New Convert
Series: Living in the New World
Speaker: Jake Fitzpatrick
Date: 6th September 2020
Passage: Acts 9:1-22
00:00:01 --> 00:00:08 Over the last few months, during the COVID experience, my wife Evie has gotten really
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 into home conversion.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:15 She just loves to be able to go home and just sort of move things around so that it feels
00:00:15 --> 00:00:16 like a new space.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:22 And particularly in a time like COVID, where there's so many things that we realize we
00:00:22 --> 00:00:23 don't have control of.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:29 When we're stuck at home, perhaps more than we would like to be, there's something really
00:00:29 --> 00:00:33 appealing about being able to experience some kind of change.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 Evie is like a Tetris wizard with this.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 Somehow, when we first got married, we had one bookcase.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 Now we have three, and yet somehow our home feels more spacious.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 So she is both gifted at this and a regular practitioner of it.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 But there's something appealing, isn't it?
00:00:50 --> 00:00:56 When we're at home, when we're stuck at home, knowing that there is a change that we can
00:00:56 --> 00:01:03 experience, that we aren't just stuck the same, unable to change or do anything in a strange
00:01:03 --> 00:01:04 season like this.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 And so some kind of change is really appealing.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:15 But other change can often be uncomfortable, perhaps even confronting.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:23 I wonder what kind of thoughts and feelings come to mind, not when you think of home conversion,
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 but what about when you think about people being converted?
00:01:30 --> 00:01:31 What kind of things come to mind?
00:01:31 --> 00:01:37 Perhaps, and I think what's a common thought for our world and culture is that the thought
00:01:37 --> 00:01:45 of people being converted can come across as mean or arrogant, perhaps even just narrow-minded.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:51 Maybe even for some of us who are Christians, it can still be an uncomfortable thought.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:58 The thought that there might be real cost to relationships, to friends and family, the fear
00:01:58 --> 00:02:05 of rejection, the relational costs that can come when sharing the good news of Jesus.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:13 But if people being converted is so uncomfortable, if our world thinks it is so uncomfortable, if we
00:02:13 --> 00:02:18 feel uncomfortable about it, why do we bother doing it?
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 Why do we bother persevering for it?
00:02:21 --> 00:02:26 I mean, why do we bother trying to convert people at all with the good news of Jesus,
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 if it just brings discomfort?
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 Well, as we come to our passage this morning in Acts 9,
00:02:34 --> 00:02:40 we encounter one of the most famous conversion stories in the history of the world.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:48 And as we actually walk through Saul's conversion account, how he goes from being an enemy of God
00:02:48 --> 00:02:55 to a loved child of his, God wants to teach us three things about the nature of conversion,
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 three reasons why it is worth persevering in, and that it is a good and right thing that God
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 has put before us. So three things that God teaches us about the nature of conversion.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 First of all, that conversion is uncomfortable.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 Conversion is personal.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 And that conversion is essential.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:23 It is uncomfortable, it is personal, and it is essential.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 So first of all, conversion is uncomfortable.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:31 Now, as we look at Saul's mission at the start of Acts 9 here,
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 we see he is on a very specific mission.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:38 In verse 1 and 2, it describes Saul as heading to Damascus,
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 breathing out murderous threats against God's people.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 He has a very clear mission and purpose.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:51 He wants to round up those of the way, those who follow Jesus at this time,
00:03:51 --> 00:03:55 and he wants to have them rounded up, persecuted and imprisoned.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:00 And he believes that he's doing this for God's good and his honor,
00:04:01 --> 00:04:05 that these people are blasphemers, those who follow Jesus.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 And yet in verse 3 and 4, as he sets out on this mission,
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 he experiences a radical encounter with Jesus,
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 which is described as Saul being knocked to the ground by a light from heaven,
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 and he hears a voice,
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?
00:04:25 --> 00:04:30 Now, clearly, clearly this is not the plan that Saul had set out for himself.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 I mean, he's going to Damascus to confront the Christians,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:35 those of the way,
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 and yet now he himself is being confronted by Jesus.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:45 But conversion, it's an uncomfortable process.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:49 You see, the very nature of conversion, the very idea of it,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:54 says that it begins with God, God seeking us out,
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 rather than us seeking God.
