Too Far Gone

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, it is a great honor to enjoy the Word of God together with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church. Our church exists by grace, for glory, in love.

In the world of Psychology, there is a technique used called Word Association. One way this is employed is by saying a word and having the other. Now, I don’t claim to know anything about psychology, so I can’t tell you all the supposed insights that come from this technique, but I can tell you that it can be a fun icebreaker. I decided to do a round with my wife this week here’s how it went.

I said, Dog, she said, cat

I said, water, she said, pool

I said, happy, she said, sad

I said, hungry, she said, food

I said, trapezoid, she said why are you making me do this.

But my point in bringing this up is that we are always making associations between things. It’s how our minds work.

I want to try a few more with all us here this morning. Don’t answer these out loud, but think about them to yourself.

Liar.

Drug Dealer.

Convict. (KAHN-VICT)

I don’t know what your associations with those words are, but I know if I’m being honest, that my own associations aren’t positive. If I’m dealing with someone who would be described as a lying, drug dealing, criminal, I’m typically going to be on edge. I think that the normal reaction would be to distance ourselves from individuals we associate with those kinds of descriptions.

But allow me to share with you the story of a man named Mehfri from Indonesia.

At 21, Mehfri enrolled in a Bible school in Indonesia with no intention of studying the Bible. Although he had grown up in a Christian family, he enrolled in the school only to hide from the police, who were after him for selling drugs.

He said, “I was not in the Bible school to get born again,” he said. “When I was in the Bible school, I was thinking how I could sell drugs to the students to get money.”

After a few months at the school, and three years of selling cocaine and Ecstasy, Mehfri was arrested and put in jail.

I think that most of us would think that Mehfri was too far gone for any good to done in his life. In this case he had been to Bible college. He had certainly heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and been called to repentance a multitude of times. Yet he continued on in active rebellion and sin. His deeds landed him behind prison bars. At that point we might say, “serves him right. Let him stay there and rot while society moves on without him. He’s too far gone. He’s done too much.”

But one day, a pastor who visited the jail every Friday gave Mehfri a Bible. The pastor hadn’t written Mehfri off. As Mehfri began to read the Scriptures, he recalled the few lectures he had paid attention to during his time at the Bible school. The lessons on God’s love spoke to him in his time of need, and his heart was softened toward the Lord.

He said, “I read Romans 10, and at that time I confessed that Jesus is my Lord.” Twenty days later, his father, who had always struggled to make ends meet, came up with the money to pay his bail. Following his release from jail, Mehfri decided to return to the Bible school — this time to study God’s Word.

Mehfri began to share God’s Word with others, gospelizing everywhere he went. He began reaching out to muslims in his community. Remembering how God had turned his criminal life into a witness for the kingdom, Mehfri said he often wept with gratitude when he baptized a new believer. “I was thinking about what had happened in my life,” he said.

After a few months, a student asked Mehfri for help, saying his friend wanted to learn more about “mercy.” Agreeing to a meeting, Mehfri followed the young man and three of his friends to a cemetery where they were to meet the other friend. But when they arrived, three men were waiting for him. When they started punching him, Mehfri considered fighting back. But he decided that would only hurt his Christian witness, so instead he ran for his life.

Bleeding from the mouth, he took shelter in a nearby church building, where some people helped him recover and escorted him back to the Bible school.

Mehfri would have other scares, sharing the gospel in places which met him with opposition. He was once threatened so continuously that he had to move cities. When he got to his new home in Indonesia, he led 10 more people to Christ.

As far as I can tell from the reports, Mehfri’s life was completely and radically changed from the gospel. He went from being someone we might consider too far gone, to a glorious gospel witness.

Church, the reality is that the grace of God is deeper than we could ever comprehend. Sometimes we look at others and think they are too far gone. Sometimes we look at ourselves and think we are too far gone. But the grace of God is bigger than we could ever comprehend. Thank God that He his grace is bigger than our mental limitations.

This morning we are going to see a grand display of the grace of God in a case that we would assume the person was to far gone to ever have in the Lord. It is my hope that through this testimony of the goodness of God we would both better appreciate our own salvation, should we know Christ as Lord, as well as remind us that the ground is level at the foot of the cross and no one we come in contact with is too far gone that the gospel cannot break through.

