Welcome to Big Valley Grace Community Church. If it is your first time, second time, you’ve been here a few times, and we haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet, my name is Joel. I’m going to be standing right here after the gathering. I’d love to meet you. I’d love to personally welcome you to Big Valley Grace Community Church, put a name and a face together. We’re very glad you’re here. We hope that today is a great encouragement to you. So, a warm welcome from all of us to those who are new. We’re glad you’re here.

Today we’re going to continue in our study through the book of Acts. We’re in Acts chapter 9 today. If you have a Bible, you can take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts. It’s in the New Testament. If you need a Bible, we want to give you one. We have a prayer room right here. After the gathering, if you need prayer, come to the prayer room. We have Bibles in there. It’ll be at no cost to you. We want to make sure everyone has a copy of God’s Word for themselves.

Before we get into Acts chapter 9, I think some questions and a little context about our lives would be helpful. Has God ever done something in your life that you just never thought would happen? Did you ever find yourself in a place that the Lord allowed you to be and you just would have never thought that would have been where you found yourself? You found yourself in a circumstance and thought, “Something like that would never happen to me.”

This year my wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. Twenty-five years ago, we were on a very different path. My career path was in mechanical engineering. I was designing fire safety systems. My wife’s career path was in education. She’s an elementary school teacher. We were just like you. We were working our careers and serving at the church.

As we were in our careers and serving at the church, people would make interesting comments. They’d say, “Hey, Joel, maybe someday you’ll work at a church.” I’d be like, “You’re nuts. You’re nuts. If you think I would work at a church, it means one of two things: either you don’t know who I am, or your standards are really low, because they don’t hire guys like me to work at the church.”

When they’d make comments like that, my wife would have a really interesting response. She would say, “I will never be married to a pastor.”

Well, apparently God had some different plans than what we’d had. He wanted to do something different than what we understood. He had a path that was different than ours. He wanted to take us somewhere different than where we understood we were heading, because He was at work.

God is actively working right now. Are you aware of how God is working? Jesus is actively working with us right now. Right here, He is at work. Are you aware of how He’s at work?

I hear regularly testimony from people in our church about how Jesus Christ is radically changing their life. They were headed in one direction. They were on a certain path, and Jesus showed up in their life and changed their path, changed their direction, and transformed them.

Jesus is actively at work right here, right now. That’s what I want to pray about before we get into Acts chapter 9.

Father God, Lord, I pray that right now we would be aware of how You are at work. Lord, Your Son is doing an incredible work right here, right in our midst. Jesus Christ is at work changing people’s lives.

Lord, I’m asking, would You help us pay attention? Would You help us not miss it? Would we be aware of how You are working? Would we be aware of Your activity? God, would we get in line with Your path and Your program, with what You’re up to? I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In Acts chapter 9, we’re introduced to Saul again. We’ve seen Saul now in three consecutive chapters. In chapter 7, Saul is at the martyrdom of Stephen, the first person to die for his faith in Jesus Christ after the resurrection of Jesus. Stephen was stoned to death, and people took off their garments and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

At the beginning of chapter 8, we find out that Saul approved of this execution, and he went on a rampage persecuting followers of Jesus Christ and spreading out the followers of Jesus.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus made a promise:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — NIV

In Acts 8:1, we find the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise, and it’s through persecution. Saul is leading the persecution.

We get to Acts chapter 9, and we find Saul again. Saul is still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. What this language of breathing describes is like breathing fire. It’s fire in and fire out. Every breath is a breath of fire, hatred, and murder. He is breathing in and out evil.

He’s still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He goes to the high priest and asks for letters to the synagogues at Damascus because he wants authority for what he’s doing. He wants documentation from the high priest so he can arrive in a new location with the paperwork and say, “I’m authorized to do this here.”

