How often have you
thought to yourself
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that you would love the
Damascus road experience?
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You wish you had it.
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You read the
story there in Acts 9,
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two other places
in the Book of Acts,
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Paul's conversion,
Christian of all Christians.
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We want that
Damascus road experience.
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You know, you've heard them.
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You've sat there in the audience
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or you've been
privileged to hear somebody
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share with you their testimony.
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You know, that one where
their life was brought back
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from the brink of destruction.
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Self-ruin,
throwing their life away--
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they were crazies.
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Perhaps, they were
brought back completely
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from a life of immorality.
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They were desperate.
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You know, that real
heart-jerking story.
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The one that, you know,
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tears kind of flood
up in your eyes a little
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when you thought, man,
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I wish my story was like that.
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That 180 degree turn,
that about phase, aha.
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Turning away from God
and turning back to God.
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We all want it.
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We all want this
story that we think we need,
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in order to be
effective in sharing something.
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We think, well, I didn't get
saved miraculously from cancer
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when my life was
completely away from God
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and only to have God
intervene miraculously,
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heal me from my cancer
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and then to start
worshipping and following him.
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What about that person
that was in complete rebellion,
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standing in opposition to God,
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maybe they were
involved in the occult.
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Maybe they were
so far away from God
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that they were the
last person in the world
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you could ever think
would be a Christian,
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only to meet their
maker face to face.
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You know, the
person that was a drunk,
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maybe they were a drug user
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and they were driving their car
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only to roll it
down an embankment
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and land on top of a tree
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and have the door open
and be completely paralyzed,
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only to be able to
walk again 6 months later
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and give their life to
Christ, and you think, man,
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that's such a powerful story,
that's a Damascus experience.
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I wish I had one of those.
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We wish that these
stories sometimes were our own.
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We think, well, then maybe
I can do something for God.
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That testimony that they've
asked me to share so many times,
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maybe then it would
actually accomplish something.
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I know, I was there listening,
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at one camp
meeting, guy got up there,
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all of us youth were
in the pavilion, listening
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and he was telling us
about his life on the streets.
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How one time he stabbed a
guy in the neck with a pen.
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He had millions of dollars
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in the internet
stock exchange program,
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only to lose it
all in the moment
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when the market
and the internet fell
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and to find himself on
the streets using heroin,
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all the rest of it,
only to later find God.
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And to be transformed,
and we want that story.
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As crazy as it sounds,
we wish that story was us.
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We think to
ourselves, what's my story?
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Academy boy, raised his
whole life in the church,
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knew Christ, you know,
accepted his parent's religion,
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now I'm okay, I'm in
school or I'm starting my life,
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I'm married, I've got kids
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and everything's been
sort of status quo in my life,
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what have I got to share?
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What's my testimony?
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None of us have
had light from heaven
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only to blind us for three days
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and then to have scale like
substances come off our eyes.
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We want that kind
of a story, don't we?
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Maybe you already
know, maybe you don't,
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but the number
one tool you have,
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the number one
arrow in your quiver
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that you can pull out,
the ace up your sleeve,
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when it comes to
sharing the gospel,
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is none other than what
Christ has done in your life.
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We find that in
the Book of Acts.
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The main protagonist Paul
throughout the Book of Acts
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finds himself in
these dire situations.
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In fact, the historian Luke
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takes the
opportunity in Acts Chapter 9
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to record his own version
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of Paul's
Damascus road experience.
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Three separate times.
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When Paul needed a go-to sermon,
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when Paul needed
a go-to Bible study,
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when Paul was facing death,
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when he was facing rulers
and kings and glorious people,
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did Paul turn to some
sophisticated argument
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from the scriptures?
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No.
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When Paul really needed
to reach in to somebody,
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who they knew was
the most difficult person
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they could ever possibly reach.
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Agrippa, Festus, you name it.
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Paul turns to his testimony.
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You think Paul?
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Paul who wrote Romans,
Paul who wrote Galatians,
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Paul who wrote 40% of
the New Testament, Paul?
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I mean, he has so
much material to pull from.
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Why his testimony?
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And then you think, "Oh,
well, I know why his testimony,
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because it's like one
of those cool stories."
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You know, he was
persecuting Jews.
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What does the Bible say?
Turn with me in your Bibles.
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Today we're gonna take our
sermon from the Book of Acts.
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And we're going
to Acts Chapter 9.
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This is the first
recorded incident,
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the first recorded
event in Paul's life,
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really other
than when he was there
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when Stephen was being stoned.
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This is really when we really
get introduced to Saul-to-Paul.
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Remember, he's
only Saul yet, still.
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Here in Acts
Chapter 9. We're gonna--
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beginning in verse 1,
Acts 9, beginning in verse 1.
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We're going to look
a little bit at a story
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that took place
some 2,000 years ago.
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We're gonna look at
who this person was.
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What was their situation?
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And what does it teach us today?
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This won't be your traditional
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Damascus road
experience type sermon.
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No, this is a
training opportunity.
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All of us want to know
how to give our testimonies,
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we want to be better prepared
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I think preaching is
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one of the best
opportunities to train people.
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Because, they're all there,
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you ask them to come
out on a Tuesday evening,
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they're not there.
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You ask them to come on Sabbath,
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then you'll have your biggest
group there and you train them.
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This is another one of
those training opportunities.
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Many sermons could be
brought out from this passage,
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but I think there's a
lesson herein for all us.
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Acts Chapter 9,
beginning in verse 1 then,
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let's look at this story.
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"Then Saul--"
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Close your eyes
for a little bit,
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enter your mind's eye
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and picture the
next phrase here.
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"Still breathing
threats and murder against
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the disciples of the
Lord, went to the high priest."
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Breathing threats and murder.
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It's a good
movie. This is Saul now.
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Infamous Saul of Tarsus.
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Now if you were to think of
Saul right now and his life,
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Saul was not the kind of person
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that was neither here nor there,
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really looking for
something to anchor him in life,
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he didn't know what
his purpose was in life.
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No, no, no, that's not the Saul
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we find here in Acts Chapter 9.
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We don't find a person here
that doesn't have an education,
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that's sort of
roaming through life
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as sort of a phantom
neither here nor there,
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nothing to commit to,
no real direction in life.
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They have no idea
where they're going,
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some of these people.
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This is not Saul in
this passage, no, no.
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What do we know about Saul?
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History tells us,
Saul was from Tarsus.
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Saul was a
learned man, educated.
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One could even venture to
say he was a master rabbi.
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Had much the torah
memorized, the Jew of all Jews.
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Turn there in Philippians
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and read what he has
to say about himself,
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a Hebrew of Hebrews.
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He had direction.
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He sat under the
feet of Gamaliel,
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studied under the best.
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And not only did he
study and know and everything
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but he had purpose in life.
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He knew what his mission
was, what his calling was.
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Saul here is still breathing
threats to the disciples of God.
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His mission, he had
taken it upon himself,
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he had put this
yoke on his back.
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And his yoke was
to squash something
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that was known at
this time as "the way."
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A sect of Jews who followed
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this Jesus
character as the Messiah.
00:10:13.60\00:10:17.22
And this
Pharisee of all Pharisees,
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Paul, this righteous man,
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blameless before
the law with direction.
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He knew it was his calling
in life to stop this movement.
00:10:23.72\00:10:29.49
He was there when
Stephen was stoned.
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When all of them
went to pick up stones,
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who did they lay their robes at?
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Whose feet did they lay it at?
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Who was there? Saul was there.
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Saul was there and he approved.
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I would venture to say, perhaps,
00:10:44.97\00:10:46.34
he even had a smile on his face.
00:10:46.37\00:10:50.10
This was Paul's
calling. This was Paul's work.
00:10:50.13\00:10:53.69
Paul had
direction. He was well known.
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His reputation
went ahead of him.
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When Paul started to say,
I'm going in this direction,
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this is what I am going to do.
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If people knew, the
Christians nearly said Paul,
00:11:04.76\00:11:07.65
Saul of Tarsus is coming.
00:11:07.68\00:11:09.73
Saul of Tarsus is
coming and they would run.
00:11:09.76\00:11:12.18
They would hide. They
knew this person's reputation.
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We're gonna see
that in this story.
00:11:14.48\00:11:17.58
So Saul here wasn't lifeless,
no real calling in life,
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only to then,
you know, meet Jesus.
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Listen, this guy
was single track mind.
00:11:24.52\00:11:27.12
He knew where he was going.
Nobody had to tell him. No.
00:11:27.15\00:11:31.79
So we find then
this Saul competent,
00:11:31.82\00:11:36.11
sincere, enthusiastic, energetic
00:11:36.14\00:11:40.93
and he was legal, Roman citizen.
00:11:40.96\00:11:46.07
Saul here shows his
power, shows his reputation,
00:11:46.10\00:11:50.67
he doesn't just
go to anybody for--
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he goes to the high
priest and he demands letters.
00:11:52.59\00:11:55.96
He says, "Listen,
00:11:55.99\00:11:57.36
I'm traveling up to
Damascus to the synagogues there
00:11:57.39\00:12:00.94
and I'm going to look
for those of 'the way.'"
00:12:00.97\00:12:03.11
It says, "And asked from
him," that is the high priest,
00:12:03.14\00:12:07.12
"letters to go to the
synagogues of Damascus,
00:12:07.15\00:12:10.07
so that if he found
any who were of the way,
00:12:10.10\00:12:12.70
whether men or women,
00:12:12.73\00:12:14.10
he might bring them
bound to Jerusalem."
00:12:14.13\00:12:18.25
Paul here had a
goal. He was goal oriented.
00:12:18.28\00:12:21.70
Listen, in the eyes of
the world, Paul had it set.
00:12:21.73\00:12:26.18
He was made. He knew
what direction he was going.
