Alright, let's begin the night
by reading from our Bibles, if you would. Turn in your Bibles
to Matthew 4. And I want to read just a couple
of verses there. Verses 18-22. Matthew 4, beginning at verse
18, we read these words, And Jesus, walking by the sea of
Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea. for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow
me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway
left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence,
he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John
his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets,
and he called them. And they immediately left the
ship and their father and followed him. Now, I want to stop there
and I'm going to ask you to turn over to the book of Acts, chapter
9, and just leave your Bibles open there, if you would. We'll
come to that in just a moment, and we'll read it in full, and
then we're going to spend the rest of our evening in the handout,
kind of referring back and forth from Acts chapter 9. So in our
handout, if your Bibles are open to Acts chapter 9, notice the
response to the Word of God. They straight away, this is in
the handout, first paragraph at the top of the handout there,
they straight away, they immediately, This is the response to the word
of power. The irresistible word. And we
read about that in 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 5. For our gospel came
not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy
Ghost, and in much assurance. When God speaks to the heart
of one for whom He has loved, He speaks with irresistible power. John chapter 5 verse 21, we read
this, for as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them,
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. That word quickeneth
means to be made alive or given life. We read this in Ephesians
2, verses 4-5, but God who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened, hath made us alive, given life, together with Christ,
by grace ye are saved. Now we're familiar with the call
of Lazarus, are we not? The Lord spoke to Lazarus in
that tomb, quickening him, giving him life. The Lord said, Lazarus,
come forth. And he did what? He came forth. giving evidence of life where
one was once dead. The word came with power, power
to move mountains, and it resulted in Lazarus, still wrapped in
his burial clothes, coming to the call. Folks, I'm here to
tell you, that is straightaway, and that is immediately. That's
what we're gonna be focusing on tonight, is they straightaway,
they got up, And they heard the word of power and they got up
and they straight away followed Him. Lazarus straight away came
to the Lord. Now this is the word preached.
Christ, the Lord Jesus, the God-man, God in human flesh, the power
of God, and Him crucified for those whom He has loved with
an everlasting love. Last paragraph, page 1. There's
another place where the Spirit of God has inspired the writer
to use these words straight away and immediately in describing
the effectual calling of one of God's saints. Brother Norm
referred to this and spoke a little bit about it last Wednesday night.
I want to go into it a little bit deeper. Page 2. And this
is where I have the full scripture in the handout. Acts chapter
9, verses 1-20, but I'm going to make some comments on the
way through reading the full thing. It says in verse 1, And
Saul, yet 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." So we see there in those first two verses of
Acts chapter 9, Paul A Pharisee of the Pharisees has gone into
the high priest and asked for letters. Look here, I'm going
to go down to Damascus. Can you give me some letters
giving me the authorization to persecute the Christians, those
who have fallen away from Jewish tradition and began to follow
this man called Jesus. Acts 9 verse 3, 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? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. it is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Now I want to stop
there and give you a quote from John Gill because I caught that
and I was like, I had to figure out what that was. I just knew
that was going to trigger somebody's wondering of what it means and
the best I could do is quote from John Gill. He wrote this
regarding the last part of verse 5. It means to resist or to resist
me as the Arabic version renders it and which is the sense of
the phrase. It is a proverbial expression
taken from beasts that are goaded who kick against the goads of
the pricks. They kick against the tool that
is used to goad them along, to get them to go along. And they
hurt themselves the more thereby that they kick against it. Christ
is using it, suggesting hereby that should Paul go on to persecute
him and his people to oppose his gospel and the strong evidence
of it in Doctrine and Miracles, and notwithstanding the present
remonstrances made in such an extraordinary manner, he would
find himself in the issue greatly hurt by it, and could not rationally
expect to succeed against such a powerful person. So that's
what the... I believe that's a good explanation
of what that means when the Lord said, it is hard for you to kick
against the pricks. Continuing on in Acts chapter
9, this time verse 6, And he, speaking of Paul, trembling and
astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And
the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it
shall be told thee what thou must do. And then the men which
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no
man. 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 into Damascus. And when he was there
three days without sight, and neither did he eat nor drink,
and there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him said the Lord in a
vision, Ananias. And he said, behold, I am here,
