FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF VILLA RICA, PCA

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Saul's Conversion, Part II

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Villa Rica March 23, 2003

Acts 9:8-19

          The conversion of Saul was sudden and dramatic but even so it illustrates every man's conversion. As we go through this message I believe you will see how in certain respects it is the story of your conversion and mine.

          In the first 8 verses of chapter 9 we are told about Saul's raging persecution against Christians that he intended to carry forward to Damascus where many Christians had fled. He had gotten letters from the chief priest to go to the synagogues of Damascus and bring back bound those who had joined the Way. 

          But on the way to Damascus he experienced a light from heaven flashing around him that caused him to fall to the ground and a voice from heaven said to him,

 "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

And he said, "Who art thou, Lord?"

And he said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do."    

I.   Saul Proceeds To Damascus

A.  The Lord he had been persecuting now assumes control of his life and tells him to finish his trip to Damascus and there it would be told him what he must do.

Saul before his conversion was a man who was totally

committed to Judaism  but because he did not know Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord he was in darkness as to the truth about how a man can know the true God. A person can be intensely religious, as many people are in religions such as Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Animism, communism or Islam, yet still lack light about Jesus Christ as the only way to the true God. This was Saul's case. This was the chief priest's case. This is the case of all who know not the gospel. Until a person comes to see and believe that Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth and the light and that no man can come to the Father but by him he remains spiritually blind and dead.  As I pointed out in my first message on Saul's conversion, unconverted men oppose Christ and even engage in some form of persecution until they see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This light comes from the Bible read, taught or preached. Only then will the scales come off the eyes of one's heart.

          Steve Bartkowski, quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, is quoted in saying, "For years the Bible was a dead book to me ... like grits without salt.  But after I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it became alive.  I saw that the Bible was God's way of talking to me.". -- quoted by Jamie Buckingham in Power for Living.  Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 11.

B. Please notice that all men one way or another are subject to the sovereign will of God. In the case of unregenerate, unsaved men they act in accordance with their fallen nature and commit sinful deeds. But even in this, like their father Satan, they are on a leash and cannot go beyond God's ultimate sovereign will and purpose. The scripture tells us that even the wrath of man will praise him. Certainly his judgment upon the wicked will glorify his justice and uphold the honor of his holy and righteous name.

Why is there evil and wickedness on earth? Why must we fight a war against terrorism? To answer that question we need to ask why is there a Devil loose on the earth?

           Lucifer was created an angel with great beauty and wisdom. He considered himself to be as wise and adorable and worthy of worship as God. In his heart he wanted to be like God and to sit in the seat of God. In the 12^th chapter of Revelation we are told of a war that occurred in heaven. Lucifer drew to himself a third of the angels and Michael and all the loyal and good angels fought against the dragon and his angels. The result of that war was the defeat of this rebellion led by Lucifer. Lucifer is rightly named a dragon because he wanted to exert God-like control. We are told that the dragon and his angels found no place for themselves in heaven and that because of that there was reason to rejoice in heaven.

Turn with me to Revelation 12. Let me set the scene by explaining that this chapter tells the story of why we have persecution and warfare between God's people and those who remain in the camp of the Dragon Satan.

          The chapter begins by explaining that a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet has on her head a crown of twelve stars. The woman was with child and cries out as she is about to give birth.

          This woman represents the church having dominion authority symbolized by her being clothed with the light of the sun. The Virgin Mary represents the church bringing to birth the Christ child destined to have supreme authority in both heaven and earth. The dragon, in the person of King Herod, sought to kill this child but did not succeed.

This 12^th chapter tells us that the dragon managed to deceive one-third of the other angels by lying to them. The dragon sweeping them along with his tail to join him in his heavenly rebellion symbolizes this. Isaiah tells us that the tail represents a lying spirit -- The prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail. Isa. 9:15  

          But in this chapter there is good news. Even as the dragon loses his place in heaven and is cast to the earth with his angels, there is salvation for mankind. The one born of the woman brings that salvation to sinful men and now the blood of the Lamb and the word of their Christian testimony overcomes the accuser of God's people. 

