******Acts 9:1-9

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Acts 9:1–9 (NRSV)

1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

In this study we will learn about one of the most dramatic conversions that changed the tide of Christianity.

The chief persecutor became the chief promoter.

The hit-man from hell became the holy man from heaven.

The madman became the missionary.

William Barclay that Saul’s conversion was “the most famous conversion story in all history.” Warren Wiersbe said, “Perhaps the greatest event in church history, after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, was the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the leading persecutor of the Christians.”

In chapter eight we learn that Philip was preaching Christ and a mighty awakening was taking place. In chapter nine we learn that Saul was persecuting Christians and a mighty awakening was about to take place. Johnny Hunt said, “Christianity has never had a more dangerous enemy than Saul of Tarsus, or a more dedicated friend than Paul the Apostle; both are the same man.”

Luke declared the persecution of Christians by Saul and the power of Christ in the salvation of Saul. No person is beyond the power of God for salvation and the purpose of God in service. I want to challenge “Saul’s” to trust in Christ alone and become “Paul’s” by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. Has God stopped you in your tracks? Has God spoke to your heart? Has the Lord Jesus saved your soul? Can you identify with Saul of Tarsus? Where you on the road to hell and now on the road to heaven? This passage gives us some insights into how the hit-man from hell became the holy man from heaven.

I. Saul’s contention with the Christians (1–2)

A. The intimidation of Christians (1a)

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,”

Luke makes a great shift in the story of the early church and in the acts of the early church. In chapter eight we learn from Philip how to be a soul winner and in chapter nine we learn from Saul how he was saved. Saul first appears in the Bible in chapter seven where the council had taken Stephen outside the city and stoned Stephen to death. The Bible tells us that all those who stoned Stephen had laid their outer garments at the feet of Saul. He was watching over the proceedings and making sure the sentence was carried out to the full.

In chapter 7 we learn that Saul was persecuting a Christian to death and now in the beginning of chapter nine we see that Saul was still on his vindictive vendetta against the victorious Christians. Saul went about intimidating the Christians. Saul was at contention with the Christians. By his own testimony Saul was:

▪ A Jew

▪ A citizen of Rome

▪ Was trained under the revered Gamaliel

▪ He was born in Tarsus, which was a Roman province of Cilicia.

▪ He was a Pharisee

▪ He was from the Tribe of Benjamin

▪ A Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil. 3:4–5)

This same Saul was still breathing threats against the Christians. He was the hit-man from hell!

Breathing: empneo, emp-neh’-o; to inhale, i.e. (figurative) to be animated by (bent upon):—breathe. His contention with the Christians consumed his life. He wanted to do all within his power to destroy Christianity. John Phillips wrote, “Saul’s birth, beliefs, and background all drove him into a head-on confrontation with the Christians.” Luke tells us what Saul was doing. He was breathing out threats! He was telling the Christians that he would have them beaten, put in jail, or even killed if they did not stop spreading Christianity. Murder: (KJV: Slaughter) phonos, fon’-os; (to slay); murder:—murder, + be slain with, slaughter. Luke is conveying to us that this was a serious matter. Saul was serious about stamping out Christianity. He didn’t just talk about it, but he did something about it.

Saul was not “all talk and no action!” He talked the talk and he walked the walk. He was set out to intimidate the Christians. He was breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Disciples: mathetes, math-ay-tes’; a learner, i.e. pupil, disciple. This word refers to all of the Lord’s followers, not just the 12 apostles. Every believer on the Lord Jesus is a disciple, a learner, and a pupil. At salvation we enter the Biblical School of Christ and we are in class every day learning to be more like Jesus. Luke goes on to tell us how Saul set out to intimidate the disciples. In verse 1–2 we note:

B. The inquiry against the Christians (1b–2a)

“went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus,”

Saul was dead set against Christ and the church! He believed that Christianity was a curse and a cult! He believed that Christians taught false doctrine about God and he believed that he was doing the will of God. John 16:2–3 Jesus says, “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.”

Saul was fulfilling those words of the Lord Jesus by persecuting His followers. Saul went to the high priest and told him what his plans were and I’m sure that the high priest and council were overjoyed at the zeal, tenacity, and stick-to-itiveness that Saul had for stamping out Christianity. Saul met with no resistance from the high priest in Jerusalem. The letters were given to him and stamped with hearty approval. The letters would give Saul authority to travel with and the approval and backing of Jerusalem to obtain the help and cooperation of synagogues and Jews in Damascus.

Saul wanted to go to a specific place for a specific purpose! Damascus was about 200 miles from Jerusalem and would have been several days in journey. This was not a trip thrown together at the last minute. It was thought out and planned out and then carried out. Saul made all the proper preparations and arrangements to travel to Damascus. He had lined up all the help, got everything in order, and had the approval and backing of the religious council! He had received the power and provisions to go and do what was necessary to get rid of Christianity. We’ve learned about the intimidation of Christians, the inquiry against the Christians, and we also note:

C. The investigation for Christians (2b)

“so that if he found any who were of the Way,”

Saul wanted letters that would give him free reign to cause much havoc among the Christians. His intention was clearly stated. He was forthright in what he was going to do. He planned to go all the way to Damascus with letters of intent to investigate the city. He planned on seeking out and investigating the city for any and all Christians. He wanted no stone unturned. It is a testament to the fact and force of Christianity that is had already spread to Damascus. Granted much of the spread of Christianity was because of the persecution. God used His scattered people to scatter His message. He always has and He always will.