Lord. Page 2-3. 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 of Tarsus. For behold,
he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias
coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive
his sight. Then Ananias answered the Lord,
I have 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, unto Ananias, Go thy way, for he is a chosen
vessel unto me. to bear my name before the Gentiles,
and the kings, and to the children of Israel. For I will show him
how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias
went his way, and entered into the house, and putting his hands
on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that hath appeared
unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou
mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
And immediately, here's those two words coming, and immediately
there fell from his eyes as it had been scales, and he received
sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had
received me, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with
the disciples which were at Damascus, and straightaway, there's those
two words, immediately and straightaway, he preached Christ in the synagogues
that he was the Son of God. Considering Saul's conversion
as our example, there are five distinct acts of grace by which
all who are saved have been brought to repentance and faith in Christ. Listen to these words from Psalm
65 verse 4, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest
to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts, we shall
be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy
temple." Page 4. Now the first thing we see is
divine election, right there in verse 15. If you'd like to
look back at your Bibles again at verse 15, but the Lord said
unto him, go thy way for he is a chosen vessel. So we see right off here that
one of the graces that we see here, one of the five graces
we see in the work of God is divine election. He is a chosen
vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings
and the children of Israel. No one has ever been saved or
ever will be, this is back in our handout, top of page 4, except
those who are the objects, let me repeat that, those who are
the objects of God's eternal electing Love. Listen to 2 Thessalonians
2 verses 13 and 14. But we are bound to give thanks
all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Loved of
the Lord. Because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification, setting apart,
being made holy of the Spirit and belief of the truth. whereunto
he called you by our gospel, that's the preaching of the gospel,
to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's
operation of grace towards Saul began long before Dismascus rode. Saul, as all of God's people,
are chosen to salvation before the world began. Isn't that what
we read in Ephesians 1, verses 4-6? According as He had chosen
us in Him, in His Son, the Lord Jesus, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him, in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself. according to the good pleasure
of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein
He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. We're chosen into salvation
before the foundation of the world, is what we just read there.
We've been predestinated to be adopted, to be the adopted children
by Jesus Christ to Himself. going on in the handout when
God sent Ananias to preach to this newborn babe in grace. Yes,
Saul was a newborn babe in grace. The very first thing Ananias
preached to him was election. Over in Acts chapter 22 verse
13 through 14, Paul is standing before the court of the Pharisees
and he's standing before the court describing what had happened
to him. He said, Ananias came unto me and stood and said unto
me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And that same hour I looked
upon him and he said, the God of our fathers, hath chosen thee. That was the first thing that
stuck to his mind. I remember that when I first
heard it, sitting on that pew over there in the main hall in
Jean, preaching the word of election to the people, the predestination. And I thought to myself, that
makes more sense than anything I've ever heard in my life. It
stuck with me. It stuck with me. It did with
Paul also. He said that thou shouldest know
His will, and see the just one, and shouldest hear the voice
of His mouth. Faith in Christ is not the cause
of election, but it is the fruit and the proof of election. Listen
to Acts chapter 13, 48. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as
many as were ordained to eternal life did what? They believed. That's faith, folks. We believe. When a sinner bows to Christ,
trusting Him as our Savior and Lord, we can say with confidence
that God of our fathers hath chosen thee. We would not and
could not choose the Lord, but He chose us. And His choice of
us made our choice of Him certain. Listen to John 15, 16, you have
not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you
should go forth, that you should go and bring forth fruit and
that your fruit should remain. Page five. Brother Don Fortner
wrote this, he said, election said Saul of Tarsus shall be
saved. God's merciful decree said, Saul
will be saved at noon on the Damascus road at the day appointed. Predestination drew the map by
which Saul must travel to the appointed place of mercy. Providence
led him along the predestined path to the place and the hour
when Christ must be revealed to him. And it came to pass. Next, we see the grace of divine
revelation in Acts 9, verse 3. Back in our Bibles, if you'd
like to refer to it, there it says, and as he journeyed, he
came near Damascus, and suddenly There shined round about him
a light from heaven. This is divine revelation. The
light of God shining on the hearts of a cold, black, dead heart.