           Let's read a few verses in Revelation 12 and we will see why and how the war that once raged in heaven now rages on earth, the dragon and his forces war against God's people

          Rev. 12:12-17 12 “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” 13And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

           9-11 came upon America because the dragon is enraged and persecutes the church of the living God. He does all he can to wage war on the people of God. His avowed aim is the destruction of all who bear the name of Jesus Christ.  Men are either for Christ or against Christ. Only the born again and converted soul is on the Lord's side. All the unsaved belong to the father of lies.

In the case of regenerate and saved men we are told to go into his vineyard and work. The Lord Jesus told Saul it would be told him what work he must do after he got to Damascus.

          You and I are saved to serve him too. What a blessing! To think that my life and yours can count for something in the grand scheme of things; that what you do has eternal significance. Saul the persecutor now becomes Saul the apostle. 

C. God allowed Saul to remain sightless for three days. He took no food or drink for those three days. Until that memorable day on the Damascus road he had not been thinking about waiting on what the Lord Jesus was going to instruct him to do. No, just the opposite, he had been intent on persecuting Christians and getting rid of Christianity altogether if he could. But now all he can think of is how wrong he had been about Jesus Christ, about how blind he had been until that light shone from above and he was told that he had been persecuting God himself when he persecuted the people of the Way. And now he begins to pray for forgiveness and for light to come from the Lord Jesus. That is what every Christian quickly learns to do.

Saul was no doubt repentant about his persecution of Christians. He not only asked for forgiveness he also asked God to show him what he was to do to serve him.

Ii.   Revelation Comes In Answer To Prayer

A.   The Lord Jesus now speaks to a man named Ananias in a vision. He is one of those disciples that Saul had come to bind and take to Jerusalem. God didn't choose Peter or another apostle or an elder or bishop or some notable person to give his Word to in a vision to go and minister to Saul. He chose an unknown disciple named Ananias. I believe by this the Lord is showing us that all Christians are important and can do his bidding and carry out important tasks. Listen again to the vision dialogue.

Acts 9:10-16 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, ¹²and 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.” ¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

B. Ananias did what the Lord told him to do. He went to the house where Saul was and laid his hands on him and said to him, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Vs. 17

          Notice that he calls him Brother Saul. No longer Saul the persecutor but Brother Saul. How quickly a person can be changed when the light dawns and they come to know Jesus Christ as Son of God and Lord of glory.  That's when the scales of unbelief fall from your eyes and you are given to know that the Holy Spirit is now in you to lead you and guide you in being an instrument and witness for Christ.

            Saul still had a lot to learn and suffer for the name of Christ. He was only just beginning the Christian life.   He no doubt learned some foundational things from Ananias and received his baptism from him. He broke his fast, took food and was strengthened.

          As I said in the beginning of this message Saul's conversion is illustrative of our own conversion. How so?

Well, for one thing, we all come to knowledge of our own sinfulness and ignorance. Brilliant man that he was, Saul had to learn that he was blind and ignorant of God's salvation. He came to see that he was headed in the wrong direction with his life, that he was an enemy of God and Christ, that he needed to repent and begin as a little child to learn about God in Christ and to rely on him for instruction and guidance. The proud Pharisee who had been taught by the respected Professor Gamaliel had first to learn from the less schooled and lowly Ananias.

          Secondly, like Saul we must change direction in our life. Saul continued on to Damascus but instead of pursuing his own will and in the process be warring against God he now joins forces with the risen Lord Jesus. Instead of being in the camp of the persecutors he is in the camp of the preachers of the gospel. Instead of fighting on the side of Satan against God he joins the army of God to take the good news of the gospel to lost men and women and bring sight to the blind and deliverance to the captives. The weapons of his warfare are the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. His feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. (Eph. 6:10-18) 

          President Bush was really quoting scripture when he said you are either with us or with the terrorists. Jesus put it this way: Matt. 12:30 ³⁰“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. There can be no middle ground. Before his conversion Saul was against Christ. After conversion he was with Christ. Before his conversion he was a scatterer. After his conversion he was a gatherer.

          This must necessarily be the case for all who are converted to Jesus Christ. But all outside of the kingdom of God are scatterers. Which camp do you identify with?

Come to Jesus Christ today! Ask him to do for you what he did for Saul and all others who receive his gift of faith and repent of their sins. Join God's army and begin to fight the fight of faith. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. And we are on the winning side. Christ is the captain of our salvation and he will win the battle.