Luke uses an interesting term in verse 2 to describe Christianity. He calls Christianity “the Way.” Christian’s were known as those who belonged to “the Way.” This was in reference to Jesus’ words in John 14:6. John 14:6 says, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” These early believers believed in one accord that Jesus Christ is Lord. They believed that Jesus was “the” way and no person could ever be saved apart from Jesus. These believers were together in doctrine and duty; in principle and practice.

Saul went with the express purpose to seek and find all Christians in Damascus. He was not going there for fellowship or fun.

• Saul had a plan to get to Damascus,

• touch base with the synagogue rulers,

• set up a headquarters,

• distribute orders to his men,

• and participate in operation annihilation.

In our society when there is an ongoing investigation the party is innocent until proven guilty. In the mind of Saul the Christians were guilty. He didn’t come to Damascus to find out about the Christians, but he was coming to Damascus to find the Christians. He wasn’t coming to observe their lives, but he was coming to dismantle their faith. This was not some secret mission that Saul was on. Saul was involved for an all out investigation for Christians. We’ve studied about the intimidation of Christians, the inquiry against the Christians, the investigation for Christians, and we also note:

D. The incarceration of Christians (2c)

“whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

It’s didn’t matter to Saul who it was. He did not play favorites or show compassion toward Christians. He was going for men or women. He wanted to destroy what he believed was destroying his religious heritage. He had obtained letters to give him the right to arrest, bind, retain, and return the Christians to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring them to Jerusalem so that they could officially stand trial and have the right to renounce Christ or be punished.

In Paul’s address to King Agrippa he recounted the testimony of how he persecuted Christians. Acts 26:9–11 says, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” He had the power to find them and bind them and to carry them back to the council for judgment. In Saul’s mind the Christians were public enemy #1!

Saul’s contention with the Christians was evident to all. He had a reputation amongst the believers as being the hit-man from hell! He was doing the work of the devil full force. Saul gave the devil 100%. Can you identify with him? Have you served yourself, Satan, and this world with all your might? Has God called you out of darkness into His marvelous light? Christians have always been a persecuted group of people. Jesus promised it and we follow in His steps when we face opposition from the world.

Saul was a religious Jew that outwardly, persistently, and effectively persecuted the church. You may have never fully and forcefully persecuted God’s people, but you are indifferent to God’s word and you are indignant about church growth and in your heart you oppose God’s people. God calls for lost sinners to be saved and believe the gospel. When we are at contention with Christians we are at contention with Christ!

When we are opposing the church of God we are opposing the God of the church. When we ridicule the servant of God we ridicule the God of the servant. If you have the least bit of the spirit of Saul maybe you need to come clean before the Lord Jesus and ask for His mercy and cast yourself upon Him alone to save, forgive, and cleanse you. Spend Time in prayer for Christians that are intimidated, investigated, and incarcerated for their faith in the Lord Jesus. Pray for strength for believers, unshakeable faith for believers, and unending praise from believers.

(Acts 9:3–9)

In the first study we learned about Saul’s contention with the Christians. The Bible emphasizes the fact that Saul was the hit-man from hell! He had a burning desire and a vicious vendetta against Christians. We learned about:

the intimidation of Christians (Saul was breathing out threats and murder),

the inquiry against the Christians (Saul went to the high priest and asked for letters of authority),

the investigation for Christians (Saul wanted to go to Damascus to find Christians),

and the incarceration of Christians (he wanted to arrest them and bring them bound to Jerusalem to stand trial).

Saul’s life was about to change forever as he traveled to Damascus to apprehend Christians.

▪ The hit-man from hell became the holy man from heaven.

▪ The chief persecutor of the church became the chief promoter in the church.

▪ The servant of Judaism became the servant of Jesus.

Luke declared the dramatic conversion of Saul of Tarsus. His conversion experience is a basis for how many relate their conversion experience. Those who do not have a dramatic experience often say, “I didn’t have a Damascus Road experience.” Those who did have a dramatic experience often say, “I had a Damascus Road experience. I saw the Light!” Christianity gained its most effective proponent in the salvation of Saul. In this study I want to challenge Christians to learn from Paul’s obedience to the gospel and his surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Have you been saved by the Lord Jesus? Has the Lord Jesus stopped you, convicted you, humbled you, and converted you? C.H Mackintosh wrote, “There is no one born a Christian, in the true sense of the word. Neither can anyone be educated into Christianity. It is a fatal mistake, a deadly delusion, a deceit of the arch-enemy of souls, for anyone to think that he can be a Christian either by birth or education, or that he can be made a Christian by water baptism, or by any religious ceremony whatsoever. A man becomes a Christian only by being divinely converted. We would earnestly press on the attention of all whom it may concern, the urgent and absolute necessity in every case of true conversion to God.” This passage gives us insights into Saul the hit-man becoming Paul the holy man.

I. Saul’s contention with the Christians (1–2)

II. Saul’s conversion to Christ (3–6a)

A. The place of his conversion (3a)

“As he journeyed he came near Damascus”

Damascus was a 120 mile journey from Jerusalem. It was a six days walk. Journeyed: poreuomai, por-yoo’-om-ahee; to traverse, i.e. travel depart, go (away, forth, one’s way, up), (make a, take a) journey, walk. He was on the road to Damascus. He was drawing near to the city. He could see the city. His anticipation was building; his mission was right before him. Saul was going against the grain! He was opposing the Lord Jesus and going in the opposite direction. Brian Harbour said, “As religious as Paul was in convictions, as righteous as he was in action, as rigorous as he was in determination, he was nevertheless at cross purposes with God. He and God were going in different directions. On the Damascus road they got together.”

