This morning I would like to share with you one more person who heard God speak to him in a dramatic way.
Most of the time we refer to this man as Paul, the Apostle. However, that wasn’t always his name. As a younger man he went by the name of Saul. He was a very religious man and was highly educated. He was one of those who thought that the ministry of Jesus was heresy.
He made it his life’s ambition to stop the message of the Christians. He wanted to wipe out anyone who dared to proclaim that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah that the Jews had been looking for.
He stood, holding the coats of the Pharisees, as they stoned Stephen, a young Christian, to death. He went to the courts and asked for documents so that he could round up Christians to have them killed.
Yes, this man’s name was Saul.
Why would God speak to a man like this? A man who hated so deeply. I don’t have the answer. All I know is HE did and the world was changed.
“ Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him.
At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All of the Lord’s followers, except the apostles, were scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria. 3 Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail.” Acts 8:1-3 CEV
One day Saul was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus when he encountered the Lord.
“Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord’s followers. He even went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord’s Way.[a] 3 When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”
5 “Who are you?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. 6 Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”
7 The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9 and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.” Acts 9:1-9 CEV
There’s another man who is important to this story. His name is Ananias. He was living in Damascus and he loved the Lord. The Lord spoke to him in a vision and told him to go help Saul.
Help Saul? He has all the necessary papers to have me arrested. Really? Yes, really. Ananias was obedient to what God told him.
“The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name.”
17 Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:15-17 CEV
When Saul received his sight back he immediately began to worship with the Christians in Damascus. They were skeptical of him at first because they knew this was the man who had come to have them arrested. Yet they could not deny the fact that things he spoke about Jesus were true. He spoke with great conviction and power.
From there Saul went back to Jerusalem to join himself to the very people he had been persecuting.
“ Saul moved about freely with the followers in Jerusalem and told everyone about the Lord. 29 He was always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him. 30 But the followers found out about this and took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.
31 The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshiping the Lord. The church became stronger, as the Holy Spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.” Acts 9:28-31 CEV
Saul continued to live and preach. Since he was brought up to be a religious leader he knew the Scriptures and once he realized that Jesus was who He said He was Saul became a powerful minister.
He began travelling the world over preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Saul, became better known as Paul. He is the one the Lord used to write two thirds of the New Testament. His teachings are fundamental to us and they way we live our lives committed to Christ.
Paul considered everything he had accomplished in his life garbage when it compared to his new life in Christ.
“But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ.” Philippians 3:7-9
He never forgot who he had been but he didn’t let that hold him back. He definitely experienced the truth he wrote about when he said:
“ Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.” II Corinthians 5:17-18 CEV
We need to be like Paul. Forget the past filled with its failures and mistakes and go forward knowing that we have been given a new life. A life filled with peace and a relationship with God.
If you listen today you’ll hear God speaking to your heart! He has a purpose and a plan designed specifically for you!