Who Art Thou Or What Wilt Thou Have Me To Do

WHO ART THOU, LORD?

OR

WHAT WILT THOU HAVE ME TO DO?

B.R.: ACTS 5:34-39; ACTS 9:1-16;

TEXT: Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Introduction: The mind of Saul was in pain as he traveled the six long days and nights from Jerusalem to Damascus.

He had the letters in his hands to throw every man, boy woman, or girl into jail that laid claim to this one called Jesus.

But there was a growing uneasiness in his mind. Some of his anger and passion toward these followers of Jesus had turned into question marks.

He had been shaken when his own teacher Gamaliel was leaning toward the disciples, warning the Sanhedrin counsel not to be heavy handed in their actions toward the disciples.

Acts 5:38-39 reads: And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

Act 5:39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

As Saul thought on these things, he could not help but think about the resoluteness of these people called Christians.

What was it about them?

How could belief in a dead carpenter son produce what they had?

How could they be willing to give their life for this cause that they believed in??

It was high noon when Saul and his men reached the outskirts of the city, Damascus.

He was in deep thought when it happened.

All his questions would soon be united into one question that he would ask the rest of his life.

Suddenly, a light shone round about him. He and the men in his task force were thrown to the ground.

All of a sudden, a voice spoke and said Act_9:4" Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

There was authority, judgment, grace, and urgency in that voice. "Who are You, Lord?" Saul replied with trembling voice.

And then the answer came which he would never forget. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."

Prick means to sting.

What did the Lord mean?

What was pricking and stinging Saul?

Was it not the very misgivings and questions which had grown in his mind.

This is the picture I have been trying to paint in your minds about the conversion of Saul, whose name was changed to Paul.

Saul was kicking against the promptings of the Spirit that were invading the thoughts of his mind.

He had unsettling thoughts, questions misgivings which he had kicked against.

All these thoughts blended into the one question….WHO ART THOU, LORD??

People have questions. All through life, I had questions. Still do.

Why is the world round?

Why did God call me to preach?

Why did my mother die when I was 14?

When is Jesus coming back??

Question after question. But the main question that I ask daily is “what do you want me to do, Lord?

This is the first and foremost question of any one that is called of God.

Everyone that claims to be a Christian wants to accomplish what God wants them to do in their lives.

Saul thought he was doing that.

Born and raised by Hebrew parents in a place called Tarsus, he had both Hebrew tradition and Greek culture flowing through his veins

.

At an early age, his parents’ stature and resources, plus his own brilliance, had won him the privilege of studying under Gamaliel, the greatest Hebrew intellectual of that time.

Saul had distinguished himself as a resourceful scholar and natural leader. He became a member of the strictest sect of the Jewish religion called the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were committed to return the Jewish nation to obedience to the Law and the traditions.

Saul spoke fluent Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. He was exactly the kind of man Jesus needed to lead His movement. While Saul was tracking down Jesus followers, the Lord was tracking him, waiting for the right moment.

God was setting the stage.

And the Lord is setting the stage this morning.

While some are outright serving the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, there are some that outright DO NOT BELIEVE.

Those are the ones that God is tracking down.

Luk_19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

The Lord is like a bloodhound on their trail. They can’t shake Him.

Run through the water…He’s still there!

Hide in a house…right there!

Boozed up and drugged up…where do you think God is??? He’s still there!

Rom_5:20 …But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: