Rev. Wayne A. Lawson, M.Min
First Baptist Church, Ardmore, OK
http://firstbaptistok.org/
pastor@firstbaptistok.org
(Preached Sunday, May 29, 2005)
Scripture: Acts 8:3 / 9:1-2 / 9:17-28 8:3. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 9:1-2 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 17-28 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
Title: That Was Then, This Is Now
The change Jesus brought into Paul’s life is one of the most dramatic narratives and radical transformations of a person that has ever been recorded. Saul whose name would be changed to Paul was born to a prominent Jewish family in Tarsus – capital of the Roman province in what is now modern day Turkey. We know his parents were prominent citizens, because Paul was a Roman citizen from birth. It was relatively rare for Jews to be Roman citizens as citizenship had to be granted by a significant Roman government official. Paul was born between 5-10 years after Jesus’ birth. At some point he went to Jerusalem as a young man to receive training in Judaism. He undoubtedly heard much about Jesus and may have even heard Jesus teach somewhere along the later portion of His earthly ministry. Paul was a very intelligent young man and became a Pharisee at a very tender age. He describes himself as being “Zealous after the Law.” He was passionate about his faith as a Jew and devoted to its heritage and traditions. As we walk together and develop this message, it is imperative that we look at this man named Saul and understand who he was and who he would become.
· Very Religious – blameless according to the Law of Moses, a Pharisee among Pharisees, very zealous for the faith of his fathers and absolutely convinced that he was doing the Will of God
· Rich Heritage – a Jew among Jews, born into the tribe of Benjamin
· Well Educated – Trained at the feet of Gamaliel, one of Israel’s greatest teachers of the day
· Ambitious – advancing quickly up the ranks of the Pharisees and had ability, desire and talent far above his peers
· Full of Bitterness and Hatred – hated anything and anyone who could be a threat to the things that he believed, and those who would cause trouble for his people and those who opposed the teachings of the high priest and the Law of Moses. He hated those who preached and taught heresy against the Law that had led Israel for so many years
· A Man of Loyalty – sought out the permission and approval of the High Priest before he acted
Saul began this particular journey recorded in our text with his band of men ready for confrontation with the enemies of the Law of Moses. He rode along with his vigilante committee with the permission of the High Priest. He would do everything within his own power to stop the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to arrest or kill his followers. Suddenly, on this road to Damascus – a blinding flash of light knocked him off of his high position. We need to understand this morning that – God knows how to get our attention!
· God showed up and interrupted all of Saul’s plans
· God shot a laser beam of light out of the throne room of Heaven and knocked Saul to the ground
· Suddenly all of the Education - the Plans - the Hatred - the Condemnation that had been controlling Saul was erased in one quick flash
· Saul became the accused and the condemned
· The God of Heaven had Hunted down the hunter and fell his prey
When that voice came from Heaven, Saul knew this was no ordinary voice, but he didn’t know the Lord and didn’t recognize him. But Jesus had come to make a change in Saul’s life, so He revealed his identity to this Pharisee. I am Jesus – the one you are really fighting against -- the one you are really condemning - the one you are really persecuting –I am Jesus Christ - The King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Creator of the Universe - I Am That I AM! Interesting to note those around him didn’t hear what Saul heard. They were not ready to hear. God comes to each man in his own time and in the way that He knows will reach him. People who haven’t heard the voice cannot comprehend, they cannot understand the change that has taken place in us.
· They only know that we are different – that something has interrupted our lives and changed us in a flash
· They are like some earthly minded preachers who have said that Paul’s experience on that dusty road was nothing more than:
· Heat stroke from the desert sun
· Paul was struck by a bolt of lightning on a clear day and he only thought he heard a voice
· Some commentaries suggest that Paul had suffered an Epileptic seizure
· Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher of the past said, “If that’s true, I wish that all men could have epilepsy.”
