In our opening presentation
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we explore the life
in background of the
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Apostle Paul; we discover
that he was in the great
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city of Tarsus. His
father wanted to send him
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to Jerusalem to
finish his education.
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So, Saul sailed from
Tarsus to the magnificent
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port of Caesarea where
Herod had built a large
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harbor and named it
after his benefactor
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Caesar Augustus.
Saul would have walked
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50 miles up to
Jerusalem taking several days to
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reach the holy city,
but as he ascended the hill
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of Mount Zion and
his heart must have been
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glad to see the
beautiful temple dominating the
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city escape.
Saul's father had send him
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here to finish his education.
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He was the son of
the Pharisee and joined
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the prodigious
school of Rabbi Gamliel,
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who was leading
scholar of the day,
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and refer to by the
Tamid as the glory of the law.
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Saul as he was
known by his Jewish name
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became a Rabbi in the
tradition of the Pharisees,
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the ultra-Orthodox
sect of Judaism that sort to
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obey the law
twenty four hours a day,
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seven days a week.
He rapidly ascended the
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ladder of Judaism,
and became an influential
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leader. This was a
great time of turmoil
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in the city.
Followers of Jesus were claiming
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that he have been
raised from the dead.
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They were saying
that they had seen him
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and talk with him,
and some even said they
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had eaten with him,
and one even claimed
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to have put his
finger in his hand.
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The city of
Jerusalem was filled with many
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Greek speaking
Jews who were not native
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to Palestine, who
had been spread in
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Diaspora throughout
the Greek speaking world.
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One of the Greek
speaking Jews who was
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named Steven. One
day as he was teaching
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and preaching about
Jesus, some of the leaders
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of Jerusalem over
heard what was being said,
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they confronted Steven
about what he was saying,
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they tried to refute
his arguments about Jesus
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being the
Messiah, they could not.
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And so they
arrested him and brought him
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before the
Sanhedrin. It was at this moment
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that Saul came eye
to eye with Steven,
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but even his
brilliant mind could not match
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the simple testimony of Steven,
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that Jesus of
Nazareth was the Messiah,
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the Christ of Bible prophecy.
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Steven witnessed in
beautiful way before
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the Sanhedrin, they
listen until they heard
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Steven talk about
his resurrection from
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the dead, then
they plug their ears,
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and then in same
moment they rushed forward
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toward him and they grabbed him,
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and they drug him out
the lions gate into the
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Kedron Valley, and
there Steven looked
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up to heaven and he said:
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"I see the Son of
Man standing by the right
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hand of the
Father's throne." The zealous
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believers in
meanwhile took the stones
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and threw him on Steven
here in the Kedron valley.
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And as a life was being
crushed out of his body,
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he said Lord Jesus
forgive them for what
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they were doing.
What precious words,
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what powerful
words? Scripture says Saul
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was there holding
the garments of the men
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who were throwing the rocks.
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He was there
giving his consent to it,
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and he heard the
words spoken by a man who's
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face was lit up like
an angel. Lord Jesus don't
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hold this against
them forgive them,
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and he wondered
what is the power of this
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Galilean Prophet whose
followers loosing their
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life would forgive
the very ones who were
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taking his life. Saul
continued to persecute
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the church here in Jerusalem.
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This one act caused
the believers to disperse,
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they would go from
Jerusalem out into Judea,
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and to Samaria, and
some would even go as far as
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Phoenicia, and
Cyprus, and some all the way
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to Antioch. Yes the
believers fled from the
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city of Jerusalem,
and Saul was breathing
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out threatenings
against the church.
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Saul was arresting the
believers in the church
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and hauling them to
trial. Soon, Saul cleaned
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up the Galilean believers
here in Jerusalem except
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for the major leaders,
and the high priest asked
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him to go to Damascus
and to purify the synagogue
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of this dreaded heresy.
Saul received letters of
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authority from the chief
priest, and he received a
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contingent of temple
police to accompany him
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on that 150 mile
journey to Damascus.
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It would take 7 days
to travel from Jerusalem
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to Damascus, 7 days of walking.
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Along the way Saul
would have a lot of time
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to meditate, a lot of
time to spend with his
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thoughts, a lot
of time to think.
