Fine angels adore thee, all veiling
their sides. All praise we would render, O
help us to see, Tis only the splendor of life, I do see. OK. Go back. Thank you, Sherry.
Thank you, John and Wesley. Not John Wesley, but John and
Wesley. Thank you. A mouth of two or
three witnesses, the thing is established. Our brethren have
already commented. Brother Wesley beat me to the
punch line, said something I was looking forward to saying. We'll say it again. Say it again. I enjoyed the reading. I saw
something new as he was reading that. Couldn't help but think
where it said, Saul increased the more in strength, proofing
that the Lord was Christ. That's what I need. Strength
to prove. Power to give witness of His,
who He is. Read verses 1 through 4 again
with me. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
and desired, asked 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. And as he journeyed,
he came near Damascus, and suddenly 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?" This is the story of the salvation of a man named Saul,
a religious man, a Jew, a religious leader, very zealous for what
he believed, for his God. He had a zeal for God, but he
didn't even know God. He didn't know the living and
true God, because Saul didn't know Jesus Christ, who is God,
manifests in the flesh. That that one named Jesus, whom
he hated the mention of, that that is the very God in whom
he lived and moved and had his being. That that one named Jesus,
whom he thought was just a man, that he was going to put an end
to this. that he was in. Saul didn't know it, but he was
in his hands to do with as he pleased. And everything about
him, Saul, was under the sovereign control, his destiny predetermined
by this one whom he pursued. He had heard, Saul had heard
everybody. This thing wasn't done in a corner.
As he later preached to Festus or Agrippa I. Saul had heard
all that had been said and preached. He'd heard these Fishermen, these
fellows, these Pestilent fellows, Peter, James and John. He'd heard
them preaching these messages. He may have been there at Pentecost
when that message, those messages were being preached. He heard
them preaching of this sovereign Lord reigning and ruling, King
of Kings. They called him the King of Kings
and Lord of Lord. They heard these men preach about
how he's the one in whose hands we are, that he is the one who
must choose us, not vice versa, that only by his righteousness,
not by us keeping the law, nobody's accepted. Saul heard this. He thought he kept the law. He
was blameless. And he heard these fellows preaching
that, John. You know he did. Here's the only
righteous one, the holy one of God, this Jesus. He didn't like
that. He thought he was righteous,
he said. He didn't like that. He heard the story of him being
crucified and how that these disciples said, he's alive. He's alive and now reigning and
ruling over all, the Lord of the quick and the dead. You must
bow to Him. Ask Him for mercy or salvation. It's all in His hand. Yes, this
Jesus whom we have crucified, God hath made Him both Lord and
Christ. And He is the only One who can,
who must make intercession for us. Saul didn't like that. He heard them say, John, that
He's the way, There is no other way to get to God. He is the
truth. Whatever we think, whatever men say is a lie that Christ,
every word out of his mouth is the word of God. Everything else
is a lie. And he is the life. Without him,
you're dead, no matter how religious you are. He heard them preach
this. I don't like that way. And Saul said, I won't have that. I don't believe that I never
will believe like that. That's the way I call heresy.
That's what's also. He said, I will not have this
man reign over me. But. You see, this is why salvation
must be of the law. This is why God must make us
willing in the day of his power. This is why it is God. that worketh in us both to will. Saul says, I will not. But God,
who loved this man, who chose this man, Saul rejected him. But God chose him. And Saul said, I will not. God
said, yes, you will. Aren't you glad? He'd given commandment
to say, So, Saul said, that's the way I call heresy, and I'll
put a stop to that. I'll end this thing. That's what
Saul thought. I'll put an end to it once and
for all. They tried. I won't fail. I'll break their
bands asunder. I'll break up this band of believers
and he that sitteth in the heavens. Who's that? Who's sitting in
the heavens? Why, it's he, Christ, thereafter
he purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty
on high, where he ever liveth. He that sitteth in the heavens
laughs. Oh, so you're going to stop me.