His purpose is that if he finds anyone belonging to the Way, men or women, he can bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Before Christians were called Christians, Christians were called the Way. Jesus said:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — NIV

Because they’re following Jesus, and He’s the Way, they’re following Him on the Way. Christians began to be known as the Way. Saul has paperwork from the high priest, and he wants to find anyone who belongs to the Way—men and women. He wants to shackle them, put them in prison, and bring them to Jerusalem.

As Saul approaches Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shines around him. This is where in our culture we get the phrase, “I saw the light.” In our culture it means something a little different, but this is where the saying originates.

The light is so bright that Saul falls to the ground. How is it possible that light makes someone physically fall to the ground? Well, this is not ordinary light. This is the light of the glory of God. The light of the glory of God is so powerful it will level all of us flat to the ground.

The glory of God shining into our lives will level all of us to the ground.

Saul is now on the ground, and he hears a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” — NIV

This construction is very important. It’s not very often in Scripture where the name is repeated twice. But in Scripture, when the name is repeated twice, it’s a sign of an incredibly intimate communication that is happening.

“Saul. Saul.”

What God is doing in this moment is having a very personal, very intimate conversation directly into the soul of this person.

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” — NIV

I thought, I wonder what this would sound like if God did this to me. “Joel, Joel, why are you…” Fill in the blank.

What if God had a deeply personal and intimate communication with you? Your name, your name. “Why are you…” Fill in the blank.

God is speaking directly into the inner person of Saul in this moment.

Saul thought he was operating under the authority of the high priest. He had a letter. This was his official business. He thinks he’s persecuting people who are following someone who is dead, because he thinks Jesus is dead. Because he thinks Jesus is dead, he wants to persecute those who are following a dead person because he sees it as against God.

In this moment, Saul finds out Jesus is not dead.

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” — NIV

How is Jesus actively working with us right now? He’s working with us right now in the same way He’s working in this passage, because Jesus is actively exposing our sin right now.

That’s exactly what He does to Saul. He exposes Saul’s sin.

Saul is actively fighting Jesus Christ, and the light of Jesus Christ exposes what Saul is doing. His sin comes into the light. Jesus is actively exposing our sin right now.

Church family, you should be encouraged. There has been a noticeable increase in people confessing their sin in our church. That should be a very good encouragement to you because that’s the work of Jesus Christ. That is the work of Jesus Christ shining the light into people’s lives to expose sin.

And that is good.

Church family, I want to encourage you: be brave and step into the light. Be courageous and step into the light. Allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine into your life because Jesus is actively exposing our sin right now, and it’s good. It’s a sign that God is at work right here, right now.

How many times have we thought something incorrect about God, and then we come to find out what the truth is about God, and what’s our response?

“I was wrong.”

Saul thinks something about God that is inaccurate because he thinks Jesus is dead. Saul comes to find out that Jesus is not dead, and there is only one response.

“I was wrong.”

When the light of God shines into our life, there’s no way for us to hide. When Jesus shines His light into our life, there’s no way for us to hide. We can’t hide from what is true. We are exposed, and we only have one response.

“Looks like I was wrong. God is right. I was wrong.”

Saul responds, “Who are you, Lord?”

Jesus answers, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” — NIV

Saul leaves Jerusalem thinking he is operating under authority from the high priest. On the road to Damascus, he meets the Great High Priest.

He thinks he’s under authority from the high priest as he leaves Jerusalem, but Jesus shows up in his life and he comes into a genuine encounter with the Great High Priest.

All Jesus has to do to identify Himself is, “I am Jesus.”

He doesn’t have to read the Old Testament to him. He doesn’t sit down with him and say, “Let’s have a debate. You bring your rationale, I’ll bring mine, and I’ll show you the proofs of the resurrection.”

No.

He says, “I am Jesus,” and it’s enough.

Because when God shows up in our life, He doesn’t need to prove that He just showed up in our life.

Jesus is alive.

When Jesus shows up in our life, it’s enough that He showed up in our life because that’s the only proof we need.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” — NIV

Number two: Jesus is actively revealing Himself to us right now.

