When Mercy Calls Your Name | Chase Cofer

In Acts 9, Saul is on his way to Damascus to imprison followers of Jesus when a light from heaven stops him in his tracks. He hears his name called, goes blind for three days, and the entire direction of his life changes.

Chase Cofer walks through the story of Saul's encounter on the road to Damascus and the role of Ananias, an ordinary disciple Jesus sends to lay hands on him. It's a message about how mercy interrupts, how transformation often comes through faithful, unnamed people, and what it looks like to say "here I am" when Jesus asks something costly of us.

This sermon is part of our series Church on Fire, a journey through the book of Acts.

What is GARDEN CHURCH Podcast?

"Here as in Heaven."

For more information visit : garden.church

Intro/Outro: 00:08

You're listening to GARDEN CHURCH Podcast. We're in a series called Church on Fire, a journey through the book of Acts. This is the story of ordinary people filled with the spirit carrying the presence of Jesus into every corner of the world. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive and in us today. Join us as we step into the call to be people set on fire for his mission.

Chase Cofer: 00:30

Thanks so much. This is such an incredible privilege to be here today. I I realize now why me and my wife didn't dedicate our three kids because I can't remember your name the first guy who went, but I would have been like you. We were dedicating my daughter, man. It would have tears.

Chase Cofer: 00:46

I would have lost all my notes. I would have been gone. So that was so beautiful and so special to see these families say yes to dedicating their kids to Jesus. But I really do count it a complete privilege to be with you. Me and my wife, I know you've seen my wife leading worship here if you've been coming for a little while.

Chase Cofer: 01:05

But we've been coming to Garden for the last number of years. We've lived in Huntington Beach for the last fourteen, fifteen years. And I count it a complete privilege to be here because the up close view that I'm getting of GARDEN CHURCH is that God is moving in profound ways. And I think sometimes we can get used to God moving in profound ways when it's happening every week. We can become accustomed to it.

Chase Cofer: 01:32

But can I say something on the front and I'll say it again at the end? What God's what God is doing, it's not just here at Garden, but this is where I'm getting an up close view. It's incredible the way that God is revealing himself to this church family. I mean, it's like you guys can't add services fast enough because God is moving in such profound incredible ways. And beyond that, it's a place where my kids are truly encountering Jesus.

Chase Cofer: 01:56

I love coming to a place where kids are valued not just to be dedicated, but I get to see my two older boys not in the back, but they're up front in worship and they're lifting their hands this morning. And we can celebrate that, absolutely. And my daughter now is gonna be able to grow and encounter Jesus. And the reason referenced that is because when I first met Darren and he was explaining some of the ways of Garden Church, I was blown away by the commitment to disciple every age. There is a desire that no matter where you're at in your relationship with Jesus, there is a desire in Darren and the team here that every age would be discipled into a passionate relationship with the living God with Jesus.

Chase Cofer: 02:41

Amen? Amen. Also Darren's a friend and this series in Acts, I don't know about you, but it has been lighting my heart on fire. I've been a follower of Jesus for about eighteen years now. But this series in the book of Acts, even since the beginning of this year, it has been doing something in my heart that has been lighting me on fire.

Chase Cofer: 03:03

So when Darren reached out and said, hey, would you come in May and preach on Acts nine? I resisted a little bit because I so enjoyed him and pastor Ramin and the team taking us through the book of acts like, man, I just have been enjoying receiving. I feel like you're you're lighting this missionary's heart on fire. But it's it's a joy to be with you guys. Last thing I'll say is me and my wife have been full time missionaries for the last fifteen years based here out of Southern California.

Chase Cofer: 03:32

We work with a ministry called Circuit Riders. We've maybe you're familiar. I see a few of you in the room today. But we've been doing this for the last fifteen years. So you get to go get to know me when we were just a few people in one house desiring to reach a young generation with the gospel of Jesus.

Chase Cofer: 03:51

And over the last fifteen years, we've seen our outreaches go from one college campus to two to 20 to now this year, our teams in a grassroots way was reaching college campuses and high school campuses over 400 university campuses as well as a number of high school campuses both locally across America and to Europe and East Africa and other places. And so I say that not to say like, oh man, I've really got it figured out. No, I say that to say what we're gonna get into in the storyline today. It's what happens when the God of all creation gets a hold of your life. There's something that happens when we become yielded and surrendered and when Jesus calls our name.