00:04:57 --> 00:05:01 Begins with God seeking us out, rather than us seeking God.
00:05:02 --> 00:05:03 And it is no different with Saul.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:08 You see, he's confident in his understanding of the truth.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 I mean, he's a guy with vast knowledge of the Old Testament.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 He's a guy of position and status.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:19 He has great authority that he comes with as he heads to Damascus.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 And he believes that he is honoring his God
00:05:22 --> 00:05:26 as he seeks to crush this rebellious uprising of Christians.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 And yet, what is his response?
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 In verse 5 and 6,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 the only words that Saul says in his encounter with Jesus,
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 who are you, Lord?
00:05:43 --> 00:05:47 See, for all his knowledge and confidence and his power and authority,
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 when he's confronted by the living God,
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 it reveals that he doesn't even know who he is.
00:05:54 --> 00:05:58 He didn't even know the God that he thought he was serving.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:03 And we see in verse 7 and 8 following this,
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 that Saul, having been confronted by this Jesus,
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 he's left blinded, he's now relying on his traveling companions,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:14 simply just to guide him to the city that God has instructed him to go.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 I mean, how disorientating that must have been for Saul.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 He's come with a purpose, he's going to persecute the Christians,
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 he's confronted by Jesus himself,
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 whom he realizes he does not know,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 and now he's blinded.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 He is a picture of humiliation.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 He's been humbled,
00:06:34 --> 00:06:34 his power,
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 his authority,
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 all that makes him who he is,
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 and now he can't even travel
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 without being guided by others.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 You see, Saul's new reality,
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 when you experience that kind of radical change,
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 when it's that uncomfortable,
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 it forces you to think.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 You're sort of jolted into trying to make sense of this new reality.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:05 And that can be a really uncomfortable process.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 I've got to be honest,
00:07:07 --> 00:07:11 it was a really uncomfortable process for me in my own life.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:16 I became a Christian midway through high school in January of 2010.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 And prior to that point,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:23 I was really sure that I had the good news of Jesus all figured out.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 It was not for me.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 And more so than that,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 I had an older brother,
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 a really nice,
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 sort of actually annoyingly nice,
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 older brother,
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 who was a Christian,
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 and I just could not make sense of this guy.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 Like, he was so nice,
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 so caring,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 and if you've had anything to do with teenage boys,
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 those are not usually the words you would associate to them.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 And I just couldn't understand him at all.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 And that lack of understanding
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 created a lot of frustration.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 From me to him,
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 I just could not make sense of him.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 And so I took out that frustration
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 on other Christians.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 You know,
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 other people who would be foolish enough
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 to believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be,
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 that he really was this Lord and Savior.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 Now, just to clarify,
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 just in case people are watching at home,
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 when I say I sort of taunted and make fun of Christians,
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 it was not in the same sense as Saul.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 I did not threaten anyone's life.
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 Just got to make that nice and clear.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:27 But I was particularly rough
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 to one of my school chaplains.
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 I took a special kind of delight
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 in making his life difficult.
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 I liked to ask annoying and uncomfortable questions,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 not for answers,
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 just to see him squirm.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:41 I would have been a great friend
00:08:41 --> 00:08:41 if you knew me in high school.
00:08:42 --> 00:08:42 I hope you're getting that picture.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 So as I was sharing life with this guy,
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 I would just continually try to sort of irritate him.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 I would try to make him uncomfortable.
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 I'd try to make him think that his job
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 and his time and his efforts were wasted.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 Until he actually,
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 well, he ended up having to quit his job.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 He ended up having to quit his job.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 And I like to think that I was involved in that process,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 you know, that it was because of how annoying
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 I must have been.
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 It's always fun when families sit in
00:09:14 --> 00:09:14 and hear this stuff as well.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 Thinking about how annoying I must have been.
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 And as I saw him, quite literally,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 finishing up his job,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 I saw him carrying a box of his stuff
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 from his office to the car,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 and I thought here was a chance
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 to get one last jab in,
00:09:31 --> 00:09:32 you know, to really make him feel bad.
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 And so I went up to him
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 and sort of just tauntingly said,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 where are you going, sir?
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 And I'll never forget what he said.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 He looked at me,
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 and perhaps in a moment of weakness and frustration,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 he said,
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 I have better things to do
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 than waste my time
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 on crappy little kids like you.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 Now, to me at the time,
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 that really felt like a victory.
