From
Acts to Revelation
Part
24 – Saul's Conversion
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Saul was introduced to us as a young man
working with those who stoned Stephen at the end of Acts 7. They laid
their cloaks at his feet while they killed Stephen, and the scriptures tell us
that Saul consented to the death of Stephen.
Because of the persecution lead by people
like Saul, the church in Jerusalem dispersed, traveling to Judea and Samaria.
Today we are going to look at Saul, and how
his hate for followers of Christ grew to the point it consumed him.
Sometimes, when a truth is presented to us,
it has such a profound effect on us, that it becomes difficult to accept. The
bigger the truth, or the bigger our “self”, the more difficult it is to allow
God to do a work in us.
We will see how, God, judged Saul, not by
his actions, but by his heart, and how Saul, through obedience, became a
servant to the Lord.
Two weeks ago, before we took our break for
Passover, we saw Saul hunting Disciples.
The scriptures say, “Saul spoke threats
and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord.”
We then see the Lord appear to him, and
speak. Saul, trembling and astonished, submitted to the Lord, or became
“saved”, and asked the Lord, “What will You have me do?”
And the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go
into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Today we take a look at how God fulfills
His promise to Saul, and how God works through believers to do this.
Reminding us, we truly serve God when we
serve others. Listen as we read about a servant of God obeying His commands.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 9:10-19
“Yes,
Lord,” he answered.
11 The
Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a
man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man
named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,”
Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he
has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with
authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But
the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to
proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of
Israel. 16 I
will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then
Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said,
“Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were
coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy
Spirit.” 18 Immediately,
something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up
and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
I. GODS
COMMAND TO ANANIAS
a. God
Speaks to Ananias in a vision
1. God may
speak through the reading of His word
i.
Many times I have been reading the word and God speaks to me
through it
2. God may
speak in dreams or visions
i.
Sometimes we do not hear Him because the world is so busy around
us, so He will speak to us in our dreams...or we may have visions
3. God may
speak to your hearth through impressions
i.
This is how God usually speaks to me, through impressions in my
heart
4. God may
speak to you directly (audibly)
i.
As with Saul, though you may hear God, others around you do not
5. God may
speak to you through other believers
i.
We sometimes call this “confirmation”, because God has already
spoke with us about a matter, but we are afraid to move until we are sure...He
then speaks through other believers to give us that confirmation we sometimes
need.
6. God may
speak to you through prayer
i.
Sometimes during prayer, when we are silent, and listening...He
will speak.
b. God is
specific in detail
1. God is
not vague when speaking
2. He is
God, and knows all
3. He is
specific in prophecies, giving names, and locations and even dates of events
4. When
one says they speak for God, if even 1 single prophecy is incorrect, then it
was not God
c. We see
God's prophetic word to Ananias was 100% accurate
II. ANANIAS'
RESPONSE TO GOD'S COMMAND
a. He was
a servant of God
1. God
chooses to work through His people
2. This is
why we are called the Body of Christ
3. If God
is not effective and powerful in the world today, it is only because we are
failing
b. He
heard the command of God clearly in his vision
1. This is
not the Ananias who was with Sapphira in the beginning of Acts
2. They
were from Jerusalem, this was Ananias in Damascus
3. He
heard God clearly in his vision
c. He was
afraid to serve
1. We can
often be afraid to serve or obey God
2. We can
feel like we may be in danger, like Ananias
3. We may
feel like we are inadequate, like Moses
4. We may
feel like we don't want to, like Jonah
5. How
ever we may “feel”, we must obey God's command if we are to call our selves a
servant.
i.
Remember last week, we found from scripture that a servant is
someone who “serves”, or “does” what they are commanded.
ii. If you
do not “DO”, then you do not serve.
d. Ananias
obeyed God
1. In
spite of his fears
III.
SAULS CONVERSION IS COMPLETED
a. God
fulfilled prophecies to Saul and Ananias 100% accurately
1. Two men
who never met, were BOTH told about each other with remarkable detail.
2. God
fulfilled His word to both of them perfectly
b. Ananias
laid hands on Saul for receiving the Holy Spirit
1. As we
have seen in other scriptures, after one submits to the Lord and is “saved”,
they receive the Holy Spirit secondly, this is required to serve God...
c. Something
like scales fell from Saul's eyes
1. When
the Lord appeared before Saul, He was a great light
ILLUSTRATION:
A friend of mine was blinded in
high school for a short while because he looked at someone welding without
wearing goggles. His eyes formed layers that looked like plastic wrap over them
from being burned by the bright welding light.
After these came off, he could
see again.
Acts 9:3 “As he
neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him.”
You want evidence that the word
is the truth...listen to the description of the bright light flashing, and Saul
becoming blind from it, and the scales coming from his eyes after a few days.
That description could not be
“made up” 2,000 years ago, when they did not have anything bright enough to
cause this. No one would have known about what happens when the human eye is
faced with a bright light, so intense it burns it. I believe this description
is proof, and evidence that this event happened, and it really was the glory of
the Lord that shone so bright that it blinded Saul.
d. He was
then baptized
1. The
outward expression of a Spiritual truth, that we have accepted Jesus Christ as
our Lord, and the New Covenant of God, through His atoning sacrifice.
e. After
eating, he regained strength (fasted for three days)
1. Although
we serve God, and He is a Spirit, there are physical laws we must obey...Saul
had to eat to regain his strength after fasting for three days.
CONCLUSION
For us to rightly call
ourselves followers of Christ, we MUST be “Doers” of His word.
By “Doing”, we are actually
serving.
When we serve others, we are
acting on behalf of God, and are called the Body of Christ.
When we obey that which God
commands us, we are being “Good and faithful servants”
Has God spoke to you lately?
Have you heard what He has to say?
Has He given you a command?