Chase Cofer: 04:35

And so before I get into the text, I'm very excited. The text preaches itself. It's one of the most famous story. Oh, the lights changed right there. Said the text and then boom, it was like the lights came on.

Chase Cofer: 04:47

Alright. But this is one of the most famous stories in Scripture. It's one of the most well known reference stories in Scripture. It's gonna be very familiar to a lot of us. If you're new to Jesus or if your friend bought you because he encountered Jesus or she encountered Jesus like you gotta get there, God's doing something.

Chase Cofer: 05:07

I don't know what. Wherever you're at on the spectrum, before we get into the story, I wanna spend a little more time than I normally would setting the context because the context is very important. Otherwise we can read a familiar story and forget just how profound it is. And so I wanna take a few extra minutes this morning to set the context of where we're at in this unfolding drama in the book of Acts. I wanna talk about the characters here and then we're gonna get after it.

Chase Cofer: 05:40

If you wanna title the message, if you're a note taker, the title of the message today is, What Happens When Mercy Calls Your Name? What happens when mercy calls your name? Okay. Now to this point in the storyline of Acts, how many of us remember Darren referenced this last week, but Jesus gives the remaining apostles and the remaining followers of Jesus after his resurrection. He gives them this monster vision in Acts chapter one eight.

Chase Cofer: 06:08

He says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Well, eight chapters in, we've already seen a partial fulfillment of what Jesus said was going to happen. We've seen the Holy Spirit poured out in Acts two. We see Peter who was once denying Christ now filled with the spirit preaching the gospel. 3,000 are added in Jerusalem.

Chase Cofer: 06:36

We see the gospel begins to spread around Judea. There's a story I'm gonna come back to in acts chapter six and seven, where there's begins to be persecution, but that causes the disciples to get spread out. We see that the gospel is now spreading to Samaria through the life of Philip, which Jesus said was going to happen. They're getting filled with the Holy Spirit. Philip's journey continues.

Chase Cofer: 06:59

Who did he run into last week? Do you guys remember he runs into the Ethiopian eunuch who there would have been barriers to him having a depth of relationship with the living God. But he too experiences the power of the gospel through Philip's life. He's reading Isaiah 53 on the road. Philip shows up a faithful disciple.

Chase Cofer: 07:19

He explains to him what he's reading. He cannot help but be baptized in the Ethiopian eunuch which I didn't realize this till last week and doing a little study of my own the last few weeks. But that Ethiopia according to the cultural time period would have been referenced as the ends of the earth. So already in eight chapters, Jesus is letting you know that his plans are going to be accomplished. His will is going to be accomplished.

Chase Cofer: 07:46

Already we see beginning fulfillment from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Now, if you're reading the story like, man, what's gonna happen next? If there's already beginning fulfillment, where is the drama going to turn to next? And Luke is so brilliant because he's introduced our main character outside of Jesus. Of course, he's the main character of Acts.

Chase Cofer: 08:12

It's a continued work of Jesus. But he has introduced our main character in acts nine one to 31. That's the portion of scripture we're gonna go after today. But he has introduced this character at the end of acts chapter seven. Now, can I stir your hunger just a little bit more about how important the story is?

Chase Cofer: 08:29

I didn't say this, but a brilliant author William Larkin, one of his commentary says this. Now this is a little subjective but it's backed by a lot of truth about what happened with Saul's life after this encounter. Here we go. Larkin writes, the most important event in human history apart from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the conversion to Christianity of Saul of Tarsus. Without Acts nine, the New Testament shrinks by half and the Christian movement might never has escaped its Palestinian birthplace.

Chase Cofer: 09:02

It's so important that Luke doesn't reference the encounter we're about to read through once, he does three times. He he wants us to not miss how pivotal, how extravagant, how extraordinary what we are about to read is. Now we're gonna jump into the scriptures. If you got your bible, I know it's a garden thing. Let's see your bible.

Chase Cofer: 09:24

I'm jumping into the culture that was to honor pastor Darren and the Lord. Okay, here we go. So Acts chapter nine says this, I'm gonna do two verses. I'm gonna set a little more context. Here we go.

Chase Cofer: 09:37

But Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus. So that if he found any belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now a few things I want us to know. It says, still breathing threats. Can I go back and reintroduce us to where Saul enters the story?