Saul would remember this place for the rest of his life. There are places in life that we remember for various reasons. There are special places that we cherish because of special events have happened there. Many people recall the place where they were when the Lord Jesus saved them. Paul was not in a church building, but on a dusty road! Saul had not just heard a gospel sermon, but he was on his way to arrest God’s saints. Warren Wiersbe said, “Saul was out to arrest others when the Lord arrested him.” The Bible speaks of the place of his conversion. We also note:

B. The power of his conversion (3b–5)

We need to realize that when anyone is saved it is by the grace of God and by the power of God. God’s power is displayed in the salvation of Saul of Tarsus. David Jeremiah said, “Paul doesn’t know that, as he is pursuing Christians, the Lord of the Christians is pursuing him, soon to catch him and bring him to his knees.” The Bible speaks of the power of Saul’s conversion.

1. The light shown around him (3b)

“and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.”

There are some interesting and powerful conversion stories and testimonies. At a young age, John Newton went to sea. Like most sailors of his day, he lived a godless life of rebellion. For several years, he worked on slave ships, capturing slaves for sale to the plantations of the New World. He sank so low at one point in his life that he himself became a slave. After many strange and hazardous adventures he became a slave-trader himself, and made several voyages to Africa in that shameful occupation.

The reading of Thomas a Kempis, the fearful experiences of a storm at sea in which his ship was almost lost, his deliverance from a severe fever in Africa, these, and other experiences, at last awoke in the sinful man what his mother had taught him about Jesus as a little boy. He turned from his sins with true repentance and was born again. At the age of 39 he became a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ and served the Lord Jesus until his dying day. He is probably best known for the great hymn he wrote, “Amazing Grace!” He was indeed a wretch of a man that was saved by the grace of God. John Newton wrote his own epitaph that was inscribed on his tombstone. It reads:

▪ “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.

In this passage we see an even great conversion story of a man that was so used by God to spread Christianity that the whole Christian world today can give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for saving the apostle Paul and using the apostle Paul. Saul was stopped in his tracks. He was halted from heaven. There was a stop sign that prevented his journey.

Luke tells us what happen (a light shone around him), when it

happened (suddenly), and where it was from (heaven). Saul was not expecting this heavenly interruption. He was not ready for this invasion from outer space. Johnny Hunt said, “It is amazing that a man who has been blinded by darkness is about to be blinded by the light of heaven. When blinded by darkness you see everything but God, when blinded by the light all you see in God!” We’ve learned that the light shown around him. We also see:

2. The Lord spoke to him (4–5)

Luke declares the response of Saul to the light from heaven. This light got Saul’s attention. He staggered him and blinded him. He fell to the ground which pictures his helplessness! He was not in a position of going on. He didn’t fight through it, pick himself up by his bootstraps, and tough it out. He was humbled on that road to Damascus! The Light from heaven was more than he could bear. His eyes were closed, but his ears were opened. Previously his eyes had been opened to doing the work of the devil and his ears had been closed to the message of God. People in the world have:

• blinded eyes toward God,

• shut up ears toward God,

• hardened hearts at God,

• and stiffened necks toward God.

The Lord got Saul’s attention! He fell to the ground and then he heard a voice saying to him. Saul heard the word of the Lord! God spoke to him on that Damascus road and Saul never forgot it. The Lord spoke to him. We learn first of all:

(a.) It was a personal word (4b)

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

The Lord Jesus got Saul’s attention with the light from heaven. Then he called out to Saul. The Lord called out twice to Saul for emphasis. The Lord Jesus had a personal word of Saul! He called Saul by name! It is good to know that the Lord Jesus knows our names. He made us, He loves us, He died for us, and He lives to save us. The repeat of his name would have been for emphasis and would have brought conviction with it. It was not doubt who the Lord was speaking to. He has a personal word of Saul and He asks a personal question of Saul.

Saul was guilty of persecuting the Lord Jesus. Saul’s world was about to be rocked! Everything that he had done for God he was finding out that he was doing against God. What a wakeup call this was. Persecuting: dioko, dee-o’-ko; to pursue (literal or figurative); by implication to persecute:—ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press forward. This word was not what Saul wanted to hear! He didn’t want to hear that he was working against God. When God speaks to us and convicts us of sin He shows us that we have sinned against Him. We have offended Him! We are working against Him! We all have some “Saul” in us! Thank God that the Lord Jesus speaks to “Saul’s!” Not only was it a personal word, we also note:

(b.) It was a prompting word (5a)

“And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

The Lord’s question to Saul led to Saul’s question of the Lord. Saul had to find out who it was that he was persecuting. Saul was prompted to find out Who the Lord was. Obviously, his whole world was shaken! All that he had been taught and believed about the Lord was coming to bear. He was at a crisis of belief! He had obviously been mistaken and he sincerely cried out to God. “Who are You, Lord?”

Many, like Saul, have been driven to ask the Lord Who He is. We’ll never be saved until we realize who we are and what we’ve done and Who He is and what He’s done. The Lord spoke a personal word and a prompting word to Saul. We also see that:

(b.) It was a prompting word (5a)

“And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

(c.) It was a penetrating word (5b)

“Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Saul asked a personal question of the Lord and got a penetrating answer from the Lord. All that Saul had believed about Jesus was wrong! His whole theology was messed up! He was guilty of persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ. Saul had believed a lie and devoted his life to fighting against the Lord Jesus. Herschel Ford said, “He came to know that God and Christ are one. He came to know that the Jesus whom he hated was the God he sought to serve. All the time he had been fighting Jesus, he was fighting God.” Saul came to realize that the Lord God was the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord. His encounter with Christ changed him forever.

