Book of Acts chapter 9, Acts chapter 9. We are going to refer back just a little bit to chapter 6 and 7 this morning, but we want to look here at the book of Acts chapter 9 and I want to read the first two verses that will set the tenor for our message this morning. In the book of Acts chapter 9 verses 1 and 2, and Saul I'm so thankful that God is so confident in His redemptive work.

There was a whole bunch of people that knew this man at least by reputation that I'm sure were saying this guy is going to be damned to eternal hell for what he's doing. And yet in God's redemptive work, he is one of his lost sheep. Now he is going to be used, and this is, we may say, that's a terrible thought, but he's going to be used to promote some of God's saints to glory.

One of them being Stephen. And once Stephen went through that terrible experience of being stoned to death, he would have never in his life, and I use that word very figuratively, want to be back. He saw his Savior, and he had no interest of ever being back upon this earth. All right, Saul, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest and desired of him letters. to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, this way is the way that Stephen preached, this way is the gospel preaching, If he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Now, if we go back in the previous two chapters here, we find out that there is an account of a man by the name of Stephen.

Stephen was called to be one of those helpers in the church to begin with, and then we find out that he's arrested for preaching the gospel, and he was given an opportunity to preach his very last sermon before a whole host of those Jews that had great authority in their religion. And he is sentenced to death in that as he preached the gospel.

Now, if we look back there in the book of Acts chapter 8, it tells us there in, let me get there. No, it's in chapter 7. I'm sorry. And it tells us here in verse 58 of Acts chapter 7, chapter 7 verse 58, And cast him out of the city, Stephen, and stoned him, Stephen.

And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man's feet, whose name was Saul. Note, this man, Stephen, was much like what we read about with regard to Noah. Noah is mentioned over in the book of 2 Peter, and it says, not only was he an art builder, but he was a preacher of righteousness.

He was a preacher of the gospel in his day over there as God had pronounced that this world was going to come to an end, and, ìNoah, you build an ark for the saving of your people.î Now, there were only eight people that got on that boat. that they wanted to get on and couldn't, they didn't want to get on. But eight people got on there, and he's a preacher of righteousness, and we find that every preacher in the Old Testament that was a preacher of God was a preacher of righteousness. Just like we find today that every preacher that has any salt about them is a preacher of righteousness.

The righteousness of Christ is the only thing that will cover us appropriately. Here we find that this Stephen laid down his life for the gospel. He gave his life, really, for the gospel, and it was Saul that was there, and they laid down their clothes at his feet. Now, there's some things that we can understand. It doesn't come out directly and tell us, but there's some things that we can understand that Saul of Tarsus heard Stephen's preaching on this day, and he may have heard it at other times.

But he was familiar with his natural ears with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we know at this time he was not familiar with his heart. He was not familiar with his spiritual mind. He was hiding all of that. He was keeping that away. He was so angry with the preaching of the gospel that he would consent to the death of one of the preachers, but he had heard the gospel. You know, that s one of the things that we are to do is to preach the gospel and leave the results to God. Preach the gospel. Be instant in season, out of season. Declare the gospel. And that's exactly what Stephen did.

And he may not have understood that his words were going out there and hitting Saul's ears, but he too was a man who was fiery against the gospel and his heart was against God, just like those who stoned him. What does it say? They gnashed on him with their teeth. Why? Because he preached the word of God the Gospel, the Old Testament Word of God, so clearly that if they consented to it, they would have to admit that they were wrong. Well, they take him out, they kill him, and Saul walks away after that.

He had no doubt read the Gospel because he was very read in the Old Testament. And what do we find Jesus said about the Old Testament? It speaks of me. From Genesis to Malachi. those prophets spoke of Jesus Christ and His great redemptive work. And Saul of Tarsus had read it. I think that if we had him here before he was saved, he could have quoted most of the Old Testament.

He was so familiar with it, but he knew nothing about what it was saying except legalism and sacrifices. Saul had plans. As we read there in the book of Acts chapter 9, he had plans, and he had big plans about what he was going to be doing down there in Damascus. But you know what? God took care of his big plans.