We'll see about that. We'll see about that. And he
laughed. And he laughed at this little worm named Saul, breathing
out threatenings. Now, here's good comfort for
us other worms. We may fear and cow at the threatening
of slaughter by our fellow worms, but he that sitteth in the heavens,
man, this worm is breathing out threatenings. Our Lord had to tell that to
Isaiah. You know that? Isaiah? Jonah, all of them, they
feared Jeremiah. The Lord said to Isaiah, who
art thou that shouldest be afraid of a man who shall die, who's
a worm, and has forgotten me, thy maker? Fear God. Our Lord
said that, didn't he? Don't fear man. After he's killed,
the body hath nothing more that he can do. Fear God. And all the while, the Lord,
in great mercy, love and grace to this rebel, while he was yet
sinner, he knew, the Lord knew what he was going to do. Saul
decided what he was going to do. It had already been predetermined
by the Lord what he was going to do with this man. And what
Saul came to know and understand and bow to This right here is
the issue. This is what every single one
of God's elect, God's chosen, those whom God loves, first comes
to know and bow to and believe. God is sovereign and we are not. That his will will be done, not
ours. That it's he that must choose
us and not we him. It is he who must let us, not
we let him. It is he that must accept us,
not us accept him. Tell me, is it not so with you?
Those of you who were, like Saul, religious, and you let Jesus
into your heart? Huh? You let go and let God be
God? Isn't this where he brought you?
This is where he brings every one of his people. Saul found
out, and so does every single person that the sovereign Lord
chooses from the foundation of the world to reveal Christ to.
Look at verse three. So he went on his journey. Verse three, as he journeyed.
My pastor pointed this out years ago, the first time I noticed
it. Everybody's on a journey, aren't
they? Everybody's taking some kind of journey. There's a destination,
a destination, destiny, everyone. For most people, it's to try
to go up the corporate ladder, isn't it? For Saul, it was the
religious ladder, which is the same thing, isn't it? Corporate ladder. For God's people,
the worms like Jacob, it's to see a ladder, all right. is to see him who is above it
and all blessings flowing through him, Jacob's ladder. But Saul,
his destiny and the destiny of all of God's people, the journey
that every one of God's people end up is to come face to face
with the Lord Jesus Christ. They have a predestined meeting
with the Lord Jesus Christ. He's going to meet them in the
way and reveal himself to them, so he took his journey. Every
knee shall bow, every tongue will bow, confess,
and every knee will bow before the Lord. Some now, by
his grace and mercy in salvation, will follow his feet like Saul.
All later, many in condemnation. And this thing is completely
up to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the issue. This is the
issue. Is it not? Saul said, I will. Wasn't this the issue with Satan
in the beginning? I will. He said to Adam, you
have your will. God says, no. My will. I will. I will. Look at Galatians
chapter 1. And isn't this the message that
every single one of you first heard? Open your eyes to the
living and true God. To see who God is. It's in that
order. Christ said, this is eternal
life that they might know thee, the only true God. This is it. This is the first
place we come to. And no one understand, he said,
you have chosen that you might know and understand that I am
he before the day I will work. Let me. Galatians one, when will
someone be saved? I heard my pastor preach this
years ago, when is a man say, when will a man be saved? When
will a woman be saved when they decide? when they're pleased to let Jesus
in. That's not what Saul found out,
did he? Look at what Saul says. He's
now Paul writing this. saw Galatians 1 verse 9 and following,
as we said before, so say I now again, if any preach any other
gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed. What's that? What gospel Paul?
The gospel of God's sovereign electing, choosing, calling,
redeeming, keeping, restraining grace and mercy in the Lord Jesus
Christ, of his righteousness imputed, his blood shed for the
remission of our sins. The gospel, the good news that
God saves us, not we ourselves. That's the gospel. If any preach
any other gospel, let him be accurate. As we said before,
we say again, verse 10, do I now persuade men or God? Do I seek
to please men? If I yet please men, I should
not be the servant of Christ. I certify. Here's the certified
gospel, brethren. The gospel preached of me is
not after man. That is, it doesn't come from
man, and it's not really men we're after. It's the glory of
God we're after. Verse 12, I neither received
it of man, neither was I taught it, but here it is. The gospel
is a revelation. revelation of Jesus Christ, who
he really is, what he did, where he is now. Read on. You heard of my conversation,
my life and time passed in the Jews religion, how that beyond
measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted it, profited. I got rich in the Jews religion
above many of my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly
zealous of the traditions of my fathers, but when it pleased
God. Thank God, he said, it pleased
Him to make me one of His people. When will a man or woman be saved
when it pleases God in the fullness of His time, who separated me
from my mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal His
Son in me? Not just to my head, but in my
heart. That is, he sets up reign and
rule and puts that love of God, sheds it abroad. What's the love
of God? It's for his son. The love of God in the heart. God loves his son. And that's
what he puts in the hearts of his people. Love for his son
supremely and worship. God worships the sun. You know
that even God, the father, worships the sun. He said, Thy throne, O God. And let everything that hath
breath praise him. Oh, go back to the text now,
Acts nine. So that's this is what happened
to brother Saul. Verse three, it says, As he journeyed,
he came near Damascus and suddenly There shined round about him,
that is, encompassed him, came down on him, surrounded him,
looked down on him, apprehended him, completely engulfed him. He didn't just see the light,
as old Hank Williams said. No, no, the light saw him. The light came down on him. The
light surrounded him. Christ, who is the light of the
world, apprehended him. Paul said later, I've been apprehended. Apprehended. Halted. Shown down on him. Surrounded
him. Hemmed him in. The light hemmed him in. Shut
him up and brought this proud Pharisee, verse 4, he fell to
the earth. Brought him down. to the earth. You see, the earth is his footstool.
