Let's face it,
00:00:11.81\00:00:12.87
it's not always easy
to understand everything
00:00:12.87\00:00:15.21
you read in the Bible.
00:00:15.21\00:00:16.71
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:00:16.71\00:00:20.38
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions.
00:00:20.38\00:00:23.02
To get biblical
straightforward answers,
00:00:23.02\00:00:25.32
call into Bible Answers Live,
00:00:25.32\00:00:27.22
a live nationwide
call-in radio program
00:00:27.22\00:00:29.86
where you can talk
to Pastor Doug Batchelor
00:00:29.86\00:00:32.23
and ask him your most
difficult Bible questions.
00:00:32.23\00:00:34.73
For times and
stations in your area
00:00:34.73\00:00:36.93
or to listen to answers online,
00:00:36.93\00:00:38.77
visit bal.amazingfacts.org.
00:00:38.77\00:00:42.90
Good morning,
friends, and welcome once again
00:01:08.30\00:01:10.03
to Sabbath School
Study Hour, coming to you
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from the Granite Bay
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
00:01:12.23\00:01:14.30
in Sacramento, California.
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I'd like to
welcome our online members
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and also our
friends who are joining us
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across the country
and around the world,
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and also the
members and the visitors
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right here in Granite Bay,
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always good to see
you Sabbath after Sabbath,
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studying the Word together.
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Well, our lesson quarterly
is on the Book of Acts,
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and we're on lesson number five
00:01:32.02\00:01:33.82
that's entitled
"The Conversion of Paul".
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So we'll be beginning today
here in just a few moments.
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For those who
are joining us online
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or if you're watching
this program later on,
00:01:41.50\00:01:43.77
our free gift today is a book
entitled "Riches of His Grace".
00:01:43.77\00:01:48.77
And if you'd like to receive
a free copy of this book,
00:01:48.77\00:01:51.17
call 866-788-3966
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and you can ask
for offer number 152.
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If you'd like a
digital copy of the book
00:01:59.21\00:02:01.45
instead of
getting it in the mail,
00:02:01.45\00:02:02.75
just downloading
it from the internet,
00:02:02.75\00:02:05.15
all you have to do
is text the code "SH056"
00:02:05.15\00:02:10.09
to the number 40544,
00:02:10.09\00:02:13.76
you'll receive a link
00:02:13.76\00:02:14.96
and you'll be able to download
the book Riches of His Grace.
00:02:14.96\00:02:18.67
I think you'll really
enjoy reading that book
00:02:18.67\00:02:20.47
and learning
more about God's grace
00:02:20.47\00:02:23.10
and how He saves individuals.
00:02:23.10\00:02:25.64
Well, before we
get to our lesson,
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we always like to begin by
lifting our voices in song.
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I'd like to invite our
song leaders to come forward.
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It's that time where
we get to sing with you,
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and we're so excited.
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We know that you love
to sing and we do, too.
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So we're going to sing a song
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that goes along
with our lesson today,
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"Open My Eyes, That I May See".
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You're going to find
this 326 in your hymnal.
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So if you have one at home,
pull it out and join with us,
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we're going to sing
all three stances, 326.
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I hope that today, right now,
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in this week that
will be your prayer,
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Lord, open up my
eyes, that I may see.
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What is it that He wants
in your life and in mine?
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Let's just be open and
willing for whatever that is.
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At this time, Pastor Ross
will have our opening prayer.
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Dear Father, once
again we are grateful
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for the
opportunity to gather together
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and open up Your Word.
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We're going to be
looking at just a fantastic,
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inspiring story
how You called Paul...
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First Saul, and
then he became Paul,
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and great apostle,
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one who took the
gospel to lands far away.
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Lord, we pray that we might have
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that same commitment to You,
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that same conversion experience,
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not just once but
on a regular basis
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as we enter into Your
presence, in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our lesson study today
00:06:24.98\00:06:25.95
is going to be
brought to us by Pastor Doug.
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We're continuing
through the Book of Acts,
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and today we're dealing
with lesson number five.
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And some of you, who
are watching this live,
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let me explain it, I
do this from time to time.
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We study the
lesson about three weeks
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in advance of the
rest of the world church,
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and the reason for that
is that it is then broadcast
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'cause we're recording it
in front of our live audience
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on Sabbath morning,
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and we broadcast
it live on satellite
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on a number of
different networks.
00:06:54.61\00:06:56.75
And in order to
edit the programs,
00:06:56.75\00:06:58.75
and put in the
closed captioning,
00:06:58.75\00:07:00.18
and send the tapes out
to the different satellites
00:07:00.18\00:07:02.45
or different stations,
00:07:02.45\00:07:04.39
we need to do it
a little in advance,
00:07:04.39\00:07:06.72
so we're in the future.
00:07:06.72\00:07:08.06
So some people who
are studying online,
00:07:08.06\00:07:09.76
they go, "I thought
we were on lesson two,
00:07:09.76\00:07:11.83
what are they
doing on lesson five?"
00:07:11.83\00:07:14.00
Well, that's why
when you watch it live,
00:07:14.00\00:07:15.90
we're actually
living in the future.
00:07:15.90\00:07:18.50
So we're on lesson five,
00:07:18.50\00:07:20.60
and this is a great
study, whatever time it is.
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It's dealing with
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the conversion
of the Apostle Paul,
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and it's going to be...
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Mostly, we'll
spend our time in Acts 9,
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but we have a memory verse,
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and the memory
verse is from Acts 9:15.
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Acts 9:15, if
you have your Bibles
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and you want to say it
with me, that'd be great.
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You ready?
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Acts 9:15,
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"Go! This man is
my chosen instrument
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to proclaim my
name to the Gentiles
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and their kings and
to the people of Israel."
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God said that
Paul had been chosen
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in a special way as
a unique instrument.
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Now the
incredible thing about Paul
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is you have a story of
somebody who starts out...
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And this, of course,
is in your first section,
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where it talks about
persecutor of the church.
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He goes from a
persecutor of the church
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to a believer and a missionary,
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starts out as a
missionary for the devil
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and he ends up becoming
a missionary for the Lord.
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Paul's conversion is a
very dramatic conversion,
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where the Lord
personally intervened
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to capture his attention.
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Now while most of us do
not go through an experience
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exactly like Paul's,
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there's a lot of
things we can learn
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about conversion
from Paul's experience.
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I'll give you a little quiz.
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Can you think of
another Old Testament character
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that starts out as a persecutor
and turns to a believer?
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What did I hear?
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Isaiah?
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Isaiah?
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No, I don't know that
he was ever a persecutor
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of the church.
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He was one of the kings.
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Nebuchadnezzar, actually
I hadn't thought of him,
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but yeah, Nebuchadnezzar.
00:09:06.11\00:09:08.24
Manasseh, I
heard somebody say it.
00:09:08.24\00:09:10.35
Let me read something to you,
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just so you know that it's
not the only time it happens.
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If you look in...
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Well, I'll start
out in 2 Chronicles.
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If you go to 2 Chronicles 33,
00:09:17.92\00:09:20.86
"Manasseh was twelve
years old when he became king,
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and he reigned
fifty-five years."
00:09:23.63\00:09:25.13
Longest reigning king in Judah.
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"He reigned
fifty-five years in Jerusalem,
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but he did evil in
the sight of the Lord
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according to all the
abominations of the nation
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who the Lord cast out
before the children of Israel.
00:09:34.87\00:09:37.67
For he rebuilt the high places
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which Hezekiah, his
father, had broken down
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and he raised up
the altars for the Baals
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and he made wooden images
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and he worshiped
all the stars of heaven
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and he served them.
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He built altars in
the house of the Lord,
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where God had said, in Jerusalem
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shall be my name forever.
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And he built altars for
all the host of heaven."
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All the different
gods of the zodiac.
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"And in the two courts
of the house of the Lord,
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also, he caused his
sons to pass through the fire
00:10:00.86\00:10:04.67
in the valley of
the son of Hinnom."
00:10:04.67\00:10:07.97
Some of his sons were
sacrificed to pagan gods.
00:10:07.97\00:10:10.37
"He practiced soothsaying,
00:10:10.37\00:10:12.17
and witchcraft, and sorcery,
00:10:12.17\00:10:14.58
and consulted
mediums and spiritists."
00:10:14.58\00:10:17.48
He was like a warlock,
00:10:17.48\00:10:18.95
I mean, this was a
wicked spiritualistic king
00:10:18.95\00:10:23.65
who just all out said,
00:10:23.65\00:10:24.82
"I think I'm going
to worship the devil."
00:10:24.82\00:10:27.46
Now not only did he do this,
00:10:27.46\00:10:29.12
I want you to just
notice here, it says in...
00:10:29.12\00:10:31.86
You know, you
read about Manasseh
00:10:31.86\00:10:33.16
in Kings and Chronicles,
you get two different accounts.
00:10:33.16\00:10:36.73
One thing it says in Kings
00:10:36.73\00:10:37.87
that does not say in Chronicles,
00:10:37.87\00:10:39.50
"Moreover, Manasseh..."
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And this, by the
way, is in 2 Kings 21:16.
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"Moreover, Manasseh shed
a very much innocent blood,
00:10:46.68\00:10:51.28
until he had filled Jerusalem
from one end to the other,
00:10:51.28\00:10:54.82
besides the other
sins he made Judah sin."
00:10:54.82\00:10:57.02
So he persecuted the prophets.
00:10:57.02\00:10:59.42
Josephus tells
us that Manasseh...
00:10:59.42\00:11:02.19
Josephus is a Jewish historian,
00:11:02.19\00:11:03.89
it's not in the Bible
but it's in Jewish history.
00:11:03.89\00:11:06.16
Manasseh was the one who
killed Isaiah the prophet.
00:11:06.16\00:11:09.60
And the tradition is
00:11:09.60\00:11:10.67
that he placed
Isaiah in a hollow log
00:11:10.67\00:11:12.83
and had him sawn
asunder, which you read about...
00:11:12.83\00:11:16.07
You do read that in Hebrews 11.
00:11:16.07\00:11:18.47
Now go back to 2 Chronicles 33,
00:11:18.47\00:11:24.05
it says, "And the Lord spoke..."
00:11:24.05\00:11:25.25
And this is verse
10, 2 Chronicles 33:10,
00:11:25.25\00:11:28.15
"And the Lord spoke to
Manasseh, and to his people,
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but they would not listen.
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Therefore the
Lord brought upon him
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the captains of the
army of the king of Assyria
00:11:33.86\00:11:36.52
who conquered them, he
took Manasseh with hooks."
00:11:36.52\00:11:39.26
That means he put
a ring in his nose
00:11:39.26\00:11:41.13
like you do when
you carry around a bull.
00:11:41.13\00:11:43.06
"With bronze fetters
00:11:43.06\00:11:44.17
and carried him off to Babylon."
00:11:44.17\00:11:45.97
Notice, "Now when
he was in affliction,
00:11:45.97\00:11:49.87
he implored the Lord Jehovah,
his God, in a humble..."
00:11:49.87\00:11:54.04
He went back to the God
of Hezekiah, his father.
00:11:54.04\00:11:56.54
"And humbled himself greatly
before God of his fathers,
00:11:56.54\00:12:01.32
and he prayed to him.
00:12:01.32\00:12:02.92
And he, God,
received his entreaty."
00:12:02.92\00:12:05.32
Now if there's a king
you're not going to forgive,
00:12:05.32\00:12:06.89
who would it be?
00:12:06.89\00:12:09.02
I mean, you know,
makes your children
00:12:09.02\00:12:10.59
pass through the fire,
00:12:10.59\00:12:12.29
wicked king, kills the prophets.
00:12:12.29\00:12:15.90
"As he humbled
himself, God forgave him,
00:12:15.90\00:12:19.43
and brought him back to
Jerusalem to his kingdom.
00:12:19.43\00:12:23.04
Then Manasseh knew
that the Lord was God."
00:12:23.04\00:12:26.07
And after this, it says,
he got rid of the false gods
00:12:26.07\00:12:29.88
and began to offer
sacrifice to the Lord,
00:12:29.88\00:12:32.85
and he went from being a
persecutor to a believer.
00:12:32.85\00:12:37.35
So can the Lord change
even people that look hopeless?
00:12:37.35\00:12:41.59
Yeah, and that's
what the story of Saul is.
00:12:41.59\00:12:44.06
So turn with me in your
Bible to the Book of Acts 9,
00:12:44.06\00:12:49.63
and we're going to be looking
00:12:49.63\00:12:50.70
at a number of important points,
00:12:50.70\00:12:53.03
I think you're going
to see in the lesson here.
00:12:53.03\00:12:55.50
I'm not sure whether or not
00:12:55.50\00:12:56.81
our studio may be
putting up a couple of questions
00:12:56.81\00:12:59.17
that are coming on
this subject online.
00:12:59.17\00:13:01.31
Right, so first,
00:13:01.31\00:13:02.38
he's a persecutor of the church.
00:13:02.38\00:13:03.81
Now he says this
by his own admission,
00:13:03.81\00:13:06.15
you read in 1 Corinthians 1:23,
00:13:06.15\00:13:10.15
it says, "But we
preach Christ crucified,
00:13:10.15\00:13:13.56
to the Jews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks foolishness."
00:13:13.56\00:13:16.99
So the belief in Christ,
00:13:16.99\00:13:18.93
it was a
stumbling block for the Jews
00:13:18.93\00:13:20.73
and Paul was Exhibit A of that.
00:13:20.73\00:13:23.00
How could the
Messiah die on a cross?
00:13:23.00\00:13:25.07
They thought He would be
sitting on the throne of David.
00:13:25.07\00:13:28.80
And you read in Acts 8...
00:13:28.80\00:13:30.91
Now you remember
what happened in Acts 7?
00:13:30.91\00:13:33.54
Who is executed?
00:13:33.54\00:13:35.91
Stephen, he is
tried and executed.
00:13:35.91\00:13:37.81
And who is a witness and
leads out in his execution?
00:13:37.81\00:13:41.85
Saul.
00:13:41.85\00:13:43.15
I know, it gets
confusing 'cause he starts out
00:13:43.15\00:13:44.89
being called Saul,
he's later called Paul,
00:13:44.89\00:13:48.02
and Simon is later called Peter,
00:13:48.02\00:13:50.23
and you've got a few
examples in the Bible
00:13:50.23\00:13:51.79
where people had a
couple of different names.
00:13:51.79\00:13:55.53
And you read in Acts 8:3,
00:13:55.53\00:13:57.70
"As for Saul, he
made havoc of the church."
00:13:57.70\00:14:02.10
Now he is not
persecuting, he is on a rampage.
00:14:02.10\00:14:05.54
He's like a pit bull
locked in a car on a hot day
00:14:05.54\00:14:07.91
that's tearing the seats apart.
00:14:07.91\00:14:09.78
I mean, Paul was on a rampage
going through the church,
00:14:09.78\00:14:13.21
"Entering every house, and
dragging off men and women,
00:14:13.21\00:14:17.89
committing them to prison."
00:14:17.89\00:14:20.36
Now you can read
Paul's own testimony
00:14:20.36\00:14:22.42
about what he did.
00:14:22.42\00:14:23.46
When he's sharing, he
gives a little more detail.
00:14:23.46\00:14:25.56
Acts 22:3,
00:14:25.56\00:14:28.60
he said, "I am indeed a
Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia,
00:14:28.60\00:14:32.57
but I was
brought up in this city
00:14:32.57\00:14:34.27
at the feet of
Gamaliel, taught according
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.60
to the strictness
of our fathers' law,
00:14:36.60\00:14:39.51
and was zealous towards
God as you all are today."
00:14:39.51\00:14:42.94
So what do we know
about his background?
00:14:42.94\00:14:45.81
He grows up, he says
he was a Jew of the Jews.
00:14:45.81\00:14:48.18
He was like
Hebrew of the Hebrews.
00:14:48.18\00:14:50.35
He was Exhibit A of a Pharisee.
00:14:50.35\00:14:53.32
You read in the
book, Acts of the Apostles,
00:14:53.32\00:14:54.99
he actually was
promoted to the Sanhedrin.
00:14:54.99\00:14:58.56
He was probably one
of the youngest members
00:14:58.56\00:15:00.66
of the Sanhedrin.
00:15:00.66\00:15:01.76
You know, they were basically
the Jewish Supreme Court.
00:15:01.76\00:15:06.67
That's the group
that had condemned Stephen
00:15:06.67\00:15:08.87
in the previous chapter.
00:15:08.87\00:15:11.91
Look in Galatians
1:14, again Paul is saying,
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.61
"And I advanced in Judaism
00:15:14.61\00:15:17.51
beyond many of my contemporaries
00:15:17.51\00:15:19.65
and in my own nation,
being more exceedingly zealous
00:15:19.65\00:15:22.88
for the
traditions of my fathers."
00:15:22.88\00:15:25.72
So he says, "Look,
you can't really tell me
00:15:25.72\00:15:28.32
that I don't know what it means
to be a Jew and reach a Jew."
00:15:28.32\00:15:31.26
Said, "I was a Jew of the Jews."
00:15:31.26\00:15:33.56
He said, "I was
just as entrenched
00:15:33.56\00:15:36.36
in anti-Christian
Judaism as anybody could be."
00:15:36.36\00:15:42.20
And then you go to Acts
22, he's showing his testimony.
00:15:42.20\00:15:45.71
I think Paul shares his
testimony of his conversion
00:15:45.71\00:15:48.38
three times in the Bible,
00:15:48.38\00:15:50.35
and he alludes to it
in several of his books.
00:15:50.35\00:15:53.18
What's the one sermon everybody
ought to know how to preach?
00:15:53.18\00:15:58.45
What did Jesus
do for you? Right?
00:15:58.45\00:16:01.26
Your testimony.
00:16:01.26\00:16:03.02
You might say,
"I'm not very good
00:16:03.02\00:16:04.09
at giving Bible studies,
and I can't preach a sermon
00:16:04.09\00:16:07.66
or I'm afraid to teach a class."
00:16:07.66\00:16:09.46
One thing we teach people
00:16:09.46\00:16:10.53
when they come to
our AFCOE training is,
00:16:10.53\00:16:12.93
"Do you have a testimony?"
00:16:12.93\00:16:14.97
They say, "Oh,
well, you know, Pastor,
00:16:14.97\00:16:16.20
I didn't live in a
cave or used drugs or..."
00:16:16.20\00:16:18.67
You have a testimony.
00:16:18.67\00:16:20.01
If you're a
Christian, you have a testimony.
00:16:20.01\00:16:22.18
Your testimony is, "I
was lost and now I am found.
00:16:22.18\00:16:24.75
I was dead and now
I am live. " Right?
00:16:24.75\00:16:27.42
Something happened in your life,
00:16:27.42\00:16:29.52
even if it's as
simple as saying,
00:16:29.52\00:16:31.72
"I made a decision one day
that I don't want to be lost,
00:16:31.72\00:16:34.22
and I gave Jesus my heart."
00:16:34.22\00:16:35.92
Everybody has got a testimony.
00:16:35.92\00:16:37.66
Tell people that,
00:16:37.66\00:16:39.06
someone will always be able
to relate to your testimony.
00:16:39.06\00:16:43.00
So you read in Acts
22, he says in verse 4,
00:16:43.00\00:16:45.70
"I persecuted this Way."
00:16:45.70\00:16:49.30
I remember there
being a translation.
00:16:49.30\00:16:52.67
It wasn't a
translation, a paraphrase Bible
00:16:52.67\00:16:54.34
called "The Way".
00:16:54.34\00:16:55.38
Any of you
remember that version?
00:16:55.38\00:16:57.21
And they get
that from this phrase.
00:16:57.21\00:16:59.31
Christianity was
sometimes called The Way.
00:16:59.31\00:17:02.38
"I persecuted
this Way to the death."
00:17:02.38\00:17:04.52
Now not only did he
cast men and women in prison,
00:17:04.52\00:17:07.36
but what else, by
his own testimony,
00:17:07.36\00:17:08.89
what else did he do?
00:17:08.89\00:17:10.33
He persecuted them to death,
00:17:10.33\00:17:14.23
and not just Stephen.
00:17:14.23\00:17:16.46
Again, I was
reading this morning
00:17:16.46\00:17:17.67
in Acts of the Apostles,
00:17:17.67\00:17:19.20
and there were others where he,
00:17:19.20\00:17:21.60
not only had them
condemned to prison
00:17:21.60\00:17:23.30
but somewhere executed.
00:17:23.30\00:17:25.54
So this where it's
serious as it gets,
00:17:25.54\00:17:28.18
and he had
innocent blood on his hands.
00:17:28.18\00:17:30.65
"I persecuted
this Way to the death,
00:17:30.65\00:17:32.95
binding and
delivering into prisons
00:17:32.95\00:17:35.28
both men and women,
00:17:35.28\00:17:37.19
also the high priest
will bear me witness."
00:17:37.19\00:17:39.95
Now he says this
before the high priest.
00:17:39.95\00:17:41.89
"And all the
council of the elders,
00:17:41.89\00:17:43.59
from whom I also
received letters."
00:17:43.59\00:17:45.93
Now how did he get the
letters to go to Damascus
00:17:45.93\00:17:47.86
to arrest Christians?
00:17:47.86\00:17:49.10
Go to Acts 9,
00:17:49.10\00:17:52.53
"Then Saul,
breathing threats and murder
00:17:52.53\00:17:55.00
against the
disciples of the Lord."
00:17:55.00\00:17:57.67
Well, what does that mean?
00:17:57.67\00:17:59.47
Breathing threats and murders?
00:17:59.47\00:18:01.34
He was just constantly
mumbling under his breath,
00:18:01.34\00:18:03.78
and if anybody
said anything to him,
00:18:03.78\00:18:05.55
he was just filled with hatred.
00:18:05.55\00:18:08.48
Why was Paul so
rabidly against Christians?
00:18:08.48\00:18:13.59
What do you think?
00:18:13.59\00:18:14.69
When a person's under
conviction of the truth,
00:18:18.46\00:18:23.43
one of two things happens.
00:18:23.43\00:18:25.40
They either
surrender to the conviction
00:18:25.40\00:18:27.94
or they become more
entrenched and fight it.
00:18:27.94\00:18:31.11
Have you ever seen that?
00:18:31.11\00:18:33.24
Who will be the
greatest adversaries
00:18:33.24\00:18:37.21
of our church in the last days?
00:18:37.21\00:18:41.48
Those who ones walked
with us that went out.
00:18:41.48\00:18:45.52
Because of the conviction,
00:18:45.52\00:18:46.79
they will become the
fiercest adversaries.