In the same way that Jesus revealed Himself to Saul, Jesus is actively revealing Himself to us right now. Right here.

My wife and I are seeing God answer very specific prayer in our family. We’re seeing God answer specific prayer for our staff team. We’re seeing God answer specific prayer for our church family. We’re seeing God answer specific prayer in our community.

We are seeing God answer prayer right here, right now.

Are you?

Jesus is actively revealing Himself to us right now. Are you seeing Him at work? Do you see that He is at work?

Jesus Christ can impact our lives because Jesus Christ is alive.

Saul thinks He’s dead. Jesus can’t show up in Saul’s life if Jesus is dead.

The fact that Jesus shows up and says, “I am Jesus,” is the only proof needed that Jesus is resurrected. When Jesus shows up in our life, it’s proof that Jesus is alive, because someone who is dead cannot show up in our life and impact our life.

But Jesus is.

He’s showing up, He’s impacting our lives, and He is alive.

Then Jesus tells Saul to get up, enter the city, and wait to be told what he must do.

Saul thought he knew what his mission was. This guy is at the top of his game. He’s well educated, well respected, has tons of power, and is a leader in the religious system.

He thinks he knows what he’s doing. He thinks he knows his path.

But he was so focused on the law. That’s where his focus was—the law.

You know what happens on the road to Damascus?

He meets the Lawmaker.

He meets the Lawmaker.

He was so focused on the law, but he didn’t know the Lawmaker. In this moment, he meets the Lawmaker.

Where Saul thought, “This is what my life is supposed to be. This is what my path is supposed to be,” the Lawmaker comes and says, “No. You have a new set of instructions. Rise, enter the city, and you’re going to be told what you’re going to do.”

He is called into service to the Lawmaker.

Jesus is working in that way right now.

Number three: Jesus is actively calling us to obey Him right now.

In the same way Jesus called Saul to obey Him, Jesus is calling us to obey Him right now. Right here, right now.

Church family, you should be super encouraged. There’s a whole bunch of young adults who have been contacting me and asking, “What would it look like if I served the Lord?”

Church family, that should encourage you.

There are young adults asking, “What would it look like if I were to serve the Lord? Will you pray with me about how I, as a young adult, might be able to serve the Lord?”

Jesus is actively calling us to obey Him right now.

That’s exciting.

Every day is an opportunity to obey Jesus Christ. Every day is an opportunity to serve the Master.

You know, I find something kind of funny. Did you know you don’t have to ask somebody if they do CrossFit because they’re going to tell you? There’s something about people who do CrossFit where you don’t have to ask. They’re going to tell you.

I don’t know what that is. I think it’s kind of funny.

But here’s something about the CrossFit culture: part of the CrossFit culture is no days off.

Every day is an opportunity to grind. One more rep. One more routine. Lean in a little further. Push a little harder. Test the limits. Let’s see how far we can go.

What if we approached our relationship with Jesus like that?

No days off.

I’m going to lean into prayer a little bit further. I’m going to dig into God’s Word a little bit farther. I’m going to lean into Jesus a little bit stronger. I’m going to fall into God a little bit further.

No days off.

Full commitment to Him.

Jesus is actively calling us to obey Him right here, right now.

The men traveling with Saul stand speechless. They’re hearing the voice but seeing no one. They have no idea what’s going on.

Saul rises from the ground, and although his eyes are open, he sees nothing. So they lead him by the hand and bring him into Damascus. For three days, he is without sight and neither eats nor drinks.

Look at the transformation that’s happening.

He leaves Jerusalem in power and control. He’s somebody. He leaves Jerusalem as somebody.

Then he meets Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Now he’s fully humbled and surrendered.

He has to be led by the hand by other people. He can’t eat or drink anything, and he can’t see.

Look at the contrast.

What’s the difference?

The difference is he met, “I am Jesus.”

That’s the difference.

And it’s the only thing that matters.