Yes, I know my brothers and sisters that it was at the stoning of Stephen – Saul stood by and held the coats of those who threw the stones. But even then something about the words and actions of Stephen as he died touched the heart of Saul but he fought the feelings of guilt and condemnation in his own heart. Yes, it was at the feet of Gamaliel– as the teacher of the Pharisees warned him to leave the followers of Jesus alone. When he warned the entire council not to fight against God. I remember the boldness of Peter and the other disciples as they preached the gospel message with power and authority after the Day of Pentecost. – there had to be more to it than meets the eye. Saul would understand this point in a Flash.
· Saul was instantly and eternally changed in the flash of light
· Where he was threatening - now he was trembling
· Where he was in control - now he was under God’s control
· Where he could see his future under his own Power - now he was blind to the world around him and blind to the future law before him
· Paul would soon be prepared to proclaim –That Was Then, This Is Now
Let me try to simplify my thought -- I learned in Geometry class in my early educational years that 360-degrees makes a full circle. That is, we start at one point and go all the way around and end up at the same point. This is the case when we attempt to change ourselves. There are so many that want to Change before they give their life to Christ – before they come to the Church. It amounts to a 360-degree change when they change themselves and then attempt to come to the Lord by way of the Church. I also learned in early education that 180-degrees is a half circle. We start at one point and end up at the opposite end. Well, Saul is heading down the road to Damascus from Jerusalem, gets stopped in his tracks and make a 180 degrees turn. He heads down the road for one purpose and ends up there for another. In some ways it might seem unlikely for God to choose Saul to be one of the major leaders of the church, especially since he originally wanted to eliminate the Christians. However, we see that God uses this Roman citizens background for service. Nobody else has quite the background he has. When God makes a Change in our lives, no one else has quite the Background that you have. I know some of us have some tough backgrounds, but -- you were designed for service.
God has a way of taking our Backgrounds - whatever they are, and making good out of them. We may have some wonderful things about our backgrounds that have given us special skill and knowledge. Things we could be proud of. However, there may be things about our backgrounds that we are not so proud of as well. We may just soon forget, but God takes our background and uses it for his benefit. We may have been through some trauma or drama in our lives. God can take that experience and use us to minister to other people who are in the middle of the same kind of stuff. We can say to them, "God brought me through and God can bring your through" God knows how to Change our Lives. When God makes a change in our lives we will be able to tell those that know us –That was Then, This is Now. When we hear the voice of God speak to our situation, our life will be changed. Saul’s initial problem was that he listened to the voice of religion instead of the voice of God. But now he heard a different voice – a Voice that spoke to his Condition - A Voice that spoke to his Situation - A Voice that spoke to his Circumstance - A Voice that spoke with Power and Authority - A Voice that shook him to the core of his soul.
· This same voice had spoken the world into existence
· This same voice had called to Adam in the Garden
· This same voice had spoken judgment upon Satan, the serpent and all of creation as a result of sin
· This same voice had spoken to Moses on Mt. Sinai and given the Law
· This same voice had spoken to Lazarus and raised him from the dead
· This same voice had raised the Widow’s son at Nain
· This same voice had caused the Soldiers to fall backward in the Garden of Gathsemane
· This same voice had cried out, “It is Finished” as he paid the price of redemption on the cross
· This same voice cries out to us today – follow me, and I will make you fishers of men
· This same voice speaks to each of you – this is my will for your life, now go and sin no more
· This same voice will someday say to us “Well Done My Good and Faithful Servant” “
Implicit in God’s choosing of us is the process of transforming us into the people He intends us to be. God Chose us To Change Us. So that gives us a very different perspective on our circumstances—good or bad. It helps us say: “Jesus what are you trying to show me in this situation. Jesus what are you trying to teach me here—how are you trying to change me?” Fortunately, Paul had this changed perspective in his own life. Of course, Jesus was pretty forceful as well as direct with Him, blinding him and giving him some focused time to think about the error of his ways. And sometimes Jesus will be more forceful and direct with us, than He is at other times during our journey.