00:18:46.79\00:18:51.16
So Paul is under conviction,
00:18:51.16\00:18:52.39
and so he's
fighting this conviction
00:18:52.39\00:18:53.83
in his conscience by
being even more zealous.
00:18:53.83\00:18:57.73
And it says,
"Breathing threats and murder."
00:18:57.73\00:19:00.60
There, again, you got
not just prison but killing.
00:19:00.60\00:19:03.41
"Against the
disciples of the Lord,
00:19:03.41\00:19:05.31
he went to the high
priest and he asked letters."
00:19:05.31\00:19:08.01
So did the high priest say,
00:19:08.01\00:19:09.08
"Who can we get to
deliver the letters?"
00:19:09.08\00:19:10.51
So Paul say, "Give me documents
00:19:10.51\00:19:13.31
so I have permission
to go to foreign cities."
00:19:13.31\00:19:17.32
And because there was a covenant
00:19:17.32\00:19:18.52
between Rome, and
Jerusalem, and Damascus,
00:19:18.52\00:19:21.89
he could be authorized.
00:19:21.89\00:19:23.89
And the Judaism was
still in good standing
00:19:23.89\00:19:25.96
with Rome back then,
he could get authorization
00:19:25.96\00:19:28.10
to arrest people who
were "part of this cult".
00:19:28.10\00:19:32.23
And so he needed
to get permission.
00:19:32.23\00:19:35.77
"He asked letters
00:19:35.77\00:19:37.61
to go to the
synagogues of Damascus."
00:19:37.61\00:19:39.71
Go where?
00:19:39.71\00:19:41.34
Now why would you go look
for Christians in a synagogue?
00:19:41.34\00:19:45.28
What day of the
week did the Jews meet?
00:19:45.28\00:19:48.35
Sabbath, and
where did they meet?
00:19:48.35\00:19:50.39
Synagogues.
00:19:50.39\00:19:51.95
What day of the week
did the Christians meet?
00:19:51.95\00:19:54.79
Sabbath.
00:19:54.79\00:19:56.29
Nothing says they
had it smothered...
00:19:56.29\00:19:58.26
You know, went
from house to house
00:19:58.26\00:20:00.00
and studied the Word of God,
00:20:00.00\00:20:01.56
but they still kept the Sabbath,
00:20:01.56\00:20:03.90
and they still
gathered with the Jews.
00:20:03.90\00:20:05.90
And so when Paul
wanted to arrested Christians,
00:20:05.90\00:20:07.84
he went to them
the very same place
00:20:07.84\00:20:10.34
and same day that
the Jews worshiped.
00:20:10.34\00:20:13.78
Now some will argue,
00:20:13.78\00:20:14.78
well, the only reason
he went to the synagogues
00:20:14.78\00:20:16.58
is that's where the Christians
were trying to reach the Jews,
00:20:16.58\00:20:19.41
and there's some truth to that.
00:20:19.41\00:20:20.75
When Paul went to a new
city, where did he go first?
00:20:20.75\00:20:23.72
Synagogues, but I submit,
00:20:23.72\00:20:25.95
Christians were
keeping the same day.
00:20:25.95\00:20:28.39
Does that make sense?
00:20:28.39\00:20:30.26
Okay, let's keep going here.
00:20:30.26\00:20:33.09
And it says, as...
00:20:33.09\00:20:36.43
All right, "So he's going
to the synagogues of Damascus.
00:20:36.43\00:20:40.87
So that if he found
any that were of this Way,
00:20:40.87\00:20:43.14
whether men or women,
00:20:43.14\00:20:44.17
he might bring them
bound to Jerusalem."
00:20:44.17\00:20:48.78
He can arrest and
bring them back to Jerusalem.
00:20:48.78\00:20:51.95
"And as he journeyed,
he came near Damascus..."
00:20:51.95\00:20:56.42
And they came over the
hill, perhaps he's on a horse,
00:20:56.42\00:20:59.12
he's got some other with him,
00:20:59.12\00:21:00.32
maybe he's got a
couple of deputies
00:21:00.32\00:21:01.82
that have come with him
or couple of other people
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.49
from the church
that have come and,
00:21:03.49\00:21:06.03
but there is
definitely yet at least two,
00:21:06.03\00:21:08.63
there may have been,
00:21:08.63\00:21:09.70
you know, four or more
people traveling with him.
00:21:09.70\00:21:12.27
And they're looking
at the beautiful valley
00:21:12.27\00:21:13.90
where Damascus is, and
there's a river nearby,
00:21:13.90\00:21:16.14
and it looked very different
00:21:16.14\00:21:17.87
probably then
than it does today.
00:21:17.87\00:21:21.34
"And he sees a
light suddenly..."
00:21:21.34\00:21:23.78
You notice some
things happen suddenly?
00:21:23.78\00:21:27.52
When Elijah and Elisha
were walking together, it says,
00:21:27.52\00:21:30.85
suddenly, a
chariot came out of the sky
00:21:30.85\00:21:34.39
while they were just
walking and talking together.
00:21:34.39\00:21:36.69
How is the Lord coming?
It's going to be suddenly.
00:21:36.69\00:21:39.56
How was the Holy
Spirit poured out?
00:21:39.56\00:21:41.50
They were praying together
in Upper Room, and suddenly...
00:21:41.50\00:21:46.80
So everything looked fine,
00:21:46.80\00:21:47.90
and all of a
sudden, everything changed.
00:21:47.90\00:21:50.94
"Suddenly a light
shone around him from heaven.
00:21:50.94\00:21:54.44
And he fell to the ground,
00:21:54.44\00:21:56.68
and he heard a voice saying,
00:21:56.68\00:21:58.05
'Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting Me?'"
00:21:58.05\00:22:01.75
And later he says, this
was in the Hebrew language.
00:22:01.75\00:22:04.59
Now, why did He
say "Saul, Saul?"
00:22:04.59\00:22:08.49
Why twice?
00:22:08.49\00:22:10.66
Can you think of
anyone else in the Bible
00:22:10.66\00:22:12.49
God calls their name twice?
00:22:12.49\00:22:13.93
I heard someone say.
00:22:17.47\00:22:18.73
There's several men in the
Bible God calls them twice.
00:22:18.73\00:22:22.17
"Abraham, Abraham,"
00:22:22.17\00:22:24.84
"Samuel, Samuel."
00:22:24.84\00:22:27.21
Can you ever find
a place in the Bible
00:22:27.21\00:22:28.64
where God calls a women twice?
00:22:28.64\00:22:31.78
Someone arguing,
00:22:31.78\00:22:32.81
"That's because they
hear the first time."
00:22:32.81\00:22:33.98
But in Hebrew,
00:22:38.52\00:22:40.16
you know, there's different
ways of creating emphasis.
00:22:40.16\00:22:45.96
In Hebrew, the way
they created emphasis
00:22:45.96\00:22:48.36
was by saying something twice.
00:22:48.36\00:22:51.17
How many times did Jesus say
00:22:51.17\00:22:52.73
verily, verily,
meaning truly, truly?
00:22:52.73\00:22:57.81
You and I put exclamation
marks after our words
00:22:57.81\00:23:01.41
or we might raise our voice,
00:23:01.41\00:23:04.01
but for the Hebrews,
00:23:04.01\00:23:05.25
they would do...
00:23:05.25\00:23:06.41
They underlined
things by repeating it.
00:23:06.41\00:23:09.85
And so when He
says, Saul, Saul,"
00:23:09.85\00:23:12.92
He's saying I
have a message for you.
00:23:12.92\00:23:15.59
This is very important.
00:23:15.59\00:23:16.62
"Do I have your attention now?
00:23:16.62\00:23:18.76
Why are you persecuting me?
00:23:18.76\00:23:22.26
He said, 'Who are You, Lord?'"
00:23:22.26\00:23:23.90
Now this is going to
go along with our sermon
00:23:23.90\00:23:26.27
later this morning
00:23:26.27\00:23:27.40
where we're talking about
how you know you're Christian
00:23:27.40\00:23:29.67
because there
are a lot of people
00:23:29.67\00:23:30.97
that think that
they're saved and they're not.
00:23:30.97\00:23:36.04
Isn't that right?
00:23:36.04\00:23:37.48
Did Paul think that
he was serving the Lord?
00:23:37.48\00:23:41.35
Does Jesus say, I
think it's John 16,
00:23:41.35\00:23:44.22
the hour is coming in
which those who kill you
00:23:44.22\00:23:47.89
will think they are
offering service to God.
00:23:47.89\00:23:51.23
Here's Exhibit A,
00:23:51.23\00:23:52.86
Paul thinks he's serving...
00:23:52.86\00:23:53.93
Doesn't he think
he's serving God?
00:23:53.93\00:23:55.76
Who is he really serving?
00:23:55.76\00:23:58.80
Was Paul a church member?
00:23:58.80\00:24:00.90
Were the Jews his people?
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.87
You mean, there can be someone
00:24:02.87\00:24:04.01
who is a member of the
church that's serving the devil,
00:24:04.01\00:24:06.37
and they think
they're serving God,
00:24:06.37\00:24:08.64
but that only
happened back then,
00:24:08.64\00:24:09.81
that could never happen today.
00:24:09.81\00:24:12.75
He says rhetorically.
00:24:12.75\00:24:16.12
Could that happen today?
00:24:16.12\00:24:18.65
Did he think he knew the Lord?
00:24:18.65\00:24:21.39
He thought, "Yeah,
I'm on a mission for God."
00:24:21.39\00:24:23.46
And all of a sudden, he
meets God along the way.
00:24:23.46\00:24:26.66
He says, "You're not
helping Me, you're hurting Me.
00:24:26.66\00:24:30.57
You're not working for Me,
you're working against Me."
00:24:30.57\00:24:34.20
Talk about a convicting moment
to have the God of creation
00:24:34.20\00:24:39.87
call you by name, and say,
00:24:39.87\00:24:43.45
"Why are you persecuting Me?"
00:24:43.45\00:24:46.51
Now Paul was thinking
or Saul, he's thinking,
00:24:46.51\00:24:50.42
"I would never persecute you."
00:24:50.42\00:24:52.42
But what does Jesus say?
00:24:52.42\00:24:53.56
"In as much as you have
done it unto the least of these,
00:24:53.56\00:24:57.16
you've done it" what?
00:24:57.16\00:24:58.69
"Unto me."
00:24:58.69\00:24:59.79
And so when someone persecutes
00:24:59.79\00:25:01.53
one of Jesus' followers,
who is he persecuting?
00:25:01.53\00:25:04.77
He's persecuting
Jesus at the same time.
00:25:04.77\00:25:07.00
"Why are you persecuting Me?"
00:25:07.00\00:25:08.47
Now, when a person goes
through a panic like this,
00:25:08.47\00:25:12.04
how much is going
through their head?
00:25:12.04\00:25:15.88
They say that, you
know, if you face death,
00:25:15.88\00:25:17.78
your whole life
flashes before you.
00:25:17.78\00:25:20.85
And all of a
sudden, the Lord was able,
00:25:20.85\00:25:22.65
I think, to bring
an awareness to Saul
00:25:22.65\00:25:27.79
that he had been
on the wrong side.
00:25:27.79\00:25:29.59
Now one reason this happened,
00:25:29.59\00:25:31.36
and I think one reason God
did something extra for Saul.
00:25:31.36\00:25:35.33
Saul was sincere.
00:25:35.33\00:25:36.60
How many would agree
with Saul was sincere?
00:25:36.60\00:25:39.47
Is sincerity all that matters?