Cutting that old heart out of the way and giving a new heart
to see the divine revelation of Christ. Listen to Galatians
chapter 1. We're back in our handout again. Listen to these words from Galatians
1, 15-16. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace,
to what? To reveal His Son in me, that
I might preach Him among the heathen. Though he was chosen
of God, Saul could never be saved until he was made to see that
just one. Again, in the book of Acts, chapter
22, we read these words in verse 14, and he said, The God of our
fathers hath chosen thee, that was Ananias speaking to Paul,
that thou shouldest know his will, and see that just one,
and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. So when it pleased
God to reveal His Son in him, suddenly there shined round about
him a light from heaven. He saw Christ and the glory of
God in Christ. Listen to 2 Corinthians 4-6,
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He saw the same
thing that Moses saw over in Exodus chapter 33, and I put
those verses in our handout, bottom paragraph of page 5. beginning
at verse 18, and he said, I beseech thee, speaking of Moses, speaking
to the Lord, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will
be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And
he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man
see me and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there
is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock, and it shall
come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee... Notice how he gets to this cliff. He says, I will put thee in a
cliff of the rock. and will cover thee with my hand
while I pass by, and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt
see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen." And then
in that same chapter, or in the next chapter, 34 verses 6-8,
we read these words, And the Lord passed by before
him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Page 6.
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the children's
children, under the third and to the fourth generation, and
Moses made haste and bowed his head." Now did you notice that?
Moses made haste. That's exactly what we're talking
about in the beginning there. Straight away, immediately, Moses
made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped. Paul saw that just one, the same
that Moses had just had just been given the ability to see
the backside of. He saw that just one of whom
he had heard Stephen speak of. He was made to see by divine
revelation the glory of God in his absolute sovereignty, infinite
grace and mercy, inflexible justice, and he saw how that God can be
both gracious and just. in saving sinners by the substitutionary
blood atonement of that just one, the Lord Jesus. Listen to
Romans 3 verses 24 through 26. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at
this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. That's exactly what
Paul saw in the preaching of Ananias to him that day. Salvation comes to sinners when
they are given a revelation of Christ and the glory of God in
Him by the Spirit's effectual application, the application
of the gospel to their hearts. When a person sees Christ as
He is and is reconciled to Him in His true character, he is
saved. Next, we see the divine call. If you want to refer to your
scriptures, or I can just read it for you back in Acts 9, verses
4-9, we read these words, And he fell to the earth and heard
a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is
hard for thee to kick against the bridge. And he, Saul, trembling
and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And
the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go unto the city, and it
shall be told of thee what thou must do. And the men which sojourned
with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 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
into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither
did eat nor drink. This is the divine call of God
to each and every child. Back in our handout, bottom paragraph,
page six. There's a general call which
men and women can and do resist. In Matthew 20, verse 16, and
also in 22, 14, we read, for many be called, but few chosen. The general call
goes forth indiscriminately to all who hear every time the gospel
is preached, but there's an effectual call as well. No one will ever
be saved until he or she receives this effectual, irresistible
call of the Holy Spirit by which helpless, totally depraved, spiritually
dead sinners are brought to life and faith in Christ by the power
of God. Listen to John 5, verse 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they shall hear, and they that
hear shall live. And these familiar words also
in Ephesians 2 verses 1 through 5, and you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sin, where in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
and the power of the air. Page 7. the spirit that now worketh
in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, but God, who is rich in mercy for his
great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are
saved. Holy Scriptures give us numerous, many, many illustrations. And I've put a couple here for
you. Ezekiel 16, verses 6 through 8. Ezekiel 37, the Valley of
the Dry Bones, that's verses 1 through 14. The whole army
of Israel is that story. And then John 11, verses 43 and
44. And 1 Corinthians 1, verses 26 through 31. That one closes with, He that
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. So, there's many, many
scriptures where the Lord shows illustrations of the effectual
call. Saul was one of Christ's sheep.
