 Let's begin reading here in Acts chapter 9 at verse 10 I'll read verses 10 through 19 And we'll get into our study this evening. Acts chapter 9 beginning at verse 10 reading to verse 19 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias and Him the Lord said in a vision Ananias and He said here I am Lord So the Lord said to him arise and go to the street called straight and Inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold. He is praying and In a vision. He has seen a man named Ananias coming in and Putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight Then Ananias answered and and he said Lord I've heard from many about this man how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem and Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name But the Lord said to him go for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake And Ananias went his way and entered the house and lain his hands on him. He said brother Saul The Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me That you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once and here Rosen was baptized and When he had received food He was strengthened then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus We've been looking at the amazing miraculous Conversion of Saul of Tarsus a man who hated Christians in Christianity With such a deep passion that he actually literally was breathing out Threatening towards those were followers of Christ And as we have looked at his Transformation we've seen how how God has such a powerful way of reaching into people's lives and Transforming him this man hated believers He considered them blasphemous and deserving of punishment and he also Considered it his his holy duty to find them wherever they were and To bring them back to Jerusalem in order that they might stand trial Now in Acts 22 he's sharing about his attitude and all concerning this and he says in Acts 22 4 and 5 I persecuted this way to the death Binding and delivering into prisons both men and women as Also the high priest bears me witness and all the counsel of the elders from whom I also received letters to the brethren and went to Damascus to bring in chains Even those who were there in Jerusalem to be punished. That was his testimony in chapter 26 of Acts verse 11 He said I punished them often in every synagogue Compel them to blaspheme and being exceedingly enraged against them. I Persecuted them even to foreign cities. He wasn't content to try and rid them from the city of Jerusalem This was a man who obtained letters of authority to go all the way into Damascus, Syria And any that he would find along the way to take putting chains bring back and try as heretics as he was on his way to Damascus, Syria Jesus had appeared to him and Well, he Saul was on his way to arrest believers Jesus arrested him and Jesus spoke to him. We saw it in verse 4 how he had said Saul Why are you persecuting me? Now Saul had been denying everything about Jesus He had been saying things of Jesus His teachings and all and he was saying that they're incorrect But he especially would have rejected his resurrection and now the resurrected one is manifesting himself to Saul He's letting him see who he is You know when you read the book of Revelation in chapter 1 it says at verse 8 the Lord speaking Jesus speaking He says I am he who lives and was dead behold. I am alive forevermore And so Saul was denying that Jesus Christ was a resurrected one and yet the one who he's denying the one who's compelling others to blaspheme concerning This is the one who appears to him on the road to Damascus and lets him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's alive and That the preaching of the cross and the resurrection is absolutely true and as he's speaking to him He's saying why are you persecuting me? You see in persecuting mine in persecuting my people you are actually persecuting me How do I put that in a way that we all understand? I think we all could understand that most likely do understand that but as I think about this It's kind of like this if you if you love one of my children If you were to approach me and say You know, I really love your son. I love your daughter I love your grandbabies if you said that to me you're loving me You're loving me because I love them and that to me is a very important thing for you to care about my kids And if somebody says you know what I just love your children that touches my heart But if someone does wrong to them, it's just not that they're doing wrong to them They're doing harm to me because they're mine and when Jesus is speaking to Saul Why are you persecuting me? Who are you Lord that I'm persecuting? I'm Jesus and when you persecute one of those who belong to me, Saul, don't you understand? You're persecuting me. You're persecuting me It's not me in other words alone that you're rejecting Saul in reality You are rejecting me in John 15 18 Jesus said if the world hates you You know that it hated me before it hated you and so the hatred that was being I was rushing out towards believers Was not simply directed to the people themselves, but Jesus said no in reality. You're rejecting me. You're not just Rejecting them. You're rejecting me along with them as a matter of fact. You're really rejecting me And so when this happened Paul would later on use this in his ministry To share concerning his credentials in ministry you see Seeing the risen Christ was a requirement to be an apostle Remember in chapter 1 here in the book of axel we saw in verses 21 and 22 therefore of these men Who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us beginning from the baptism of John to that day When he was taken up from