He said, I'll bring mine enemies to be made my footstool. Brought him down to the earth
where he belongs. Brought him. He may have been
riding some big white horse, huh? He was proud. I'm sure he
was riding some noble steed. And he's riding along. But God. He's able to abase the
proud in it. Proud looks and the lofty looks
of man shall be brought down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted
in that day. And if you're His, we will be
humbled that He may be exalted. And the Lord will be exalted
in humbling us and bringing us to His feet. He brought Him down
to hell to the earth, and He heard a voice. Heard a voice. The Lord Jesus Christ said, The
hour is coming and now is, now is, then and now, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live. The voice of the Son of God is
the voice of truth, the voice of the gospel that says, I am
God, beside me there is none else. And you, here's the voice of
the Son of God, and you who were dead in trespasses and sin, hath
he quickened. You who were children of wrath
even as others, you who were enemies in your own mind by wicked
work, yet now hath he reconciled by the blood of his cross. The
gospel, you hath he quickened, who calls us from death unto
life, from darkness to light, God who shines. Shall I quote
it again? who shine, cause the light to
shine out of darkness. This is what he must do to every
sinner who loves darkness rather than light. God, who caused the
light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our heart. It suddenly
dawns on you, the Son of right. Shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of what? This is the first thing, the
glory of God. What's God's glory? That He is
God. And all of this is seen where?
In the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ said, I am God. They said, if you be Christ,
tell us plainly. His haters, his enemies said,
I told you and you believe not because you're not my sheep.
As I said unto you, my sheep hear my voice. Thomas heard it
and what did he do? Fell at his feet and said, my
Lord and my God. Thou art very God of very God. God manifest in the flesh. The voice of the Son of God said
to Saul, verse 4, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Now, the omniscient, that means
all-knowing, the all-knowing Lord does not ask questions of
human beings for information. Nor does he ask them at any time
for anything that he needs from them. No, he said, if I were
hungry, I wouldn't ask you. The Lord does not ask questions
for information. Seeing, Scripture says, he knoweth
all things. David said this. He said, he
understands my thoughts afar off. He said, there's not a word
in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Before
I say it. Before I think it, the creator
doesn't ask things of the creature. The potter doesn't ask the clay
anything to inform him. No. When the Lord God asks a question,
or it seems to be a question, I love saying every now and then
it says, and he answered. Nobody asked the question, but
he answered. answering questions that nobody's
asking. But he doesn't ask questions. When the Lord asks a question
or seems to, it's in order. Or that is, to cause that person
he's speaking to to ask themself that question, he said. He knows
the answer, like when he said to Adam, the very first man. God is omnipresent everywhere. Adam, ignorantly. Ran and hid. Hid? All things are naked and
open before the eyes of him with whom we have today. This is how
far Adam had fallen. How to hide from God. The light
and the dark are the same with him. Hide behind a tree, a fig
tree. That won't hide. Neither will
those leaves cover you. And so God came to Adam and what
did he say? Adam, where art thou? He knew where he was. Adam needed
to know, didn't he? Adam needed to see. You're running
from God. You didn't run from Him before.
What's happened? Adam, where art thou? Or that
is, look at you now. Look at where you are now. Look
at where you were. Now look at where you are now.