00:25:39.47\00:25:42.67
No, but does it matter?
00:25:42.67\00:25:45.04
I think God looks on the heart.
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.58
Paul, when he saw Stephen
die, and he saw the peace,
00:25:47.58\00:25:52.28
and he saw the dignity,
00:25:52.28\00:25:53.38
and he saw his face
shining like an angel
00:25:53.38\00:25:55.35
there in the assembly,
00:25:55.35\00:25:56.35
and he heard his sermon,
his heart burned, within,
00:25:56.35\00:25:59.89
he was stirred, and
he had a lot of doubts.
00:25:59.89\00:26:02.66
Let me read
something to you from the book,
00:26:02.66\00:26:04.09
Acts of the Apostles
that talks about this.
00:26:04.09\00:26:08.70
"Saul had taken a prominent part
00:26:08.70\00:26:10.97
in the trial and
conviction of Stephen,
00:26:10.97\00:26:13.67
and the striking
evidences of God's presence
00:26:13.67\00:26:16.27
with the martyr had led Saul
00:26:16.27\00:26:17.94
to doubt the
righteousness of the cause
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.91
that he had espoused
against the followers of Jesus."
00:26:19.91\00:26:22.31
He was having doubts.
00:26:22.31\00:26:24.31
"His mind was deeply stirred.
00:26:24.31\00:26:26.95
In his perplexity he
appealed to those in whom
00:26:26.95\00:26:29.72
he thought wisdom and
justice he had full confidence,"
00:26:29.72\00:26:32.52
like the high priest.
00:26:32.52\00:26:34.69
"The arguments of the
priests and the rulers
00:26:34.69\00:26:37.03
finally convinced him
00:26:37.03\00:26:39.09
that Stephen was
just a blasphemer,
00:26:39.09\00:26:41.76
and the Christ whom
the martyred disciple
00:26:41.76\00:26:45.97
had preached was an impostor,
00:26:45.97\00:26:47.80
and those ministering in
holy office must be right."
00:26:47.80\00:26:50.41
He thought, "Well, you
know, they are the pastors,
00:26:50.41\00:26:53.11
they must know.
00:26:53.11\00:26:54.51
How could they be wrong?
00:26:54.51\00:26:56.44
And so that's the mistake
00:26:56.44\00:27:00.25
that happens from time to time.
00:27:00.25\00:27:03.22
All right, so he admits
00:27:03.22\00:27:05.19
that he was a
persecutor of the church.
00:27:05.19\00:27:07.69
Now someone's going to
read for me 1 Timothy 1:13,
00:27:07.69\00:27:11.26
you'll have that?
00:27:11.26\00:27:12.29
All right, just
before you do that,
00:27:12.29\00:27:13.33
I'm going to read Acts 26:11.
00:27:13.33\00:27:15.86
"Indeed, I myself
thought I must do many things
00:27:15.86\00:27:18.83
contrary to the name
of Jesus of Nazareth.
00:27:18.83\00:27:21.57
This I also did in Jerusalem,
00:27:21.57\00:27:23.37
and many of the
saints I shut up in prison,
00:27:23.37\00:27:26.27
having received authority
from the chief priests.
00:27:26.27\00:27:29.04
And when they
were put to death..."
00:27:29.04\00:27:30.65
Does he say when
he was put to death
00:27:30.65\00:27:32.11
or when they were put to death?
00:27:32.11\00:27:35.48
"When they were put to death,
I cast my vote against them.
00:27:35.48\00:27:39.59
And I punished them
often in every synagogue
00:27:39.59\00:27:42.76
and I compelled
them to blaspheme."
00:27:42.76\00:27:45.63
Now what does that mean?
00:27:45.63\00:27:47.23
He would sometimes
force them to deny Christ.
00:27:47.23\00:27:53.94
He became like a
Jesuit inquisitor
00:27:53.94\00:27:57.41
against Christians.
00:27:57.41\00:28:01.51
He said, he persecuted them.
00:28:01.51\00:28:03.14
All right, go ahead
and read first few verse.
00:28:03.14\00:28:05.71
"Although I was formerly
a blasphemer, a persecutor,
00:28:05.71\00:28:09.55
and an insolent man,
00:28:09.55\00:28:11.19
but I obtained mercy
00:28:11.19\00:28:12.35
because I did it
ignorantly in unbelief."
00:28:12.35\00:28:15.52
Now have you ever
heard that song before?
00:28:15.52\00:28:18.59
Chief of sinners though I be
00:28:18.59\00:28:22.63
I can do low in the morning.
00:28:22.63\00:28:25.77
Where do you get the
phrase chief of sinners?
00:28:25.77\00:28:29.34
Paul referred to himself as
a chief of sinners, didn't he?
00:28:29.34\00:28:32.07
Why?
00:28:32.07\00:28:33.21
Because he was
killing Christians,
00:28:33.21\00:28:35.04
he says I...
00:28:35.04\00:28:36.18
It says bad as it get.
00:28:36.18\00:28:37.15
"I got Christians to
blaspheme and deny Christ,
00:28:37.15\00:28:40.45
I put them in
prison, men and women.
00:28:40.45\00:28:42.18
I hunted them down,
I put them to death."
00:28:42.18\00:28:45.95
And then God took somebody
like that and forgave them
00:28:45.95\00:28:49.76
and turned them around.
00:28:49.76\00:28:51.83
Now, it wasn't
without a struggle.
00:28:51.83\00:28:54.83
Matter of fact...
00:28:54.83\00:28:55.83
Well, I'm getting
ahead of myself here.
00:28:55.83\00:28:58.83
God told him that
was going to happen.
00:28:58.83\00:29:00.44
Let me read one more
thing, Philippians 3:6,
00:29:00.44\00:29:03.37
"Concerning zeal..."
00:29:03.37\00:29:04.97
It says, "If you want
to know about my zeal,
00:29:04.97\00:29:06.64
persecuting the church,
00:29:06.64\00:29:08.44
concerning the righteousness
of the law, blameless."
00:29:08.44\00:29:11.28
According to the law,
00:29:11.28\00:29:13.18
I was blameless.
00:29:13.18\00:29:14.52
He says, "I was living
to the letter of the law."
00:29:14.52\00:29:17.82
All right, now on
the Damascus road, says,
00:29:17.82\00:29:20.02
he was going
down, and he has this...
00:29:20.02\00:29:22.22
He sees the light.
00:29:22.22\00:29:23.26
Have you ever
heard the expression,
00:29:23.26\00:29:24.96
"He saw the light."
00:29:24.96\00:29:27.13
Have you ever
heard the expression,
00:29:27.13\00:29:28.46
"He had a
Damascus road experience."
00:29:28.46\00:29:31.70
Of course, that
all comes from this.
00:29:31.70\00:29:33.84
Now, does
everybody in their conversion
00:29:33.84\00:29:36.47
have a Damascus road experience?
00:29:36.47\00:29:39.41
No.
00:29:39.41\00:29:40.58
Is that the norm
or the exception?
00:29:40.58\00:29:44.31
Was Paul looking for Jesus?
00:29:44.31\00:29:46.35
He didn't know he was.
00:29:46.35\00:29:48.08
It is hard, maybe he
was trying to justify it.
00:29:48.08\00:29:53.69
"Search for me
and you'll find me."
00:29:53.69\00:29:56.39
But, you know, God
actually intervenes
00:29:56.39\00:29:59.33
in some people's
lives to save them.
00:29:59.33\00:30:01.10
Matter of fact,
00:30:01.10\00:30:02.30
Paul was on his way to
Damascus to hunt Christians,
00:30:02.30\00:30:04.60
and Jesus stops
him like a blockade.
00:30:04.60\00:30:08.87
I see many times in the Bible
where God interrupts a person
00:30:08.87\00:30:12.71
to try to save them.
00:30:12.71\00:30:14.68
He gets in their way.
00:30:14.68\00:30:17.05
Have you ever had
the Lord get in your way?
00:30:17.05\00:30:19.11
You're trying to
do something wrong
00:30:19.11\00:30:20.25
and He tries to get in
your way through circumstances,
00:30:20.25\00:30:22.28
all of a sudden,
grandma calls on the phone says,
00:30:22.28\00:30:24.39
"I feel impressed to
pray for you or something."
00:30:24.39\00:30:26.99
You know, God
just gets in your way.
00:30:26.99\00:30:29.06
How many of you remember
00:30:29.06\00:30:30.09
the story of
Naaman and the leper?
00:30:30.09\00:30:33.03
And he got mad when Elisha
would not come out and see him
00:30:33.03\00:30:36.33
but he sent his servant, said,
"Go wash in the Jordan River."
00:30:36.33\00:30:38.57
So he storms off to go home.
He's going back to Damascus.
00:30:38.57\00:30:42.50
And on his way back to Damascus,
00:30:42.50\00:30:44.04
he has to ride
by the Jordan River,
00:30:44.04\00:30:47.34
and the Lord was
getting in his way.
00:30:47.34\00:30:51.21
He kept hearing,
"Wash in the Jordan,
00:30:51.21\00:30:52.95
wash in the Jordan,
wash in the Jordan."
00:30:52.95\00:30:54.65
Finally, his servants could see
00:30:54.65\00:30:56.25
that he had
slowed down a little bit.
00:30:56.25\00:30:57.45
They said, "Why don't you do it?
00:30:57.45\00:30:58.89
You've tried everything else."
His servants got in the way.
00:30:58.89\00:31:02.56
God does things
to try to keep us
00:31:02.56\00:31:04.93
from destroying ourselves.
00:31:04.93\00:31:07.23
The cross stands in our path
00:31:07.23\00:31:11.63
as an obstacle to
our self-destruction.
00:31:11.63\00:31:15.67
Jesus is always
trying to keep us
00:31:15.67\00:31:19.67
from our self-destruction.
00:31:19.67\00:31:21.04
And so the Lord did
something special here
00:31:21.04\00:31:23.71
for Paul and got in his way.
00:31:23.71\00:31:24.98
Now there is a problem.
00:31:24.98\00:31:27.35
And a lot of
people have noticed.
00:31:27.35\00:31:29.28
If you look here in
his testimony, he says,
00:31:29.28\00:31:33.92
"The Lord said, 'I am
Jesus who you are persecuting."'
00:31:33.92\00:31:37.19
Now, can you imagine the shudder
00:31:37.19\00:31:39.23
that went through
Paul when Jesus said,
00:31:39.23\00:31:41.86
"I am Jesus."
00:31:41.86\00:31:46.03
It's like where
Jehovah says, "I am that I am."
00:31:46.03\00:31:49.47
And Jesus said,
"Before Abraham was, I am."
00:31:49.47\00:31:52.77
And they took up
stones to stone Christ.
00:31:52.77\00:31:55.08
So whenever Jesus says, "I am,"
00:31:55.08\00:31:57.91
that's a pretty
prominent statement.
00:31:57.91\00:32:00.62
"I am Jesus who
you are persecuting.
00:32:00.62\00:32:03.75
Is it hard for you to
kick against the pricks,"
00:32:03.75\00:32:06.15
where it says in the King James,
00:32:06.15\00:32:07.59
if you've got
the New King James,
00:32:07.59\00:32:08.99
it says, "kick
against the goads."
00:32:08.99\00:32:11.09
Growing up in New York City,
00:32:11.09\00:32:12.23
I didn't know what
either of those things meant.
00:32:12.23\00:32:15.13
But when you used
to move oxen along,
00:32:15.13\00:32:17.53
we didn't do that in New York.