• He went from persecuting Christ to praising Christ.

• He went from plotting against Christians to preaching Christ.

• On the Damascus road he went from death to life;

• from bondage to liberty;

• from blindness to sight;

• from futility to forgiveness.

The Lord Jesus lets Saul know Who He is and what Saul was doing. Saul was guilty of persecuting Jesus. Saul was convicted of persecuting the Lord whom he thought he was serving. It is clearly taught in this verse that those who persecute Christians persecute Christ. *He so identifies with His body that those who suffer for Him do not suffer without Him.*

• Those who speak against Christians speak against Christ.

• Those who strike Christians strike Christ.

• Those who malign Christians malign Christ.

• Those who take advantage of Christians take advantage of Christ.

Saul received a personal word, a prompting word, a penetrating word, and we also note:

(d.) It was a plain word (5c)

“It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Saul was guilty of fighting against God and the prodding and pricking of the Holy Spirit. What does the Lord Jesus means when He tells Saul that “it is hard for you to kick against the goads?” Goads: (KJV: pricks) kentron, ken’-tron; (to prick); a point (“centre”), i.e. a sting (figurative poison) or goad (figurative divine impulse)—prick, sting. Goads were a long pole with a sharp metal tip used by an ox driver to goad the ox to pick up the pace. Sometimes the ox would react to the prodding of the goad with a swift kick that would do more damage to the ox. The kick would result in the tip of the goad going deeper into the animal which intensified the pain. What Saul was doing was going against the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. He was causing himself immense pain and hardship by his defiant actions against the Lord Jesus.

Saul understood completely what the Lord Jesus was saying to him. He didn’t need a translation or explanation of what the Lord Jesus meant. Saul had been there and saw the face of Stephen shine like the face of an angel. He had heard the word of God from the man of God and he was guilty of rejecting God’s word and rejecting God’s servant. He gave his approval when Stephen was stoned to death. He heard the words of Stephen as he called on the Lord Jesus to forgive them of their sins. The Lord spoke a plain word to Saul! Thank God He’s still speaking plain words to people today! He is still calling people out of their sins and into His forgiveness. The power of Saul’s conversion is seen in the light shown that shown around him. The Lord spoke to him. And then we see:

C. The limitless surrender by him (6a)

“So he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Saul’s encounter with the Lord left him all shook up. He had met the Lord of glory on the road to Damascus. His whole world had been shaken; his theology had been shaken; and he was literally shaken. He trembled in fear for his life and in fear of the Lord! Trembling: tremo, trem’-o; (to “dread” “terrify”); to “tremble” or fear:—be afraid, trembling. He was scared stiff! He was much afraid! This tough man that was on a conquest in instill fear in others found that fear was instilled in him. Astonished: thambeo, tham-beh’-o; to stupefy (with surprise), i.e. astound-amaze, astonish.

Saul was astounded and amazed at what he had done and what was happening to him. In verse 6 we get a picture of Saul’s surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord! He went from asking “Who are You, Lord?” to “Lord, what do You want me to do?” All of us need to ask that question and answer Him by asking “Lord, what do You want me to do?” John MacArthur wrote, “The genuineness of Saul’s conversion immediately became evident … Saul’s surrender was complete, as he humbly submitted himself to the will of the Lord he had hated. In contrast to the teaching of many today, Saul knew nothing of accepting Christ as Savior, then (hopefully) making him Lord later. The plain teaching of Scripture is that Jesus is Lord, independent of any human response. The question in salvation is not whether Jesus is Lord, but whether we are submissive to His lordship.” Saul had been saved by the grace of God and changed by the power of God. Saul had:

• A new allegiance

• A new attitude

• A new affection

• A new assignment

At 18 years of old Jonathan Edwards wrote the following in his journal: “Resolved that all men should live to the glory of God. Resolved, secondly, that whether or not anyone else does, I will.” The Bible tells us of Saul’s limitless surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. He had trusted fully in the Lord Jesus, had been forgiven completely by the Lord Jesus, and he now was totally surrendered to the Lord Jesus. He had a limitless surrender to Jesus. Nothing was help back, hid away, or kept by him. He gave it all to Jesus! The Lord now had complete control of Saul’s life!

Saul’s question of the Lord bears that fact for us today. Saul asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Saul went from doing things his way to doing things God’s way. Have you completely surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ? Is there anything that you have kept back, hidden away, or stored up that you have not surrendered to the Lord? Saul was born again! He was now a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve noticed in this passage Saul’s contention with the Christians; Saul’s conversion to Christ, and lastly we see:

III. Saul’s commission from Christ (6b–9)

A. The command to Saul (6b)

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

After the conversion of Saul to Christ we learn of the commission to Saul from Christ. The Lord had an immediate command for His new child. Saul had surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Wherever He leads Saul would go; whatever He commands Saul would do.