How far you've fallen. Adam, where art thou? What have
you done, Adam? Have you eaten the fruit? He
knew you had. Adam needed to acknowledge that,
didn't he? When he said to old Jacob, remember
when he met old Jacob, wrestled with him? Huh? He named him Jacob. But he asked Jacob, what is your
name? Why did he ask him that? That
Jacob might acknowledge what he was. that Jacob might stop
and think, you know, Jacob's my name. My brother said it right. That's his name. That's what
I am. A cheap, a supplanter. What's your name? And so he says
to old Saul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Saul, here's
what the Lord is saying to him. Saul, you're fighting against
God. And you will not win. In that
what was the KFA said, John? Oh, my, we find that we're fighting
against God. We can't win. Saul, Saul, the
Lord from glory. This heavenly voice said, why
you're persecuting me. What you do to these, you do
to me. You're out to get me. You're
fighting God. And you see this thing of. This thing of religion and salvation. It's not a matter of just doctrine
it's not a matter of people just acknowledging the doctrines of
grace it's not a matter of people. Coming to a knowledge of the
doctrines of grace and admitting that elections true. That's not
here. What it is a matter of is people
fighting against God. People hating. This is a natural
mind. Romans 8, 7 is enmity against
God. That means they hate God. You
remember old Brother Scott saying to that fellow one time, Brother
Scott Richardson. A fellow came into his study
one day and was talking about one of his brother, uncle or
something, what a fine fellow he was. Now, he's religious,
and he's sincere, and this and that and the other. And Brother
Scott said, well, that's all fine, but there's one problem.
He said, he hates God. And that offended the man. Oh,
he doesn't hate. Yes, he does. He said, this is
the problem. This is the point that God brings
us all to, isn't it? Yes, it is. It's not a matter
of doctrine. But who's God? It's bowing to
Him. Well, Saul did. He found that
out, didn't he? Verse 5, he said, Who art thou,
Lord? Who art thou, Lord? Saul's in
the dirt. Saul's in the dust. Saul's on
his face. Saul heard this voice. Saul,
the light encompassed him. Now, Saul doesn't know much right
now. Saul doesn't know much right
now. But he knows this much, that whoever put him in the dirt,
that whoever brought him to his knees, that whoever's voice that
was, he heard, that's the Lord. He now knew, without being able
to articulate it, that I'm a nothing and a nobody, a worm. I'm on
my face in the dust, and this one who just spoke to me, I mean,
he can kill me or save me. Like the blind man. Remember
the blind man? He didn't know much at first,
did he? He knew this. I once was blind. And now I see. And I tell you who did it. Oh,
I don't know him too well. He's the one that did it. Isn't
it the first thing we all say, isn't it? Who art thou, Lord? Who art thou,
Lord? And we, this is eternal life,
that might know thee, the only true God. Well, who are, who
is the true God? Philip, have I been so long time
with you? And thou hast not known me? Saul,
I am Jesus. Who is God? Who is the Lord?
Jesus. Yeah, that man. That man that
was crucified in weakness is Lord. God hath made this same
Jesus both Lord and Christ. That's right. Old Brother Barnard
used to say that. You know, people always say,
won't you accept Jesus as your personal Savior? That's the issue
in modern religion, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't that it? He wants
to, God loves you. Jesus died for you. He wants
to save you. If you accept him as your personal
Savior and then later make him Lord, that is submit. Isn't that what? Isn't that it?
That's it. No, no, no, no. Brother Barnard said you can't
have him as Savior until you first bow as Lord. He's called
that in Scripture over and over in that order. He's called the
Lord Jesus. That is, God, our Savior, in
that order. And that's how we'll come to
know Him. That's how everyone comes to know the true God. That's
Jesus Christ is God, our Lord and our Savior. Our Lord and
our Savior. Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus. I am that I am. And what I am
is the God man, Jesus. Look at this. Oh, I love that.
Verse 5, He said, Our Lord said to him, It's hard for thee to
kick against the bread. No more questions. He's now making
statements. He's now giving orders. Hard
to kick against these bread. Oh, my. You hear people say this
all the time. And maybe you said it. If you
were in religion, you probably said it, Jenea. You probably
said that. God's trying to tell me something. You did? Oh, how ignorant. Huh? The Lord is trying to tell
me something. The Lord Jesus Christ, the sovereign
Lord, Creator, Master of the universe, doesn't try anything. Neither do we try God. Oh, no. He tries us. The Lord Jesus Christ doesn't
try to do anything, but when it pleases him in the fullness
of time, he sends forth his gospel, his word to reveal himself to
his elect. He uses a sword, this prick.
