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Good evening to all of you again 
good to be back in the Lord's house. You can turn in your Bibles 
to Acts chapter 9, please Acts chapter 9 One of the things that we noted 
this morning when we were preaching about the four attributes of 
the church or we read from a quote of C. H. Spurgeon speaking about 
Protestant apostolic succession and how we can look back upon 
the history of the Christian Church and we can see the landscape 
peopled with our brethren. We can see father after father, 
martyr after martyr, brother after brother shaking hands because 
of the purity of the doctrine that has been kept by God's grace 
throughout the ages. Well, we can certainly reach 
back very far, and we're going to reach back, and one of the 
brothers, one of the people of Christ that we can reach back 
to and shake hands with, with our doctrine, of course, is the 
Apostle Paul. And we're going to note the Apostle 
Paul, or we're going to make some observations concerning 
the conversion of the Apostle Paul from Acts chapter 9. So 
why don't we read Acts chapter 9, we'll read verse 1 to 19, 
then we'll pray and we'll observe some truths concerning the conversion 
of Paul or Saul. Acts 9, verse 1. Then Saul, still 
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the 
Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to 
the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were 
of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to 
Jerusalem. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly 
a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground 
and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting 
me? And he said, who are you, Lord? 
Then the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It 
is hard for you to kick against the goads. So he, trembling and 
astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do? Then the 
Lord said to him, arise and go into the city, and you will be 
told what you must do. And the men who journeyed with 
him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then 
Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he 
saw no one. But they led him by the hand 
and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without 
sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple 
at Damascus named Ananias. And to him the Lord said in a 
vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord. 
So the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, 
and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, 
for behold he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a 
man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that 
he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, 
I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has 
done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from 
the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. But the 
Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to 
bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many 
things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went 
his way and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, 
he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on 
the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your 
sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there 
fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received 
his sight at once. And he arose and was baptized. 
So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul 
spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Amen. Well, let's 
pray. Father, we thank you again that 
we can gather in this place for your worship. God, we thank you 
again that we do get to do this. Brothers and sisters in Christ 
coming in here and worship worshiping our great God. And we ask yet 
again, Father, that you remove remove from us anything that 
would hinder right and proper worship. Might we worship you, 
God, in spirit and in truth. Just help us, Father, to be solely 
focused on the worship of our Triune God. And we praise you 
again for the work of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, that work 
of salvation, that perfect work. And may He always be before us 
as the chief object of our affection. And God, help us as we study 
your word now, help preacher and hearer to preach and to listen 
and to do all unto your glory. And might you truly be edified 
in Christ Jesus, exalted upon the praises of your people and 
his people this day. We pray in the name of our victor 
and our redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, Luke, the 
gospel writer, didn't just finish his work with the Gospel of Luke. He continued and wrote a second 
volume, the Book of Acts. We just read from Acts chapter 
9. And what we wouldn't have seen, or what we of course know 
if we've read or if we've been in the Bible study, is that the 
Book of Acts is the continuing account now of the victory and 
the leading of the risen and ascended Christ. The Book of 
Luke was about the incarnate Christ, ultimately crucified, 
resurrected. And his second volume of his 
work, the Book of Acts, is the work of the reigning Christ, 
working by and through and for his people. And what we've seen 
before this is the work of the Gospel going forward in fulfillment 
of the Lord Jesus Christ's words in Acts 1 verse 8, that you would 
be my witnesses first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, then 
to the uttermost parts of the earth. Well, just before Acts 
chapter 9, at Acts chapter 8, we had a division in the story. 
Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen. Saul was there. The men laid their clothes down 
at a young man named Saul. He was a witness to the execution, 
the murder of godly Stephen. Not only that, though, he gave 
the thumbs up, he heartily affirmed and consented to the death of 
the martyr Stephen. Then we read in Acts chapter 
8 verse 1 that a great persecution arose against the church which 
was at Jerusalem and then the disciples went everywhere or 
believers went everywhere preaching the word. They went out to Judea 
and all Samaria and ultimately We arrive now, after Philip and 
his preaching to the Ethiopian, the conversion of the Ethiopian, 
and his baptism, we arrive now at a shift in the story and the 
account of Saul's conversion. And what we're going to look 
at tonight in observing Saul's conversion is first the difference 
maker in the conversion of Saul, as we consider Saul in his conversion. We're going to look secondly 
at the strength of the truth. the strength of the truth from 
the conversion of Saul. Thirdly, the ultimate recipient 
of persecution. And fourthly, a proper response 
to sinners saved. A proper response to sinners 
saved. Now, first off, the difference maker in this account of Saul's 
conversion Now, we all can heartily amen and we can fully recognize 
what the difference maker is in this particular conversion. 
