Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Acts chapter 9. This is the account that the
Spirit of God gave concerning the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. And we've looked at this precious
passage before, but I'd like to look at it again for a few
minutes. And as I was reading this passage
of Scripture, there are some things recorded that were particular
only to the conversion of Saul himself. The light from heaven
that shined round about him and blinded him, according to Acts
22.11. is something that was peculiar
only to Saul. The Lord's voice from heaven
which he actually heard and then his recovery three days later
after hearing from Ananias, God's preacher, to Saul concerning
his duty. So there were some things about
Saul's conversion that were only of Saul. But, though his conversion
was in many ways distinctive, only of him in some points, there
are some things that are associated with the conversion of this man
that are common to all of God's elect. And concerning those common
truths, I'd like for us to just look for just a few minutes at
things that happen to every vessel or object of God's mercy. Now here's the first thing that
I know that's common to every believer before the Lord called
them out of darkness. They were all unbelievers and
ignorant of it. Someone might say, well now it's
pretty, you know, that's pretty obvious that they were all unbelievers. That's true. But I wanted to
make sure that I made that last statement before I went on. They
were ignorant of it. The scripture says in Acts chapter
9 verse 1 and 2, and Saul yet. Now I got to reading over this
passage again this morning, going over my note, and that word,
yet, jumped out at me. Here was the apostle, I mean
Saul of Tarsus, the Pharisee. He was a religious man and considered
himself to be righteous before God according to his own righteous
works. He was circumcised on the right
day. He was born a Hebrew. He had both parents to be Hebrews. Zealous in his religion. to the point of persecuting the
church because he considered, this is all recorded in Philippians
3, 5, and 6, that those who were of the way were heretics. Believing this glorious gospel,
we believe that God is sovereign. Sovereign in creation, sovereign
in providence, sovereign in salvation. That's heresy. according to Saul
of Tarsus. So here he was, a Pharisee of
the strictest of the religious men of that day and the scripture
says he was yet while continuing to be 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, whether they were men or
women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Paul, or Saul,
I'm sorry, he was a religious man, considered himself to be
a godly man. According to the law, he was
blameless. He thought himself to be without
blame before God because of his own ability. And he was lost. But he was ignorant of it. Every
person, vessels of God's mercy, before God calls them out of
darkness, they're lost and ignorant. of that state. 1 Timothy 1, 12
and 13. He said, I thank Christ Jesus
our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful
putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer and
a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did
it ignorantly in unbelief. But though Saul, like all men,
was lost in trespasses and sins, the true knowledge and understanding
of his depravity was hidden from him, blinded. 2 Corinthians 4, 3 and 4, But
if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom
the God of this world, that is the little g of this world, hath
blinded the minds of them which believe, not lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. If Almighty
God leaves men to themselves, to their spiritual blindness,
blindness that was wrought through the temptation of Satan in the
garden, they are spiritually blind. They cannot see. Physically, they can see. They
can see, but they are blind spiritually. Therefore captive to the deceitfulness
of their own depraved heart. Now you think about this. Now
a believer hears this scripture right here, Jeremiah 17, 9. The
heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Now I'll tell
you what a believer thinks when he hears that scripture. Lord,
don't leave me to my deceitful heart. I got an old man. I know that it's still there.
