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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021537A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME AGAIN TO 00:36 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR 00:39 FRIENDS JOINING US ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND ACROSS THE 00:42 COUNTRY. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF 00:44 THIS INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE 00:48 GRANITE BAY CHURCH MEMBERS AND THOSE VISITING WITH US THIS 00:50 MORNING. GOOD TO SEE YOU IN CHURCH TODAY. 00:52 THANK YOU FOR COMING AND JOINING US AS WE STUDY TOGETHER. 00:56 NOW AS YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON OUR LESSON 00:58 QUARTERLY DEALING WITH BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES. 01:01 AND TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #11 ENTITLED PAUL: 01:05 BACKGROUND AND CALL . WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THIS STUDY 01:09 IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS, BUT BEFORE WE DO I'D LIKE TO LET YOU 01:12 KNOW ABOUT A FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE. 01:14 IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS AND WE'LL 01:18 BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 01:21 THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 01:27 866-STUDY-MORE AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #191. 01:32 AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 - ASK FOR OFFER 01:38 #191 - SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS AND WE'LL BE HAPPY 01:42 TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 01:45 WELL BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR STUDY THIS MORNING, AS USUAL, WE'D 01:48 LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME AND JOIN ME HERE ON 01:51 STAGE AND WE'RE GOING TO LIFT OUR VOICES IN PRAISE FOR ALL OF 01:55 THE GOOD THINGS THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US. 01:57 (MUSIC) 02:01 >>WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO BE ABLE TO SING TOGETHER 02:03 WEEK AFTER WEEK OUT OF OUR HYMNALS AND LEARN NEW SONGS AND 02:07 SHARE TOGETHER THE OLD. HYMN #335 IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO 02:12 START TODAY - WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR - IS JESUS MY LORD. 02:16 WE WILL SING THE FIRST, THE SECOND, AND THE LAST VERSES. 02:19 (MUSIC) >>CHRIST HAS FOR SIN 02:31 ATONEMENT MADE, WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! WE ARE REDEEMED! 02:41 THE PRICE IS PAID! WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! 02:48 WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS, MY JESUS! 02:57 WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS, MY LORD! 03:06 I PRAISE HIM FOR THE CLEANSING BLOOD, WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! 03:14 THAT RECONCILED MY SOUL TO GOD; WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! 03:26 WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS, MY JESUS! 03:34 WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS, MY LORD! 03:43 HE GIVES ME OVERCOMING POWER, WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! 03:52 AND TRIUMPH IN EACH TRYING HOUR; WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! 04:02 WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS, MY JESUS! 04:11 WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS, MY LORD! 04:22 >>AND NOW, IF YOU'LL TURN TO HYMN #340 - JESUS SAVES - AND I 04:27 KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT SING THIS HYMN WITHOUT SMILING, SO LIFT 04:30 YOUR VOICES IN PRAISE AND ADORATION TO OUR SAVIOR - HYMN 04:36 #340, VERSES ONE, TWO, AND FOUR. (MUSIC) 04:51 >>WE HAVE HEARD A JOYFUL SOUND, JESUS SAVES, JESUS 04:57 SAVES; SPREAD THE GLADNESS ALL AROUND, JESUS SAVES, JESUS 05:04 SAVES; BEAR THE NEWS TO EVERY LAND, CLIMB THE STEEPS AND CROSS 05:10 THE WAVES, ONWARD, 'TIS OUR LORD'S COMMAND, JESUS SAVES, 05:18 JESUS SAVES. WAFT IT ON THE ROLLING TIDE, 05:24 JESUS SAVES, JESUS SAVES; TELL TO SINNERS, FAR AND WIDE, JESUS 05:31 SAVES, JESUS SAVES; SING, YE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 05:38 ECHO BACK, YE OCEAN CAVES, EARTH SHALL KEEP HER JUBILEE, 05:45 JESUS SAVES, JESUS SAVES. GIVE THE WINDS A MIGHTY VOICE, 05:54 JESUS SAVES, JESUS SAVES; LET THE NATIONS NOW REJOICE, JESUS 06:01 SAVES, JESUS SAVES; SHOUT SALVATION FULL AND FREE, HIGHEST 06:08 HILLS AND DEEPEST CAVES, THIS OUR SONG OF VICTORY, 06:16 JESUS SAVES, JESUS SAVES. >>AT THIS TIME I TURN THE TIME 06:25 OVER TO PASTOR ROSS AND HE WILL LEAD US IN PRAYER. 06:35 >>LET US BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 06:37 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, ONCE AGAIN WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE 06:39 TO GATHER TOGETHER IN YOUR HOUSE ON THIS YOUR SPECIAL DAY, TO 06:42 TURN OUR ATTENTION TO YOUR WORD AND ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO 06:46 GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS AS WE SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. 06:49 FATHER, GUIDE US INTO A DEEPER AND FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR 06:52 MISSION AS MISSIONARIES SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THE WORLD, FOR 06:56 WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. OUR LESSON TODAY WILL BE 07:00 BROUGHT TO US BY OUR SENIOR PASTOR, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 07:06 >>THANK YOU PASTOR ROSS AND OUR SINGERS. 07:08 AND I WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE WORSHIPING AND 07:12 STUDYING WITH US TODAY HERE AT GRANITE BAY. 07:14 WE ARE GETTING INTO THE FIRST PART OF A LESSON DEALING WITH 07:19 PAUL AS A MISSIONARY. IT'S LESSON #11 BUT, YOU KNOW, 07:23 PAUL IS SUCH A BIGGER-THAN-LIFE CHARACTER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 07:26 THAT THEY NEEDED TO DEDICATE AT LEAST TWO LESSONS TO STUDY ABOUT 07:30 PAUL. AND SO WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE 07:32 AND THE LESSON IS CALLED PAUL: BACKGROUND AND CALL . 07:35 IT TELLS A LITTLE OF THE BACKGROUND OF PAUL AND 07:37 THE ORIGINAL CALL OF PAUL - THAT SORT OF RHYMES, DOESN'T IT? 07:41 AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR MEMORY VERSE WHICH IS ACTS 9, 07:45 VERSE 15 - ACTS 9:15 - IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR BIBLES THERE, I INVITE 07:50 YOU TO SAY THIS ALONG WITH ME. ACTUALLY WE'RE DOING VERSES 15 07:53 AND 16. ACTS 9 VERSES 15 AND 16. ARE YOU READY? 07:57 "BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'GO, FOR HE IS A CHOSEN VESSEL OF 08:03 MINE TO BEAR MY NAME BEFORE GENTILES, KINGS, AND THE 08:07 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. FOR I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MANY 08:11 THINGS HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME'S SAKE.'" THESE ARE THE 08:15 WORDS OF THE LORD SPEAKING TO ANANIAS WHEN HE WAS TOLD TO GO 08:19 AND TO BAPTIZE PAUL, WHO ACTUALLY WAS SAUL AT THAT POINT. 08:24 AND SO, IN OUR FIRST SECTION HERE, WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO A 08:27 LITTLE INTRODUCTION AND LEARN WHAT WE CAN ABOUT THIS VERY 08:31 INTERESTING PROMINENT CHARACTER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 08:35 WE KNOW HIM BETTER AS 'PAUL'. BEFORE OUR STUDY'S OVER TODAY, 08:40 HIS NAME CHANGES AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHEN THAT HAPPENED AND 08:42 WHY. FIRST HE'S KNOWN AS SAUL OF TARSUS. 08:48 TARSUS WAS A CITY IN SICILY THAT WAS PART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND 08:56 IT TELLS US THAT PAUL WAS THE SON OF A PHARISEE BUT HE WAS 09:01 BORN WITH ROMAN CITIZENSHIP, WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL AND IT 09:06 ENDED UP BEING A BLESSING. IT PROBABLY SAVED HIS LIFE AT 09:09 SOME TIME IN THE PAST. IT TELLS US HE'S FROM THE TRIBE 09:12 OF BENJAMIN. NOW, AFTER THE BABYLONIAN 09:15 CAPTIVITY, YOU REALLY ONLY FIND THREE PRINCIPLE TRIBES THAT 09:20 APPEAR FROM JUDEA, BENJAMIN, AND THE LEVITES. 