WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.160 Well, today's story in the Bible reminds me of that 2 00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:05.240 seventies song blinded by the Light. 3 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:10.320 Okay, well, we're talking about Saul's conversion today. He's Chris, 4 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:24.719 I'm Jeff, and we're the Daily Bob guys. All right, Jeff, Well, 5 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:26.440 I just want to say it's probably a good thing 6 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:29.879 that you're a decent speaker. Yeah, whatever, singing. 7 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:31.800 Whatever, coming on. People loved it. 8 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:32.600 I'm sure they did. 9 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:36.039 They were like, sing Moore, they're going to email. 10 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:40.359 In please sing and that one of them has said, 11 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:41.320 have Chris singmore? 12 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:41.560 Hey? 13 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:42.200 Good one. 14 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:45.200 Well that's okay because I don't know the next line. 15 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:47.479 I always say it, I always say it wrong, and 16 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:50.119 I don't want to repeat that. Okay, So, uh so 17 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:55.479 listen today I have a little segment for you where 18 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:57.920 you have not read these but I have. They were 19 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.200 handed to me and I'm going to read them out. 20 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.439 And it's simply this. 21 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:02.920 What is the segment called? 22 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.319 Oh it's well, I was about to say that, Okay 23 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:07.719 a psalm? Is it a psalm? Or is it a 24 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:08.200 pop song? 25 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:09.599 Oh? Talking about singing? 26 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:10.640 Yes? 27 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:13.640 Wow? Yeah what a segue? Yes, totally missed. 28 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:14.439 Okay, you're ready. 29 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:15.920 Well, your instincts for this are great? 30 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:23.359 This this wow? Yeah, okay, here we goes ready, Yes, 31 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:26.599 their days are like a fleeting shadow. 32 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:28.120 What I'm trying to do is figure out are these 33 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:30.879 lyrics a psalm or a pop song? 34 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:31.840 Is that too much for you? 35 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:33.640 Well, I just want to make sure our listeners know 36 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:34.519 what I'm supposed to be doing. 37 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:37.040 Okay, yeah for the listener, Yes, for the listeners. 38 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:38.000 It's all about the listening. 39 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:41.840 Here's the phrase. Okay, their days are like a fleeting shadow? 40 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:48.480 Is this a song or a pop song? Correct? That's 41 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:48.879 a song? 42 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:50.640 Yeah, that was pretty easy. That's why. That's why I 43 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:54.760 first fleeting is the giveaway? And so what just take 44 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:55.599 a stab anywhere? 45 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.400 Thirty seven? That's what I thought. 46 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:03.799 What do I say? I haven't this one? 47 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:04.159 Okay? 48 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:09.680 Okay? Uh. And there's a hope that's waiting for you 49 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:10.520 in the dark. 50 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:13.439 I hope that's waiting for you. 51 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:18.960 Uh it is, yes, scars to You're Beautiful at least 52 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:25.280 it's Kara okay, yeah beautiful Yeah that song? Okay, Okay, 53 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:34.199 My sun Rise, My Sunrise on the Darkest Day. 54 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:37.479 So I'm terrible pop songs. I don't know. I'm gonna 55 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:38.039 say pop song. 56 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:41.080 It is oh you're three for three, three for three 57 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:46.120 and that song comes from Despasito by Justin bieber Well 58 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.919 and whoever that other guy is. Uh, then this one 59 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:55.319 is just know that you don't have to do this alone. 60 00:02:56.360 --> 00:03:00.560 Just know that you don't have to do this alone. 61 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:01.080 Uh. 62 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:03.360 That's a pop song. 63 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:06.000 It is Okay, Treat You Better by Seawn Mendees. 64 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:08.639 Okay, look at this. I'm four for four baby. 65 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:12.800 Yep, okay, but it is you a man like myself, 66 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.360 a companion, a close friend. 67 00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:21.280 Uh, I'm gonna say some. 68 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:25.120 It is a song, so you've got you've gotten all five? 69 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:27.759 Okay, five for five and some what take that was? 70 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:30.719 That was a scar some palm. 71 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:33.759 Fifty five? 72 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.719 Oh I almost was fifty five? Yeah, yeah, almost almost. 73 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:39.680 I think that's very I think they're very similar. 74 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.039 Yeah, okay, okay, so this last one. 75 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:43.960 Ready, last one? This is it. Yes, it's the marble. 