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The Holy Spirit would
take advantage of this,
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and would restore his
mind, restore his emotions,
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restore his thoughts.
We're now going to trace
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Saul's journey as he
would leave the city of
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Jerusalem, he would
travel down the Wadi
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Qelt to Jericho.
As he walked down the
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Wadi Qelt I
wondered, was he aware of the
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story of the good
Samaritan that happened
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here in this
Wadi? Was he aware of
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Jesus teachings?
As he reached the city
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of Jericho, I wonder
if he had interviewed that
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short tax
collector name Zacchaeus,
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the one who have given
away half of his goods,
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and returned fourfold
the things he had taken
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illegally from
people. Had he interviewed
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blind Bartimaeus
who claimed to have been
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healed by the touch of
Jesus there in Jericho?
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Saul must have
been struggling with his
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thoughts, surely
it cannot be true for
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none other great
leaders have believed in him,
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Saul turn and begin to
walk up the Jordan Valley,
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and as he walked
along the Jordan river
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he must have thought
of John the Baptist where
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John had stirred
the entire nation with
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his preaching, his
preaching of repentance
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and baptism.
Certainly Saul was aware that
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Jesus would come down
to be baptized by John
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in the Jordan River.
And then when he baptized,
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then the Holy Spirit
had down in the form of dove
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and lit upon him and
that John had identified him
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as the Lamb of God.
Saul must have thought
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how could John be so foolish.
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Everybody knows the
Messiah does not come
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from Nazareth, the
Messiah comes from Bethlehem,
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how could he be
taken him like this?
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Saul wrestles
with his conscience,
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tries to put out of
his mind, as he pushes on
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walking up the Jordan Valley.
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By the fourth day,
Saul would have reached
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the southern shore
of the Sea of Galilee,
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also known as the Sea
of Tiberias, named after
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the ruling emperor
in Rome, the city on the
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hill was also
named after Tiberias.
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But actually this
is not a sea at all,
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it's a lake, and it
was known as the Lake of
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Kinneret because it
was shaped like a harp,
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it was also known as
the Lake of Gennesaret,
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because of the plain
of Gennesaret that sweeps
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down on the north
western shore of Galilee.
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This lake was rich
in resources teaming
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with fish, numerous
communities sprout up
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around the shores.
As Saul walked up the
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Jordan Valley, he
came to this lake that was
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13 miles long and
8 miles wide, and at
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700 fit below sea
level, the lowest fresh
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water lake on
earth. The great trunk road
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joined the road
Saul was walking on from
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Jericho here on the
western shore of the
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Sea of Galilee. This
was the greatest road
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of antiquity, it was
the road that connected
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Egypt with Damascus, and
Anatolia on to the north,
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and Persia to the
east and to the Orient,
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it was the international
highway of the day.
00:09:59.16\00:10:02.16
Saul walked along
the western shore of the
00:10:02.20\00:10:05.20
Sea of Galilee, the
road came by the town of
00:10:05.23\00:10:08.47
Magdala, Magdala Mary,
had he interviewed her.
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She still held to
her incredible claim that
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she had seen Jesus
alive after he was resurrected
00:10:19.98\00:10:24.25
from the dead. Everyone
knows that's impossible,
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what a silly
woman, how ridicules.
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She's is
gullible believing in such
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fables as this, will
she telling the truth.
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Saul walking along
the shore, struggling with
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his thoughts, the
Holy Spirit stirring
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his emotions, could
it be true as he rounded
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the northern end
of the Sea of Galilee,
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he came to
Capernaum. Capernaum was a place
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where over one
third of Jesus miracles
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took place,
Capernaum was known as Jesus
00:11:02.46\00:11:05.69
own city. Saul would
have been traveling for
00:11:05.73\00:11:08.73
five days now so
perhaps he would stop
00:11:08.76\00:11:11.13
to worship in a Synagogue,
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if so he would
probably been asked to teach
00:11:13.00\00:11:15.80
in the synagogue.
The synagogue here at
00:11:15.84\00:11:18.51
Capernaum is built
in the fourth century,
00:11:18.54\00:11:21.24
but as we look
closely we see a difference
00:11:21.28\00:11:23.38
between the white
stones of Synagogue
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and black basalt stones
of the earlier foundation.