09:25 THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME FROM SOME OF THE OTHER TRIBES, BUT 09:29 BACK DURING THE TIME OF HEZEKIAH, WHEN THE TEN TRIBES 09:31 WERE CARRIED OFF CAPTIVE, THEY PRETTY MUCH INTERMARRIED 09:35 AND DISPERSED AMONG THE ASSYRIANS. 09:36 NOW YOU GO TO SYRIA TODAY - THERE USED TO BE A LOT MORE, BUT 09:39 THEY'VE SORT OF BEEN DRIVEN OUT BY PERSECUTION - YOU MIGHT FIND 09:42 SOME REMNANTS OF THE ORIGINAL TEN TRIBES. 09:44 BUT BENJAMIN, ONE OF THE SMALLER TRIBES, IT CAME BACK FROM THE 09:48 BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY AND PAUL WAS FROM THAT TRIBE. 09:51 THE WORD 'PAUL' MEANS - OR THE WORD 'SAUL', RATHER, MEANS 09:58 'ASKED FOR' AND PAUL, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS DERIVED FROM A 10:03 LATIN WORD. IT MEANS 'LITTLE; DIMINUTIVE; 10:07 OR DWARFISH' AND WE DON'T KNOW IF PAUL ASSUMED THIS SECOND NAME 10:13 BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT HE WAS LITTLE IN THE EYES OF GOD BUT, 10:17 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE LEGENDS THAT IS REPEATED BY SOME OF THE 10:20 EARLY CHURCH FATHERS IS THAT PAUL WAS NOT OF GREAT STATURE, 10:23 UNLIKE SAUL OF - KING SAUL - WHO WAS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE 10:29 EVERYBODY ELSE. NOW THERE'S A COUPLE OF VERSES 10:31 THAT SORT OF - HE INTIMATES THAT. 10:34 LET ME JUST CHECK AND SEE - WHO HAS 2 CORINTHIANS 10:1? 10:38 ALRIGHT, YOU'LL READ THAT HERE IN JUST A MOMENT. 10:40 I'M GOING TO READ ACTS 23, VERSE 6, "BUT WHEN PAUL PERCEIVED THAT 10:46 ONE PART" - OF THIS GATHERING - THE SANHEDRIN - "WERE SADDUCEES 10:50 AND THE OTHER PHARISEES, HE CRIED OUT IN THE COUNCIL, 'MEN 10:54 AND BRETHREN, I AM A PHARISEE, THE SON OF A PHARISEE; 11:00 CONCERNING THE HOPE AND RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD I AM 11:03 BEING JUDGED!'" THAT WAS A VERY CLEVER THING 11:05 FOR HIM TO SAY AT THAT POINT BECAUSE IT HELPED PREVENT HIM 11:07 FROM BEING TOTALLY CONDEMNED DURING THAT COUNCIL. 11:13 THE PHARISEES STOOD UP FOR HIM. BUT WHAT DOES IT TELL US ABOUT 11:16 PAUL'S FATHER? HE WAS A PHARISEE. 11:18 SO HE'S A PHARISEE, HE'S THE SON OF A PHARISEE, HE GROWS UP AT 11:22 THE FEET OF GAMALIEL, WHO IS A VERY DEVOUT JEWISH LEADER. 11:27 HE APPEARS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS AT ONE POINT. BUT WHY DON'T YOU 11:31 GO AHEAD - READ FOR US 2 CORINTHIANS 10:1, HAFDIS? 11:34 >>"NOW I, PAUL, MYSELF AM PLEADING WITH YOU BY THE 11:40 MEEKNESS AND GENTLENESS OF CHRIST - WHO IN PRESENCE AM 11:44 LOWLY AMONG YOU, BUT BEING ABSENT AM BOLD TOWARD YOU." 11:48 >>PAUL WAS VERY STRONG IN HIS LETTERS. 11:50 GOOD THING HE DID A LOT OF WRITING, BUT HE SAID IN 11:53 PRESENCE HE WAS VERY MEEK AND LOWLY. 11:57 SOME HAVE WONDERED IF IT MEANT THAT HIS APPEARANCE WAS LOWLY. 11:59 IN 2 CORINTHIANS 10:10 HE SAYS, "'FOR HIS LETTERS,' THEY SAY, 12:05 'ARE WEIGHTY AND POWERFUL, BUT HIS BODILY PRESENCE IS WEAK, AND 12:09 HIS SPEECH CONTEMPTIBLE.'" SOME HAVE POSTULATED FROM THAT, THAT 12:13 IT MEANT THAT PAUL MAYBE HAD A VOICE THAT WAS SOFT OR THAT WAS 12:17 HIGH PITCHED OR SOMETHING BUT - AND HE MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE 12:20 BOOMING VOICE OF GEORGE WHITFIELD AND MAY HAVE BEEN 12:25 SMALL IN APPEARANCE BECAUSE, AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THE WORD 12:29 'PAUL' ITSELF MEANS. ALRIGHT, LET'S GET INTO PAUL ON MONDAY. 12:33 WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO COVER IN THIS LESSON SO I'M NOT GOING TO 12:35 WASTE ANY TIME. AND IN A MOMENT, SOMEONE WILL 12:39 READ ACTS 22:4 - YOU'LL HAVE THAT? OKAY. 12:42 IT TELLS US ABOUT PAUL THE MAN AND IT SAYS THAT JESUS TOLD US 12:48 IN JOHN 16:2, HE SAID, "THEY WILL PUT YOU OUT OF THE 12:52 SYNAGOGUES; YES, THE TIME IS COMING THAT WHOEVER KILLS YOU 12:55 WILL THINK THAT HE OFFERS GOD SERVICE." 12:58 DID THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN, WHERE THERE WOULD BE A DEATH SENTENCE 13:01 ON THE BELIEVERS? THAT SOME WOULD KILL YOU? 13:04 AND SOME WOULD KILL CHRISTIANS AND REALLY THINK THEY WERE DOING 13:08 THE RIGHT THING. >>PAUL THOUGHT. 13:10 >>AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. AND YOU CAN READ THAT THERE IN - 13:14 YOU LOOK IN THE EXAMPLES OF PAUL. 13:17 FOR INSTANCE, LOOK IN ACTS 9 - WE'RE GOING TO READ THIS VERSE 13:20 AGAIN LATER - ACTS 9:1 AND 2, "THEN SAUL, STILL BREATHING 13:24 THREATS AND MURDER AGAINST THE DISCIPLES OF THE LORD," - 13:28 WAS HE SINCERE? - "WENT TO THE HIGH PRIEST AND 13:31 ASKED LETTERS FROM HIM TO THE SYNAGOGUES OF DAMASCUS, SO THAT 13:34 IF HE FOUND ANY WHO WERE OF THE WAY, WHETHER MEN OR WOMEN, HE 13:36 MIGHT BRING THEM BOUND TO JERUSALEM." 13:38 NOW THERE ARE THREE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE FOUND OF PAUL'S 13:42 CONVERSION, AND IN ALL OF THOSE HE ADMITS THAT HE WAS GUILTY OF 13:49 MURDER. HE NEVER FORGOT THAT. IT WAS VERY HARD FOR HIM TO DEAL 13:53 WITH, BUT HE KNOWS THAT HE DID IT UNINTENTIONALLY. 13:57 GO AHEAD AND READ FOR US ACTS 22:4. 14:02 >>"I PERSECUTED THIS WAY TO THE DEATH, BINDING AND DELIVERING 14:06 INTO PRISONS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN." 14:09 >>SO WE KNOW ABOUT THE DEATH OF STEPHEN, THAT COMES UP LATER, 14:11 BUT WAS IT JUST STEPHEN? >>NO. 14:14 >>OR WAS HE DOING IT TO OTHERS? THERE'S NO EXACT NUMBER GIVEN 14:16 BUT IT SAYS THAT FOLLOWING THE PERSECUTION OF STEPHEN - 14:21 FOLLOWING THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN - A GREAT PERSECUTION 14:24 AROSE IN JERUSALEM SO BAD THAT THE DISCIPLES HAD TO LEAVE. 14:28 WHO DO YOU THINK WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT GREAT 14:30 PERSECUTION? WHO WAS GOING TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS? 14:34 MATTER OF FACT, EVEN IN DAMASCUS, WHEN GOD COMES TO 14:37 ANANIAS AND SAID, 'LOOK, I WANT YOU TO GO LAY HANDS ON PAUL AND 14:39 PRAY FOR HIM AND BAPTIZE HIM.' HE SAID, 'NOT PAUL, HE IS THE 14:42 RING LEADER OF THE PERSECUTORS. HE'S PART OF THE SS. 14:45 HE'S PART OF THE GESTAPO THAT IS KILLING THE CHRISTIANS.' I KNOW 14:50 THAT'S REALLY - JEWISH GESTAPO IS SORT OF A PARADOX, ISN'T IT? 14:54 BUT HE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS THE RINGLEADER OF THOSE WHO WERE 14:57 KILLING THE CHRISTIANS BACK AT THAT TIME AND SO HE WAS GUILTY 15:03 OF MURDER. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW 15:05 RADICALLY HE WAS TRANSFORMED. AND THEN HE GIVES HIS TESTIMONY 15:08 IN ACTS 26, VERSE 10. AND PAUL SAYS, "...AND WHEN THEY 15:12 WERE PUT TO DEATH, I CAST MY VOTE AGAINST THEM." 15:16 HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SOME OF THE SCENARIOS WHERE, IN THE 15:19 COLISEUM, THE GLADIATORS WERE FIGHTING AND IF ONE GOT THE 15:22 UPPER HAND AND HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE THE COUP DE GRAS AND KILLS 15:26 HIS VICTIM, HE'D LOOK UP TO THE STANDS. 15:28 AND IF THE EMPEROR WENT LIKE THAT, WHAT DID THAT MEAN? 15:32 LET HIM GO. NO, THAT MEANT LET HIM GO. 15:34 THAT MEANT - >>TO KILL HIM. 15:38 >>TO DO HIM IN. PAUL IS SAYING - WHEN THEY WERE 15:40 BEING TRIED PAUL WOULD SAY, 'KILL THEM.' 15:44 AND HE SAID, 'I GAVE CONSENT. I GAVE MY VOTE AGAINST THEM.' 15:49 YEAH, HE STRUGGLED WITH THIS. PHILIPPIANS 3, VERSES 6 AND 8. 15:56 PAUL GOES ON, HE SAYS, "CONCERNING ZEAL, PERSECUTING 16:00 THE CHURCH; CONCERNING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS IN THE 16:03 LAW, BLAMELESS...YET INDEED I ALSO COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS FOR 16:07 THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR 16:12 WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM AS 16:14 RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST." 16:17 SO WHAT MORE ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT PAUL THE MAN? 16:20 WHEN HE DID SOMETHING - YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAYS IN 16:24 ECCLESIASTES, 'WHATEVER YOUR HAND FINDS TO DO, DO IT WITH ALL 16:28 THY MIGHT, FOR THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OR WISDOM OR DEVICE IN 16:32 THE GRAVE WHERE YOU ARE GOING.' PAUL WAS THAT MAN. WHATEVER HE 16:34 DID, HE DID WITH ZEAL. HE WAS INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH. 16:39 NOW, WHILE PAUL WAS KILLING CHRISTIANS, DID HE MEAN TO DO 16:43 THE WRONG THING OR DID HE THINK HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING? 16:47 HE BELIEVED HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING. 16:50 YOU CAN READ IN GALATIANS - YEAH, IN GALATIANS - NO, NO, I'M 16:58 ACTUALLY GOING TO GO TO 1 TIMOTHY 1:13, "ALTHOUGH I WAS 17:01 FORMERLY A BLASPHEMER, A PERSECUTOR, AND AN INSOLENT 17:05 MAN; BUT I OBTAINED MERCY BECAUSE I DID IT IGNORANTLY IN 17:07 UNBELIEF." HE'S VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. 