Paul On the road to Damascus

Called to the Mission!

Good morning!

I want us to split into groups of 2 or 3 for a moment. Yes keep the groups small.

What we are going to do is I want you to come up with a list of 5 sins that you believe are the worst sins.

List them in order from 1-5 (1 is the worst, 5 is the least bad of the 5).

I then want you to list 5 practical ways that we deal with those sins.

Ok so if the sin is lying, list it and then list one practical way that we stop lying.

Make sense?

Go!

Transition:

If you are a following of Christ, how does your life look different than those who do not follow Christ?

This morning I want to talk about A guy names Saul who became Paul.

Paul was one of the worst sinners to ever walk the earth.

And yet, Jesus calls him and gives him a mission.

Guys, when Jesus calls us out of our sin, he isn’t just calling you away from something.

He’s calling you towards something.

He gives us a purpose. A mission.

Let’s see what he does with Paul this morning and then let’s also bring that full circle so we see how God gives us practical ways to deal with sin.

First Let’s read Acts 9:3-20

Acts 9:3–20 (CSB)

As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” “Here I am, Lord,” he replied. “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. And after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time. Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”

First and foremost, can we all agree this morning how awesome God is?

I mean think about this story at face value for a moment.

A bad guy, one of the worst guys to ever live, just got wrecked by Jesus.

Right?

I mean what power did Saul have when God chose to enter in and flip his story upside down?

Saul had great power among men, but what was that when compared to God?

Guys… Jesus called the one who was persecuting out of that life and instead into the life of the one being persecuted…

And Saul obeyed.

Saul made threats against the church.

He had been there when the first church leader was killed (stephen)

He had endorsed much violence and committed much violence himself against God.

And yet this guy, God called out of death and into life.

This guy, Jesus said “Hey man, I’m alive, why don’t you come follow me and quit trying to kill me.”

Saul a man of great power in man’s eyes, was brought low by the power of Jesus.

But God didn’t just save Paul from something (persecuting His church) he saved Him for something (proclaiming the gospel)!

If you look at vs. 4-5 we read,…

What did vs. 5 say?

“who are you, ‘Lord?’”

Do I recognize the voice of Jesus?

Did Paul recognize Jesus’ voice?

Do you?

Do I?

I mean if God stopped us in our tracks today and called us to himself, would we listen?

Would I?

Would it not be a bit frightening to get to heaven one day and hear Jesus say, “Hey man, I called your name like 15000 times in your life, why didn’t you answer me?

You turn and look at your friend who happened to die at the same time as you and you go, “Jesus called my name 15,000 times...”

And Jesus goes, yeah, but I called his name 45,000 times…

WHAT WERE YOU DOING GUYS!??

But seriously…

Do we recognize the voice of Christ?

Paul hears the voice of Christ here, but he doesn’t know who it is. “Who are you, Lord?” (vs. 5).

May that never be you. May that never be me!

We have the opportunity every day to open up God’s word and hear from Him.

To pray for someone around us and seek Him.

To remind someone in front of us about whom we have faith in!

Are we doing that?

You may say, “Ben, I’ve never heard the voice of Christ.”

I haven’t either guys!

I haven’t audibly heard Jesus speak to me, but let me tell you what Scripture says.

Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV)

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Romans 1:20 (ESV)

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God has revealed himself through His creation and through His son.

If you aren’t recognizing Jesus when we observe creation and if we aren’t listening to the words of Jesus by reading His word, then we aren’t listening to Christ!

We don’t know Him.

And consequently, He doesn’t know us.

DO you know Him?

Pay attention to Hebrews 1 and Romans 1. That’s how we know hear Him.

2. Are you humbled enough to listen?

What did Jesus instruct Paul to do?

go to Damascus!

Blind Paul, led by the hand, goes.

But what about Ananias?

God comes to him in vs 10-11 and tells him to ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul.

What is Ananias’ response in vs. 13?

Lord… Uh… I’ve heard about this dude. Did you mix up your commands here?

Clearly God, You don’t realize what you’re asking me to do!

On the list of top 5 sins, Paul has ALL OF THOSE COVERED GOD!

But then God in all gentleness says in vs. 15, “Go, this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, Kings, and Israelites!”

Wait wait wait wait…

Have you ever been overlooked for a task, role, or something simlar?

I used to play soccer and I remember times I had a good shot man. I was accurate and could kick pretty hard.

I remember a few times being overlooked on a set piece and someone else was given the green light to take the shot!

I thought, WHy not me? I should be the one!?

Maybe you thought you were overlooked in band or orchestra, you thought you were better than the person in front of you.

Maybe you were overlooked by a teacher for your good grade and she chose to call someone else out.

Many times in our lives we will feel overlooked.

Can you imagine Ananias here?

Wait God… You dont want to use me to reach all these people for your name.

You want me to risk my neck to talk to the world’s leading terrorist?

You want me to stick my neck out for him and then you will use Him to change the world?

WHo do you think you are God?

Are we humble enough to be used by God?

Are you humble enough to listen?

Ananias was.

Vs. 17 he goes in and God heals Saul.

Saul regains His sight.

He got up, was baptized.

and then he begins proclaiming Christ.

3. Do you see God’s ways are not our ways?

If it was up to man, we would have killed Paul.

We would have eliminated from the picture for the greater good.

So more people would know Christ rather than die at the hands of Paul.

But God… .

God took the scariest dude on earth, and humbled him. made him be led by the hand, blind, weak, and impotent.

The great hunter of Christians became the weak blind beggar.

Ananias, probably terrified also obeyed and went and found Saul where God said he would be.

And in a holy moment where both men are probably terrified, God heals Saul physically and spiritually and God uses both men to share his word.

What practical ways did Paul have to get rid of His sins?

The answer is nothing but Jesus…

Like Joe said last week. How did the theif on the cross get into heaven?

He didn’t know any deep docrines?

He wasn’t baptized.

He hadn’t led anyone to Jesus or said a sinners prayer himself!

He had no Christian acolades to stand on!

All he could say is “the man on the middle cross said I could come!”

Y’all… This is all Paul had too.

I can’t prove to you I won’t kill Christians anymore, but I can promise if your life is in danger, mine will be in danger with you too.

Acts 9:16 ESV

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Sometimes God will call all of us to do things that don’t make sense.

It certainly didn’t make sense to Paul or Ananias.

But look what God did?

Most of the New Testament was written because of both of their faithfulness.

What could God do through your life just because you responded to Him in faithfulness.

It’s not about figuring out the life hack to deal with your sin.

It’s not about practical ways to deal with your sin.

It’s that when it comes to our sin, ALL WE HAVE!

All we will ever have!

Is the man on the middle cross who also rose from the grave!

How we will let Him use us?