00:12:26.21\00:12:28.91
That's more than can be said
00:12:28.94\00:12:30.31
for a huge
section of our population.
00:12:30.34\00:12:37.12
This guy had made it, so
to speak. He had made it.
00:12:37.15\00:12:42.23
A lot of times,
you and I think that,
00:12:42.26\00:12:44.95
we look at that
person on the subway station
00:12:44.98\00:12:47.45
or on the sky train station,
00:12:47.48\00:12:49.93
or we see them driving
their Mercedes E series
00:12:49.96\00:12:53.65
down the freeway and again
00:12:53.68\00:12:56.51
they've got
their GPS system there
00:12:56.54\00:12:59.55
and they look like they're ready
to go to a business meeting.
00:12:59.58\00:13:01.79
Maybe they're a Wall Street guy.
00:13:01.82\00:13:04.30
Maybe they're a professor
00:13:04.33\00:13:05.70
at a prestigious
university like Harvard.
00:13:05.73\00:13:08.70
Maybe they are the CEO
of some mega corporation.
00:13:08.73\00:13:13.58
They've got nothing.
They have need of nothing.
00:13:13.61\00:13:15.37
They know where
they're headed in life.
00:13:15.40\00:13:16.77
They've got direction.
00:13:16.80\00:13:18.17
We think to themselves,
00:13:18.20\00:13:19.57
"That person,
they'll never need Jesus.
00:13:19.60\00:13:21.83
How am I ever gonna convince
him of their need of Jesus?
00:13:21.86\00:13:25.09
Convince her of
her need of Jesus?"
00:13:25.12\00:13:28.31
Maybe she's a famous singer.
00:13:28.34\00:13:31.32
She's on all
the magazine covers.
00:13:31.35\00:13:34.31
Maybe not, maybe she's a
hot shot in your community.
00:13:34.34\00:13:37.58
You think, how am I gonna--
Maybe you're in high school.
00:13:37.61\00:13:39.43
Maybe you are a high
school student, right now.
00:13:39.46\00:13:40.86
And you're thinking to yourself,
00:13:40.89\00:13:42.26
that popular guy
or that popular girl
00:13:42.29\00:13:45.17
who everybody just
adores and they think,
00:13:45.20\00:13:47.42
"Oh, that's the
coolest person in the world."
00:13:47.45\00:13:49.04
They've got the nicest
shoes, the nicest clothes,
00:13:49.07\00:13:51.50
the nicest
computer, they drive a car.
00:13:51.53\00:13:54.56
Their family's rich,
they go on vacations to Europe
00:13:54.59\00:13:58.04
and to South America
and they have everything
00:13:58.07\00:14:01.00
they could possibly need.
00:14:01.03\00:14:02.40
And you think, "Well, how am
I ever gonna tell this person
00:14:02.43\00:14:04.75
that they need Jesus?"
00:14:04.78\00:14:06.15
That's the kind
of person Saul was.
00:14:06.18\00:14:08.18
Nobody would have
thought Saul needed Jesus,
00:14:08.21\00:14:10.50
nobody would
have thought that even
00:14:10.53\00:14:11.90
if Saul had met
Jesus, that he would change.
00:14:11.93\00:14:14.12
What need did he have? He
wasn't starving or hungry.
00:14:14.15\00:14:17.35
He wasn't in some
ghetto, where life was hard.
00:14:17.38\00:14:21.16
He couldn't get an
education, from a single family.
00:14:21.19\00:14:23.89
No, no, no, that was
not Saul's situation.
00:14:23.92\00:14:29.36
Saul was tracking correctly.
00:14:29.39\00:14:32.71
But in the eyes of
God, he was way off.
00:14:32.74\00:14:34.78
We can't reach
everybody, you know.
00:14:40.57\00:14:42.93
We really can't. Sometimes
God needs to intervene.
00:14:42.96\00:14:47.05
Sometimes God needs to step in
00:14:47.08\00:14:49.65
and write Himself
into your existence,
00:14:49.68\00:14:53.76
into that person's existence,
and into my existence.
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.92
God writes himself in.
00:14:57.09\00:15:00.92
God writes himself
in and this is the case
00:15:00.95\00:15:03.51
with a person of this stature.
00:15:03.54\00:15:05.17
This was the case.
00:15:05.20\00:15:06.57
God was about to write
Himself into the very fabric
00:15:06.60\00:15:09.83
of the existence of Saul.
00:15:09.86\00:15:13.17
Verse 3, chapter 9,
verse 3 Acts 9:3 says,
00:15:13.20\00:15:16.86
"As he journeyed,
he came near Damascus,
00:15:16.89\00:15:19.82
and suddenly a light
shone around him from heaven.
00:15:19.85\00:15:23.29
Then he fell to the ground
and heard a voice saying to him,
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.99
'Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me?'"
00:15:26.02\00:15:30.96
To our world, the
sincerity and enthusiasm
00:15:38.93\00:15:42.26
Saul had, it was a virtue.
00:15:42.29\00:15:45.03
We thought he was ready but God,
00:15:45.06\00:15:46.68
no, no, he was
tracking correctly
00:15:46.71\00:15:48.36
in the eyes of the
world, but God says, no,
00:15:48.39\00:15:49.76
you're not
tracking correctly, Saul.
00:15:49.79\00:15:52.80
You don't understand what
I've got planned for you, Saul.
00:15:52.83\00:15:56.90
So He shines this bright light.
00:15:56.93\00:16:00.71
I'd like to
think that was Jesus,
00:16:00.74\00:16:04.14
just kind of showing up.
00:16:04.17\00:16:06.74
We find later evidence
that it was in fact Jesus
00:16:06.77\00:16:09.17
that appeared to Saul here.
00:16:09.20\00:16:11.83
When God appears,
when He just sort of,
00:16:17.13\00:16:19.14
"Boo", He's here.
00:16:19.17\00:16:21.43
Most of the time,
we know what it is.
00:16:21.46\00:16:23.56
We don't find here
Saul say, "What is it?
00:16:23.59\00:16:25.97
What's out there?
Who's there? What happened?"
00:16:26.00\00:16:29.36
We don't find him, you know,
00:16:29.39\00:16:31.31
stammering for words, looking--
00:16:31.34\00:16:33.19
What's the words that
comes out of Saul's lips?
00:16:33.22\00:16:35.88
"Who are you, Lord?
00:16:35.91\00:16:38.23
Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus
00:16:38.26\00:16:39.63
whom you are persecuting.'
00:16:39.66\00:16:41.10
It is hard for you to
kick against the goads.
00:16:41.13\00:16:43.74
So he trembling
and astonished said,
00:16:43.77\00:16:45.60
'Lord, what do you want to do?'
00:16:45.63\00:16:48.68
what do you want me to do?
00:16:48.71\00:16:50.93
Then the Lord said to him,
'arise and go into the city
00:16:50.96\00:16:53.22
and you will be
told what you must do.'"
00:16:53.25\00:16:55.05
Think of that wording
right there. This was Saul.
00:16:55.08\00:16:59.46
He knew where he
was going in life.
00:16:59.49\00:17:01.48
Nobody told Saul yeah or nay.
00:17:01.51\00:17:03.70
What to do and what not to do.
00:17:03.73\00:17:05.20
He was going in that direction.
00:17:05.23\00:17:06.94
And the hardest
thing in the world,
00:17:06.97\00:17:08.51
when we're coming to God,
now this is again not a story
00:17:08.54\00:17:10.35
about Saul's conversion.
00:17:10.38\00:17:12.18
There's a lesson
here in all of this.
00:17:12.21\00:17:13.98
We need to get through
this, but I want to point out
00:17:14.01\00:17:15.58
to the fact that, that Saul--
00:17:15.61\00:17:16.98
this was contrary
to what Saul wanted.
00:17:17.01\00:17:20.47
If he's gonna meet God,
the last thing he wants God
00:17:20.50\00:17:22.20
telling him to do is what to do.
00:17:22.23\00:17:23.60
'Cause he's ready,
he knows what to do.
00:17:23.63\00:17:25.39
He's got his life in order.
He's got his ducks in a row.
00:17:25.42\00:17:30.22
But when you meet God,
everything falls by the wayside.
00:17:30.25\00:17:34.36
God knows best
and God here says,
00:17:34.39\00:17:36.35
"You wanna know what to do?
00:17:36.38\00:17:37.75
Arise, quickly, go to
where I tell you to go."
00:17:37.78\00:17:39.72
Just simple. Very simply, "Saul,
Saul you're persecuting me."
00:17:39.75\00:17:46.86
Tells him what to do.
He's running into Jesus here.
00:17:46.89\00:17:50.92
Luke, in the story in here,
is capturing Saul's encounter.
00:17:50.95\00:17:55.60
He's captured what
Saul was like before hand
00:17:55.63\00:17:59.03
and now he's capturing
his encounter with Christ.
00:17:59.06\00:18:05.55
"And the men who journeyed
with them stood speechless.
00:18:05.58\00:18:08.46
Hearing a voice
but seeing no one.
00:18:08.49\00:18:12.01
Then Saul arose from the ground
00:18:12.04\00:18:13.53
and when his eyes
were opened, he saw no one.
00:18:13.56\00:18:16.09
But they led him by hand
and brought him into Damascus
00:18:16.12\00:18:19.13
and he was three
days without sight,
00:18:19.16\00:18:20.87
neither ate nor drank."
00:18:20.90\00:18:22.27
This was done by purpose.
00:18:22.30\00:18:23.67
You see, somebody
that was so certain,
00:18:23.70\00:18:25.35
that had their eyes open.
00:18:25.38\00:18:26.75
They could see
above the horizon.
00:18:26.78\00:18:28.15
Saul could see.
00:18:28.18\00:18:29.55
Saul knew what was ahead of him.