But it is striking some of the elements that are present and 
some of those things that professors within Christendom will argue 
for with regards to conversion. It's striking how present they 
are in the text and how there are many implications. regarding 
doctrine that touch upon this text. One of the most amazing 
things that we find here is that most of what we know about the 
Apostle Paul, we know from his epistles, we know from the books 
that he wrote in the New Testament canon. because we like to read 
those wonderful portions of Paul, or we like to read those things 
about Paul, that we find in them. When Paul is rendering doxology 
after doxology, praise after praise, to his triune God. We could think of Ephesians 1, 
for example, a long one-sentence doxology to perfect triune salvation. We like to read Paul's benediction, 
where he prays that the God of grace would bless his fellow 
Christians. We like to read Paul giving exhortation 
and speaking, penning great theological truths, the book of Romans. But 
we don't often spend a whole lot of time on Saul, the one 
who is complicit in murder, Saul, the one who dragged men and women 
off to prison, Saul, the one who was an enemy, the enemy of 
the Christian church at one particular time. And what's good for us, 
a good exercise for the Christian is when we come or when we consider 
particular saints, whether Old Testament or new, is to consider 
who they were or what they were prior to conversion. When we 
think, for example, of the psalmist, when we think of David, blessed 
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. When we read of King David speaking 
to his soul to arise to the praise of the living and true God, it's 
good for us to remember that this was the David who sent Uriah 
to the forefront of the hottest battle, to be executed, to be 
murdered in battle so that he could cover up his sin of adultery. 
So when we think about someone who's penning, blessed is he 
whose transgression is forgiven. It's a wonderful exercise to 
remember. Yeah, the King David could really write that because 
he knew forgiveness. He knew sin being covered by 
an almighty and a gracious God. Well, when we consider the apostle 
Paul, it's good for us to remember when when we read blessed be 
the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember Acts chapter 
9 verses 1 and 2, that this Saul who can pen praises of rich glory 
to his Christ and his God is the Saul who was still breathing 
threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. And he 
went to the high priest to ask for letters so that he could 
bring men and women bound to Jerusalem. What is the difference 
maker in this? There should be no suspense at 
all. The difference maker is victorious 
grace. We as Calvinists say, yeah, we 
know that, we affirm the doctrines of grace, we know the solas, 
one of them being sola gratia, or by grace alone. Yeah, we know 
that, let's move on. Well, it's always good to consider 
the amazing and victorious grace of God in the conversion of sinners, 
because that is where That is where the hinge turns, or where 
the door turns. The hinge on which the door turns. The amazing and victorious grace 
of Almighty God. Luther would say, well no, it's 
justification by faith. That's where the Reformers would 
say that the hinge of the Reformation turned, or the door turned on 
the hinge of justification by faith. Well, I'm not sort of 
saying, Luther, you're wrong. I'm just saying, when we boil 
down sinners and God's conversion of them, it comes down to amazing 
and victorious grace. And when we look at this, we'll 
see this later, but we ought to draw great comfort from the 
fact that this one who was an enemy of the faith, an enemy 
of the way, an opposer of the way, is the one who would be 
the greatest propagator of the Christian faith. Why are we comforted 
by that fact? Well, because we know people 
who are sinners. We know people who might not 
just be outwardly righteous according to man's eyes or according to 
humanity's opinions, but people who are outwardly and inwardly 
rebellious against the living and true God. Whether they are 
externally righteous, but internally at enmity with God, whether they 
are outwardly and inwardly at enmity with the living and true 
God, take great comfort in the Apostle Paul, formerly Saul of 
Tarsus, who was saved from being a murderer to being the greatest 
propagator of the Christian faith. One thing that is great to recognize 
here, brethren, is that many people will say to us, or many 
people will argue, that events, judgments, massive calamities, 
disasters, large events can convert people. You'll often hear even 
some people say, well, I'll strike the fear of God into them. Or, 
if only such and such would happen so that they might be converted. 