17:12 AGAIN, IN ACTS 3:17, "YET NOW, BRETHREN, I KNOW THAT YOU DID IT 17:16 IN IGNORANCE, AS DID ALSO YOUR RULERS." 17:19 PAUL SAID CONCERNING THOSE WHO CRUCIFIED JESUS. 17:22 ACTS 17:30, TRULY THESE TIMES OF IGNORANCE GOD OVERLOOKED, BUT 17:28 NOW COMMANDS ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT." 17:32 AND SO THE LORD IS UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE DO THINGS IN IGNORANCE. 17:36 AND PAUL WAS VERY SINCERE, BUT HE WAS WRONG. 17:38 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US 1 CORINTHIANS 15:9. 17:43 >>"FOR I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, WHO AM NOT WORTHY TO 17:47 BE CALLED AN APOSTLE, BECAUSE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD." 17:51 THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS WEIGHED ON HIM. 17:54 PAUL COULD NEVER FORGET - NOW WHEN WE GET TO THE CONVERSION OF 17:58 PAUL, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW THAT HE REALLY REPENTED OF WHAT HE DID. 18:03 I'LL SAY MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT HE COULD NEVER FORGET THE PICTURE 18:05 OF STEPHEN'S FACE ILLUMINATED, PRAYING, SAYING, 'I SEE JESUS AT 18:09 THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER' AND PRAYING FOR FORGIVENESS OF 18:13 THOSE THAT WERE KILLING THEM. REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID? 18:17 'FATHER, THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.' STEPHEN DIED SAYING, 'LAY 18:21 NOT THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE.' AND THAT MADE A DEEP IMPRESSION 18:27 ON SAUL, LATER KNOWN AS PAUL. 1 TIMOTHY 1:16, "HOWEVER, FOR 18:32 THIS REASON I OBTAINED MERCY, THAT IN ME FIRST JESUS CHRIST 18:36 MIGHT SHOW ALL LONGSUFFERING, AS A PATTERN TO THOSE WHO ARE GOING 18:39 TO BELIEVE ON HIM FOR EVERLASTING LIFE." 18:42 PAUL SAYS, 'I KNOW GOD IS MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF ME FOR OTHERS THAT 18:46 MAY BE CONVERTED, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW. 18:48 IN GALATIANS 1:13 AND 14, "FOR YOU HAVE HEARD OF MY FORMER 18:52 CONDUCT IN JUDAISM, HOW I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD 18:55 BEYOND MEASURE" - IT WAS UNMEASUREABLE AND TRIED 19:00 TO DESTROY IT. AND I ADVANCED IN JUDAISM BEYOND 19:04 MANY OF MY CONTEMPORARIES IN MY OWN NATION, BEING MORE 19:08 EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS FOR THE TRADITIONS OF MY FATHERS." 19:11 SO PAUL - IS IT CLEAR HE WAS A HARD-CORE, GUNG-HO PHARISEE - 19:18 VERY SINCERE - HE HATED THE CHRISTIANS, HE EXCEEDED ALL THE 19:22 OTHERS IN HIS COUNTRY? THAT'S WHY HE WAS PROMOTED BY 19:25 THE SANHEDRIN AND HE WAS GIVEN THE HONORED TASK OF LEADING THE 19:29 ASSAULT ON CHRISTIANS. AND SO THAT'S WHY IT MAKES THE 19:32 CONVERSION OF PAUL ALL THAT MORE DRAMATIC AND WE'RE GOING TO GET 19:36 INTO THAT TODAY. THE NEXT SECTION IS FROM SAUL TO 19:41 PAUL - THIS IS UNDER TUESDAY. I HEARD ABOUT A MAN THAT HE 19:44 OWNED A NEWSPAPER IN A BIG CITY. IT WAS VERY PROMINENT AND HE WAS 19:49 STARTING TO CONSIDER RETIREMENT AND HE HAD THREE SONS. 19:51 HE WASN'T SURE WHICH OF HIS SONS HE SHOULD MAKE LEAD EDITOR OF 19:54 HIS NEWSPAPER - THEY ALL WORKED FOR THE PAPER - AND HE GATHERED 19:59 HIS SONS TOGETHER AND HE SAID, 'TO BE A GOOD NEWSMAN, YOU HAVE 20:03 TO UNDERSTAND THAT HEADLINES ARE EVERYTHING. 20:06 PEOPLE BUY THE PAPER BECAUSE OF THE HEADLINES. 20:09 YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO HAVE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS GRIPPING 20:12 HEADLINES AND SAY IT IN THE FEWEST WORDS.' AND SO HE SAID TO 20:19 HIS THREE SONS, 'I WANT YOU TO DREAM UP THE BEST POSSIBLE 20:22 HEADLINE AND WHICHEVER ONE OF YOU COMES UP WITH THE BEST 20:24 HEADLINE, YOU GET TO BE THE CHIEF EDITOR OF THE PAPER.' SO 20:29 THE FIRST SON, HE CAME UP WITH THE HEADLINE, REAGAN BECOMES 20:35 COMMUNIST . AND THE SECOND ONE CAME UP WITH 20:41 THE HEADLINE BILL CLINTON JOINS MONASTERY - (LAUGHTER) - BUT THE 20:46 PAPER WENT TO THE THIRD SON AND HE JUST USED TWO WORDS AND HE 20:49 SAID POPE ELOPES - (LAUGHTER). NOW THEY ALL PICKED HEADLINES OF 20:57 THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT TO HAPPEN. 21:01 IF YOU LIVED BACK IN THE DAYS OF PAUL, THE LAST THING IN THE 21:05 WORLD ANYBODY WOULD HAVE EXPECTED IS THAT PAUL CONVERTS 21:10 TO CHRISTIANITY, BECAUSE HE WAS THE POSTER CHILD OF THE ENEMY OF 21:15 CHRISTIANITY. AND SO, THAT'S WHERE IT - WE TAKE UP OUR STORY. 21:21 MATTER OF FACT, GO AHEAD AND TURN IN YOUR BIBLES - WE'RE 21:23 GOING TO READ ACTS 9, VERSES 3 THROUGH 9. 21:26 WE ALREADY READ PAUL BREATHING MURDER AND THREATS AGAINST THE 21:31 DISCIPLES. YOU REALIZE THAT ACTS CHAPTER 8 21:34 SAYS IN THAT TIME A GREAT PERSECUTION AROSE. 21:36 PAUL WAS THE LEADER OF THAT PERSECUTION. 21:38 NOW YOU GET TO ACTS 9. WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WENT 21:41 ON BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN FOR SOME TIME. HE GOT LETTERS. 21:46 HE GOT, ACTUALLY, ARREST WARRANTS TO GO TO FOREIGN CITIES 21:50 - NOT EVEN JEWISH TERRITORY - TO ARREST CHRISTIANS. 21:52 "AS HE JOURNEYED HE CAME NEAR DAMASCUS, AND SUDDENLY A LIGHT 21:56 SHONE AROUND HIM FROM HEAVEN. 22:00 THEN HE FELL TO THE GROUND, AND HE HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO HIM, 22:05 'SAUL, SAUL," - NOW WHAT ARE SOME OTHER TIMES IN THE BIBLE 22:11 THAT BIBLE CHARACTERS HAVE HEARD THE NAME CALLED TWICE? 22:15 >>SAMUEL. >>SAMUEL, ABRAHAM, SAUL. 22:23 ONE TIME A LADY REMINDED ME THAT THERE ARE NO LADIES IN THE BIBLE 22:28 THAT ARE EVER CALLED TWICE BECAUSE THEY GET IT THE FIRST 22:31 TIME. (LAUGHTER) IT'S ALWAYS THE MAN THAT'S GOT 22:34 TO SAY THEIR NAME TWICE. NO, ACTUALLY, JESUS SAID, 22:36 'MARTHA, MARTHA,' SO THAT'S NOT TRUE. 22:38 OKAY, ANYWAY, SO HE SAYS, "'SAUL, SAUL, WHY ARE YOU 22:45 PERSECUTING ME?' AND HE SAID, 'WHO ARE YOU, 22:49 LORD?'" WELL, HE'S KIND OF SAYING WHO 22:51 HE IS, BUT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. 22:54 IT'S ALMOST LIKE MOSES SAID, 'WHAT IS YOUR NAME?' 22:58 WHEN JEHOVAH APPEARED TO HIM. AND HE SAID, "I AM JESUS." 23:03 NOW PAUL WAS SO THUNDERSTRUCK BY THAT STATEMENT, IT MUST HAVE 23:07 BEEN LIKE THE FACE OF THE BROTHERS OF JOSEPH WHEN JOSEPH 23:11 REVEALED HIMSELF TO THEM AND HE SAID, 'I AM JOSEPH.' AND I - YOU 23:18 KNOW, WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN, THAT'S A VIDEO I WANT TO SEE. 23:20 IF THE ANGELS CAN SHOW YOU, LIKE, A THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIDEO 23:22 OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE ON EARTH - I WANT TO SEE THAT ONE. 23:25 I WANT TO SEE THE FACES OF JOSEPH'S BROTHERS WHEN HE 23:27 FINALLY SAYS, 'I'M JOSEPH.' IT WOULD BE FUN TO SEE THE FACE OF 23:31 PAUL AT THIS POINT, WHEN JESUS SAYS, 'I AM JESUS, WHO YOU 23:37 PERSECUTE.' CAN YOU EVER - HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO ADMIT YOU'RE 23:42 WRONG BEFORE? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THAT WRONG, 23:44 THAT YOU SUDDENLY FIND OUT THAT YOU'RE KILLING - YOU THINK 23:50 YOU'RE SERVING GOD BUT YOU'RE KILLING HIM? 23:53 YOU'RE KILLING HIS SERVANTS AND 'INASMUCH AS YOU'VE DONE IT TO 23:56 THE LEAST OF THESE YOU'VE DONE IT TO ME.' AND SO HE MUST HAVE 24:02 HAD AN EXPRESSION OF TERRIBLE CONSTERNATION AND AGHAST. 24:08 HE SAID, 'I AM JESUS, WHO YOU' - AND YOU NOTICE - WHY DID GOD SAY 24:14 TO ABRAHAM, WHEN HE SAID, 'WHO ARE YOU?' 24:17 HE SAID, 'I AM THAT I AM.' WHAT DOES JESUS SAY TO SAUL? 24:20 'I AM - I AM THE SAME GOD THAT SPOKE TO MOSES.' "I AM JESUS, 24:27 WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING. IT IS HARD FOR YOU TO KICK 24:30 AGAINST THE GOADS." KING JAMES SAYS, 'KICK AGAINST 24:33 THE PRICKS.' THEY USED TO USE THIS, LIKE, PITCHFORK KIND OF 24:35 STICK, IT HAD ONE OR TWO POINTS ON IT TO PROD CATTLE ALONG. 