A true encounter with Jesus Christ.

“I am Jesus.”

That is the difference-maker in what happened in his life.

Now there is a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord calls to him in a vision: “Ananias!”

He says, “Yes, Lord.” — NIV

Which, by the way, anytime God gets our attention, that’s a great response.

“Here I am. What’s the plan? What’s going on?”

God calls out to us in different ways, but if God gets our attention, that’s a great response.

“Here I am, Lord.”

The Lord tells Ananias to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for Saul of Tarsus. Saul is praying, and in a vision he’s seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him so that he can see again.

This is a wild message.

Ananias is hearing from the Lord, “There’s a guy praying. He’s having a vision. You’re in his vision. You’re going to go find him, lay your hands on him, and he’s going to be able to see.”

But Ananias responds, essentially, “Lord, I’ve heard about this man. I’ve heard how much evil he has done to Your people in Jerusalem, and he’s here with authority to arrest everyone who calls on Your name.”

So what is Ananias’ response?

“Hey, God, can we meet about this for a second? I can see You’ve got this strategy. Your strategy is that I’m going to go to this dude. Do You realize this is a bad guy? This guy’s doing bad stuff. God, can we sit down and talk through this because it looks like there might be some holes in Your plan?”

The Lord says to him:

“Go!” — NIV

This is not a discussion.

You don’t get a vote.

God is not asking for our opinion.

He’s not asking us to sit down at the conference table and work it all out. He doesn’t want to know what our spreadsheet says.

He’s giving commands.

He’s in charge.

He’s the Master.

He’s saying, “Go. I want you to obey Me. Go.”

Then God explains that Saul is His chosen instrument to proclaim His name to the Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel.

How many times have we discounted someone from being able to be used by God?

“No. Not that person. Look at their life. Look at what they’ve done. God will never save them. God will never use them. They’re so against God. There’s no way that person is ever going to come to know Jesus Christ.”

We absolutely discount them. We count them out completely.

“There’s no way God’s going to work in that person’s life.”

God says, “Go. This man is my chosen instrument.” — NIV

Ephesians says:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” — NIV

God has a plan to use every one of His instruments. It is a unique plan that He has.

Who are we to say, “No, God, You can’t use that person You created”?

We can’t think like that.

Saul is a chosen instrument.

That means we can’t think about ourselves that way either.

We can’t think about ourselves like, “God will never use me.”

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. God has a plan, and He wants to use our life.

Then Jesus says He will show Saul how much he must suffer for His name.

This is a promise Jesus makes. A lot of the time when we talk about the promises of God, we’re not talking about stuff like this.

Saul persecuted God’s people. He stood there and watched God’s servant Stephen get murdered, and he approved of it while it happened. He persecuted the men and women of the Way and spread them out.

Jesus says Saul is going to learn what it means to suffer for His name.

Ananias departs and enters the house. Laying his hands on Saul, he calls him “Brother Saul” and explains that the Lord Jesus who appeared to him on the road has sent him so that Saul might regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is a moment in Scripture where we can have a lot of confidence because the Word of God says the Holy Spirit is the seal of our redemption.

We can have confidence that Saul is redeemed.

He has encountered Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God is now filling his life.

He belongs to Jesus.

He is a servant of Jesus.

He has a new Master, and his Master is Jesus.

Immediately something like scales falls from Saul’s eyes and he can see again. He gets up, is baptized, takes food, and regains his strength. For several days he stays with the disciples in Damascus.

He has a genuine encounter with “I am Jesus.”

He gets prayed for. The Holy Spirit of God is in his life. He is strengthened and encouraged by the disciples of Jesus Christ.

God is at work changing this man.

And God’s still changing people.

He’s using His people as part of the process because Jesus is actively using disciples to make disciples right now.

Jesus saves Saul. Jesus saves you. Jesus saves me.

Jesus also uses disciples to make disciples. This is part of His plan. This is part of His program.