us one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection And so that was one of the credentials of the apostle Paul because When he was writing to the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 1 he said this he said am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? In 1st Corinthians 15 8 It reads last of all he appeared to me Also, this is one of the ways of validating Whether a person was really an apostle Just this just this week. I had a conversation with someone He was saying to me that They had been in conversation with someone who was saying to them that the church they go to is pastored by an apostle And uh, I said really and I said, you know, many people are using that term today. They're calling it apostolic ministry I said, but they're not reading their bibles Because one of the validations or the credentials that an individual you would utilize In reference to an apostolic call was that they were eyewitnesses of the risen lord and savior jesus christ They also were used to to write scripture And so an individual who's calling himself an apostle Is incorrect. He's not an apostle. What he is is a false prophet, but that's something else. No, i'm just teasing you Someone's writing that down. They're just using it. They're They're utilizing a Position that's improper. There's there are no apostles today not in the biblical sense Now jesus Had in an unmistakable way hunted down saul And he caught him He revealed himself to saul Saul was converted to faith in him a man Who was breathing out threatening A man and we're going to see this in a moment Who who with all of his strength and all of his will if all of everything within him And this to me is really important. I want to lay this down for you A man who was willing to go anywhere To persecute believers became a man Who was willing to go anywhere To make believers What an amazing conversion and you say within yourself Does that happen to this day and the answer is yes, of course it does maybe not in the magnitude of a saul Let's face it. There was one saul But at the same time does god still do that? Absolutely Just this last week. I had asked you last week if you would please remember some of you perhaps did Could you remember us in prayer? We're having a calvary chapel pastors conference. We just finished it It just concluded today. So monday tuesday and into today into wednesday of this week We had a calvary chapel pastors conference and and i'm part of a council I'm part of the leadership over the over the entire calvary chapels throughout the world And I have several friends who are part of what is called the calvary chapel association council And several of us were on a platform answering questions For pastors and leaders in the calvary chapel movement and as i was seated there On this panel. We're just sitting in in in chairs and all and in answering questions I'm looking across at raw wreaths You want to talk about somebody breathing out threatenings? And everybody who knows roll knows this testimony amazing testimony of the grace of god an amazing testimony Violent man a man who wanted to kill his own wife and children. It's well documented an amazing Transformation from a man who hated to a man who is he can't even speak anymore without tearing up about He's very tender. God has done and i'm watching him and i'm thinking look at God has done And and and there's jeff johnson jeff johnson's a pastor of calvary chapel in downy jeff johnson was a crazy man loved his Drop an acid loved taking acid. He would he would run naked in the jungles of of hawaii You load it on acid. He was correct. He still does that in church. That's a different story, but But i'm there's jeff, you know and and mike macintosh is seated next to me. This is a man who was so Wild with acid. He just loved acid and he would drop Megatabs he was always loaded Somebody approached him And he was in it in a desert And the guy had a 45 and put it next to his head. Well, he was loaded on acid And pulled the trigger If you've heard the sound of a 45, that's a loud loud weapon And he thought his head had been blown off He thought half of his head He literally because he was loaded on acid Believe that half of his head had been blown off and it was just some freak miracle that he was able to Continue to function in some ways And he went to calvary chapel of costa mesa for prayer And he walked up to pastor chuck and there was a couple of other men there elders in the church And he approached chuck smith and he said chuck could you pray for me? I only have half a head And chuck's looking at him thinking no, I think it's all gone. No, he's And pastor prayed for him And macintosh became one of the most magnificent evangelists to this day Still traveling the world for jesus christ and as as i'm i'm sitting in this panel I'm looking at crazy men and and i'm looking who got right with god I'm looking at men that i was speaking to during during the uh conference gangsters Guys who spent years in prison Guys who were violent in every way drug runners People people that that if you knew their testimony you wouldn't even sit next to him in church Let alone listen to him preach the gospel And that's what god does with the gospel. He transforms lives. There's there's there's no other way for it to happen That's what happens That's what that's what happens when jesus arrests you That's what happens. He turned around 180 degrees. You were going in this direction, but he rescues you turns you around You still retain your personality You still retain the zeal and things I mean the man who was breathing out Threatening against those who believed in jesus became the man who was breathing out the grace