00:18:29.58\00:18:30.95
He was charting his course.
00:18:30.98\00:18:33.51
Why do you think,
He took away his sight?
00:18:33.54\00:18:35.73
'Cause that's what
Saul was relying on.
00:18:35.76\00:18:37.57
He knew that he could
see his way through problems.
00:18:37.60\00:18:40.21
He could see his way
through the landscape of earth,
00:18:40.24\00:18:42.56
landscape of life.
00:18:42.59\00:18:45.08
And God takes
that away from him,
00:18:45.11\00:18:47.24
sends him to his knees.
00:18:47.27\00:18:51.01
Saw no one, had to be led.
00:18:51.04\00:18:53.94
How hard, how
humiliating must that have been?
00:18:53.97\00:18:57.49
He's the leader. These
guys are following him to go
00:18:57.52\00:18:59.61
capture Christians in Damascus
00:18:59.64\00:19:01.77
and now he needs to be
led, like a little child.
00:19:01.80\00:19:06.55
Back to Damascus.
00:19:06.58\00:19:12.21
Now we have an interesting,
00:19:12.24\00:19:13.61
interesting
development in our story,
00:19:13.64\00:19:15.42
beginning in verse 10.
00:19:15.45\00:19:16.82
"Now there was
a certain disciple
00:19:21.12\00:19:22.56
at Damascus named Ananias.
00:19:22.59\00:19:25.14
And to him the Lord
said in a vision, 'Ananias.'
00:19:25.17\00:19:28.33
And he said, 'Here am I.'"
00:19:28.36\00:19:30.82
That's the way I picture it.
00:19:30.85\00:19:32.39
You'll allow me
that? You'll allow me that?
00:19:32.42\00:19:35.00
I think if God spoke to
me, I'd feel like a mouse,
00:19:35.03\00:19:38.69
maybe even smaller than a mouse.
00:19:38.72\00:19:42.52
The Lord is speaking
to Ananias and he says,
00:19:42.55\00:19:45.29
"Here am I, Lord."
"And the Lord said to him,
00:19:45.32\00:19:48.76
'Arise and go to the
street called Straight.
00:19:48.79\00:19:51.71
And enquire at
the house of Judas
00:19:51.74\00:19:53.54
for one called Saul of Tarsus,
00:19:53.57\00:19:55.75
for behold, he is praying.
00:19:55.78\00:19:58.23
And in a vision he had
seen a man named Ananias
00:19:58.26\00:20:00.74
coming in and
putting his hands on him
00:20:00.77\00:20:02.52
so that he might
receive his sight.'"
00:20:02.55\00:20:05.27
Lord here is giving
directions to somebody.
00:20:05.30\00:20:08.37
My sermon, this
morning, today is entitled
00:20:08.40\00:20:14.19
"Write Yourself
in." "Write Yourself In."
00:20:14.22\00:20:20.19
Sermon title is
"Write Yourself In."
00:20:20.22\00:20:25.16
Ananias here, he's getting
the command from God, "Go.
00:20:25.19\00:20:31.31
Go, I have got
something for you to do."
00:20:31.34\00:20:33.57
Ananias here doesn't realize it
00:20:33.60\00:20:35.73
but he's about to write himself
in to somebody's testimony.
00:20:35.76\00:20:41.53
We'll pick up on
that again later.
00:20:41.56\00:20:42.93
Let's finish the
story. Then Ananias answered,
00:20:42.96\00:20:45.06
"Lord, I have heard
from many about this man."
00:20:45.09\00:20:47.37
You see, I told you, his
reputation went ahead of him.
00:20:47.40\00:20:50.06
These Christians
knew. Ananias knew.
00:20:50.09\00:20:52.59
Everybody knew who Saul was.
00:20:52.62\00:20:55.35
Ananias protests,
"Lord, I have heard of this man
00:20:55.38\00:20:59.36
and I know what he does, Lord.
00:20:59.39\00:21:00.97
Do you have your
head on straight?"
00:21:01.00\00:21:03.54
Basically,
Ananias here would say,
00:21:03.57\00:21:05.25
"Listen, Lord, I
think you just very well
00:21:05.28\00:21:08.01
may be an absentee landlord.
00:21:08.04\00:21:09.51
You haven't been
watching the developments
00:21:09.54\00:21:11.56
in first century Palestine.
00:21:11.59\00:21:13.12
Do you not realize
who you're sending me to?"
00:21:13.15\00:21:16.90
God had full knowledge
who He was sending him to.
00:21:16.93\00:21:22.23
Ananias protests,
"How much harm he has done
00:21:22.26\00:21:26.84
to your saints in Jerusalem?
00:21:26.87\00:21:29.56
And here he has
authority from the chief priests
00:21:29.59\00:21:31.97
to bind all who
call on your name."
00:21:32.00\00:21:35.82
Ananias here doesn't want to.
00:21:35.85\00:21:37.53
Doesn't recognize the
opportunity he's been given.
00:21:37.56\00:21:40.35
But the Lord said to
him, "Go, for he has become
00:21:44.03\00:21:48.16
a chosen vessel of mine to bear
00:21:48.19\00:21:50.11
my name before Gentiles,
00:21:50.14\00:21:52.03
kings and the
children of Israel.
00:21:52.06\00:21:53.92
For I will show
him how many things
00:21:53.95\00:21:55.81
he must suffer
for my name's sake."
00:21:55.84\00:21:59.11
And then Ananias went his
way and entered the house,
00:21:59.14\00:22:02.31
laying his hands
on him and he said,
00:22:02.34\00:22:06.34
'Brother Saul, the Lord
Jesus who appeared to you
00:22:06.37\00:22:09.60
on the road has
come, He has sent me
00:22:09.63\00:22:11.46
that you may receive your sight
00:22:11.49\00:22:12.86
and be filled
with the Holy Spirit.'
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.14
And immediately
there fell from his eyes
00:22:15.17\00:22:17.13
something like scales and
he received his sight at once
00:22:17.16\00:22:20.52
and he arose and was baptized,
00:22:20.55\00:22:22.55
so when he had received
food he was strengthened
00:22:22.58\00:22:25.34
and Saul spent some days
with the disciples at Damascus."
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.69
We're going to
return to this story
00:22:28.72\00:22:31.16
towards the close of our sermon,
00:22:31.19\00:22:32.98
but just picture this.
00:22:33.01\00:22:35.53
Saul, this is the
person that's gonna turn
00:22:35.56\00:22:38.57
the world upside down.
00:22:38.60\00:22:40.65
At this point, Peter's
doing a pretty good job
00:22:40.68\00:22:42.85
leading the flock.
00:22:42.88\00:22:44.30
Things are coming
together fairly well.
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.38
There's maybe
5,000-10,000 Christians
00:22:46.41\00:22:49.64
in the Middle
Eastern world there.
00:22:49.67\00:22:52.24
Right in and around
Jerusalem and a few areas,
00:22:52.27\00:22:54.70
they are beginning to
spread out the gospel,
00:22:54.73\00:22:56.64
has just now
started to go to people
00:22:56.67\00:22:59.04
other than the
Jews, just beginning.
00:22:59.07\00:23:02.66
And Ananias, of
course, if he had foresight,
00:23:02.69\00:23:05.43
if he could have
looked into the future
00:23:05.46\00:23:07.18
and seen who Saul
was going to become,
00:23:07.21\00:23:10.07
the Paul of the New Testament,
00:23:10.10\00:23:11.93
the person that
changed the world,
00:23:11.96\00:23:13.79
Ananias would have run.
00:23:13.82\00:23:15.19
He would have loved to
have been part of this story.
00:23:15.22\00:23:16.82
But at this time he
thinks, what good is there?
00:23:16.85\00:23:20.37
My life's in danger, God.
00:23:20.40\00:23:23.00
And yet, when the Lord calls,
he went to write himself in.
00:23:23.03\00:23:28.32
To write himself
in, write yourself in.
00:23:28.35\00:23:31.18
Finishing up here then,
the story, verses 21, 22,
00:23:35.02\00:23:40.94
let's see, what
happens here with Saul.
00:23:40.97\00:23:45.85
"Immediately, he
preached the Christ
00:23:45.88\00:23:50.48
in the synagogues
that He is the Son of God.
00:23:50.51\00:23:53.56
Then all who heard
were amazed and said,
00:23:53.59\00:23:55.77
'Is this not the
one who destroyed
00:23:55.80\00:23:57.63
those who called on
this name in Jerusalem
00:23:57.66\00:24:00.28
and has come
here for that purpose
00:24:00.31\00:24:01.80
so that he might bring them
bound to the chief priests?'
00:24:01.83\00:24:04.88
But Saul increased
all the more in strength
00:24:04.91\00:24:07.78
and confounded the
Jews who dwelt in Damascus
00:24:07.81\00:24:10.95
proving that this
Jesus is the Christ."
00:24:10.98\00:24:15.06
This is a unique experience.
Find many things here.
00:24:18.95\00:24:24.41
But I've heard many people say,
00:24:24.44\00:24:25.81
"Oh, I don't know how
to share my testimony,"
00:24:25.84\00:24:27.21
or "I've heard some testimonies
that they didn't know
00:24:27.24\00:24:29.24
how to share their testimonies."
00:24:29.27\00:24:30.64
And so today, we're
going to take a lesson
00:24:30.67\00:24:33.44
then from the historian Luke.
00:24:33.47\00:24:35.95
This great story that
has been preached many times,
00:24:35.98\00:24:39.42
many sermons,
many lives changed.
00:24:39.45\00:24:42.00
And today, you're going
to learn from this story,
00:24:42.03\00:24:44.73
just what you can
do to share your story,
00:24:44.76\00:24:48.58
to make an impact.
