture: Acts 9:1-11 “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.”
Introduction: During this season of Pentecost, we have been studying the book of Acts to witness the Pentecost effect. The Holy Spirit empowered the early believers to be effective witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, in Samaria and to all the world. We have witnessed their personal transformation from timid fishermen, tax collectors and sheep herders to bold witnesses who became fishers of men. Today’s lesson is different. The Holy Spirit did not choose to use a human instrument in the conversion of Saul. Saul had seen the growth and expansion of the church; he had witnessed the preaching of Stephen, yet he refused to believe.
Saul was steeped in the Jewish tradition and fought hard to preserve the Jewish way of life. He fought to protect the temple, the rituals, the sacrifices and the Law of Moses. Saul considered the new movement a threat to everything he believed. He committed all of his energy and strength to fight for what he believed and was willing to destroy anything that stood in his way. Misguided zeal is dangerous. The things that most threaten the Gospel and the abundance and freedom in Jesus Christ are caused by misguided zeal. Some things may appear to be good, maybe even seem godly, yet stand in the way of the gospel. Saul’s problem was his Jewish roots that blinded his vision of God. He needed a new vision. When any of us allow our personal causes and concerns to overshadow the revealed will of God or at worse, supersede the Gospel message, we are in serious danger, our faith is robbed of its power and people are robbed of hope. Saul was like the mob the attacked the Capitol, believing that was the way to protect freedom. Rights were violated, policemen were killed, the White House was damage all in the name of freedom. Saul may be dead physically and gone, but his descendants are still around.
Acts chapter 9 give a glimpse into the life of Saul. He had gain a reputation for violence against Christian. How can you stop a man who is dead wrong but, thinks he is dead right? Just as the Holy Spirit’s power evaded the upper room with wind and fire, He appears upon Saul in a bright light, revealing Jesus to Him. Saul was on his way to Damascus and while on his way there, he had an encounter with the Lord himself. This encounter ultimately led to his conversion. As I was looking at the story, I felt compelled to share with you some things we can learn from Paul on the road to Damascus.
1. Saul’s Misguided Zeal Encounters Truth. Acts 9:1-2, “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.”
Saul was very much like you and me were before we met Christ, he was committed to his misguided zeal. He was all in. Misguided zeal normally brings out the worst in men. He held nothing back in his pursuit of followers of Christ. His mission was to find them, jail them, and if possible, even kill them. We often hear the term sold out for Jesus, well Saul was sold out for Judaism and protect their way of life. Paul even acknowledged his previous condition when writing to Timothy, he said in 1Timothy 1:12-13, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.”
Paul gave everything he had to his life before Christ and thankfully that same zeal carried over after his conversion. Change is difficult for many because they have no convictions. They are not sold out to anything. What are you sold out on in your life? Is it worth dying for? Saul was sold out! Saul was sold out on his misguided zeal that was on a collision course with the truth. No one is beyond the reach of God. God confronts Saul with blinding glory. Although, misguided zeal brings out the worst in men, God often confront men at their worse situation. God did it for Moses in a burning bush; Samson in the jawbone of a donkey; Elisha in a cloud about size of a man’s hand and for Saul on the Damascus Road.
2. Saul’s Deception Exposed by Truth. Acts 9:3, “As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.”
I cannot tell you how many people I have heard say I need to get my life right and then I will come to God. That thinking might be contradictory to how God deals with some. The Holy Spirit is always calling us to God and desiring to reveal Jesus to us. That way is gradual and progressive, but The Holy Spirit can work suddenly. In Paul’s life God didn’t wait until Paul recognized what he was doing or until Paul cleaned his life up a little. Jesus confronted him when he was consumed by his blind misguided zeal and when he was on his way determined to destroy anyone and anything he felt was contrary to the Jewish Faith.
He addressed Paul when he was at his worst, and it is at that point God knocks him down, blind him, convicts him of his misguided zeal, reveals who Jesus Christ is, rescues him and redirects his life toward a journey to truth. The light and the voice was indeed unusual and supernatural, but the process is consistent because Romans 5:8 reminds us of this truth. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God died for us when we were in sin and not thinking about him and God often reaches out to us when we are in sin not thinking about him. He did it for Paul and he has done this for so many others.