24:39 WHEN THEY STARTED TO EAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND YOU'RE 24:42 TRYING TO GET THEM TO GO SOMEWHERE, YOU'D GOAD THEM. 24:44 OR IF THEY WERE PULLING A CART YOU'D POKE THEM. 24:46 THEY'VE GOT VERY TOUGH HIDE - A BULL OR OXEN - AND, YOU KNOW, 24:51 RUBBING - YOU CAN WHIP THEM AND THEY CAN'T HARDLY FEEL IT. 24:53 YOU CAN SMACK THEM AND IT'S NOT LIKE A HORSE. 24:55 BUT SO YOU HAVE TO GOAD THEM. 24:57 AND IT HURTS IF A PERSON RUNS INTO A GOAD. 25:00 AND IF YOU'RE KICKING AGAINST A GOAD, YOU JUST HURT YOURSELF. 25:04 THE MAN WHO IS DRIVING THE OXEN IS TRYING TO DIRECT IT AND WHEN 25:09 THE OXEN KICK AGAINST THE GOADS, THEY JUST BLOODY THEMSELVES. 25:12 AND SO GOD HAS BEEN TRYING TO GUIDE PAUL AND PAUL IS GOING 25:16 AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BEEN TELLING 25:20 HIM THAT GOD WAS WITH STEPHEN AND THE OTHERS. 25:23 SO JESUS IS SAYING, 'YOU'RE JUST HURTING YOURSELF.' "SO HE, 25:28 TREMBLING" - HE FINALLY SURRENDERS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT 25:32 AND THIS OBVIOUS POWER OF GOD, "HE, TREMBLING AND ASTONISHED," 25:36 - HE'S FALLEN TO THE GROUND AT THE SIGHT OF SEEING THE LORD. 25:39 NOW SOME WONDER IF HE ACTUALLY WAS ON A HORSE AND 25:41 WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND FROM THE HORSE, OR IF HE WAS WALKING 25:45 AND HE SAYS, "LORD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?" 25:50 NOW, WHEN WE ARE CONVERTED, THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE NEED 25:53 TO DO IS SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD AND SAY, 'WHAT IS YOUR 25:56 WILL? I AM WILLING TO DO YOUR WILL.' 25:58 "THEN THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'ARISE AND GO INTO THE CITY, AND 26:03 YOU WILL BE TOLD WHAT YOU MUST DO.'" YOU NOTICE HE DOESN'T TELL 26:06 HIM EVERYTHING HE'S GOING TO DO? HE TELLS HIM THE NEXT STEP. 26:10 AND GOD WILL NOT ALWAYS LAY OUT FOR YOU EVERYTHING HE WANTS YOU 26:13 TO DO, BUT HE TELLS THE NEXT STEP. 26:15 AND HE SAYS IT "WILL BE TOLD WHAT YOU MUST DO." 26:18 GOD COULD HAVE TOLD HIM. ANGELS COULD HAVE TOLD HIM. 26:21 BUT THE LORD IS GOING TO NOW USE PEOPLE. 26:23 GOD USES PEOPLE TO REACH PEOPLE. GOD USED THE CHURCH. 26:27 GOD WANTED PAUL - SAUL - TO RESPECT THAT THE CHURCH WAS THE 26:32 VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH HE WAS GOING TO BE PREACHING THE TRUTH. 26:36 AND HE SAID, 'LOOK, THIS CHURCH THAT YOU'VE BEEN PERSECUTING, 26:38 I'M GOING TO SEND SOMEONE FROM THE CHURCH. 26:40 THEY'RE GOING TO TEACH YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. 26:43 IT'S VERY INTERESTING. AND SO, PAUL, WHO THOUGHT HE HAD 26:47 GREAT LIGHT, HE REALIZES THAT HE WAS IN GREAT DARKNESS. 26:50 AND IT GOES ON TO SAY, "AND THE MEN WHO JOURNEYED" - I'M IN 26:55 VERSE 7 - "AND THE MEN WHO JOURNEYED WITH HIM STOOD 26:57 SPEECHLESS, HEARING A VOICE BUT SEEING NO ONE." 27:01 NOW THEY JUST - THEY SAW THE LIGHT - "THEN SAUL AROSE FROM 27:08 THE GROUND, AND WHEN HIS EYES WERE OPENED" - THE BLINDING 27:12 LIGHT - HE PROBABLY WAS COWERING AND CLOSING HIS EYES AND HIDING 27:15 HIS FACE, LIKE THE APOSTLES ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION - 27:18 OPENING HIS EYES "...HE SAW NO ONE. BUT THEY LED HIM BY 27:23 THE HAND AND BROUGHT HIM INTO DAMASCUS." THAT BLINDING LIGHT 27:25 THAT HE SAW PROBABLY DID SOME PERMANENT DAMAGE. 27:29 AND, AT FIRST, HE WAS BLINDED - COULDN'T SEE AT ALL. 27:33 AFTER THREE DAYS OF FASTING, REPENTING AND PRAYING, 27:37 ULTIMATELY ANANIAS COMES AND LAYS HANDS ON HIM AND PRAYS FOR 27:41 HIM AND SOMETHING LIKE SCALES FELL FROM HIS EYES. 27:44 IT'S ALMOST LIKE THERE WAS A BURNT LAYER THAT CAME OFF OF HIS 27:46 EYES AND HE COULD SEE BUT HE NEVER SAW PERFECTLY AGAIN. 27:49 AND I THINK THAT WAS THE THORN IN PAUL'S SIDE. HE WAS 27:53 HANDICAPPED FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE THROUGH THIS ENCOUNTER 27:57 WITH JESUS. ONE REASON WE THINK THAT PAUL 28:00 HAD EYESIGHT PROBLEMS IS BECAUSE WHEN HE WAS BEING TRIED, HE 28:05 DIDN'T KNOW THE HIGH PRIEST THAT WAS ONLY A FEW FEET AWAY SITTING 28:08 ON THE BENCH. HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE WHO IT WAS. 28:11 PAUL HAD OTHER PEOPLE WRITE LETTERS FOR HIM AND HE WOULD 28:15 SIGN THE LETTER. AND, ONCE OR TWICE, WHEN HE DID 28:17 WRITE A LETTER, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE A SECRETARY AT HAND, 28:20 HE SAID, 'LOOK AT WHAT LARGE CHARACTERS I'M USING TO WRITE 28:23 YOU.' YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, WHEN THEY CAN'T SEE, THEY'VE GOT 28:26 TO WRITE REAL BIG. ANYBODY EVER SEE THOSE PHONES 28:28 FOR OLD PEOPLE THAT CAN'T SEE? EACH LETTER IS LIKE THAT BIG. 28:30 AND SO - AND PAUL NEVER TRAVELED ALONE BECAUSE HE KIND OF NEEDED 28:36 SOMEONE TO HELP GUIDE HIM AROUND BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE 28:38 LENSCRAFTERS BACK THEN AND IF YOU HAD BAD EYESIGHT, YOU JUST 28:43 KIND OF HAD TO LIVE WITH IT OR YOU HAD SOMEBODY THAT WENT 28:45 AROUND WITH YOU AND KEPT YOU FROM WALKING OFF THE ROAD. 28:48 SO PAUL PRAYED THAT HE MIGHT BE PERMANENTLY HEALED. 28:51 THREE TIMES HE PRAYED ABOUT THIS THORN IN HIS SIDE AND GOD SAID, 28:54 'MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.' SO MANY BELIEVE THAT 28:58 THIS WAS THE THORN THAT PAUL STRUGGLED WITH - IS JUST BAD 29:02 EYESIGHT. AFTER JACOB WRESTLED WITH THE 29:05 ANGEL, JESUS, DID HE LIMP THE REST OF HIS LIFE? 29:08 >>YES. >>AND AFTER PAUL HAD HIS 29:10 ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS, HE NEVER FORGOT IT. 29:13 EVERY DAY HE LOOKED OUT ON A WORLD THAT REMINDED HIM THAT HE 29:16 THOUGHT HE HAD GREAT LIGHT BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY IN DARKNESS. 29:21 AND THAT'S OUR NEXT VERSE, I THINK. 29:22 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR US IN - DID WE DO THAT YET? 29:24 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6? NO. GO AHEAD. 29:27 >>FOR IT IS THE GOD WHO COMMANDED LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF 29:31 DARKNESS, WHO HAS SHONE IN OUR HEARTS TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE 29:33 KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST. 29:35 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO DO 29:39 THAT IN SOUTH AFRICAN FOR US. PAUL THOUGHT HE HAD GREAT LIGHT. 29:44 HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS LEADING THE BLIND. 29:47 WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT THAT? MATTHEW 15:14, "LET THEM ALONE. 29:52 THEY ARE BLIND LEADERS OF THE BLIND AND IF THE BLIND LEADS THE 29:55 BLIND, BOTH WILL FALL INTO A DITCH." 29:57 JESUS WENT ON TO SAY IN JOHN 9:41, "...IF YOU WERE BLIND, YOU 30:02 WOULD HAVE NO SIN; BUT NOW YOU SAY, 'WE SEE.' THEREFORE YOUR 30:05 SIN REMAINS." NOW PAUL WAS LEADING THESE OTHER 30:07 PEOPLE TO DAMASCUS TO ARREST JEWS. 30:10 HE THOUGHT HE WAS - HE HAD GREAT LIGHT - AND HE THOUGHT THAT THE 30:13 CHRISTIANS WERE IN DARKNESS. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HE RUNS INTO 30:16 JESUS? WHO'S LEADING WHO? SUDDENLY, HE CAN'T SEE. 30:19 AND WHO IS IT THAT HAS TO COME AND PRAY THAT HIS EYES ARE 30:23 OPENED? THE CHRISTIANS. 30:25 YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT WHEN SAUL BECOMES 30:31 PAUL, HE HAS A SHOWDOWN WITH A FALSE TEACHER - A SORCERER - AND 30:41 PAUL PRAYS THAT HE WOULD BE STRUCK WITH BLINDNESS - THE VERY 30:44 THING THAT HAPPENED TO HIM. HIS NAME WAS ELYMAS, THE 30:49 SORCERER. AND, MATTER OF FACT, I'M KIND OF 30:52 GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF BUT THAT MAY BE WHERE PAUL ACTUALLY GETS 30:55 HIS NAME CHANGED AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT. 31:00 SO - HAVE YOU EVER BEEN REALLY WRONG BEFORE AND THEN HAD TO 31:05 REALIZE AND ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG? 31:08 IT'S KIND OF EMBARRASSING, ISN'T IT? IS IT HUMBLING? 