of god towards those who Were yet to know him. He still has that power. He still made a he still had that power in his In his personality to go out and to debate when necessary and to speak when necessary and and to give up his life Which he ultimately did when it was necessary God still does this by the way that's why we that's why the whole theme of our Conference this this week the last three days has been stay true to the word of god Stay true to the word of god. It is the power of god into salvation to all who believe To all who believe there's no way to talk somebody into being a better person You cannot talk me into loving the unlovely But god can through his word god can show me what love is god can evidence his love towards me God can pour his holy spirit in my life And god can transform me from being a hater into somebody who loves other people because that's what the Gospel of jesus christ does and that's what he did in the life of solif tarsus A man who hated a man. You wouldn't want to be in the same room with Because he would have taken you put you in chains taking you to jerusalem Witnessed against you to die and gloried in it thinking he did god service When he said who are you lord? The lord said i'm jesus and i'm the one you're persecuting And it's hard for you to kick against the goats the goats when you look at A an animal will say a donkey or an ox that's pulling a cart The goats were those sharp sticks that were on that cart on a wagon And it was intended to keep that beast from backing up You're you're fighting against what i'm doing You're kicking against those goats and and so when when they speak we saw this already But we'll move into um verse 10 in second remember in verse 6 he was trembling He was astonished and in the ask that question. What do you want me to do? Who are you is what he first said? Then he said what do you want me to do? And i pointed out that his surrender was complete He submitted And so the lord gave him a command he said rise going to the city you'll be told what you must do What should i do go to the city you will be told so in verse 10 There was a certain disciple at demascus named ananias And to him the lord said in a vision ananias And he said here i am lord You see the lord had done a work in saul In in in that time of of blindness and fasting he wanted to know What am i to do about the lord jesus christ and in that time of going through a personal thing He was struck blind and and even as it says in verse 9 he was three days without without sight He neither ate nor he drank and so He's going through this this time of of blindness of and that would lead to to a sense of isolation That would lead you to a place of introspection And he'd be wondering what is it that i've gone through and what's going on So he's rethinking if you will how he felt about jesus and this must have been a shocking experience for him The one who is expecting to enter into demascus kind of as a powerful and fearsome individual being led by the hand And now placed in a in in isolation if you will blind and considering what is going on It says in first timothy he said this concerning himself in first timothy 1 13 through 15 Even though i was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man I was shown mercy because i acted in ignorance and unbelief The grace of our lord was poured out on me abundantly Along with the faith and love that are in christ jesus Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance Christ jesus came into the world to save sinners Of whom i am the worst That's what he came to realize he came To save sinners I am the chief Broken in the way that he was God crushed salt And as a result He arose from the ashes a great man of god One of my favorite writers and if you pick up his material And listen to what he says it has a very prophetic ring to it aw tozer One of my favorite writers probably my favorite writer have to be honest with you. I like tozer very much A man who never had a very large church at all A man that if you listen to him They they have tapes you you can actually go to tozer library and you can listen to him preach And if if you're insomniac you you'll go to sleep. I mean He's very Very monotone bottom line Very monotone prophetic Prophetic and aw tozer said this and I love this quote It is doubtful whether god can bless a man greatly Until he has hurt him deeply That's meat I just gave you some meat That's deep How can god use a man greatly He must first hurt him deeply absolutely There's no doubt about that. He removes from you everything you trust in Until all you have to trust in is him And when that happens now you become a mature saint in the things of the lord As long as you're relying on other things you're not relying on him And the lord has a way of taking from us those things that matter so much To replace them with the things that matter the most Keep that in mind And that's what happened was Saul he thought he was doing the right thing And he and the lord said no you're persecuting me You're doing the wrong thing And so he goes to Damascus And there a man named ananias is Now we know that ananias is a genuine follower of jesus who is living in Damascus now I'll very briefly say this this is not the same ananias we already saw in chapter five of course This ananias is in Damascus And is a devoted follower of god who had come to faith in jesus christ Again in the book of acts paul mentions this in chapter 22 verse 12 Where he said a man named ananias came to see me He was a devout observer of the law highly respected by all the jews living there So he's spoken of ananias is spoken of as a highly devoted and greatly respected man The gospel Has its