76 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:51.240 It says let it go, let it go, don't hold 77 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:55.599 it back anymore. Just kidding. That's it. It's just five 78 00:03:55.639 --> 00:03:56.280 of them. 79 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:02.319 Okay. Good. So we want to remind us I noticed 80 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:03.919 there were no tailor swift lyrics in there. 81 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:05.360 No, there were there were no Swifties. 82 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:06.479 Yeah. 83 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:09.360 So we want to remind our listeners to subscribe on YouTube. 84 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:12.439 If you get just a second and you go on 85 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:15.439 YouTube and subscribe to the Daily Bible guys, it's going 86 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:17.800 to really help us and help you, yeah, help get 87 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.120 the word out, yeah, and get you know, in our interactions. 88 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:22.959 And it also helps the metrics. 89 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:27.240 Yes. And by the way, like hundreds of people last 90 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:29.000 in the last two weeks, as we've asked to sign 91 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.879 up on Facebook or YouTube or whatever have done so. 92 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:34.600 So all the cool kids are doing it right, right. 93 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.959 You don't want to be the one kid that didn't 94 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:38.600 sign up for this when all the other cool kids 95 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:40.839 are doing it right, right. So I don't know the 96 00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:42.160 peer pressure my home. 97 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.120 Yeah, I mean don't what are you a square? 98 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.000 That's right, don't be such a nerd sign up on YouTube. 99 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.439 So subscribe and that will help with the algorithms and 100 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:54.639 things put positioning the Bible guys in a stronger light. 101 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.160 So that's great. Okay, So is that all we had 102 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:00.439 to talk about. That's it? Okay, Well, today we are 103 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:04.160 continuing in this kind of a chronological walk through the 104 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.439 Book of Acts, and this is the early Church. This 105 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:10.600 is when it was still pure and everything was you 106 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:14.240 know it wasn't perfect, but men were these exciting times 107 00:05:14.279 --> 00:05:16.439 as a gospel spreading for the first time around the world, 108 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:22.920 and today's study is a pretty pivotal moment in world history, 109 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:24.079 certainly in Christian history. 110 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:25.959 Yeah, it's one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. 111 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:27.079 So favorite stories. 112 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.600 Oh good, good, Well that just elevates it to the 113 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:30.160 next level. 114 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:30.639 It does that. 115 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:33.560 It's one of your favorites. Yes, it's strongly endorsed by 116 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:39.879 Chris Sarabah. So Acts, chapter nine, verse one is Saul's conversion, 117 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:43.199 and here's what it says. Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats 118 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.600 with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers, 119 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.680 so he went to the High Priest. He requested letters 120 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:52.879 addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for the cooperation 121 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:55.160 in the arrest of any followers of the Way he 122 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.639 found there. He wanted to bring them, both men and women, 123 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:01.360 back to Jerusalem and Chains. He was approaching Damascus on 124 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:04.199 this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 125 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:06.720 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying 126 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.600 to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Who 127 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.160 are you? Lord? Saul asked, and the voice replied, I 128 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:16.360 am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get up 129 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:18.360 and go into this city, and you'll be told what 130 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:21.839 you must do. The men with Saul stood speechless, for 131 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:24.040 they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one. 132 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:26.639 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he 133 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:29.399 opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led 134 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:31.879 him by the hand to Damascus, and he remained there 135 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:33.879 blind for three days and did not eat or drink. 