What Are Your Plans For Today?
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1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.
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.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Some years ago a young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. "That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree." The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "Start Monday!" Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today."
Startled, he replied, "I thought you paid on Friday."
"Normally we do," answered the foreman, "but we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday."
"But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!"
The foreman, sensing the boy's integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening your ax?" The young man replied, "I've been working too hard to take the time."
K. Hughes, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, Tyndale.
1- Saul’s Plan
1- Saul’s Plan
A-Saul planed to do the same thing on this day that he did the day before.
A-Saul planed to do the same thing on this day that he did the day before.
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
A
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
B-Saul was taking his issue all the way to the top.
B-Saul was taking his issue all the way to the top.
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Later Paul even said as he was addressing a mob in Jerusalem that the high priest could attest to his previous passion against the Jews.
5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
2- God’s Petition
2- God’s Petition
A-God wanted to get Saul’s attention.
A-God wanted to get Saul’s attention.
When you are passionate about something and you are on a mission, nothing else matters. You are focused on the goal and the things around you are blurry. Passion is a beautiful thing but passion is also a dangerous thing. Sometimes our passion blurs the facts that surround us.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Acts
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
Most people conclude here that since Saul was blind at the end of this experience that it must have been a flash of light and they attribute his blindness to that. This is our natural minds trying to explain the supernatural experience. DO NOT DUMB DOWN THE POWER OF GOD. When you look at the facts of this situation you see that the light shown around Saul and the others that were with him say this as well. However scripture doesn't indicate that any one else in this traveling party was blinded. Furthermore in verse 18 we see that something that resembled scales fell from his eyes. Friends when we look at the facts of this situation we see that everything in this story points to the Supernatural.
We see that the voice here who was none other that Jesus the Christ Himself, asked Saul why he was persecuting Him. But Saul scripture dose not tell us that Saul was there on the day of Crucifixion so why would Jesus say that Saul was persecuting Him. The only conclusion would be that John was correct in and Christians are truly the children of God.
Acts 3:3-4
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
B-Swimming upstream is the wrong direction.
B-Swimming upstream is the wrong direction.
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Acts 9:
10 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die.
3- God’s Plan.
3- God’s Plan.
A- God had to break Saul to tell him His plan.
A- God had to break Saul to tell him His plan.
Acts 6:
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.
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.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
B-
B- Sometimes God has to bring us to a place of brokenness to reveal to us His plan.
B- Sometimes God has to bring us to a place of brokenness to reveal to us His plan.
Jonah 1:1-
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
The Lord broke Jonah to the point that he was cast into the sea in the middle of a storm. and a fish swallowed him up and he laid in the belly of a smelly fish for 3 days.
If you think you have done things that are to bad for forgiveness then look at this. What greater sin can you commit than a sin against God. Still he offers his forgiveness and grace.
13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Isaiah 40:
31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.