31:15 >>YEAH. >>I USED TO MAKE FUN OF PEOPLE 31:18 THAT BELIEVED IN CREATION. I THOUGHT THEY WERE SO IGNORANT. 31:21 I WAS ABSOLUTELY SINCERE. 31:23 I MEAN, AFTER ALL, I WENT TO SCHOOL AND SEVERAL OF MY 31:25 TEACHERS TAUGHT THIS AND SCIENTISTS BELIEVED IT AND I SAW 31:27 PROGRAMS ABOUT IT ON TV AND THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT 31:31 GOD JUST SPOKE THINGS INTO EXISTENCE - I JUST FELT SORRY 31:34 FOR THEM. I REALLY DID. I WAS ABSOLUTELY SINCERE. 31:36 I FELT THAT THEY WERE SO IGNORANT, I WONDERED HOW THEY 31:39 COULD BE SO BLINDED AND WHEN I BEGAN TO FINALLY EXAMINE THE 31:42 EVIDENCE - NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE BIBLE - THE BIBLE 31:45 HELPED - BUT WHEN I BEGAN TO LOOK AT THE 'SCIENTIFIC' 31:48 EVIDENCE, I FELT SO BAD THAT I HAD MISLED SO MANY PEOPLE AND 31:51 MADE FUN OF PEOPLE AND HUMILIATED PEOPLE AND CALLED 31:53 THEM IGNORANT. I REALIZED I WAS WRONG AND 31:56 THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER TIMES I'VE HAD TO REALIZE I'M WRONG. 32:00 PAUL HAD TO REALIZE AND ADMIT HE WAS VERY WRONG ABOUT THIS AND IT 32:05 WAS QUITE A STRUGGLE. IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT THOSE WHO 32:10 WERE LEADING HIM BROUGHT HIM, THEN, TO DAMASCUS. "SAUL AROSE 32:14 AND WHEN HIS EYES WERE OPENED HE SAW NO ONE; BUT THEY LED HIM 32:17 BY THE HAND AND BROUGHT HIM TO DAMASCUS. AND HE WAS THREE DAYS 32:22 WITHOUT SIGHT AND HE NEITHER ATE NOR DRANK." 32:27 NOW THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT FASTED THREE 32:29 DAYS, BUT A SEVERE FAST - WHAT THEY CALL A RADICAL FAST - IS A 32:34 FAST WHERE YOU NOT ONLY DON'T EAT BUT YOU DON'T DRINK. 32:37 YOU DON'T DRINK ANYTHING - NO WATER. 32:39 HAVE YOU EVER GONE 24 HOURS WITHOUT ANY LIQUID? 32:41 AND EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR SOME 32:44 BLOOD TEST OR MEDICAL PROCEDURE AND THEY SAY, 'DON'T DRINK 32:47 ANYTHING UNTIL YOU COME IN.' AND THAT'S SO HARD FOR ME - THE 32:54 FIRST THING I DO IS I HEAT UP WATER AND DRINK IN THE MORNING. 32:56 AND YOU START GETTING THIRSTY AFTER A DAY. 33:00 THEN YOUR SECOND DAY - HAVE YOU EVER GONE 24 HOURS WITHOUT 33:04 DRINKING ANYTHING? AND YOU GO INTO YOUR SECOND DAY? 33:07 THEY HAD A FAMILY - HUSBAND AND WIFE - THEY WERE TRAVELING 33:12 ACROSS THE WHITE SANDS DESERT THIS WEEK IN - NEAR ALAMAGORDO, 33:17 NEW MEXICO - A FRENCH FAMILY. THEY DIDN'T REALIZE HOW FAR IT 33:21 WAS AND THEY DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH WATER. 33:23 THEY WERE HIKING THE TRAIL - MINI HIKE, BUT IT WAS OVER 100 33:26 DEGREES THAT DAY. THEY GOT DISORIENTED, THEY GOT 33:28 SEPARATED, AND THE PARENTS, REALIZING THEY WERE RUNNING OUT 33:31 OF WATER, THEY GAVE THEIR WATER TO THEIR SON. 33:33 WHEN THEY FINALLY FOUND THEM, THE MOTHER AND FATHER HAD DIED 33:35 FROM A LACK OF THIRST - LACK OF WATER - ONE DAY. 33:39 HOW MANY OF YOU READ THAT STORY? IT HAPPENED THIS WEEK. 33:41 ONE DAY - UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS YOU CAN DIE FROM 33:45 EXPOSURE. THE BOY WAS TERRIBLY DEHYDRATED BUT HE SURVIVED. 33:49 AND THREE DAYS - NO WATER - IS A RADICAL FAST. 33:55 NOW THERE'S A FEW TIMES THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE BIBLE. 33:57 IT HAPPENS HERE WITH PAUL. YOU CAN READ IN THE BOOK OF 34:00 JONAH THAT WHEN JONAH PREACHED IN NINEVEH, THEIR REPENTANCE WAS 34:05 SO THOROUGH, THE KING ISSUED A PROCLAMATION: 'LET NEITHER MAN 34:10 NOR BEAST, HERD NOR FLOCK, TASTE ANYTHING. 34:14 DO NOT LET THEM EAT OR DRINK WATER.' IT DOESN'T SAY HOW LONG 34:18 IT WAS BUT THEY HAD A SEVERE FAST. 34:20 AND THEN WITH ESTHER WHEN THE WHOLE JEWISH NATION WAS FACING 34:23 ANNIHILATION, SHE SENT A MESSAGE TO MORDECAI AND SAID, 'GO TO THE 34:29 JEWS WHO ARE PRESENT IN SHUSHAN AND FAST FOR ME. 34:32 NEITHER EAT NOR DRINK FOR THREE DAYS.' NOW, THAT'S NOT A HEALTH 34:35 FAST, YOU REALIZE, THAT'S A LIFE OR DEATH FAST - WHEN YOU DON'T 34:39 EAT OR DRINK - AND SO PAUL, WHEN HE DOES NOT EAT OR DRINK FOR 34:44 THREE DAYS, HE WAS READY TO DIE. HE WAS SO MORTIFIED HE JUST - 34:48 HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN SOME REALLY BAD NEWS AND YOU JUST CAN'T EAT? 34:52 SOMETIMES YOU CAN BE IN SUCH A STATE OF DEPRESSION - THAT YOU 34:58 GET SUCH BAD NEWS YOU CAN'T EAT OR DRINK. YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO 35:00 TAKE CARE OF ANY OF YOUR BODY. AND THAT'S WHAT PAUL IS DOING. 35:07 HE IS - HE'S THINKING ABOUT THE BLOOD THAT'S ON HIS HANDS - OF 35:10 THESE INNOCENT GODLY PEOPLE THAT HE KILLED. 35:12 HE'S THINKING THAT HE HAS BEEN FIGHTING AGAINST THE JEHOVAH 35:15 THAT ISRAEL WAS RAISED UP TO SERVE AND PROCLAIM THAT HERE 35:19 THEY HAVE KILLED THEIR MESSIAH AND HE WAS - EVEN AFTER THAT HE 35:23 WENT ON - TOOK IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL - AND HE KILLED THE 35:26 MESSIAH'S FOLLOWERS. SO PAUL IS REALLY OVERCOME WITH 35:30 SEVERE REPENTANCE NOW. THE IMPRESSION OF WHAT HE SAW 35:38 WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS GUILTY OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS DEEPLY, 35:41 PERMANENTLY ON HIS MIND. NOW WHO QUALIFIES AS AN APOSTLE? 35:48 DO ANY PEOPLE TODAY SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES? 35:52 YES, NOT IN OUR CHURCH. WE TYPICALLY DON'T DO THAT. 35:56 BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU'LL HEAR ON THE RADIO THERE'S AN 36:00 APOSTLE THIS AND APOSTLE THAT. BUT YOU KNOW WHY WE DON'T SAY 36:04 THAT WE HAVE APOSTLES TODAY? EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THESE 36:07 ORDERS OF THE CHURCH - WE HAVE CHURCH LEADERS THAT MAY FILL 36:10 SIMILAR CAPACITIES - THE APOSTLES WERE THE ONES WHO 36:13 ACTUALLY, PERSONALLY SAW JESUS AND THAT HE SPOKE TO PERSONALLY. 36:19 AND THE LAST ONE THAT FIT IN THAT CATEGORY THAT WE KNOW OF. 36:23 NOW AFTER THE TIME OF SAUL THERE WERE PEOPLE LIKE APOLLOS WHO WAS 36:27 LATER REFERRED TO AS AN APOSTLE, BUT SAUL - OR PAUL - WAS THE 36:31 LAST ONE THAT JESUS CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE. 36:34 SOME HAVE WONDERED WHEN THE APOSTLES TOOK - WHEN THEY CALLED 36:39 MATTHIAS, MAYBE HE WASN'T THE RIGHT CHOICE. 36:42 AND AT THE TIME OF PAUL'S CONVERSION, SOME OF THE OTHER 36:48 APOSTLES MAY HAVE DIED. WE BELIEVE THE FIRST ONE WHO 36:50 DIED WAS JAMES SO THAT THE OTHER ELEVEN WERE STILL ALIVE AND HE 36:53 MAY HAVE BEEN JESUS' OFFICIAL REPLACEMENT FOR JUDAS. 36:57 I'VE HEARD THESE DIFFERENT ARGUMENTS, BUT THIS IS THE LAST 37:00 TIME CHRIST APPEARED. CAN YOU TELL ME - WELL, JESUS 37:02 APPEARS TO THE APOSTLE JOHN, BUT THEY HAD ALREADY MET BEFORE. 37:05 THAT WAS NOT A NEW APPEARANCE. THERE'S NO OTHER INDIVIDUAL THAT 37:10 IT'S RECORDED THAT CHRIST APPEARS TO INDIVIDUALLY LIKE 37:12 THIS AND SO THIS IS A VERY DRAMATIC EXPERIENCE. 37:16 SO LET'S JUST READ ON A LITTLE FURTHER WITH HIS CONVERSION, 37:19 BRING OUT A FEW MORE POINTS AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT HIS 37:22 MISSION WORD. AND IT SAYS - SO THEN HE COMES - 37:26 HE'S THREE DAYS WITHOUT SIGHT - HE DOESN'T EAT OR DRINK. 37:28 NOW LET'S GO TO ANOTHER PART OF DAMASCUS - VERSE 10 I'M IN ACTS 37:32 9, VERSE 10 - "NOW THERE WAS A CERTAIN DISCIPLE AT DAMASCUS 37:35 NAMED ANANIAS;" - NOW WHEN YOU READ IN ACTS CHAPTER 5, THERE'S 37:40 ANOTHER ANANIAS. IS HE A GOOD ONE OR A BAD ONE? 37:41 >>BAD. >>CHAPTER 5 - BAD ONE - CHAPTER 37:43 9 - GOOD ONE. IT WAS A COMMON NAME BACK IN THE BIBLE. 37:48 SO - JUST LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND, YOU KNOW, YOU FIND THE 37:53 NAME JESUS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE BIBLE. YOU'RE GOING TO FIND 37:56 THE NAME JUDAS - THERE'S A GOOD JUDAS AND A BAD JUDAS. 37:59 AND SO, IT WAS A COMMON NAME - DISCIPLE NAMED ANANIAS; "AND TO 38:04 HIM THE LORD SAID IN A VISION, 'ANANIAS.' AND HE SAID, 'HERE I 38:07 AM, LORD.' SO THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'ARISE AND GO TO THE STREET 38:11 CALLED STRAIGHT, AND INQUIRE AT THE HOUSE OF JUDAS FOR ONE 38:14 CALLED SAUL OF TARSUS, FOR BEHOLD, HE IS PRAYING.'" - DOES 38:19 GOD SEE US WHEN WE'RE PRAYING? - "AND IN A VISION HE HAS SEEN A 38:23 MAN NAMED ANANIAS" - GOD HAS ACTUALLY REVEALED TO PAUL THAT 38:28 SOMEONE NAMED ANANIAS IS GOING TO COME - "COMING IN AND PUTTING 38:31 HIS HAND ON HIM, SO THAT HE MIGHT RECEIVE HIS SIGHT." 