136 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.120 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The 137 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.439 Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling Anonius. Yes, Lord, 138 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.720 he the Lord said, go over to straight street, to 139 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:45.959 the house of Judas, and when you get there, ask 140 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.879 for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He's praying to 141 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:51.639 me right now. I've shown him a vision of a 142 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:53.920 man named Annonius coming in and laying hands on him 143 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.839 so he can see again. But Lord exclaimed Annonaius, I've 144 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:58.759 heard many people talk about the terrible things this man 145 00:06:58.839 --> 00:07:01.639 is done to the believers in dru and he's authorized 146 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:04.319 by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon 147 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:07.720 your name. But the Lord said, go for Saul is 148 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:10.240 my chosen instrument to take my message to the gentiles 149 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.959 and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel, 150 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.279 and I will show him how much he must suffer 151 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.759 from my namesake. So Anonius went and found Sault. He 152 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:20.920 laid his hands on him and said, brother, Saul, the 153 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:23.360 Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road has 154 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:25.680 sent me so that you might regain your site and 155 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:29.439 be filled with the Holy Spirit. Instantly, something like scales 156 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:32.079 fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight, and 157 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:35.279 then he got up and was baptized, and afterwards he 158 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:37.279 ate some food and regained his strength. 159 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.920 So chronologically there's a lot, Yeah, for sure, there's a 160 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:46.120 lot to talk about. The first one is we find 161 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:48.160 Saal at the beginning of this chapter and he is 162 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:53.800 commissioned by the high priests to take his method of 163 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:58.279 persecution and many people believe execution that he was actually 164 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:01.360 committing against the Christians in Jerusalem, and he wants to 165 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:03.199 take it to other cities. So he goes to the 166 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.399 high priests and they sign the commission legally for him 167 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.240 to go take his mission to Damascus. So it says 168 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:11.079 it doesn't say that he killed people, but he said 169 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:13.600 he was eager to kill people, which is why most 170 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:17.120 people believe that Saul actually murdered Christians. He killed them, 171 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.319 We know that he persecuted them, but eager to kill. 172 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:23.040 So so he is on his way and then he 173 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:26.839 gets stopped by Jesus, and of course this is the 174 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:29.720 reason later on why Paul is able to say I'm 175 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:32.360 an apostle. And the requirement for an apostle is to 176 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:35.799 have seen the Lord Jesus. And so later on, when 177 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:40.200 his title apostleship was in question, Paul said, no, I've 178 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:42.320 seen Jesus, and they said, how have you seen Jesus. 179 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.159 He's left, He's already gone, He's ascended to Heaven. Paul's like, no, no, 180 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:49.600 he appeared to be on the road, which is pretty cool. 181 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:55.000 Right, right. So then Damascus is in Syria, So this 182 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:59.720 is hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem, and it's a 183 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:06.120 major hub for international trade, and so it's a very 184 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:10.480 strategic city. I think it's strategic from palse perspective. He's 185 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:14.679 a very very intelligent guy, and he's realizing that there 186 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.720 are a number of Christians in Damascus, and so with 187 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:19.679 all the traders coming in and out, and these Christians 188 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:22.480 won't shut off about this Jesus guy. There's potential that 189 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:25.679 this could wind up infecting much of the Roman Empire, 190 00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:28.039 at least the northern portion of the Roman Empire. And 191 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:31.960 so he goes to Damascus heads there first, and he's 192 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:34.919 working only in the synagogues, which really kind of highlights 193 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:37.039 for us because those of us who aren't Jewish, and 194 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:39.639 we're two thousand years into Christianity now, so we don't 195 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:42.360 think of it the same, But at that time, most 196 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:44.960 of the people thought of Christianity as just like a 197 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:48.600 cult from within Judaism. And so that's why he's working 198 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:51.960 directly with the synagogues, is because there weren't very many 199 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:55.080 other Christians other than up to this point, other than 200 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:59.480 the Jewish people who said, we've found the Jewish Messiah, 201 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:00.840 who is Jesus right right. 