If you haven’t already, open your bibles to Acts 9. For the last few weeks we have been following the story of Philip, a regular guy and servant of the Lord that brought the gospel to the Samarians and the Ethiopian eunuch. Today, we are being fully introduced to another New Testament figure, Saul, or as you may be more familiar with, Paul. Begin with me in verse one.

Acts 9:1–2 ESV

1 But 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 belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

A Lost Cause

In this verse we are reintroduced to a man named Saul. At this point, I would classify Saul as a bad dude, a lost cause, and too far gone. If you remember back to Chapter 8 verse 1, Saul was the guy giving the approval for the execution of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. He was spearheading the persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem, going house to house, dragging off believers and committing them to prison. When we get back to him here in chapter 9, we see that he is still up to the same things. Here he is breathing out threats. One pastor likened this to mean that threats and violence were the very atmosphere Saul breathed and in and by which he lived. He is yearning for more permission to continue decimating more of the fledgling Christian church.

When we first came across Saul in Chapter 8, I told you to make a note pointing to chapter nine and we’d give more context when we got there. Well here we are and we have a couple questions we have to answer about Saul. Who is he and why is he persecuting the Christians?

Who Saul is has everything to do with his reasoning to persecute the church. Saul is a Hebrew name. It was a tribute his parents gave him to their lineage, being of the tribe of Benjamin, he shares the name of the first King of Israel, also from the tribe of Benjamin, King Saul. This Saul in our text this morning was born in the Roman city of Tarsus. He was proud of his Jewish heritage, as he describes in Philippians 3:5: “Circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage, in observance of the law a Pharisee.” Saul, was a fervent member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of Judaism, and it is probable that Saul's father shared that affiliation. At the age of ten, Jewish boys added the study of Pharisaic, or rabbinic, legal traditions. It is probable that it was at this age that Saul was sent to Jerusalem to study "at the feet of" Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), where he may have lived with family members. Saul's sister lived in Jerusalem and his family was apparently politically well connected in Jerusalem. At the age of thirteen, Saul would become Bar Mitzvah, a "son of the commandment," which was formal recognition that he was a full-fledged, responsible participant in the Jewish community. So Saul was a Jewish man, well trained in Scripture, and hearty in his devotion to the Hebrew faith. He was so zealous and devout that persecuting Christians was the natural way for him to show his devotion.

As a quick side point for practical application, Saul knew a lot of about Scripture and felt justified that what he was doing would be pleasing to God. We will see in our text this morning, that it most definitely did not please God. This is a reminder for us all that we have to be humble in our actions, diligent in our study of the Word, and holding one another accountable. One of Satan’s greatest tricks is fueling our self-justification. We ought to be zealous, passionate in serving the Lord. But we must ensure that that passion is rightly directed in accordance with the will of God. We passionately share the gospel, not seeking to burn down the dissenters, but build up believers and call others to repentance knowing that ultimately we all answer to the same true Judge and the only thing that counts one righteous is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Saul, however, saw himself righteous by his own actions. He persecuted the church and had much blood on his hands. As the Christians ran from his terror, I’m certain that many of them believed this villain was too far gone. Let’s see what unfolds in the next section of our passage. Verses 3-9.

Acts 9:3–9 ESV

3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

God Intervenes

Saul was on his way to arrest Christians when instead he would be arrested by Christ. This is a mind boggling, incredible scene described in these verses. Walking down the road, all of a sudden a blinding bright light shines down from above. Saul, like any of us would do, falls done, unsure of what is happening, when the very One for whom he was persecuting these people calls out in a loud voice. Jesus Christ says to Saul, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Before we continue, this isn’t directly applicable to the over arching point of our message this morning, but there is a theological truth so poignant in Christ’s address to Saul, that we would be remiss not to mention it. Saul has spent all of this time and energy persecuting the Christian church. Countless men and women, imprisoned, abused, and even killed by his hand and direction. Who, though, does Chris say that Saul is persecuting? Christ doesn’t say Saul why are you persecuting my church? Nor does he say Saul why are you persecuting my people? He says Why are you persecuting ME. The key takeaway that the Christian Savior, the God Man, The Second Person of the triune God identifies so closely with His people and His Church that we are looked at as a very part of Him! As in a marriage, two become one when they enter into covenant together. When you are saved by grace through faith, you grafted into the very body of Christ. It is no longer you who live, but Christ in you! On one side, this is a wonderful marvel that Christ would claim even a wretch like me! On the other, think of what this means in regards to how we treat one another in the body! You may not be going out of your way to beat and imprison your brothers and sisters in Christ, but when you are biting down and slandering, criticizing and neglecting others who claim the same faith in Christ as you! We ought to be very careful saying we loving the Lord and then being hateful towards His body. How we treat others, especially within the body of faith, is a reflection of our affections to our Savior, whether we recognize it or not.