God Has a Plan in Everyone’s Life. Saul had a plan. He had it all figured out. He was going to stamp out every Christian he could find. His desire was to be a super-Pharisee —Save the day for Israel and God. Make a name for himself. Rise quickly through the ranks; maybe become the youngest every high priest. And then Saul’s plan was interrupted. He was apprehended by Jesus. Sometimes we’re cruising along in life and think we’ve got it all figured out. We’ve got our plan and everything is working just fine and then all of a sudden the bottom drops out! Something hits us between the eyes. We may think it is just our circumstances, somebody else messes up, or we have a health scare, we get a pink slip at work or a close call on our commute—but is that all it is? When God interrupts or apprehends us, we may think, “Maybe God is talking to me, but I’m not sure…maybe what happened was just a coincidence.” There are No Coincidences just God-Incidences. God has a plan in everyone’s life. He can use anything in our circumstances – life - relationship to speak to us, to Grab our Attention.
I can’t help but wonder this morning -- Do we really believe people can change? I would propose to you that to not believe that people can change is missing a big part of the gospel message. It’s all about Christ coming into our lives and shaking us to the uttermost, to the core of our being and we’re never the same. We may not have the kind of experience like Saul/Paul had, but we believe that God is continuing to work in our lives and make us into the people God would have us be. Maybe the reason this may be unsettling to us is because we may wonder, can we change? We have some destructive Things or Behavior in our lives and we can’t quite seem to shake them, sometimes even when we want to. But the message of the gospel is that we can change. That’s the business that God is in-- changing people’s lives. It may not come all at once, but little by little as we open ourselves up to God’s work in our lives, we change. Paul has said in GALATIANS 2:20 “I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: NEVERTHELESS I LIVE; YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.”
Perhaps you don’t feel there needs to be any changes in your life, But I fully understand that I am a work in progress. I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t much different from Paul.
· I was doing my own thing
· Thought I was running my own life
· Conceited
· Boasting in my talents
· Tearing others down
· I can relate to what Paul used to be
· The good thing about Verses 1 and 2 in our text is that there is a Verse 3
· That Was Then, This Is Now
I can remember God knocking me off my feet just enough to get my attention – God said to me, can’t you see in how your living your life that you are persecuting me. Like Paul I was religious I was attending church doing some good things – but I thought because of these things I was right with God but I was wrong – It is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I didn’t see Jesus with my physical eye as Paul did – but I did see him enough to know that he wanted to make a change in my life. Change is recognizable. Brothers and sisters has Christ changed your life?
· I ask you is it recognizable?
· Young people does Jesus Christ make a difference in how you respect your parents?
· Does he make a difference in how you act in school and do your school work?
· Does Jesus make a difference in how you feel about church?
· If he has, that’s great
· But if not, he can make a difference for you – bring about a Change in your Life
-- I am glad today that this will not be the final Change that God will Make in our Lives
-- There is one more change we must go Through
-- You remember, Job talked about it
-- JOB 14:14 “IF A MAN DIE, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN? ALL THE DAYS OF MY APPOINTED TIME WILL I WAIT, UNTIL MY CHANGE COME”
-- In that final hour I will be able to proclaim – That Was Then, This Is Now
-- Well, what do you mean Rev?
-- One day after the Trumpet sounds – We Shall All Be Changed
-- I used to be Sick – I’m not Sick No More – That Was Then, This Is Now
-- I had some struggles back then – But Now I’m In a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
-- My House needed some Repairs back then – Now occupy a Mansion not made by Mortal Hands
-- Used to Shed some Tears back then – Traded my Tears for Eternal Joy
-- That Was Then, This Is Now
-- I’ve Been Changed, in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye We Shall All Be Changed
-- My Name was not very Good Down Here – But Now, My Name Has Been Changed
-- Just Hold on today
-- Hold on for Little While Longer
-- Your Change Will come
-- Able to look back over my life
-- Thank God I’m not what I used to Be
-- Know I used to Lie – Drink – Cuss – Steal - Cheat
-- I am able to say –That Was Then, This is Now – God has made a Difference in my Life
-- He Changed Me
-- I don’t walk like I used to Walk (Talk, Think)
-- That Was Then, This Is Now
-- He made a Real Difference in my Life
(Close)