00:32:17.53\00:32:19.27
When you move oxen
along, you have a prong,
00:32:19.27\00:32:23.14
you might have a sharp stick,
00:32:23.14\00:32:24.21
you might have a
couple little prongs
00:32:24.21\00:32:25.54
on the end of it
00:32:25.54\00:32:26.57
and now they've
got these cow prods,
00:32:26.57\00:32:29.54
it's a pole that's
full of the batteries
00:32:29.54\00:32:32.65
and you press a
button, and you'll get
00:32:32.65\00:32:34.15
two little
probes on the end of it
00:32:34.15\00:32:36.48
and that cow
will jump pretty high
00:32:36.48\00:32:39.22
when you, you touch on to
them, and you press the button,
00:32:39.22\00:32:41.92
it just, it does something
where it amplifies the voltage
00:32:41.92\00:32:45.69
and it gives it
like a 200 volt shock
00:32:45.69\00:32:50.50
and that means move.
00:32:50.50\00:32:52.73
And so when you're
trying to get the oxen to pole
00:32:52.73\00:32:55.07
or to plow and they
weren't moving very fast,
00:32:55.07\00:32:57.07
you had this sharp stick,
00:32:57.07\00:32:58.21
and they used to just
poke their flanks a little bit.
00:32:58.21\00:33:02.08
And then that
sometimes they kick it
00:33:02.08\00:33:05.28
and they cut themselves on
the goad kicking against it.
00:33:05.28\00:33:09.22
And so this is in America,
if Jesus had appeared to Paul
00:33:09.22\00:33:13.42
and He was on His
way to Sacramento,
00:33:13.42\00:33:15.12
He might have
said, "Is it hard for you
00:33:15.12\00:33:16.52
to hit your head
against the wall?"
00:33:16.52\00:33:17.99
We all understand that, right?
00:33:17.99\00:33:20.30
What he was doing, he's saying,
00:33:20.30\00:33:22.13
"You're just fighting
the guidance of the Lord."
00:33:22.13\00:33:25.17
The person was trying to guide
00:33:25.17\00:33:26.60
and direct the ox
with the little goad
00:33:26.60\00:33:28.94
and he's kicking against
it and he's hurting himself.
00:33:28.94\00:33:32.54
And so Jesus uses
this illustration.
00:33:32.54\00:33:35.58
So He trembling and astonished
00:33:35.58\00:33:39.58
said, "Lord,"
immediately, he calls Him Lord,
00:33:39.58\00:33:41.48
he's not going to
argue with Him, is he?
00:33:41.48\00:33:43.72
"What do You want me to do?"
00:33:43.72\00:33:45.49
That's one of the
signs of conversion.
00:33:45.49\00:33:47.06
What's one of the
first thing that happens
00:33:47.06\00:33:48.42
when you have an
encounter with Jesus?
00:33:48.42\00:33:52.29
"What should I
do? What is Your will?
00:33:52.29\00:33:54.63
Where do I go from here?"
00:33:54.63\00:33:56.40
So I've heard
preachers say before
00:33:56.40\00:33:59.00
that when you're converted
and you come to Christ,
00:33:59.00\00:34:01.04
there's nothing you can do.
00:34:01.04\00:34:02.17
The first thing you
want to know is what do I do.
00:34:02.17\00:34:05.34
Of course, there's
something you can do.
00:34:05.34\00:34:07.21
Even if it's believed,
that's doing something, right?
00:34:07.21\00:34:10.38
People say, "There's
nothing you can do but believe."
00:34:10.38\00:34:12.25
Well, that's something.
00:34:12.25\00:34:14.18
And so immediately the response
00:34:14.18\00:34:16.52
when you have an
encounter with Jesus,
00:34:16.52\00:34:17.92
you realize you've
been doing your own will,
00:34:17.92\00:34:19.92
you've been going
against God's will.
00:34:19.92\00:34:21.36
You want to know,
Lord, what is Your will?
00:34:21.36\00:34:23.19
What do You want me to do?
00:34:23.19\00:34:25.13
And shouldn't that be the
desire of every Christian?
00:34:25.13\00:34:27.76
Find out best
what pleases the Lord,
00:34:27.76\00:34:29.53
discover what His will is.
00:34:29.53\00:34:31.27
Isn't that why
we study the Word?
00:34:31.27\00:34:32.73
Yes.
00:34:32.73\00:34:33.77
Not everyone that
says, "Lord, Lord,
00:34:33.77\00:34:35.67
but they that do
the will of My Father."
00:34:35.67\00:34:39.07
And so Paul was saying, "Lord,
what do You want me to do?"
00:34:39.07\00:34:42.48
And the Lord said,
00:34:42.48\00:34:43.91
"I'm not going to
tell you everything.
00:34:43.91\00:34:46.21
I'll tell you the next step."
00:34:46.21\00:34:48.92
Isn't that interesting?
00:34:48.92\00:34:50.22
He said, "I'm
going to use a human.
00:34:50.22\00:34:52.09
I've made a
special appearance here,
00:34:52.09\00:34:54.39
but I'm not going to continue
to give you a verbal guidance.
00:34:54.39\00:34:58.16
I'm going to do
that through people
00:34:58.16\00:34:59.69
because that's My
designed normal method."
00:34:59.69\00:35:02.56
He said, "You go to Damascus
00:35:02.56\00:35:05.90
and someone will
tell you what to do."
00:35:05.90\00:35:08.40
So he trembling in a
style and he says that,
00:35:08.40\00:35:10.94
"Arise and go to the city.
00:35:10.94\00:35:12.71
You had a mission in Damascus,
00:35:12.71\00:35:14.08
it's just going to
change a little bit.
00:35:14.08\00:35:16.08
You're going to do
mission work for the devil,
00:35:16.08\00:35:17.58
now you're going to
do mission work for me."
00:35:17.58\00:35:20.55
"And the men who
journeyed with him
00:35:20.55\00:35:22.88
stood speechless hearing a voice
00:35:22.88\00:35:25.72
but seeing no one."
00:35:25.72\00:35:27.32
Now that's a little
problem because look in Acts 22.
00:35:27.32\00:35:32.66
"And those who are with me."
00:35:32.66\00:35:33.76
Paul is telling
the story, he says,
00:35:33.76\00:35:35.56
"Those who are with
me, indeed, saw the light
00:35:35.56\00:35:37.90
and were afraid but
they did not hear the voice."
00:35:37.90\00:35:40.70
Now wait a second,
00:35:40.70\00:35:41.77
we just read in
Acts 9 where it says,
00:35:41.77\00:35:44.37
"They heard a voice but
they didn't see anybody."
00:35:44.37\00:35:47.28
Here it says, "They saw a light,
00:35:47.28\00:35:48.38
they didn't hear anything."
00:35:48.38\00:35:50.45
How many of you
have seen this before?
00:35:50.45\00:35:54.48
Is there an answer? I think so.
00:35:54.48\00:35:58.62
First of all what
he's saying is in Acts 22,
00:35:58.62\00:36:04.83
to hear something doesn't
mean just to hear it audibly,
00:36:04.83\00:36:07.00
it means to understand it.
00:36:07.00\00:36:08.86
Let me illustrate that.
00:36:08.86\00:36:10.00
Use the Bible to
interpret the Bible.
00:36:10.00\00:36:11.70
Go to John 12:28,
00:36:11.70\00:36:15.97
Jesus says,
"Father, glorify Your name."
00:36:15.97\00:36:22.38
Jesus says,
'Father, glorify Your name.'
00:36:22.38\00:36:24.75
Then a voice came
from heaven saying,
00:36:24.75\00:36:26.58
'I have both glorified it
and I will glorify it again.'"
00:36:26.58\00:36:29.15
So he hears this
voice from heaven.
00:36:29.15\00:36:31.59
"And therefore the people
who stood by and heard it,
00:36:31.59\00:36:34.32
they said that it had thundered,
00:36:34.32\00:36:36.69
others said an
angel had spoken to him."
00:36:36.69\00:36:38.69
Could they tell
what was said that day?
00:36:38.69\00:36:41.53
Some heard it.
00:36:41.53\00:36:42.86
That's why John wrote it down,
00:36:42.86\00:36:43.97
others heard thunder,
someone said it was an angel.
00:36:43.97\00:36:47.00
They didn't
really understand it.
00:36:47.00\00:36:49.64
And that depend upon the person.
00:36:49.64\00:36:51.04
So the men who were with him,
00:36:51.04\00:36:52.41
first of all, there's more
than one man, one might say,
00:36:52.41\00:36:54.31
"I heard something, but
I didn't understand it."
00:36:54.31\00:36:56.18
Another one might
say, "I heard a light,
00:36:56.18\00:36:57.28
but I don't know what it
was, things got brighter."
00:36:57.28\00:37:01.05
And so he's just saying,
they were sort of clueless
00:37:01.05\00:37:03.79
about what was going on.
00:37:03.79\00:37:05.55
So, I know, it
sounds like a contradiction
00:37:05.55\00:37:08.06
but really they're
saying the same thing.
00:37:08.06\00:37:10.06
Now they did hear something,
00:37:10.06\00:37:11.69
but they couldn't understand it.
00:37:11.69\00:37:13.56
They did see a light,
but they didn't see anyone.
00:37:13.56\00:37:16.60
That's all he's saying.
00:37:16.60\00:37:18.80
Paul wouldn't, of
course, not contradict himself.
00:37:18.80\00:37:21.24
So you can read his testimony
00:37:21.24\00:37:24.77
in Acts 26:14.
00:37:24.77\00:37:29.48
"When we had all
fallen to the ground,
00:37:29.48\00:37:31.88
I heard a voice speaking to me
00:37:31.88\00:37:33.28
and saying in
the Hebrew language,
00:37:33.28\00:37:35.68
'Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting me?'
00:37:35.68\00:37:39.79
He said, 'Who are you, Lord?'"
00:37:39.79\00:37:41.06
Now the answer
Jesus gives in Acts 26
00:37:41.06\00:37:44.19
is more than you find in Acts 9.
00:37:44.19\00:37:47.96
So when Luke records
the conversion of Paul,
00:37:47.96\00:37:51.07
he doesn't record
everything Jesus said to Paul
00:37:51.07\00:37:53.84
You read Paul's own
testimony, he expands on it.
00:37:53.84\00:37:57.57
That's not unusual.
00:37:57.57\00:37:58.64
Sometimes a person gives
00:37:58.64\00:37:59.71
the condensed
version of the story.
00:37:59.71\00:38:01.38
Listen to what
Jesus said to Paul
00:38:01.38\00:38:02.98
in the Acts 26:14 version.
00:38:02.98\00:38:06.05
Actually starts in verse 15,
00:38:06.05\00:38:09.32
"I am Jesus, who
you are persecuting.
00:38:09.32\00:38:12.55
But rise and stand on your feet
00:38:12.55\00:38:14.79
for I have appeared
to you for this purpose,
00:38:14.79\00:38:17.63
to make you a
minister and a witness,
00:38:17.63\00:38:20.20
both of the
things that you have seen
00:38:20.20\00:38:22.50
and the things that I
will yet reveal to you.
00:38:22.50\00:38:25.20
I will deliver you
from the Jewish people,
00:38:25.20\00:38:27.57
as well as from the gentiles
to who I am now sending you
00:38:27.57\00:38:31.21
to open their eyes in order."
00:38:31.21\00:38:33.14
And this is one of the
greatest verses in the Bible.