And yes, God can use events like like a great light shining around 
Saul of Tarsus, him being knocked off of his horse, God can use 
these things as a means of bringing about the salvation of a sinner. But it isn't the event itself 
that converts people. In an argument with the Jehovah's 
Witness one time, I was arguing for amazing grace, for victorious 
grace, for the fact that it is God who saves sinners, it is 
not sinners who come to salvation of their own works. And I argued 
for that fact from the Apostle Paul, and they argued, well no, 
it was just the grandness, the greatness of the event that brought 
about the conversion of Saul. He exercised his own will. and chose for Christ Jesus, because 
it was such an amazing event. The shining of the light, the 
knocking back, all of these things led to Saul choosing rightly 
for Christ Jesus. Well, the Apostle Paul, remember, 
is the one who wrote, it is not of him who wills, nor of him 
who runs, but of God who shows mercy. But I drew their attention 
to Revelation chapter 16. Revelation chapter 16, and maybe 
you can turn there just to understand more of what the difference maker 
actually is, because the weight and the force of this passage 
in the argument is immense. It is not events, it is not calamity, 
it is not travesty, travail and trial that ultimately drives 
a man bending his knee to the King of Kings. It's the grace 
of God. Revelation chapter 16, beginning 
at verse four. This is God pouring out his seven 
bowls of wrath upon upon unbelievers. He's pouring out his wrath. This 
is the fourth or sorry, the third bowl. Then the third angel poured 
out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, verse 4, Revelation 
chapter 16, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the 
water saying, You are righteous, O Lord, the one who is and who 
was and who is to be, because you have judged these things. 
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you 
have given them blood to drink, for it is their just due. And 
I heard another from the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, 
true and righteous are your judgments. Now the fourth bowl comes. Then 
the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun and power was 
given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with 
great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power 
over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory. An amazing event, an amazing 
judgment, striking judgment, and one that, of course, is true 
and righteous because it is coming from God Most High. But notice 
the response. These people don't say, Lord, 
what must we do? They don't say, please tell us 
how we might come. unto eternal life, the forgiveness 
of sins, or anything like that? No. All the more, we read at 
the end of verse 8 and 9, we read that they blasphemed the 
name of God, who has power over these plagues, and they did not 
repent and give Him glory. So we come to the understanding, 
of course, where or what is the difference maker in salvation. 
We can come to the account of the Apostle Paul, knowing the 
testimony of the converted Saul, the Apostle Paul, noting the 
accounts of the book of Revelation, noting the weight of the revealed 
will of God, and we can say the difference maker is Amazing Grace. 
Matthew Henry commenting Acts chapter eight in verse one brings 
to bear something very interesting, and that is what's going on with 
Luke penning. This is that Luke is probably 
receiving the story, the account and some direction from the Apostle 
Paul. The Apostle Paul may be dictating 
accounts. The Apostle Paul is giving him 
historical fact, giving him glorious truths such as the account of 
his conversion. But Matthew Henry says regarding 
Acts chapter eight at verse one, where we read now Saul was consenting 
to his death. He says that we have reason to 
believe that Paul ordered Luke to insert this for shame to himself 
and glory to free grace, shame to himself and glory to free 
grace there. It's been said before by Pastor 
Butler and by many others that we have within the scriptures 
testimony, we have facts, we have arrangements of narratives, 
we have things that prove the inspiration of the Bible. Things 
that prove that this can't be manufactured by men, this can't 
be put together by the hands of men, uninspired by God, it 
has to be inspired. And one of those things is the 
account of God's people. The account where we don't have 
accounts of undefiled, spotless, unblemished apostles, disciples, 
Christians, giving their accounts of heroism. While we have wonderful 
things that the apostle Paul did in the book of Acts, while 
we do have wonderful accounts elsewhere, we do have them, no 
doubt, voluntarily. in some places, offering that 
they too were wretches, that they once were lost, that they 
once were blind, but now they are found and now they see. And 
this is what Saul is doing here. Paul is doing here. He orders 
Luke, if you will, according to the assessment of Matthew, 
he orders Luke to include the account of his venom against 
the early church. so that we might glory in free 
and sovereign grace. What is the difference maker? 