00:24:48.61\00:24:50.41
The way that this
story throughout the ages,
00:24:50.44\00:24:53.44
throughout the
entire Christian era.
00:24:53.47\00:24:55.12
This story has served
to illuminate to people,
00:24:55.15\00:24:59.04
the grand power God
has in transforming lives,
00:24:59.07\00:25:03.18
one of my favorite sentences.
00:25:03.21\00:25:06.17
My favorite
definitions, favorite wording,
00:25:06.20\00:25:10.26
of who and what God does and is,
00:25:10.29\00:25:12.74
is that God is a God of
transformation and recreation.
00:25:12.77\00:25:17.74
This story of Saul is an
absolute about face turn.
00:25:17.77\00:25:22.72
He couldn't have
been more recreated.
00:25:22.75\00:25:24.59
He couldn't have
been more transformed.
00:25:24.62\00:25:28.00
I couldn't think of very
many more different areas
00:25:28.03\00:25:30.75
that Saul could have got.
00:25:30.78\00:25:32.15
I mean, this is
absolutely powerful.
00:25:32.18\00:25:37.03
But we find that
this is a testimony.
00:25:37.06\00:25:40.35
This is the story of
Saul's encounter with Christ.
00:25:40.38\00:25:46.91
Now don't ever
think to yourselves,
00:25:46.94\00:25:49.37
that your story
needs to be like Saul's
00:25:49.40\00:25:52.65
or like that cancer
victim or the drug addict
00:25:52.68\00:25:56.92
or the person
that was an atheist
00:25:56.95\00:26:00.50
and was a PhD student
and turned and found God.
00:26:00.53\00:26:04.03
Don't think that
that's what your testimony
00:26:04.06\00:26:05.90
has to be in
order to be effective.
00:26:05.93\00:26:07.86
No, far more people are
in the everyday situations.
00:26:07.89\00:26:14.82
Family members,
mothers, fathers, children,
00:26:14.85\00:26:18.70
they find themselves weaved
00:26:18.73\00:26:20.27
into the
everyday fabric of life.
00:26:20.30\00:26:23.64
Most people don't live in
these extreme circumstances.
00:26:23.67\00:26:29.56
The average person is not a CEO,
00:26:29.59\00:26:32.43
a professor at a
prestigious university,
00:26:32.46\00:26:33.99
or you name it.
00:26:34.02\00:26:35.39
I have picked on
those, but there's other ones,
00:26:35.42\00:26:37.57
but most people are
not in that situation.
00:26:37.60\00:26:40.36
Most people are like
you and I, everyday people.
00:26:40.39\00:26:43.85
And everyday testimonies count.
00:26:43.88\00:26:48.99
So you need to have a
testimony ready to go.
00:26:49.02\00:26:52.46
You need to know your
story and know the parts
00:26:52.49\00:26:55.30
that you are going
to share and be ready
00:26:55.33\00:26:58.09
when that opportunity comes,
00:26:58.12\00:26:59.54
'cause it's an
effective witness.
00:26:59.57\00:27:02.17
Saul perhaps
converted more people
00:27:02.20\00:27:05.32
than any other person
ever known to mankind.
00:27:05.35\00:27:08.20
Saved maybe, well, yeah, Saul.
00:27:08.23\00:27:11.89
And this guy, when
push came to shove,
00:27:11.92\00:27:15.41
turned to his testimony,
so each and every one of us
00:27:15.44\00:27:18.12
needs to have that
testimony, ready to go,
00:27:18.15\00:27:19.97
to turn to that testimony.
00:27:20.00\00:27:23.32
So carefully
prepare a testimony,
00:27:23.35\00:27:26.09
will be one that will serve.
00:27:26.12\00:27:28.40
As I said, it will
serve as your most,
00:27:28.43\00:27:30.43
your sharpest, your best arrow
in your quiver ready to go,
00:27:30.46\00:27:33.13
whenever you need it.
00:27:33.16\00:27:35.20
So what can we learn
then, from this account?
00:27:35.23\00:27:40.47
It breaks down very simply,
00:27:40.50\00:27:42.17
very simply
into three categories
00:27:42.20\00:27:44.19
that every good
testimony has to have.
00:27:44.22\00:27:46.64
Each and every one of
us when we share this,
00:27:46.67\00:27:50.73
this what Christ
has done in our lives,
00:27:50.76\00:27:53.00
this encounter with
Christ, need to have at least
00:27:53.03\00:27:55.56
these three things present.
00:27:55.59\00:27:58.13
The before, the
how and the after.
00:27:58.16\00:28:04.44
Now those are
simple to remember,
00:28:04.47\00:28:07.91
they're not
always the best words,
00:28:07.94\00:28:09.86
I struggled a little
bit with the word after,
00:28:09.89\00:28:12.57
but let's put them in sentences.
00:28:12.60\00:28:14.48
Before you received
Christ, how you received Christ,
00:28:14.51\00:28:19.71
and your life after
you received Christ, okay?
00:28:19.74\00:28:22.78
Those are the three
things that need to be there.
00:28:22.81\00:28:25.28
Now let's look at
these a little bit closer.
00:28:25.31\00:28:29.49
Paul, when push came to shove,
00:28:29.52\00:28:32.01
and this is perhaps
the number one mistake
00:28:32.04\00:28:35.58
I see and sense when people
00:28:35.61\00:28:37.84
get up to give
their testimonies.
00:28:37.87\00:28:39.31
And please
recognize that the only time
00:28:39.34\00:28:41.76
to give your testimony,
is not when you've been asked
00:28:41.79\00:28:43.59
by your pastor or you've
been asked by the evangelist
00:28:43.62\00:28:46.44
or you've been asked
by your school to get up
00:28:46.47\00:28:48.34
and give a 20 minute or a
half an hour version of it.
00:28:48.37\00:28:52.21
You know, far more of the time,
00:28:52.24\00:28:54.01
you're going to
have 3 minutes or less.
00:28:54.04\00:28:56.75
3 minutes or less.
00:28:56.78\00:28:58.18
Listen, we don't have all
day long with these people.
00:28:58.21\00:29:01.29
A subway ride is not that long.
00:29:01.32\00:29:04.62
A line up in a grocery
store is not that long.
00:29:04.65\00:29:08.00
And so most of the time,
00:29:08.03\00:29:09.42
when we get this opportunity
to share our testimony,
00:29:09.45\00:29:11.29
we've got 3 minutes
or less to share it.
00:29:11.32\00:29:15.43
And so the number one thing
00:29:15.46\00:29:16.83
that I find is the
mistake people think,
00:29:16.86\00:29:18.23
they need to start
when they were born.
00:29:18.26\00:29:21.04
"I was born to Harold and Jane
00:29:21.07\00:29:24.67
in 1961 in
Little Rock, Arkansas.
00:29:24.70\00:29:29.46
And my parents were--"
00:29:29.49\00:29:30.87
You know, or
whatever the case may be.
00:29:30.90\00:29:32.29
"I was born in Toronto,
Canada. It's this and this--"
00:29:32.32\00:29:35.19
And they start
right at the beginning.
00:29:35.22\00:29:36.95
They may even share a little
bit about their parents, before.
00:29:36.98\00:29:40.25
And they give
you this biography,
00:29:40.28\00:29:42.26
that's the key right there.
00:29:42.29\00:29:44.02
It's your
testimony not your biography.
00:29:44.05\00:29:47.62
People want to know about that,
00:29:47.65\00:29:49.02
there will be
opportunity sometimes
00:29:49.05\00:29:50.42
when you'll get
that half an hour,
00:29:50.45\00:29:51.82
40 minute
opportunity and you can share
00:29:51.85\00:29:53.72
a little bit deeper or maybe
you'll develop a relationship
00:29:53.75\00:29:56.84
with somebody and you'll
have a little bit more time
00:29:56.87\00:29:58.58
to share some of
those intricacies.
00:29:58.61\00:30:00.11
You know, those things that
are really meaningful to you,
00:30:00.14\00:30:02.63
but you don't have
the time to share them
00:30:02.66\00:30:04.03
every time you
give your testimony.
00:30:04.06\00:30:06.61
So in this before section then,
00:30:06.64\00:30:09.92
there are few things,
three things in particular,
00:30:09.95\00:30:12.26
you want to have,
in this before section.
00:30:12.29\00:30:15.37
First off, you want to
start fairly close in time,
00:30:15.40\00:30:19.74
that is in chronology,
to when you met Christ
00:30:19.77\00:30:22.08
or when this Christ
event in your life--
00:30:22.11\00:30:24.35
when Jesus became a reality
or started to become a reality.
00:30:24.38\00:30:27.55
You want to start
fairly close to that event
00:30:27.58\00:30:30.22
and just give an introduction.
00:30:30.25\00:30:32.09
And we find that here
in Acts. What does it say?
00:30:32.12\00:30:34.47
Saul was
persecuted, that's the before.
00:30:34.50\00:30:37.78
Saul was a man on his way,
00:30:37.81\00:30:39.18
and we knew who he was
and he was a persecutor.
00:30:39.21\00:30:41.67
So that's what you want to talk
about in your before section.
00:30:41.70\00:30:45.01
You want to mention things like,
00:30:45.04\00:30:46.88
what was most
important to you before Christ?
00:30:46.91\00:30:50.63
Was it your
career, your fast car,
00:30:50.66\00:30:54.52
all the money in
your bank account,
00:30:54.55\00:30:56.66
your wife, your family,
00:30:56.69\00:30:59.55
having all the
most toys and best toys?
00:30:59.58\00:31:02.49
What was it that was
most important to you in life?
00:31:02.52\00:31:05.19
You want to focus in on that,
just before your conversion.
00:31:05.22\00:31:08.16
What were you trying to
fill that void with, okay?
00:31:08.19\00:31:12.41
Then you want to
answer the question,
00:31:12.44\00:31:13.81
why were they so important?