00:11:25.68\00:11:30.49
The black stones
come from the first
00:11:30.52\00:11:32.79
century
synagogue; the same synagogue
00:11:32.82\00:11:35.52
that Jesus was
invited to teaching on the
00:11:35.56\00:11:38.06
Sabbath day. If
Saul was invited to teach
00:11:38.09\00:11:43.53
here which he would
had been as a great Rabbi,
00:11:43.57\00:11:46.77
I can imagine that
as we sat down in the
00:11:46.80\00:11:49.80
synagogue, perhaps he
saw the Roman centurion,
00:11:49.84\00:11:53.74
the man who would
built this synagogue
00:11:53.78\00:11:56.28
was so aware that
Jesus had healed this
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man servant, did he
meet Jairus the ruler
00:12:01.62\00:12:05.82
of the synagogue,
yes Jairus the very man
00:12:05.85\00:12:09.46
who's daughter
have died and Jesus had
00:12:09.49\00:12:11.73
resurrected from dead,
was she there that day.
00:12:11.76\00:12:15.83
As Saul was teaching
to deceive that man in
00:12:15.86\00:12:19.60
the crowd, the
man who would run down
00:12:19.63\00:12:22.40
the isle of the
synagogues screaming
00:12:22.44\00:12:24.21
out Jesus Nazarene
what do you have to do
00:12:24.24\00:12:27.18
with us, I know
you are the son of God.
00:12:27.21\00:12:30.15
Even the demon's
knew that the Messiah did
00:12:30.18\00:12:34.02
not come from
Nazareth, the Messiah came from
00:12:34.05\00:12:38.35
Bethlehem. And so in
the tone of distained
00:12:38.39\00:12:43.36
even the demons
slurred Jesus by calling him
00:12:43.39\00:12:47.30
Jesus the Nazarene.
And yet Jesus had not
00:12:47.33\00:12:52.90
been intimated by
the demon possessed man
00:12:52.93\00:12:54.87
but he's spoken the
word in man was cleansed
00:12:54.90\00:12:58.11
of his demons. Was he
there in the synagogue
00:12:58.14\00:13:01.34
that day? Saul
must have been swearing
00:13:01.38\00:13:04.81
in his mind, not
knowing quite what to do with
00:13:04.85\00:13:07.12
all of the stories,
the miracles that had
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.48
happened here in this city.
00:13:09.52\00:13:11.69
This was a city
of Peter and John and
00:13:11.72\00:13:14.22
their brothers. This
is where they had based
00:13:14.26\00:13:16.56
their fishing business,
were the relatives in the
00:13:16.59\00:13:18.99
synagogue that day.
Saul would have been
00:13:19.03\00:13:23.00
anxious to leave the
city of Capernaum on the
00:13:23.03\00:13:26.84
northern shore of
Galilee for it was here that
00:13:26.87\00:13:29.87
so many of Jesus'
teachings and miracles
00:13:29.90\00:13:32.44
had taken place.
As he left Capernaum,
00:13:32.47\00:13:35.54
he would have gotten
back on the great trunk road
00:13:35.58\00:13:37.78
and began his
journey to Damascus.
00:13:37.81\00:13:40.32
As he walked up pass
this slope, was he aware
00:13:40.35\00:13:44.15
that it was here
that Jesus had given the
00:13:44.19\00:13:46.92
Sermon on the Mount?
Was he familiar with those
00:13:46.96\00:13:50.83
teachings that we
call today the beatitudes?
00:13:50.86\00:13:54.70
Those wonderful
teachings, the in-depth
00:13:54.73\00:13:57.50
teachings that
Jesus gave recorded in
00:13:57.53\00:14:00.14
Matthew chapter 5,
6 and 7 happened here
00:14:00.17\00:14:04.34
on the slopes over
the Sea of Galilee.
00:14:04.37\00:14:08.11
Saul aware of that, if
so I'm sure he tried to
00:14:08.14\00:14:11.78
put those
teachings out of his mind as
00:14:11.81\00:14:13.38
he pressed on for
his journey to Damascus.