38:34 DID THEY HEAL BY LAYING ON OF HANDS SOMETIMES? 38:36 "THEN ANANIAS ANSWERED," - HE KIND OF REMONSTRATES WITH THE 38:41 LORD - HE SAYS, "...I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY ABOUT THIS MAN, HOW 38:44 MUCH HARM HE HAS DONE TO YOUR SAINTS..." 38:46 - 'LORD, MAYBE YOU'RE NOT AWARE - LET ME FILL YOU IN. 38:49 YOU'RE GOING TO BE GLAD YOU ASKED ME ABOUT THIS, LORD. 38:52 THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU. 38:54 THIS IS THE GUY' - I MEAN, DOES GOD NOT KNOW ANYTHING? 38:57 SOMETIMES WE THINK WE'RE FILLING GOD IN. 38:58 HE SAYS, "LORD, I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY ABOUT THIS MAN, HOW 39:02 MUCH HARM HE HAS DONE TO YOUR SAINTS IN JERUSALEM." 39:05 - AND HE'S HERE - WORD'S ALREADY REACHED US - HE'S HERE BECAUSE 39:08 HE'S GOT: "AUTHORITY FROM THE CHIEF PRIEST TO BIND ALL WHO 39:11 CALL ON YOUR NAME.'" YOU DON'T WANT TO - YOU DON'T WANT US TO 39:14 GO AND HEAL HIM?' - "BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 39:17 'GO, FOR HE IS A CHOSEN VESSEL OF MINE..." 39:21 DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN GOD TAKES THE SHEET DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND 39:24 SAYS, 'PETER, ARISE AND EAT.' AND PETER SAYS, 'NO, LORD, NOT 39:25 SO.' SOMETIMES THEY WONDERED, 'IS IT A TEST?' 39:29 "GO, FOR HE IS A CHOSEN VESSEL OF MINE TO BEAR MY NAME BEFORE 39:37 GENTILES, KINGS, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL." 39:43 - SO NOT ONLY GENTILES BUT JEWS. NOW, WHEN IS PETER CALLED TO BE 39:49 AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES? (INAUDIBLE) CHAPTER 10 - NEXT 39:54 CHAPTER, RIGHT? WHEN HE GOES TO CORNELIUS. 39:56 HERE, IN CHAPTER 9, IT'S ALREADY BEING ANNOUNCED BY JESUS THAT HE 40:00 RECOGNIZES PAUL IS GOING TO HAVE A GREAT WORK AMONG THE GENTILES. 40:04 ALTHOUGH HE DOESN'T START THERE, THAT ENDS UP BECOMING HIS 40:06 PROMINENT MISSION - "FOR I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MANY THINGS HE MUST 40:10 SUFFER FOR MY NAME'S SAKE." DOES GOD SOMETIMES SHOW APOSTLES 40:14 AHEAD OF TIME THAT THEY WILL SUFFER? HAS HE SHOWN US? 40:19 DID JESUS SAY ALL THAT LIVE GODLY WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION? 40:23 DOES THAT INCLUDE ANYONE HERE? THAT DEPENDS. 40:28 DO YOU PLAN ON LIVING GODLY? ALL WHO LIVE GODLY WILL SUFFER 40:32 PERSECUTION. JESUS SAID, 'IF THEY PERSECUTED ME, THEY'LL 40:34 PERSECUTE YOU.' WHAT DID JESUS SAY TO PETER? 'WHEN YOU WERE 40:37 YOUNG YOU GIRDED YOURSELF AND WENT WHERE YOU WANTED, BUT WHEN 40:40 YOU ARE OLD ANOTHER WILL GIRD YOU AND YOU WILL STRETCH FORTH 40:43 YOUR HANDS' - SIGNIFYING THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE BY CRUCIFIXION. 40:47 SO SOMETIMES THE LORD LET'S THEM KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT THEY 40:52 HAVE TO EXPERIENCE SO THAT THEY CAN BRACE THEMSELVES. 40:54 NOW, IT'S NOT SO YOU CAN LIVE IN FEAR. 40:56 "FOR I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MANY THINGS HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY 40:59 NAME'S SAKE." WAS PAUL WILLING TO SUFFER? 41:03 MATTER OF FACT, PAUL WAS ALMOST EAGER TO SUFFER. 41:06 DID JESUS SAY, 'REJOICE IF YOU'RE PERSECUTED FOR 41:10 RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE - REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD'? 41:13 SO FOR THE CHRISTIAN, WHEN GOD SAYS YOU MIGHT SUFFER FOR HIS 41:16 SAKE, IS THAT BAD NEWS OR IS THAT AN HONOR? 41:19 WHEN THE DISCIPLES WERE WHIPPED IN ACTS CHAPTER 5 AND THEY WENT 41:23 OUT OF THE PRESENCE OF THE PRIESTS. 41:25 IT SAYS 'THEY REJOICED.' IT SAID THEY WERE WORTHY TO SUFFER FOR 41:29 CHRIST'S SAKE. WE TYPICALLY - I DON'T KNOW 41:31 ABOUT YOU, BUT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, GO LOOKING FOR 41:33 OPPORTUNITIES TO BE FLOGGED FOR CHRIST. 41:36 I MEAN, IF IT HAPPENS, PRAISE THE LORD, BUT NOBODY REALLY 41:40 WANTS IT - BUT PAUL SORT OF DID BECAUSE HE WAS GUILTY OF KILLING 41:46 SO MANY CHRISTIANS HE ALMOST FELT LIKE IT WAS SOME KIND OF 41:50 SELF-ATONEMENT. IF HE COULD JUST SUFFER FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, THAT 41:54 WOULD BE A PRIVILEGE FOR PAUL. SO ANANIAS, TRUE TO WHAT JESUS 41:58 SAID, HE WENT HIS WAY - HE GOES DOWN STRAIGHT STREET. 42:01 ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT PAUL IS CONVERTED ON STRAIGHT STREET? 42:03 STRAIGHT IS THE WAY - ACTUALLY IT'S A DIFFERENT WORD - STRAIGHT 42:09 IS THE GATE AND NARROW IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE - THAT 42:12 WORD STRAIGHT MEANS 'DIFFICULT' - "AND ANANIAS WENT HIS WAY AND 42:16 ENTERED THE HOUSE; AND LAYING HIS HANDS ON HIM HE SAID, 42:19 'BROTHER SAUL, THE LORD JESUS, WHO APPEARED TO YOU ON THE ROAD 42:23 AS YOU CAME, HAS SENT ME THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE YOUR SIGHT AND 42:25 BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.' IMMEDIATELY THERE FELL FROM HIS 42:30 EYES SOMETHING LIKE SCALES," - THESE THIN LAYERS THAT HAD BEEN 42:33 BURNT BY THE VISION OF CHRIST FINALLY BLINKED OFF AND HE COULD 42:38 SEE - AND HE RECEIVED HIS SIGHT AT ONCE; AND HE AROSE AND WAS 42:42 BAPTIZED." NOW WAIT A SECOND. 42:44 HE GOT BAPTIZED RIGHT AFTER HIS FIRST BIBLE STUDY. 42:46 IS THAT A GOOD POLICY FOR EVANGELISTS? 42:49 NO, BUT IF YOU'RE STUDYING WITH SOMEBODY THAT ALREADY KNOWS THE 42:54 HEALTH MESSAGE, THEY ALREADY KNOW THE STATE OF THE DEAD, THEY 42:59 ALREADY HAVE THEIR STUDY ON THE TRUTH OF THE SCRIPTURE, THERE 43:03 WEREN'T TOO MANY THINGS YOU COULD STUDY WITH PAUL HE DIDN'T 43:06 ALREADY KNOW. ALL HE NEEDED TO KNOW WAS THE 43:08 STUDY ABOUT JESUS BEING THE MESSIAH, RIGHT? 43:11 YOU COULDN'T GIVE HIM THE STUDY ON REVELATION BECAUSE IT HADN'T 43:16 BEEN WRITTEN YET - BEFORE BAPTISM. 43:19 YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO TAKE THEM THROUGH SOME OF THE 43:21 PROPHECIES IN REVELATION - THEY WEREN'T WRITTEN YET. 43:23 HE ALREADY UNDERSTOOD NOW THE STUDY IN DANIEL, THAT JESUS WAS 43:27 THE MESSIAH - SO WE THINK THEY DID. 43:31 BUT SO HE WAS READY FOR BAPTISM. IT SAYS, 'ARISE AND BE BAPTIZED' 43:37 - AND HE LAYS HANDS ON HIM SO THAT HE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH THE 43:39 HOLY SPIRIT. NOW THIS IS SOMETHING I'M JUST 43:41 GOING TO SPEND A MOMENT ON BECAUSE IT'S A PET PEEVE OF 43:45 MINE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S BIBLICAL, BUT WE PUT A BIG 43:50 EMPHASIS ON WATER BAPTISM IN OUR CHURCH - AND WE SHOULD BECAUSE 43:54 JESUS SAID, 'UNLESS YOU'RE BORN OF THE WATER YOU CAN'T ENTER THE 43:57 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' BUT JESUS SAID MORE THAN THAT. 43:59 HE SAID, UNLESS YOU'RE BORN OF THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT.' YOU 44:03 KNOW, WHEN PHILIP WENT DOWN - AND WE STUDIED THIS LAST WEEK - 44:05 AND HE BAPTIZED IN SAMARIA, THEY THEN ASKED FOR JOHN AND PETER TO 44:10 COME AND LAY HANDS ON THEM THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE THE HOLY 44:12 SPIRIT. SO THEY PRAYED AFTER THEIR WATER 44:17 BAPTISM, THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SPIRIT BAPTISM. 44:19 HERE HE PRAYS THAT HE MIGHT HAVE WATER AND SPIRIT BAPTISM FOR 44:24 PAUL. JESUS WAS BAPTIZED IN THE WATER 44:27 AND THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME DOWN AT THE SAME TIME. 44:29 PAUL, IN ACTS 19, WHEN HE PREACHES TO THE EPHESIAN 44:32 BELIEVERS - THEY'D BEEN BAPTIZED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST - HE 44:35 REBAPTIZES THEM, LAYS HANDS ON THEM AND THEY RECEIVE THE HOLY 44:37 SPIRIT AND SPEAK IN TONGUES. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THEY 44:41 RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF BOTH BAPTISMS. 44:42 WHEN KAREN AND I WERE IN RUSSIA, EVERYBODY WANTED ME TO BAPTIZE 44:47 THEM BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS WANT THE EVANGELIST TO DO IT AND 44:49 THERE'S NO VALUE IN THE EVANGELIST DOING IT. 44:51 AND IT'S A LITTLE HARDER BECAUSE THEY HAD LIKE 200 PEOPLE AND YOU 44:54 CAN'T - EFFICIENTLY - ONE PERSON CAN'T DO THAT. 44:57 SO I SAID 'WHAT I'LL DO, AS THEY COME UP OUT OF THE POOL, I WILL 45:01 LAY HANDS ON EVERYBODY AND PRAY FOR THEM.' AND THAT REALLY MADE 45:04 THEM ALL HAPPY AND IT WAS BIBLICAL. 