Chase Cofer: 10:07

This is out of Acts chapter seven now. This is when Stephen has confronted the Pharisees at the time and they end up stoning him. Verse 58 of Acts seven says, then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Why would they do this?

Chase Cofer: 10:24

You would lay garments down at the guy who's overseeing an execution. So Saul is in a place of authority. He's in a position of authority. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out Lord Jesus receive my spirit. And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord do not hold the sin against them.

Chase Cofer: 10:41

Don't forget that part. A seed of mercy is sown by Stephen. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem.

Chase Cofer: 10:56

And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. I'm gonna read a few more verses from Saul himself of just how consumed he was with violence against the early church. I think sometimes we read the story so quickly.

Chase Cofer: 11:26

We can say, yeah, he was an antagonist. He was opposed. No, this is a violent murderer opposed to the expanding growth of Jesus's followers called the early church. Can I read a few verses of what how Saul described himself before his encounter on that road to Damascus? Philippians three verse four and six.

Chase Cofer: 11:48

Saul says this, I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. A Hebrew of Hebrew, as to the law, a Pharisee. As to zeal, a persecutor of the church.

Chase Cofer: 12:08

As to righteousness under the law, blameless. Galatians one thirteen fourteen, for you've heard of my former life in Judaism how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people. So extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. One more verse, Acts 22.

Chase Cofer: 12:30

This is Psalm 12 speaking. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus and Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers. Being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them, I received letters to the brothers and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

Chase Cofer: 13:07

We're starting to get the vibe and the character of what Paul is like. I think I've got a slide here of what he was like before his road to Damascus. He is an enemy of the way. He is a violent persecutor of the church. He's a young man who is a zealous follower of the law.

Chase Cofer: 13:26

And he wasn't just zealous, he was trained. It's like he was a head of the rest of those his age. He's trained under Gamma Leel, which have been like one of the leading, if you wanna compare it to now. It's like one of the leading professors of his time. He's trained by that guy.

Chase Cofer: 13:42

He would have had the Torah memorized. He would have known the scriptures inside and out. He was a zealous, devoted to the law, follower of the law to the traditions of his fathers. And he was convinced he was doing the will of God. He was so convinced, he was so consumed that a murderous rage had filled his heart because he thought that the way of Jesus was changing the traditions of his fathers.

Chase Cofer: 14:10

What he had given his life to. He had a vision of what he was doing was the right way. How many of us know we can have a zeal and a vision but we can be totally mistaken. We can think we are on the right We can think we're running in the right way. But how many of us know it takes a revelation from God to know that we're actually on the right path?

Chase Cofer: 14:35

How many of us know that we actually can't figure it out ourselves? It takes mercy from God. Now one more thing, I go back to Acts nine, I want us to really feel that rage, that that murder, that zeal that Saul had against the church. Says he was breathing threats. That Greek word there, it's like he was consumed with threats against the church.

Chase Cofer: 15:00

It's like it wasn't just a momentary thing. It's like he's breathing in and out. And just so we know Damascus is not like down the road from Jerusalem. This isn't like, oh, I'm just gonna walk you know, little later today and get to Damascus. Commentators, it's over a 100 miles away.

Chase Cofer: 15:13

This would mean like a six, seven day journey for Saul to get to Damascus. So he's willing to disrupt his normal life and say, give me letters. I wanna stop the way not just in Jerusalem. I'm going to Damascus. I'm shutting this thing down.

Chase Cofer: 15:26

Now, how many of you when you hear that, you're like, this is the guy that's about to join the team. Jesus, I've got a brilliant idea. Let's go get the murderer. Let's invite him to our house and let's see what happens. No, if I'm reading the drama of Acts, if this is my first time and I get to Acts chapter nine, I'm like, this is where Jesus strikes him down.

Chase Cofer: 15:50

This guy's out. He's over. This is the end of the road. Now he's going to Damascus. This is where it's all going to end.

Chase Cofer: 15:58

But I'm telling you something happens when mercy calls your name. Something happens when Jesus steps on the road when you have a vision and you think you have it figured out. Here we go. Verse three of Acts chapter nine. Now, as he went on his way, he approached Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven shown around him.