00:14:13.42\00:14:17.25
The highway would
have gone passed huts,
00:14:17.29\00:14:20.69
this tremendous city
that was really a fort
00:14:20.72\00:14:24.96
guarding the narrow
pass for the highway from
00:14:24.99\00:14:28.03
Damascus to Galilee
and on down to Egypt,
00:14:28.06\00:14:31.67
but he wouldn't
stop there, he would have
00:14:31.70\00:14:33.90
pressed on going to
the new administrative
00:14:33.94\00:14:36.87
center of the area,
it was known as Caesarea
00:14:36.91\00:14:40.74
Philippi. This was a
place where Herod Philip
00:14:40.78\00:14:44.48
built a temple for
Caesar to be worshiped
00:14:44.51\00:14:47.42
and named it jointly
after Caesar and himself.
00:14:47.45\00:14:51.12
It was a site rich in
history and since there
00:14:51.15\00:14:54.32
was the center administratively;
00:14:54.36\00:14:57.63
Saul would have probably
00:14:57.66\00:14:58.99
stopped for lodging there.
00:14:59.03\00:15:01.03
This is refreshing! 
We've come to Caesarea Philippi,
00:15:11.37\00:15:14.51
one of the three
principle sources of the
00:15:14.54\00:15:16.91
Jordan River. Water
wells up here at 20 cubic
00:15:16.95\00:15:21.12
meters per second,
and flows down to join the
00:15:21.15\00:15:24.95
other two sources;
forming the head waters
00:15:24.99\00:15:27.62
of the Jordan. It
flows on down to the
00:15:27.66\00:15:30.03
Sea of Galilee and
then forms the Jordan River,
00:15:30.06\00:15:33.29
snaking its way
down to the Dead Sea.
00:15:33.33\00:15:36.23
Saul would have
stopped here beside
00:15:36.26\00:15:39.17
the waters of the
Jordan as it flowed forth
00:15:39.20\00:15:42.67
from the cave. This
cave was anciently a
00:15:42.70\00:15:48.64
temple of Baal.
When Alexander the Great
00:15:48.68\00:15:51.81
came through, the
deity changed, and Han
00:15:51.85\00:15:55.28
was worshipped at this site.
00:15:55.32\00:15:57.32
You can see the
nitches that are carved
00:15:57.35\00:15:59.92
into the sides of the rock.
00:15:59.95\00:16:03.12
Herod the great had
received it as a gift from
00:16:04.23\00:16:06.26
Augustus Caesar and
built a temple inside the
00:16:06.29\00:16:08.53
cave to Augustus,
who was worshipped here
00:16:08.56\00:16:10.87
on this high
place. When Saul passed
00:16:10.90\00:16:13.67
by, the waters of
the Jordan still flowed
00:16:13.70\00:16:16.07
from the cave.
Today they've been closed
00:16:16.10\00:16:19.11
because of earthquake
activity, and the water
00:16:19.14\00:16:21.81
simply springs
up from the ground,
00:16:21.84\00:16:24.01
and then flows down
to the Sea of Galilee.
00:16:24.05\00:16:27.28
Saul would have
paused here, resting by the
00:16:28.45\00:16:31.09
Jordan, and I
wonder if he was aware that
00:16:31.12\00:16:33.56
it was here on this
spot that Jesus had taken
00:16:33.59\00:16:35.92
His followers and
asked them that important
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.26
question: Who do men say that I
00:16:38.29\00:16:40.33
am? They answered,
some say you are Elijah,
00:16:40.36\00:16:45.03
others say you are
Jeremiah, others say
00:16:45.07\00:16:47.94
you are another
one of the prophets.
00:16:47.97\00:16:49.64
and He looked them
in the eye, and He said,
00:16:49.67\00:16:51.27
but who do you say that I am?
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.44
And Peter spoke for
the group affirming their
00:16:53.48\00:16:56.41
faith by saying,
you are the Christ,
00:16:56.44\00:16:59.55
you are the Messiah,
the son of the living God.
00:16:59.58\00:17:03.42
And for the first
time Jesus accepts their
00:17:03.45\00:17:05.92
worship of him as
Messiah. But Saul aware of that,
00:17:05.95\00:17:10.93
(if he was), would have
said this was a blasphemous
00:17:10.96\00:17:14.03
statement. Jesus
claimed to be the Messiah.
