Head On Collision

God has laid it on my heart to change my assignment, so instead of Paul’s conversion, I will speak on equality diversity and inclusion this morning.

I can see the terror on Pastor Dave Blevins face. Some pastor from VT is going to talk about this?!!!

I’m not really going to change the assignment. But if I did it would go like this...

Equality: we are all equally sinner in the eyes of God and destined for an eternity in hell apart from Jesus Christ

Diversity: Go has made us each unique and each believer has different circumstances that brought us to hear the gospel and believe in Jesus

Inclusion: God has included every group in His plan for salvation whether slave or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile, young or old to be His special people if we will repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

Many accounts of transformation in the Bible

Abraham - from nomad to Father of a nation

Joseph - from abandoned slave to a ruler in Egypt

Ruth - from destitute foreigner to matriarch of a future king.

David - from shepherd boy to the king of Israel.

The conversion of Paul is in my opinion the most dramatic transformation recorded in the Bible.

1. Hazardous Operation

Acts 9:1 NASB95

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

Saul’s life

Saul had bad breath (he breathed threats and murder) The sweet breath of God was going to speak grace to Paul.

Zealous for traditions

Galatians 1:14–15 NASB95

14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

Well Educated

Acts 22:3 NASB95

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

Saul had respect for the spiritual leadership of the High Priest. He needed to have respect for the high priest according to Melchisedech

Persecutor of the Church

Philippians 3:4–6 NASB95

4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Acts 9:2 NASB95

2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Damascus was 140-150 miles from Jerusalem.

6-7 days to get there.

30-40 synagogues in the city at that time.

one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis

It makes sense that persecuted followers of Jesus, who were mostly Jews up until then, would go to a large Jewish population like Damascus. Probably had relatives there.

Acts 26:10–11 NASB95

10 “And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 “And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.

Saul hated the followers of Christ. Jesus loved him even though he was His enemy

Acts 8:3 NASB95

3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Acts 22:19 (NASB95)

19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.

Saul was violent (bring them bound) Saul was the one who was bound by a misinformed conscience

Galatians 1:13 (NASB95)

13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;

Saul was ruthless in his pursuit (both men and women) Jesus was pursuing him

2. Unexpected Collision

Young lady in our church, Hannah Rudolph, with her brother in a head on car accident. She put her arms out to brace herself and broke both arms. Couldn’t feed herself.

It was unexpected and changed her life drastically.

What Saul Saw

Acts 9:3 NASB95

3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

Acts 26:13 (NASB95)

13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.

Light - the glory of the resurrected Jesus Christ?

Paul had a head-on collision with the resurrected Messiah.

We need the light of Jesus Christ to shine upon us if we are to know Him and be saved. We see the glory of God in the pages of the Bible.

Why doesn’t Jesus still do this today? One reason is that it is very inefficient. The current estimate is that their are over 800 million Protestant christians in the world today. If you do the math, Jesus would have to appear bodily in His glory to 43,835 people per day. That is about 1 appearance every 1.9 seconds.

How much better to have the Holy Spirit, who is the seal of Christ’s salvation and who has not limited Himself to a physical body, quicken our minds through the Scriptures and grant us faith in Jesus Christ by His grace?

Application: Do you need a collision with Jesus? Are you just coasting along, doing you thing, trying not to be noticed.

What about the other men? Don’t be a bystander to Jesus meeting others for salvation.

3. Fatal Impact

A. A Probing Question

Acts 9:4 NASB95

4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Jesus knew Saul’s name

Jesus confronts Saul with most obvious sin in his life. persecution.

Acts 26:14 NASB95

14 “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

kick against the goads - same word used in

Revelation 9:10 NASB95

10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.

stings - Maybe his conscience bothering him ever since seeing Stephen murdered. Maybe the law of God was convicting him like he mentions in

Romans 7:22–24 NASB95

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Jesus took Saul’s sin personally “why are you persecuting me?”

“Saul was persecuting the body of Christ on earth and the head complained from heaven.” — unknown

Application: Why are you living as My enemy? It is personal for Jesus. Your sin is personal too.

lie - you lie to Jesus

you hate someone - you are hating the God who created that person in His image.

A voice from heaven would indicate to Saul a voice from God. But why would God be questioning Saul’s actions when in his mind he was doing God’s will. This lead to a bit of confusion and to clear it up, he asked the next question.

B. An Astounding Declaration

Acts 9:5 NASB95

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

Who Are you Lord?

recognition of the Lordship of of God.

I am Jesus whom you are persecuting - what a devastating shock to Paul’s mind. The whole focus of his life was now shaken. “I thought that I was obeying God’s will by snuffing out this quirky sect of Jesus followers, but the voice that I am hearing now must be God and God is saying that His name is Jesus! Now what do I do?”

Jesus sought Paul out and wrecked his sinful life. This is the work of Jesus Christ in saving sinners.

Question: how many of you were saved by “accepting Jesus as your Savior?” That is a trick question. The answer is: not a single one of you were saved by accepting Jesus. You were saved because Jesus accepted you! He sought you out and wrecked your sinful life with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. He saved you!

4. A New Life

Saul’s response is:

Acts 22:10 NASB95

10 “And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’

Acts 9:6 NASB95

6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

S.Lewis Johnson

By the way, when he said, “Who art thou, Lord?” and the Lord said, “I am Jesus, the Nazarene,” he didn’t say, “What wilt the church have me to do?” It’s, “What wilt Thou have me to do?” He didn’t say, “What will the prayer book have me to do?” He didn’t even say, “What will the confession of faith have me to do?” He didn’t say, “What will my wife have me to do? Or, my husband have me to do? Or what would my friends have me to do? Or what will my preacher have me to do?” It’s, “What wilt Thou have me to do?” And so as Christians, we follow the word of God.

Paul was in a head on collision with Jesus. His old man was now dead. Saul did not survive the accident. He was a new man with a new mission because now he was totally surrendered not to traditions or religion, but to a man named Jesus Christ.

Saul thought he was protecting the traditions of judaism but as a result of meeting Jesus he spread true judaism to Gentiles all over the world.

Are you totally surrendered to Jesus Christ? Does it take a head on collision like Paul’s to follow Jesus?

I was envious of conversions like Paul’s. I was “the good kid.” I didn’t see the huge change in my life when I was saved at 8yrs old. It made me question my salvation.

Luke 7:47 NASB95

47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

The Lord showed me that I was just as much a sinner on the inside as Paul was on the outside. That my heart is:

Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB95)

9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

I was only questioning my salvation because I thought is was my salvation. Like I had earned it. I realized that it was His salvation. He saved me. Not only from what I had done but from what I was capable of doing.