Jesus saves Saul. He appears to Saul, saves him, and calls him into service. But He also uses His disciples to encourage Saul and strengthen him. Saul is now with other believers.

Jesus is doing the same thing right now.

Jesus is the One who saves us, and He uses His disciples as part of the disciple-making process.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you are being used to influence the people around you right now.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you are being used to impact people’s lives around you right now.

You may not realize it. If you don’t realize it, you need to get with the program, because that’s what’s happening.

Jesus is actively using His people to impact people right now.

It would be best for you to become aware of that and fall in line with that because God is at work.

He’s actively at work, and He wants to use your life to a great degree to influence and impact the people around you for Jesus.

Immediately Saul begins proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God.

This guy has had a full transformation.

At the beginning of the chapter, he’s persecuting anyone associated with the name of Jesus.

Now he is preaching that Jesus is God.

Everyone who hears him is amazed. They’re asking, “Isn’t this the same guy? Isn’t this the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who called on this name? Didn’t he come here for the purpose of arresting them and bringing them before the chief priests?”

They think the whole thing could be a trick.

“No. This guy’s not legit. He’s not real. He’s doing whatever he’s doing because he’s going to capture us and take us to Jerusalem.”

But Saul grows more powerful and confounds the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

Previously Saul was persecuting followers of Jesus because he believed they were against God. He thought Jesus was dead, and he thought people were following a dead person, which was a huge offense to him because he believed it was against God.

Well, he meets Jesus.

Jesus is not dead.

“I am Jesus.”

He’s not dead.

Saul meets Jesus, and now he’s proclaiming that Jesus is alive and that He is the Son of God.

His whole world has changed.

His whole understanding has changed.

The key factor for his understanding changing is that he met Jesus.

That’s it.

Number five: Jesus is actively transforming our lives right now.

In the same way Jesus transformed Saul’s life in this text, Jesus is actively transforming our lives right now.

When I came to know Jesus Christ, I was no longer a slave of the enemy.

The enemy was no longer my master.

When you came to know Jesus Christ, you were no longer a slave of the enemy. The enemy is no longer your master.

We have a new Master.

We have a new Person calling the shots in our life.

We don’t have to serve the old master anymore because we’ve got a new Master that we’re serving.

As we serve our new Master, He radically transforms our life.

Jesus is doing that right now.

He’s changing people’s lives right here, right now.

After many days, the Jews begin plotting to kill Saul. They discover he’s not on their team anymore, and they want to take him out.

Their plot becomes known to Saul. They’re watching the city gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples take him by night and lower him through an opening in the wall in a basket.

Look at the transformation happening in this guy’s life.

He leaves Jerusalem full of pride and arrogance, power and control. He’s on an authorized mission.

He meets Jesus on the road to Damascus.

He is absolutely leveled.

He’s humbled and in full surrender. He has to be led by the hand because he’s blind. He can’t eat or drink.

Now he’s hiding in a basket, getting lowered down the outside wall of a city.

This is wild.

The change that happens in this man’s life is wild.

When Saul gets to Jerusalem, he tries to join the disciples, but they’re all afraid of him because they don’t believe he’s really a disciple.

Yeah, I think I would be too.

The dude was killing people.

It’s hard to sit down and have dinner with the guy. Can we trust this guy?

I don’t think so.

But Barnabas takes Saul and brings him to the apostles. He tells them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road, how the Lord had spoken to him, and how Saul had preached boldly in Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Barnabas essentially comes along and says, “Wait, wait, wait, guys. No, this guy’s legit. He met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he’s experienced radical transformation. God has changed his life. He’s preaching Jesus now. He’s proclaiming Jesus Christ.”

So Saul begins moving freely in Jerusalem and preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. He speaks and debates with others, and now another group tries to kill him.

When the believers learn about it, they take him to Caesarea and send him off to Tarsus.

Saul was a super religious guy.

Super religious guy.

At the top of the game.

