I Discovered God

Acts 9:15–16 NKJV

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

You have Paul breathing out murder and threats towards the Christians. He was enrage all he could see was murder.

He went to the High priest in order to receive documentation to arrest Christians.

He systematically wanted to enforce persecution on Christians.

He wasn’t impulsively trying to persecute Christians but it was systematic.

Through such a great persecution Saul thought not only was he discovering God but he discovered him.

Saul was so fixated and focus on his mission to persecution Christians only Jesus could stop him.

Jesus had to be his evangelist.

Sometimes we embrace the prosecutors life.

What can I do to work my way to the top of Christianity

In Phil 3 Paul gives an autobiography

Philippians 3:4–6 NKJV

4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

1. Paul is saying I’m a authentic Israelite. I was circumcised according to the law. Not all his accusers and opponent’s could say that for themselves.

Like I discovered God! Not all my opponents could say this of themselves

2. He was from the people of Israel he was set apart from the Gentiles . He was a pure breed.

3. He had a ancestry that would be envied amongst the jewish people. Hes from the tribe of Benjamin. He remained true to that heritage.

They like saying I’m Elon Musk Son

Or Bezos kid.

Or a Cater.

I’m a Ryan

He had an enviable ancestry.

He was also saying he wasn’t a hellenist sympathizer, he didn’t merge his jewish culture with at the time new age greek thinking.

Paul could read and understand Hebrew and was fluent in it.

Actually when Jesus spoke to Him and said why are you persecuting me it was in Hebrew. Not greek or any other language but Hebrew.

Not only did he have the most ideal ancestry he also had the three standards that uphold these achievements .

The Law , zeal for the nation , and righteousness.

4. He was a Pharisee he had an organized approach concerning the law. Any devout Jewish male would sympathize with some organized approach to the law since it was the heart of of Jewish life.

Pharisees where noted for their love for the law, strict interpretation of it, and ethical consistency.

There law for the law,

Strict interpretation ,

There moral consistency - this is whats noted not necessarily fully how they loved.

I discovered God

5. Zeal- Since Paul loved the nation of Israel so much he put his love into action by persecuting the church.

He had taken his beliefs to an extreme that even his opponents did not, using physical force to eradicate Christianity.

I discovered God

6. Righteousness- Paul upheld the law (from mans standards ) he was considered to be blameless. He mastered the art of controlling his flesh before man.

Before man he was considered blameless

Paul could say I reached the climax of human existence.

He was surrounded by religion but still had hatred in his heart.

We can be surrounded by the grace message and still despise and hate our brother.

You can be surrounded by truth and still never discover God.

Thats because we are viewing life through the lens of the persecutor not the persecuted.

Paul was on a mission as a persecutor of Christians.

Paul thought that he discovered God from the seat of the persecutor.

Gods way is different God wants us to embrace the persecution.

He wants us to embrace the cross.

Paul went from the persecutor to the persecuted.

He met before rulers like Festus and Feliz, King Agrippa.

This was an evil that was premeditated. Infectious kind of evil.

Saul was under the impression that he had discovered God with such persecution.

Imagine you think you discovered God but really the thing you pursued brings leanness to your soul.

Saul was a choose instrument. He was set aside for the Masters use.

We discover God by persuction for bearing His name.

By being the salt of the earth this is how we discover God .

We think we discover God by being the persecutor but we discover God by being the persecuted .

If Christ can show grace to the persecutor how much more us.

Acts The Former Persecutor’s Witness to Christ (9:19b–22)

It is thus a picture of Paul on trial before Gentile rulers like Felix and Festus (chaps. 24–25), before kings like Agrippa (chap. 26), before local Jewish synagogues and even the Sanhedrin (chap. 23).

The one who once was the church’s most vehement persecutor would now be the one who would willingly accept persecution for the sake of the name (cf. 5:41). This is the core point of the Pauline conversion narrative

In nothing is his conversion more clearly illustrated than in his transformation from persecutor to persecuted.

We can think discovering Gods will has to do with being the persecutor.

- The persecutor is in control

- He has the resource

- He has the prestige and the power.