Turn with me, if you would, over to the book of Proverbs, chapter 19, for just a moment. In the book of Proverbs, chapter 19, we find God speaking here about some things that He is in absolute control of. And He's in absolute control of Saul of Tarsus. People may say, well, He's not being controlled. Well, He is by Almighty God. God's directing His paths. He's directing His paths to Damascus. Now, He thinks He's going to go down there and fulfill His purpose, but He's going to go down there and fulfill God's purpose.

Here in the book of Proverbs 19, verse 21, there are many devices in a man's heart. You know, we couldn't come up with a list. of all the devices that are in a man's heart. Not our heart, not alone, all of us combined. But there are many devices in a man's heart.

Nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. It doesn't matter what decision someone comes up with about their way against God, but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Nancy and I had a young lady very close to us say she didn't believe in God. Why should she? She didn't know a thing about God. You know, but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Turn with me, if you would, another chapter here in the book of the Proverbs, chapter 21. In Proverbs chapter 21, we again find that God is in absolute charge.

Saul of Tarsus had these great big plans of what he's doing. He got permission from the high priest. He had the paperwork in his hand. He's headed out towards Damascus to do great harm in the church of the living God down there. And yet we find out God is in absolute control of this in Proverbs 21, verse 1. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As rivers of water, he, the Lord, turneth it with us wherever he will. No, God is in charge of this.

He's in charge of Saul of Tarsus from the day he was born. He's been in charge of him. He's been marked him out. He's all ready. We find out that he told that preacher down there in Damascus that was going to go over and talk to him, he's a chosen vessel of mine. When did God make that choice? Before the foundation of the world, he made that choice. He's in charge of what's going on.

So he, as we read here, the king's heart, doesn't matter what king, doesn't matter what president, doesn't matter what mayor, doesn't matter. The king's heart is in the hands of the Lord and as rivers of water, he turneth it with us whoever he will. And we say, well, they made the wrong decision. the outcome's going to be glorifying God. It's just going to happen that way. All right.

Turn with me, if you would, to the Psalms. Back up to the Psalms here for a reading. Psalm 33, verse 10 and 11. In Psalm 33, verse 10 and 11, we read this. Psalm 33, verses 10 and 11. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nothing. Psalm 33, verse 10. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught. He maketh the devices of his people of none effect.

You know, there was a very powerful king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar, and before we know it, he's eating grass. I've never seen that happen. Have you? When I read the Bible, I can see it happening. He did that. God actually did that to Nebuchadnezzar, turned his nature to eat grass. And for seven years, the kingdom is run by someone else. And then the Lord gave him his mind back. And you know what he did when God gave his mind back? He confessed one of the greatest declarations in the Bible about the sovereignty of God. He recognized then that God was in charge, even him.

Verse 11, the counsel of the Lord standeth forever. The thoughts of His heart to all generations. I'm so thankful that we read in the Scriptures that the God of the Bible does not change. He doesn't change His mind. He doesn't change His position. He doesn't change anything about Him. He standeth sure. There's no shadow of turning about Him. From eternity, old eternity, to the very farthest reach of all eternity, God has never changed His mind, never changed His purpose, never changed anything about Him. He changeth not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Turn with me, if you would, a little further in the Old Testament to the book of Isaiah as we think about Saul of Tarsus and his big plans to go down to Damascus and arrest folks and bring them up for trial. And hopefully, as he's going to confess later, put them to death, get them away from the problem.

In Isaiah 14, verse 26, read this with me. Isaiah 14, verse 26, we read these words by the prophet and it says, this is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth. It's not just a section, it's the whole earth that he purposed. Here in the book of Isaiah, chapter 14, verse 26, this is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth. And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it?

You know, a lot of people's prayers almost tell you that they hope to change God's mind on this. You know, if we could change God's mind, we might as well go fishing. Because it won't be long, He'll be upset with us in changing His mind about us. He doesn't change His mind.

It says here, "...for the Lord of hosts hath purposed, who shall disannul it? Who shall make it not? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? What a statement God makes about himself. And even though natural man may think that we're all powerful and that we can do anything, we find out everything is in the hands of God, just as Saul of Tarsus is in the hands of God from his very conception.

From before he was conceived, the generations back, he is in the control of Almighty God. He's born, he's raised in a very religious home. His father is a Pharisee. He's a Pharisee. And there's no compunction about changing. But you know when the Lord saved him, and I'm getting ahead of myself, but when the Lord saved him, he never ever went back into that. He never returned to religion.

