Grace for all, even Saul

The epitome of God’s Grace.

Good morning to those of you here in Jackson Park and for those that might be tuning in online. I know there are several other places you could be this morning and several other things you could be doing so we really appreciate you taking the time and spending it with us.

First I would like to thank William Hardin for preaching last week. I enjoyed his sermon on Phillip and the Ethiopian. It’s really hard for a pastor to be able to trust his community to just anyone and I am thankful for pastors like William who preach the word unapologetically. So thank you again William.

I also want to thank all of you for allowing your pastor the chance to take a vacation. I had an amazing time with my wife and a nice bit of time to read, which I love to do. I read an incredible book by Erwin Mcmannus titled The Last Arrow about never giving up the fight and leaving this world with nothing left. As a pastor you go through seasons where you just want to give up. It was a very timely read for me and I am so glad God always gives us what we need when we need it.

I also started a great read about the person we are going to be discussing today and that is Paul (formerly know as Saul). The book is called The Apostle a life of Paul and is by a great biographer named John Pollock. Fascinating biography with more insight into Paul than I have ever read and I look forward to finishing it next Sunday on my way to West Africa.

With all that said once again Welcome, I’m glad to be back, and lets begin.

If you have your bibles please turn to them to Acts Chapter 9 reading verses 1-22.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

9 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. 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.

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.” 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.

Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues

For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

So the last two weeks we see the amazing story of Phillip, who left Jerusalem to go to Samaria because of Sauls persecution and he preaches the gospel. Even in his escape to safety he cant help but share to the world , wherever it might be, that the Christ has risen and that anyone who puts their trust in Him shall be forever with him in glory when they pass away. So much so that Peter and John come to see the amazing amount of Samaritans that have come to a belief and faith in Christ. We begin to see God do an incredible work in the early church by sending Peter and John to show that Samaritans that they were an equal part of the amazing work that Jesus accomplished on the cross and that they were equal in the family of God as much as any of the Apostles, any of the disciples, or any of the Jews themselves. Gods desire for his bride, the church, has always been that of one body built to honor and glorify him in all we say and do. We are and will always be a stronger body when we partner together. Peter and John solidify that for the Samaritans.

We then see Phillip woken up by an angel of the Lord and Phillip is sent back towards Jerusalem to Gaza. All of this to speak to one man and lead him to Jesus. God will do astounding feats and go to great lengths to see just one of his creation make the decision to come back to a right relationship with him. God doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity without him. Why is hell so terrible? No God. Which means no good. No love. No Hope. No peace. No justice. With a world without God I can’t even imagine the horrors and sufferings that take place. We see the places in the world now that have very little influence of a loving merciful God and that is just a taste of what that separation will be like.

I had an example on vacation of how God puts things in motion for reasons at the time we may not even see or understand but when the plan comes to fruition we can stand back and be amazed at all that he did to accomplish one event.

My wife knows I love to fish, so for our anniversary she want to book a time for me to leave the resort and join a group to go deep sea fishing for about 4 hours. Normally I am all for it but I really and truly just wanted to stay at the hotel and read. I could see how much it meant for her to do this for me so if I am being honest I only went for that reason. I really didn’t care one bit about going.

Its a small group, only 5 of us. A man and his daughter, and a man and his son, and me. I went to the top of the boat to sit where it was peaceful and it wasnt long after that the man and his son came up to join me. We did the whole small talk, where you from , what do you do, ect. The son who was around 26 told me he lived in San Francisco. I told him I had just visited San Francisco about 8 months earlier to learn some different ministry strategies. If was like I had just mentioned that I had ebola and they both kind of talked with each other that they should probably head back down. I thought, well, they must have thought I was going to cram Jesus down there throat and left. I was going to mention Jesus given the opportunity but they seem to cut me off before I even had the chance.

It wasnt long until the father came back up by himself and we began to talk again. He told me his son was a youth minister in San Francisco. I told him about our little church and asked him if he attended a church. He mentioned he hadn,t in years because last one had all these problems and I agreed that church is sometimes going to have these problems. I told him of my testimony with leaving the church and how I had carried a ruthless anger towards church and God and when I realized I had put my faith in people who will always fail you and put my faith in God who had never failed me, I had been serving Him ever since to the best of my ability.

I said something to him that I know the Holy Spirit working inside me had to have spoken because in casual conversation I would never have mentioned it, but I told him I had ministered to a lot of people and a lot of people who had lost children and the ones that knew Jesus as horrible as the situations were dealt with the grief way better than those who didnt and I didnt personally know how you could deal with that without a belief in Christ. It would eat me alive. He got really quiet all of a sudden and I could see something really moving in him and he told me that his 30 year old son had commited suicide two years earlier. His son had been molested when he was young by a youth worker and friend of the family that they couldn’t prove and his son never felt worthy of any happiness. He was full of anger and hatred to this man and some anger and resentment to God.