3. Saul’s Pride Humbled by God’s Presence. Acts 9:4-5, “He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
I often find it funny when people say when they see God, they are going to tell Him. When Humanity is confronted by Deity, and finite faced the infinite, humility is the order of the day.
What we learn from Paul on the road to Damascus is that when you are confronted with the presence of God there really is no room for pride. There is something about the presence of God that humbles you and it happens very quickly.
Notice from the moment he encountered God’s presence he ended up on the ground. Paul’s plight is the same as ours. I remember a time when we were in revival, praying for God to move, there entered such a strong sense of God’s presence that filled the church that no one moved or said anything for 30 minutes. We literally could not move; children were not anxious, and babies did not cry. We were in awe of God’s Presence. No, we didn’t see a light or hear a loud voice, but we knew it was God’s presence.
That’s why in Philippians when Paul penned these words, they probably meant more to him than anyone else. In Philippians 2:9-11, He writes, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
When God’s presence shows up all arrogance and pride immediately bow at his feet and humility is the order of the day. God can redirect our misguided zeal and point us to Truth; God is not afraid to confronts us when we are at our worst. He knows how to help us see ourselves clearly and see Him rightly. Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. The journey to truth begins with humility. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reminds us by saying, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.” God knows how to lift, redirect us and give us hope and a future.
4. Saul’s Life Changed By One Touch from God. Acts 9:11, “The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.”
When Paul started on his journey to Damascus, he was a committed enemy of the gospel. He was seeking to stop it and snuff it out wherever he could. If there is one thing to learn from Paul on the road to Damascus, here it is. It doesn’t take much for God to change a person’s direction. Look at what happened to Paul in a matter of just three days.
Beginning of the road: Saul, the enemy of God, sets out in pursuit of followers of the way with bad intentions for them. Along the road: Saul encounters God and is brought to his knees by his presence. After this encounter, he is blinded but his life is changed. End of the road: Saul arrives at Damascus but does not accomplish what he set out to do. Instead of arresting and persecuting these followers of the way, he becomes one of them.
Saul began his journey an enemy of the Way and ended his journey praying to the God of the way. This all happened in a very short span of time. We should all be encouraged by Paul to recognize that no one is beyond God’s reach so don’t stop praying for them.
Even the most hardened individual can be transformed when they come face to face with who they are and who God is. You should also note it doesn’t take long for God to change a person’s heart. Sometimes it doesn’t even require anyone talking to a person but simply allowing God to do what only he can do. Remember Paul’s conversion did not come after someone witnessed to him or shared the gospel with him directly, it was a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus Christ that changed his life.
Paul had listened as Stephen shared the message of the Gospel. Paul had witnesses Stephen courageously dying for what he believed. We don’t know the effect of these experiences in Paul’s journey, but as Believers we are called to be His witnesses. So, it is critical that we share the gospel but at best all we can do is plant and water. It is God that gives the increase and makes the message of the gospel come alive in the heart of the person hearing it. Some responses are delayed, others are instant, but all are valuable.
At some point, we must all have an encounter with Jesus which leads to our conversion. As you pray for those who don’t know Jesus, let’s pray that they hear the gospel, directly or indirectly and they would encounter the living Christ because we know that he is able to do more to change a person’s heart and life than we ever could. Paul is an example of this.
One last thought from the life of Paul. God used the same zeal Paul had but changed the direction. When you come to Christ some of the same gifts, talents, or zeal you had before you were saved, God can use them, but he will steer them in the right direction. When you look at Paul on the road to Damascus, God saved him, God changed him, and God used him for his glory. Come to think about it, what God did in Paul’s life is the same thing he still does today. Whether they are bright lights and Damascus roads or quiet moments in your home or at an altar in a church, this same Jesus is still changing lives. Have you encounter Jesus Yet? Today is a great day to meet him! Amen.