And he's still just as deceitful as he's ever been. He's still
there. Paul said, I see in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth
no good thing. I know it's there. In my flesh,
meaning that old man. Listen to this. Hold your place
in Acts. Turn to John 9, 39 to 41. Now I mentioned just a minute
ago, John chapter 9. I mentioned just a few minutes
ago, the Pharisees, they were the strictest. I mean, they thought
themselves to be law keepers. Now listen to this, John 9 verse
39 to 41, the Lord is speaking to some Pharisees, and Jesus
said, for judgment I am coming to this world, that they which
see might And they which see not might see. Now here he is,
he's talking to these people that think that they are spiritually
alive and awake in sight before God. He said, I'm coming to this
world that they which see not might see. And that they which
see might be made blind. Now what he's saying is those
that think they see in their own ability, they're blind. And those that don't see spiritually,
that they might truly see. He's got some people that He's
going to save. And they truly don't see, but
they're going to. But those that think they see, He said, those
are the ones that are going to be blind. And some of the Pharisees
which were with Him heard these words and said unto Him, Are
we blind also? You can just see the arrogance
in that statement. You mean you're talking to me? Are you talking? I'm a Pharisee. Evidently, you
don't realize who I am. Jesus said unto them, if you
were blind, you should have no sin. But now you say, we see. Therefore your sin remaineth. Man by nature is blind spiritually,
but man by nature is ignorant of his blindness. It does not
enter his heart. I don't know God. So Saul, like
all men, was born ignorant. He was blind to God in Christ,
blind to his need to be born again. Born from above, blind
because of the absence of having the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ to shine
in his heart. So that's the first thing I know. All men and women by nature are
lost. They're born into this world
lost. They don't know it. Secondly, when it pleases God,
every vessel of his mercy and compassion, like Saul of Tarsus,
shall surely be powerfully arrested and called out of the darkness
of his unbelief. Every one of them that God Almighty
has ever been pleased to save. He's going to save them. Back
in Acts 9 verses 3 and 4. And as he journeyed, he came
near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light
from heaven. And he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou
me? Now, there's an amazing thing
concerning that passage of Scripture. That encounter that Saul of Tarsus
had with the Lord, the Scripture, it was all concerning Saul of
Tarsus. Now, there were others with him.
We're going to look at it in a minute. Listen to this, verse 3 and 4
again. As he journeyed, he came near, and suddenly there shined
round about him a light from heaven. He fell to the earth
and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them. And they follow me. The Lord
had predestinated. Now I know this is so because
this is scriptural. Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. So I know,
according to the scriptures, that if Almighty God is going
to do anything for this rebel, just like all of us, all of us
like that. If He's going to do anything
for Saul of Tarsus, And I know He is, and I can tell you this,
He's going to stop him. He's going to arrest him spiritually,
He's going to address him, and He's going to save him. From
all eternity, God had predestinated that this particular time, this
rebel against God, is going to be on this road, at this stop,
And this is where he's going to find him. These others, they
were just as guilty as Saul of Tarsus. Again, I'm going to look
at you over in Acts 22. But the Lord was coming after
Saul. Hold your place and turn to Galatians
1. Galatians 1. 13. Galatians 1. 13 to 16. The Apostle Paul now writing
to the church at Galatia says in Galatians 1.13, for you have
heard of my conversion in time past in the Jews' religion, how
that beyond measure, now listen to what he says, I persecuted
the church, the church of God, and wasted it, and profited in
the Jews' religion above many my equals. My own nation being
more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my father, but
when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me that I might preach
Him among the brethren, immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood." I know for a fact the Father has chosen a people unto
salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2.13 says that. We're bound to give thanks unto
God for you, beloved. For God has from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. I know God has a people. I know that
the Lord Jesus Christ died for the elect. I know that. How do
I know? He said He did. John 10, 15,
I laid down my life for the sheep. Well, what about everybody else?
I lay down my life for the sheep. He said in John 17 verse 9, concerning
those that the Father had given Him, He said, I pray not for
the world, but for those that You've given Me out of the world. Some said, I don't think that's
fair. I'm gonna just read something.