00:17:14.06\00:17:16.63
Everybody knows the
Messiah comes from Bethlehem,
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.80
perhaps he to
became even more determined
00:17:19.83\00:17:22.40
to press on from
here to reach his goal
00:17:22.44\00:17:24.77
of going to
Damascus and purifying the
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.61
synagogue of this dreaded sect.
00:17:27.64\00:17:29.74
Yes, Saul thought it
was blasphemy, and yet,
00:17:29.78\00:17:35.02
his heart was being
strangely stirred by
00:17:35.05\00:17:38.22
the Holy Spirit. He
struggles, could it be
00:17:38.25\00:17:42.79
that Jesus really is
the Christ, the Messiah,
00:17:42.82\00:17:47.73
the Son of the living
God, impossible he thinks,
00:17:47.76\00:17:52.17
none of the great
leaders have accepted him,
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.27
none of the great
leaders believed in him.
00:17:54.30\00:17:56.60
Saul would wake
up the next morning,
00:17:56.64\00:17:59.27
more determined
than ever to pass on to
00:17:59.31\00:18:02.08
Damascus and to
accomplish the task
00:18:02.11\00:18:04.91
for which God
had commissioned him.
00:18:04.95\00:18:07.15
As he pressed on to
the crust of the pass of
00:18:09.12\00:18:12.22
the Golan Heights,
he was struggling with
00:18:12.25\00:18:14.62
his conscience. The
Holy Spirit was pricking
00:18:14.66\00:18:17.36
his mind and stirring
his thoughts but to resist
00:18:17.39\00:18:21.06
he focused upon the
task, he had been sent
00:18:21.10\00:18:23.23
to accomplish
arresting the believers in Jesus
00:18:23.26\00:18:27.37
and purifying Damascus
of this dreaded Galilean
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.57
heresy. Perhaps he
paused on the crust of
00:18:30.61\00:18:33.88
the ridge overlooking
the city, the emerald
00:18:33.91\00:18:37.08
green city that was
the largest races in
00:18:37.11\00:18:40.38
the world, this city
floating in the midst
00:18:40.42\00:18:43.22
of the desert was
a spectacular site.
00:18:43.25\00:18:46.65
The city was
surrounded by barren mountains
00:18:46.69\00:18:49.42
on three sides and
fence end by the Syrian
00:18:49.46\00:18:51.79
Desert on the fourth.
It was built on a fertile
00:18:51.83\00:18:54.53
plain that was well
watered by the streams
00:18:54.56\00:18:56.73
formed from the
melting snow of the mountains.
00:18:56.77\00:19:00.04
It is the oldest
continually inhabited
00:19:00.07\00:19:02.27
city in the world, and
it's called the earthly
00:19:02.30\00:19:04.97
paradise. Mohammad
would not visit the city
00:19:05.01\00:19:08.01
because he didn't
want to enter paradise
00:19:08.04\00:19:09.98
before he died. The
city is such a delightful
00:19:10.01\00:19:13.05
site standing in stark
contrast to the dry hills
00:19:13.08\00:19:16.35
he has just crossed.
As he gauged upon the
00:19:16.38\00:19:19.39
city at noon, he
contemplated his mission.
00:19:19.42\00:19:22.72
As he pondered what
was before him it happened,
00:19:22.76\00:19:25.49
a light brighter
than the noon day sun in a
00:19:25.53\00:19:28.10
cloudless sky
flashed. Saul was stunned,
00:19:28.13\00:19:32.10
blinded by the brilliance
and fell to the ground.
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.37
Then he heard a voice saying.
00:19:35.40\00:19:37.11
"Saul, Saul, why
do you persecute me?
00:19:37.14\00:19:41.08
It is hard for you to
kick against the goads."
00:19:41.11\00:19:44.15
Saul was totally
overwhelmed by the
00:19:44.18\00:19:46.51
surprise of this theophany.
00:19:46.55\00:19:48.82
He felt down to the
earth as if he were dead.
00:19:48.85\00:19:51.95
He was so
shocked to hear the voice
00:19:51.99\00:19:53.89
from heaven that
he asked the voice to
00:19:53.92\00:19:56.06
identify itself.
"Who are you, Lord?"
00:19:56.09\00:19:59.69
"I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting."