Mid-page of page 7. The time had come for the good
shepherd to call his wandering sheep. When he calls his sheep,
hear his voice. and follow him as it says in
John chapter 10 verse 27-30. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal
life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave to me is
greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my
Father's hand. I and my Father are one. This
call of the Spirit is called the effectual call because it
gets the job done. Psalms 65 verse 4, again we read
these words, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest
to approach unto thee. In Psalms 110 verse 3 we read
these words, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy
power. It's a personal call. Look at
verses 4 and 5 again. And he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? And he said, who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is
hard for thee to pray. Now remember, it also says over
there in verse 7, men who were journeying with him, they stood
speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. They heard
the voice too, but they didn't hear with the ears of the heart
like Paul had. The Lord was speaking to Paul
personally just as He spoke to me personally the first time
His gospel was preached to me with the power, the power that
is spoken of through God. Back in our handout, bottom paragraph
of page 7, the Lord convicted Saul of his sins with the words,
Why persecutest thou me? It's a humbling call, as we see
in verse 6. And he trembled, and he was astonished. Lord, what wilt thou have me
to do? Saul fell to the earth, submitting
to the claims of Christ, his sovereign Lord. This call of
the Spirit is also a distinguishing call, as we see in verse 7. That
was where the men heard and did not see any man. The men who
were with Saul, they saw a light. They heard a voice and were afraid.
They knew something was going on, but not what. This call of
grace separated and distinguished Saul from his companions. Listen
to these words of 1 Corinthians 4, verse 7. For who maketh thee
to differ one from another? Who maketh us to differ from
the ones who hear the gospel preached and fall by the wayside? Again, the call of God is an
awakening. Page 8. It's an awakening call,
as we read in verse 6. Once he was called of God, Saul
began to call upon God. Did you notice that? He said,
Lord, what would you have me to do? Blinded now to all earthly
concerns, Saul began to seek the Lord with an earnest heart.
For three days he was in suspense and darkness. Listen to the words
of Acts chapter 9, verses 8 through 9. 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 into Damascus. And he was three days
without sight, and neither did he eat nor drink." Now, Matthew
Henry wrote this about that. He says, he was all this time
in the belly of hell, suffering God's terror. for his sins, which
were now set in order before him." Well, I'll tell you, that's
exactly what happened to me. I remember that clearly. I knew
I was a sinner deserving God's wrath. How did I know? Well,
who is it that makes us to differ? Who is it? Kathy looks up, you
know who. He was suffering God's terror
for his sins which were now set before him. He was in the dark
concerning his own spiritual state and was so wounded in the
spirit for sin that he could relish neither meat nor drink.
He couldn't eat or drink. He was so disturbed by the sin
that was within him. Again on page 8, second paragraph,
we also see divine illumination in Acts chapter 9, 17 and 18. God sent a preacher to Saul who
told him all the truth. Then the scales of darkness and
ignorance, superstition and tradition fell off his eyes and he received
his sight. When Ananias instructed Saul
in the way of faith, the way of comfort for God's people,
as Isaiah was instructed to do. In Isaiah 40, verses one and
two, remember where it says, comfort ye, comfort ye my people.