00:31:13.84\00:31:15.34
Get to the root of the matter.
00:31:15.37\00:31:17.94
Not just money, but why money?
00:31:17.97\00:31:22.00
Why women? Why sex,
drugs, and rock and roll?
00:31:22.03\00:31:24.22
Why all of that stuff?
00:31:24.25\00:31:25.62
Why was that what your
life consisted of before Christ?
00:31:25.65\00:31:28.71
Get to the root.
00:31:28.74\00:31:30.11
So what it consisted
of, why it consisted of--
00:31:30.14\00:31:32.08
And let me say something here.
00:31:32.11\00:31:33.86
Nobody needs to really
know the depths of your drug use
00:31:33.89\00:31:37.98
and what that happened
or your sexual exploitations
00:31:38.01\00:31:41.25
or your criminal
record or how you did that?
00:31:41.28\00:31:44.45
It's enough to
say something like
00:31:44.48\00:31:46.46
I was involved
in a life of drugs.
00:31:46.49\00:31:49.12
Listen, popular society
tells us enough about murder,
00:31:49.15\00:31:52.68
they tell us
enough about drug use,
00:31:52.71\00:31:54.41
enough about
sexual exploitation.
00:31:54.44\00:31:56.08
Everybody's got their own mind.
00:31:56.11\00:31:57.48
Let them make their own decision
00:31:57.51\00:31:58.88
as to what that exactly meant.
00:31:58.91\00:32:00.53
Don't glorify your sinful life.
00:32:00.56\00:32:03.35
It's very important
not to take the opportunity
00:32:03.38\00:32:06.26
and to really
glorify this and say,
00:32:06.29\00:32:07.90
"Oh, I was this and I was that"
00:32:07.93\00:32:09.80
and really kind
of make it seem like
00:32:09.83\00:32:11.20
it was fantastic
thing that you used drugs
00:32:11.23\00:32:13.78
and had sex with anybody or,
00:32:13.81\00:32:15.58
you know,
whatever the case may be.
00:32:15.61\00:32:16.98
And again, maybe that
wasn't your situation.
00:32:17.01\00:32:20.23
Whatever your situation was,
00:32:20.26\00:32:21.64
you don't want to
glorify that situation.
00:32:21.67\00:32:23.44
Oh, I was a comfortable person.
00:32:23.47\00:32:25.00
Actually, quite
at peace watching
00:32:25.03\00:32:26.40
my TV every
night and making salad.
00:32:26.43\00:32:28.60
That was a good thing.
00:32:28.63\00:32:30.19
You just want to tell
them where you were at,
00:32:30.22\00:32:31.65
what you were
filling your life with
00:32:31.68\00:32:34.17
and how that
satisfied your need, okay?
00:32:34.20\00:32:37.17
Those are the
things that need to be
00:32:37.20\00:32:38.57
present in the before picture.
00:32:38.60\00:32:42.61
For me, in my life,
00:32:42.64\00:32:46.03
my before consisted of guitar,
00:32:46.06\00:32:51.07
I played a lot of
guitar and rock and roll music.
00:32:51.10\00:32:53.57
I even had fanciful
dreams of going to Spain
00:32:53.60\00:32:57.18
and learning flamenco music.
00:32:57.21\00:32:59.44
I thought perhaps, I could,
00:32:59.47\00:33:00.95
I could be this
great flamenco guitarist
00:33:00.98\00:33:03.05
and I filled my life
playing the classical guitar
00:33:03.08\00:33:06.22
and playing guitar and thinking
00:33:06.25\00:33:07.89
I was going to go
out and do this thing.
00:33:07.92\00:33:13.19
You're before
picture is vast and varied.
00:33:13.22\00:33:15.80
As many different
people as there are,
00:33:15.83\00:33:18.07
is there's many different
before pictures as there are.
00:33:18.10\00:33:21.53
Some are similar.
00:33:21.56\00:33:23.20
And that person sitting
in that audience that day,
00:33:23.23\00:33:25.19
when you're
sharing your testimony
00:33:25.22\00:33:26.59
or that person on the subway
00:33:26.62\00:33:27.99
may find something
in that before picture
00:33:28.02\00:33:29.82
that resonates with them.
00:33:29.85\00:33:32.10
And then you've got
them hooked. Wait a minute.
00:33:32.13\00:33:33.61
They'll think, "That was me."
00:33:33.64\00:33:36.03
Well, it may not be a
guitar, it maybe something else.
00:33:36.06\00:33:38.09
But they say, "Yeah,
that's what I am doing.
00:33:38.12\00:33:39.71
I am trying to
fill my life with that."
00:33:39.74\00:33:42.47
It'll resonate with them.
00:33:42.50\00:33:44.00
So that before picture is
important. Don't get me wrong.
00:33:44.03\00:33:46.43
I told you not to glorify it,
00:33:46.46\00:33:47.83
but you can't
leave it out either.
00:33:47.86\00:33:49.69
That's what connects you
00:33:49.72\00:33:51.09
with everybody
else, the before picture.
00:33:51.12\00:33:53.23
'Cause then they can see,
"Ah, wow, that's where I'm at."
00:33:53.26\00:33:58.71
No direction in life, nothing
solid, nothing transcended,
00:33:58.74\00:34:02.55
you can talk about that
emptiness that you felt.
00:34:02.58\00:34:04.85
And that person will, they'll
relate to that emptiness.
00:34:04.88\00:34:08.03
So start near your
experience with Christ,
00:34:15.29\00:34:19.62
maybe 6 months, a year.
00:34:19.65\00:34:21.86
You know that
one distinctive event
00:34:21.89\00:34:24.03
that kind of just sort
of, got the ball rolling.
00:34:24.06\00:34:27.40
You know, that event that
sort of opened you up to the--
00:34:27.43\00:34:29.92
even the possibility of Christ.
00:34:29.95\00:34:33.81
You may have been so
close off you thought,
00:34:33.84\00:34:35.34
"No way, I can't do this.
00:34:35.37\00:34:37.13
No, it's not going to happen."
00:34:37.16\00:34:41.48
Start there, that one thing.
00:34:41.51\00:34:43.74
It maybe was a
sentence you read.
00:34:43.77\00:34:45.14
Maybe it was a commercial on TV.
00:34:45.17\00:34:47.27
Maybe it was a Billboard ad.
00:34:47.30\00:34:50.76
Whatever it was, a conversation,
00:34:50.79\00:34:53.25
start there and it will
probably, be fairly close.
00:34:53.28\00:34:57.32
And if it wasn't,
skip over everything
00:34:57.35\00:34:59.12
in between
until you re-picked up
00:34:59.15\00:35:01.00
your journey with Christ.
00:35:01.03\00:35:05.43
So you want to make sure
you get that before part in.
00:35:05.46\00:35:07.86
But that moves very
easily then into the "how".
00:35:07.89\00:35:12.92
How did this all come about?
00:35:12.95\00:35:14.32
Now this is the
climax of your testimony.
00:35:14.35\00:35:17.14
This is what people
really want to know.
00:35:17.17\00:35:19.60
Most of the world, at
least the North American world--
00:35:19.63\00:35:22.32
now if you are
watching from outside the world,
00:35:22.35\00:35:24.00
there are
probably a lot of people
00:35:24.03\00:35:26.29
that haven't
heard the name of Jesus,
00:35:26.32\00:35:27.69
but most of the North
American world at least knows,
00:35:27.72\00:35:29.90
when you say Jesus Christ,
00:35:29.93\00:35:31.30
that you're talking
about the Christian God.
00:35:31.33\00:35:35.36
So what you want
to share with them is,
00:35:35.39\00:35:36.97
is how did that come to be.
00:35:37.00\00:35:39.83
What's the most
important part about this,
00:35:39.86\00:35:41.92
this "how" encounter?
00:35:41.95\00:35:43.59
That's what people
really want to know.
00:35:43.62\00:35:45.36
They know about them but
they need to know the "how",
00:35:45.39\00:35:47.43
the tangible stuff.
00:35:47.46\00:35:48.83
The stuff they can
wrap themselves around.
00:35:48.86\00:35:52.36
So how?
00:35:52.39\00:35:53.76
You want to talk
about things like
00:35:53.79\00:35:55.16
when did you first
hear the message of Christ
00:35:55.19\00:35:56.56
and what was your reaction.
00:35:56.59\00:35:57.96
Were you standoffish?
00:35:57.99\00:35:59.36
Were you too proud to recognize
that somebody could die for you?
00:35:59.39\00:36:04.67
Or were you melted instantly?
00:36:04.70\00:36:07.66
Did you realize that
00:36:07.69\00:36:09.18
the infinite God
of this universe,
00:36:09.21\00:36:11.28
garbed Himself in human flesh,
00:36:11.31\00:36:13.21
squished
Himself down into a man,
00:36:13.24\00:36:14.79
only to die on a cross so
that you could live again.
00:36:14.82\00:36:17.96
Maybe it was that
impact for right off the bat.
00:36:17.99\00:36:21.79
You need to share that,
00:36:21.82\00:36:23.38
that moment when Christ entered,
00:36:23.41\00:36:26.71
that's the key in the 'how'.
00:36:26.74\00:36:28.30
The moment when
Christ entered, what was it?
00:36:28.33\00:36:31.84
Now you maybe
sitting to yourself right now
00:36:31.87\00:36:33.42
and saying to
yourself, "Hang on a second,
00:36:33.45\00:36:35.39
I was born into
a Christian family,
00:36:35.42\00:36:38.06
raised in Christian schools.
00:36:38.09\00:36:40.35
I don't know the 'how' event,
it just sort of happened."
00:36:40.38\00:36:44.90
Listen, that's
almost more important
00:36:44.93\00:36:47.89
than you could never imagine.