The difference maker is grace in this conversion. And notice 
we have that demonstrated, or the post-conversion Paul now 
demonstrated here in verse 11 of Acts chapter 9. So the Lord 
said to him, the Lord said to Ananias, Arise and go to the 
street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one 
called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. Isn't that a wonderful 
thing that one who was once breathing threats and murder against the 
way against the Christian church is now praying to the Christ 
of that church. It's a wonderful, wonderful testimony 
to free grace in just the span of some verses of 13. 13 verses, we have grieving threats 
and murder to Saul is praying. It's a wonderful testimony to 
sovereign and amazing and victorious grace. Secondly, the strength 
of the truth, the strength of the truth. Now you might say, 
where do we find that in the text? Notice that verse five. 
And he said, This is Saul responding to the risen Christ. And he said, 
Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, 
whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against 
the goats. Now what Saul is, or the language 
that, or sorry, the Lord is using there is the goads were those 
rods used to move oxen or to move livestock to do what they're 
supposed to do, to plow or to do whatever particular agricultural 
skill they were put in the fields or put wherever to do. If they 
weren't heeding the command of their master, you would kick 
them with the goads, or you would hit them with the goads, rather. 
These were things to prod along livestock so that they would, 
ignoring the heeding of the master, they would hear the heeding of 
a rod. to move them along. Well, Jesus uses this language 
here, and he says, it is hard for you to kick against the goads. 
Not only was Paul kicking against the goads, we could use or we 
could turn to Acts chapter seven, verse 51, to hear something of 
what this is. Stephen indicting the unbelieving 
Jews, you stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always 
resist the Holy Spirit. That language of stiff-necked 
is like the ignorant oxen or the not listening horse who has 
a rigid neck and a rigid head. He's not turning, he's not obeying 
the movement of the reins, he's not obeying the master who is 
either behind, if it's an oxen trying to plow, or on top trying 
to ride the horse. Stephen indicts them for being 
stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears and resisting 
the Holy Spirit. or being opposed to the message 
preached by a prophet or an apostle. Well, Saul was in that same particular 
condition. Saul was just like them. In fact, 
he was present there listening to Stephen say that. No doubt 
a recipient of what Stephen was saying. You stiff-necked and 
uncircumcised in heart and ears. And the Lord Jesus says, it is 
hard for you to kick against the goads. Well, It is hard for 
unbelievers to kick against the goads. It is hard for unbelievers 
to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Romans 1, verse 18, the wrath 
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. One man has 
said about Richard Dawkins, if you know who Richard Dawkins 
is, he's a venomous atheist. hates God, hates Christ, hates 
Christians, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. He's very venomous 
against God and against Christian truth. Well, one man has said 
of Richard Dawkins that it must be It must be like a full-time 
job for Richard Dawkins to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. 
To daily wake up every morning and to look upon the heavens, 
to look up at the firmament, to look up upon the stars, to 
look at creation, to look at the splendor of God's creation, 
and to daily suppress the truth in unrighteousness. It is hard 
for such a man to kick against the goads, to kick against the 
prodding, to kick against the rod of God's general revelation, 
not to mention God's special revelation. It is hard, Saul, 
for you to kick against the goads. We think about unbelievers trying 
to demand of us to reveal evidence. trying to say, oh, where is the 
evidence of God? Where is the evidence? Well, 
look around. Look around. That's the psalmist's 
answer. The heavens declare the glory 
of God. The firmament shows His handiwork. Day after day, utter speech. 
Night after night, reveals knowledge. God's general revelation doesn't 
take a break. It doesn't go on holiday on Tuesdays 
and Fridays and Sundays. And then it's just Mondays and 
Wednesdays and Fridays. And maybe I missed a day, Saturdays, 
where God's revelation is at work. No, day after day, utter 
speech, night after night reveals knowledge. There is nowhere where 
their voice is not heard. Revelation, general revelation, 
speaks to the unbeliever. It is something that is like 
the rod prodding, beating against the oxen who is stiff-necked. 
So Jesus indicts Paul here. It's hard for you to kick against 
the goats. Why? Because Paul has been a recipient 
of the message of Jesus Christ. Paul was, of course, taught in 
the school of Gamaliel. He was a recipient of instruction 
in the word, in the law, in the things of Judaic religion. He 
would have been exposed, certainly, to the Old Testament, to be sure. 
He would have read Genesis 3.15. He would have read Deuteronomy 
18.18. He would have read 2 Samuel 7. He would have read Isaiah 
53, Psalm 22, Micah 5.2, Isaiah 7.14, Isaiah 9.6, etc., etc. He would have known, or he should 
have known, that the Old Testament Scriptures spoke of the coming 
Christ. that he would one day come, that 
he would one day be put to death, that he would one day rise again 
three days later after that death, that he would one day ascend 
to the majesty on high and ever live to make intercession for 
his people. He should have known that. He would have heard, he 
would have read, he would have studied the Old Testament. He 
would have heard Christian preaching. He did hear Christian preaching. 