Saul was commanded by the Lord to arise and go into the city and then he would receive further instructions. The Lord Jesus very seldom lays out the whole picture for us. *He often requires our obedience in the first things before we learn of the further things.*

Saul would only learn what to do only when he got up and went into the city. Brian Harbour said, “Paul discovered Christ not only wanted to save him from something, but He also wanted to save him for something … We need to realize that as a Christian there are gifts that God has given us, and He expects us to use those gifts in performing a ministry for Him.” The modem day church has major problems filling positions of service because many do not have a servant’s heart or a servant’s attitude. Church to them is all about them. What can the church do for me? What can the church offer me? How can the church meet my needs? It never crosses their minds that the Lord Jesus saves us to serve and make a difference in this world for Him. We are all gifted by God to bring glory to God by our faithful, consistent, and fruitful service for Jesus.

It is projected that by the end of the year the unemployment rate will exceed 10%. That means that millions of people will be without work. Bills will pile up, stress will mount up, sales will be down, and the economy will not be strong. People that can work, want to work, and should work cannot find work. But I want you to know that the greatest unemployment problem in the USA is in the local church.

• People have the ability to teach; but are unemployed

• People have administrative skills, but are unemployed

• People have the ability to encourage and minister, but they are unemployed

• People possess God given music abilities, but they are unemployed

• People are gifted to work with children and youth, but they are unemployed.

Are you employed by the Lord Jesus? Are you faithfully serving the Lord Jesus? God has a work for you to do! God had a work for Saul of Tarsus to do. Warren Wiersbe said, “The Lord has a special work for Saul to do. The Hebrew of Hebrews would become the apostle to the Gentiles; the persecutor would become the preacher; and the legalistic Pharisee would become the great proclaimer of the grace of God.” We learn about the command to Saul. He was to arise and go into the city and there he would be told what to do. We also note:

B. The crowd with Saul (7)

“And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.”

Saul traveling companions were stopped in their tracks by the light and they heard the sound of a voice but they did not understand what was going on. The Lord spoke directly to Saul at this time. The men were affected by what was going on even though they didn’t know what was going on. Luke declares hear in verse 7 that the men “stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.”

In Paul’s account in Acts 22:9 the Bible says, “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me” There is no contradiction in this at all. A careful analysis of the Greek language helps us out here.

Joseph Parker in his writing on Acts 9 brings this out. He says, “We cannot represent in English the different case of the noun in this verse … The Greek put here the accusative case and there the genitive, and thus indicates that there was a difference in the nature of the hearing of Saul and of his companions. And Paul in Acts 22:9 marks the distinction in his own narration, for he says, “They heard not the voice (accusative) of Him that spake to me.” As this difference is made both in St. Luke’s first account, and in the speech of St. Paul at Jerusalem, it seems reasonable to accept the explanation which has long ago been give of this grammatical variation, and to understand that Saul heard an articulate sound, a voice which spake to him, while his companions were only conscious of a sound from which they comprehended nothing. St. Paul then is precise when he says “they heard not the voice” which I heard, and St. Luke is correct when in verse 7 he says, “they heard a sound saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

The crowd with Saul heard a sound but could not understand the words. They saw the light but didn’t get the meaning. The Lord Jesus had a commission for Saul. As he obeyed the light that he received he would then receive more light. We’ve looked at the command to Saul, the crowd with Saul, and lastly we note:

C. The condition of Saul (8–9)

1. He was helpless (8)

“Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.”

Saul got up from the ground but he could not look around. He had been blinded by the Light from heaven. He had been commissioned by the Lord and his ears were opened, but his eyes were now shut. He could see no one. Saul was helpless. He could not see to walk. He needed help to find his way to the city. His companions took him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. Can you imagine the topic of their conversation that night! “What in the world happened to Saul?” or “That is so sad that Saul had been struck with blindness.” “We didn’t even know that he was sick!” “What is going to become of Saul?” “He was our mighty leader!”

Saul the hunter became Saul the helpless. Saul’s physical condition was evident to all those who were with him, but his spiritual condition had not yet been manifest to them. We’ve learned about the condition of Saul. We’ve learned that he was helpless, we also learn:

2. He was humbled (9)

“And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”

Saul spent the next three days in deep meditation of what had happened to him. He was so caught up with Jesus that he didn’t eat or drink anything. His physical eyes had been shut, but his spiritual eyes had been opened. He had been saved by the grace of God! During this time the Lord Jesus spoke to Saul and ministered to Saul. We learn in verse 12 that Jesus tells Ananias that Saul had seen a vision of a man named Ananias who would come and lay hands on him and he would then receive his sight. The Lord humbled Saul, saved Saul, and used Saul of Tarsus in mighty ways!

Mel Trotter was a barber by profession and a drunkard by perversion. He was so debased that when his young daughter died, he stole the shoes off her that she was to be buried in and sold them to get money to drink on. One night he staggered into the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago and was marvelously saved by the grace of God. He was so burdened for other men like himself that he opened a rescue mission in Grand Rapids, Michigan and eventually sixty different cities. God changed Mel Totter and he changed his comer of the world. Mel Trotter drowned at a camp in New York while trying to rescue someone who was drowning in the lake. He was a man greatly used and greatly changed by the Lord. Mel Trotter was saved by Jesus; the apostle Paul was miraculously saved by the Lord Jesus have you? Have you been saved by Jesus? Have you surrendered completely to Jesus? Are you obedient to the Lord Jesus?

Acts 9:1-9

THE CASE OF THE HATEFUL PHARISEE

Intro: Our text revolves around the life of a man named Saul of Tarsus. Most of us know him by the name of Paul. After he was saved, Paul became a mighty weapon in the hand of God.

