Scripture:
Acts 9:1-9 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.
Observation:
I love Paul’s story. He tells it a few times in the bible and every time, it catches my attention. Of course, in Acts chapter 9, it’s presented in real time, as it actually happened. Which, in fact, opens up a lot about what was really going on at the time of Paul’s conversation. Now, before I get too far, I have to say the reason I love Paul’s story so much is that I feel like I relate to it so much. Not that I am a highly educated man nor that I have been going to church all my life. But that, at one point, was knocked to my back, blinded by the way I was living, and I needed to be restored. Now my time is limited this morning, so I will try to get this out as quickly as possible. What I see in the scripture here is that Paul’s life had been shaken. Everything he had believed and was taught. It was brought into question by some backyard preacher at the gate of the city. I can see him standing there thinking,” Who is this guy and where did he come from, I know what he is saying, but that’s not the way I was taught it, and I’m not going to stand for it.” Steven had brought the lens of Jesus Christ to the scripture that had been used to teach young Jewish boys for the last several hundred years. Everything he believed was now in question. A clearly upsetting moment. As the weight of that set in Paul’s anger grew into rage and his answer was to get a letter to shut it down. I will silence every one of them. So, going to the high priest at the time, that’s exactly what he did. Little did he know that GOD had a plan. His anger had gotten the best of him, and he was about to be brought to his knees and his whole life be turned around. Once outside of Jerusalem, and somewhere between there and Damascus, the opportune time hit. Jesus Christ would reveal HIMSELF in person. Everything he had heard and disagreed with would be right in front of him with no way to deny it. Knocked to the ground flat on his back with nothing to do but look up. He hears his name, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” As he heard the voice and given the situation there was nothing else to do but acknowledge the LORD for who HE is. “Who are you, LORD?” was the only response that could be given. The weight of that moment had to be so heavy that it could not be fully understood by anyone but Saul and the LORD HIMSELF. ” I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Paul had been fighting against the one thing he thought he was fighting for, and here on the road to Damascus all that was brought into the light. I’m sure it was hard for him to understand. Everything he had been taught by men he had respected was now seemingly wrong through the lens of Jesus. Trembling and astonished, all he could ask was a question of surrender, ” LORD, what do you want me to do?” The simple instructions were given, arise and go into the city, and there you will be told what you must do.” A personal encounter with Jesus had taken place. Those who were with him heard the voice but they saw no one – it wasn’t for them. As he was picked up off the ground, his sight was not yet restored. That wouldn’t happen for another three days and would require the obedience of another follower of Jesus. I believe the significance of three days is important. That’s how long Christ was in the grave, and Paul’s thinking needed to be completely refocused. Lying there for three days gave him a lot of time to think. Running over scriptures in his mind. I can see him lying there thinking… if Jesus has risen then that means HE is the Messiah, and if he is the Messiah, then things are about to get real.
Application:
I remember that day like it was yesterday. The day my life changed. All the conditioning that had taken place was confronted and something had to be done. All I could do was look up. The LORD had called me. My life would be different from that day forward. Kicking against the goads could no longer happen. GOD had personally placed a fire in me that I could not put out. Yet it did not consume me. Instead, for the next several years, it would prepare me for wherever HE is taking me. The thing is, the fear would have to be removed. Fear of what man thought of me, fear of who I would become if I surrendered fully to GOD, fear of death. The fire burned all that out. GOD had placed HIS Holy Spirit inside of me. Everything I had built was burned to the ground, the spotlight, the fame, all the glory, was now HIS. My life was not my own, and I could not deny HIM what HE had given HIS life to purchase. All the anger all the conditioning from people I had respected had been redefined through the lens of Jesus. My homeless SAVIOR. It was mo longer about my kingdom. It couldn’t be. HE was the risen KING. HE had to have the throne of my heart. Where I used to look for fame, I now count as loss. I am not a pastor, I am not a preacher, I’m not looking for any spotlight, or resignation, I don’t want any position in a church, or anything else. All I want is to love Jesus and do what HE tells me to regardless of what others might think. My life is not my own. HE has redefined my thinking. Love the least of these, is now my banner. A banner worth fighting for.
Prayer:
Father, you are so amazing, and I thank you for changing my life. I am one of the least of these. But you saw fit to reveal your Son to me at just the right time. Taking this broken man and giving purpose to his life. I can’t help but thank you for that. Father thank you for placing your purifying fire inside of me. Thank you for placing your love in me. Thank you for showing me your truth. I pray that we honor you in all that we do. That our focus would be on building your kingdom. That we would chase after the lost, the hurting, and the broken with the same love that your son showed us. As the love of many continues to grow cold and those you chase are pushed aside let the church be a place they can run to and find you. We do not want you on the outside knocking on the door. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, change us where changing needs to take place. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen.