WEBVTT

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 Good morning. Am I on? Can you hear me? Excellent.

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 So before we read the passage, which is a little long,

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 especially if you've been in Proverbs, you used to probably shorter sections.

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 But I want to give you a little context while you're opening your Bibles to Acts 9.

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 I have this question for you. Do you like hearing conversion stories?

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 I do. I really like hearing somebody's testimony, how they came to faith.

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 Maybe they were brought up in a Christian home,

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 and they don't remember a time when they didn't believe in Jesus.

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 And that's wonderful.

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 Some people have other stories of conversion where they were into drugs and alcohol

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 and just a mess of their life, and yet God grabbed a hold of them

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 and turned their life around, or anything in between.

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 God has a story for each conversion.

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 And this is a story of conversion in Acts 9.

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 It was a significant turning point in the history of the early church

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 and in the book of Acts itself.

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 Now, for a little context before we read this,

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 In the last chapter we saw in Acts 8,

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 if you're familiar with the story,

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 Saul was approving of the execution of Stephen.

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 Stephen was preaching the world.

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 He was evangelizing.

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 He was telling about Jesus.

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 And so the Jews there, who didn't like that,

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 they stoned him.

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 And Saul was there approving of that execution.

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 And so now we continue the story about Saul

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 after a little interlude with an Ethiopian eunuch,

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 which you'll get to sometime when you go through Acts.

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 So here we are in Acts 9.

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 And we'll start in verse 1.

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 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder

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 against the disciples of the Lord,

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 went to the high priest and asked him for letters

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 to the synagogues at Damascus,

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 so that if he found any belonging to the way,

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 men or women,

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 he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

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 Now, as he went on his way,

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 he approached Damascus,

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 and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

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 And falling to the ground,

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 he heard a voice saying to him,

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 Saul, Saul,

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 why are you persecuting me?

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 And he said,

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 Who are you, Lord?

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 And he said,

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 I am Jesus,

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 whom you are persecuting.

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 But rise and enter the city,

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 and you will be told what you are to do.

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 The men who were traveling with him

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 stood speechless,

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 hearing the voice but seeing no one.

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 Saul rose from the ground,

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 and although his eyes were open,

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 he saw nothing.

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 So they led him by the hand

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 and brought him into Damascus.

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 And for three days he was without sight

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 and neither ate nor drank.

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 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias.

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 And the Lord said to him in a vision,

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 Ananias.

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 And he said,

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 Here I am, Lord.

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 And the Lord said to him,

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 Rise and go to the street called Straight.

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 And the house of Judas,

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 look for a man of Tarsus named Saul.

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 For behold, he is praying,

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 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias.

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 Come in and lay his hands on him

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 so that he may regain his sight.

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 But Ananias answered,

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 Lord, I have heard from many about this man,

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 how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.

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 And here he has authority from the chief priest

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 to bind all who call on your name.

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 But the Lord said to him,

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 Go,

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 for he is a chosen instrument of mine

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 to carry my name

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 before the Gentiles and kings

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 and children of Israel.

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 For I will show him how much he must suffer

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 for the sake of my name.

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 So Ananias departed and entered the house.

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 And laying his hands on him,

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 he said,

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 Brother Saul,

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 the Lord Jesus who appeared to you

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 on the road by which you came

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 has sent me

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 so that you may regain your sight

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 and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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 And immediately,

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 something like scales

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 fell from his eyes

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 and he regained his sight.

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 Then he rose and was baptized.

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 And taking food,

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 he was strengthened.

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 For some days,

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 he was with the disciples at Damascus.

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 And immediately,

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 he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues,

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 saying,

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 He is the Son of God.

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 And all who heard him

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 were amazed and said,

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 Is not this the man

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 who made havoc in Jerusalem

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 of those who called upon his name?

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 And has he not come here

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 for the purpose

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 to bring them bound

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 before the chief priests?

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 But Saul

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 increased all the more in strength

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 and confounded the Jews

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 who were living in Damascus

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 by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

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 When many days had passed,

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 the Jews plotted to kill him.

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 But their plot became known to Saul.

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 They were watching the gates

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 day and night

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 in order to kill him.

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 But his disciples took him by night

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 and led him down

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 through an opening in the wall,

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 lowering him in a basket.

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 And when he had come to Jerusalem,

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 he attempted to join the disciples.

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 And they were all afraid of him,

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 for they did not believe

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 that he was a disciple.

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 But Barnabas

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 took him and brought him

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 to the apostles

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 and declared to them

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 how on the road

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 he had seen the Lord

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 who spoke to him

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 and how at Damascus

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 he had preached boldly

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 in the name of Jesus.

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 So he went in and out

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 among them at Jerusalem,

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 preaching boldly

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 in the name of the Lord.

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 And he spoke and disputed

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 against the Hellenists,

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 but they were seeking

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 to kill him.

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 When the brothers learned this,

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 they brought him down

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 to Caesarea

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 and sent him off to Tarsus.

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 So the church

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 throughout all Judea

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 and Galilee

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 and Samaria

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 had peace

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 and was being built up.

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 And walking in the fear

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 of the Lord

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 and in the comfort

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 of the Holy Spirit,

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 it multiplied.

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 Let's pray.

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 Father, we thank you

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 that you have given us

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 this conversion story.

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 And it is an amazing

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 conversion story.

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 One that changed the course

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 of the early church.

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 One that you used mightily.

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 Lord, I pray that you would use

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 our conversion stories

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 to one another

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 and to those outside the church.

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 That they would be used mightily.

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 to bring

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 your good news

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 to others.

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 And help us to recognize

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 the miraculous work

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 that you've done

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 in our own lives.

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 That you have converted us

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 to love you

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 and have faith in you.

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 Pray this in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Now I'll tell you a little bit

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 about Acts

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 because you're not

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 in the series,

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 but it seems that

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 in every other chapter

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 in Acts,

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 a crisis faces the church.

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 Just two chapters before,

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 for example,

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 the stoning of Stephen

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 and Saul,

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 even more than just

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 this one man,

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 but Saul was going about

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 ravaging the church

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 in Jerusalem,

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 bringing men and women

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 off to prison.

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 And now Saul

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 is coming to Damascus

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 to do the very same thing.

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 Here's how I would

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 summarize this passage.

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 Jesus continues to work

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 through miraculous conversions

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 and build his church.

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 This isn't just a history lesson.

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 This means something

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 to us today.

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 Jesus continues to work

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 through miraculous conversions

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 and build his church.

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 If there was ever

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 a question of whether

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 God can save someone

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 so hardened

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 against Christianity,

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 Acts 9 answers that.

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 The conversion of Saul

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 shows us unequivocally

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 that Jesus can convert

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 the heart of anyone.

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 And I believe that

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 this conversion story

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 is written not here

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 just because it's part of history

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 in the early church,

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 but for our benefit as well,

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 so that we would know

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 that Jesus continues

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 to work through

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 miraculous conversions

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 and build his church today.

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 So that we would know

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 that Jesus protects

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 his church.

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 And that is my first

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 point here.

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 Number one,

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 Jesus protects his church

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 through the conversion

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 of its most ardent enemy.

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 Verses 1 to 19.

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 Jesus protects his church

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 through the conversion

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 of its most ardent enemy.

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 Now, a little note for you.

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 Saul is the Hebrew name

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 for the Apostle Paul.

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 Paul is his Greek name.

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 And so as he ministers

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 to the Jews,

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 where he's from,

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 his own people,

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 he's referred to as Saul,

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 like King Saul.

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 And then as he ministers

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 more to the Greeks,

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 he's called Paul.

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 It's just his Greek name.

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 It doesn't necessarily

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 have significance

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 for the change of name

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 other than it's

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 what he's focusing on.

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 And so now,

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 eventually,

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 he's called the Apostle Paul.

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 But in this passage,

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 he's called Saul.

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 So,

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 I'll use them interchangeably.

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 Paul's story of conversion

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 shows us that God

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 is able to protect

00:09:58.959 --> 00:09:59.559
 his church,

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 even from its

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 most hardened enemies.

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 It's also a picture

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 of what we were like

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 before our conversion.

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 If you were converted,

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 this is true of you.

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 What Paul says

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 in Romans 5, 10.

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 For if while we were enemies,

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 we were reconciled to God

00:10:20.699 --> 00:10:22.319
 by the death of his Son,

00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:24.699
 much more now that we are reconciled,

00:10:24.740 --> 00:10:25.799
 shall we be saved

00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:26.939
 by his life.

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 More than that,

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 we also rejoice in God

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 through our Lord Jesus Christ,

00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.220
 through whom we have now

00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:34.300
 received reconciliation.

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 That's true of us.

00:10:38.920 --> 00:10:40.960
 We were enemies of God

00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:43.220
 before our conversion.

00:10:44.160 --> 00:10:45.800
 We may not remember that.

00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:46.879
 We didn't necessarily

00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:47.879
 feel like that.

00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:49.000
 We weren't going around

00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:50.019
 murdering people

00:10:50.019 --> 00:10:51.580
 like Saul was.

00:10:52.019 --> 00:10:53.060
 But it's still true.

00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:54.639
 We were enemies

00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:56.960
 before God converted us.

00:10:57.779 --> 00:10:58.820
 Saul was introduced to us

00:10:58.820 --> 00:10:59.879
 back in chapter 7.

00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:01.720
 This is a man

00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:02.439
 who approved

00:11:02.439 --> 00:11:03.679
 of the stoning of Stephen.

00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:04.220
 This is a man

00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:05.980
 who went from house to house

00:11:05.980 --> 00:11:07.100
 to drag disciples

00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:08.700
 of Christ into prison.

00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:09.779
 Let's read back

00:11:09.779 --> 00:11:10.659
 at verse 1.

00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:11.679
 But Saul,

00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:13.039
 still breathing threats

00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:13.580
 and murder

00:11:13.580 --> 00:11:14.419
 against the disciples

00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:14.919
 of the Lord,

00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:15.960
 went to the high priest

00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:17.500
 and asked him for letters

00:11:17.500 --> 00:11:19.000
 to the synagogues

00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:19.740
 at Damascus

00:11:19.740 --> 00:11:21.279
 so that if he found

00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.740
 any belonging to the way,

00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:23.639
 men or women,

00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:24.399
 he might bring them

00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:25.700
 bound to Jerusalem.

00:11:26.220 --> 00:11:27.980
 Now as he went on his way,

00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:29.100
 he approached Damascus

00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:30.740
 and suddenly a light

00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:32.159
 from heaven

00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:33.659
 shone around him.

00:11:33.779 --> 00:11:34.840
 And falling to the ground,

00:11:34.920 --> 00:11:36.379
 he heard a voice saying,

00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:38.240
 Saul, Saul,

00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:40.879
 why are you persecuting me?

00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:44.320
 Saul is this man

00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:45.680
 who was breathing threats

00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:46.540
 and murder

00:11:46.540 --> 00:11:47.519
 against the disciples.

00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:48.800
 He got permission

00:11:48.800 --> 00:11:49.879
 from the high priests

00:11:49.879 --> 00:11:53.700
 to do this.

00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:54.580
 And do this

00:11:54.580 --> 00:11:56.740
 to go to Damascus

00:11:56.740 --> 00:11:58.980
 and imprison the Christians

00:11:58.980 --> 00:11:59.639
 there.

00:12:01.060 --> 00:12:01.460
 Damascus,

00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:02.240
 if you don't know,

00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:06.139
 was outside of Israel,

00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:07.039
 north-northwest,

00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:07.480
 I think.

00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:09.680
 And it's the first,

00:12:09.899 --> 00:12:10.700
 according to record,

00:12:10.820 --> 00:12:11.960
 it's the first city

00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:13.039
 outside of the land

00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:13.860
 of Israel

00:12:13.860 --> 00:12:16.600
 noted as having Christians.

00:12:18.299 --> 00:12:19.519
 And Saul was there

00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:20.799
 to put a stop to that.

00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:22.259
 He wanted to put a stop

00:12:22.259 --> 00:12:23.240
 to the spread

00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:24.180
 of Christianity.

00:12:26.180 --> 00:12:26.700
 But,

00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:28.620
 what if he had been successful?

00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:31.779
 But it's because

00:12:31.779 --> 00:12:33.220
 God intervening

00:12:33.220 --> 00:12:33.879
 that Saul

00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:34.879
 was converted

00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:35.879
 and stopped.

00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:37.060
 After the loss

00:12:37.060 --> 00:12:37.620
 of Stephen,

00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:38.740
 the great evangelist

00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:39.680
 that Stephen

00:12:39.680 --> 00:12:40.440
 was becoming,

00:12:41.259 --> 00:12:42.759
 God gave the church

00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:43.460
 Saul,

00:12:44.060 --> 00:12:44.840
 who would take

00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:45.519
 the gospel

00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:46.740
 to the ends

00:12:46.740 --> 00:12:48.039
 of the known world.

00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.100
 And what happened

00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:52.539
 to him?

00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:53.519
 Now,

00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:54.519
 as he went on his way,

00:12:54.580 --> 00:12:55.100
 verse 3,

00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:56.379
 he approached Damascus

00:12:56.379 --> 00:12:57.279
 and suddenly a light

00:12:57.279 --> 00:12:58.159
 from heaven shone

00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:58.879
 around him

00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:00.240
 and falling to the ground,

00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:00.960
 he heard a voice

00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:01.440
 saying to him,

00:13:01.580 --> 00:13:01.960
 Saul,

00:13:02.379 --> 00:13:02.940
 Saul,

00:13:03.180 --> 00:13:04.220
 why are you

00:13:04.220 --> 00:13:05.480
 persecuting me?

00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:08.480
 Many tell this story

00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:09.960
 where Saul's on a horse

00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:10.560
 and he's knocked

00:13:10.560 --> 00:13:11.340
 to the ground.

00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:13.960
 I don't think he was on a horse

00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:14.259
 though.

00:13:14.620 --> 00:13:15.740
 This bright light

00:13:15.740 --> 00:13:17.040
 shone around him

00:13:17.040 --> 00:13:18.240
 and you can picture

00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.920
 maybe the majesty

00:13:19.920 --> 00:13:21.580
 when an angel

00:13:21.580 --> 00:13:23.620
 comes to earth.

00:13:23.680 --> 00:13:24.899
 As we see in the gospels

00:13:24.899 --> 00:13:25.320
 at times,

00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:26.720
 people are falling

00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:27.420
 to the ground

00:13:27.420 --> 00:13:28.700
 and they can't stand

00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:29.060
 the light.

00:13:29.139 --> 00:13:30.160
 There's too much.

00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:31.540
 It's too much brightness.

00:13:31.800 --> 00:13:32.860
 They can't handle it.

00:13:33.280 --> 00:13:34.040
 They feel

00:13:34.040 --> 00:13:35.440
 unworthy as well.

00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.280
 I think that majesty

00:13:38.280 --> 00:13:39.120
 is what knocked

00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.020
 Saul off his feet

00:13:41.020 --> 00:13:42.160
 to the ground.

00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:44.740
 Appropriately so.

00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:47.720
 And Jesus says,

00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:48.200
 Saul,

00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:48.660
 Saul,

00:13:48.780 --> 00:13:49.640
 why are you

00:13:49.640 --> 00:13:51.440
 persecuting me?

00:13:53.180 --> 00:13:53.860
 Saul asks,

00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:55.280
 who are you?

00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:55.960
 Verse 5.

00:13:57.060 --> 00:13:57.980
 And Jesus replies,

00:13:58.200 --> 00:13:59.480
 I am Jesus

00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:00.840
 whom you are

00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:02.040
 persecuting.

00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:04.279
 You see how

00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:05.439
 Jesus

00:14:05.439 --> 00:14:06.819
 says this.

00:14:07.339 --> 00:14:07.899
 I am Jesus

00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:08.620
 whom you are

00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:09.240
 persecuting.

00:14:09.299 --> 00:14:09.799
 Those who

00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:11.459
 persecute Christians

00:14:11.459 --> 00:14:12.379
 are

00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:13.579
 persecuting

00:14:13.579 --> 00:14:14.339
 Jesus.

00:14:15.539 --> 00:14:16.439
 That's a

00:14:16.439 --> 00:14:17.319
 scary

00:14:17.319 --> 00:14:18.339
 thought.

00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:19.379
 A fearful

00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:20.659
 position to be

00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:21.099
 in

00:14:21.099 --> 00:14:23.199
 persecuting

00:14:23.199 --> 00:14:24.799
 God

00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:25.740
 himself.

00:14:28.319 --> 00:14:29.419
 And Saul

00:14:29.419 --> 00:14:29.779
 here

00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:31.019
 does not

00:14:31.019 --> 00:14:31.659
 protest.

00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:33.059
 He doesn't

00:14:33.059 --> 00:14:33.879
 even speak

00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:34.860
 after Jesus

00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:35.459
 identifies

00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:36.179
 himself.

00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:38.039
 In verse 6,

00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:38.919
 Jesus tells

00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:39.480
 Paul to

00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:40.120
 rise and

00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:40.559
 enter the

00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:41.240
 city and

00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:41.480
 you will

00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:42.099
 be told

00:14:42.099 --> 00:14:43.120
 what to

00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:43.439
 do.

00:14:45.439 --> 00:14:46.319
 I read

00:14:46.319 --> 00:14:46.779
 a story

00:14:46.779 --> 00:14:47.319
 recently

00:14:47.319 --> 00:14:48.719
 which tells

00:14:48.719 --> 00:14:49.139
 of a

00:14:49.139 --> 00:14:49.559
 Persian

00:14:49.559 --> 00:14:50.519
 migrant

00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:50.819
 who

00:14:50.819 --> 00:14:51.439
 arrived at

00:14:51.439 --> 00:14:51.860
 a refugee

00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:52.539
 center at

00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:53.240
 6 a.m.

00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:53.919
 visibly

00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:54.839
 upset.

00:14:55.939 --> 00:14:56.599
 He told

00:14:56.599 --> 00:14:57.899
 his story

00:14:57.899 --> 00:14:58.639
 to a

00:14:58.639 --> 00:14:58.980
 Persian

00:14:58.980 --> 00:14:59.539
 pastor

00:14:59.539 --> 00:15:00.000
 who was

00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:00.279
 there.

00:15:01.179 --> 00:15:01.579
 He said

00:15:01.579 --> 00:15:01.959
 this,

00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:02.819
 during the

00:15:02.819 --> 00:15:04.059
 night he

00:15:04.059 --> 00:15:04.839
 saw someone

00:15:04.839 --> 00:15:05.679
 dressed in

00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.179
 white raise

00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:07.879
 his hand and

00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:08.120
 say,

00:15:08.599 --> 00:15:09.319
 stand up and

00:15:09.319 --> 00:15:10.000
 follow me.

00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:11.139
 The Persian

00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:12.039
 man said,

00:15:12.299 --> 00:15:13.459
 who are you?

00:15:14.319 --> 00:15:15.299
 The man in

00:15:15.299 --> 00:15:16.019
 white replied,

00:15:17.019 --> 00:15:17.959
 I am the

00:15:17.959 --> 00:15:19.139
 Alpha and

00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:19.679
 the Omega.

00:15:19.839 --> 00:15:20.339
 I am the

00:15:20.339 --> 00:15:20.839
 way to

00:15:20.839 --> 00:15:21.219
 heaven.

00:15:21.599 --> 00:15:22.159
 No one can

00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:22.659
 go to the

00:15:22.659 --> 00:15:23.819
 Father except

00:15:23.819 --> 00:15:24.439
 through me.

00:15:25.699 --> 00:15:26.319
 He began to

00:15:26.319 --> 00:15:26.819
 ask this

00:15:26.819 --> 00:15:27.659
 Persian pastor,

00:15:27.860 --> 00:15:28.719
 who is he?

00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:29.860
 What am I

00:15:29.860 --> 00:15:30.120
 going to

00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:30.460
 do?

00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:31.519
 Why did

00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:31.879
 he ask

00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:32.399
 me to

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:33.019
 follow him?

00:15:33.160 --> 00:15:33.700
 How should

00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:33.980
 I go?

00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:34.700
 Tell me.

00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:37.279
 In response,

00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:37.759
 the pastor

00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:38.399
 held out his

00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:38.879
 Bible and

00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:39.200
 asked,

00:15:39.680 --> 00:15:40.180
 have you

00:15:40.180 --> 00:15:40.680
 seen this

00:15:40.680 --> 00:15:41.200
 before?

00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:43.560
 No,

00:15:43.620 --> 00:15:44.160
 he replied.

00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:45.080
 Do you

00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:45.340
 know what

00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:45.820
 it is?

00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:47.279
 No.

00:15:48.560 --> 00:15:49.060
 The pastor

00:15:49.060 --> 00:15:49.700
 then opened

00:15:49.700 --> 00:15:50.080
 to the

00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:50.580
 book of

00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:51.160
 Revelation

00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:52.759
 and said,

00:15:53.839 --> 00:15:54.699
 I am

00:15:54.699 --> 00:15:55.980
 Alpha and

00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:56.399
 Omega,

00:15:56.779 --> 00:15:57.379
 the beginning

00:15:57.379 --> 00:15:58.240
 and the

00:15:58.240 --> 00:15:58.539
 end.

00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:00.019
 The man

00:16:00.019 --> 00:16:00.679
 started crying

00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:01.100
 and said,

00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:02.240
 how can I

00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:02.839
 accept him?

00:16:03.079 --> 00:16:03.579
 How can I

00:16:03.579 --> 00:16:04.319
 follow him?

00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:05.399
 And so the

00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:06.120
 pastor led

00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:06.459
 him in

00:16:06.459 --> 00:16:07.019
 prayer and

00:16:07.019 --> 00:16:08.079
 peace came

00:16:08.079 --> 00:16:08.620
 over him.

00:16:09.579 --> 00:16:10.259
 The pastor

00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:10.740
 then gave

00:16:10.740 --> 00:16:11.179
 the man a

00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:11.620
 Bible and

00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:12.079
 told him to

00:16:12.079 --> 00:16:12.639
 hide it

00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:13.240
 since the

00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:13.799
 Muslims in

00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:14.299
 the camp

00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:15.299
 could cause

00:16:15.299 --> 00:16:15.779
 him trouble.

00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:17.279
 But the

00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:17.959
 man replied,

00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:19.600
 the Jesus

00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:20.240
 that I met

00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:20.699
 today,

00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:21.540
 he's more

00:16:21.540 --> 00:16:22.379
 powerful than

00:16:22.379 --> 00:16:22.820
 the Muslims

00:16:22.820 --> 00:16:23.140
 in the

00:16:23.140 --> 00:16:23.440
 camp.

00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:24.500
 And he

00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:24.860
 left.

00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:26.340
 And about

00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:26.840
 an hour

00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:27.360
 later,

00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:28.060
 he returned

00:16:28.060 --> 00:16:28.900
 with ten

00:16:28.900 --> 00:16:29.879
 more Persians

00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:30.240
 and told

00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:30.660
 the pastor,

00:16:31.060 --> 00:16:31.540
 these people

00:16:31.540 --> 00:16:31.960
 want a

00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:32.240
 Bible.

00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:34.100
 No one

00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:34.879
 had to

00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:35.700
 teach this

00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:36.580
 man an

00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:37.280
 evangelistic

00:16:37.280 --> 00:16:37.860
 strategy.

00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:40.680
 This is

00:16:40.680 --> 00:16:41.140
 just what he

00:16:41.140 --> 00:16:41.660
 did because

00:16:41.660 --> 00:16:42.000
 he was

00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:42.440
 converted.

00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:43.800
 And this

00:16:43.800 --> 00:16:44.620
 isn't an

00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:45.580
 isolated story.

00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:46.040
 A study

00:16:46.040 --> 00:16:46.540
 done by

00:16:46.540 --> 00:16:46.879
 a missions

00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:47.580
 frontier of

00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:48.440
 some 600

00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:49.259
 Muslim

00:16:49.259 --> 00:16:49.700
 converts

00:16:49.700 --> 00:16:50.180
 shows that

00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:51.759
 about 25%

00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:52.379
 of them

00:16:52.379 --> 00:16:53.299
 experienced a

00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:54.319
 dream that

00:16:54.319 --> 00:16:55.079
 led to their

00:16:55.079 --> 00:16:55.439
 conversion,

00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:56.539
 not unlike

00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:57.079
 the story

00:16:57.079 --> 00:16:57.379
 that I

00:16:57.379 --> 00:16:57.959
 just read.

00:16:58.679 --> 00:16:59.000
 God

00:16:59.000 --> 00:16:59.519
 sometimes

00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:00.500
 works in

00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:01.299
 mysterious

00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:02.539
 and miraculous

00:17:02.539 --> 00:17:03.299
 ways.

00:17:04.159 --> 00:17:04.599
 And it

00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:05.200
 seems not

00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:06.279
 uncommon that

00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:06.700
 he works

00:17:06.700 --> 00:17:07.599
 wondrous ways

00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:08.460
 to those who

00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:08.919
 are most

00:17:08.919 --> 00:17:09.919
 ardent against

00:17:09.919 --> 00:17:10.299
 him.

00:17:12.159 --> 00:17:13.220
 But Paul's

00:17:13.220 --> 00:17:13.899
 experience,

00:17:14.819 --> 00:17:15.339
 it wasn't

00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:16.480
 just like a

00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:17.379
 dream like

00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:18.020
 this Persian

00:17:18.020 --> 00:17:18.360
 man.

00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.320
 Those who

00:17:21.320 --> 00:17:22.020
 were with

00:17:22.020 --> 00:17:23.500
 Saul saw

00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:24.720
 something amazing

00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:25.260
 too.

00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:26.280
 Though they

00:17:26.280 --> 00:17:27.320
 didn't experience

00:17:27.320 --> 00:17:28.200
 exactly the same

00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:28.700
 thing, they

00:17:28.700 --> 00:17:29.600
 saw something

00:17:29.600 --> 00:17:30.040
 happen.

00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:31.080
 It was

00:17:31.080 --> 00:17:32.340
 physical,

00:17:33.080 --> 00:17:33.580
 at least

00:17:33.580 --> 00:17:34.120
 partially.

00:17:35.280 --> 00:17:36.180
 Verse 7,

00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:41.820
 Saul's made

00:17:41.820 --> 00:17:43.180
 blind.

00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.120
 His eyes

00:17:44.120 --> 00:17:44.580
 were opened.

00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:45.080
 He saw

00:17:45.080 --> 00:17:45.740
 nothing.

00:17:47.140 --> 00:17:48.420
 So they

00:17:48.420 --> 00:17:49.019
 led him by

00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:49.640
 the hand and

00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:50.080
 brought him

00:17:50.080 --> 00:17:51.060
 into Damascus.

00:17:51.820 --> 00:17:52.680
 And for three

00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:53.400
 days he was

00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:54.220
 without sight and

00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:55.500
 neither ate nor

00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:55.900
 drank.

00:17:58.200 --> 00:17:58.940
 Saul's made

00:17:58.940 --> 00:17:59.360
 blind.

00:18:00.320 --> 00:18:00.660
 He has to be

00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:01.480
 led by the hand,

00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:02.140
 another reason I

00:18:02.140 --> 00:18:02.680
 don't think he's

00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:03.200
 on a horse,

00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:04.740
 into the city

00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:05.779
 of Damascus.

00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:07.259
 He fasted,

00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:08.060
 for he knew

00:18:08.060 --> 00:18:09.299
 the gravity of

00:18:09.299 --> 00:18:10.700
 this situation.

00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.120
 His blindness

00:18:12.120 --> 00:18:13.500
 though, I don't

00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:14.279
 think was a

00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:15.120
 punishment from

00:18:15.120 --> 00:18:15.560
 the Lord.

00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:17.380
 I think it was

00:18:17.380 --> 00:18:18.360
 an illustration

00:18:18.360 --> 00:18:19.279
 of his

00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:20.660
 spiritual state

00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:21.840
 prior to his

00:18:21.840 --> 00:18:23.140
 encounter with

00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:23.480
 Jesus.

00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:24.880
 He was blind.

00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:26.720
 This combined

00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:27.700
 with his fasting

00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:29.019
 was a time for

00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:30.560
 reflection and

00:18:30.560 --> 00:18:31.039
 prayer.

00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.599
 all of Saul's

00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:34.200
 knowledge and

00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:34.839
 the studies of

00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:35.779
 scripture, this

00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:36.659
 was a man who

00:18:36.659 --> 00:18:37.700
 knew the Hebrew

00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:38.759
 scriptures well,

00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:39.740
 had studied them

00:18:39.740 --> 00:18:40.700
 all his life.

00:18:41.899 --> 00:18:42.619
 It produced

00:18:42.619 --> 00:18:44.099
 nothing but

00:18:44.099 --> 00:18:45.240
 blindness in

00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:46.899
 him prior to

00:18:46.899 --> 00:18:47.519
 his conversion

00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:47.799
 though.

00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:50.680
 It doesn't tell

00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:51.460
 us exactly what

00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:51.960
 he was doing

00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:52.440
 during the three

00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:53.180
 days when he

00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:54.240
 prayed, but you

00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:54.899
 can be sure that

00:18:54.899 --> 00:18:55.759
 after experiencing

00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:57.240
 seeing the risen

00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:58.980
 Lord, Jesus

00:18:58.980 --> 00:18:59.819
 Christ, he was

00:18:59.819 --> 00:19:01.019
 meditating and

00:19:01.019 --> 00:19:01.980
 praying on what

00:19:01.980 --> 00:19:03.099
 had just happened

00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:04.019
 and what it

00:19:04.019 --> 00:19:04.379
 meant.

00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:06.339
 To help Saul

00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:07.539
 to welcome him

00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:08.680
 into the church

00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:09.839
 and to restore

00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:10.980
 his sight, he

00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:12.619
 provided Ananias.

00:19:14.059 --> 00:19:15.000
 Verse 10.

00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.039
 I'm going to read

00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:17.799
 this section here.

00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:21.180
 Look at the

00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:22.059
 kindness of God

00:19:22.059 --> 00:19:22.339
 here.

00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:22.759
 Look at the

00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:23.379
 kindness of

00:19:23.379 --> 00:19:24.019
 Ananias.

00:19:24.019 --> 00:19:25.420
 Now there was a

00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:26.039
 disciple at

00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:26.799
 Damascus named

00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:27.420
 Ananias.

00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:28.279
 The Lord said to

00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:28.980
 him in a vision,

00:19:28.980 --> 00:19:30.140
 Ananias, and he

00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:31.059
 said, Here I

00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:31.620
 am, Lord.

00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:32.380
 And the Lord

00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:33.240
 said to him, Rise

00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:33.940
 and go to the

00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:34.759
 street called

00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:35.140
 Straight.

00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:36.299
 At the house of

00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:37.200
 Judas, look for a

00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:37.960
 man of Tarsus

00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:38.700
 named Saul.

00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:40.360
 For behold, he

00:19:40.360 --> 00:19:41.519
 is praying, and he

00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:42.360
 has seen in a vision

00:19:42.360 --> 00:19:43.019
 a man named

00:19:43.019 --> 00:19:43.519
 Ananias.

00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.500
 Come in and lay

00:19:44.500 --> 00:19:45.420
 his hands on him

00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:46.319
 so that he might

00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.000
 regain his sight.

00:19:48.360 --> 00:19:49.259
 But Ananias

00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:52.839
 answered, Lord, I

00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:53.400
 have heard from

00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:54.220
 many about this

00:19:54.220 --> 00:19:54.980
 man, how much

00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:55.839
 evil he has done

00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:56.439
 to your saints

00:19:56.439 --> 00:19:57.059
 at Jerusalem.

00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:58.399
 And hear his

00:19:58.399 --> 00:19:58.959
 authority from

00:19:58.959 --> 00:19:59.619
 the chief priest

00:19:59.619 --> 00:20:00.699
 to bind all

00:20:00.699 --> 00:20:01.439
 who call on

00:20:01.439 --> 00:20:01.959
 your name.

00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:02.819
 But the Lord

00:20:02.819 --> 00:20:04.579
 said to him, Go,

00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:06.579
 for he is a

00:20:06.579 --> 00:20:07.399
 chosen instrument

00:20:07.399 --> 00:20:08.059
 of mine to

00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:08.839
 carry my name

00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:10.059
 before Gentiles

00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:11.359
 and kings and

00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:12.099
 children of

00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:12.519
 Israel.

00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:13.519
 For I will

00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:14.159
 show him how

00:20:14.159 --> 00:20:15.679
 much he must

00:20:15.679 --> 00:20:16.439
 suffer for the

00:20:16.439 --> 00:20:16.919
 sake of my

00:20:16.919 --> 00:20:17.220
 name.

00:20:17.339 --> 00:20:18.119
 So Ananias

00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:19.059
 departed and

00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:19.459
 entered the

00:20:19.459 --> 00:20:19.879
 house, and

00:20:19.879 --> 00:20:21.000
 laying his

00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:21.740
 hands on him,

00:20:21.779 --> 00:20:22.139
 he said,

00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:23.439
 Brother Saul,

00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:25.019
 the Lord who

00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:25.920
 appeared to

00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:26.320
 you on the

00:20:26.320 --> 00:20:27.420
 road by which

00:20:27.420 --> 00:20:28.100
 you came has

00:20:28.100 --> 00:20:29.000
 sent me so

00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:29.380
 that you may

00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:30.100
 regain your

00:20:30.100 --> 00:20:31.480
 sight, be

00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:32.019
 filled with the

00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:32.559
 Holy Spirit.

00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:33.980
 And immediately

00:20:33.980 --> 00:20:36.420
 something like

00:20:36.420 --> 00:20:37.400
 scales fell from

00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:38.100
 his eyes, and

00:20:38.100 --> 00:20:38.759
 he regained his

00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:39.039
 sight.

00:20:39.460 --> 00:20:40.279
 Then he rose and

00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:41.220
 was baptized, and

00:20:41.220 --> 00:20:42.039
 taking food he

00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:42.940
 was strengthened.

00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:47.420
 So first, this

00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:48.200
 is a real story

00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:51.039
 because you see

00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:51.799
 that God must

00:20:51.799 --> 00:20:53.160
 convince Ananias

00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:55.300
 to go because

00:20:55.300 --> 00:20:56.279
 Ananias is afraid

00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:56.759
 of Saul.

00:20:57.320 --> 00:20:57.700
 Pretty

00:20:57.700 --> 00:20:59.480
 understandable since

00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:01.400
 Saul was there to

00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:02.680
 bind the Christians,

00:21:02.820 --> 00:21:03.519
 bring them off,

00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:05.279
 maybe murder them.

00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:07.620
 But God assures

00:21:07.620 --> 00:21:09.400
 him, tells him of

00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:10.700
 Saul's destiny to

00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:11.660
 witness and to

00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:12.240
 suffer, and maybe

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:13.060
 that helped Ananias

00:21:13.060 --> 00:21:13.580
 a little bit to

00:21:13.580 --> 00:21:14.440
 know that Saul

00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:15.019
 would suffer.

00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:15.880
 I don't know.

00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:19.140
 Verse 17,

00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:19.460
 though.

00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:22.299
 laying his hands

00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:23.180
 on him, he said,

00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:25.079
 brother Saul.

00:21:26.120 --> 00:21:26.920
 That's the first

00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:28.340
 thing Ananias says

00:21:28.340 --> 00:21:28.700
 to him.

00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:30.079
 Brother Saul.

00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:33.299
 Isn't really

00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:34.220
 pertinent to my

00:21:34.220 --> 00:21:36.019
 point here, but we

00:21:36.019 --> 00:21:36.819
 can learn something

00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:37.620
 from Ananias'

00:21:37.779 --> 00:21:38.940
 treatment of Saul,

00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:40.079
 who was up to this

00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:41.019
 point the disciple's

00:21:41.019 --> 00:21:41.779
 biggest enemy.

00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:44.019
 And yet, Ananias,

00:21:44.980 --> 00:21:46.140
 without even a word

00:21:46.140 --> 00:21:48.340
 from Saul, greets

00:21:48.340 --> 00:21:49.100
 him as brother.

00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:50.759
 It's welcoming him

00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:52.180
 into the church.

00:21:53.640 --> 00:21:55.200
 Welcoming him as a

00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:56.700
 brother, as family.

00:21:57.800 --> 00:21:59.000
 What forgiveness

00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:01.220
 Ananias has for this

00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:01.500
 man.

00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:03.759
 And so Saul is

00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:05.400
 healed of his

00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:05.920
 blindness.

00:22:06.120 --> 00:22:07.420
 He's filled with the

00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:08.460
 Holy Spirit, and he's

00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:08.960
 baptized.

00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:11.620
 It's really no

00:22:11.620 --> 00:22:12.800
 coincidence that his

00:22:12.800 --> 00:22:14.000
 blindness is healed as

00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.259
 part of being filled

00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:16.160
 with the Holy Spirit

00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:17.099
 and being baptized.

00:22:17.900 --> 00:22:19.900
 Saul was blind prior

00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:20.920
 to his encounter with

00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:21.920
 Jesus on the road to

00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:22.480
 Damascus.

00:22:22.819 --> 00:22:25.279
 Now he can finally see

00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:27.839
 spiritually.

00:22:28.819 --> 00:22:30.160
 Even the most religious

00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:31.200
 in the world are

00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:33.799
 blind prior to their

00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:35.599
 encounter with Jesus.

00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:41.660
 We must have Jesus to

00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:43.400
 see the truth.

00:22:43.400 --> 00:22:46.680
 like the Ethiopian

00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:48.400
 eunuch that you can

00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:49.080
 read about in the

00:22:49.080 --> 00:22:50.120
 previous chapter who

00:22:50.120 --> 00:22:51.060
 was brought from the

00:22:51.060 --> 00:22:52.400
 wilderness from being

00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:53.060
 outcast.

00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:53.940
 He wasn't allowed to

00:22:53.940 --> 00:22:54.680
 enter the temple,

00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:58.120
 but Philip brought him

00:22:58.120 --> 00:23:01.040
 the temple experience,

00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:02.860
 being with God.

00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:05.400
 And so Ananias as well

00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:07.880
 lays his hand on

00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:09.960
 Saul, says brother,

00:23:10.420 --> 00:23:11.780
 and welcomes him into

00:23:11.780 --> 00:23:12.880
 the temple experience.

00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:14.260
 Saul had been to the

00:23:14.260 --> 00:23:15.340
 temple in Jerusalem

00:23:15.340 --> 00:23:16.640
 many times,

00:23:16.780 --> 00:23:17.880
 had worshipped there

00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:19.560
 many, many times,

00:23:20.100 --> 00:23:22.960
 but had never

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:25.000
 experienced the true

00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:26.100
 temple of God.

00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:28.480
 It's not a place.

00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:31.660
 Though places can be

00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:32.280
 impactful.

00:23:33.760 --> 00:23:35.160
 The Holy Spirit

00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:37.300
 filling Saul is the

00:23:37.300 --> 00:23:39.740
 true temple experience.

00:23:39.740 --> 00:23:41.620
 God's, this is part of

00:23:41.620 --> 00:23:42.839
 his conversion.

00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:46.720
 This is part of our

00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:47.279
 conversion.

00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:48.460
 If you have been

00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.539
 converted, you have

00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:53.440
 been baptized in the

00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:54.200
 Holy Spirit.

00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:55.599
 He has filled you.

00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:56.900
 He has indwelt you.

00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:00.279
 And though we can be

00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:01.440
 filled more, we are

00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:02.740
 encouraged to be filled

00:24:02.740 --> 00:24:03.279
 more.

00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:05.559
 Every Christian has the

00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:06.220
 Holy Spirit.

00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:08.819
 And so how were we to

00:24:08.819 --> 00:24:09.860
 apply this section?

00:24:10.180 --> 00:24:11.319
 I think one, we

00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:12.640
 recognize our state

00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:14.279
 before conversion and

00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:15.740
 grow in appreciation for

00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:18.720
 God for saving us even

00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:20.420
 while we were enemies.

00:24:21.600 --> 00:24:23.059
 Though Paul's conversion

00:24:23.059 --> 00:24:24.900
 seems insurmountably

00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:27.220
 miraculous, your

00:24:27.220 --> 00:24:28.940
 conversion too was

00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:29.400
 miraculous.

00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:31.319
 Maybe not so dramatic,

00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:34.259
 but it was miraculous

00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:35.919
 to take a heart of

00:24:35.919 --> 00:24:38.039
 stone and turn it

00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.980
 soft so they see that

00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:42.939
 you see Christ for who

00:24:42.939 --> 00:24:43.439
 he is.

00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:46.059
 Secondly, I think we

00:24:46.059 --> 00:24:46.819
 need to learn from

00:24:46.819 --> 00:24:47.779
 Paul's response.

00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:50.960
 He is met with Christ.

00:24:52.099 --> 00:24:54.200
 And so he repents, he

00:24:54.200 --> 00:24:56.099
 prays, and even fasts.

00:24:57.339 --> 00:24:59.619
 Maybe you haven't had a

00:24:59.619 --> 00:25:01.979
 conversion experience yet.

00:25:03.239 --> 00:25:05.099
 Maybe not sure if you

00:25:05.099 --> 00:25:05.479
 have.

00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:08.139
 Like I said, it's not

00:25:08.139 --> 00:25:12.979
 always dramatic, but it

00:25:12.979 --> 00:25:14.299
 is no less miraculous.

00:25:15.979 --> 00:25:17.739
 Do you believe in

00:25:17.739 --> 00:25:18.039
 Jesus?

00:25:19.679 --> 00:25:21.379
 He's the one true God.

00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:22.919
 He is the one that can

00:25:22.919 --> 00:25:24.759
 take your sins away.

00:25:25.179 --> 00:25:26.219
 Do you believe that?

00:25:26.220 --> 00:25:28.220
 Repent.

00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:29.220
 Repent.

00:25:29.740 --> 00:25:30.600
 Have faith in him.

00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.140
 Trust him that he is

00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:33.740
 the only way to see the

00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:34.100
 father.

00:25:35.500 --> 00:25:36.700
 And you will be

00:25:36.700 --> 00:25:37.240
 converted.

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:42.360
 Pray that you will be

00:25:42.360 --> 00:25:42.779
 converted.

00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:45.279
 I pray that you do have

00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:47.539
 an experience that you

00:25:47.539 --> 00:25:48.839
 know for sure that you

00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:49.779
 have been converted, but

00:25:49.779 --> 00:25:51.339
 not everybody gets that.

00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:53.539
 Some it's more like a

00:25:53.539 --> 00:25:54.140
 sunrise.

00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:56.100
 At one point you

00:25:56.100 --> 00:25:57.920
 weren't a Christian, but

00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:58.540
 now you are.

00:25:59.160 --> 00:26:00.220
 Thank God for that.

00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:02.800
 Not every story has to

00:26:02.800 --> 00:26:03.640
 be amazing.

00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:06.220
 And yet every story is

00:26:06.220 --> 00:26:06.700
 amazing.

00:26:06.940 --> 00:26:08.560
 I thank God for every

00:26:08.560 --> 00:26:08.940
 story.

00:26:10.100 --> 00:26:11.740
 A third way to apply this

00:26:11.740 --> 00:26:13.820
 section is that we need

00:26:13.820 --> 00:26:15.400
 to have confidence that

00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:17.420
 God can convert anyone.

00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:19.800
 If God can convert Paul,

00:26:20.800 --> 00:26:22.540
 this man so hardened

00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:24.680
 against Christianity, he

00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:26.059
 can convert anyone.

00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:27.700
 Whether it be someone

00:26:27.700 --> 00:26:28.700
 who is hostile to

00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:29.220
 Christianity.

00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:30.619
 Someone who makes fun

00:26:30.619 --> 00:26:32.859
 of you or thinks down

00:26:32.859 --> 00:26:33.920
 upon you for sharing

00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:34.759
 about Christianity.

00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:37.519
 To those who are simply

00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:38.539
 apathetic.

00:26:39.220 --> 00:26:40.480
 They don't need God.

00:26:40.659 --> 00:26:41.359
 They're doing well.

00:26:43.139 --> 00:26:44.279
 They have all that they

00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:45.079
 need in this life.

00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:47.680
 God can convert them.

00:26:48.119 --> 00:26:48.779
 He sure can.

00:26:48.779 --> 00:26:52.500
 So have confidence to

00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:54.079
 not avoid sharing with

00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:56.299
 somebody because you

00:26:56.299 --> 00:26:57.019
 think they're too far

00:26:57.019 --> 00:26:57.660
 from the Lord.

00:26:58.359 --> 00:26:59.700
 No one is too far from

00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:00.059
 the Lord.

00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:02.480
 Let's move on.

00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:05.440
 Right away, Saul goes to

00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:05.700
 work.

00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:07.319
 He's converted.

00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:08.700
 He can't keep his mouth

00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:09.680
 shut about Jesus,

00:27:09.819 --> 00:27:10.019
 though.

00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:12.059
 He goes from wanting to

00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:13.539
 murder the disciples to

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:15.019
 proving that Jesus is the

00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:16.700
 Messiah in the synagogues.

00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:19.240
 He encounters people like

00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:19.819
 he was.

00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:22.580
 So the second point here is

00:27:22.580 --> 00:27:24.100
 that conversion by the

00:27:24.100 --> 00:27:25.220
 gospel leads to

00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:27.500
 proclamation of the

00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:27.860
 gospel.

00:27:28.180 --> 00:27:29.200
 If you have been

00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:31.640
 converted, this should

00:27:31.640 --> 00:27:33.720
 lead you to proclaim the

00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:34.120
 gospel.

00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:37.259
 I know it's scary at

00:27:37.259 --> 00:27:37.740
 times.

00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:41.860
 But this is one of the

00:27:41.860 --> 00:27:42.720
 reasons we're here.

00:27:43.900 --> 00:27:44.539
 This is one of the

00:27:44.539 --> 00:27:45.360
 reasons that you have

00:27:45.360 --> 00:27:46.319
 been converted.

00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:48.000
 Conversion by the gospel

00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:50.019
 leads to proclamation of

00:27:50.019 --> 00:27:50.679
 the gospel.

00:27:50.899 --> 00:27:52.139
 Verses 20 to 30.

00:27:52.659 --> 00:27:53.899
 It shouldn't surprise us

00:27:53.899 --> 00:27:56.439
 or discourage us when we

00:27:56.439 --> 00:27:58.099
 encounter opposition to

00:27:58.099 --> 00:27:59.679
 the gospel.

00:28:00.379 --> 00:28:01.759
 Right after Saul's

00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:02.720
 conversion, this is what

00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:04.939
 happens in 19b.

00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:08.000
 For some days he was with

00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:08.799
 the disciples at

00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:09.319
 Damascus.

00:28:09.460 --> 00:28:10.000
 Immediately he

00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:11.500
 proclaimed Jesus in the

00:28:11.500 --> 00:28:12.519
 synagogues, saying,

00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:13.700
 He is the Son of God.

00:28:13.700 --> 00:28:16.039
 All who heard him were

00:28:16.039 --> 00:28:16.819
 amazed and said,

00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:18.460
 Is not this the man who

00:28:18.460 --> 00:28:19.960
 made havoc in Jerusalem of

00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:21.019
 those who called upon his

00:28:21.019 --> 00:28:21.319
 name?

00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:24.080
 And has he not come here

00:28:24.080 --> 00:28:25.100
 for the purpose to bring

00:28:25.100 --> 00:28:26.080
 them bound before the

00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:26.640
 chief priests?

00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:28.440
 But Saul increased all the

00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:29.539
 more in strength and

00:28:29.539 --> 00:28:31.140
 confounded the Jews who

00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:32.220
 lived in Damascus by

00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:34.519
 proving that Jesus was the

00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:34.960
 Christ.

00:28:35.960 --> 00:28:37.259
 When many days had passed,

00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:38.759
 the Jews plotted to kill

00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:40.039
 him, but their plot became

00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:40.779
 known to Saul.

00:28:40.779 --> 00:28:41.920
 They were watching the

00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:43.000
 gates day and night in

00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:43.779
 order to kill him.

00:28:43.879 --> 00:28:45.339
 But his disciples took him

00:28:45.339 --> 00:28:46.839
 by the night and led him

00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:48.839
 down through an opening in

00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:50.220
 the wall, lowering him in a

00:28:50.220 --> 00:28:50.579
 basket.

00:28:53.879 --> 00:28:55.519
 I can't imagine what it was

00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:57.579
 like to be confronted with

00:28:57.579 --> 00:28:58.639
 the guy who was supposed to

00:28:58.639 --> 00:28:59.879
 carry off all the disciples

00:28:59.879 --> 00:29:02.220
 of Jesus to prison, yet he's

00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:03.940
 here instead proclaiming

00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:05.259
 Jesus is the Christ.

00:29:05.259 --> 00:29:05.339
 Christ.

00:29:09.400 --> 00:29:12.180
 It must have felt surreal to

00:29:12.180 --> 00:29:15.359
 these Jews in the synagogues.

00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:19.900
 But Saul didn't waste any

00:29:19.900 --> 00:29:20.339
 time.

00:29:21.700 --> 00:29:24.680
 If Jesus is the Messiah, then

00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:26.319
 he was determined to proclaim

00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:26.879
 him.

00:29:28.839 --> 00:29:30.279
 And it's interesting to note

00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:31.460
 that Saul didn't need any

00:29:31.460 --> 00:29:32.980
 training on how to prove Jesus

00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:33.839
 was the Christ.

00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:35.039
 Verse 22.

00:29:35.779 --> 00:29:36.799
 He just did it.

00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:38.919
 He knew the Old Testament

00:29:38.919 --> 00:29:39.799
 scriptures well.

00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:42.339
 Once his eyes were open, he

00:29:42.339 --> 00:29:43.519
 applied that knowledge to

00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:45.199
 Jesus, and it all started to

00:29:45.199 --> 00:29:46.179
 make sense to him.

00:29:46.980 --> 00:29:48.500
 Though he knew much about the

00:29:48.500 --> 00:29:50.299
 Messiah, he suppressed the

00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:52.299
 truth that Jesus was the

00:29:52.299 --> 00:29:52.579
 Messiah.

00:29:52.679 --> 00:29:54.419
 That's how it can be with us,

00:29:54.879 --> 00:29:56.339
 how it can be with the world

00:29:56.339 --> 00:29:56.699
 today.

00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:59.659
 Deep down, they recognize

00:29:59.659 --> 00:30:00.919
 there is a God out there.

00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:01.980
 They see it in nature.

00:30:01.980 --> 00:30:04.779
 Those who have heard the

00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:05.900
 gospel before but don't

00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:08.799
 believe it, I think deep

00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:10.860
 down, they know there is some

00:30:10.860 --> 00:30:11.720
 truth out there.

00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:13.380
 Yet they suppress it.

00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:14.740
 They don't want to believe.

00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:18.799
 That's what makes us enemies of

00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:21.059
 God before our conversion.

00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:23.620
 We didn't want anything to do

00:30:23.620 --> 00:30:23.980
 with him.

00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:25.720
 We want to sin, be our own

00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:26.220
 king.

00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:30.880
 Yet in our conversion, our eyes

00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.520
 are opened to see all the

00:30:33.520 --> 00:30:35.460
 things that we learned before

00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:37.200
 and see them in light of the

00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:39.540
 truth that Jesus is the Christ.

00:30:39.940 --> 00:30:42.120
 Jesus is the one who died for

00:30:42.120 --> 00:30:43.080
 your sins.

00:30:43.800 --> 00:30:45.760
 There is no other way to heaven

00:30:45.760 --> 00:30:47.260
 but through Christ.

00:30:49.260 --> 00:30:51.620
 That is the truth that you must

00:30:51.620 --> 00:30:52.580
 recognize.

00:30:52.579 --> 00:30:56.579
 Saul knew that it was not his own

00:30:56.579 --> 00:30:58.159
 righteousness that had saved him

00:30:58.159 --> 00:30:59.099
 but the mercy of Christ.

00:30:59.179 --> 00:31:01.399
 See, Saul lived a life that was

00:31:01.399 --> 00:31:04.740
 as perfect as you can get in

00:31:04.740 --> 00:31:06.199
 devotion to God according to the

00:31:06.199 --> 00:31:06.839
 Old Testament.

00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:11.720
 And yet he was an enemy of God.

00:31:12.099 --> 00:31:13.439
 There is no amount of good works

00:31:13.439 --> 00:31:14.579
 that you can do, no amount of

00:31:15.500 --> 00:31:17.379
 putting off of sin, putting off

00:31:17.379 --> 00:31:19.579
 wrongdoing that you can do to

00:31:20.259 --> 00:31:20.899
 earn heaven.

00:31:20.900 --> 00:31:22.640
 You will not make it.

00:31:24.200 --> 00:31:27.540
 God's standard is high.

00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:31.400
 So high that if you commit a

00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:34.800
 single sin, you will not make it.

00:31:36.259 --> 00:31:40.900
 Sin against an omniscient,

00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:45.780
 omnipotent God is worthy of

00:31:45.780 --> 00:31:46.200
 punishment.

00:31:46.200 --> 00:31:50.580
 You say, but God's love.

00:31:52.080 --> 00:31:53.319
 Yeah, he's love.

00:31:54.019 --> 00:31:55.180
 How did he love us?

00:31:56.700 --> 00:31:59.640
 God provided Jesus Christ to take

00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:02.440
 our place on the cross, to take

00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:05.680
 the sin, the punishment for sin

00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:08.259
 that we deserved, that placed upon

00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:08.720
 him.

00:32:09.360 --> 00:32:10.660
 So Jesus took that.

00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:13.259
 If you want that forgiveness,

00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:16.259
 you must repent and believe in

00:32:16.259 --> 00:32:17.400
 Jesus Christ.

00:32:18.180 --> 00:32:20.420
 It's not about your own works and

00:32:20.420 --> 00:32:24.259
 your own endeavor to be a good

00:32:24.259 --> 00:32:24.880
 person.

00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:28.900
 It's about Jesus and what he did

00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:30.720
 for you.

00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:35.980
 And this is what Saul proclaimed.

00:32:37.980 --> 00:32:39.779
 Saul proclaimed Christ, the Messiah,

00:32:39.860 --> 00:32:41.319
 the only way to the Father.

00:32:41.880 --> 00:32:43.319
 The Jews planned to kill him,

00:32:43.380 --> 00:32:43.579
 though.

00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:46.259
 So Saul's disciple got him out of

00:32:46.259 --> 00:32:46.640
 the city.

00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:49.120
 And what does he do once he gets

00:32:49.120 --> 00:32:50.059
 back to Jerusalem?

00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:51.279
 In verse 26.

00:32:51.279 --> 00:32:55.180
 And when he had come to Jerusalem,

00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:56.680
 he attempted to join the disciples

00:32:56.680 --> 00:32:58.579
 and they were all afraid of him,

00:32:58.639 --> 00:32:59.960
 for they did not believe that he

00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:01.160
 was a disciple.

00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:03.599
 But Barnabas took him and brought

00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:04.899
 him to the apostles and declared

00:33:04.899 --> 00:33:06.700
 to them how on the road he had

00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:08.720
 seen the Lord who spoke to him and

00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:10.279
 how at Damascus he had preached

00:33:10.279 --> 00:33:12.519
 boldly in the name of Jesus.

00:33:12.619 --> 00:33:14.879
 So he went in and out among them at

00:33:14.879 --> 00:33:16.960
 Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the

00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:17.720
 name of the Lord.

00:33:17.720 --> 00:33:17.839
 Amen.

00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:23.579
 After meeting the apostles and

00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:25.359
 disciples in Jerusalem, Saul goes

00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:27.119
 right back out and he preaches

00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:29.000
 Christ again.

00:33:29.220 --> 00:33:30.859
 Is he a glutton for punishment?

00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:33.299
 He knows that he'd just come from

00:33:33.299 --> 00:33:35.119
 Jerusalem about three years prior.

00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:37.599
 He had spent about three years in

00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:38.460
 Damascus.

00:33:38.539 --> 00:33:40.460
 Now he's coming back to his hometown

00:33:40.460 --> 00:33:42.539
 that he was living in Jerusalem for

00:33:42.539 --> 00:33:42.920
 a while.

00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:45.960
 And he's preaching there.

00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:47.059
 He knows that they're going to

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:48.519
 oppose him, but he does it

00:33:48.519 --> 00:33:49.059
 anyways.

00:33:49.059 --> 00:33:53.839
 He just can't help but tell others

00:33:53.839 --> 00:33:55.179
 about Jesus.

00:33:56.220 --> 00:33:58.339
 His conversion led him to

00:33:58.339 --> 00:33:59.059
 proclamation.

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:02.299
 Let's back up a little bit in verse

00:34:02.299 --> 00:34:03.919
 26 and 27.

00:34:04.679 --> 00:34:06.419
 When Paul first arrives in Jerusalem,

00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:08.279
 the disciples are afraid of him, just

00:34:08.279 --> 00:34:09.880
 like Ananias was afraid of him.

00:34:11.099 --> 00:34:12.799
 I mean, he was there approving of the

00:34:12.799 --> 00:34:15.539
 stoning of Stephen just three years

00:34:15.539 --> 00:34:15.940
 prior.

00:34:16.799 --> 00:34:18.059
 They hadn't forgotten that.

00:34:18.059 --> 00:34:23.239
 But good old Barnabas, probably young

00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:24.639
 Barnabas, I don't know how old he is.

00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:27.719
 We were introduced to him back in

00:34:27.719 --> 00:34:28.360
 chapter 4.

00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:31.599
 He had donated a field to the church.

00:34:32.579 --> 00:34:34.380
 Didn't say a lot more about him.

00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:38.239
 But if you read the rest of Acts, you'll

00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:39.739
 see Barnabas come in again.

00:34:40.519 --> 00:34:41.360
 He is an encouragement.

00:34:41.460 --> 00:34:42.440
 That's what his name means.

00:34:42.799 --> 00:34:43.619
 Son of encouragement.

00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:44.900
 He's an encouragement.

00:34:44.900 --> 00:34:46.780
 So we see him here

00:34:46.780 --> 00:34:50.240
 testifying of what Paul preached

00:34:50.240 --> 00:34:51.160
 in Damascus.

00:34:52.160 --> 00:34:54.619
 And just as Ananias did, the disciples

00:34:54.619 --> 00:34:56.660
 welcome him in.

00:34:57.619 --> 00:34:58.940
 They forgive him,

00:34:59.460 --> 00:35:01.280
 showing tremendous forgiveness

00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:05.420
 for the one who was responsible for the

00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:06.800
 death of their friend Stephen.

00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:10.640
 This is what the gospel enables.

00:35:11.140 --> 00:35:14.640
 Forgiveness for every sin,

00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:16.420
 even the most heinous.

00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:19.920
 Wherever Saul goes, though, he preaches the

00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:20.300
 gospel.

00:35:20.580 --> 00:35:22.180
 And wherever he preaches the gospel,

00:35:22.300 --> 00:35:23.220
 he is opposed.

00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:26.180
 Though he knows he'll be oppressed

00:35:26.180 --> 00:35:27.300
 or even killed,

00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:29.800
 he still proclaims the gospel.

00:35:29.800 --> 00:35:33.200
 So we, too, should not be surprised

00:35:33.200 --> 00:35:35.220
 when we're opposed when we mention

00:35:35.220 --> 00:35:36.380
 God or the Bible.

00:35:39.060 --> 00:35:40.920
 You don't know what God will do

00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:43.360
 when you share about Christ.

00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:46.920
 But if you've been converted like Paul,

00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:49.039
 this will lead you to proclaim

00:35:49.039 --> 00:35:50.480
 the gospel to others.

00:35:50.580 --> 00:35:52.740
 Maybe share your conversion story

00:35:52.740 --> 00:35:53.920
 with others.

00:35:53.920 --> 00:35:59.900
 Now, after Saul preaches Christ in Jerusalem,

00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:01.240
 he gets into trouble again.

00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:05.480
 So the disciples send him to Tarsus.

00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:09.240
 So he goes from Jerusalem outward.

00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:12.940
 And this should make you think of something

00:36:12.940 --> 00:36:14.360
 when you see this in Acts.

00:36:15.019 --> 00:36:16.880
 Somebody goes from Jerusalem outward.

00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:18.639
 Acts 1.8 says this,

00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:21.320
 You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem

00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:23.760
 and in all of Judea and Samaria

00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:25.559
 and to the ends of the earth.

00:36:26.120 --> 00:36:29.000
 That is something that Jesus told his disciples.

00:36:30.140 --> 00:36:32.120
 That is something that's true for us today.

00:36:32.500 --> 00:36:36.160
 We are his witnesses in Jerusalem

00:36:36.160 --> 00:36:38.200
 and in all of Judea and Samaria

00:36:38.200 --> 00:36:39.880
 and to the ends of the earth.

00:36:40.820 --> 00:36:43.280
 Not everyone in this world has heard

00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:44.580
 about Jesus yet.

00:36:45.780 --> 00:36:47.600
 Not everyone in Cambridge

00:36:47.600 --> 00:36:50.260
 has heard of Jesus yet.

00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:52.920
 And maybe they have heard of Jesus,

00:36:53.240 --> 00:36:55.440
 but they haven't really heard the gospel.

00:36:57.200 --> 00:36:58.860
 They think Christianity is just like

00:36:58.860 --> 00:37:00.400
 all the other religions out there.

00:37:01.519 --> 00:37:04.019
 No, this is the true religion.

00:37:05.019 --> 00:37:06.220
 This is the truth

00:37:06.220 --> 00:37:08.800
 that you cannot make it to heaven,

00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:10.840
 but through Christ.

00:37:12.300 --> 00:37:14.400
 So the author of Acts, Luke,

00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:18.280
 is writing this question

00:37:18.280 --> 00:37:21.680
 and trying to answer this for Theophilus,

00:37:21.740 --> 00:37:23.599
 who he is writing for.

00:37:23.940 --> 00:37:25.860
 This is the question that surrounds

00:37:25.860 --> 00:37:26.900
 the book of Acts.

00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:30.599
 What accounts for the rapid expansion

00:37:30.599 --> 00:37:31.440
 of the gospel?

00:37:31.980 --> 00:37:33.740
 What accounts for the rapid expansion

00:37:33.740 --> 00:37:34.460
 of the gospel?

00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:36.420
 It's this.

00:37:36.900 --> 00:37:39.220
 The power of the word preached.

00:37:39.219 --> 00:37:41.959
 The presence of the Holy Spirit

00:37:41.959 --> 00:37:43.000
 in the persecution

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:45.059
 of the preaching of the gospel.

00:37:46.099 --> 00:37:47.599
 The power of the word.

00:37:48.099 --> 00:37:49.459
 The presence of the Holy Spirit

00:37:49.459 --> 00:37:50.559
 in the persecution

00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:53.319
 of the preaching of the gospel.

00:37:56.319 --> 00:37:58.019
 Persecution has led

00:37:58.019 --> 00:38:00.679
 to the spread of the gospel.

00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:05.819
 This brings me to my third point.

00:38:06.839 --> 00:38:08.759
 Jesus continues to build his church

00:38:08.759 --> 00:38:11.279
 even through opposition.

00:38:11.899 --> 00:38:12.779
 Verse 31.

00:38:13.619 --> 00:38:15.279
 Jesus continues to build his church

00:38:15.279 --> 00:38:17.399
 today through opposition.

00:38:18.679 --> 00:38:21.500
 Sometimes I think we can feel

00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:22.919
 like the church is in decline.

00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:25.339
 From a certain perspective,

00:38:25.679 --> 00:38:26.839
 it certainly seems that way.

00:38:26.919 --> 00:38:27.639
 This part of the country

00:38:27.639 --> 00:38:29.299
 used to be full of churches,

00:38:29.300 --> 00:38:30.440
 full of people who called

00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:31.480
 themselves Christians.

00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:33.720
 They were devoted to their churches,

00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:34.580
 to reading scripture,

00:38:34.700 --> 00:38:36.200
 to raising their children

00:38:36.200 --> 00:38:37.440
 according to the Lord.

00:38:39.060 --> 00:38:39.660
 And now,

00:38:40.160 --> 00:38:42.160
 for many of us,

00:38:42.180 --> 00:38:42.940
 it's surprising

00:38:42.940 --> 00:38:44.440
 when we find another Christian

00:38:44.440 --> 00:38:46.880
 in the course of our normal day.

00:38:48.860 --> 00:38:50.480
 The threats are all around.

00:38:50.700 --> 00:38:51.820
 The culture doesn't appreciate

00:38:51.820 --> 00:38:53.440
 Christianity in their schools

00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:55.920
 or in their sphere.

00:38:56.820 --> 00:38:59.240
 People are less and less inclined

00:38:59.239 --> 00:39:00.699
 to attend church

00:39:00.699 --> 00:39:01.619
 on a Sunday morning.

00:39:02.699 --> 00:39:04.159
 And that even includes

00:39:04.159 --> 00:39:07.079
 Christians and Christian leaders

00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:10.339
 and a more devoted folk.

00:39:10.779 --> 00:39:12.739
 We just don't find the value

00:39:12.739 --> 00:39:15.739
 in gathering with God's people.

00:39:16.559 --> 00:39:17.399
 Churches are closing

00:39:17.399 --> 00:39:19.519
 left and right in the Northeast.

00:39:20.599 --> 00:39:22.419
 And the problems aren't just here, though.

00:39:22.939 --> 00:39:24.399
 The government in China

00:39:24.399 --> 00:39:25.799
 seems pretty successful

00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:27.700
 in ridding their entire country

00:39:27.700 --> 00:39:28.260
 of missionaries.

00:39:29.260 --> 00:39:30.660
 OMF, as far as I know

00:39:30.660 --> 00:39:31.420
 and am aware,

00:39:31.720 --> 00:39:33.260
 has no official missionaries

00:39:33.840 --> 00:39:35.480
 in China.

00:39:35.720 --> 00:39:36.760
 OMF was founded

00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:39.500
 to do missionary work in China.

00:39:41.120 --> 00:39:42.019
 That's not to say

00:39:42.019 --> 00:39:43.100
 there aren't any missionaries

00:39:43.100 --> 00:39:43.480
 in China.

00:39:43.600 --> 00:39:44.660
 We know one.

00:39:47.140 --> 00:39:48.000
 Siobhan McLaren,

00:39:48.200 --> 00:39:49.120
 Bailey's sister,

00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:51.559
 who's doing work.

00:39:54.019 --> 00:39:55.000
 And a great number

00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:56.259
 of Middle Eastern nations

00:39:56.259 --> 00:39:56.880
 have prevented

00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:57.779
 most missionaries

00:39:57.779 --> 00:39:58.699
 from even entering

00:39:58.699 --> 00:40:00.099
 or doing missions work

00:40:00.099 --> 00:40:01.839
 in their nations.

00:40:03.119 --> 00:40:04.460
 Missionaries that do make it in

00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:05.480
 have to be very careful

00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:06.119
 and secretive

00:40:06.119 --> 00:40:07.880
 about sharing Jesus Christ.

00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:10.719
 Now, I don't personally feel

00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:12.259
 like I have enemies

00:40:12.259 --> 00:40:14.380
 like the first century Christians did.

00:40:14.859 --> 00:40:15.519
 I don't think you

00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:17.400
 probably don't feel that way either.

00:40:17.400 --> 00:40:19.059
 But there's no denying

00:40:19.059 --> 00:40:20.340
 that Jesus' church

00:40:20.340 --> 00:40:21.960
 today has enemies

00:40:21.960 --> 00:40:23.720
 in this world.

00:40:24.980 --> 00:40:26.519
 But we shouldn't be afraid

00:40:26.519 --> 00:40:27.300
 of opposition.

00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:29.900
 I know we're not threatened

00:40:29.900 --> 00:40:31.180
 with death

00:40:31.180 --> 00:40:32.599
 because we share Christ.

00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:33.380
 We're threatened

00:40:33.380 --> 00:40:34.840
 in other ways,

00:40:34.940 --> 00:40:36.700
 more subtle ways.

00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:39.180
 I think in some ways

00:40:39.180 --> 00:40:40.420
 they're maybe more effective

00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:42.579
 for suppressing

00:40:42.579 --> 00:40:44.019
 the spread of the gospel.

00:40:45.019 --> 00:40:45.980
 We shouldn't be afraid

00:40:45.980 --> 00:40:47.220
 to speak about God

00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:47.659
 and Jesus

00:40:47.659 --> 00:40:48.419
 in the gospel.

00:40:49.039 --> 00:40:50.379
 But we must use wisdom

00:40:50.379 --> 00:40:51.379
 and care for people

00:40:51.379 --> 00:40:52.000
 in telling them

00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:52.679
 about Jesus.

00:40:54.539 --> 00:40:55.419
 Like Saul,

00:40:55.899 --> 00:40:56.619
 we shouldn't be able

00:40:56.619 --> 00:40:58.139
 to keep our mouths shut

00:40:58.139 --> 00:40:59.799
 about the greatest news

00:40:59.799 --> 00:41:00.519
 in the universe.

00:41:01.219 --> 00:41:01.959
 I'm serious.

00:41:02.039 --> 00:41:03.919
 This is the greatest news

00:41:03.919 --> 00:41:04.719
 in the universe.

00:41:05.559 --> 00:41:07.099
 That Jesus lived

00:41:07.099 --> 00:41:08.279
 a perfect life,

00:41:08.419 --> 00:41:09.500
 came down from heaven,

00:41:10.179 --> 00:41:12.480
 lived a perfect life,

00:41:13.559 --> 00:41:14.559
 went on the cross

00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:15.779
 for our sins,

00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:16.759
 died a death

00:41:16.759 --> 00:41:17.719
 that we deserved

00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:19.019
 and was raised

00:41:19.019 --> 00:41:19.779
 from the dead.

00:41:20.179 --> 00:41:22.299
 That is the most important

00:41:22.299 --> 00:41:23.659
 news in the universe.

00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:25.059
 Do your friends,

00:41:25.179 --> 00:41:25.980
 do your co-workers

00:41:25.980 --> 00:41:26.799
 know this?

00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:30.140
 Now,

00:41:30.360 --> 00:41:31.780
 I know I'm preaching

00:41:31.780 --> 00:41:32.920
 this to myself too

00:41:32.920 --> 00:41:33.940
 because I know

00:41:33.940 --> 00:41:35.100
 I'm not nearly as bold

00:41:35.100 --> 00:41:35.640
 as I was

00:41:35.640 --> 00:41:36.500
 when I was a teenager.

00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:37.760
 I was saved

00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:39.400
 when I was very young.

00:41:39.860 --> 00:41:40.840
 But as a teenager,

00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:42.080
 I had zeal.

00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:44.340
 Zeal without knowledge

00:41:44.340 --> 00:41:45.039
 or humility.

00:41:46.440 --> 00:41:47.780
 Everyone around me

00:41:47.780 --> 00:41:48.680
 knew about Jesus.

00:41:49.560 --> 00:41:50.420
 Everyone around me

00:41:50.420 --> 00:41:51.820
 also knew of my arrogance.

00:41:51.820 --> 00:41:55.660
 My goal now, though,

00:41:56.120 --> 00:41:57.400
 is that everyone around me

00:41:57.400 --> 00:41:58.180
 will know

00:41:58.180 --> 00:41:59.940
 about Jesus

00:41:59.940 --> 00:42:00.760
 in the gospel.

00:42:02.420 --> 00:42:03.640
 But they will not be

00:42:03.640 --> 00:42:05.360
 assaulted with my arrogance.

00:42:05.700 --> 00:42:07.019
 They will feel my love

00:42:07.019 --> 00:42:07.660
 for them,

00:42:07.980 --> 00:42:09.019
 my care for them,

00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:10.080
 not treating them

00:42:10.080 --> 00:42:10.980
 like a project,

00:42:11.600 --> 00:42:12.440
 but as a friend.

00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:14.400
 One who shares

00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:17.080
 because I care,

00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:18.519
 not share because

00:42:18.519 --> 00:42:21.800
 I'm on some project.

00:42:21.820 --> 00:42:22.559
 to save

00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:24.400
 the whole world.

00:42:25.940 --> 00:42:26.980
 People feel

00:42:26.980 --> 00:42:28.580
 when you're disingenuous.

00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:31.420
 So you want to be

00:42:31.420 --> 00:42:32.320
 genuine with them.

00:42:33.800 --> 00:42:34.700
 Share with wisdom.

00:42:36.200 --> 00:42:37.280
 Share out of friendship

00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:38.000
 and care.

00:42:39.539 --> 00:42:40.220
 But share.

00:42:42.600 --> 00:42:43.960
 What Acts shows us

00:42:43.960 --> 00:42:44.760
 is that no one

00:42:44.760 --> 00:42:45.460
 is too far

00:42:45.460 --> 00:42:46.420
 from his reach.

00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:49.120
 From the church's

00:42:49.120 --> 00:42:49.780
 greatest enemy,

00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:50.220
 Saul,

00:42:50.420 --> 00:42:51.800
 to the Ethiopian eunuch,

00:42:51.820 --> 00:42:52.740
 who's not allowed

00:42:52.740 --> 00:42:53.220
 in the temple,

00:42:53.420 --> 00:42:54.519
 he can save anyone.

00:42:54.620 --> 00:42:56.100
 And think about today.

00:42:56.840 --> 00:42:58.039
 The Ethiopian eunuch

00:42:58.039 --> 00:42:58.840
 would have been

00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:01.220
 one that the religious leaders

00:43:01.220 --> 00:43:02.620
 looked very much down upon.

00:43:02.840 --> 00:43:03.620
 Oh, that's not

00:43:03.620 --> 00:43:04.940
 a religious person at all.

00:43:05.059 --> 00:43:05.880
 And you can think

00:43:05.880 --> 00:43:07.220
 of people today

00:43:07.220 --> 00:43:08.820
 that religious people

00:43:09.380 --> 00:43:11.320
 look down upon.

00:43:11.780 --> 00:43:12.260
 Who think,

00:43:12.680 --> 00:43:13.660
 oh, they would never

00:43:13.660 --> 00:43:14.760
 turn to Christianity.

00:43:14.760 --> 00:43:14.860
 community.

00:43:17.160 --> 00:43:18.360
 They don't fit

00:43:18.360 --> 00:43:19.920
 with going to church.

00:43:22.080 --> 00:43:23.720
 Share with those two.

00:43:24.860 --> 00:43:26.220
 No one is too far

00:43:26.220 --> 00:43:27.840
 from the gospel.

00:43:27.980 --> 00:43:29.060
 No one is too far

00:43:29.060 --> 00:43:30.080
 gone

00:43:30.080 --> 00:43:30.480
 that God

00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:31.620
 cannot save them.

00:43:34.140 --> 00:43:35.300
 There's no problem

00:43:35.300 --> 00:43:36.320
 too great for God.

00:43:36.400 --> 00:43:37.100
 No problem

00:43:37.100 --> 00:43:38.300
 that will crush the church

00:43:38.300 --> 00:43:39.040
 that he is building.

00:43:39.240 --> 00:43:40.360
 He is building it.

00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:42.480
 And it will never decrease.

00:43:42.700 --> 00:43:44.160
 It will always increase.

00:43:45.519 --> 00:43:47.380
 Jesus ascended to heaven

00:43:47.380 --> 00:43:48.620
 and left his disciples.

00:43:49.039 --> 00:43:49.980
 What are they to do?

00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:51.820
 He gave them

00:43:51.820 --> 00:43:52.740
 the Holy Spirit

00:43:52.740 --> 00:43:54.220
 in Acts 2.

00:43:54.800 --> 00:43:56.559
 And in language barriers

00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:58.380
 in Acts 2,

00:43:58.640 --> 00:43:59.200
 they spoke

00:43:59.200 --> 00:44:00.240
 all different languages

00:44:00.240 --> 00:44:00.660
 and yet

00:44:00.660 --> 00:44:02.420
 God spoke to them

00:44:02.420 --> 00:44:04.180
 through the Holy Spirit

00:44:04.180 --> 00:44:05.680
 at Pentecost

00:44:05.680 --> 00:44:07.019
 in all languages.

00:44:07.019 --> 00:44:10.019
 There was the Jewish council.

00:44:10.400 --> 00:44:11.400
 There was physical need.

00:44:11.739 --> 00:44:12.820
 There was dishonesty

00:44:12.820 --> 00:44:14.360
 from Ananias and Sapphira.

00:44:15.159 --> 00:44:16.679
 There was internal conflict

00:44:16.679 --> 00:44:17.440
 in Acts 6.

00:44:20.320 --> 00:44:21.480
 There was the death

00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:22.079
 of Stephen

00:44:22.079 --> 00:44:22.900
 by stoning

00:44:22.900 --> 00:44:24.300
 in Acts 7.

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:27.759
 Nothing can crush

00:44:27.759 --> 00:44:28.400
 the church

00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:30.619
 for God turned Saul

00:44:30.619 --> 00:44:31.980
 from one who approved

00:44:31.980 --> 00:44:33.039
 of Stephen's death

00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:34.400
 to one who would spread

00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:35.000
 the news

00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:36.400
 across the known world.

00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:37.380
 And in Acts

00:44:37.380 --> 00:44:37.820
 you'll see

00:44:37.820 --> 00:44:38.900
 continued time

00:44:38.900 --> 00:44:40.039
 where there's a threat

00:44:40.039 --> 00:44:40.920
 to the church.

00:44:41.260 --> 00:44:42.519
 God overcomes it

00:44:42.519 --> 00:44:43.900
 again and again

00:44:43.900 --> 00:44:44.720
 and again.

00:44:45.300 --> 00:44:46.539
 And He does the same

00:44:46.539 --> 00:44:47.320
 today.

00:44:47.740 --> 00:44:48.860
 He will overcome

00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:49.780
 everything

00:44:49.780 --> 00:44:50.980
 that threatens

00:44:50.980 --> 00:44:51.599
 the church.

00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:54.720
 Verse 31.

00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:57.200
 So the church

00:44:57.200 --> 00:44:58.660
 throughout all Judea

00:44:58.660 --> 00:44:59.480
 and Galilee

00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:00.240
 and Samaria

00:45:00.240 --> 00:45:01.280
 had peace

00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:02.539
 and was being built up.

00:45:02.940 --> 00:45:03.599
 And walking

00:45:03.599 --> 00:45:04.160
 in the fear

00:45:04.160 --> 00:45:04.660
 of the Lord

00:45:04.659 --> 00:45:05.599
 in the comfort

00:45:05.599 --> 00:45:06.559
 of the Holy Spirit

00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:08.039
 it multiplied.

00:45:11.339 --> 00:45:12.239
 George Littleton

00:45:12.239 --> 00:45:13.420
 a British lord

00:45:13.420 --> 00:45:14.379
 in the 18th century

00:45:14.379 --> 00:45:15.179
 said this

00:45:15.179 --> 00:45:16.940
 the conversion

00:45:16.940 --> 00:45:18.679
 and apostleship

00:45:18.679 --> 00:45:19.599
 of St. Paul

00:45:19.599 --> 00:45:20.500
 alone

00:45:20.500 --> 00:45:22.440
 duly considered

00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:24.799
 was of itself

00:45:24.799 --> 00:45:26.039
 a demonstration

00:45:26.039 --> 00:45:27.460
 sufficient

00:45:27.460 --> 00:45:28.639
 to prove Christianity

00:45:28.639 --> 00:45:30.440
 to be a divine

00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:31.599
 revelation.