Chase Cofer: 16:23

Don't miss this. Who initiates this encounter? Who initiates a transformation that will mark the rest of the history of the church of Jesus Christ? Who shows up to this murderer, this persecutor, this violent rage filled leader, zealous for the traditions of his father? Who initiates the encounter?

Chase Cofer: 16:46

It's a light from where? From heaven. There's an encounter of grace and mercy that Saul absolutely does not deserve but a light from heaven flashes all around him. Commentators would say this was like the encounter that Ezekiel had in Ezekiel chapter one before he was called to be a major prophet to Israel. So a light from heaven shines around him and falling to the ground, he heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Chase Cofer: 17:19

He doesn't say his name once. He says it twice. And to my Bible scholar friends in the room which is probably a lot of you. Whenever God says your name more than once, buckle up. And in scripture when anything is repeated not just a name but when anything is repeated in the scriptures, there is a gravity to it.

Chase Cofer: 17:44

It's a pay attention because this is really really important. Pay attention because this is something the scriptures are wanting to emphasize. And when you see his name Saul, Saul, you know that his storyline is about to change. Think about it. Moses, Moses, did he have a big assignment?

Chase Cofer: 18:04

Samuel, Samuel, the prophet who none of his words fell to the ground. Did he have a big assignment? Peter, Peter, you see when Jesus gets his guys, they don't have an option. See when Jesus calls your name, his mercy is so profound, it's irresistible. When he calls your name, he's coming for you and your whole life.

Chase Cofer: 18:26

Now, you might think that here comes this loving word from Jesus. No, Jesus's first words to Saul are a confrontation. You see his love starts with a confrontation. Why are you persecuting me? Now hold on a second.

Chase Cofer: 18:43

In Acts chapter seven, we don't see Saul murdering Jesus. We don't see Saul persecuting Jesus in the flesh but Jesus so identifies with his church. It's something we in the West could use a refresher on I think is that it's not Jesus disconnected from the body. No, he feels so connected to the body of Christ at this point that when the body is being persecuted, he shows up to Saul and says, why are you persecuting me? See, when we go through this is a theological point that Luke's trying to make is when we go through things, so does he.

Chase Cofer: 19:20

When we suffer, so does he. When you're made fun of or persecuted for the name of Jesus, maybe not in the same way that they were here contextually. But when you go through things, Jesus is not way off in the corner disconnected from what you're going through. No, he very much is experiencing what you're experiencing because you and I, the body of Christ, we are one with the head. He's with us.

Chase Cofer: 19:48

What happens to Garden Church, Jesus is very aware of what's happening. He's here in our midst at both Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa. He's here among us. He knows what's going on. Amen?

Chase Cofer: 20:00

Amen. So why are you persecuting me? He starts with a question. Saul says, who are you Lord? Could you imagine how shocked Saul must have been?

Chase Cofer: 20:11

This is a man with vision. This is a man who knows this is where I'm going. He's disrupted. His plan, his vision is disrupted. Who are you?

Chase Cofer: 20:23

Who are you Lord? Jesus makes it plain. He said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do. The men who were traveling with him stood speechless hearing the voice but seeing no one.

Chase Cofer: 20:44

Saul rose from the ground and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days, he was without sight and neither ate nor drank. Not only does Jesus initiate this encounter, he leaves Saul knocked on the ground, blind and helpless to get to the city by himself. This mighty visionary leader and one encounter with the glory, with one revelation of the glory of Jesus and who he is.

Chase Cofer: 21:25

He is knocked off of his high horse. He's on the ground. He's blinded and he is helplessly led into Damascus. Isn't it amazing how one encounter with Jesus can make even the mighty become humble? One encounter with the glory of who he is can cause any one of us who's puffed up with pride to be humbled in the presence of Jesus.

Chase Cofer: 21:53

This mighty leader blinded led by the hand is now in Damascus and for three days he is without sight. He is dying to himself. Doesn't that three days sound familiar? He can't even eat or drink. Don't you just wonder, this zealous man consumed with the scriptures from being a young child.

Chase Cofer: 22:20

What was he thinking about those three days? What was happening to him those three days where he can't even eat or drink? Don't you wonder if maybe he's having his like road to Emmaus moment. He's going through those scriptures that he's so familiar with and he's starting to see, oh my goodness, Jesus is the greater Moses to come. Oh my goodness, all that the prophets prophesied about.