He held the gospel of Jesus Christ to the highest extent. So Saul of Tarsus had all of these plans, and we find out that they were exactly in the purpose and plan of God. Turn with me to the book of Isaiah chapter 46, if you would. When the Lord saves one of his lost sheep, He gives them a heart to love Him, a heart of faith, a heart to quit trying to disrespect God, not to believe what the Bible clearly states. Here in Isaiah 46 and verse 10, The believer doesn't try to figure a way out of what God's word has to say.

They try to figure a way out. How does this affect this area? How does this affect? It affects all areas. Here it says in Isaiah 46 and verse 10, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying, my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. The church delights in the fact that God said it and it will come to pass. That God is in charge of all things and it will come to pass. The same sun that melts wax will harden clay.

And we're going to look at two examples found in the Bible. One of them is Pharaoh, and the other one is Saul of Tarsus. You know, when we get to looking at them, we find they were related, just like you and I are related. Whether we want to believe it or not, whether people believe it or not, every one of us are related to Adam. We have a common father and a common mother, and every one of us are related to those two folks. And since we're related to those two folks, we carry their bad genes. Every relative of Adam is a sinner by nature, a sinner by practice, and a sinner by choice. We're dead in trespasses and sin. So we could say that about Pharaoh, and we can say that about Saul of Tarsus. Dead in trespasses and sin.

They had the same belief. They had the same God. Pharaoh had a God. It was himself. You know who Saul's God was? Himself. He could say, I believe in the God of Israel, but his real God was himself, just like the rest of us. We find out here that there is a way that God dealt with them.

They're both religious. Both of them are murderers. They've committed the worst. Both are very intolerant of others. Don't you dare get in my way. Saul proves that with our dear friend and brother. They both hated the true God. Both were at the top of their heap. One's a king, one's the chief of the Pharisees. There is so many things that are identical between the two of them, even though they were separated by centuries. We have them.

All right, I would like us to turn to a passage in the book of Romans, chapter 9, and then go back to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 18. But in the book of Romans, chapter 9, beginning with verse 21, chapter 9, verse 21, here we have that God that we read about through the Old Testament.

There are just a few verses about Him, but they're all true, and they all speak of His ability to do what He determines to do, that nobody can hold Him back, that when He says it, it will come to pass. When He thinks it, it's going to come to pass. Every thought that God has ever had is going to come to pass. Now, I may think in the morning, you know, there are times I tell Nancy, I said, you know, I just had a wonderful thought and I should have got up and wrote it down, but I can't remember what it was. I see some, it happens. But you know, our God never has that problem. Every thought he ever had in eternity past will be carried out to the fullest degree. Nothing shall be hindered. God is going to have his will done.

Well, here in the book of Isaiah, excuse me, the book of Romans 9, verse 21, hath not the potter power over the clay? Now, I have done this one time, and I have the object in my study. My daughter took me down to the potter's house. She used to work for one. And she said, Dad, would you like to turn out a pot? Well, you know what I thought and what happened are two different things. A lot of practice going into making some of these pots that we see, the pottery.

But here we have, does not the potter have power over the clay? I would have really been shocked if Jennifer had given me a lump of clay and it stood up and says, you're not going to touch me. It's an inanimate object. It has no mind in the sense of resistance. And here it says, hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor.

Now, Paul is bringing up a object lesson that we find in the book of Jeremiah, and we'll read that momentarily. But verse 22, what if God, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, What if God, good question, what if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? Now, it would be so easy for us to say that God is really longsuffering. He was very longsuffering with me. He let me live to be 34 and a half years old before I ever got to hear the gospel. and all the trash that I did prior to that, the nonsense.

Now, I didn't have a police record, but I should have. I thought a lot of bad things, but on God's record, there was sin, sin, and sin. I was chargeable with the law with death because of my sin. I couldn't hide it and I couldn't stop doing it, the best I could do. And even in my heart, I committed sin daily, every second, because I had not submitted myself to God.

And you know, there's a command to trust God, to repent and believe, God commands it. And here we find out when we hear the gospel, how can I do that? God commands it, how can I do that? Well, the wonderful thing is that He supplies it all. So we're just resting in Him, resting in Him.