00:38:33.14\00:38:35.78
"To turn them
from darkness to light
00:38:35.78\00:38:38.65
and from the
power of Satan to God
00:38:38.65\00:38:41.32
that they may
receive forgiveness of sins
00:38:41.32\00:38:44.15
and an inheritance among those
00:38:44.15\00:38:46.19
who are
sanctified by faith in Me."
00:38:46.19\00:38:49.82
Amen. That is a great verse.
00:38:49.82\00:38:52.09
The whole message of salvation
is encompassed in that verse.
00:38:52.09\00:38:57.17
Do you hear it?
What does God want to do?
00:38:57.17\00:39:00.64
"Open our eyes, turn
us from darkness to light,
00:39:00.64\00:39:04.11
from the power of Satan,
00:39:04.11\00:39:05.41
where you're just a
captive to your sins,
00:39:05.41\00:39:07.41
to get the power of
God, the Holy Spirit,
00:39:07.41\00:39:09.91
that you might be
forgiven of your sins
00:39:09.91\00:39:12.21
and you might
have an inheritance,
00:39:12.21\00:39:13.92
you can look forward
to being in the kingdom
00:39:13.92\00:39:15.88
among those who
are sanctified," how?
00:39:15.88\00:39:18.15
"By faith in Christ."
00:39:18.15\00:39:20.32
Isn't that a great verse?
00:39:20.32\00:39:22.46
You see, He told
Paul, "What I want you to do
00:39:22.46\00:39:23.89
and I'm going to
tell you the message."
00:39:23.89\00:39:25.43
Everything Paul ever did
was summarized in this message.
00:39:25.43\00:39:28.96
And by the way,
00:39:28.96\00:39:30.03
part of his
preaching was that...
00:39:30.03\00:39:34.47
you remember when
Elymas the sorcerer,
00:39:34.47\00:39:39.17
he was turning
away Sergius Paulus
00:39:39.17\00:39:42.21
and Paul said, "You're
going to be blind now."
00:39:42.21\00:39:45.48
He struck him with
blindness because of that.
00:39:45.48\00:39:48.58
You get the battle
between light and darkness.
00:39:48.58\00:39:51.39
And then what
happened to Paul's vision
00:39:51.39\00:39:53.32
after he saw the Lord?
00:39:53.32\00:39:57.09
He had some kind of cataracts
or something that took place.
00:39:57.09\00:40:00.50
So let me keep reading.
00:40:00.50\00:40:01.53
Go back to Acts 9,
00:40:01.53\00:40:03.33
and someone's
going to read for me
00:40:03.33\00:40:06.63
1 Corinthians
9:1 in just a moment.
00:40:06.63\00:40:10.81
You got that. Okay.
00:40:10.81\00:40:14.04
So if you go back to Acts
9, so trembling and astonished,
00:40:14.04\00:40:19.18
then you see
here, go to verse 8,
00:40:19.18\00:40:21.28
"Saul arose from the ground,
00:40:21.28\00:40:22.72
and when his eyes
were opened he saw no one."
00:40:22.72\00:40:25.35
All he could see...
00:40:25.35\00:40:26.42
Ever see a bright light
00:40:26.42\00:40:27.46
and the only thing you
see is that light is left.
00:40:27.46\00:40:29.99
"But they led him by the
hand, he's suddenly blind."
00:40:29.99\00:40:33.83
Does Jesus talk about
the blind leading the blind?
00:40:33.83\00:40:37.30
Paul starts out on
his way to Damascus,
00:40:37.30\00:40:39.30
he thinks I've got
great spiritual light,
00:40:39.30\00:40:41.30
I'm a Pharisee of the Pharisees,
00:40:41.30\00:40:42.84
here let me lead
you guys to Damascus
00:40:42.84\00:40:44.57
and I'll show you what to do.
00:40:44.57\00:40:46.34
And after he sees
Jesus, he realizes he's blind,
00:40:46.34\00:40:48.38
they're leading him now.
00:40:48.38\00:40:50.78
Interesting.
00:40:50.78\00:40:54.42
And so they let him by the hand,
00:40:54.42\00:40:55.68
they brought him into Damascus,
00:40:55.68\00:40:56.95
and he was three
days without sight.
00:40:56.95\00:40:59.25
He neither ate nor drank.
00:40:59.25\00:41:02.02
And so, he was going
through a real struggle there.
00:41:02.02\00:41:07.56
Now some...
00:41:07.56\00:41:08.83
Paul in his letters,
00:41:08.83\00:41:09.86
he later refers to
himself as an apostle.
00:41:09.86\00:41:13.30
What was the
criteria of being an apostle?
00:41:13.30\00:41:17.54
Do we have apostles today?
00:41:17.54\00:41:18.91
Well, and Bible says, "He's
appointed these in the church,
00:41:23.95\00:41:26.38
apostles, prophets."
00:41:26.38\00:41:28.55
But have you ever had anyone
00:41:28.55\00:41:30.29
in our church introduce
themselves to you and say,
00:41:30.29\00:41:32.05
"Hi, I'm Apostle Batchelor?"
00:41:32.05\00:41:33.36
No, because there were people
who were leaders in the church,
00:41:37.73\00:41:41.33
and they kind of held
these offices of leadership.
00:41:41.33\00:41:44.20
But the ones who are apostles
00:41:44.20\00:41:46.23
were specifically people
who had actually seen Jesus.
00:41:46.23\00:41:50.51
So Paul sometimes had a
dispute with some of the church,
00:41:50.51\00:41:52.61
they said, "You're
not really an apostle."
00:41:52.61\00:41:54.01
He said, "Oh, yes, I am."
00:41:54.01\00:41:55.74
Why? Go ahead
and read that for us.
00:41:55.74\00:41:58.61
"Am I am not an apostle?
00:41:58.61\00:42:01.02
am I not free?
00:42:01.02\00:42:02.85
have I not seen
Jesus Christ our Lord?
00:42:02.85\00:42:06.76
are not ye my work in the Lord?"
00:42:06.76\00:42:10.49
So Paul is telling the readers,
00:42:10.49\00:42:12.23
he's saying, "Look,
I have every much right
00:42:12.23\00:42:14.00
to be an apostle as the others."
00:42:14.00\00:42:15.90
He said, "Jesus
met me personally.
00:42:15.90\00:42:19.30
He spoke to me.
00:42:19.30\00:42:20.94
He called me just like He
called Peter and the others,
00:42:20.94\00:42:24.14
except He did it from heaven."
00:42:24.14\00:42:26.64
But on many occasions,
the Lord appeared to Paul.
00:42:26.64\00:42:30.58
Matter of fact, Paul was
caught up to the third heaven.
00:42:30.58\00:42:32.55
He refers to it as another man,
00:42:32.55\00:42:34.28
but most believe
it was actually him.
00:42:34.28\00:42:36.55
And another time the Lord
appeared to Jesus, He said,
00:42:36.55\00:42:38.69
"I have many
people in the city."
00:42:38.69\00:42:40.86
And so he had a
pretty good relationship.
00:42:40.86\00:42:43.66
He was a prophet.
00:42:43.66\00:42:44.73
And the Lord appeared to
him on several occasions.
00:42:44.73\00:42:46.43
And so he was
definitely an apostle.
00:42:46.43\00:42:49.53
Did the apostles prematurely
pick a replacement for Judas?
00:42:49.53\00:42:52.90
That's a good question.
00:42:52.90\00:42:54.64
You remember, when in Acts 1,
00:42:54.64\00:42:56.91
when they pick
someone to replace Judas,
00:42:56.91\00:42:58.41
did they prematurely
pick a replacement for Judas
00:42:58.41\00:43:01.38
when God's plan was for
Paul to be the 12th apostle.
00:43:01.38\00:43:06.08
Well, you never
hear from Matthias again.
00:43:06.08\00:43:08.48
They pick between two
men, Matthias was chosen.
00:43:08.48\00:43:10.95
You never hear his name
mentioned again in the Bible.
00:43:10.95\00:43:14.82
But little later, you do see
00:43:14.82\00:43:16.22
Paul becomes
extremely prominent writing,
00:43:16.22\00:43:18.53
you know, like, almost
00:43:18.53\00:43:19.79
a third of the New
Testament after that.
00:43:19.79\00:43:22.46
And some have wondered,
maybe they were jumping the gun,
00:43:22.46\00:43:24.30
but I think they were
meant to do what they did
00:43:24.30\00:43:26.94
because
immediately after you have
00:43:26.94\00:43:29.70
the 12th missing
apostle replaced,
00:43:29.70\00:43:32.14
and they've got
the number 12 again.
00:43:32.14\00:43:34.31
The Holy Spirit is poured out.
00:43:34.31\00:43:36.24
It's the next
thing that happens.
00:43:36.24\00:43:37.35
It's like there was
something needed to be complete
00:43:37.35\00:43:39.98
and that number
12 was important.
00:43:39.98\00:43:41.78
There were 120
in the upper room,
00:43:41.78\00:43:43.52
which is 10 times
that or, you know, it's 12.
00:43:43.52\00:43:47.06
And so there's some
special significance there.
00:43:47.06\00:43:51.49
I think that the
144,000 are connected
00:43:51.49\00:43:54.50
with 12 times
12 in the last days
00:43:54.50\00:43:56.20
when the latter
rain is poured out.
00:43:56.20\00:43:58.50
So I would not dismiss it.
00:43:58.50\00:44:01.30
I don't think the church leaders
00:44:01.30\00:44:02.60
should always cast lots
00:44:02.60\00:44:03.87
when we have board
meetings and make decisions.
00:44:03.87\00:44:07.44
Would you agree with that?
00:44:07.44\00:44:08.91
But they were the whole...
00:44:08.91\00:44:10.45
They were the apostles,
00:44:10.45\00:44:11.61
they had spent
10 days in praying.
00:44:11.61\00:44:13.25
We believe that they were
following God's guidance there.
00:44:13.25\00:44:18.49
And so that's a good question.
00:44:18.49\00:44:22.56
Someone is asking, "Is it
true that the teachings of Paul
00:44:22.56\00:44:25.36
are contrary to the
teachings of Jesus?"
00:44:25.36\00:44:27.56
Now you might be
surprised by the question,
00:44:27.56\00:44:29.00
but there are actually
theologians that say that.
00:44:29.00\00:44:31.67
They say, "Well,
Paul says one thing
00:44:31.67\00:44:32.87
and Jesus says another."
00:44:32.87\00:44:34.67
For example...
No, I don't believe.
00:44:34.67\00:44:36.54
I believe that Paul...
00:44:36.54\00:44:37.91
His teachings are
consistent with Jesus.
00:44:37.91\00:44:39.34
But I'm telling you why
some people believe that.
00:44:39.34\00:44:41.78
Do the apostles
say, "Abstain from idols.
00:44:41.78\00:44:44.78
Don't eat those things
which are sacrificed to idols?"
00:44:44.78\00:44:47.95
And then Paul says,
"The idol is nothing.
00:44:47.95\00:44:50.42
If it's going to
make your brother stumble,
00:44:50.42\00:44:52.09
don't do it.
00:44:52.09\00:44:53.46
But otherwise it doesn't matter.
00:44:53.46\00:44:55.66
Pray over it and God
will bless your food."
00:44:55.66\00:44:59.03
And so some people say,
00:44:59.03\00:45:00.13
"Well, he's teaching
something different."
00:45:00.13\00:45:01.50
No, he's
teaching the same thing.