This prick is the sword. The king's arrows are sharp in
the hearts of his enemies, David said. The king's arrow, this
sharp, out of his mouth, the Lord Jesus Christ came and out
of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. It first slays, it first
wounds, it first brings down, it first kills and it makes life. Slay wounds and it heals. It
first lays low in the dirt and it exalts. It first condemns
and then it dubs you. You're one of my sons." The scepter
of righteousness, the sword of His Word, it pricks the heart. The first thing it does is prick
the heart. Didn't the people at Pentecost,
didn't they all? It says, when they heard these
things, what things? The Sovereign Lord on the throne.
It said they were pricked in their heart and they all cried
out. Men and brethren, what shall
we do? What are we going to do? We're in the hands of this sovereign
Lord. It pricks the heart like a shepherd's goad or staff prodding. It pricks us, bringing us to
the place, and then finally hemming us in, hemming us in a corner,
saying, now, now, now who's God? Huh? Got you hemmed up. No place
to go, is there? Kelly, he had Saul hobbled now.
He's in the dirt and he's hobbled. You can't kick when you've got
hobbles on you. It's hard to kick. Anybody know that term? When
you hobble a horse, you do it to keep him from kicking. And
when this gospel comes and gets a hold of you, it hobbles you.
No more kicking. You're going to quit kicking
now? I won't believe that. Saul said, I won't have that.
You're going to have this, aren't you? I will not. Saul said, I will. Yes, I will. I hate that. I love that. Lord, Lord. He said, I am Jesus. Now look
at verse 6. Oh, I love it. Oh, how things
change. Saul says, verse 6, he trembling. Oh, how things change. Saul didn't
know before he was a sinner. He sure does now, doesn't he?
Saul didn't know before that he was a rebel. He sure knows
now, doesn't he? Saul didn't know before that
he was unrighteous. He knows now, doesn't he? Saul
didn't know before that he was proud and he was lost. He sure
knows now, doesn't he? And he trembles. Didn't our Lord
say, to this man would I look? Thus saith the high and lofty
one that inhabiteth eternity. To this man will I look in mercy,
in love, and grace. Look upon in salvation like this
light that looked down on Saul. To this man will I look, for
he is a poor and contrite, a sinner, unrighteous, helpless, hopeless,
blind, halt, lame, a beggar, on a dung heap, a dog. To this
man will I look, he that trembleth at my word, for fear of the consequences
of his rebellion. And here's what Saul now says.
Now who's asking the questions? He says, Lord, Lord, Lord Jesus,
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Oh my, how things change. No more talk about his will,
huh? No more talk about what he'll do with Jesus. But calling,
whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord, How should they
call on Him whom they don't believe? Huh? Nobody's going to call for mercy
that doesn't believe they need it. Nobody's going to call on
the Lord Jesus Christ who doesn't believe that they're in His hands
to do with as He pleases. But does it do? they call, and
whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Exceeding great and precious promise. Shall be saved. Now here's what the Lord did
to him. He gave him orders. Verse 6. What wilt thou have
me to do? And the Lord said unto him, verse
6, Arise, those he slays he raises, those he kills he makes alive,
arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee." The Lord
sent him to a preacher, not a beggar, a teller, a declarer. He sent
him to this Ananias who's going to tell him, not ask him, not
beg him, not plead him, but tell him what to do. Look where he sent him. And look
on down to verse eleven. There's a certain disciple named,
at Damascus, named Ananias. The Lord showed him a vision. Ananias, he said, Behold, I,
Lord. The Lord said unto him, Arise
and go into the street which is called straight. Go into the
straight street, for Saul is coming straight to see you. I
am now putting him in the straight street. I'm sending him straight
to you, and you're going to bring the straight message. Tell him
what he must do. Tell him. Straight. Straight
is the gate, narrow is the way, and is the message that leadeth
to eternal life, and few there be that find it. Who does? Whomever
the Lord puts in that straight street. So, here's what you're
going to do. You're going to go down to Damascus,
and you're going to Get up, sit in the house, and I'm going to
send the preacher to you, and he's going to tell you what you
must do. Straight from my mouth. Straight from my mouth. Oh, my. Well, look at this. Verse
11, And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street
called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas. For there
is one called Saul of Tarsus. He prays. The foundation of God stands
sure. The Lord knows them that are His. Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God. Predestined. Whom He predestined,
He called. Whom He called, He gives faith. And it justifies them. How do
you know? How do you know one of His elect?