I preached out of this first service. I gotta read this to
you. I preached out of Proverbs in the first service. Proverbs
25. Why would God do that? Why would God be pleased to show
mercy to one and pass by another one? Why? Proverbs 25, verse
two, it says, it is the glory of God to conceal a thing. Why would God choose to show
mercy to one and leave another to do exactly what He wanted
to do? It is the glory of God to conceal
a thing. The Lord owes no one an explanation
for anything. He did it according to the good
pleasure of His will. So I know that when Saul of Tarsus,
when the Lord arrested him, God had chosen him, Christ redeemed
him, and I can tell you for a fact that the Spirit of God is going
to call him out of darkness. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. Was there any possibility that
God would not spiritually arrest and call this man? Not a chance. Not a chance. If that man is
chosen of God, God is going to call him out of darkness. He's
going to call everyone that He's everlastingly loved. All their
names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation
of the world. They're all there. The Scripture says in Acts 2,
44-47, all that believed were together and had all things common. sold their possessions and goods
and parted them to all men as every man had need. And they,
continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all
the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily, such as should be saved." Thirdly, being sovereignly arrested
by the Holy Spirit, the Lord's people are taught who He is,
and they obey. They obey. This is life eternal. This is
John 17.3. This is life eternal, that they might know Thee by
the grace of God They know Him. They know Him. It's not that they know about
Him. The world knows that there was
a child born in Bethlehem. The world knows that. The world
knows that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross. Everybody
knows that. Demons know that. Everybody knows
that. But there's a big difference between knowing about something
and knowing him. I know that Donald Trump, I know
Donald Trump is the President of the United States. I know
that. I've seen him on TV. I saw when he was at the inauguration
and stuff like that. But do you know, I don't know
him. I don't know the guy. I know about him. I don't know
him, but I know you. I know Mitch. I know you. I know you. I communicate. We have fellowship. This is life eternal that they
might know thee. Abraham believed God. He believed it. God spoke to
him. Abraham, I am thy great reward. And Abraham believed it. Abraham,
I want you to take your son, your only son. I thought he had
two. He had one. God said, your only son. Son
of promise. You take Isaac. The one through
whom the Messiah is going to come. Through his loins. Through
Isaac's loins. He's going to come through the seed of Isaac.
You take him and you sacrifice him unto me as a burnt offering.
Abraham believed God. He's coming through Isaac. He
believed God. This is the knowledge, I say, of a believer. They know the Lord. They know Him. Verse 5 of Acts
9 says, he fell to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou,
Lord? Who art thou? Who are you? Well, I thought he was a religious
man. He knew God. He didn't know the
Lord. And the Lord said, I'm Jesus
whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks. It's not safe. Not safe. I'm Jesus, the one you're persecuting.
And the Scripture says, and he trembling, verse 6, and astonished
said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, and go into the city, it shall be told thee what thou
must do. He was yet, the scripture says,
he was yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter. And when God stopped
him, he said, Saul, Saul. He changed him. Hold your place
right there and look in Acts 22. Paul is relating the account
of his conversion on the road to Damascus. And he related the
truth of it. He said in verse 9 to 15, Acts
22, 9. And they that were with me saw
indeed the light. I was talking a while ago about
the particularness of him being converted. The Lord came after
him. Verse 9, And they that were with
me saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not
the voice of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I
do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise,
and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all
things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could
not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand
of them that were with me, I came into Damascus in one Ananias,
a devout man, according to the law, having a good report of
all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me and stood and said
unto me, brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour
I looked up upon him. And he said, the God of our fathers
hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that just
one, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth." Now, here's what
God did for Saul of Tarsus. The Apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus,
through God's messenger, was told that he was one of God's
elect. God has chosen you. Secondly,
he told him that he was one that should know his will. Saul was
told by God's messenger, Ananias, that he was a chosen vessel unto
the Lord. And here it was, to bear his
name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. Saul beheld the Lord Jesus Christ
on the road to Damascus, and he heard Him speak. He said in
verse 14 of Acts 22, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee
that thou shouldest know His will and see that just one. Paul saw Him. This was one of
the requirements of being an apostle, to have been a eyewitness
of the Lord's resurrection. Hold your place and look at 1
Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15, verse three to eight. 1 Corinthians 15, verse three,
for I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures, and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
12. After that, he was seen of about
500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto
this present, but some are falling asleep. After that, he was seen
of James, then all the apostles. And last of all, he was seen
of me also as of one born out of due time. For I am the least
of the apostles. I am not meet to be called an
apostle because I persecuted the church, but by the grace
of God, I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed
upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than
they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
So here's what I know. He saw the Lord Jesus Christ.