00:45:01.50\00:45:02.66
He's explaining the reason
the apostle said not to do it
00:45:02.66\00:45:05.50
is it makes people stumble.
00:45:05.50\00:45:06.90
If you're with someone
that's going to stumble
00:45:06.90\00:45:09.34
and then, you know, there
are some other areas where,
00:45:09.34\00:45:11.57
even Peter.
00:45:11.57\00:45:13.78
Peter said,
00:45:13.78\00:45:17.01
"As our beloved brother..."
00:45:17.01\00:45:18.08
This is 2 Peter 3.
00:45:18.08\00:45:20.22
He says, "Even as
our beloved brother
00:45:20.22\00:45:21.75
Paul has written to
you, in all his epistles,
00:45:21.75\00:45:24.69
saying in them some things
that are hard to understand,
00:45:24.69\00:45:28.46
which those who are unlearnt,
and unstable rest, twist
00:45:28.46\00:45:33.03
as they do the other scriptures
00:45:33.03\00:45:35.60
to their own destruction."
00:45:35.60\00:45:36.56
Peter refers to
Paul's writing as scripture.
00:45:36.56\00:45:40.30
And so...
00:45:40.30\00:45:41.34
But he said
there are some things
00:45:41.34\00:45:42.50
that are
difficult in Paul's writing.
00:45:42.50\00:45:44.84
Now why were some things
that Paul wrote difficult?
00:45:44.84\00:45:48.58
Because he was the most
educated of the disciples.
00:45:48.58\00:45:53.15
And the theologians get deeper.
00:45:53.15\00:45:56.02
And so, now, he's got
some of the richest things,
00:45:56.02\00:45:58.15
but no, it's all in
harmony with the Bible.
00:45:58.15\00:45:59.92
Okay, we're going to
get back to the lesson here.
00:45:59.92\00:46:01.99
And...
00:46:01.99\00:46:03.02
Oh, man, look at a
clock, I better hurry up.
00:46:03.02\00:46:06.19
So let's go right to the
Bible, want us to read this.
00:46:06.19\00:46:11.70
It says, "He was
three days without sight.
00:46:11.70\00:46:13.54
He neither ate nor drank."
00:46:13.54\00:46:16.74
That's what you
call a severe fast,
00:46:16.74\00:46:18.47
no food or water, he
is in great repentance.
00:46:18.47\00:46:21.64
He's not only
been fighting the Lord,
00:46:21.64\00:46:22.98
he now sees he's got
innocent blood on his hands.
00:46:22.98\00:46:26.75
Now, he thinks
he's gone too far,
00:46:26.75\00:46:29.18
maybe he remembers
the story of Manasseh,
00:46:29.18\00:46:31.49
who was forgiven.
00:46:31.49\00:46:33.36
"Now there was
a certain disciple
00:46:33.36\00:46:35.06
at Damascus named Ananias..."
00:46:35.06\00:46:37.36
Unlike Ananias and
Sapphira, this is a good guy.
00:46:37.36\00:46:40.90
"And to him the Lord
says in a vision, 'Ananias.'"
00:46:40.90\00:46:43.23
He's just a disciple,
God gives him a vision.
00:46:43.23\00:46:46.10
"Here I am, Lord."
00:46:46.10\00:46:47.47
Like Samuel.
00:46:47.47\00:46:48.97
"So the Lord says to him,
00:46:48.97\00:46:49.97
'Arise and go to the
street called Straight.'"
00:46:49.97\00:46:52.74
Where do conversions happen?
00:46:52.74\00:46:53.91
On Straight Street.
00:46:53.91\00:46:55.44
"And inquire at
the house of Judas
00:46:55.44\00:46:57.75
for one called Saul
of Tarsus, for behold..."
00:46:57.75\00:47:00.98
Now, isn't this interesting?
00:47:00.98\00:47:02.55
You got an Ananias,
who at one point was bad,
00:47:02.55\00:47:05.09
but there's a good one here.
00:47:05.09\00:47:06.72
And you've got a Judas,
00:47:06.72\00:47:08.19
who at one point
in the Bible was bad,
00:47:08.19\00:47:09.86
but he's good here.
00:47:09.86\00:47:10.93
And then you got a Saul,
00:47:10.93\00:47:12.46
who commits suicide
in the Old Testament,
00:47:12.46\00:47:14.10
but this Saul becomes good.
00:47:14.10\00:47:16.06
So it's like telling us
00:47:16.06\00:47:17.03
about conversions can
happen among bad people,
00:47:17.03\00:47:19.30
just the names that
are all mentioned here.
00:47:19.30\00:47:23.37
"He is praying."
00:47:23.37\00:47:25.07
Does God see when we pray?
00:47:25.07\00:47:27.21
He says, "Behold, he's praying."
00:47:27.21\00:47:28.58
God says, "I'm not answering him
00:47:28.58\00:47:30.25
but I'm answering you
that I see him praying."
00:47:30.25\00:47:33.45
"And in a vision he is
now seeing a man named Ananias
00:47:33.45\00:47:36.79
coming in and
putting his hand on him,
00:47:36.79\00:47:38.89
so that he might
receive his sight."
00:47:38.89\00:47:40.69
Now, Ananias
protests a little bit.
00:47:40.69\00:47:41.96
"He says, 'Lord, I have
heard from many about this man,
00:47:41.96\00:47:45.49
how much harm he has done
to Your saints at Jerusalem.'"
00:47:45.49\00:47:48.20
Paul had a reputation already.
00:47:48.20\00:47:50.37
"And he is now here
00:47:50.37\00:47:51.43
with authority
from the chief priests
00:47:51.43\00:47:52.77
to bind all who
call on Your name.
00:47:52.77\00:47:56.04
But the Lord said to him,
00:47:56.04\00:47:57.17
'Go, for he is a chosen
vessel of Mine to bear My name
00:47:57.17\00:48:01.84
before the gentiles, kings,
and the children of Israel.
00:48:01.84\00:48:05.18
For I will show
him how many things
00:48:05.18\00:48:07.05
he must suffer for My sake.'"
00:48:07.05\00:48:08.78
Paul would do some
of the greatest work
00:48:08.78\00:48:10.55
of any Christian
missionary in history,
00:48:10.55\00:48:13.09
and he also suffered greatly.
00:48:13.09\00:48:15.52
So when you think, I want
to do great things for God,
00:48:15.52\00:48:18.33
do you know what you're asking?
00:48:18.33\00:48:21.23
How does God
prepare His vessels?
00:48:21.23\00:48:23.83
Puts them in the
fire and bakes them.
00:48:23.83\00:48:26.27
And, I remember,
I went to school,
00:48:26.27\00:48:28.70
and I had a
teacher that taught us
00:48:28.70\00:48:29.80
how to make porcelain.
00:48:29.80\00:48:31.24
We start out with
clay, and then we glaze it,
00:48:31.24\00:48:33.14
and then we put it
in, and we bake it.
00:48:33.14\00:48:35.14
So that's how God
prepares His vessels.
00:48:35.14\00:48:38.41
So Ananias, he obeys.
00:48:38.41\00:48:40.12
He goes to Straight
Street and there's Saul blind.
00:48:40.12\00:48:43.82
He enter the house,
he lays his hands on him.
00:48:43.82\00:48:46.39
He says, "Brother
Saul, the Lord Jesus,
00:48:46.39\00:48:48.86
who appeared you on
the road, has sent me
00:48:48.86\00:48:51.39
that you might
receive your sight
00:48:51.39\00:48:52.79
and be filled
with the Holy Spirit."
00:48:52.79\00:48:55.03
And immediately...
00:48:55.03\00:48:56.16
You notice that how many
times they laid hands on people
00:48:56.16\00:48:58.30
and they were filled
with the Holy Spirit?
00:48:58.30\00:49:00.64
The apostles went
to Samaria, we read,
00:49:00.64\00:49:02.70
they laid hands on them,
00:49:02.70\00:49:03.77
and they were filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:49:03.77\00:49:05.84
This is one of the
things that they did.
00:49:05.84\00:49:08.71
Immediately there fell from
his eyes something like scales.
00:49:08.71\00:49:12.95
It's like these
cataracts had blinded him
00:49:12.95\00:49:14.65
that maybe from
his vision of Christ
00:49:14.65\00:49:16.28
had scorched his eyes.
00:49:16.28\00:49:17.82
They fell off and he
received his sight at once,
00:49:17.82\00:49:21.06
and he rose,
and he was baptized.
00:49:21.06\00:49:22.86
Now many speculate his
sight was never perfect
00:49:22.86\00:49:25.43
from that point on
00:49:25.43\00:49:27.13
because he often just mentions
struggling with his vision.
00:49:27.13\00:49:31.17
So when he received food,
00:49:31.17\00:49:33.77
he was strengthened.
00:49:33.77\00:49:35.47
Then Saul spent some days
with the disciples at Damascus,
00:49:35.47\00:49:38.81
and immediately
he preached Christ.
00:49:38.81\00:49:41.74
What's one of the
first things you want to do
00:49:41.74\00:49:43.18
after you're converted?
00:49:43.18\00:49:44.85
You start telling other people.
00:49:44.85\00:49:46.45
He preaches
Christ in the synagogues
00:49:46.45\00:49:48.48
that He is the Son of God,
00:49:48.48\00:49:50.19
then all who heard
him were amazed and said,
00:49:50.19\00:49:53.25
"Is this not he
00:49:53.25\00:49:54.66
who destroyed those who
call in the name of Jesus?
00:49:54.66\00:49:57.86
And he's come
here for that purpose
00:49:57.86\00:49:59.53
that he might bring them
bound to the chief priests."
00:49:59.53\00:50:02.83
And Saul increased
all the more in strength
00:50:02.83\00:50:05.33
and confounded the
Jews, who dwelt in Damascus,
00:50:05.33\00:50:08.20
proving that this
Jesus was the Christ.
00:50:08.20\00:50:11.21
Can the Holy Spirit
teach you more in five minutes
00:50:11.21\00:50:15.24
than all the higher institutions
00:50:15.24\00:50:17.08
of learning can in five years?
00:50:17.08\00:50:20.58
All of a sudden when the
Spirit of the Lord came to him,
00:50:20.58\00:50:23.18
those three days he was praying,
00:50:23.18\00:50:24.55
all the scriptures that he
knew all started making sense.
00:50:24.55\00:50:28.76
And he also studied beyond that.
00:50:28.76\00:50:32.79
So he starts to preach.
00:50:32.79\00:50:34.10
Well, now they plot,
here's the Jews in Damascus,
00:50:34.10\00:50:37.10
his own church
members tried to destroy him.
00:50:37.10\00:50:39.97
So he has to escape.
00:50:39.97\00:50:41.80
"After many days,
they plotted to kill him."
00:50:41.80\00:50:44.54
I'm in verse 23,
00:50:44.54\00:50:47.84
"But their plot
became known to Saul,
00:50:47.84\00:50:50.05
and they watched the gates
day and night to kill him."
00:50:50.05\00:50:53.35
There's several occasions
00:50:53.35\00:50:54.82
where they are
sworn to kill Saul.
00:50:54.82\00:50:57.92
But didn't God
protect him over and over?
00:50:57.92\00:50:59.95
He protected him.
00:50:59.95\00:51:01.66
"And they led him
down through the wall
00:51:01.66\00:51:03.39
in a large basket."
00:51:03.39\00:51:05.09
Does that remind us that
God can save a basket case?