greatest impact When it is given by those who live it Keep that in mind. That's a very basic thing. Isn't it? There There are so many who are turned off Turned away from the gospel not because of the message But because of the messenger The person who is giving the gospel Isn't living the gospel and the world can see hypocrisy And the world responds to hypocrisy is one of the most odious odors in a person's nostril hypocrisy Who likes to be around it? And yet when somebody said oh you need jesus and yet they don't live as if they do Why would I listen to you? What do you have to offer me and if it's so important? Why aren't you living it? You really ought to live it before you give it that kind of thing Now that of course is not to say you have to be perfect to be a preacher of course not There's nobody perfect who's preaching except for me. You know that No No, i'm not saying that I I do not believe nor do I teach in sinless perfectionism, of course not We all sinners in the need of the in need of the grace of god Every one of us every moment of our life not one of us is better than the next of course not we all sin fall short of the grace of god But at the same time You live appropriately You live worthy of the gospel of jesus. You preach a gospel of transformation. You first part take in So you share and you live for jesus ananias was one of those men that was highly respected highly respected And thus He was used by the lord in a mighty way. You see his spotless life made the gospel believable if you will Now I want you to notice something here. This to me is very enlightening You see again in verse 10 The lord said in a vision ananias Now what will you do If in the middle, you know, you're sleeping and all of a sudden you hear your name called You know, would you look around saying who is that? This is interesting if it doesn't sound like my wife Just marie and I live in that house if it doesn't sound like marie. I'm probably going to get scared I'm probably going to say honey. There's somebody calling you Don't see who it is That shows to us familiarity He recognizes the voice He recognizes the voice remember when young samuel was there with elie and how The lord spoke samuel and samuel kept getting up and walking to elie the priest and saying you called I didn't call you go back to bed goes back samuel Gets up. Did you call me? I didn't call you go back to bed Then he does it again. That's the lord speaking to you Listen And so that's not the case here When the lord speaks to ananias Ananias responds immediately here. I am lord. What's that tell us that tells us that he is familiar with that voice That's what it tells us not only that but it also shows to us. He's obedient This is what is really demonstrating that he's a genuine follower. Remember john 10 27 where jesus said My sheep hear my voice And I know them and they follow me So the lord is speaking now notice again in verse 10 he speaks to him in what is called a vision What is a vision? Well vision has been defined as what we would call today a waking dream It's it's a waking dream in which god gives a revelation an insight or spiritual direction You see that in the old testament genesis 15 1 give you a couple of examples of this Genesis 15 1 after these things the word of the lord came to abraham in a vision Saying fear not abraham. I'm your your shield. You're exceeding great reward or numbers 12 verse 6 He said hear now my words if there is a prophet among you I the lord will make myself known to him in a vision I will speak to him in a dream So the lord would use though that methodology in the old as well as in the introduction of the new testament Obviously Today seeing that we have the the bible anything that is Of such an experience will always be Tested by the word of god and so just keep that in mind in this particular case Ananias has fellowship with the lord he recognizes his voice and speaks to him here. I am lord Verse 11 the lord said to him Arise and go to the street called straight and inquire at the house of judas for one called solif tarsis For behold he is praying And in a vision he has seen a man named ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive His sight And so he makes it clear that this is a man that he ought not to be afraid of because notice what he says Behold he is praying That gives us insight by the way into what sol has been doing for the last three days Now somebody said Undoubtedly he was confessing his sin And coming to understand god's grace Because this shocking experience Would be meditated upon And even later on would speak concerning how god showed him this mercy in verse 12 It says in a vision he has seen a man named ananias coming in and putting his hand on him So that to us gives to us insight into a couple of things and one would be the tenderness that was shown towards sol He had been given a hope for healing and the lord was speaking that to him He's going to come in and he's going to lay hands on you sol This is how you know this is the one that i've sent to you In Psalm 118 verses 18 through 21 listen to what the psalm has said The lord has chastened me severely But he has not given me over to death Open for me the gates of righteousness I will enter and give thanks to the lord This is the gate of the lord Through which the righteous may enter I will give you thanks for you answered me You have become my salvation And so he's going to enter in and lay hands on you now as this is taking place Notice of verse 13 ananias answered Um Lord I've heard from many about this man How much harm he's done to your saints in jr Here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name In other words, you know, you're