Chase Cofer: 22:46

I've been directly opposed to the one that they were pointing me to. I couldn't see. I couldn't see. He's the Messiah. Maybe like the eunuch saw Isaiah 53, he would have known that scripture.

Chase Cofer: 23:00

Maybe Saul's having that moment where Isaiah 53 is illuminated to him. Oh my goodness, Jesus is the Messiah. He's the son of God and I've been living in direct opposition to him. Those three days, man. Doesn't it make you think about those three days where Jesus was dead, buried and brought back to life?

Chase Cofer: 23:21

Makes you think about those days where Jonah's in the fish, right running from his actual call and God rescues him and sends him to his call to Nineveh, to Gentiles. Doesn't it make you think that Luke is painting a picture of what's about to happen to Saul's life? Can we keep going? You guys with me? Yeah.

Chase Cofer: 23:38

So encounter with Jesus leads to humbling, it leads to the death to ourselves. How many of guys are excited for encounter with Jesus this morning? Okay, I thought about having fun to say like, we're gonna encounter God today. I was gonna open the message that way. Because I think in sometimes our charismatic culture, we view encounter with Jesus as purely it is it is a both end.

Chase Cofer: 24:01

As purely, I'm gonna encounter the love of Jesus. The goosebumps are on the way. That feeling when Caleb's leading worship and I'm with it. Absolutely, that is an element of encounter with God and we should absolutely want hunger and thirst to taste and see that he is good. Right?

Chase Cofer: 24:20

But can I tell you the more profound the encounters that I read in scripture that I don't know about you, I want a profound encounter with the living God but when I read about them, Saul paints a picture that when you encounter the living God for real, your life is about to change? That there is about to be a request from the living God, a demand put on your life. So we're gonna encounter God today together. Verse 10, now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. Different Ananias than Ananias and Sapphira.

Chase Cofer: 24:52

Don't worry, didn't come back to life. This is Ananias though it's a common name at the time. And the Hebrew origin of that is that God is merciful. So what the head of the body initiates, he now shows up to a disciple, a follower of the way named Ananias and his name would preach that God is merciful. Okay?

Chase Cofer: 25:15

So here we have Ananias and he says, here I am Lord. Look at the contrast between Saul has his moment with Jesus. Who are you Lord? And Ananias a faithful disciple, here I am Lord. See a true follower of Jesus, when you are following wholeheartedly, you're not wondering does this fit into my culture?

Chase Cofer: 25:38

Does this fit? No. When you come as a follower of Jesus hungry, you say here I am Lord. A true follower says that. Okay.

Chase Cofer: 25:45

The Lord said to him, rise, go to the street called straight at the house of Judas. Look for a man of Tarsus named Saul for behold he's praying. And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I've heard from many about this man. How much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.

Chase Cofer: 26:08

And here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name. Now it started here I am. But wait, wait, wait, wait, just a second Jesus. I'm loving this profound vision time. I'm getting to experience the Lord.

Chase Cofer: 26:23

This is a great quiet time. I'm feeling good. The goosebumps are strong. Here I am Lord. Hey, I want you to go to the chief enemy of the church who's been killing and throwing people in prison.

Chase Cofer: 26:32

I want you to go to his house. Well, Lord, you see, I believe you've got the guy who's got letters that could put me in prison. This could, Lord, I wanna make sure I got this right. This could change my family's daily life. It could change how we do things.

Chase Cofer: 26:55

There might not be a coffee tomorrow morning. My wife might be wondering where I am. My kids as well. Like if I go to this house, there is a high price that I could pay. Do you have this right Jesus?

Chase Cofer: 27:06

Have any of you guys ever felt like God was tugging on your heart to do something? Where he's asking you to do something costly and your first response isn't like, let's go. It's like, that's awesome. But Lord, there's some data I think you missed. There's a few parts of the story that I wanna make sure that you have.

Chase Cofer: 27:26

Know, I remember for myself when I first felt the call to mission. I wanted to do it because my buddy was getting his life transformed encountering Jesus. But then came the financial bill and I said, Lord, are you sure you got the right guy? I think I had like $500 to my name and the school is like $8,000 like Lord, that's just as impossible I think. I was a 19 year old kid.