What was the word he was supposed to comfort with? That your warfare
is accomplished. You remember that? Paul received
his sight once Ananias had done what God had instructed him to
do. Well, what did he see? He saw Christ as his substitute,
God as his Father, and the Holy Spirit as his Comforter. He saw it to be his duty and
his privilege to follow Christ in all things, beginning with
believers' baptism, and he did it. The will of God became the
rule of his life, as it does in all of God's children. And
lastly, we see a divine conversion that is given to us in Acts chapter
9, 18 through 22. And immediately there fell from
his eyes, as it had been scaled, and he received sight forthwith,
and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat,
he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with
the disciples, which were at Damascus. And straightaway, he
preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." Last
paragraph of page 8 of our handout, Saul was not disobedient to the
heavenly vision. Grace converted him. The Apostle Paul, writing to
the saints at Philippi, wrote this. Though I might also have
confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the
eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and
Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee concerning
zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless, but what things were gained to me,
those I count loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord. For whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but done, that I may win
Christ, and be found in Him not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship
of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death, page
9, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the
dead, not as though I had already attained, either either were
already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend
that for which I also apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I
count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before." Now I want to stop there for just
a moment. One thing I do is forgetting those things which are behind,
forgetting those religious things that we used to all do in our
lives. And even though I wasn't going
to some church somewhere, I had the religion of John. If you
weren't going to church somewhere, you had the religion of self.
forgetting those things of religion that we once had behind, and
going forth unto those things which are before, I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus." All that Paul once cherished, he now renounced. His righteous
deeds, his religious works, his reputation as a Pharisee, He
now counted it to be but manure. He turned from religion to Christ.
Grace turned him from mere form of godliness to worship and serve
the living God. And as he was turned forever,
as Solomon son of David wrote in Ecclesiastes 3.14, I know
that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can
be put to it. nor anything taken from it. And
God doeth it that men should fear before Him." Immediately,
Paul confessed Christ in believers' baptism, as we read in verse
18. And he went on to write about
that to the saints at Rome. Listen to these words in Romans
6, verses 4-6. Therefore we are buried with
Him by baptism into death. that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness
of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin. Paul identified himself with
the despised people of God that he once persecuted and the gospel
of his grace. And he became a faithful witness
of Christ. He laid down his life in the
cause of Christ. Grace had made him a new man.
2 Corinthians 5.17, we read these words, Therefore, if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. This is the way of God with men.
This is the way God saves sinners. By election, by revelation, by
calling, by illumination and by conversion. He saves in this
way so that man's salvation will be to the praise and the glory
of His grace. It is this experience of grace
that identifies who God's elect are. 1 Thessalonians 1 verses
4-10 Paul writes this, Knowing, brethren, beloved, knowing knowing,
and then he calls them brethren, beloved, loved, your election
of God. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost. and in much assurance, as ye
know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, and
ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received
the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost, or
from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia
and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God were
to spread abroad." Not only did they accept the gospel and and
proclaim it in all of the persecution that was continued in that day,
people from all around came to know their faith through their
words. But also in every place your
faith to God were to spread abroad, so that we need not speak of
anything, for they themselves show us what manner of entering
in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to
serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
us from the wrath to come." When God speaks His Word to the hearts
of those He loves, the power that is His comes with it. We cannot unhear it. We do not
resist it. They, straight away, followed
Him. John 10, verse 27-30, once again
we read these words. Our Lord says, My sheep hear
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. He doesn't say
they might. He doesn't say they possibly
will. He doesn't say they're going to wait. He says, they
follow Me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
My Father's hand. I and My Father are one. Straight away, you know, it doesn't
seem like it when it happens. I remember it was several, several
months. I would go after a message. The
very next Sunday, Kathy asked me, she goes, where are you going?
I said, I'm going back up to church. Why? I don't know. I
just, I gotta go. And I went. The Sunday before,
it was, I'm gonna go talk to my brother Lee. The next Sunday
was, I just, I don't know, I gotta go. And then for several months
after that, I would go to Steve afterwards, or Gene and Steve
together, and I don't know what's going on with me. So it doesn't
seem like it's straight away. But when I look back on it, I
didn't look at myself the same anymore. I didn't look at John
Reeves the same anymore. The sins that enveloped Paul
for those three days enveloped me and caused me over and over
again. Lord, will you have mercy on
me? So in a sense, when you look back on it, it is straight away,
even though it didn't feel like it at the time. I never turned
back again to what was before. And I'll never turn back to that
as long as God be with me. And if I belong to him, that
will never happen. Never happen.