I've heard some men argue that he no doubt would have heard 
the earthly ministry, the earthly preaching of Jesus Christ. Some 
men have argued for that. We don't necessarily have a particular 
witness in the New Testament to the veracity of that. But 
he was he was a Jew and he was in Jerusalem and he certainly 
witnessed the execution and the murder of Stephen. He certainly 
witnessed the stoning of Stephen and would have heard Stephen 
give a defense of Christianity. He would have listened to all 
of Acts chapter 6 verse 8 to Acts chapter 7 verse 59 or verse 
60. He would have been there. He 
would have heard Stephen trace the history of the temple and 
the tabernacle and the temple, its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, 
the history of Israelite religion, its fulfillment in Christ. He 
would have been there. He would have heard. He would have heard 
Stephen call out in glory and great joy, looking upon God and 
Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of the glory of God. 
He would have heard that, and nevertheless, he railed against 
it. Nevertheless, he gave consent to the stoning of Stephen. Nevertheless, 
he went out and about wreaking havoc upon the church, entering 
every house, Acts 8, verse 3, and dragging off men and women, 
committing them to prison. He would have heard Christian 
preaching time and time again. If his own witness, post-conversion, 
tells us anything, no doubt when these men and women were being 
dragged off to prison, when he threw them in prison, he would 
have heard them sing hymns. He would have heard them praise 
Christ that they were being afflicted for his namesake. And so he, 
for Paul, for Saul, it was hard to kick against the goads. And 
Jesus identifies that. General revelation, special revelation, 
strike. very ominously and heavily against 
those who would reject their witness. Thirdly, who is the 
ultimate recipient of persecution? It's obvious from the text and 
you've heard it before. Verse four of Acts chapter nine, 
then he, Paul, fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, 
Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus 
whom you are persecuting. It is an affront to the living 
and true God. It is an affront to Christ when 
Christ's people are afflicted and persecuted by those who oppose 
the gospel and all things righteous. It is an affront to the living 
Christ. So when we read those letters 
in the morning on Sunday mornings, when we read of our brethren 
writing about their trials, their persecutions, their afflictions, 
when we read of Eritrea, of India, of Pakistan, of China, of all 
those countries in Africa, of all of these places where the 
heat, wicked heat is being brought down upon our brothers and sisters 
in Christ, Those people who are bringing about the heat of persecution 
are sinning against the living Christ. They are persecuting 
Him. It is not that Jesus says you are persecuting my people, 
although of course that is true. You're persecuting me, Saul. 
You're persecuting me. It is a direct attack upon me, 
upon my nature, upon my character, upon my love, upon my worth, 
when you afflict my people. And it's very interesting, we 
have the fact that Saul was afflicting the people of Christ. We have 
the fact that Saul was bringing persecution upon Christ's people 
and hence persecuting Christ. And then at verse 16, we have 
this interesting truth. For I will show him, Jesus speaking 
of Saul, for I will show him how many things he must suffer 
for my name's sake. Now, this isn't some iron-fisted 
Christ wringing his hands and getting revenge. You'll all show 
him how much he's going to suffer for my namesake, that wretch. No, this is Jesus Christ saying, 
this servant, my servant, once a murderer, once breathing threats 
against my people, will be a trophy of victorious and amazing grace. 
And he will go, therefore. And yes, suffer. But he will 
suffer propagating my precious truth. And he will bring many 
to faith. in my name. The ultimate recipient 
of persecution is, yes, or a recipient of persecution is Christ's people, 
but the ultimate recipient is the risen, is the ascended Christ 
himself. Now, a proper response to sinners 
saved. A proper response to sinners 
saved after this fourth point, we will have some application, 
but notice a proper response to sinners saved. Look at a nice. 
This is a great lesson, brethren, and how to respond to sinners. Very often when we hear of accounts, 
or if you have ever heard of an account of perhaps a death 
row inmate, or a murderer, or someone who has done according 
to crime, and according to the public eye, and according to 
humanity, and certainly according to God, grievous, grievous transgressions, 
very often when we hear of such men who are converted to Christ, 
we do that, or we get angry. We say, no, it can't be true. 