45:06 AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE, WHEN WE HAVE A 45:11 BAPTISM THAT WE ALSO HAVE A SERVICE - MAYBE AFTER THEY DRY 45:13 OFF AND CLEAN UP - THAT WE PRAY FOR THEM. 45:15 EITHER GOING IN OR COMING OUT - YOU CAN GET THE HOLY SPIRIT 45:19 BEFORE BAPTISM. DIDN'T THAT HAPPEN TO CORNELIUS? 45:21 AND THEN HE WAS BAPTIZED. YOU CAN GET THE HOLY SPIRIT 45:24 AFTER BAPTISM. YOU CAN HAVE IT DURING BAPTISM. 45:26 IT CAN HAPPEN ANY WAY, BUT I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE TEACHING 45:30 BOTH BAPTISMS. >>AMEN. 45:32 >>I KNOW YOU SOUND PENTECOSTAL WHEN YOU DO THAT, BUT AS A 45:35 FORMER PENTECOSTAL SAID, 'AMEN.' (LAUGHTER) BUT IT'S BIBLICAL AND 45:40 YOU MUST HAVE BOTH, JESUS SAID. YOU MUST HAVE BOTH. 45:46 SO HE LAYS HANDS ON HIM AND HE RECEIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT. 45:50 NOW I WANT TO GET TO SOMETHING HERE AND - WELL, LET ME JUST 45:53 FINISH THIS - HE RECEIVES FOOD - PROBABLY DRINK ALSO - "...HE WAS 45:58 STRENGTHENED. THEN SAUL SPENT SOME DAYS WITH 46:00 THE DISCIPLES..." - WHAT IS HE DOING? 46:02 STUDYING ALL THE THINGS HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND - AND 46:04 "IMMEDIATELY HE PREACHED THE CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUES, THAT 46:07 HE IS THE SON OF GOD." NO SOONER DOES A PERSON BECOME 46:10 CONVERTED THAN THEY'VE GOT TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE. 46:13 MATTER OF FACT, HE WAS PREACHING SO STRONGLY THAT HIS LIFE WAS 46:16 BEING THREATENED AND HE HAD TO ESCAPE FROM DAMASCUS AND THEY 46:20 SAID HE WASN'T WELCOME TO PREACH THERE ANYMORE. 46:24 "THEN ALL WHO HEARD" - VERSE 21 - SAID "...'IS THIS NOT HE WHO 46:28 DESTROYED THOSE WHO CALLED ON THIS NAME IN JERUSALEM, AND HAS 46:32 COME HERE FOR THAT PURPOSE, SO THAT HE MIGHT BRING THEM BOUND 46:35 TO THE CHIEF PRIESTS?' BUT SAUL INCREASED ALL THE MORE 46:38 IN STRENGTH, AND CONFOUNDED THE JEWS WHO DWELT IN DAMASCUS, 46:41 PROVING THAT THIS JESUS IS THE CHRIST. 46:45 NOW AFTER MANY DAYS...THE JEWS PLOTTED TO KILL HIM." 46:48 ALRIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW DID HE GET HIS NAME CHANGED? 46:51 JUMP WITH ME - WE'RE STILL UNDER THE SECTION ABOUT GOING FROM 46:54 SAUL TO PAUL - JUMP WITH ME TO ACTS 13:6. 46:57 IN A MOMENT SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ ACTS 22:21 - WHO HAS THAT? 47:01 OKAY, YOU'LL HAVE A MOMENT THOUGH. 47:03 ACTS 13:6-11 - FOLLOW ME - "NOW WHEN THEY HAD GONE THROUGH THE" 47:08 - AND WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF ACTS? 47:10 >>LUKE. >>LUKE. GOOD FRIEND OF PAUL. 47:12 HE'S A FIRSTHAND WITNESS OF THIS - "NOW WHEN THEY HAD GONE 47:16 THROUGH THE ISLAND TO PAPHOS, THEY FOUND A CERTAIN SORCERER, A 47:18 FALSE PROPHET, A JEW WHOSE NAME WAS BAR-JESUS," - 47:22 ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? HIS NAME IS SON OF JESUS, 47:24 BECAUSE JESUS JUST MEANT JOSHUA - IT WAS A VERY COMMON NAME AND 47:27 THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BAR-YASHUA - SON OF JOSHUA - VERY COMMON 47:32 NAME - "WHO WAS WITH THE PROCONSUL, SERGIUS PAULUS," - 47:37 WHAT'S HIS NAME? SERGIUS PAULUS - HE'S THE LEADER 47:41 - A GOVERNOR - "AN INTELLIGENT MAN. 47:44 THIS MAN CALLED FOR BARNABAS AND SAUL" - NOW UP UNTIL THIS POINT 47:49 IN ACTS, EVERY TIME LUKE IS TALKING ABOUT THE MISSIONARY 47:53 TEAM - THEY WENT OUT TWO BY TWO - THE MISSIONARY TEAM WAS 47:56 BARNABAS AND SAUL - BARNABAS AND SAUL - BARNABAS ALWAYS COMES 48:00 FIRST. BUT NOTICE, AFTER THIS STORY IT SWITCHES. 48:03 PAUL'S NAME CHANGES AND IT'S PAUL AND BARNABAS IT'S 48:07 INTERESTING. SO SOMETHING HAPPENED HERE - 48:11 "AND SOUGHT TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD." 48:14 SERGIUS PAULUS WANTS TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD. 48:15 "AN INTELLIGENT MAN" - HE'S A LEADER - "BUT ELYMAS THE 48:18 SORCERER" - THAT WAS HIS OTHER NAME - NOW, NOTICE WHAT'S 48:20 HAPPENING: LUKE IS SAYING, 'LET ME GIVE YOU THE TRANSLATION. 48:22 LUKE, WHO'S WRITING TO THEOPHILUS SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO 48:26 GIVE IT TO YOU IN THE OTHER LANGUAGE - ELYMAS - THAT'S HIS 48:28 OTHER NAME - IT WASN'T JUST BAR-JESUS - HE BEGAN - HE 48:34 WITHSTOOD THEM - HE RESISTED THEM - SEEKING TO TURN THE 48:38 PROCONSUL AWAY FROM THE FAITH. AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO SAUL. 48:41 THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES ON SAUL WHERE HE DECIDES TO BE THE 48:45 PREACHER. BARNABAS USED TO PREACH AND SAUL WOULD PRAY. 48:48 NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, SAUL JUST CAN'T CONTAIN HIMSELF - HE 48:53 BECOMES ANGRY - AND SAUL, WHO IS ALSO CALLED PAUL - AND AFTER HE 48:58 SAYS, 'HE IS ALSO CALLED PAUL' AND HE GIVES HIS OTHER NAME, HE 49:01 NEVER CALLS HIM SAUL AGAIN. IT'S JUST AN INTERESTING CHANGE. 49:05 "FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT," - HIS FACE FLASHES WITH THE SPIRIT 49:10 - "LOOKED INTENTLY AT HIM (THE FALSE SORCERER) AND SAID, "O 49:14 FULL OF ALL DECEIT AND ALL FRAUD, YOU SON OF THE DEVIL, YOU 49:17 ENEMY OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS, WILL YOU NOT CEASE PERVERTING THE 49:21 STRAIGHT WAYS OF THE LORD? AND NOW, INDEED, THE HAND OF THE 49:24 LORD IS UPON YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE BLIND," - PAUL KNEW WHAT THAT 49:27 WAS LIKE, DIDN'T HE? "NOT SEEING THE SUN FOR A LONG 49:30 TIME." - HE'S MERCIFUL - HE'S NOT SAID 49:33 'FOREVER' - YOU'RE GOING TO BE BLIND FOR A FEW DAYS LIKE I WAS 49:35 BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN MISLEADING PEOPLE LIKE I WAS. 49:37 MAYBE YOU'LL REPENT LIKE I DID - "AND IMMEDIATELY A DARK MIST 49:41 FELL ON HIM, AND HE WENT AROUND SEEKING SOMEONE TO LEAD HIM BY 49:44 THE HAND." WHAT HAPPENED AFTER SAUL SAW JESUS? 49:46 THEY HAD TO LEAD HIM BY THE HAND. ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 49:51 FROM HERE ON HE'S NO LONGER SAUL, HE'S NOW PAUL. 49:53 IT'S NO LONGER BARNABAS AND SAUL, IT'S PAUL AND BARNABAS. 49:57 HE SORT OF TAKES A LEAD ROLE BECAUSE A MIRACLE TAKES PLACE 50:00 AND WE DON'T KNOW THAT BARNABAS WAS PERFORMING VERY MANY 50:03 MIRACLES. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO PAUL 50:06 THE MISSIONARY . AND IN ROMANS 15, VERSE 9, AND 50:13 IT SAYS, "AND THAT THE GENTILES MIGHT 50:17 GLORIFY GOD FOR HIS MERCY, AS IT IS WRITTEN: 'FOR THIS REASON I 50:21 WILL CONFESS TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND SING TO YOUR 50:25 NAME.'" AND PAUL, NOW, IS ALSO QUOTING THE PSALMS, HE'S QUOTING 50:30 THE OLD TESTAMENT ABOUT THIS MISSION THAT WOULD GO TO THE 50:33 GENTILES BECAUSE THE JEWS WERE WONDERING WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. 50:36 GO AHEAD, READ FOR ME ACTS 22:21. 50:38 >>"THEN HE SAID TO ME, 'DEPART, FOR I WILL SEND YOU FAR FROM 50:44 HERE TO THE GENTILES.'" >>NOW THIS IS THE TESTIMONY THAT 50:49 PAUL IS GIVING IN JERUSALEM. THEY JUST ABOUT TRIED TO KILL 50:53 HIM. PAUL WAS SO ENTHUSIASTIC. 50:55 HE WAS READY TO DIE FOR THE LORD. 50:59 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU SAID, 'PAUL, YOU BETTER NOT GO THERE. 51:02 THEY'LL PERSECUTE YOU.' HE WOULD CHARGE INTO IT. 'PAUL, DON'T GO 51:05 INTO THE ARENA, THERE'S A RIOT IN THERE.' HE SAID, 'LET ME GO 51:08 PREACH TO THEM.' HE WANTED TO GO INTO THE ARENA. 51:10 THEY SAID, 'PAUL, DON'T GO TO JERUSALEM BECAUSE AGABUS THE 51:13 PROPHET SAID 'YOU'RE GOING TO BE BOUND AND IMPRISONED THERE.' HE 51:15 SAID, 'I'M READY TO BE BOUND AND DIE FOR JESUS IN JERUSALEM.' AND 51:18 NOW - NOW HE'S ARRESTED IN JERUSALEM. THE MOB TRIES TO TEAR 51:22 HIM LIMB FROM LIMB. HE SAYS TO THE SOLDIER, LET ME 51:25 PREACH TO THEM FROM THE STEPS. SO HE'S PREACHING TO THE CROWD 51:29 AND WHEN HE PREACHES IN HEBREW THEY ALL GOT QUIET. 