busy lord running the universe and you may not be up on current events You don't seem to realize that this is a dangerous man You don't seem to understand that if I go in and attempt to lay hands on him That he more than likely will lay hands on me And the way you want me to lay hands on him is not the way he's going to lay hands on me thus I need to give you an update. You know, you probably haven't used google yet Concerning this man He's a monster You know, have you ever have you ever tried to instruct the lord concerning What he directs you to do have you ever tried to inform me my half I have I I think that's probably one of my habits in prayer Is to try and explain to him the situation in order that he might see my way is the best way Just empower me as I do it and it'll be cool You know, that's what's going on with this man here. I just need to inform you concerning him He's a very dangerous man And by the way the danger that this man poses is a danger I'm concerned about for my own life for my own welfare And thus perhaps you you want to rethink this commissioning and us maybe send somebody else No, the lord has better plans than that You see Ananias as he's questioning the lord is basically saying, you know, this could be suicide And not only that But all ministry my ministry in particular Could stop Because when we read in chapter 8 of acts verse 3 it had said Saul made havoc of the church Entering every house dragging off men and women women coming committing them to prison And so this is a dangerous man. So what does the lord say, you know, I thanks for letting me know I truly appreciate it Now verse 15 the lord said to him go For he is a chosen vessel of mine To bear my name before Gentiles kings and the children of israel Notice verse 16 for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake He's a chosen vessel of mine you see Notice in verse 15 the lord said to him go God's call is not up to men God's call is God's call He chose Saul And did not ask Ananias for input God made the choice He said no, this is a chosen vessel of mine Ananias is thinking there are so many others Why this man? But God has his ways doesn't he? God has his plans Again at the pastor's conference just this week Talk into some of the men And I love to hear other pastors as they Think out loud about the grace of God in their life and all of us Have the same kind of testimony almost all of us, which is Wow, look what God has done look what Look what God has done for so many years for so many years I taught bible studies to three people four people If we had five or six in the room I was rejoicing It's packed. I'm serious It's packed Look at that Every chair is taken. We only have three chairs, but every chair is I think the first bible study that my wife Marie who was not yet my girlfriend Came to maybe the front room may have been eight by eight by ten. Maybe There may have been six or seven people there And you didn't listen did you? And I was blessed Because you're never going to ministry for numbers You never do You go into ministry because there's nothing else you could do or would ever want to do Telling people about Jesus, right? That's how it works Ananias is thinking no, there are so many others out there Let me inform you concerning how bad this man is And the Lord says no, we're not debating this the call isn't yours Ananias It's mine So you go And you do what I'm telling you to do For this man is a chosen vessel of mine. And by the way, you're concerned about how he has harmed others Let me share with you that part of what's going to happen in his life is he will suffer greatly He will be broken And he will be used mightily He will be broken At my hand So you pray for him That he might go out and do what god has called him to do again God's call is not up to men It's up to god When paul was writing in the book of galatians in the introduction in chapter one the very first verse This is what he wrote paul an apostle sent not from men Nor by man But by jesus christ And god the father Who raised him from the dead he knew his calling was from god and not from man He had said in verse 16. I will show him how many things he must suffer for my namesake Somebody wrote he would not merely profess repentance But would manifest the sincerity of it By encountering trials and reproaches for his sake You see the new testament chronicles so many of his sufferings paul writes concerning this in second carinthians in chapter 11 verses 24 through 27 listen to some Of what he went through as he was writing in second carinthians, which is my favorite new testament book outside of the gospels In second carinthians paul is attacked by detractors And no less than 21 times When you read through second carinthians in 13 chapters, you will find him actually Explaining himself because he's been accused of certain things no less than 21 times and so paul when he writes it is most it is his most open-hearted book You can almost see that he wrote this book with his tears You know one of his and i'm not quoting this one right now, but in the 12th chapter He says the more i love you the less i'm loved by you. That's a broken-hearted pastor He had told the carinthians earlier in chapter one chapter four of first carinthians though You may have 10 000 instructors yet you have but one father i begot i begot you in the gospel I love you like a father loves a child is what he was saying And what is my thanks from you? You welcome in false teachers You welcome in error It's destroying you He says you want to talk about the super apostles who are boasting against me You see what they did is they made comparison. They said they said you're listening to paul Have you even