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Our sermon will be on Acts 9:1-19

We have a website: https://tahlequahworshipcenter.com/

We are starting Wednesday Night service back up

Prayer requests:

Sue

Georgey

Billy and his Dad

Dorcas

Mark Wilson

Cristy’s Grandparents

Sandra

My Mom

Songs

Send The Light - 371

How Great Thou Art - 2

Praise You In This Storm

Do You See The Light

My eyes are really sensitive to light. When I was younger it was.

The good news is that I could see really well in the dark.

It got worse after I had lasik surgery.

I have eye pain almost daily.

There are various reasons why but one of them is an accident that happened when I was about 14 or so.

Me and one of my sisters went over to our neighbors house.

I don’t know what caused us to do this but we did something really, really stupid.

And I was a pretty smart kid, but I did some stupid stuff.

I’m starting to go down a rabbit hole - I guess I don’t want to admit what I did.

We decided to use these little mini darts and have a dart fight.

We all had pillows as a shield and our own darts.

Anyway, my friend or my sister through their dart at me and I dropped my pillow.

The rest of this happened in slow motion.

I saw red for awhile. Not because I was angry, but because of blood.

For a few minutes, I thought I might be blind

I don’t know if that is the reason or not, but I have had a lot of pain in that eye since then.

Vision is important and you don’t know how important it is until you almost lose it.

Today, we are going to be talking about a man who lost his vision,

because he “Saw the Light”.

Acts 9:1–19 NKJV

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. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” 13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in 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 vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Who was Saul?

So before we continue, we need to introduce the subject of today’s scripture: Saul or Paul

I want to start with who he was before this incident.

Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul was his Greek name.

I will probably call him Paul most of the time out oF habit.

He was probably about the same age as Jesus.

He was from the city of Tarsus which was a major city in eastern Cilicia which was at that time part of Syria.

He was both a Jew and a Roman citizen.

He was trained to be a tent maker and continued that after becoming a christian in order to help fund his ministry.

Paul was a Pharisee, he learned under a well known Gamaliel who was mentioned in Acts 5:34.

The first time we see Paul in the Bible is when Stephen is stoned.

It says in chapter 7 that they laid Stephen’s clothes at Paul’s feet.

Then chapter Acts 8:1

Acts 8:1 NKJV

1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

So Paul was going from synagogue to synagogue, house to house, dragging off people, committing them to prison.

That brings us to chapter 9.

Let’s read Acts 9:1-2

Acts 9:1–2 NKJV

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.

Interestingly, notice that the christians were said to be part of the Way.

So he was on his way to Damascus (which is north and east of Israel) in order to persecute the church, when he encountered something that would change his life.

What did Saul see?

He saw the risen and glorified Lord Jesus.

Before we continue, I want to talk about the times that Jesus is seen after he was risen and had ascended.

There is only 1 place in scripture where Jesus appeared after he ascended and that is here.

But there is another place where Jesus is seen.

Turn to Revelation 1:12-17

Revelation 1:12–17 NKJV

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

Notice that it says that Jesus’ countenance was like the sun.

What happens if you look directly at the sun?

It can blind you.

So notice that is says in verse 3 that a light shone around him.

In Acts 22:6

Acts 22:6 NKJV

6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

It says in that account that those who were with Paul, saw the light and they were afraid, but they didn’t hear the voice.

I think after looking at all of these passages, that the light of Jesus is so great that it burnt his eyes.

We hear about people seeing Jesus in a vision, but I think if they truly saw Jesus, they would be blind.

I don’t think we can see Jesus without being blinded.

I have heard of people who had near death experiences that saw a great light.

It’s possible that they are seeing Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 15:8

1 Corinthians 15:8 NKJV

8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

Paul did see Jesus and it blinded him.

Weren’t we blind before we encountered Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but I was.

After I was saved, I saw things in the scripture that I had never seen before.

The light of Jesus shines on scripture.

Even if it is dim right now, it’s still shining.

The light of Jesus does 2 things for us.

It shines on the Word.

It shines on sin.

In 1 Corinthians 13:12

1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

By the light of Jesus, we can see, but we only see partly.

What did Saul do?

Paul surrendered to the light.

From then on, Paul did as the Lord asks.

However, he is not immediately healed.

He was blind for three days. He didn’t eat either.

Do you think that had any significance?

Here’s another thing that’s significant:

God sends a Christian to deliver the gospel and heal him.

Before the NT, we often see angels sent to deliver messages to mankind.

After Jesus rose, most of the time it is a believer.

God uses us to deliver the message.

Paul is then healed and he can see.

So, I was almost blind before I became a Christian.

In a couple of ways.

My vision was so bad that I couldn’t see.

I remember when I was about 9 or 10 and I got my glasses.

I remember marveling at the fact that I could see the leaves.

Trees weren’t just a blob of green.

I also remember when I became a Christian.

I had grown up in church, but I had never seen the scripture.

The light of Jesus was now shining on the text.

I read the Bible through multiple times that first year.

I understood it, I absorbed it.

There is another scripture that I want to read to you.

In Revelation 21:22-24

Revelation 21:22–24 NKJV

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Jesus is the Light!

One last scripture. Hopefully it will get to the point I’m trying to make.

John 1:6–13 NKJV

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 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: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Do you see the Light of the world?

Does the light of scripture cause you to shun the light?

Do you believe, or do you have darkness in you?

Do you see the Light, or is it the darkness?

They only way to Jesus is to seek forgiveness.

Are you a child of the light?

Are you ready to see the light of Jesus?

I may have been blind, but now I see.