Yeah, maybe he's just trying to get out. He's trying to get 
the governor to make that phone call in the 11th hour. No, don't 
do it. But brethren, we need to have 
the response of an Ananias. Notice beginning at verse 10. 
Now there was a certain man, a certain disciple rather, at 
Damascus named Ananias. And to him the Lord said in a 
vision, Ananias, and he said, Here I am, Lord. So the Lord 
said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight and 
inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, 
for behold, he is praying. Now, just before we move on, 
as Ananias is receiving this and as Jesus gets to this point, 
as the Lord gets to this point, for one called Saul of Tarsus, 
search for him, for behold, he is praying. He's got to be perhaps 
in his heart. I don't want to impugn anything 
to him, but he's starting to say, oh, wait a minute. Are you 
sure you got the right guy? Are you sure you got the right 
guy? The account continues. And in a vision, he has seen 
a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so 
that he might receive his sight. Now, notice here, we have Ananias 
now answering. And I don't believe Ananias is 
here answering in a way that is sinful, but just in a way 
that Christ's servants, maybe a lot of the time, respond to 
things that maybe they just can't believe, that they just can't 
immediately come to terms with. Are you sure? I don't think Ananias 
is sinfully questioning or rebuking the Lord, but notice his response. Then Ananias answered, Lord, 
I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has 
done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from 
the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. So it's 
almost it's almost like it's almost like Ananias is maybe 
he's asking for some qualification, which the Lord Jesus Christ will 
give him. But it's almost like he's saying, are you sure you 
got the right guy? Because this is what this Saul has done, Lord. 
This is what this Saul has done. He has excuse me. He's done much harm to your saints 
and saints in Jerusalem. And he has sanctioned from the 
chief priests to bind all who call on your name. Sure, you 
have the right guy. And then notice the Lord Jesus 
Christ at verse 15. But the Lord said to him, Go, 
for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, 
kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many 
things he must suffer for my name's sake. Now, Ananias, as 
the account continues, doesn't rebuke the Lord, doesn't rebel 
against the Lord, doesn't do what perhaps we might do. No 
way. It's wrong. It's not converted. 
Are you talking about the same Saul that we know who breathes 
threats and murder against the way? Who drags men and women 
off to prison? Who gave the thumbs up to the 
brutal murder of Stephen by large stones being thrown upon his 
head? Are you serious? Ananias doesn't 
do that. V. 17, And Ananias went his way 
and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother 
Saul, Brother Saul, what a glorious response. What an indicting response, 
brethren, because it does well up in us to have that sort of 
vindictive, that simple, vindictive response to those who in their 
former lives have done many a transgression and now are somehow converted 
to the religion of our same Lord Jesus Christ. How could it ever 
be? Well, if we know our own hearts, If we know our own hearts, 
if we seriously peruse the diaries of our memories, then we will 
see that the witnesses of our guilt have faithfully written 
down their names upon it. If we survey our own hearts and 
we view and we look back upon our own lives, and if we know 
the scriptures that tell us, for all have sinned and fallen 
short of the glory of God. given the fact that we are doing 
a survey of the Apostle Paul and his conversion, if we remember 
what the Apostle Paul says of himself. Yes, we hate those, 
or hatred will build up in ourselves. We will build up in ourselves 
that vindictive hatred sometimes for those, and rightfully so, 
of course, in cases where they have violated the law of God. 
There is a righteous response to crime, a righteous response 
to sin, But I'm speaking about that sinful response, where we 
don't want to believe people are converted, where we don't 
want to believe that God could actually save such a wretch. 
But when those things rise up in us, we ought to consider the 
Apostle Paul who said, this is a faithful saying and worthy 
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners 
to save, he didn't stop there, of whom I am sheep. of whom I 
am chief. We speak glowingly of the Apostle 
Paul. If we do it rightly, if we do 
it properly, we don't look to Paul as we look to Christ. We 
look to Paul as a trophy of his victor, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
A trophy of amazing and victorious grace. But we look to Paul with 
a measure of biblical esteem. He's the one who was such a great 
propagator of the Christian faith. He wrote more than half of the 
New Testament corpus. The Apostle Paul, a prominent 
Christian. But if we are to put away with, 
if we are to do away with that vindictive hatred, if we are 
to do away with the sinful heart that would say, no, such a wretch 
can't be saved, we need to consider the fact that that Paul, trophy 
of God's victorious grace, was once Saul, one who breathed threats 
and murder and dragged men and women off to prison. And so that 
is a lesson. Ananias, maybe seeking a qualification, 
says, Lord, I've heard much about this man. But then he says, he 
puts his hand on Saul and he says, Brother Saul, the Lord 
Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent 
me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the 
Holy Spirit. And he stayed with him. The Apostle 
Paul stayed with them many days with the disciples at Damascus. 