00:19:59.73\00:20:03.00
Jesus this was impossible.
How could he have been
00:20:03.83\00:20:09.10
wrong all along?
Saul have been struggling
00:20:09.14\00:20:13.81
with his
conscience, fighting against the
00:20:13.84\00:20:16.31
Holy Spirit but now
things came together
00:20:16.34\00:20:19.48
clearly for him.
While he was shocked
00:20:19.51\00:20:22.65
he must have been
somewhat relieved for
00:20:22.68\00:20:25.05
he have been struggling
as he walked down from
00:20:25.09\00:20:27.32
Jerusalem to Jericho,
and from Jericho up to
00:20:27.36\00:20:30.53
Jordan Valley to
the Sea of Tiberias,
00:20:30.56\00:20:32.96
he had been
struggling with the Holy Spirit
00:20:32.99\00:20:35.06
fighting against the
spirit as he rounded the
00:20:35.10\00:20:37.53
Sea of Galilee. The
Holy Spirit was pricking
00:20:37.57\00:20:39.93
his mind, steering
his thoughts and then as
00:20:39.97\00:20:43.17
he walked up Golan
Heights and came to
00:20:43.20\00:20:47.04
the ridge overlooking
the beautiful city of
00:20:47.08\00:20:49.08
Damascus, the
spirit have been prompting
00:20:49.11\00:20:52.21
his thoughts.
Jesus said, "Saul, Saul,
00:20:52.25\00:20:56.15
why do you persecute
me? It is hard for you to
00:20:56.18\00:20:59.09
kick against the
goads." While we may not be
00:20:59.12\00:21:02.26
familiar with this terminology,
00:21:02.29\00:21:04.49
Saul knew exactly what it meant.
00:21:04.53\00:21:07.20
For he had walked
along his journey he had
00:21:07.23\00:21:10.47
seen many farmer
guiding his oxen with
00:21:10.50\00:21:13.87
something call an ox
goad, it was a long stick
00:21:13.90\00:21:17.47
with the point on
it and the farmer would
00:21:17.51\00:21:19.51
take that stick and
poke the oxen to cause the
00:21:19.54\00:21:22.71
oxen to go in the
direction he would
00:21:22.74\00:21:24.28
want them to go. If
he needed them to change
00:21:24.31\00:21:26.75
directions or to get
his attention he would
00:21:26.78\00:21:28.58
prick them with it.
Yes, Saul was kicking against
00:21:28.62\00:21:33.49
the goads. He was
kicking against the pricks.
00:21:33.52\00:21:36.86
The Holy Spirit
was pricking his mind,
00:21:36.89\00:21:39.19
steering his thoughts,
trying to put them into a
00:21:39.23\00:21:42.60
different direction
that Saul was resisting by
00:21:42.63\00:21:45.23
focusing upon the
task that was before him.
00:21:45.27\00:21:48.57
Saul have been
strangely moved by the testimony
00:21:48.60\00:21:51.87
of Steven. When he saw
his face lit up like an
00:21:51.91\00:21:54.58
angel and heard the
words Lord forgive them
00:21:54.61\00:21:57.55
for they don't know
what they are doing,
00:21:57.58\00:21:59.41
it had moved his heart.
The Holy Spirit have been
00:21:59.45\00:22:02.15
using this to stir his emotions.
00:22:02.18\00:22:05.72
But to fight off
conviction he threw
00:22:05.75\00:22:07.72
himself into his work
just like we often do,
00:22:07.76\00:22:11.56
the Holy Spirit
stirs our minds, stirs our
00:22:11.59\00:22:14.83
emotions, pricks our
thought but to ignore
00:22:14.86\00:22:17.90
the prodding of the
Holy Spirit, we focus upon
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.97
activities, a
round of activities.