I told him God was big enough to bare our anger but that he took all of our pain and suffering on the cross and he made a way for us to be free from it and again I gave him my story of anger towards my mother for a series of events that happened to me and my family. I told him how my anger affected my wife and my children and i didnt even know how bad until I was free of it. It almost cost me my marriage. I could see that hit home with him. I know it must have been an eye opening oment because I think both of us were close to tears. Me for his pain and hurt and him for the pain and hurt he might have been putting his own family thru. We talked a little longer and he went down to fish with his son. When we were about to leave and were getting of the boat his son stopped me and thanked me and told me his father hasnt talked to anyone ever about his brothers suicide. I look back now and think one of the main reasons God allowed me to go to San Francisco was so I could begin that whole conversation. Just like Phillip and the Eunuch God cares enough about us to do whatever it takes to heal us and show us we are not forgotten in the midst of our hurt and chaos.

But Saul. Phillip is preaching, but Saul is still breathing threats and murder. When it says he was breathing threats its like that was his life essence. Like oxygen to our bodies so was the destruction and annihilation of the Christian faith to Saul. It was all consuming. Saul was no longer content with Jerusalem and the Christians there but since people were fleeing Jerusalem, Saul began to give chase. He would go to the ends of the world with his viciousness and ruthlessness to rid the whole world of The Way.

The early church was called the way. Not one of many ways but THE WAY. There is no other road that leads to salvation but thru Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but thru me. Either he is a madman and nothing he said should be of any value or he is who he says he is and that has all value in this life and the next.

So Paul is heading to Damascus. Most every picture you see of this depiction has Paul on a horse but more than likely he was walking with the rest of his party. The glory of God, this bright light from heaven shines all around and all Paul can do at this point is fall face down on the ground. He hears a voice saying “ Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Saul then says all he knows to say and that is “Who are you Lord?” When ever we are in the presence of the almighty King every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. Saul doesn’t know its Jesus at that moment but his glory has no other name but Lord.

Here is Saul. A violent persecutor of Gods precious sons and daughters. He approved with joy the stoning of Stephen who had the face and countenance of an angel. A man that Jesus himself stood up in heaven from his throne and welcomed in. For all purposes a religious terrorist with a overwhelming appetite for the blood of Christians. A man hell bent of wiping out an ideology of the man named Jesus. If there was ever a man that deserved hell by our own opinion, it would be Saul.

Saul is a perfect portrait of us. I see so many of you on facebook that are suffering and cant or wont come to surrender to Jesus because you don’t feel worthy. You feel like you have messed up so bad that Jesus could never love you. I know people on my facebook that have gotten so far into drug use that they are selling their bodies to get the money for their fix and they cant come to Jesus because they are to messed up. There was another prostitute that came to Jesus because she knew he might be her only hope. She even faces humiliation and ridicule for coming in these religious high priests house and cant help but fall at the feet of jesus and wash his feet with her tears and her hair and Jesus doesnt send her of disgusted by her sin. He loves her so much he forgives her sin. Her faith had saved her, she was free to live a new life without guilt and shame.

I know some of you that have been molested and raped and don’t feel like there is any hope of Jesus forgiving you and making you clean and whole. I know some of you that are having sex outside of marriage and in immoral relationships and cant come to Christ because the church has made you feel like there is no hope for you. Jesus meets a woman at a well in his enemies home town and tells her he knows about all her affairs but that he has living water that can heal her, cleanse her, forgive her and save her. He doesnt turn her away because of her sins, he loves her enough to go to a nasty wooded cross, to face horrible beating and humiliation because he loves her. He goes to the cross for a vicious ruthless killer and terrorist like Saul and as he stretches out his arms wide open he says for you, and for me, and for the prostitutes, for adulterers, and every sinner to ever be born, it is finished.

Saul could not have been farther from Christ and in 1 Timothy even calls himself the chief of sinners. You are never to far, to dirty, to unworthy, to sinful to be forgiven and set free. Saul is a shining example of Gods awesome grace and love for even the worst of us. That’s the good news and the hope of the Gospel.

Jesus pursues Saul with love and grace even in the midst Saul pursuing Christs followers with hatred and maliciousness.

Jesus is pursuing some of you right now. He has put person after person in your path to show you he is real and and at every opportunity you run away. You even tell people that you know God and that you pray but nothing in your life or actions shows you have fallen on your face like Saul and surrendered. Just knowing a few stories about Jesus isn’t enough. Saul knew lots of stories about Jesus but until he surrendered he was a slave to his anger and madness. Jesus wants to free you.

I thank God there were people in my walk with Christ that lived like Annanias. When I surrendered to Christ the religious people could have turned their nose up at me because of my past and left me blind and all alone. Sometime we as Christians do that to the people that need it the most. We see them say a prayer or make a move towards Christ and we put another notch in our holy gunslinger belt and go on to the next one. For those of us that believe we need to take these people by the hand like they are blind and lead them in what it looks like to love and follow Christ and we do it until the scales fall off and they can walk on their own. Annanias knew it might not be easy. I mean this is the man that wrecked havoc to the believers in Jerusalem. But he was faithful to the call. I thank God for people like Annanias in my life. I thank God for people like Chris Pace who walked with me when i didn’t know much of anything but that I loved Jesus. Those of us that love Jesus need to be Annanias.

I know right now Jesus is moving in someones heart from this message. Please don’t brush it off another minute. We arent promised tomorrow. For first time in a long time, maybe ever let Jesus take your hurt, your pain your shame and set you free.

I am going to pray but here is my personal number 8286741627, please call me if you need to talk.