Summary: We’ve all had a personal encounter with Jesus, and we need to tell our story to anyone who will listen.

LIGHT BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN

Text: Acts 26:12-18

Introduction

1. “I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun – not because I can see it, but because by it I see everything else.” (C.S. Lewis).

2. “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Eph 5:8).

3. We were all at one time living in the darkness, but the light of Christ shinned on us, and we were able to see the truth.

4. Paul was living in darkness, but the light of Christ, which was brighter than the sun, shinned on him and illuminated the way for him.

5. Read Acts 26:12-18

Transition: Let’s go on a journey with Paul from the darkness to the light.

I. Light Brighter Than the Sun

A. Up until now, Paul has been telling Agrippa about his past. Now, Paul is about to tell him about his personal encounter with Jesus.

B. So, far he had told Agrippa how he had, with the approval of the Jewish leaders, gone after Christians. Now he tells him in v. 12, “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.”

1. Paul was on his way to a city called Damascus.

2. Most likely he talked about the priests to Agrippa because he was the one who had appointed the priests and funded the priesthood in Jerusalem.

3. This was the group that was now attacking Paul. It’s ironic that Paul was the one hunting Christians, but now he was the one being hunted for being a Christian.

C. Then Paul said, “About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’”

1. It is very interesting that Paul says that this event occurred at noon, and that a light from heaven shown down on him was brighter than the sun.

2. What time of day is the sun the brightest? Well, according to Google, it’s at noon that the sun is the brightest.

3. So, this light that knocked Paul and his companions to the ground was brighter than the noon day sun!

4. It’s also interesting that Paul talks about this light every time he talks about his encounter with Christ (chps. 9, 22, 26).

5. Another interesting thing that Paul says was the voice from heaven that spoke to him was in Aramaic, his native tongue.

6. Furthermore, the voice asked him why Paul was persecuting, not Christians, but him.

7. Now, the voice tells him that it is hard to fight against his will. A more traditional rendering is “it’s hard to kick against the goads.”

8. Although this as a Greek proverbial statement, it was one familiar to the Jews because they were an agricultural society.

9. An ox goad was a sharp stick that they used to prod the cattle. What the Lord is trying to tell Paul is that he his leading Paul in the right direction. His passion and convictions were commendable, but he was headed in the wrong direction.

D. Then in vv. 15-16 it says, “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.”

1. Paul asks the voice, “who are you?” The voice answers him, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.”

2. At that moment, Paul knew what was going on —the resurrection, the prodding of his conscience, and what these Christians had been saying was the truth.

3. Lying there on the ground he was called by Jesus to serve him and be his witness.

4. This takes us back to the first chapter of Acts, in v. 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

5. Jesus said then that his followers would be his witnesses, and now Paul would be one of them.

6. Paul had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and now he would spend the rest of his life telling people about him.

E. Paul now continues telling what the Lord said to him that day. in vv. 17-18 it says, “And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’”

1. Jesus assures Paul that he would rescue him from both Jews and Gentiles.

2. Paul was told that there would be problems, but that the Lord would sustain and protect him.

3. Jesus told him that he would lead people out of darkness and into the light. He would also lead them away from the power of devil to the power of God.

4. The Bible does not deny that the devil has power, but his power is nothing in comparison to the power of God.

5. In 1 Jn. 4:4, it says, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

6. Paul was instrumental everywhere he went in doing all of these things.

7. Because of this, many people came to faith, were forgiven of their sins, were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and received eternal life.

Transition: Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus shows us…

II. Personal Encounter with Jesus

A. Having a personal encounter with Jesus changes us.

1. “There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.” (Lk. 19:3-4).

2. Tax collectors in Jesus’ day where notorious for being crooks, and as the chief tax collector, he would have been the most crooked of them all.

3. He knew he needed to have a personal encounter with Jesus. So much so, that when he couldn’t see because he was short, he climbed up a tree so he could see Jesus.

4. The result of this encounter was that he was transformed into a man of integrity. He gave half his money to the poor and gave back four times the money of which he had cheated people.

5. This shows us what a personal encounter with Jesus does for a person. It transforms them from a sinner to a child of God.

6. It changes them from living in the darkness to living in the light.

7. It not only changes their present, but it also changes their eternity.

B. The Lord has called all of us to spread the Gospel.

1. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20).

2. We all have a calling. Your calling is not like mine, and mine is not like yours.

3. However, we are all called to share the Good News, no matter what our place in life may be.

4. You may not be called to preach, but you are called to tell people about Jesus.

5. We all have a story of our personal encounter with Jesus, and it is our calling to tell people that story.

6. “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Rom. 10:14).

7. Go and tell people about Jesus!

C. When you go, know that the Holy Spirit is with you.

1. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (Jn. 14:16).

2. I know that the idea of going out and telling people about the Lord is a scary proposition for us.

3. But we are not alone! The Holy Spirit will be with us and give us the words to say.

4. So, don’t be afraid to speak, for the Holy Spirit will be with you.

Conclusion

What’s the point preacher? We’ve all had a personal encounter with Jesus, and we need to tell our story to anyone who will listen.