00:36:47.92\00:36:49.29
I know at least,
personally, individually,
00:36:52.10\00:36:59.45
I would venture to say
several dozen kids my age,
00:36:59.48\00:37:04.21
who are no longer Christians,
00:37:04.24\00:37:06.40
who went through
the exact same thing,
00:37:06.43\00:37:10.09
just sort of race throughout.
00:37:10.12\00:37:11.85
They never ever had
that coalesce together.
00:37:11.88\00:37:15.16
They never had it come
together and now they're gone.
00:37:15.19\00:37:18.36
They are living a life
completely outside of Jesus.
00:37:18.39\00:37:21.35
They need to know
how did it come about
00:37:21.38\00:37:23.66
that you came together.
00:37:23.69\00:37:25.68
Why? Why did you come together?
00:37:25.71\00:37:27.69
What was it about
Christ that finally clicked?
00:37:27.72\00:37:30.61
And you need to think back.
00:37:30.64\00:37:32.38
And it may have been a process
00:37:32.41\00:37:33.86
and here's where
there is a bit of grey area.
00:37:33.89\00:37:36.73
I will admit when you're
one of those that came through
00:37:36.76\00:37:39.87
and there's not
really that much,
00:37:39.90\00:37:41.27
but you need to
describe the process,
00:37:41.30\00:37:42.67
the best you can as
succinctly as you can.
00:37:42.70\00:37:45.85
That testimony is
just as important.
00:37:45.88\00:37:47.47
Now it may not be as
important to the outside world,
00:37:47.50\00:37:51.10
but it's very
important in the church.
00:37:51.13\00:37:52.87
Share that with your teenagers.
00:37:52.90\00:37:54.27
Ask your pastor, "Can I
have a Sabbath school class?"
00:37:54.30\00:37:57.10
Or ask the
Sabbath school teacher,
00:37:57.13\00:37:58.50
"Can I come in and
share my testimony?"
00:37:58.53\00:37:59.90
If you are one of those.
00:37:59.93\00:38:01.30
Teach it to the
early-teen class,
00:38:01.33\00:38:02.70
teach it to the youth class.
00:38:02.73\00:38:04.10
Show them why it is you stayed
00:38:04.13\00:38:05.50
and never did
your prodigal son trip,
00:38:05.53\00:38:08.13
prodigal daughter trip.
00:38:08.16\00:38:10.10
It's important.
00:38:10.13\00:38:12.62
Why did you make the
decision to trust Christ
00:38:12.65\00:38:15.16
and how did you
specifically do that?
00:38:15.19\00:38:17.51
Those are some
important points to remember.
00:38:17.54\00:38:23.44
Very, very
important in the 'how' section
00:38:23.47\00:38:26.36
is to share with the individual,
00:38:26.39\00:38:29.07
that this was an
act of your will.
00:38:29.10\00:38:33.61
Nobody forced you into it.
00:38:33.64\00:38:35.05
Nobody coaxed you into it.
00:38:35.08\00:38:36.76
Nobody bent your arm into it.
00:38:36.79\00:38:38.84
And if they did
it, probably you know,
00:38:38.87\00:38:41.33
eventually has to
become an act of your will.
00:38:41.36\00:38:45.47
Emphasize the fact that
your will was melted to God's.
00:38:45.50\00:38:48.44
You recognize that
He wants you to choose.
00:38:48.47\00:38:52.08
That this was
free will of volition.
00:38:52.11\00:38:55.51
A volitional act, you
wanted to make this decision.
00:38:55.54\00:39:00.98
And emphasize then
in this next section,
00:39:01.01\00:39:03.66
the final section
of your testimony,
00:39:03.69\00:39:05.76
the 'after' you
received Christ section.
00:39:05.79\00:39:09.17
Let's read Saul's
event, one more time,
00:39:09.20\00:39:12.32
the after section of
his-- verses 20, 21 and 22.
00:39:12.35\00:39:15.79
"Immediately he preached
the Christ in the synagogues
00:39:15.82\00:39:19.63
that He is the Son of God,
00:39:19.66\00:39:21.85
then all who heard
were amazed and said,
00:39:21.88\00:39:23.67
'Is this not he who destroyed
00:39:23.70\00:39:25.17
those who called on
his name in Jerusalem
00:39:25.20\00:39:27.28
and he has come
here for that purpose
00:39:27.31\00:39:28.68
so that he might bring
them bound to the chief priest?'
00:39:28.71\00:39:31.31
But Saul increased
all the more in strength
00:39:31.34\00:39:33.71
and confounded the
Jews who dwelt in Damascus
00:39:33.74\00:39:35.77
proving that this
Jesus is the Christ."
00:39:35.80\00:39:41.38
In the 'after' portion
then of your testimony,
00:39:41.41\00:39:45.78
this is where
you want to glory--
00:39:45.81\00:39:47.18
you want to bask in the
knowledge of the salvation
00:39:47.21\00:39:50.75
you've received in Christ.
00:39:50.78\00:39:52.25
You want to talk
about that sentence,
00:39:52.28\00:39:54.24
"God is a God of
transformation and recreation."
00:39:54.27\00:39:57.88
You want to talk
about that newness of life.
00:39:57.91\00:40:02.80
You are a new creature.
00:40:02.83\00:40:04.66
How did God impact you?
00:40:04.69\00:40:06.98
Talk about the
glories of life in Christ.
00:40:07.01\00:40:11.36
How did Christ satisfy that
need that you were filling once
00:40:11.39\00:40:15.69
with something else and
now you filled with Christ?
00:40:15.72\00:40:18.84
How does He
satisfy that specifically?
00:40:18.87\00:40:23.26
What changes have
occurred in your life?
00:40:23.29\00:40:25.57
Maybe you were so bad
that you cussed like a pirate.
00:40:25.60\00:40:31.40
And now, if a cuss
word leave your lips
00:40:31.43\00:40:35.02
in this transformation
process, you think--
00:40:35.05\00:40:38.60
and Lord has changed you.
00:40:38.63\00:40:43.05
Talk about those things.
00:40:43.08\00:40:45.08
How now you no longer fantasize
00:40:45.11\00:40:47.20
about every woman
that walks by you,
00:40:47.23\00:40:48.60
but Christ has
purified your mind.
00:40:48.63\00:40:52.41
People need to know
that Christ has the power
00:40:52.44\00:40:54.59
to transform and to change.
00:40:54.62\00:40:56.67
This 'after' portion is perhaps,
the number one convincer.
00:40:56.70\00:41:01.50
It's the thing that's going to
reach into their heart and say,
00:41:01.53\00:41:03.44
"I want some of that."
00:41:03.47\00:41:06.65
Talk to them about
00:41:06.68\00:41:08.05
how maybe you weren't
able to sleep at night.
00:41:08.08\00:41:10.10
You worried about the bills
00:41:10.13\00:41:11.52
and how everything was
going to be taken care of you.
00:41:11.55\00:41:13.37
You worried about your
rambunctious, rebellious son.
00:41:13.40\00:41:16.15
You worried about your--
00:41:16.18\00:41:18.51
how you were going
to make it through life,
00:41:18.54\00:41:20.39
how was things
going to come to--
00:41:20.42\00:41:21.79
and you had an ulcer
00:41:21.82\00:41:23.19
and you were ill and you
were stressed out to the hilt.
00:41:23.22\00:41:25.76
You just didn't know
how to manage your life.
00:41:25.79\00:41:28.44
And now that you've met
Christ, you have that peace.
00:41:28.47\00:41:32.33
I hope you do.
00:41:32.36\00:41:35.25
You've got that peace
that passeth understanding,
00:41:35.28\00:41:40.17
that peace that
only Christ could give
00:41:40.20\00:41:42.52
that only God could give.
00:41:42.55\00:41:45.53
Listen, stress is the
number one cause of disease
00:41:45.56\00:41:48.87
in our world today.
00:41:48.90\00:41:50.91
People are suffering from this.
00:41:50.94\00:41:52.89
So many ailments
are connected to stress.
00:41:52.92\00:41:55.39
Jesus is the number
one stress reliever.
00:41:55.42\00:41:57.43
Don't squish those
balls, those different,
00:41:57.46\00:42:00.47
you know, those things
00:42:00.50\00:42:02.03
that sit in your
hand, they are really soft
00:42:02.06\00:42:03.43
and relieve
stress, relieve stress.
00:42:03.46\00:42:05.77
Take a hold of Christ.
00:42:05.80\00:42:07.75
Show them how taking a
hold of Christ has brought
00:42:07.78\00:42:10.37
a relief of
stress from your life.
00:42:10.40\00:42:13.38
Finally, in that section,
00:42:16.55\00:42:18.20
talk about how you know
that Christ is in your life
00:42:18.23\00:42:23.05
and that your life now
has meaning beyond the grave.
00:42:23.08\00:42:27.67
Your life now has something
for which to look forward to.
00:42:27.70\00:42:32.26
In this world,
death is so final.
00:42:32.29\00:42:35.32
Death is such a final thing.
00:42:35.35\00:42:37.48
People are so
deathly afraid of death
00:42:37.51\00:42:42.03
because it feels
like there's nothing left.
00:42:42.06\00:42:46.27
And they are right.
00:42:46.30\00:42:47.67
Without Jesus,
there is nothing left.
00:42:47.70\00:42:50.43
But you have a hope now.
00:42:50.46\00:42:51.83
Share that hope.
00:42:51.86\00:42:53.86
Share the hope
you have in Christ.
00:42:53.89\00:42:58.53
So be practical then.
00:42:58.56\00:43:00.32
Really
important thing to do is--
00:43:03.07\00:43:04.53
it often happens that we
get to share our testimony
00:43:04.56\00:43:07.08
soon after we've come to Christ.