00:22:21.00\00:22:24.64
We fill our minds
with other things to try
00:22:24.67\00:22:27.34
and ignore the
prodding's of the Holy Spirit,
00:22:27.38\00:22:29.78
that's what Saul had
done. He was coming to
00:22:29.81\00:22:32.65
Damascus with letters
from the high priest to
00:22:32.68\00:22:35.38
purify the synagogue
of the dreaded heresy of
00:22:35.42\00:22:38.25
the Galilean
Prophet, but he was traveling
00:22:38.29\00:22:41.32
alone on that dusty
road. As he walked up
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.73
the heart of Jordan
Valley, the Holy Spirit
00:22:44.76\00:22:46.90
was stirring his
mind, as he had those quite
00:22:46.93\00:22:50.17
moments besides the
sea, the Holy Spirit was
00:22:50.20\00:22:53.60
trying to impress
him that it was true that
00:22:53.64\00:22:57.41
Jesus was Lord of all.
00:22:57.44\00:23:00.44
You see Saul was
zealous for the honor of Yahweh,
00:23:00.84\00:23:05.45
but he was blinded to the truth.
00:23:05.48\00:23:08.08
You know we are lot
like Saul, aren't we?
00:23:08.12\00:23:10.59
We try and
resist the Holy Spirit.
00:23:10.62\00:23:13.15
The Spirit presses
in, stirs our emotions,
00:23:13.19\00:23:16.26
tries to turn our eyes
to Jesus, but we do all
00:23:16.29\00:23:18.76
that we can to try
and ignore the prodding.
00:23:18.79\00:23:21.66
The Holy Spirit is
good. He continued to move
00:23:21.70\00:23:25.47
upon Saul's mind,
each step of the way.
00:23:25.50\00:23:29.10
You see people have
been praying for Saul,
00:23:29.14\00:23:31.61
converted family
members have been
00:23:31.64\00:23:32.97
praying for him.
The church of Jerusalem
00:23:33.01\00:23:35.04
have been praying
for him, the believers in
00:23:35.08\00:23:36.98
Damascus have
been praying for him,
00:23:37.01\00:23:39.01
and now the Holy
Spirit came upon in full force
00:23:39.05\00:23:42.55
as he came here to
the ridge over looking
00:23:42.58\00:23:45.99
the beautiful city of Damascus.
00:23:46.02\00:23:48.36
Saul had responded
to the prayers of the
00:23:51.03\00:23:53.43
church by moving deeper
into the persecution mode.
00:23:53.46\00:23:57.50
That happens
sometimes we are praying for our
00:23:57.53\00:24:00.60
relatives too. They
resist, they become irritable,
00:24:00.64\00:24:05.07
they may even become
angry, but we shouldn't
00:24:05.11\00:24:08.24
quit praying. Look
what happened to Saul as a
00:24:08.28\00:24:11.11
result of the
prayers being offered in
00:24:11.15\00:24:13.52
his behalf. He comes to
his ridge, sees the city
00:24:13.55\00:24:17.65
of Damascus and then
sees a vision of Jesus.
00:24:17.69\00:24:22.79
Yes, it was hard
for Saul to kick against
00:24:22.82\00:24:26.33
the pricks, it was
hard for him to resist
00:24:26.36\00:24:29.16
the Holy Spirit, and
getting through himself
00:24:29.20\00:24:31.63
into the activity and
try to fight against the
00:24:31.67\00:24:34.64
living of God's Spirit.
God presented an obstacle
00:24:34.67\00:24:38.87
course to Saul to
keep him from being lost.
00:24:38.91\00:24:42.61
Yes, he said, it's hard
to kick against the goads.
00:24:42.64\00:24:46.75
Sometimes
Christians get this mixed up,
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.12
they think it is
easy to be lost and hard
00:24:49.15\00:24:52.25
to be saved. But
actually the passage
00:24:52.29\00:24:55.12
tells us just the
opposite. Saul, it's hard
00:24:55.16\00:24:58.49
for you to kick
against the pricks,
00:24:58.53\00:25:00.40
it's hard for you to
be lost to fight against
00:25:00.43\00:25:03.97
the spirit of God.
God is good, attempting
00:25:04.00\00:25:07.14
to lead every person
to repentance into the
00:25:07.17\00:25:10.04
further cross and
He was doing this in
00:25:10.07\00:25:12.74
Saul's life as
well. Solomon struggling
00:25:12.77\00:25:16.24
with the Holy Spirit
all along the journey
00:25:16.28\00:25:18.28
and now and now in
top of all came together
00:25:18.31\00:25:20.72
when he encountered
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:25:20.75\00:25:23.39
Acts chapter 26 verse 12 says,
00:25:23.42\00:25:25.52
"Who are you
Lord? "'I am Jesus, whom
00:25:25.55\00:25:28.02
you are
persecuting.' The Lord replied.