00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:32.860
 the conversion

00:45:32.860 --> 00:45:33.460
 of Paul

00:45:33.460 --> 00:45:34.179
 itself

00:45:34.179 --> 00:45:37.900
 was sufficient

00:45:37.900 --> 00:45:38.779
 to prove Christianity

00:45:38.779 --> 00:45:39.659
 to be a divine

00:45:39.659 --> 00:45:40.440
 religion.

00:45:41.219 --> 00:45:42.000
 He's right I think.

00:45:42.059 --> 00:45:43.299
 Has there ever been

00:45:43.299 --> 00:45:44.159
 such a dramatic

00:45:44.159 --> 00:45:44.940
 conversion

00:45:44.940 --> 00:45:45.500
 where someone

00:45:45.500 --> 00:45:46.639
 was persecuting

00:45:46.639 --> 00:45:47.299
 a group

00:45:47.299 --> 00:45:48.279
 for their beliefs

00:45:48.279 --> 00:45:50.500
 and that led

00:45:50.500 --> 00:45:54.980
 to him being

00:45:54.980 --> 00:45:56.139
 changed around

00:45:56.139 --> 00:45:56.679
 completely

00:45:56.679 --> 00:45:57.360
 and leading

00:45:57.360 --> 00:45:57.940
 the charge

00:45:57.940 --> 00:45:58.880
 and proclaiming

00:45:58.880 --> 00:46:00.740
 what that group

00:46:00.740 --> 00:46:01.320
 was believing.

00:46:02.099 --> 00:46:02.840
 Now maybe that

00:46:02.840 --> 00:46:03.340
 has happened

00:46:03.340 --> 00:46:03.740
 somewhere

00:46:03.740 --> 00:46:04.380
 I don't know.

00:46:04.880 --> 00:46:05.519
 It's not the only

00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:06.180
 reason that we

00:46:06.180 --> 00:46:07.000
 believe.

00:46:07.960 --> 00:46:08.539
 But this

00:46:08.539 --> 00:46:10.240
 is evidence

00:46:10.240 --> 00:46:11.440
 for how God

00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:12.360
 has worked

00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:13.380
 in history.

00:46:14.340 --> 00:46:15.079
 These are

00:46:15.079 --> 00:46:16.640
 true things.

00:46:17.160 --> 00:46:17.640
 We saw

00:46:17.640 --> 00:46:18.400
 Paul

00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:19.039
 he's recorded

00:46:19.039 --> 00:46:19.960
 in other books

00:46:19.960 --> 00:46:21.380
 convert

00:46:21.380 --> 00:46:23.480
 to sharing

00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:23.940
 the gospel

00:46:23.940 --> 00:46:24.579
 everywhere.

00:46:24.579 --> 00:46:26.639
 Now in

00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:27.079
 conclusion

00:46:27.079 --> 00:46:28.440
 if you've

00:46:28.440 --> 00:46:28.579
 been

00:46:28.579 --> 00:46:28.960
 converted

00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:29.420
 if you've

00:46:29.420 --> 00:46:29.559
 been

00:46:29.559 --> 00:46:29.860
 saved

00:46:29.860 --> 00:46:30.059
 by

00:46:30.059 --> 00:46:30.319
 Jesus

00:46:30.319 --> 00:46:30.579
 you

00:46:30.579 --> 00:46:30.880
 have

00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:31.179
 been

00:46:31.179 --> 00:46:31.840
 forgiven

00:46:31.840 --> 00:46:33.519
 even for

00:46:33.519 --> 00:46:33.920
 the most

00:46:33.920 --> 00:46:34.400
 heinous

00:46:34.400 --> 00:46:35.400
 of evil

00:46:35.400 --> 00:46:35.759
 in your

00:46:35.759 --> 00:46:36.119
 life.

00:46:36.980 --> 00:46:37.739
 Just as

00:46:37.739 --> 00:46:38.179
 Saul was

00:46:38.179 --> 00:46:38.500
 forgiven

00:46:38.500 --> 00:46:38.880
 for his

00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:39.579
 part

00:46:39.579 --> 00:46:39.860
 in the

00:46:39.860 --> 00:46:40.119
 death

00:46:40.119 --> 00:46:40.619
 of many

00:46:40.619 --> 00:46:41.219
 Christians.

00:46:42.400 --> 00:46:42.799
 But we

00:46:42.799 --> 00:46:43.799
 haven't been

00:46:43.799 --> 00:46:44.279
 converted

00:46:44.279 --> 00:46:44.920
 so that we

00:46:44.920 --> 00:46:45.420
 can simply

00:46:45.420 --> 00:46:46.799
 live a life

00:46:46.799 --> 00:46:47.559
 like the

00:46:47.559 --> 00:46:48.299
 world does.

00:46:48.619 --> 00:46:49.079
 We haven't

00:46:49.079 --> 00:46:49.619
 simply been

00:46:49.619 --> 00:46:50.039
 converted

00:46:50.039 --> 00:46:50.519
 so that we

00:46:50.519 --> 00:46:51.099
 can have

00:46:51.099 --> 00:46:51.699
 success

00:46:51.699 --> 00:46:52.239
 in life

00:46:52.239 --> 00:46:52.719
 and so that

00:46:52.719 --> 00:46:53.460
 we can have

00:46:53.460 --> 00:46:53.980
 peace of

00:46:53.980 --> 00:46:54.420
 mind.

00:46:55.420 --> 00:46:56.259
 We haven't

00:46:56.259 --> 00:46:56.519
 been

00:46:56.519 --> 00:46:57.179
 converted

00:46:57.179 --> 00:46:58.880
 so that

00:46:58.880 --> 00:46:59.219
 we can

00:46:59.219 --> 00:46:59.860
 just enjoy

00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:00.699
 the weekends

00:47:00.699 --> 00:47:01.319
 with our

00:47:01.319 --> 00:47:01.819
 family.

00:47:01.980 --> 00:47:02.659
 Not so that

00:47:02.659 --> 00:47:03.019
 we can just

00:47:03.019 --> 00:47:03.799
 have great

00:47:03.799 --> 00:47:05.099
 vacations.

00:47:05.759 --> 00:47:06.199
 Save up

00:47:06.199 --> 00:47:06.960
 for retirement.

00:47:11.699 --> 00:47:12.519
 Enjoy the

00:47:12.519 --> 00:47:13.019
 good things

00:47:13.019 --> 00:47:13.559
 in life.

00:47:14.840 --> 00:47:15.659
 I enjoy

00:47:15.659 --> 00:47:16.199
 these things

00:47:16.199 --> 00:47:16.460
 too.

00:47:17.480 --> 00:47:17.840
 God has

00:47:17.840 --> 00:47:18.159
 given us

00:47:18.159 --> 00:47:18.900
 many wonderful

00:47:18.900 --> 00:47:19.259
 gifts.

00:47:19.920 --> 00:47:20.299
 Give me a

00:47:20.299 --> 00:47:20.659
 family.

00:47:21.219 --> 00:47:21.460
 Give me

00:47:21.460 --> 00:47:22.480
 many joys

00:47:22.480 --> 00:47:22.799
 in this

00:47:22.799 --> 00:47:23.119
 life.

00:47:23.119 --> 00:47:23.559
 God

00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:24.119
 has

00:47:24.119 --> 00:47:24.619
 done

00:47:24.619 --> 00:47:24.719
 that's

00:47:24.719 --> 00:47:25.079
 not

00:47:25.079 --> 00:47:25.500
 why

00:47:25.500 --> 00:47:25.859
 I

00:47:25.859 --> 00:47:26.059
 was

00:47:26.059 --> 00:47:26.460
 converted

00:47:26.460 --> 00:47:26.779
 though.

00:47:27.679 --> 00:47:28.139
 He has

00:47:28.139 --> 00:47:29.000
 brought us

00:47:29.000 --> 00:47:29.779
 here for

00:47:29.779 --> 00:47:30.480
 a purpose.

00:47:31.599 --> 00:47:31.880
 And one

00:47:31.880 --> 00:47:32.179
 of the

00:47:32.179 --> 00:47:32.539
 main

00:47:32.539 --> 00:47:33.199
 purposes

00:47:33.199 --> 00:47:33.739
 God

00:47:33.739 --> 00:47:34.199
 converted

00:47:34.199 --> 00:47:34.679
 you

00:47:34.679 --> 00:47:35.880
 is so

00:47:35.880 --> 00:47:36.199
 that you

00:47:36.199 --> 00:47:36.739
 will tell

00:47:36.739 --> 00:47:37.259
 others

00:47:37.259 --> 00:47:37.679
 about

00:47:37.679 --> 00:47:38.239
 Jesus.

00:47:39.299 --> 00:47:39.960
 If you

00:47:39.960 --> 00:47:40.900
 are reviled,

00:47:41.359 --> 00:47:42.039
 if you

00:47:42.039 --> 00:47:42.799
 are persecuted,

00:47:43.019 --> 00:47:43.279
 if you

00:47:43.279 --> 00:47:44.039
 are laughed

00:47:44.039 --> 00:47:44.299
 at,

00:47:44.359 --> 00:47:44.960
 if people

00:47:44.960 --> 00:47:45.639
 get angry

00:47:45.639 --> 00:47:46.259
 with you,

00:47:46.859 --> 00:47:47.440
 know that

00:47:47.440 --> 00:47:48.019
 they do

00:47:48.019 --> 00:47:48.739
 these things

00:47:48.739 --> 00:47:49.480
 to Christ,

00:47:50.599 --> 00:47:53.840
 when you

00:47:53.840 --> 00:47:55.039
 are embarrassed,

00:47:55.960 --> 00:47:56.420
 when you

00:47:56.420 --> 00:47:57.019
 are afraid

00:47:57.019 --> 00:47:57.659
 to speak,

00:47:58.659 --> 00:47:59.400
 he identifies

00:47:59.400 --> 00:48:00.239
 with you

00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:01.259
 in your

00:48:01.259 --> 00:48:01.860
 suffering.

00:48:02.619 --> 00:48:03.119
 And he's

00:48:03.119 --> 00:48:04.300
 present with

00:48:04.300 --> 00:48:04.820
 his Holy

00:48:04.820 --> 00:48:05.480
 Spirit who

00:48:05.480 --> 00:48:06.320
 has indwelled

00:48:06.320 --> 00:48:07.539
 you to

00:48:07.539 --> 00:48:08.039
 help you.

00:48:10.780 --> 00:48:11.480
 Let's

00:48:11.480 --> 00:48:11.679
 pray.

00:48:11.679 --> 00:48:11.739
 Amen.

00:48:11.739 --> 00:48:11.780
 Amen.

00:48:11.780 --> 00:48:11.800
 Amen.

00:48:11.800 --> 00:48:11.820
 Amen.

00:48:11.820 --> 00:48:11.840
 Amen.

00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:11.880
 Amen.

00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:11.900
 Amen.

00:48:11.900 --> 00:48:11.940
 Amen.

00:48:11.940 --> 00:48:12.320
 Amen.

00:48:12.320 --> 00:48:12.340
 Amen.

00:48:12.340 --> 00:48:12.380
 Amen.

00:48:12.380 --> 00:48:12.880
 Amen.

00:48:12.880 --> 00:48:13.880
 Amen.

00:48:13.880 --> 00:48:13.900
 Amen.

00:48:13.900 --> 00:48:13.920
 Amen.

00:48:13.920 --> 00:48:13.940
 Amen.

00:48:13.940 --> 00:48:18.000
 Amen.