Chase Cofer: 27:48

No no, I felt this tug though. This is what you're supposed to do. And so I do it at 19 I go, I encounter Jesus, my life get turns upside down and here I am twenty years later. So so God will ask you to do things. That's a small example of what Ananias.

Chase Cofer: 28:04

But God's gonna ask you to do things both small and great that are going to have cost involved. See, think sometimes we shy away from suffering or the cost involved in following Jesus when in reality that's where we find him the most. It's usually in the cost in the following that we find Jesus the most. So how does Jesus respond to Ananias? Hey, hold on a second.

Chase Cofer: 28:27

The Lord says to him, kind of ignores the question, go. For he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. I know at 19, was like, Lord, I wanna have a great calling. I wanna make great impact for you.

Chase Cofer: 28:50

I wanna see souls transformed. I wanna see the kingdom of God. And that's like, that's a pure desire. Right? When you start following Jesus, you want as many people as possible to experience the same thing.

Chase Cofer: 29:00

But what you see here in Saul's call, you don't necessarily see the affirmation of, I love you Saul. Get ready, you're my chosen instrument. You're gonna suffer for my name. Jesus does his mercy doesn't just look like forgiveness of sin. His mercy redirects us to make our life count for an eternal kingdom.

Chase Cofer: 29:20

His mercy says, I've got a plan for you that might be costly, but it's what you were actually designed for. You see, there's a cost for every single one of us and that cost is gonna be paid on this side of eternity. But how glorious that we get to pay a price this side of eternity for the one who paid the ultimate price for you and me to be forgiven of our sin. See, when we hear this call for Saul, you're going to suffer much, we can cringe a little bit. Our flesh will be like, oh, but really deep in our spirit, we know that we are wired and created to suffer with Christ.

Chase Cofer: 29:53

We're wired and created to preach a gospel that some will make fun of us for. We're wired and created to bring a kingdom that some will mock, that some will violently resist depending on what part of the earth you're in. We are designed though as followers of Jesus to bring a gospel with suffering involved. So what does Ananias do? He departed and entered the house and laying his hands on him.

Chase Cofer: 30:19

Isn't this amazing? Saul came to lay hands on the church and throw them in prison. And his first encounter with a follower of Jesus, his merciful hands come to him. Is a transformation. He thought I'm coming to lay hands and throw people in prison.

Chase Cofer: 30:34

No, there's mercy from Jesus for him. Jesus sends a faithful disciple. You know what's fascinating to me about this? As he didn't send the Apostle Peter. He didn't send the Apostle John.

Chase Cofer: 30:50

All we know about Ananias even later in scripture in Acts 22 is he was just a devout follower. Is there any devout followers in the room today? Sometimes we read the storyline of Saul's conversion like man, Chase, I love this man. I did not. If I go context, I didn't get raised up by like a gamma lile.

Chase Cofer: 31:08

In fact, I feel pretty ordinary. In fact, I don't feel like I got the training. So this is for like the leader leader stories like, no, no, no. Saul's transformation doesn't happen without a faithful disciple coming and be in the hands and feet of Jesus. It took one guy willing to pay a price and show love and it leads to the transformation of the most effective apostle that we read about, okay?

Chase Cofer: 31:30

It says brother Saul, that's his greeting to the persecutor. Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you I'm just gonna go a few more minutes. The brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes. He regained his sight then he rose and was baptized.

Chase Cofer: 31:55

And taking food he was strengthened. How many of you love the suddenlies of God? Sometimes it's the daily faithful obedience and God's gonna grow us. But there's times we've gotta pay attention, we've gotta lean in. There are times where the suddenly's and the immediately's of God show up at the door.

Chase Cofer: 32:16

There's times where God shows up says, I wanna do a transformation in your heart. Today if you're here and you've been struggling with hidden sin, it's not time for a slow process. Today it's time for a transformation encounter in the presence of God. Today if there's things in your life and you've been coming maybe Sunday after Sunday and you know the Holy Spirit's knocking on the door of your heart. Today's not the day to delay.

Chase Cofer: 32:43

Today is the day for let the power of Jesus, which is the same yesterday, today and forever transform your heart. Let him take hidden sin. Let him take things that you're going through and let the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit transform your life today. I remember at 19, I shared briefly that I had that moment where, you know, signing up for a mission school, but I went and I had tons of sin in my own life. I had tons of stuff that thought, man, I don't know how I'm ever going to get free at 19 of this hidden sexual sin.