He saw Him. How do you know He saw Him? He
said He saw Him. And then fourthly, Almighty God,
He called unto Saul of Tarsus, and he heard his voice. When
Saul was converted on the road to Damascus, he called unto him. Look back in Acts 9. It's an
amazing thing here. He said in verse 5, Who art thou,
Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest. Saul knew that he was dealing
with divinity. I looked the words up. Who art
thou, Lord? And the Lord said, same word,
same exact word. Who are you? Who are you? And the Lord said,
I'm Jesus, whom thou persecutest. I'm God. Galatians 1, 11, 12
says, I certify you, brethren, Saul was taught the gospel. All
the apostles. That was another requirement.
They had to learn the gospel at the mouth of the Lord Jesus
Christ. All the apostles learned the gospel from the Lord. And
they were witnesses of His resurrection. That was another thing. Galatians
1, 11 and 12. But I certify you, brethren,
that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. It's
not from man. It's not by man, and it's not
suited to the taste of man by nature. For I neither received
it of man, neither was I taught it, but listen to this, but by
the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Lord taught him the gospel.
Saul, having heard the Lord, called unto him by name, Saul,
Saul. I know my sheep, I know them.
Having heard that he was persecuting the just one, that it was dangerous
to kick against the pricks, he broke him. My sheep, hear my
voice, I know them, they follow me. The evidence of a believer
is that they follow after the Lord. You ask any believer, and
you'll ask them, say, tell me about the consistency of your
walk. Oh, I don't want to talk about that. Oh, wretched man
that I am. Lord, help me. Lord, if I've
never known you before today, help me today. But I'm telling
you, the Lord said, they follow me. They follow him meekly as
sheep, as sheep. Again, I mean, you look at a
sheep. We've talked about that. They're the most ignorant animals
in the world. But they're God's sheep, and they follow after
the Lord. John 10, verse 4, The Lord said
concerning His sheep, When He put forth His own sheep, He goeth
before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.
I'll tell you what sheep are going to do. They're going to
be sitting, hearing the Gospel. Because that's when they're going
to hear the voice of the Lord. They're going to read His Scriptures.
Because that's when they're going to hear the voice of the Lord.
They're going to listen to His voice in providence because He
works all things after the counsel of His own will. They said, it's
the Lord. It's the Lord. They attribute to Him the honor
and glory and praise. They hear His voice. You try
to tell an unbeliever about hearing the voice of the Lord. They're
not going to understand. They don't understand. They don't
get it. Believers struggle with it, but they hear. Saul asked the Lord, what would
you have me to do? He said, you are rising, you go into the city,
it will be told you. Acts 9 verse 7, And the men which
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no
man. And the scripture says that the
Lord then directed Saul of Tarsus to go into that city. And it
says in verse 8, And Saul arose from the earth, and when his
eyes were opened, He saw no man, but they led him by the hand
and brought him to Damascus. Now you think about this. You
talk about the Lord bringing a man down. God knows how to
obey His people. He obeys His people. He's going to lift them up. He's
going to lift them up and make them stand. He's going to sustain
them. But I'm telling you, the way up is down. That's the way
up. Down. He was three days without
sight. Neither did he eat nor drink.
There was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. To
him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias, and he said, Behold,
I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise,
and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire
in the house of Judas. For one called Saul, Tarsus,
behold, he prayeth." Saul of Tarsus before had said
his prayers. Now he's praying. and has seen
in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand
on him, that he should receive his say. Then Ananias answered,
Lord, I've heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done
to thy saints at Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from the
chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord
said unto him, Go thy way. He is a chosen vessel unto me
to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel,
For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My
name's sake. In this world, you're going to
have tribulation. I can tell you. God's promised
it. He's promised it. You're going to have tribulation.