00:25:28.06\00:25:29.92
"Now get up and
stand on your feet.
00:25:29.96\00:25:31.76
I have appeared to
you to appoint you as a
00:25:31.79\00:25:33.76
servant and as a
witness of what you
00:25:33.80\00:25:35.93
have seen of me and
what I will show you."
00:25:35.96\00:25:38.27
Incredible, Jesus
was calling the very man
00:25:38.30\00:25:42.57
who was trying to
destroy his name here
00:25:42.60\00:25:44.74
in Damascus. Saul was
flooded with unbelievable
00:25:44.77\00:25:48.68
emotion. It was
something he would never forget.
00:25:48.71\00:25:52.28
In his old age he
wrote to his friend Timothy
00:25:52.31\00:25:55.85
"Here is a trustworthy
saying that deserves full
00:25:55.88\00:25:59.15
acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the world
00:25:59.19\00:26:02.59
to save sinners-of
whom I am the worst.
00:26:02.62\00:26:06.03
But for that very
reason I was shown mercy so
00:26:06.06\00:26:08.66
that in me, the
worst of sinners,
00:26:08.70\00:26:10.20
Christ Jesus might
display his unlimited
00:26:10.23\00:26:13.23
patience as an
example for those who
00:26:13.27\00:26:16.44
would believe on him
and receive eternal life."
00:26:16.47\00:26:19.64
Now he understood
how Steven could forgive
00:26:19.67\00:26:22.81
those who were stoning
him. Steven had met Jesus.
00:26:22.84\00:26:27.28
Yes, the Holy
Spirit have been stirring
00:26:27.32\00:26:29.68
his emotions,
pricking his conscience until
00:26:29.72\00:26:32.72
finally Saul came to
the point here on the
00:26:32.75\00:26:35.92
ridge overlooking
Damascus of surrendering
00:26:35.96\00:26:38.79
all to Jesus. Does
a Holy Spirit had been
00:26:38.83\00:26:42.23
pricking you, as we
followed his journey
00:26:42.26\00:26:45.00
from Jerusalem down to Jericho,
00:26:45.03\00:26:47.24
and up to Jordan
Valley, around the
00:26:47.27\00:26:49.04
Sea of Galilee,
over the Golan Heights to
00:26:49.07\00:26:51.94
this ridge, is the
Holy Spirit been speaking
00:26:51.97\00:26:54.51
to your heart. Do
you sense the need
00:26:54.54\00:26:57.35
right now to
surrender your all to Jesus just
00:26:57.38\00:27:01.08
as Saul did?
Please join us as we pray.
00:27:01.12\00:27:04.59
Eternal God,
Father of Abraham, Isaac
00:27:04.62\00:27:08.62
and Jacob, it's
amazing to us how you could
00:27:08.66\00:27:11.83
reach a misdirected
Zealot like Saul and
00:27:11.86\00:27:15.53
you could change
him turning him around
00:27:15.56\00:27:17.53
completely here on
the road to Damascus
00:27:17.57\00:27:20.40
that he could
become so changed that the
00:27:20.44\00:27:23.67
very name he
came here to destroy,
00:27:23.71\00:27:25.77
he ends up proclaiming.
Lord we sense you are
00:27:25.81\00:27:29.24
potting in our
hearts, in our lives,
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.18
in our minds, and we
want to surrender our
00:27:31.21\00:27:33.38
all to you right now.
We pray in Jesus name,
00:27:33.42\00:27:37.09
amen. What a
thrilling teaching to see Saul
00:27:37.12\00:27:41.52
coming here to the
ridge overlooking Damascus
00:27:41.56\00:27:44.63
and yielding his heart to Jesus.
00:27:44.66\00:27:47.16
Saul is led from
this ridge down into the
00:27:47.20\00:27:49.96
city where he
discovered the Gospel.
00:27:50.00\00:27:52.80
Don't miss the next
thrilling chapter in this
00:27:52.83\00:27:55.94
series "A Rabbi
discovers the Gospel."
00:27:55.97\00:28:00.18