Chase Cofer: 33:16

I don't know how I'm ever gonna get free at the bitterness I have towards my parents. I don't know how this is ever going to happen. Can I tell you what happened on day three of this training school? This young red haired looking guy came and preached on the love of Christ for two and a half hours. He invited us to respond to Jesus just like we're about to do in a few minutes.

Chase Cofer: 33:35

And there I was, I hadn't cried in the presence of God my whole life. I'm weeping in the presence of God realizing he loved me. I'm confessing sin to these new guys I barely just met a few days ago. And I'm getting set free from something I never thought I'd be able to be set free from. And can I tell you eighteen years later, the power of God residing in my life?

Chase Cofer: 33:54

Not by my strength, but by his still living in freedom. I'm not inviting us into a transformation encounter because I haven't experienced one. No. I'm inviting us into one because I can't believe I'm standing here doing something that used to be my greatest fear speaking in front of people. God can transform your life more than you think and today is just a reminder of that.

Chase Cofer: 34:16

I'll preach a little bit wilder the last few minutes I have with you because if I could get a few of you to believe that you have an assignment in the kingdom of God, the fruit will go far beyond you can imagine. I'm telling you, if you are just an Ananias ready to give God a faithful yes, God can do more with your life than you're thinking right now. If you can love somebody, you can put your hand on their shoulder, let them know they're a brother, a sister. It's amazing what God could do with your life. Let's Let's go is right.

Chase Cofer: 34:46

I'm a little excited this morning on the story guys. Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes. He regained his sight. He rose and was baptized. He couldn't even eat food until he was baptized.

Chase Cofer: 34:55

The order is awesome to me. Healed, save the food, get me baptized the entire direction I was running. Remember back to Saul, I was going this way, my eyes are open. Now I am going to completely different direction. There's not a hesitation in Saul.

Chase Cofer: 35:11

There's not a question. It's like an immediately everything about his life is transformed. Can I go a few more minutes with you guys? Yeah. For some days, he was with the disciples at Damascus.

Chase Cofer: 35:27

Here's the word again. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogue saying he is the son of God. I think one of the tricks of the enemy when we surrender to Jesus is to get us to be quiet about what just happened. I think one of Jesus' desires and plans is that when you get saved, when you get transformed by the power of the gospel by who Jesus is. He says, don't wait for a stage to start telling people, just begin to testify what God has done in your life.

Chase Cofer: 36:00

When I got home from my transformation encounter guys, I did not care who knew about my past, my sin, it did not matter because God was real now. Yeah. The love of Jesus was real. The possibility of transformation was real. And so I started telling everybody probably a little bit too wildly at 19 about the things I had done.

Chase Cofer: 36:19

And how God has set me free. And some of my friends, I could tell not only did it make them uncomfortable but our friendship started to change. But there was a few when they heard the storyline of transformation said, man, whatever you've got Chase, I want to know the Jesus you're talking about and they would have transformation encounters too. See, when you step into that immediately, that activation that you're in the game to preach the gospel now is not a time to shrink back. Can I say one more thing just what I feel by the spirit for Garden Church?

Chase Cofer: 36:52

There is something happening in Garden Church where it is so obviously harvest time. Now is the time to preach the gospel to coworkers. Now is the time to preach the gospel at that coffee shop. Now is the time to preach the gospel at your university, at your high school, wherever you're at in life. It's harvest time Garden Church.

Chase Cofer: 37:15

And I believe that garden church, it's got some wild evangelists like Saul but it's also got faithful disciples like Ananias ready to say, Jesus, whatever you ask of me, here I am. Whatever you want to send me, here I am. Let me finish the story. I'm not gonna read the whole chapter. And then we're gonna respond to Jesus.

Chase Cofer: 37:35

But immediately he preaches that Jesus is the son of God and all who heard him were amazed and said, is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose to bring them bound before the chief priest? But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. All of that learning, all of that training, Jesus doesn't waste it. Whatever your story is, whatever your training is, whatever your background is, Jesus wants to step in to any part of your story whether it's brokenness and sin, whether it's training, whatever.

Chase Cofer: 38:15

He wants to use every part of your story for his glory. You've got the leader of the class. Right? Remember how brilliant Saul was. He is now confounding everyone because he sees the fulfillment of the scriptures he was devoted to in the face of Jesus Christ.