51:31 AND THEY LISTEN TO HIM UNTIL HE GOT TO THE PLACE WHERE HE SAID 51:36 THESE WORDS, 'JESUS SPOKE TO ME AND SAID, 'DEPART FOR I WILL 51:39 SEND YOU TO THE GENTILES.' AND WHEN THEY HEARD THAT HE WAS 51:42 GOING TO TAKE THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS TO THE GENTILES, THE 51:45 RIOT ERUPTED AGAIN AND THEY SAID, 'HE IS NOT FIT TO LIVE.' 51:48 BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY UPSET THAT THE GOSPEL, NOW, WAS NOT 51:53 JUST GOING TO THE JEWS. 51:55 AFTER THE STONING OF STEPHEN THE GOSPEL BEGAN TO GO TO THE 51:58 GENTILES WITH CORNELIUS AND THEN MORE AND MORE. 52:01 WHEN THEIR SYNAGOGUES REJECTED THEM PAUL SAID, 'LOOK, SEEING 52:04 THAT YOU REJECT THE WORD OF GOD - YOU'RE UNWORTHY OF ETERNAL 52:07 LIFE - LO, WE TURN TO THE GENTILES.' HE'D PREACH IN THE 52:11 SYNAGOGUE; SOME OF THE JEWS WOULD LEAVE. 52:13 THE GENTILES WOULD GET - WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED BUT SOME OF 52:17 THE JEWS WOULD RESIST. THE NEXT WEEK HE'D PREACH JUST 52:19 TO THE GENTILES - THEY'D ALL COME. 52:21 AND SO PAUL GRADUALLY - HIS MINISTRY WENT MORE AND MORE - 52:24 HE'S THE ONE WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF ROMANS. HIS MINISTRY GOES 52:28 MORE AND MORE FROM THE JEWS TO THE GENTILES, BUT HE WAS ALSO 52:32 THE VERY BEST OF THE ONES DISPUTING WITH THE JEWS. 52:35 AND THEN YOU CAN READ WHERE PAUL IS SHARING HIS TESTIMONY IN ACTS 52:40 26, VERSE 16, "BUT RISE AND STAND ON YOUR FEET; FOR I HAVE 52:47 APPEARED TO YOU FOR THIS PURPOSE, TO MAKE YOU A MINISTER 52:50 AND A WITNESS BOTH OF THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN AND OF THE 52:55 THINGS WHICH I WILL YET REVEAL TO YOU." 52:57 - GOD - JESUS REVEALED SEVERAL THINGS TO HIM ALONG THE WAY - "I 52:59 WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AS WELL AS FROM THE 53:03 GENTILES, TO WHOM I NOW SEND YOU," - PAUL WAS NOT KILLED BY 53:07 THE JEWS, EVEN THOUGH THEY TRIED TO KILL HIM SEVERAL TIMES. 53:09 YOU REMEMBER, THE JEWS ACTUALLY MADE A VOW THAT THEY WOULD NOT 53:12 EAT OR DRINK UNTIL THEY HAD KILLED PAUL. 53:14 AND THERE WERE ABOUT 40 OF THEM THAT MADE THIS VOW. 53:17 ANOTHER RADICAL EAT AND DRINK VOW I NEED TO PUT IN MY - EAT 53:21 AND DRINK FAST I NEED TO PUT IN MY NOTES HERE - "AND I WILL 53:28 DELIVER YOU FROM THE JEWISH PEOPLE AS WELL AS FROM THE 53:30 GENTILES TO WHOM I NOW SEND YOU TO OPEN THEIR EYES, IN ORDER" - 53:34 THIS IS A WONDERFUL VERSE - "TO OPEN THEIR EYES, IN ORDER TO 53:37 TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT, AND FROM THE POWER OF 53:40 SATAN TO GOD, THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND 53:43 AN INHERITANCE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED BY FAITH IN ME.'" 53:47 THEY'RE MADE BY FAITH IN ME. THIS TALKS ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS 53:50 BY FAITH. THAT IS A GREAT PASSAGE. 53:53 MATTER OF FACT, I'VE QUOTED THAT AS A STAND-ALONE VERSE ABOUT 53:55 WHAT THE GOSPEL IS BEFORE. WHAT IS OUR MISSION? 53:59 WE'RE TO GO - 'I SEND YOU' - 'TO OPEN THEIR EYES' - THROUGH 54:04 PREACHING THE WORD - 'TO TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT' - 54:08 'FROM THE POWER OF SATAN TO GOD THAT' - THERE'S TWO POWERS OUT 54:13 THERE - "THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS' - GO FROM 54:16 THE DEATH PENALTY - 'AND AN INHERITANCE' - ETERNAL LIFE - 54:20 'AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED' - WERE MADE HOLY - HOW? 54:25 - 'BY FAITH' - IN WHO? - 'ME.' GOD SAVES US. 54:29 THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT VERSE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER 54:31 BROKEN THAT DOWN. BUT THIS IS WHAT THE MINISTRY OF 54:33 PAUL WAS. THIS IS WHAT THE MISSION OF THE 54:36 CHURCH IS - IS TO GET THAT WORD OUT. 54:38 AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT GOD HAD CALLED THE JEWISH PEOPLE TO DO. 54:41 THEY WERE TO BE A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES AND TO - GOD PUT THE 54:47 JEWISH NATION RIGHT THERE ON THE INTERSECTION OF THREE CONTINENTS 54:51 SO THAT THEY COULD DO WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE DAYS OF 54:54 SOLOMON WHEN PEOPLE LIKE THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND THESE OTHER 54:58 KINGS WOULD COME TO ISRAEL AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE TRUE GOD. 55:01 BUT BY THE TIME OF CHRIST, THEY BEGAN TO THINK, 'WE ARE THE 55:05 CHOSEN ONES. YOU'RE ALL DEFILED AND IF YOU 55:08 COME TO US WE'LL, YOU KNOW, ONE BY ONE WE MIGHT SCREEN YOU AND 55:12 WE MIGHT ALLOW A FEW OF YOU GENTILES - IF WE CAN PROSELYTIZE 55:15 YOU AND YOU QUALIFY, WE'LL LET YOU JOIN OUR CHURCH.' BUT THEY 55:18 DID NOT GO OUT TRYING TO GIVE THEIR MESSAGE. 55:22 THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE EXCLUSIVE AND PRIVILEGED AND 55:25 THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE CLUB SMALL. AND IT WAS GOD, THROUGH 55:30 PAUL AND THROUGH PETER, HE SAID, 'NO. WHOSOEVER WILL.' AND THOSE 55:34 THAT BELIEVE, THEY BECOME ABRAHAM'S SEED. 55:36 ANYWAY, THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD PLACE TO FINISH WITH OUR LESSON 55:39 TODAY AND I WANT TO REMIND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, WE DO HAVE A 55:43 FREE OFFER AND IT IS CALLED SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS . 55:47 SAUL WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO WAS CONFUSED BY THOSE COUNTERFEITS. 55:50 WE'LL SEND YOU A FREE COPY OF THIS IF YOU JUST CALL 55:52 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE. 55:58 WE'LL SEND YOU ONE OF THESE OR YOU CAN READ IT FOR FREE ONLINE 56:00 AS WELL. GOD BLESS YOU UNTIL WE STUDY HIS 56:04 WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. >>NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN 56:07 COMING TO JESUS AND GOING FOR JESUS. 56:10 HAVE YOU GOT PLANS THIS FALL TO BRING A SOUL TO CHRIST? 56:14 PLAN TO ATTEND THE HEROES OF FAITH EVANGELISTIC PROGRAM 56:17 UPLINKED FROM LANSING, MICHIGAN FROM OCTOBER 2 TO OCTOBER 10. 56:21 PLAN NOW TO ATTEND WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND LEARN 56:24 FROM THE PAST HOW WE CAN BE HEROES OF FAITH TODAY. 56:28 GO TO THEHEROESOFFAITH.COM TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN REGISTER 56:32 YOUR HOME OR YOUR CHURCH. MAKE AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE IN 56:35 SOMEONE'S LIFE. >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD 56:38 SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH 20,000 PEOPLE? OR A CAR LIKE THIS ONE 56:43 COULD REACH 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN JESUS. 56:46 IF YOU HAVE A VEHICLE YOU'RE NOT USING AND WOULD LIKE TO REACH 56:49 HEARTS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DONATING 56:53 YOUR VEHICLE TO AMAZING FACTS TODAY. 56:56 IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED CAR, BOAT, RV, MOTORCYCLE, 57:00 EVEN ATVS AND JET SKIS, INTO A SOUL-WINNING VEHICLE 57:04 FOR CHRIST AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 57:07 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 57:10 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 57:12 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 57:16 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 57:18 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST. 57:22 USE IT TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 57:26 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV OR 57:30 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 57:38 >>CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE RETIRED! 57:40 A TIME TO ENJOY WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND GOD, BUT SOMETIMES, 57:44 WITH RETIREMENT, COMES ANXIETY ABOUT FUTURE INCOME AND 57:47 FRUSTRATING LIMITATIONS ON OUR ABILITY TO HELP IN MINISTRY. 57:51 WELL, AMAZING FACTS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ON BOTH 57:54 FRONTS. WITH A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY 57:56 FROM AMAZING FACTS, YOU CAN ASSURE YOURSELF OF A STEADY 58:00 INCOME THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE AND ADVANCE MINISTRY AND EVANGELISM 58:03 AROUND THE WORLD. WHY NOT CALL TODAY? 58:06 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-09-10