00:43:07.11\00:43:08.56
Maybe you just recently,
last year, last few months,
00:43:08.59\00:43:13.82
last couple of
years have come to Christ
00:43:13.85\00:43:15.99
and you've shared
your testimony many times
00:43:16.02\00:43:18.27
and you've really
made an about-face turn
00:43:18.30\00:43:20.16
and you've really started to--
00:43:20.19\00:43:21.96
sometimes if
there's a lot of people
00:43:21.99\00:43:24.37
that you are sharing this with
00:43:24.40\00:43:25.77
and they haven't
come anywhere near that,
00:43:25.80\00:43:28.20
we can come off
as being perfect.
00:43:28.23\00:43:31.31
Now you and I know,
you're not perfect yet.
00:43:31.34\00:43:33.74
I know I am not perfect yet.
00:43:33.77\00:43:35.14
Yet, we come across as perfect.
00:43:35.17\00:43:36.63
That can be a turn off.
00:43:36.66\00:43:38.03
Be sure in this 'after' section
00:43:38.06\00:43:40.44
to talk about how Christ
is still working in your life,
00:43:40.47\00:43:44.22
is still making
changes in your life.
00:43:44.25\00:43:46.38
This is important, very
important, very important.
00:43:46.41\00:43:51.04
I want to get to the
heart of the matter here though.
00:43:58.22\00:44:01.34
I want to pick up the
story of Ananias one more time.
00:44:01.37\00:44:04.26
Sermon titled today
was "Write Yourself In."
00:44:07.01\00:44:13.98
Now I want to make
something really clear here,
00:44:14.01\00:44:16.21
right at the outset,
00:44:16.24\00:44:17.61
before I really
elaborate on this point.
00:44:17.64\00:44:19.84
And I want to make it this.
00:44:19.87\00:44:21.45
I want to make this
point in particular.
00:44:21.48\00:44:24.11
This is not-- this idea
that I am about to present
00:44:24.14\00:44:28.52
is not in any way
some sort of a competition
00:44:28.55\00:44:31.85
to see who is
the best soul winner
00:44:31.88\00:44:34.87
or a competition some
sort of an event to see,
00:44:34.90\00:44:37.65
"Oh, I can, I can write myself
00:44:37.68\00:44:40.21
in more times
than anybody else."
00:44:40.24\00:44:41.61
No, no, that's
not the point of this.
00:44:41.64\00:44:43.35
That's not what I'm
trying to motivate here.
00:44:43.38\00:44:45.50
But what I do want to motivate,
00:44:47.58\00:44:49.58
what I do want to be clear here
00:44:49.61\00:44:52.22
is that we can
be like an Ananias.
00:44:52.25\00:44:57.09
And in sharing the
gospel and partaking in a story,
00:44:57.12\00:45:01.16
we can write
ourselves into a testimony.
00:45:01.19\00:45:06.32
I want to be in heaven one day
00:45:06.35\00:45:07.72
or a congregation one day
and not because of the pride.
00:45:07.75\00:45:11.72
I don't want it to fill my head.
00:45:11.75\00:45:15.06
But because of
what it accomplished,
00:45:15.09\00:45:17.80
I would love to be a
part of somebody's testimony.
00:45:17.83\00:45:24.38
So that such an
integral part of the story
00:45:24.41\00:45:27.40
that I couldn't
have been left out.
00:45:27.43\00:45:30.59
Just like Ananias here,
00:45:30.62\00:45:32.19
such an integral
part of the story
00:45:32.22\00:45:33.96
of Saul's conversion
couldn't be left out.
00:45:33.99\00:45:36.44
The historian Luke said,
00:45:36.47\00:45:37.90
I cannot leave
this Ananias part out,
00:45:37.93\00:45:40.22
it's just-- it was a vital,
00:45:40.25\00:45:41.82
it played a large role in
the conversion of this man.
00:45:41.85\00:45:48.61
So we need to
write ourselves in.
00:45:50.36\00:45:52.22
We need to be
looking for opportunities
00:45:52.25\00:45:54.33
to write ourselves
into people's testimonies.
00:45:54.36\00:45:57.55
We need to look for an
opportunity to be Ananias.
00:45:57.58\00:46:02.03
Look for that opportunity
where we can play a pivotal role
00:46:02.06\00:46:07.57
because God has allowed it.
00:46:07.60\00:46:09.46
Remember, it's not because
you're so great at soul winning
00:46:09.49\00:46:12.93
or you're so fantastic at being
00:46:12.96\00:46:14.65
at the right
place, at the right time.
00:46:14.68\00:46:16.05
Listen, none of us are.
00:46:16.08\00:46:17.45
But sometimes you will be.
00:46:17.48\00:46:19.22
And sometimes
you're at the right place,
00:46:19.25\00:46:20.62
at the right time, but you
don't take advantage of it.
00:46:20.65\00:46:22.73
God's put you there,
00:46:22.76\00:46:24.37
but you fail to
write yourself in.
00:46:24.40\00:46:26.60
You like Ananias
said, "Wait a minute, Lord.
00:46:26.63\00:46:30.96
Do you know who this person is?
00:46:30.99\00:46:34.70
Do you know
what they are about?"
00:46:34.73\00:46:37.08
Writing yourself in,
means being available to God.
00:46:41.33\00:46:46.80
When the situation
comes writing yourself in,
00:46:46.83\00:46:50.44
may even be
sharing your testimony.
00:46:50.47\00:46:52.93
Writing yourself in
then, should be a goal of ours.
00:46:57.52\00:47:03.24
To find a situation,
to find an opportunity
00:47:04.99\00:47:08.77
where that soul
is looking heavenward
00:47:08.80\00:47:10.60
and God has
said, "Messenger, go.
00:47:10.63\00:47:12.95
Please, messenger, go
00:47:12.98\00:47:14.35
and write yourself into
this person's testimony.
00:47:14.38\00:47:19.79
Write yourself in.
00:47:19.82\00:47:21.19
I've asked you,
you're my messenger,
00:47:21.22\00:47:23.43
you're my ambassador,
00:47:23.46\00:47:25.21
I am pleading through
you to them. Please go."
00:47:25.24\00:47:31.31
So that we can be
like Ananias then.
00:47:33.61\00:47:37.40
And have been written into,
00:47:37.43\00:47:38.80
perhaps, the most
famous testimony of all time.
00:47:38.83\00:47:43.15
The number one conversion story,
00:47:43.18\00:47:45.42
three times
recorded in the scripture.
00:47:45.45\00:47:47.25
Perhaps, even a fourth one,
00:47:47.28\00:47:48.96
Paul alludes to it
in his other letters.
00:47:48.99\00:47:53.16
Written into,
00:47:53.19\00:47:54.56
one of the greatest
stories of all time.
00:47:54.59\00:47:56.25
And how do you know
Ananias didn't know?
00:47:56.28\00:47:59.69
He didn't have the foresight
00:47:59.72\00:48:01.09
to see that Paul was going
to become a preaching, teaching,
00:48:01.12\00:48:04.34
writing leader
of the one movement
00:48:04.37\00:48:07.91
that has turned
this world upside down.
00:48:07.94\00:48:11.54
Think what Paul has
left behind in his wake,
00:48:11.57\00:48:14.57
of course, he
was preaching Christ.
00:48:14.60\00:48:16.07
Christ it's
really Christ's wake,
00:48:16.10\00:48:17.85
but Paul was kind of on
top of that wave writing it.
00:48:17.88\00:48:22.02
And Paul changed the world.
00:48:22.05\00:48:23.72
Had Ananias known this,
00:48:23.75\00:48:25.43
he wouldn't have
hesitated to write himself in.
00:48:25.46\00:48:27.52
No way would he have hesitated.
00:48:27.55\00:48:30.60
But you and I, we
think, how could I ever--
00:48:30.63\00:48:33.99
have you ever
heard a great evangelist
00:48:34.02\00:48:35.86
or a great speaker
give their testimony?
00:48:35.89\00:48:38.30
And you hear about that person
00:48:38.33\00:48:40.12
who wrote
themselves into that testimony.
00:48:40.15\00:48:44.76
And you think yourself,
wow, he didn't even do much.
00:48:44.79\00:48:49.34
They just went
where the Lord led.
00:48:49.37\00:48:51.79
I mean, what did Ananias do?
00:48:51.82\00:48:53.53
All he had to do was go into
the guy's house, pray with him.
00:48:53.56\00:48:56.88
And the guy's
written into the story
00:48:56.91\00:48:58.53
and played a pivotal role.
00:48:58.56\00:49:00.36
Sometimes, we think we
need a bend over backwards.
00:49:00.39\00:49:03.07
We need to single handedly that
will convert the person. No.
00:49:03.10\00:49:06.51
We need to be at the
right place, at the right time.
00:49:06.54\00:49:08.08
We need to write ourselves in.
00:49:08.11\00:49:09.48
Don't be afraid of it.
00:49:09.51\00:49:11.01
We need to write ourselves in.
00:49:13.49\00:49:14.86
And then we can like Ananias,
look to the person and say,
00:49:14.89\00:49:21.49
this is perhaps,
00:49:23.65\00:49:25.02
one of the most powerful
verses in all of scripture.
00:49:25.05\00:49:29.34
And Ananias went his way.
00:49:29.37\00:49:30.87
This is after
he's prayed for him.
00:49:30.90\00:49:33.68
No, this is as
he is coming to him.
00:49:33.71\00:49:37.01
"He enters the house
and laying his hands on him,
00:49:37.04\00:49:40.60
he said, Brother Saul."
00:49:40.63\00:49:44.94
He went from enemy to friend,
00:49:47.33\00:49:51.75
in a moment, in a
twinkling of an eye.