Now, what can we take from this? Well, we can take many things, 
but very briefly, hope for our loved ones, hope for our loved 
ones, hope for the unconverted. because this one who breathed 
threats, who was murderous, who consented to the death of men 
and women of Christ, was saved by God's grace. So let's have 
hope, let's pray for our loved ones, let's plead with the God 
of amazing and victorious grace, the God who saved Saul, that 
he would save our family members, our friends, our co-workers, 
men and women in government, whoever it may be, that God would, 
as Steve said earlier, bear his mighty arm of salvation, that 
they would hear our report, that they would look upon the mighty 
arm of the Lord God revealed and that they would bend in need, 
that they would look upon the stars, that they would look upon 
those things, that they would know that there is a king in 
high heaven and that he has given his Christ to die for sinners 
and to rise again. And our response to sin and sinners, 
our response to sin and sinners, we ought never to be shocked. 
Especially given that account of Revelation chapter 16, we 
should never be shocked that people actually sin. We should 
never be shocked that children, that adults, that people of whatever 
age actually transgress God's law are actually venomous, are 
actually vile, are actually wretched. are actually going to do things 
that we don't like. They're going to step on our 
toes, to put it lightly. They're going to cross our paths 
and do us wrong. We should never be surprised. 
We should deal with it righteously and biblically, knowing depravity. 
knowing what the Bible tells us with regards to sin, and we 
should seek the God of amazing grace, that He might conquer 
their hearts, turn them from disobedience to obedience, turn 
them from vileness to righteousness, turn them from venomous to speaking 
with a righteous tongue, that He might turn them, that He might 
rip out the heart of stone, because that is our conquering God. He 
doesn't ask. He pleads biblically, he pleads 
through his preachers, but when he comes in that day, he comes 
with divine force and he rips out the heart of stone, replaces 
it with the heart of flesh that beats for the risen Christ, that 
beats for the ascended Christ, that beats for the Christ, whoever 
lives to make intercession for us. And everyone here, close 
with Christ, whether a believer, close with him, rejoicing in 
him, the Christ who approached, who conquered, Saul of Tarsus 
on this great day, who was very merciful and gracious to one 
who was persecuting him by virtue of the fact that he was persecuting 
his people. Rejoice in Christ and sinners believe in him. Believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. The simplicity 
of the gospel message, not do, do, do, go, go, go, accomplish, 
accomplish, accomplish, come back in a year. Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ now and you will be saved. Let's pray. Father, 
we praise you and we thank you that we could gather together 
in this place. Lord God, we thank you for your holy word. We pray, 
God, that you would help us to consider your holy word revealed 
to us that daily, Lord God, we would think upon our crucified 
Christ, our risen Christ, our ascended Christ, and our Christ 
at his current session at your right hand where he ever lives 
to make intercession for his people. God, we just ask that 
you would help us to daily have high and heavy thoughts for such 
a Christ. We pray, God, considering everything that we've heard today, 
everything, Lord God, that we've read in our own in our own closets, 
in our own homes, and God, that we would consider all of these 
things, that we would consider the gospel, the glorious gospel 
of you, our blessed God, and we would walk accordingly. Help 
us, Father, because it can be hard to walk, to walk daily, 
to keep ourselves in the love of Christ, knowing that it is 
Christ who is able to keep us from stumbling. Help us, Lord 
God, to walk. to daily carry along ourselves, 
to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of your great gospel. 
Just go with each and every one of us now. Rejoice. Help us, 
Lord God, to rejoice in Christ, to follow Him, to follow the 
Lamb wherever He goes. We just ask, Father, that You 
would be with all those who were not with us tonight. May this 
be true for them, Lord God, that they would conduct themselves 
likewise, following the Lamb wherever He goes, and bring us 
together again, be it Wednesday or be it next Lord's Day, for 
worship of our Triune God and for a study in your Holy Word. 
We just ask now that you'd be with us and that you'd hear our 
prayers, knowing, Lord God, that you do answer them. In the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.