Chase Cofer: 38:29

This is the story. This is the beginning of the central figure in the book of Acts from Acts 13 till the end of the storyline. This becomes the central figure. Now what's amazing is the persecutor becomes the persecuted. He's confounding them so much.

Chase Cofer: 38:48

They get so mad like we're gonna take this guy out. They try to kill him. The disciples lower him in a basket like a laundry basket outside of the city in Damascus. He goes to Jerusalem. The disciples in Jerusalem are nervous to have Saul come around.

Chase Cofer: 39:02

The story of who he was, he was very much well known in Jerusalem to the church. They're not sure but praise God for Barnabas and other faithful disciple. He brings Saul to the apostles, they receive him. He continues. Now this is amazing verse 29, I wanted to say this.

Chase Cofer: 39:15

And Saul he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists but they were seeking to kill him. This is the same group of people that Stephen was arguing against in Acts chapter five and six and seven. This group where Stephen was confronting them and he gets smartered. Now Saul who was giving approval to Stephen's execution. He's backed, healed, transformed on the team and he is now confounding the same group of people that Stephen was.

Chase Cofer: 39:50

See when Jesus changes your life, there's not a group of people he leaves out. There's not a group of people that the mercy of Jesus doesn't want to reach. The chief enemy of the gospel is transformed when he hears his name called. The chief enemy is given a vision and a future. And Saul goes on as we know and we'll see in the rest of the book of Acts to plant tons of churches in the Gentile world.

Chase Cofer: 40:17

He goes on to write letters that we still live from today, 13 to the twenty seventh in the New Testament. His entire life, we can be grateful for because it helped shape the body of Christ. Aren't you glad though, there was a faithful disciple named Ananias? And aren't you glad that we have a merciful Jesus whose mercy goes far beyond logic and what we think is possible? Who are the guys in your life that you think are too far from being saved?

Chase Cofer: 40:48

Who are those that you judge before you pray for? Who are those that you consider? There's no way the gospel could reach that for. I feel like today is a day for our hearts to be not only lit on fire afresh with the simple gospel of who Jesus is, but today is a day to sign up once again. Say Jesus, whatever you would ask of me, I wanna say yes like Ananias.

Chase Cofer: 41:10

Whatever you would ask of me, I want to say yes like Saul did when he was called by you. He heard his name called. So if we could, Ben, you guys can come back up. To end the story of acts nine one to 31, we'll respond as he spoke in dispute against the Hellenists but they were seeking to kill him. Brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea, sent him off to Tarsus.

Chase Cofer: 41:39

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. The fruit of Saul's transformation is a church that experiences peace, It gets strengthened. It walks in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. And does it slow down? No, it multiplies.

Chase Cofer: 42:01

I believe this morning, the 09:30 service at Garden Church. I believe there's some of you that need to experience a transformation encounter with the presence of God. I know the lights changed earlier. You might not experience a light from heaven flashing all around us. But can I tell you this word is living and active?

Chase Cofer: 42:23

And right now this living word is pulling and tugging on your heart. Your heart might even be pounding like mine was at 19 when God was calling my name. And there's gonna be some of you here today that you've been resistant to the way of Jesus. Maybe you've deconstructed so far, you've doubted that this is true. This word is more true than the air we breathe.

Chase Cofer: 42:42

And I'm telling you, there might be a few of you today where God is calling your name. Prayer team, if we could come up on both sides over here. We're gonna respond to second, give people opportunity to respond. There's gonna be some of you though today that maybe like Chase, it's not that I need to experience that type of transformation. I need my heart lit on fire.

Chase Cofer: 43:02

I wanna be like Ananias again. Maybe your heart has grown cold. I know there's been times in my walk with Jesus where I wasn't here am I ready to go. I got a little passive. I got a little lazy and I feel for some of you, it's that fresh ignition where God wants to give you that permission.

Chase Cofer: 43:17

Don't hesitate. Let's preach the gospel. The power of God to salvation for anyone who believes. And for some of you guys, I believe that you've been trained equipped and God just wants to pour out power on your life. You see, Saul had to be filled with the spirit before he went and proclaimed that Jesus is the son of God.

Chase Cofer: 43:35

Can we stand to our feet?

Intro/Outro: 43:37

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