God absolutely tore down his religion, deconstructed the whole thing, and rebuilt him after one encounter that changed his life.

That encounter is with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

“I am Jesus.”

That radically changed this guy’s life.

God is in the business of disrupting us big time.

God disrupted Saul.

He disrupted his whole life.

Saul was on one path, and God put him on a new one.

He was on one mission, and God gave him a new mission.

There’s a story to tell about how God gets the credit for the changes He makes in our life.

Number six: Jesus is actively using our testimony right now.

The testimony of Saul is a very powerful testimony showing the transformation that God can make in a life.

Testimony is powerful.

Jesus is actively using our testimony right now.

Testimony is this: God gets all the credit for what God does.

That is testimony.

Giving testimony about God is telling people how awesome He is and how He has worked, pointing them to God as the One who gets the credit for everything He has done.

Let me ask you this:

Is the story about how God has worked in your life the best-kept secret?

Because if it is, that needs to change now.

God needs to get the credit for what God is doing.

Jesus is actively using our testimony right now.

If God is working in your life, which I know He is, then you need to start talking about it. You need to start telling people about it because God deserves to get the credit for the things He does.

Jesus is actively using our testimony right here, right now.

Acts 9 concludes by showing the dramatic contrast created by Saul’s transformation. The chapter begins with Saul breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. By the end, the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria is experiencing peace, being strengthened, living in the fear of the Lord, encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and continuing to grow.

This is the story of radical transformation.

The key difference-maker is meeting Jesus.

“I am Jesus.”

That’s the key difference.

This is our story.

This is our story.

We were on our path, and God took us off our path and put us on a different path.

He didn’t ask our opinion.

My wife and I were headed in one direction, and God changed the direction. He didn’t meet with us first to see if we wanted to go there.

He just did it.

He called us into service, and He has radically changed our lives.

We didn’t vote about it first.

It was not democracy.

He called us into service, and He has changed our lives.

He has radically transformed my life. He has radically transformed my wife’s life. He has radically changed our family.

This is our story.

God showing up and disrupting our plans and putting us on a path to follow Him.

When you hear the description that the people now had peace, maybe you hear that and go, “I need peace. Whatever the peace of God is, I want that.”

It says they’re walking in the fear of the Lord.

Maybe you’re here and you recognize, “I need to walk in the fear of the Lord. I need to learn how to honor God and walk in the fear of the Lord.”

It says they had the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you’re here and you recognize that you need the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

If that sounds like you, I want to pray for you right now.

If you need the peace of God in your life, stand up. I want to pray for you.

If you need to walk in the fear of the Lord, stand up. I want to pray for you.

If you need to have the comfort of the Holy Spirit in your life, stand up. I want to pray for you.

If that sounds like what you need right now, I want to pray for you because this is the description of what happens when God changes people’s lives.

Father God, Lord, there are a bunch of people standing right now. God, You know exactly what their story is. You know exactly what’s going on in their life, and You know why they need peace.

God, I pray that the peace of God would flood their life. Whatever their circumstance is, that they would have an encounter with the Prince of Peace and the peace of God would flood their life.

Lord, You know exactly what their story is, and You know the steps they need to take to begin to walk, or continue to walk, in the fear of the Lord.

God, I pray that You would give them bravery and courage to take one step after another to follow Jesus Christ.

Lord, You understand what the disruption is that they have experienced. You know their discomfort.

This passage says that it is possible to have the comfort of the Holy Spirit. So God, I pray that You would bring the comfort of God into their life.

Lord, for all those who are standing, I pray that their stories will be the stories that will be told next. Their testimony will be the testimony that is told next because You brought Your peace, You brought the fear of the Lord, and You brought Your comfort into their life.

God, we pray blessing over all those who are standing. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

If you need further prayer, our team will be ready to pray with you. I’ll be standing right here. If you need to get connected into a group, head on out to Groupfest. Grab a bite to eat.

We love you, church family. We’re going to see you real soon.