At this moment in our case study of Saul this morning, he did not claim to be a part of the body of Christ, he was acting in direct opposition of it. And even still, we see that God had different plans for Saul.

What we are witnessing through the pen of Luke in the book of Acts here is the divine plan of God being bigger than we could ever imagine. As readers, this comes to us as quite the plot twist. This man who was killing Christians, is now being addressed and directed by Christ! But I think its safe to assume that this was quite the plot twist for Saul! He persecuted the church because he didn’t believe they were honoring God in the worship of Jesus, and now that Jesus is addressing him! God intervenes and shows Saul that he had been working on the wrong team.

For our practical purposes, we can never know when God may reveal Himself to someone. Even the person who is so full of their own ways and philosophies that they tune out any presentation of the gospel. God is in the business of crushing hearts of stone and replacing them with hearts of flesh. Here the terrorist is turned to an eventual apostle! Earlier we heard about the drug dealer that would become an evangelist! No one is so far gone that God cannot intervene! And when he does, it is a glorious affair. If you know the Lord Jesus as Savior then your life has experienced a dramatic plot twist that Hollywood could never hope to replicate! You’ve gone from stone to flesh, from death to life! And if you have never recognized Jesus as Lord then know that if you have breath there is still time! You too can have your life turned around by grace for glory in love.

Let’s see where Saul goes after this dramatic interaction:

Acts 9:10–16 ESV

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

God Uses People

We saw that God intervened in the life of Saul and here we see God’s preparation of another man, Ananias. God tells Ananias to go and find Saul and pray with him. Ananias is taken back by this command. He is familiar with Saul’s deeds. He knows just how bad that man has been for the church in its infancy. He says, Lord I’ve heard of that guy and he’s bad news. The Lord responds that Saul has been chosen to accomplish God’s plan.

The main point I want all of us to see here is the fact that God uses people to accomplish His purposes!

Saul had this incredible encounter on the road to Damascus. Let’s think about this from a logical perspective. Was it absolutely necessary for Saul to be blinded and then remain blinded, go to the city, and wait? Well it was necessary because it was God’s plan, but the miraculous nature of all that occurs proves that God could’ve allowed this whole event to play out in any number of ways He would’ve wanted. If Christ can appear in blinding light to Saul, He could’ve also made a sign float above Saul’s head that says “Hey everyone! I’m a Christian now!”

Further, we’re not told a lot about this Ananias other than he was a disciple. He believed in Christ as Lord and sought to follow Him. Like Philip in our text from last week, Ananias was just a guy. Did God NEED Ananias to be the one the pray with Saul so that Saul could see again? No! The power wasn’t in Ananias, Ananias wasn’t an eye doctor. We’re given no indication that he’s the local blindness healer. He was just a regular, faithful believer in the Lord that was chosen by God to accomplish this task for the glory of God.

God uses people. He uses people with dramatic and sordid backgrounds like Saul. He uses normal, faithful people like Ananias.

And in this text that we just read Christ tells us this! Look back to verse 15. He says to Ananias, “Go, for [Saul] is a CHOSEN INSTRUMENT OF MINE to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” This verse is a big “aha!” moment in learning and appreciating the will of God! God *could* appear to everyone as He did with Saul on the road, but He has *chosen* to work through people to accomplish His will! Ananias is being used to help show the Christian community that Saul is no longer an enemy, but a brother. And Saul is going to be used to gospelize the gentiles.

If you’re having trouble following here, let me put it simply. God uses people to accomplish His purpose and the exciting part of this for us is that He is still doing it that way! We’re His people and He is using us to share the gospel and point others to Christ! None of us have had the same experience of Ananias or Saul, but all of us who know Christ as Lord are called to be ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal THROUGH US.

Church, do you recognize that God uses people? Do you recognize that God uses YOU! Cherish that reality! Lean in to it! Follow the Lord’s commands and be used by God for His glorious purposes, as Ananias does in the conclusion of our text this morning. Look to verses 17-19 with me.