Why are all these things happening to me? The Lord's promised you
would. And Ananias went his way, entered into the house, and putting
his hands upon him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that
appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, has sent me.
that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the
Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it had
been, scales. And he received sight. Forthwith
arose and was baptized. And when he had received meat,
he was strengthened, then saw certain days with the disciples
which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ
in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that
heard him were amazed and said, this he that destroyed them which
called on the name in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent
that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests, but Saul
increased them more in strength and confounded the Jews with
dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. There were some that were with
him. They stood speechless. They heard a voice, but they
saw no man. Saul did. They didn't hear or
see what Saul heard and saw. He says in Acts 22.9, they that
were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they heard
not the voice of him that spake to me. God's people, they hear
the Lord. What do you have me to do? I
want you to go to Damascus. And it will be shown you what
you must do. God sent him forthly. This is the last point. He sent
him a preacher. The most gracious thing, this
side of glory, that the Lord does for His people. Now it's
pleased the Lord through the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe. Now the flesh, it just, you know, You mean we're going to go to
church again? That's the flesh. And I'm telling you the greatest
blessing, that God Almighty, because this is the power of
God and salvation. This is it. This is it. Well, I think I can go out in
the woods and be just as close to God as anybody else. No, you
can't. No, you can't. I can be out on the lakes. I
can be here, there, yonder. No, you can't. No, you can't.
No, you can't. There's something about the assembling
of ourselves together with believers. Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. There's
something that is special. And whenever God's pleased to
speak to a people, I tell you what He's going to do. He's going
to send him a pastor. Jeremiah 3.15, I'll give you
pastors according to mine heart which will feed you with knowledge
and understanding. God arrested this man on the
road to Damascus. And he blinded him. He spoke
to him. He blinded him. And he had those that were with
him led him into Damascus. And God sent a preacher to him. That's the way God does it. The scripture says in Hebrews,
closing, Hebrews 13, 17, concerning a pastor. Let me tell you, Brother
Scott, I looked at that picture of him, I got it hanging over
the wall, and he said, preacher. He said, preacher is a nobody
that tells everybody about somebody that can save anybody. That's
a preacher. But concerning God sending a
pastor, and I'll be the first to admit, I'm a frail creature
of the dust. I've got anxieties just like
you do. Fears just like you do. Doubts
just like you do. Struggles just like you do. But
concerning God sending a pastor, this is what the scripture says
in Hebrews 13, verse 7. It's all about what Paul the
Apostle said. He said, brethren, pray for us. Pray for us. Hebrews 13 verse 17. Obey them that have the rule
over you. It says the rule over you. That are guides. Guides
is what it's talking about. Obey them that have the rule
over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls.
I think about that. Oh, the responsibility that I
have to watch for the souls of God's people. that they watch
for your souls, as they must give account. I don't understand
the depth of that, Neil, but it's arresting. They must give
account. Brother Henry said they give
an account, first of all, to God, to be found faithful. They give
an account to their own conscience. They give account to God's people.
There are some of you here that know the gospel. And you know,
you know whether or not you hear it. Obey them that have the rule
over you. Submit yourselves for they watch
for your souls. It is they that must give account
that they may do it with joy and not with grief. For that
is unprofitable for you. Listen to Ephesians 4. Ephesians
chapter 4 verse 11. He gave some apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ who we all come in the unity of the
faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect
man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
that ye henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of
men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to deceive,
but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth
according to the effectual working and the measure of every part
maketh increase of the body. under the edifying of itself
in love. God sends a pastor to His people
for His glory and their good. God sent Saul of Tarsus, a preacher. God spoke to him, Saul of Tarsus,
through a preacher. The Lord had stopped him and
he heard his voice. And the Lord was pleased to use
a man to teach him. Oh, the responsibility. Pray
for me. Pray for me. Pray that God direct
us. He's made His will known. Lord, what would you have me
to do? It's going to be shown you what to do. The Lord never leaves
His people who are always seeking to themselves. Matthew 7, 7 and
80 says, ask, it'll be given you. Seek, you shall find, knock,
it shall be opened unto you for everyone that asketh receiveth,
he that seeketh findeth, him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
He was a proud Pharisee that was mercifully brought down and
taught. Lord, what will you have me to
do? Ask Him. Ask Him. Seek Him. Knock. I don't know yet. Well, keep
asking. And keep seeking. And keep knocking. And He said, it's going to be
given you. I pray that the Lord bless this
to our hearts, His glory, and our good. Amen.