looked at him because he actually has to defend his his his looks He is his his words are weighty, but his bodily presence is weak He's nothing his he doesn't speak well. They said he doesn't speak well at all. He's not a trained orator He's not entertaining. Don't you remember euticus? You'll see euticus here in the book of act That when paul was speaking euticus fell asleep and fell out of a window and died He bore you literally to death What right does he have To minister to you That's what they were saying read second Corinthians Read and you will see him bleed through the pages of that book You have to know what to look for Because what he's saying very often you'll say well They're basically saying that I preach for a prophet that i'm really not worth that I change my mind easily You'll see him as he's weaving that in it's actually an apologetic against accusations and at one point When they were saying that he really isn't worthy of anything or respect He said really well in second Corinthians 11 24 through 27, let me explain to you what i've gone through This is what he says Let me remove let me remove the veil So that you can see a little clearer into what takes place in my life is what paul was saying Five times I received from the jews 40 lashes minus one three times I was beaten with rods Once I was stoned three times. I was shipwrecked I spent a night and a day in the open sea I've been constantly on the move. I've been in danger from rivers in danger from bandits in danger from my own countrymen in danger from Gentiles in danger in the city in danger in the country in danger at sea in danger from false brothers I've labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep I've known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food I have been cold and I have been naked Do you want to talk about their credentials Put them next to me and see which one is the real one You don't like the way I look and you don't like the way I teach You've forgotten who begot you in the gospel Have you outgrown your instructor? Are you that wise? He says oh, I don't I don't take money from you, but you gladly allow them to rob you You see sometimes you'll hear me sometimes. I used to do it a lot quicker in the past And I say watch out for this guy. He's saying send me money so I can send you this They're robbing you And then people get mad at me if I even mention a dollar in church Oh, those preachers are always looking for money. Oh, please stop it I remember somebody saying I make a profit from the bookstore I don't But they say that because people do that because people find things Fault to destroy that's just a fact You know sheep are not scary If I were walking through a dark alley And a sheep came out meh, I wouldn't like whoa I'm in terror I saw it's just a sheep Right, but they do have teeth And they do like to bite and they do And so paul had a deal with that But that was part of what he went through he will suffer It says here he must suffer for my name's sake and he speaks concerning that He said in 2 Timothy 3 12 everyone who wants to live a godly life in christ jesus will be persecuted So as the lord is speaking to him in verse 17 and all Ananias went his way and entered the house laying his hands on him. He said brother saw The lord jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came Has sent has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the holy spirit immediately There fell from his eyes something like scales And he received his sight at once And he arose and was baptized and When he had received food he was strengthened Then sals spent some days with the disciples at Damascus so Not only is he bringing healing to him which we see take place He is also bringing a commission In acts 22 verses 14 and 15 He said the god of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the righteous one and to hear words from his mouth You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard So this is a man who's being commissioned now. I want to point something out to be commissioned. He was first converted Now ananias brought healing And he brought the filling of the spirit to saul We know That saul has already been convicted We already know that And john 16 8 says that the holy spirit convicts man of sin righteousness and judgment. He's already been convicted He's already been converted. How do we know that? Because ananias speaks to him as brother saul He would not have referred to him as brother saul as a brother in the lord if he wasn't saved So we know he's been convicted We know he's been converted As a believer he has been indwelt by the spirit Because jesus said in john 14 17 You know him he lives with you and will be in you We become the temple of the spirit of god. He is a an indwelt man He is in the body of christ first carinthians 12 13. He's been baptized with one spirit into the one body He's a believer. That's why he's called brother But now he receives the infilling of the spirit of god which empowers him for his service And provides the gifts for spiritual service to the lord So saul is converted He's healed filled with the spirit And then he's baptized And all of this with no apostles present This is totally what we would call we used to call a god thing He was called an apostle He didn't need others to call him into this office God called him and placed him in that position It says when he received in verse 19 food He was strengthened and spent some days noticed some days with the disciples at demascus And so his one-time venom for believers Is now converted to love for them because he's spending time with these whom he would have put in prison But now he's spending time in fellowship with