00:49:51.78\00:49:57.26
Who can be so out there,
00:49:57.29\00:50:00.04
so far away,
such an enemy of God,
00:50:00.07\00:50:03.23
as Saul was?
00:50:03.26\00:50:06.05
But we need to take
this into consideration.
00:50:06.08\00:50:08.07
Some of us are doubtful.
00:50:08.10\00:50:09.47
We're skeptics at heart.
00:50:09.50\00:50:11.80
And we hear the testimony,
we see the transformed life
00:50:11.83\00:50:17.45
and we say, "Wow, let's
see where they are gonna be,
00:50:17.48\00:50:20.13
in a year from now.
00:50:20.16\00:50:22.07
Let's see where they gonna
be in a few months from now.
00:50:22.10\00:50:24.18
Let's see how their
life is going to look
00:50:24.21\00:50:26.29
three years from
now, five years from now,
00:50:26.32\00:50:27.78
are they still gonna be here?"
00:50:27.81\00:50:29.64
We are skeptics.
00:50:29.67\00:50:31.65
Somebody has just
given their life to God.
00:50:31.68\00:50:36.70
Their entire world has
been turned upside down,
00:50:36.73\00:50:41.06
scales may have come off
their eyes and we're skeptics.
00:50:41.09\00:50:46.33
God doesn't ask
us to be skeptics.
00:50:46.36\00:50:50.15
No, dear friends,
00:50:50.18\00:50:51.59
God does not ask
us to be skeptics.
00:50:51.62\00:50:55.36
Your testimony,
another person's testimony
00:50:55.39\00:50:58.61
is nothing that
we are to look at
00:50:58.64\00:51:01.09
and say impossible, no
way, I don't believe it.
00:51:01.12\00:51:05.11
They are lying.
It's not gonna last.
00:51:05.14\00:51:08.91
Come on, you know, it's true.
00:51:08.94\00:51:11.47
We've seen it far too often
to not believe, that it's true.
00:51:11.50\00:51:16.01
God doesn't ask us
to be skeptical, no.
00:51:16.04\00:51:18.66
Dear friends, God asks
us to write ourselves in
00:51:18.69\00:51:22.56
and then to
uphold that conversion.
00:51:22.59\00:51:25.84
Maybe the reason those
things happen so readily
00:51:25.87\00:51:28.96
is because we're
waiting for them to happen.
00:51:28.99\00:51:33.27
We were waiting to say,
00:51:33.30\00:51:34.67
"Impossible that he could leave
that kind of a life behind.
00:51:34.70\00:51:37.72
That he can leave
that much money behind
00:51:37.75\00:51:39.96
or that much power behind."
00:51:39.99\00:51:43.32
We are just
waiting for it to happen.
00:51:43.35\00:51:45.59
Self fulfilling prophecy.
00:51:45.62\00:51:48.88
No, we are to
follow Ananias here.
00:51:48.91\00:51:52.44
Write ourselves in.
00:51:52.47\00:51:53.84
And recognize that in a moment,
00:51:53.87\00:51:58.13
one can go from enemy of God,
00:51:58.16\00:52:00.94
estranged from God to
verse 17, "Brother Saul."
00:52:00.97\00:52:07.15
From enemy to brother,
to sister, in a moment.
00:52:07.18\00:52:14.54
Learn to share your testimony.
00:52:14.57\00:52:18.55
It's one of those things
when we've got three minutes,
00:52:18.58\00:52:21.41
we can't give them a
Bible study on John 3:16.
00:52:21.44\00:52:24.95
Besides it doesn't matter,
00:52:24.98\00:52:26.35
that's just words
in a book for them.
00:52:26.38\00:52:28.43
But what we can
do, what we can say
00:52:28.46\00:52:31.44
is that existential
reality of your life?
00:52:31.47\00:52:35.02
You chose Christ and
look at what happen to you.
00:52:35.05\00:52:39.34
Look at what
your life has become.
00:52:39.37\00:52:43.06
Your testimony is
your number one tool
00:52:43.09\00:52:46.13
in writing yourself in.
00:52:46.16\00:52:49.73
Share with them who you were,
00:52:49.76\00:52:53.01
how you came to
be where you're at
00:52:53.04\00:52:55.69
and what life
is been like since.
00:52:55.72\00:52:59.62
And the rest of us, when
these things are happening,
00:52:59.65\00:53:02.59
when these
testimonies are coming true,
00:53:02.62\00:53:04.55
when they're
coming in off the streets
00:53:04.58\00:53:06.20
and they will, the
church will be filled,
00:53:06.23\00:53:08.93
the scripture says so.
00:53:08.96\00:53:12.28
When they come in and these,
these lives are being changed,
00:53:12.31\00:53:15.05
help us, Lord, help
us not to be skeptical.
00:53:15.08\00:53:19.20
Help us as
Ananias to receive them
00:53:19.23\00:53:22.35
in open arms and say
"Brother Saul, sister so and so,
00:53:22.38\00:53:28.06
welcome to the family of God."
00:53:28.09\00:53:31.31
"The Lord Jesus who
appeared to you on the road,
00:53:33.57\00:53:36.33
as you came has sent me
that you may receive your sight
00:53:36.36\00:53:41.00
and be filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:53:41.03\00:53:44.48
And immediately
there fell from his eyes,
00:53:44.51\00:53:47.15
something like scales and
he received his sight at once
00:53:47.18\00:53:53.28
and he arose and was baptized."
00:53:53.31\00:53:57.99
Many of us look
to this situation,
00:53:58.02\00:54:02.34
maybe as Saul as
entered your church
00:54:04.71\00:54:08.51
and you're
tempted to believe that
00:54:08.54\00:54:10.28
he is a wolf in
sheep's clothing,
00:54:10.31\00:54:12.42
'cause you just say to
yourself that can't be Saul.
00:54:12.45\00:54:16.38
Write yourself
in, recognize them.
00:54:17.85\00:54:22.56
A lot of times we
wonder to ourselves,
00:54:22.59\00:54:24.81
why don't they stay?
00:54:24.84\00:54:27.30
Why don't they stay
00:54:27.33\00:54:28.70
if they've had this
great encounter with God?
00:54:28.73\00:54:31.02
If this is really
true, if it was real,
00:54:31.05\00:54:33.68
why doesn't the
rubber meet the road?
00:54:33.71\00:54:35.31
Why is that so many times that--
00:54:35.34\00:54:38.91
they are gone and we
don't see them and it's over?
00:54:38.94\00:54:44.01
Maybe it was your attitude.
00:54:44.04\00:54:45.81
Maybe it was because
it wasn't Brother Saul
00:54:45.84\00:54:48.34
but it was,
"Let's see what happens."
00:54:48.37\00:54:52.71
What if Ananias had done that?
00:54:54.72\00:54:57.63
What if Ananias
had looked and said,
00:54:57.66\00:55:00.72
"God, I'm sorry, I
think you've lost it.
00:55:00.75\00:55:05.32
I can't do this."
00:55:05.35\00:55:07.88
And he failed to
write himself in.
00:55:07.91\00:55:10.00
What if that messenger
of God hadn't gone that day
00:55:10.03\00:55:13.87
to the greatest
leader this church,
00:55:13.90\00:55:17.07
this Christian
church has ever known?
00:55:17.10\00:55:22.20
What if Ananias said, "Nah,"
00:55:22.23\00:55:25.28
and failed to have
written himself in?
00:55:25.31\00:55:28.49
What if he failed
to take the opportunity
00:55:28.52\00:55:31.13
only God could give him
00:55:31.16\00:55:34.14
and then reject
that opportunity,
00:55:34.17\00:55:36.15
reject that chance to share
00:55:36.18\00:55:39.35
and to be a part of a testimony?
00:55:39.38\00:55:41.64
We are talking
about testimonies today.
00:55:41.67\00:55:43.94
Your testimony is important,
00:55:43.97\00:55:45.80
there's an
individual in your life
00:55:45.83\00:55:48.00
who has written themselves in.
00:55:48.03\00:55:52.00
We need to take the opportunity
to write yourself in,
00:55:52.03\00:55:56.02
as a very real opportunity.
00:55:56.05\00:56:00.11
Share your
before, share your how,
00:56:00.14\00:56:03.30
share you after,
write yourself in.
00:56:03.33\00:56:07.41
I encourage you to do so.
00:56:07.44\00:56:09.80
It's the greatest
feeling we could ever have.
00:56:09.83\00:56:13.83
Let's pray.
00:56:13.86\00:56:16.30
Father God, today, you have
00:56:16.33\00:56:19.20
spoken through
your man servant Saul,
00:56:19.23\00:56:23.01
your man servant Ananias.
00:56:23.04\00:56:25.05
Their testimonies
ring true even today.
00:56:25.08\00:56:30.91
We look and we
think to ourselves
00:56:30.94\00:56:32.63
what can us 21st century,
third millennial Christians,
00:56:32.66\00:56:37.49
how could we be
affected, our post-modern mind,
00:56:37.52\00:56:41.03
how could we be
affected and yet we are.
00:56:41.06\00:56:45.99
Testimonies happen.
00:56:46.02\00:56:48.61
People meet you in
a very real way, God.
00:56:48.64\00:56:50.66
We want to be a part of that.
00:56:50.69\00:56:52.06
Help us to write ourselves in.
00:56:52.09\00:56:54.80
Help us to be those
servants, those kind of people.
00:56:54.83\00:56:58.49
We pray these
things in Jesus name. Amen.
00:56:58.52\00:57:03.50
The Lord has given you
your testimony to use it.
00:57:03.53\00:57:06.87
I encourage you.
00:57:06.90\00:57:08.49
Take the time to get together
00:57:08.52\00:57:10.79
and have this power
packed testimony ready to use.
00:57:10.82\00:57:14.65
The Lord has given it to you.
00:57:14.68\00:57:17.14