00:51:05.09\00:51:09.06
"And when Saul
had come to Jerusalem,
00:51:09.06\00:51:10.87
he tried to join the disciples,
00:51:10.87\00:51:12.23
but the church
is afraid of him."
00:51:12.23\00:51:14.47
At this point, I mean,
he had a bad reputation.
00:51:14.47\00:51:17.14
But Barnabas...
00:51:17.14\00:51:18.24
You know Barnabas' name means?
00:51:18.24\00:51:20.88
Bar means son of, Barnabas
means son of consolation.
00:51:20.88\00:51:25.18
He was a consoling person.
00:51:25.18\00:51:27.42
He took him in,
00:51:27.42\00:51:28.82
he brought him to
the apostles, he said,
00:51:28.82\00:51:30.05
"You can trust him.
00:51:30.05\00:51:31.09
He's really converted.
00:51:31.09\00:51:32.12
He's not a spy,
he's not infiltrating."
00:51:32.12\00:51:35.29
And he declared to them how
he'd seen the Lord on the road,
00:51:35.29\00:51:38.26
and how he'd spoken to him,
00:51:38.26\00:51:40.00
and then where he had
preached boldly at Damascus
00:51:40.00\00:51:42.10
in the name of Jesus.
00:51:42.10\00:51:43.40
So he was with
them at Jerusalem,
00:51:43.40\00:51:45.43
coming in and going out, now,
00:51:45.43\00:51:47.04
he's freely
mingling with the church,
00:51:47.04\00:51:48.97
and he spoke boldly in
the name of the Lord Jesus,
00:51:48.97\00:51:51.84
and disputed
against the Hellenist
00:51:51.84\00:51:53.48
like Stephen had done,
00:51:53.48\00:51:54.54
the very one that
he killed for doing it,
00:51:54.54\00:51:57.25
but they
attempted to kill him also.
00:51:57.25\00:52:02.45
And when the
brethren found that out,
00:52:02.45\00:52:05.62
they brought him to Caesarea
and sent him to Tarsus."
00:52:05.62\00:52:06.86
They said, "You
better get out of town."
00:52:06.86\00:52:08.12
They want to save his life.
00:52:08.12\00:52:09.46
While here you've
got a wonderful story
00:52:09.46\00:52:11.43
of the dramatic
conversion of Paul.
00:52:11.43\00:52:15.66
It was so
radical that, at first,
00:52:15.66\00:52:17.20
the church
couldn't even believe it.
00:52:17.20\00:52:19.83
And the first thing Paul
did after he was converted,
00:52:19.83\00:52:22.30
he starts to reach
people right where he is.
00:52:22.30\00:52:25.47
When you come to the Lord,
are you supposed to then go off
00:52:25.47\00:52:27.41
to a mission field or reach
people right where you are.
00:52:27.41\00:52:30.55
And that's what he did.
00:52:30.55\00:52:31.85
Well, we have run out
of time for today's lesson.
00:52:31.85\00:52:33.92
I want to remind you
that we do have a free offer.
00:52:33.92\00:52:35.95
It's called Riches of His Grace.
00:52:35.95\00:52:38.19
It talks about conversion.
00:52:38.19\00:52:39.72
And you can get free
offer here by calling,
00:52:39.72\00:52:42.42
that's one way, and
ask for offer number 152.
00:52:42.42\00:52:45.46
Call 866-788-3966.
00:52:45.46\00:52:48.83
We'll be happy
to send that to you.
00:52:48.83\00:52:49.90
That's 866-Study-More,
00:52:49.90\00:52:51.60
and again, ask
for offer number 152.
00:52:51.60\00:52:54.47
And the screen will even
show you a way you can text
00:52:54.47\00:52:57.37
and get your free
copy of that book.
00:52:57.37\00:52:58.87
If you've not read that
before, you'll be blessed by it.
00:52:58.87\00:53:02.34
Just text the code "SH056"
00:53:02.34\00:53:05.85
and here's the number to 40544,
00:53:05.85\00:53:09.35
and you can even
download a copy right now.
00:53:09.35\00:53:11.25
Thank you for
studying with us, friends.
00:53:11.25\00:53:12.62
God willing, we'll study His
Word together again next week.
00:53:12.62\00:53:15.46
God bless you.
00:53:15.46\00:53:17.69
Can't get enough
Amazing Facts Bible Study?
00:53:17.69\00:53:20.60
You don't have to
wait until next week
00:53:20.60\00:53:22.23
to enjoy more
truth-filled programming.
00:53:22.23\00:53:24.93
Visit the Amazing Facts
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00:53:24.93\00:53:30.04
At aftv.org,
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you can enjoy video
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Visit aftv.org.
00:53:42.88\00:53:45.62
For over 60 years,
00:54:00.54\00:54:01.84
Jeepneys have been the
virtual king of the road
00:54:01.84\00:54:04.17
here in the Philippines.
00:54:04.17\00:54:05.71
These unique vehicles
00:54:05.71\00:54:06.98
that are festive
with colorful stickers,
00:54:06.98\00:54:09.04
lights, and chrome have grown
00:54:09.04\00:54:10.85
into the chief source of
transportation in the country.
00:54:10.85\00:54:13.78
Let's go.
00:54:13.78\00:54:14.85
These iconic four-wheel-drive
military vehicles
00:54:19.32\00:54:22.22
made by the Willys
Company were known as Jeeps
00:54:22.22\00:54:25.13
because it stood
for general purpose.
00:54:25.13\00:54:27.93
But it also
came from a character
00:54:27.93\00:54:30.03
in a Popeye cartoon
00:54:30.03\00:54:32.07
that was known
as Eugene the Jeep.
00:54:32.07\00:54:34.44
He was an imaginary dog
00:54:34.44\00:54:35.74
that could crawl across
the ceilings and the walls,
00:54:35.74\00:54:38.07
and these jeeps
could go anywhere.
00:54:38.07\00:54:40.04
When the Americans
left the Philippines
00:54:40.04\00:54:41.84
following World War II,
00:54:41.84\00:54:43.65
it was just
cheaper for them to leave
00:54:43.65\00:54:45.21
these thousands of
military vehicles behind
00:54:45.21\00:54:47.42
rather than to transport
them back to the States.
00:54:47.42\00:54:49.92
The creative Filipino people
00:54:49.92\00:54:51.92
modified these military vehicles
00:54:51.92\00:54:53.89
by extending the
frame about six feet.
00:54:53.89\00:54:56.36
They added a
couple of cozy inventions
00:54:56.36\00:54:58.29
that are designed to
carry about 18 people.
00:54:58.29\00:55:01.46
They put a cab over it
00:55:01.46\00:55:02.56
to prevent the
water from coming in,
00:55:02.56\00:55:05.27
but I've seen what
looks like 20 to 25 people
00:55:05.27\00:55:08.20
hanging on every possible
edge and ledge of a Jeepney.
00:55:08.20\00:55:11.51
They're jumping
off, they're jumping on
00:55:11.51\00:55:13.41
as it goes through
congested Manila traffic.
00:55:13.41\00:55:17.75
Every Jeepney is
little bit different.
00:55:17.75\00:55:20.15
Some are just held together
00:55:20.15\00:55:21.45
with patches of
daily wire and bubblegum,
00:55:21.45\00:55:23.75
a little bit of duck tape.
00:55:23.75\00:55:25.42
Some are little
more ornate and modern,
00:55:25.42\00:55:27.16
they've got chrome
and stainless steel.
00:55:27.16\00:55:29.66
And there's good reason
that the ceilings are padded.
00:55:29.66\00:55:31.86
When one of the local Filipinos
wants to ride on a Jeepney,
00:55:35.10\00:55:37.90
they just flag them down,
00:55:37.90\00:55:39.13
they shout,
they tap on the hood,
00:55:39.13\00:55:40.70
and then they jump on board.
00:55:40.70\00:55:42.37
They may not even
slowdown when they do this.
00:55:42.37\00:55:44.91
Then they pay about 8 pesos
00:55:44.91\00:55:46.88
which is
equivalent of 16 cents for us.
00:55:46.88\00:55:49.54
It's by far the
most economical way
00:55:49.54\00:55:51.51
to get around in the country.
00:55:51.51\00:55:52.71
Some Jeepneys are even equipped
with an old emergency privy.
00:55:57.72\00:56:00.79
One little
downside to the Jeepneys is
00:56:03.86\00:56:05.86
because the cabs
are open like this,
00:56:05.86\00:56:07.96
they're not air-conditioned,
it gets very hot in summertime
00:56:07.96\00:56:10.93
and all the fumes
from the street coming in
00:56:10.93\00:56:13.47
which can make it an
exhausting experience.
00:56:13.47\00:56:17.11
One of the
downside of the Jeepney
00:56:17.11\00:56:18.51
is they don't have all of
the modern safety features,
00:56:18.51\00:56:21.14
no seatbelts.
00:56:21.14\00:56:22.41
You have to take
advantage of the padding
00:56:22.41\00:56:24.11
if you hit a hard bump.
00:56:24.11\00:56:25.61
And if there is
a serious accident,
00:56:25.61\00:56:27.48
there is no airbags
00:56:27.48\00:56:28.75
other than the friends that
might be sitting around you.
00:56:28.75\00:56:31.29
And that's the
upside of the Jeepney
00:56:31.29\00:56:33.19
because you're up close
and personal with everybody,
00:56:33.19\00:56:35.69
you make some new friends.
00:56:35.69\00:56:37.63
Riding on a
Jeepney requires teamwork.
00:56:37.63\00:56:39.96
If you buy something
from one of the vendors,
00:56:39.96\00:56:41.93
you all sort of pass
it back to each other.
00:56:41.93\00:56:43.90
And when
passengers get on board,
00:56:43.90\00:56:45.97
you just pass
your money upfront.
00:56:45.97\00:56:47.57
Thanks a lot.
00:56:53.34\00:56:54.41
Friends, it's safe to
say there are no two Jeepneys
00:56:58.41\00:57:01.35
that are exactly the same.
00:57:01.35\00:57:03.08
They're all unique and
distinct and so are you.
00:57:03.08\00:57:06.69
Have you ever felt that you
get lost in a massive humanity
00:57:06.69\00:57:10.03
and God doesn't notice you?
00:57:10.03\00:57:11.76
The Bible tells us
that He knows your name,
00:57:11.76\00:57:13.73
the very hairs of
your head are numbered
00:57:13.73\00:57:15.60
and He hears your prayers.
00:57:15.60\00:57:17.23
More than that, the Lord wants
to take you to His kingdom,
00:57:17.23\00:57:20.34
you just have to get on board.
00:57:20.34\00:57:21.97
Did you know
that Noah was present
00:57:35.78\00:57:37.62
at the birth of Abraham?
00:57:37.62\00:57:39.35
Okay, maybe he
wasn't in the room,
00:57:39.35\00:57:41.96
but he was alive
00:57:41.96\00:57:43.06
and probably telling
stories about his floating zoo.
00:57:43.06\00:57:46.66
From the creation of the world
00:57:46.66\00:57:48.06
to the last day
events of Revelation,
00:57:48.06\00:57:50.47
biblehistory.com
is a free resource
00:57:50.47\00:57:53.10
where you can explore major
Bible events and characters.
00:57:53.10\00:57:56.50
Enhance your
knowledge of the Bible
00:57:56.50\00:57:58.51
and draw closer to God's Word.
00:57:58.51\00:58:00.94
Go deeper, visit
biblehistory.com.
00:58:00.94\00:58:04.05