• God used Paul to start churches all over the known world in that day.

• Paul travelled thousands of miles preaching the Gospel to the lost.

• He endured terrible suffering for the cause of Christ.

• He was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, and he spent many years in Roman prisons, all because he was a powerful, faithful preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 11:22-28.

• Paul wrote at least thirteen books of the New Testament, fourteen if Paul wrote Hebrews.

• It is not an exaggeration to say that Paul was the great Christian who ever lived.

However, Paul was not always a Christian. Before he met the Lord, Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus.

• Saul of Tarsus was zealous Jew.

• Saul of Tarsus hated the name of Jesus Christ.

• Saul of Tarsus hated the Gospel.

• Saul of Tarsus hated the doctrine of the resurrection.

• Saul of Tarsus hated the church.

• Saul of Tarsus was a murderer.

• Saul of Tarsus was a lost man who was going to Hell because he did not believe the Gospel.

• I wonder how many people in the early church believed that Saul of Tarsus would never be saved?

• I wonder how man early Christians actually took time to pray for Saul of Tarsus, that he would be saved?

• I wonder how many of those early believers looked at Saul of Tarsus as a hopeless case, as a man who would never come to faith in Christ?

• Do you think anyone in the early church loved Saul of Tarsus?

• Do you think anyone in the early church ever called Saul’s name out as an object of prayer?

• Do you think anyone in the early church held on to the hope that Saul of Tarsus would come to faith in Jesus Christ?

• I suspect that most people in the fledgling church saw Paul as a hopeless case.

• I would imagine that most of them saw him as a man to be feared, but not as a man to be loved and reached with the Gospel.

• I would imagine those early believers had long ago given up on Saul of Tarsus.

• Most likely, they believed that he would never be saved.

If this man’s story teaches us anything, it teaches us that there is hope for everyone.

• Saul’s story teaches us that there is hope for the hard cases.

• There is hope for your loved ones.

• There is hope for your friends.

• There is hope for your coworkers.

• There is hope for the people you have prayed for over all these years.

• Some of you have been praying for certain people for years.

• You may have come to believe they are hard cases for whom there is no hope.

• You may have become tempted to stop praying for some of those folks.

• You may have reached a place of discouragement, doubting whether or not they will ever be saved.

If nothing else, Saul’s story should give you hope for the people you see as hopeless cases.

• Saul’s story reminds us that God loves sinners.

• It reminds us that it is never too late.

• It reminds us that as long as there is life, there is hope.

• It reminds us that the God of the Bible is a God of grace, love and mercy, and that He is will save anyone who will come to Him by faith!

• It reminds us that even when we think nothing is happening, God is always working to bring the lost to faith in Jesus!

Let’s look at the story of Saul of Tarsus again today. Notice the elements of his story that teach us there is Hope For The Hard Cases. I want to preach about The Case Of The Hateful Pharisee. As I do, remember that there is hope for your lost family, your lost friends, and for your own lost soul.

I. V. 1-3 THE PROBLEM OF SAUL’S LIFE

Like everyone else who has ever lived, Saul of Tarsus had some very real problems in his life. These problems combined to make him appear to be hopelessly lost in the eyes of most Christians.

A. Saul’s Self-Righteousness - Saul of Tarsus was a very religious man. He details his religious achievements in Phil. 3:4-6; Acts 26:5. In those verses, Saul tells us about all the reasons he had to be confident in his religion. Saul lived a clean life, as far as the Law of God was concerned. In Phil 3:6, he said that his life was “blameless” concerning the Law. That word means “free from fault or defect.”

As much as was humanly possible, Saul of Tarsus kept the Law of God.

• He loved the Law.

• He studied the Law.

• He obeyed the Law.

• He lived the Law.

• If you had examined the life of Saul of Tarsus and tried to find fault with him concerning God’s Law, you would have found nothing wrong with his life.

The problem with Saul’s relationship with the Law was the fact that he was trusting his obedience to the Law to save his soul. Saul believed keeping the Law would buy favor with God, and that God would accept him, and grant him salvation because he had earned it. The problem with Saul’s thinking is that it is dead wrong!

Most people in our world have the same idea. Most religions are built on the same faulty thinking.

• The truth is, no one is saved by religious works, Eph. 2:8-9.

• No one is saved by keeping the Law, Rom. 3:20.

• No one is saved by good deeds, Titus 3:5.

• Anyone who is basing their salvation or their hope of heaven on doing good, or on perfectly keeping the Law of God, is deceiving themselves.

Why? No one can keep the Law, James 2:10. No matter how hard we try, we are always guilty of coming short of God perfect standard.

What does God demand anyway? He demands absolute perfection! One sin is enough to send you to Hell. In fact, you don’t even have to sin to be guilty before the Lord. Why? Adam sinned! When Adam sinned his guilt was inherited by all his descendants.

We don’t become sinners when we sin. We sin because we are sinners! Keeping the Law does not change the fact that everyone who enters this world is a sinner by birth, and is condemned before they ever do anything right or wrong, Rom. 3:10-23; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 5:12.

Our world is filled with self-righteousness people. If you are one of them, and you are trying to please God and get to Heaven by your good works and obedience to a list of rules, let me remind you that salvation comes to no one apart from saving faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel, John 14:6; Rom. 10:9.