them and just loving them in first john 3 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers Anyone who does not love remains in death That's a good question How do you know that you're saved One of the ways you know one of the ways you know is how you love the body of christ how you love the church You know when it first got saved The day I got saved You know When I when I went I I stood up gave my heart to the lord went into the back Had a follow-up counselor talk to me Came back out to where my friends were And you want I'll just tell you I've never said this One of the well, maybe I have once but One of the things that I still remember even as I'm talking about this is You know, I I was a hippie and so Free love was a big thing to me and And women were not looked at as necessarily Even people to me they were they were They're for your pleasure That's kind of how it was for many of us and loss was regarded as normal Normal and I came out from that back room and there were these girls these beautiful little hippie girls And for the first time in my heart that I could remember ever I was enlisting for them I looked at them as sisters I looked at them with purity. I have to tell you that blew my mind And I and it made an impact on me That I've never forgotten Though I don't talk about it. It's kind of personal but that's Listen when when you When you love jesus you love those whom jesus loves And you can show him the love of christ Because that's what true love is anyway, isn't it? And paul who had been breathing out threatenings for followers of christ is now hanging around with them And getting to know them And loving them Whereas before I looked at christians. It's kind of like goofy weirdos, you know Now i'm one of them. I'm a goofy weirdo too, you know, and and i'm not ashamed of it and and and and Not ashamed of ministering to those who still need jesus Just this week. I was I was with a young man So he was he came he actually came to the To the conference I was able to see him and he's a man who's battling homosexuality battling it and And he's a very feminine man very feminine I and and and he I love this young man. I've known him for many years I love this young man and he loves marina. He loves me very much And and he he'll walk up to me, you know, and he's a very feminine guy And I I'll put my arm around him. I I I love this young man And and that's what christianity is isn't it? You know, that doesn't mean that I approve of the of the things he battles I don't I preach against those things because they destroy people's lives But I love him and he knows it And several of us gathered around this young man And we prayed for him and he always gravitates to me He'll walk up to me and I'll put my arm around him. I love him. I'll walk with him I feel almost like a protector for him. Why because that excuse me here. We go Because god is love Because god changes lives And if we can't love the unlovely who can and god has a way of transforming people He does I just say that because paul grew to love and that's what I want to do Well, can we I'm gonna I was going to take you to verse 31 But I'm not I'm gonna stop here because I don't want to rush I don't want to rush through. I'm I'm enjoying this time with you and I don't want to rush through it So we're gonna stop here guys and that that that's And I better make a note to myself. I didn't finish the study. I'll be told later Let me write something You stopped I'm old. I'll forget But we'll stop here. May the lord Teach us to love one another may we learn to value the body of christ And though we may have hated people who are followers of jesus Guess what? They're your family now, aren't they? They're your family get used to them They're gonna be an eternity with them get used to them here, right? Get used to them Now I'll close by saying this young man. I just spoke of no I do not know that he's a believer no a man who continually practices Sin of any sort including that particular sin Is a man who's in bondage. No, I'm not saying that this young man's a christian homosexual There's no such thing But I am saying that he is not so far away that god can't save him And I do believe that god will use the love of christ and by the way, he's known me for most of his life Most of his life marie and I have been part of his life for many years many years He knows us. He knows my children He knows we love him and when he went to a battle that you can't imagine He always knew that marie and I were very supportive and praying for him and that I believe Is what will bring him that kind of love and grace and truth That'll bring him to faith in jesus christ that will he knows the truth But he needs to be set free. So please don't misunderstand. I am not saying that You just love the sin. No, you hate the sin But you love the sinner, but you love the sinner I hate the sin it put jesus on a cross It destroys lives and it ends up with eternal condemnation. I hate the sin I have ministered for too many years to broken people and I have grown to hate sin More and more as I've seen so many broken homes and broken children broken lives so much cancer So much death so much loss. I hate the enemy for what he has done I hate him. I have to say that honestly and I will battle him with the word of god and the spirit And the truth that jesus christ gave to us to set people free I hate the sin, but I love those people that I know who are entangled because I want them free Jesus sets sinners free and that's what we do We try to reach Ask the bottom line. It's a bigger subject I opened a can of worms forgive me because you know where I stand in so many things But the heart must always be love for people