What if God, willing to show His wrath, make His power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? Now those two verses speak of the two people that we want to talk about. One was fitted for destruction to the very beginning. The other was fitted, what? For mercy. And they have the same relatives, they have the same issues, they have the same sin, they have everything about them that are identical. They're human beings, born in a human family, raised in a human family, and hate God, and worship themselves, and have some sort of religion. And one of them, God said, I'm going to show mercy on. And the other one, he said, I'm not going to show mercy on.

Now, does he have the right to do that? Well, I've had people straightforward, religious people get in my face and say, no, he does not. Well, the Bible says he does. Now, I'm going to have to take the Bible or throw it out one. All right, what if God, what if God? And then, verse 24, even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.

What if he wants to show mercy to this one? All right, turn with me, if you would, back to the book of Jeremiah. Now, this is where Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to quote from book of Jeremiah, chapter 18. The book of Jeremiah chapter 18, Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to quote a passage of scripture that had to do with a potter.

Now he said, and you know, they depended a whole lot more on a potter than we do. If I want a pot, I go down to the store. That little thing I made is worth about three cents. The hour I put into it worth about three cents. Now we have people here that are professionals with this. But I'm not.

Well, Jeremiah chapter 18. Notice with me here, chapter 18, verse 1. Jeremiah was told by the Lord, I want you to go down and witness something. I want you to see something firsthand. I want you to illustrate. You know, I'm really more of a visual learner. I like to see it. I like to see it. I read how to play chess out of an encyclopedia. But you know where I got the real experience? When a classmate of mine had a chessboard and chess pieces and I got to see it really. Well, I want an illustration.

Arise, go down to the potter's house. Now this would have been very easy for them to do. And you know what there was around most potter houses? piles of broken pottery. Stuff that didn't meet the standard. I remember Brother Mike bringing a lesson one time about, there's a word in the New Testament with regard to pottery, and they got so that they could find a crack and they'd cover it up with wax and sell it for a good pot, but it wasn't. You know, that's just the way we are. We try to fix things in a bad way instead of just throwing it out.

Well, here we go. Rise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. Now, these wheels were usually, they didn't have electric motors on them like the one I got to use. They were foot moved.

He went down there to the potter's house, and the potter was someone that had done this for some time, and he could bring out quality products. The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter, so he made it again another vessel that seemed good to the potter to make it. Now he's given us an illustration here, and this illustration is, the potter has a pot and it didn't turn out quite like he wanted, so what did he do? He said there, he made it again, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Does God have the right to treat you and I as a potter would treat the pottery?

Does he have the right? Absolutely. He absolutely has that right. He's God. Now he's either a capital G.O.D. or he is a little case G.O.D. and the world religion has him as a little case G.O.D. but the church has him as a capital G.O.D. because they know that he has the right to do as he pleases.

Now I'm so thankful that he was pleased to let me hear the gospel. He was pleased to give me the new birth. He was pleased for me to repent and believe. But it wasn't repentance and belief that I could muster up. It was supplied to me. God supplied it. He supplies everything that He demands. He supplies everything.

Well, the house of Israel, cannot I do as you as a potter, saith the Lord? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. Now, when he's talking about the house of Israel, he can talk about the state house of Israel, or he can talk about what he does mostly through the Old Testament, and that's the spiritual house of Israel, which is the church.

I'm thankful that He brings people out of the nonsense of this world and reveals unto them the Lord Jesus Christ and it's His handiwork. What does it tell us in Ephesians 2 and verse 10? For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He hath before ordained that we should walk in them. We're His handiwork. We're the work of the potter's hands. And he said, I am going to perform a work out of mercy. And that's what we're going to find with regard to Saul of Tarsus. He's a rascal.

He's somebody that we wouldn't want to be around. If he was in the grocery store acting like he normally would, we'd walk out and wait till he left. If he was in the restaurant, we wouldn't sit down with him. We would say, no, thank you, sir. But you know, when God saved him by his grace, we'd say, would you teach us? And we'd read the book of Romans. We'd read the book of 1 and 2 Corinthians. We'd read Ephesians and Philippians and Galatians. And what is Paul doing? He's being used by God to teach us God's word. And we say, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Saul. Paul? All right.