B. Saul’s Sinfulness - Saul of Tarsus would have said that he was a holy, righteous man. In truth, Saul of Tarsus was a lost sinner who needed a Savior. He didn’t realize it, but he was guilty of breaking a number of God’s commandments. Saul was guilty of violating the 6th Commandment, which says, “Thou shalt not kill,” Ex. 20:13. And, Lev. 19:18, which says, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”

Saul of Tarsus thought he was right with God. He believed that his self-righteousness, and his outward obedience to the Law of God were enough to please God and to save his soul. He was wrong! Saul didn’t take into account that his outward obedience to the Law did nothing to erase the sin that was in his heart. No matter how hard he worked; no matter how much good he did; no matter how many rules he kept, Saul of Tarsus was still a lost sinner who needed a Savior.

Saul’s problem is a problem shared by everyone in our world. Whether we realize it or not, we are sinners who need a Savior. We cannot save ourselves. We can never be good enough to please God. We can never earn His favor. The only hope we have is the new birth, John 3:3; 7. The only way our sins can be forgiven and we can be saved is for us to turn to Jesus Christ and to believe the Gospel, Acts 16:31. When we do, we will be saved, our sins will be forgiven, and we will be made right with God. This takes place not by our works, but by His grace, Rom. 10:13!

C. Saul’s Spite - Religion without redemption always produces resentment. That was the case in Saul’s life. He heard the truth and he rejected it. He heard the Gospel and he wanted no part of it. He refused to believe on Jesus, and he became enraged against those who did believe it. The sin in Saul’s heart made him in a ruthless, cruel man.

• Saul of Tarsus hated Jesus Christ and the Gospel of salvation through Jesus.

• He hated Jesus because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Jewish Messiah, and the only way of salvation.

• He hated the Gospel because the Gospel claimed that Jesus died for sin on the cross and that He rose again from the dead.

• Saul of Tarsus hated any talk of a man being the Savior. He believed that salvation came through strict obedience to the Law of God. Any preaching that called people to faith in Christ alone filled Saul of Tarsus with intense rage.

Because Saul of Tarsus hated Jesus Christ and the Gospel, he did all he could to destroy the name of Jesus, the preaching of the Gospel, and the church of God. Saul worked as hard at destroying the church as he ever had at keeping the Law.

Notice what he did.

• Acts 7:58 - He participated in the stoning of Stephen.

• Acts 8:1 - Saul was “consenting” unto Stephen’s death. “Consenting” means “to be agreeable to; to be pleased with.” Stephen’s death pleased Saul and made him happy.

• Acts 8:3 - Saul “made havoc of the church.” The word “havoc” means, “to ruin, to destroy, to devastate.”

• Acts 8:3 - Saul entered into private dwellings and took believers into custody. “Haling” means, “to drag.” Saul even resorted to violence to accomplish his purposes.

• Acts 9:1 - Saul openly “threatened” believers.

• Acts 9:1 - Saul murdered believers.

• Acts 9:1-2 - Saul obtained warrants from the Jewish authorities authorizing him to harass and arrest Christians.

• Acts 26:9 - Saul did everything he could to oppose the name of Christ.

• Acts 26:10 - Saul testified against believers and facilitated their murders.

• Acts 26:11 - Saul forced believers to “blaspheme” the Lord Who saved them.

• 1 Tim. 1:12 - By his own testimony, Saul was:

- “A blasphemer” - One who slandered God.

- “A persecutor” - One who troubles and harasses others.

- “Injurious” - One who speaks and acts harshly toward others.

- An “unbeliever” - One who lacks faith.

- Don’t miss this:

‣ Saul of Tarsus had faith!

‣ He had faith in his own goodness

‣ He had faith in his own self-righteousness

‣ He had faith in the Law

‣ He had faith in his ability to keep it.

Because of all this, Saul of Tarsus was a man much feared by the early church, Acts 9:13; 26.

His condition and his hatred for the Gospel caused the early church to write him off as a lost cause, as a hopeless case, as one who would never be saved! Even after he was saved, the church wanted little to do with Saul of Tarsus, Acts 9:26.

Some of you are praying for people like Saul of Tarsus.

• They might be rank sinners.

• They might be people who are outwardly good.

• They might be people trusting in their good works.

• They might be people trusting in a profession they made at some point in the past.

• They might be a lot of things, but they are definitely not trusting Jesus Christ and the Gospel for their salvation.

People like that are lost. They need a Savior. They are not hopeless cases. The Lord can save them. Watch Saul’s story as it unfolds and you will see that there is hope for the hard cases in your life.

I. The Problems Of Saul’s Life

II. V. 3-5 THE POWER OF SAUL’S GOD

Saul of Tarsus was in a place where the people of God could not reach him.

• He was deaf to their pleas.

• He was deaf to the Gospel.

• He was blind to the truth that was staring him right in the face.

• But, while man could not reach Saul of Tarsus, God knew exactly where to find him.

• God intervened in Saul’s life and changed it forever.

A. How God Confronted Him - As Paul was headed to the city of Damascus to arrest the believers there, God confronted the bitter, self-righteous Pharisee. A bright light shied on him. He was thrown from his mount. As he lies there on the ground, the Lord speaks to Saul of Tarsus. The Lord confronts Saul about his persecution of God’s people by telling him that attacking the people of God is equivalent to attacking God Himself, v. 4-5.

In an instant, Saul’s life is turned on its ear! The very Christ he has denied, hated and attacked is speaking to him. And he is confronting him about his sins. No one thought Saul could be saved. No one thought Saul could be reached with the Gospel. God can do what we think is impossible. He can touch anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Never count God out! He is able to awaken the dead heart to the saving power of the Gospel. Keep praying for your loved one. Keep talking to your friends about Jesus. When you, and they, least expect it, the light can come on and they can be saved!