Acts 9:17–19 ESV

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

Never Too Far Gone

To sum up this section quickly, we see Ananias being obedient to do exactly what the Lord requested of him. He goes to the house where Saul was, lays hands on him, and begins his introduction with something we might be tempted to overlook. He says, “Brother Saul.”

The first words recorded between Saul and Ananias was Saul being addressed as Brother. Just moments before this, Ananias had tried to convince God that this man was too far gone, recounting the evil that Saul had done. But the Lord made it clear that He had a redeeming purpose for Saul. And thus Ananias looks past the history, appreciates the present, and trusts God for the future. He trusts God that Saul is now his brother.

This must have been quite a comfort for Saul as well. He received a new identity in Christ! But he also received a new family! He was adopted into the true family of God! He was not too far gone. He would continue to have reminders of his past throughout the rest of his life, but it would not define him.

Ananias then reports why he came. Saul would regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit and just like that, everything has changed. Saul regains his sight. He is baptized! As one pastor said, “Imagine it! Saul of Tarsus, who once despised Christ and his church, is now being buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. From this point forward, he is identified with Christ and Christ’s people. The adversary becomes the apostle. He is no longer corrupt but cleansed, no longer a church foe but a part of the family. What grace!”

This recounting of Saul’s sinister behavior, God’s intervention, God’s use of people, and the depth of His Grace in seeing that no one is too far gone is astounding. As we reflect on this account, I’d like to conclude with two clarifying thoughts

You’re not Saul.

First, you’re not Saul. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, nor elevate Saul beyond where he should be, but I do think it is important to recognize that you’re not Saul. We shouldn’t expect a blinding light on our way down the street, nor scales over our eyes that release at the laying on of hands from brother in faith. Those were specific instances that we see in this report, but they aren’t the general expectation. We don’t see calling and conversion occur like this again throughout the rest of Scripture. You’re not Saul. You don’t have to expect or search for those same exact experiences.

We are all like Saul.

However, the second and final thought this morning is that we are all LIKE Saul. Sinners in need of the grace of God. You’ve likely never been responsible for the martyrdom of Christians, but all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. You’ve maybe thought yourself to be too far gone to ever get it right. But like Saul, our salvation is by God’s amazing grace. The Lord could’ve struck down Saul on the road to Damascus and have been righteous in doing so. But instead of execution, Christ shows deep grace. God saves sinners. Like Saul, coming to Christ is a life-changing encounter with Christ. For some it may be dramatic, for others it may be quiet. We see all sorts of conversion experiences in Scripture. Philip mysteriously shows up to share with the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Jailer is about to take his own life after an earthquake opens the doors to the jail. Others simply hear the gospel, repent, and believe. But in any and every case, lives are changed by seeing that Jesus is Savior and Lord, worthy to be served. Like Saul, coming to Christ is surrendering to Christ. Saul is humbled by the Lord and surrenders in obedience, spending the rest of his life in committed service. When we see that Christ is Lord we too see He is worthy to be served. Like Saul, self-righteous sincerity does not save. Saul thought he was doing good, he was careful to follow the rules he thought were best. But he found that true righteousness can’t be earned, it can only be given from Christ through faith in Christ.

Everyone of us are like Saul in some way. Either we have been saved by the supernatural grace of God to show us our need for Christ or we are trying to live by our own standard of self-righteousness.

If you are a sinner saved by grace, remember that no one you come across is too far gone that the grace of God cannot intervene. Share the gospel and watch as the Spirit of God works through the proclamation of His Word.

And if you are living by your own standard of goodness, or you have done even heinous things that you think define you, that mark you as too far gone, then I hope that through the recounting of Saul, you too will see that grace of God is bigger than your sin. You can find reconciliation with the very creator of the universe through faith that Christ paid the cost of your sin.

May today be the day that we appreciate the grace of God displayed on the cross and live each moment in humbled, joyful obedience. This church exists to help you do that. During this next hymn of response, reflect on your own salvation, have you come to the end of yourself and professed Christ as Lord? If not, come forward and do so today. If so, have you cherished the reality that God uses you to accomplish his plan of redemption? If not, may today be the day you repent and see that no one you come across is too far gone. Be resolved to share the gospel with others starting even today.

Let’s pray.