As we read these verses of scripture, we find out that they are so applicable to what we find in the Bible. There are examples of both these examples found in the Bible. We are finding those in the Bible that God said they were made for my wrath. And there are those in the Bible that God said they are for my mercy. He tells us that. And he tells us that Pharaoh was made for one reason.

You know what the Bible says about Pharaoh? For this purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in you and destroy him in the Red Sea. Well, that's not fair. You want fair? Every one of us would be on the left-hand side when God said, depart from me. If we want fair, I want mercy. I want grace. I know what I am. Left to myself, I know what I am. So here we have it.

The Pharaoh and Saul started at the same point. We know they had the same natural issues. They were both sinners before God, both dead in trespasses and sins. It would be very hard to say that one of these historical figures was any better or worse than the other one. Let's give them a test. Saul, are you better than Pharaoh? Prove it. Well, hmm. Hmm. Pharaoh, are you better than Saul of Tarsus? Hmm.

Well, I must be, because I'm king. Well, that's a faulty discussion, isn't it? They are identical before Almighty God. Both are religious. Both are murderers. Both are very intolerant of others. Both hated the true God. And both were at the top of their heap. You know, when Paul was questioned about his authority, he says, if you have something to brag about, I got more to brag about in religion. But when it was done, said and done, I counted all that as done.

In the book of Exodus chapter 9, would you turn there with me? Exodus chapter 9. We're going to go back to the Old Testament and read about Saul's counterpart. The other side, This one that God said that he raised him up for a purpose. And this purpose was to show God's power. You know, Saul could have said the same thing after he saved.

He raised me up to show his power in me. My goodness. It was his power that saved me. It was his grace that saved me. It was his mercy that saved me. I am just like Pharaoh was, only in a positive sense. I am what I am by the grace of God. God showed his great power in him. This is what I can do to save the worst of the worst of the worst by my grace.

All right, the book of Exodus chapter nine. The book of Exodus chapter nine, beginning with verse 13. The Lord said unto Moses, rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews. Now he wanted Moses to make sure that he told Pharaoh about who he represented. It wasn't the God Ra that Pharaoh represented. It was the Lord God, as it tells us here, the Lord God of the Hebrews.

Let my people go that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart and upon thy servants and upon thy people. And how many plagues did he send? He sent nine terrible plagues upon the Egyptians, and then he brings out the Passover. All right. Upon thy servants, upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show my power, show in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. Why did he raise up Pharaoh king of Egypt at this time? That I might show my power in you. Now, why does God raise up anybody in authority? That I might show my power in you. All right. In verse 16, this very deed for this cause have I raised thee up. Now, over in the book of Genesis, back up if you would to the book of Genesis, chapter 15.

Now God is talking to Abraham. Abraham is a type and a shadow and a picture of every believer, the father of the faithful. God worked the work. Where did Abraham come from? Right out of idolatry. He wasn't born into loving Jesus. He was born in idolatry and performed idol worship.

And that's what Joshua shares with us. The God of glory went down to Ur of the Chaldees and appeared unto him and called him out of that idolatry. the God of glory. He would have stayed there except for that. And that's part of Stephen's message in the book of Acts.

Alright, here in the book of Genesis chapter 15 it says, And then he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. Now, this is a prophetic statement made by God to Abram before any of the children of Israel are in bondage down in Egypt. Your family is going to be in bondage in Egypt, and they will be in bondage in Egypt 400 years. Is God wrong to do that? Well, I may not agree with it, but that's God's prerogative. Now, I say that and may not agree with it, I say that as most people say it. I don't agree with that. That shouldn't happen. Well, it's God's prerogative to do what He did.

All right, it goes on. And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge. And afterwards shall they come out with great substance, and thou shalt go to thy father's place. And thou shalt be buried of a good old age, but in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Now, my time has run out. But I want to pick this up next time.

But I want you to think about Pharaoh and the position he's in, and if you want to, read Exodus 12 and Exodus 14, because that's where I'm going to start next time in our study here, as we compare Pharaoh, who is made for wrath, and Saul of Tarsus, who is made for mercy. And they're identical guys.

There was nothing special about Saul of Tarsus in his flesh or in Pharaoh in his flesh, but it was God's choice in this matter. All right, and you know, salvation is of the Lord. We just have to go right back there and say salvation is of the Lord. It's not us, it's God showing mercy. All right, Brother Mike, if you'll come.