B. How God Convicted Him - When the Lord speaks to Saul He says, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” The “prick” He refers to there is an “ox goad.” An ox goad was a long stick with an iron point in the end. The man driving the oxen would use it to spur the oxen along when they refused to move or to obey commands.

Like an headstrong ox, Saul of Tarsus had been a stubborn man.

• He had turned a deaf ear to the Gospel.

• He had turned a deaf ear to the cries for mercy from the Christians.

• He had closed his eyes and his heart to the truths of the Gospel.

• He has willingly ignored all the facts about Who Jesus was and what He did.

• Even though he knew it was true, he had rejected the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Saul did these things, but it was not without pain. Every time he consented to the death of a believer, God pricked his heart.

• When Stephen died, God pricked Saul’s heart.

• When he dragged a father away from his family, the cries of the wife and children were like stakes in the heart of Saul.

• Every time a believer died, refusing to deny the Lord Jesus Christ, God used it to touch the heart of Saul.

Saul of Tarsus seemed to be hardhearted and indifferent to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Gospel, but God was doing a hidden work in his heart. God was bringing him to the place where he would humble himself before the Lord and confess Christ as his Savior. And, that’s just what he did!

C. How God Converted Him - One moment Saul of Tarsus is riding high, and the next, he is lying low. God brought him to a place of humble repentance and Saul calls Him “Lord,” v. 5. Saul’s salvation is kind of anti-climactic. When he meets the Lord he folds like a cheap suit. The Lord’s work of conviction in his heart has accomplished its purpose and when the Lord speaks, Saul is ready. He believes and is instantly saved by the grace of God! Hallelujah!

Some of you are praying for lost people and you don’t see a lot happening in their lives. They seem no closer to the Lord than they were when you started praying for them. Others may seem like they are worse than they were. It can be very discouraging to continue to pray for your lost loved ones when you do not see them coming to the Lord. In truth, you don;t know what God is doing. You don’t know how the events of life are affecting them. You can’t see what the Lord is doing in their lives. They might be closer to that moment of repentance and faith than you think they are.

Keep on praying for them. Redouble your efforts. Don’t stop lifting up their names until they get right with the Lord. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not,” Gal. 6:9–10. The Lord is using the events of life, the secret work of the Holy Spirit, the word of God, your witness, the witness of other believers, and a thousand other things to reveal to them their sin and their need of a Savior. Keep praying and keep believing! You never know when the power of God will break through their death and darkness and He will bring them out into His life and light.

I. The Problems Of Saul’s Life

II. The Power Of Saul’s God

III. V. 6-9 THE PROOF OF SAUL’S CONVERSION

Saul of Tarsus meets the Lord. He asks the Lord a simple question, and from that brief encounter, Saul of Tarsus was born again. What proof do we have? Is there anything tangible in his life that we can point to and say, “That proves Saul of Tarsus was saved?” There’s plenty of proof. Let me show you a couple of pieces of evidence that prove Saul met the Lord Jesus and was saved.

A. Proven By His Works - In verse 6, the Lord Jesus gave Saul a command. It was a simple command, but Saul followed it to the letter. He went to the city and was there three days without direction, v. 9. He didn’t waiver. He obeyed the command of the Lord, and God sent him a man to teach him and help him grow in the Lord, v. 10-19. He obeyed the Lord and he did so, without wavering, until the day he died. His obedience to the Lord proves that he was saved, John 14:15.

B. Proven By His Words - As soon as Saul gets saved, he begins to serve the Lord by preaching the Gospel, v. 20. Throughout his ministry, Saul, who later became Paul, used every platform he was given as an opportunity to tell the world about Jesus. He told governors, kings, soldiers, and common men and women about Jesus Christ. He told them how Jesus died and rose again to save them. He told them about the love, grace and mercy of God. He told them everything he could about the God he came to know through Jesus Christ. He told it verbally, and he told it in writing. The Gospel he used to hate became the thing he loved to talk about the most. The very Lord he tried to destroy became the Lord he could not talk about enough. His words prove the reality of his faith!

C. Proven By His Walk - When Saul got saved, he did not stop living for the Lord. He merely stopped trying to live clean to please the Lord, and he started living clean because he loved the Lord. Saul abandoned the sins of self-righteousness, hatred, and murder, and he embraced a new life of love for all me. His life change, and it was never the same again. The holy character of Saul’s life proved that he belonged to the Lord.

• When God saves a sinner, He produces the very same kind of changes in their lives. He gives them a new birth, John 3:3. He makes them into new creatures, 2 Cor. 5:17. He gives them a new heart. Eze. 36:26. The redeemed prove their salvation by their works, their words, and their walk. That’s what we want for all the hard cases in our lives. That’s what we want for all those we pray for and want to see come to Jesus. That is what He will produce in them when they do come to Him.

Conc: Do you have any Hard Cases on your heart today?

• Are there some people in your life that you love and want to see saved and living for God more than anything? A Son? A Daughter? A friend? A coworker?

• Do you ever feel like giving up on them?

• Do you ever wonder if there’s any point to praying for them on and on?

Let me encourage you to keep praying for them.

• Keep lifting their names up before the Lord.

• Keep telling them about Jesus.

• Keep living right before them.

• Who knows what God is doing in their hearts right now?

• Who knows when He will confront them and convert them through His mighty power.