By their calling. He called him by his voice, didn't
he? The dead hear the voices sometimes.
He called him by our gospel. He called him. And how do you
know he's one of his elect? Because this man is now calling
on the Lord. This man is now seeking the Lord.
This man once hated the Lord. Now, John, he's seeking the Lord.
He's asking. He's knocking. He's seeking. And he'll find it. The Lord hath found him, and
he's a chosen. Verse 15, here's the first thing
the Lord told Ananias to say in his message. The Lord said,
Go thy way. He's a chosen vessel. Elect. He's one of my elect. Oh, you're
not supposed to preach election to anybody. That'll kill evangelism. That's the first message. Evangel
means gospel. That's the first message of the
gospel. Elect, Peter said, according
to the foreknowledge of God. God had chosen him. Verse 17, Ananias went his way
and entered into his house and put his hands on him and said, Brother Saul. And that struck
me too, Wesley. Oh my. He wasn't a brother before,
was he? But he is now. Ananias was afraid
of this man. He was afraid of this man. No
need to fear him now, is he? Ananias was suspicious of this
man. No need to now, is he? He called him brother. Only the
Lord can take an out-and-out enemy like this, a dragon, a
fire-breathing dragon, an enemy, and make him into a babe, a meek
and mild and a Christ-like man, Brother Saul. And here's what
he told him. Saul, he said, Brother Saul,
the Lord hath appeared unto thee in the way, and sent me that
thou mightest receive thy sight. And immediately there fell from
his eyes, as it had been scales, and he received his sight, and
forwith, and arose, and was baptized. It says up there, At first, it
says he was blinded. He saw no man. He couldn't even
see himself. He used to see himself. He used
to think he was something when he was nothing. He used to think
he was beautiful and there was no beauty in Christ that he should
desire. He used to love himself and hate
Christ. Now, he's blinded. He's seen the Son. He's blinded
all beauty of all men, including himself. And all he sees is sunspots,
the glory of the person of Christ. And look at Acts chapter 22 in
closing with Acts 22. This is what this is Paul's testimony
later on. Acts 22. This is what he said. He was baptized. He was baptized. He confessed publicly. And this
is the way you publicly confess this Lord Jesus Christ, baptism. This is the way you publicly
renounce your religious past. All that you were, all that you
knew, is baptism. And so Saul did that. What he
said by being baptized was, you can wash everything, all my past,
away in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was all done. It was all done. is all loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of this true God and true Christ. Baptism. What does that say? I'm dead. That old Saul who was somebody,
he's dead. He's dead. You know what the
word Paul means? You know what the name Paul means? Small. Isn't that fitting? Well, every
one of us must see ourselves. God renames us all. Small. Look at the acts, 22 in closing,
and it says in verse 14, Paul said this. That here's what Ananias
said to me, verse 13, Brother Saul received eyesight in the
same hour, I looked up upon him and he said, the God of our fathers
have chosen thee. Elect. First thing you heard. That thou shouldest know His
will, that it's His will. He works all things after the
counsel of His will. It's not your will. It's all,
it's my will. And that you should see, you're
blinded to yourself, your beauty and your glory and your honor
and so forth, and you now only see that there's just one. And all your righteousness, filthy
rags and that Christ is now made unto you, wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, redemption, that He's all. All you're going to
see from this day forward is Christ. Open your eye. Our Lord said
that. He said, I am come that they that see might be made blind. Those that are blind, once you're
blind, once He blinds you, He gives you sight. And over later on, it says again,
Saul said, after the way they call heresy, the way that I used
to call heresy, Saul said, I now believe. And he said to the Galatians,
he said, they all now know that the one that used to persecute
the faith now proclaims it. Before whom I bow and submit. Okay. Brother John, you come
up and lead us in the closing hymn. So I'll stand and turn to number
96. Number 96. And we'll sing this to the tune
of the churches. One foundation. OK. "'Tis not that I did choose thee,
O Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse
thee, hadst not thou chosen me. Thou, from the sin that stained
me, hast cleanly set me free. Of old thou hast ordained me,
that I should live to thee. T'was Sovereign Mercy called
me, and taught my opening mind. The world had else enthralled
me, to heavenly glories blind. My heart owns none before thee,
for thy refrains I thirst, this knowing if I love thee, thou
must have the fever. Thank you very much. Wow, that's good. It's time to get out of here. Thank you.