202 00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:04.120 And it's very interesting because here we're given a nod 203 00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:06.559 to the fact that it wasn't called Christianity back then. 204 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:07.600 Yes, that's right, it. 205 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:09.840 Was called the Way, which is so cool. 206 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.000 Yes, they were people of the Way, that's what they 207 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:13.799 referred to themselves, That were people of the Way. 208 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:15.440 Yeah, and I'm sure there's a lot of listeners that 209 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:17.360 didn't know that. And you know, I'd like to think 210 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:20.200 that it came from John fourteen six, where Jesus said 211 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:23.159 I am the Way, and so they're thinking, yeah, this 212 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:25.720 is the Way. And if you think about it, it's 213 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:26.399 a pretty cool name. 214 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:28.879 It's a great name. Way better you think. I'm not 215 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:32.120 ashamed of being a Christian, certainly, but what a cool name. 216 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.799 The people of the Way. And so these people are 217 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:38.440 the followers of the Way. Yeah, so it's pretty neat, 218 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:38.759 you know it. 219 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:44.120 It's this interaction that Jesus has with Saul. And the 220 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:46.360 first question that Saul asks is he says, who are 221 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:49.360 you Lord? And then his answer is, well, I'm Jesus, 222 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.399 whom you are persecuting, right, and it's hard for you 223 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:55.120 to kick against the gods or the or the pricks, 224 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:58.200 the or the gnawing at your soul. And this is 225 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:02.399 what Jesus says to Saul. So imagine this. Imagine that 226 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:06.720 you are a young, successful man like Saul. You're a 227 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:11.000 Pharisee and you're a Jewish citizen. So you have the 228 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.559 best of both worlds. You have, you know, sort of 229 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:18.399 interned with the Pharisees. Many people believe that Saul was 230 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:21.240 probably a member of the Sanhedron maybe, and if not, 231 00:11:21.320 --> 00:11:23.240 he was well on his way. And so you have 232 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.720 all this political prowess, and you have success and money 233 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:29.960 and fame and everything else and leverage, and you think 234 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:32.159 this is where I'm getting, this is what I'm going 235 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:36.840 going to. You think you're actually doing what's right. So 236 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:41.399 Saul probably thought that he was absolutely doing what is correct. 237 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:44.200 He is a Jewish person who serves the God of 238 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:48.759 the Old Testament. He's trying to snuff out this false doctrine, 239 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:52.840 this false Messiah. He completely thought he was serving God. 240 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:56.120 I believe that Saul's intentions were good, even though that 241 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.679 they were carried out in malicious intent. And then all 242 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.799 of a sudden you realize Jesus is standing in front 243 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:04.240 of you, which means everything about your life has been wrong. 244 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:07.960 Yeah, yeah, can you imagine that? Yeah? And then what 245 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:11.879 a supernatural way to get his attention right right now. 246 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:16.039 It doesn't happen always that it's a supernatural event that 247 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.799 is so miraculous like this, where there's a light from 248 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.919 heaven and a voice from heaven speaks, Jesus says something. 249 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:25.360 But it's always a supernatural event. When the Holy Spirit 250 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:29.000 begins to convict somebody begin to draw somebody to himself. 251 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:32.519 God is intervening. The Bible says that God's grace has 252 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:35.440 always extended through the work of the Holy Spirit drawing 253 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:39.000 people to Christ. So it's always supernatural, but it maybe 254 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:42.679 sometimes it's not as flashy as this event. Sure, And 255 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:46.360 the reason I really believe is most of our listeners 256 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:49.000 are listening in an environment where the Gospel has been 257 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:53.039 available for hundreds of years. Right, there's a church on 258 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.360 every corner, there's a Bible almost in every house. You 259 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.679 can get the Bible on your phone if you want one, 260 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:01.960 almost every but he lives in some proximity to some 261 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:04.480 Christian or somebody who claims to be a follower of Jesus. 262 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:08.120 So the primary mechanism that God uses to get the 263 00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:11.919 Gospel out to people is other Christians using the words 264 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:15.639 of God. Right, But on occasion there are, like in 265 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:19.679 paulse circumstances, nobody was going to share the Gospel with Paul, right, 266 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:23.679 he's killing people, he's arresting people, whatever. So in this situation, 267 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:26.080 God goes, Okay, there needs to be some kind of 268 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:30.039 dramatic supernatural intervention, and he reaches out and gets the 269 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.960 attention of Paul in a way that is more dramatic 270 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:35.840 maybe than the way that he reached you hear me. 271 00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:38.360 Do you know of people, Do you know any stories 272 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.679 of people who've had like a dramatic encounter that otherwise 273 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.600 would have never heard the gospel? Because if you don't, 274 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:45.919 I have a story. 275 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:48.000 But I don't think I can think of anything that 276 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:49.720 certainly compares to what we're reading here. 277 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:54.080 Yeah. I have a friend that was a general. I'm 278 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:55.480 not going to say his name or the country that 279 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:57.080 he was in, but he was one of the top 280 00:13:57.159 --> 00:14:01.639 generals in the Middle East and was struggling in his 281 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:05.320 marriage and was kind of officially he would say he 282 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:08.879 was an atheist, and he was one of the four 283 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:13.399 top generals in his country, and so he was afraid 284 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:16.039 to tell other people that he was struggling through these difficulties. 285 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:18.759 So he began to just pray, which he didn't believe 286 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:21.639 in God, but he said, Hey, if you are the 287 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:25.879 God of Mohammed, let me know. If you're the God 288 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.759 of Jesus, I want to know. I'm just looking for 289 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:32.039 help and hope. So he kept praying along those lines 290 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:34.840 for a substantial amount of time, and then he began 291 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:37.200 to have dreams, regular dreams, to the point where he 292 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:40.120 began to be convinced that it was Jesus that he 293 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:43.279 was seeing. And finally Jesus shows up. He's got on 294 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:47.480 a robe, he's got on a blue accent to his 295 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:51.200 white robe, and he said, I'm going to send somebody 296 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:53.879 to you, and when they come to you with the message, 297 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:57.919 you can trust them. And it was a colonel in 298 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:00.360 his army who came to him and said, I know 299 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:02.559 I could be arrested for this, but I feel like 300 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:04.360 Jesus wants me to tell you. And he brought him 301 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:07.480 a Bible, a New Testament, and he said, I just 302 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:09.200 feel like I need to tell you about my Lord, 303 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:11.360 and he began to share the Gospel. And over the 304 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:13.759 next couple of days, my friend gave his life to Christ. 305 00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:15.600 Radically transformed his life. 306 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.039 Wow. 307 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:19.639 And so it wasn't Christ that you know, Jesus didn't 308 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:21.919 lead him to himself. There, Jesus said, you can trust 309 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:24.120 the man I'm sending you. Very similar to this story. 310 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:26.320 Yeah, it sounds like right God. 311 00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:29.000 Yeah, But he was in a Muslim majority country and 312 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:31.759 then if it had been found out that he was 313 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:34.440 exploring Christianity, he might have been arrested, put in prison 314 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:35.879 or whatever. At that time. 315 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:37.360 Sounds like the colonel took a big risk. 316 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:40.440 The colonel did yeah yeah, which is what Anonius did 317 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:43.919 right right. Can you imagine, So you're just sitting around 318 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:46.000 doing your thing. Hey, I heard that Saul guy's coming 319 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.320 into town. Isn't that scary? And then guy goes, so, Anon, I, 320 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.480 I want you to go and meet with the number 321 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:52.000 one hunter of Christians. 322 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:54.919 Right. And by the way, what's amazing is is that 323 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:58.080 when he meets Saul, he says, brother Saul. 324 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.360 Yeah, yeah, yeah, So he greets her, He. 325 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.960 Greets him knowing that God has chosen him. That that 326 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:05.279 that that you know, God has done a great working 327 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.360 in because God promised he had a rebuttal he said no, no, no, no no, 328 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:11.120 And then God said no, I've chosen him, and and 329 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:13.679 and he is, you know, obviously now a believer. And 330 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:16.080 so he greets him with Brother Saul, and it's like wow, 331 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:19.720 you know what it is, it's a great example for 332 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:23.519 us to give people grace. So, you know, when people 333 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:27.759 have pasted atrocities and sins and you know, lifestyles that 334 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:31.559 are just bad or just in relationship, they're just mean. 335 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.159 You know, and they just have a bad attitude whatever else. Well, 336 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:37.360 when they come to know God, we have to be 337 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:40.399 able to give them a chance to change, you know, 338 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:43.879 we have to be able to you know, just accept 339 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:45.679 the fact that you know, it was they once were 340 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.679 lost and perhaps and now they're found. And so that's 341 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.600 why he says, brother Saul. And so it's just a 342 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:56.720 pretty incredible statement about whose Anoni's character is right. And 343 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.360 you know, it's here's here's another thing about this, and 344 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:03.320 I've all I've often thought about this. So it says that, 345 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:06.440 you know, Saul has this encounter with Jesus on the 346 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:09.519 road and then he goes into the city and he 347 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:13.680 waits three days for Ananias. But keep in mind he's blind. 348 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:17.200 So it says he neither ate nor drank. Right, so 349 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:20.240 he's having trouble sleeping because it says later on, you know, 350 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:22.960 he regained his strength and eat some food and everything else. 351 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:26.799 So he neither ate nor drink and he's laying there 352 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.880 blind after realizing that my whole life has been working 353 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.440 against the true God, and after realizing what he's been 354 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:37.200 a part of. So in next chapter seven, he's the 355 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:40.480 one standing by and consenting to the image that he 356 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:42.880 still has in his mind of Stephen being stone to death. 357 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:47.160 So later on in Paul's writings, he calls himself the 358 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:51.680 chief of Sinners. He talks about how wretched of a 359 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:55.240 man he was. And so here's what I believe. I 360 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:59.680 believe those three days were excruciating for Saul, who's now 361 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:02.920 it is Paul, Paul who just laid there and just 362 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.960 can you just imagine you can't see anything, So the 363 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:08.359 only thing in your mind is your memory. Yeah, and 364 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:12.759 so you are remembering every single persecution, every single you know, 365 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:17.039 woman or child that you've hunted down and locked up 366 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:20.839 and separated from their families or killed, and you know, 367 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.920 consenting to Stephen's death. And you're laying there for three days. 368 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:26.799 And I'm telling you he had to have had an 369 00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:28.440 excruciating three days. 370 00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:32.440 It hadn't been brutal, especially after having had this incredible encounter. 371 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.759 You can only imagine how you fork this will be. 372 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:37.559 At first it was shocking, but then how you fork 373 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:41.319 it would be to have an encounter with Jesus and 374 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.240 then to be blind after that that you ever hear 375 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:45.319 the phrase I saw the light. Sure, that's where it 376 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:47.680 comes from. This is where it comes from Hank Williams 377 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:49.440 wrote that song I saw the light, I saw the light. 378 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:54.359 You know, yeah, no more in darkness. So this this 379 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:57.559 moment was high and then incredibly low. And you're right, 380 00:18:57.559 --> 00:18:59.799 he had this three days to kind of he probably 381 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:03.880 a little oh yeah. But then one of the things 382 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:06.440 I love, so it says, go over to Straight Street. Which, 383 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:09.160 by the way, this is a really cool fact because 384 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:12.920 for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years Damascus had 385 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:16.200 been you know, under soil and rocks and stuff, and 386 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:20.599 excavators archaeologists have discovered about one hundred and fifty years 387 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:24.519 ago discovered Damascus again. And the main street from one 388 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:27.000 end of the so it's a walled city right along 389 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:29.359 the river from one end all the way to the 390 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.440 other end. It's like a mile and a half long, 391 00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:34.200 perfectly straight street right down the middle. And that is 392 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:36.319 Straight Street. And it was named Straight Street. There's little 393 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.960 signs that say straight Street. It's really really cool that 394 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:42.839 Luke was so precise that even in the hundreds of 395 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:45.599 years when nobody even knew for sure where this city was. 396 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:48.839 Once the archaeologists come back in later, not only is 397 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:51.359 there this extremely straight street through the city of Damascus. 398 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.640 It's called Straight Street right right, And so now there's 399 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:56.119 a big market there and all that stuff. You can go, 400 00:19:56.119 --> 00:19:57.440 you can go visit. Well, I don't know that i'd 401 00:19:57.480 --> 00:19:58.839