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 You know, it showed,
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 I showed this guy
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 for the ridiculous beliefs that he had.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 You know, what a waste of his time
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 to go to a school
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 and share the good news of Jesus.
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 However,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 over the following six months,
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 all of the things that I thought
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 made my life happy and meaningful,
00:10:19 --> 00:10:20 playing football,
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 spending time with friends,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 over the next six months,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 I started to get quite sick,
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 and I had to stop playing football.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 And that meant that I started
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 to see my friends less.
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 And it was really disorientating
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 to think how quickly
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 my life and the purpose
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 that I had from it
00:10:39 --> 00:10:39 started to unravel.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 All of a sudden,
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 my comfortable,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 cruisy life,
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 I was stuck at home going,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 who am I?
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 What is my life
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 without these things?
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 Where am I going to find
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 fulfillment?
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 And it was in this season
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 that very much
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 against my own wishes,
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 my parents sent me
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 to a Christian camp
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 that the same annoyingly kind
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 older brother was leading on.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 This was particularly fun,
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 saying as my brother
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 sat there at the nine o'clock service.
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 He enjoyed it.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 Now, when I went on this camp,
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 I had one goal in mind.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 The only thing that I was focused on
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 was do not listen to the talks.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 Don't humor them
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 by showing that you're interested in Jesus.
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 That'll just make them more keen.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 And yet, over the course of the week,
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 there was one specific thought
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 that I just could not get out of my head,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 no matter how hard I tried.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 And it was a thought
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 that I tried to run from,
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 but it just kept piercing my mind.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 I was reminded that,
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 what if I'm so stubborn
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 that I actually needed
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 to have something taken from me
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 to hear this message seriously?
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 What if I was so stubborn
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 that I needed to have something
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 taken from me
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 to hear this message seriously?
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 You see, my conversion began
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 with this uncomfortable realization
00:12:09 --> 00:12:12 that I am a proud and stubborn person.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 And it was only through
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 having something taken from me
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 that I actually realized
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 how little I am,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 how frail my life actually is.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 And similarly with Saul's conversion,
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 it begins with a very uncomfortable reality
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 when he's confronted by the God
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 that he thought he was serving,
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 only to realize
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 he didn't know him at all,
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 only to lose his sight
00:12:40 --> 00:12:44 to realize how frail his life was.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 I wonder what kind of discomfort
00:12:48 --> 00:12:51 God has been bringing about in your life,
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 perhaps during this COVID-19 season.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 What have you been learning
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 through this uncomfortable season?
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 Could it be that God is using
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 this discomfort
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 to bring you
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 to a new perspective
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 on who Jesus is?
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 Could it be that this is a process
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 of your own conversion
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 as you come to a humbling realization
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 that your discomfort,
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 your own weakness,
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 your own lack of control,
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 your own frailty
00:13:21 --> 00:13:26 is brought to the very surface?
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 You see, conversion
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 begins
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 as an uncomfortable process.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 It is God
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 breaking into our life,
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 challenging our assumptions
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 and perspectives,
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 breaking down the illusions
00:13:42 --> 00:13:42 of control
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 and the craving for comfort
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 that we create for ourselves.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 It is uncomfortable.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 But it isn't just uncomfortable.
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 You see, conversion
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 is also personal.
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 Have a look at the beginning
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 of Jesus' interaction
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 with Ananias with me.
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 It's in verse 10.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:01 It says,
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 In Damascus,
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 there was a disciple
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 named Ananias.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 The Lord called to him
00:14:06 --> 00:14:06 in a vision.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 Ananias!
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 Yes, Lord,
00:14:09 --> 00:14:09 he answered.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 Go to the house of Judas
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 on Straight Street
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 and ask for a man
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 from Tarsus
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 named Saul,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 for he is praying.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 In a vision,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 he has seen a man
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 named Ananias
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 come and place hands
00:14:22 --> 00:14:22 on him
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 to restore his sight.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 Now,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 we don't actually know
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 much about Ananias
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 except for this
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 particular encounter,
00:14:32 --> 00:14:32 except for this
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 description in Acts.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 In fact,
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 he's mentioned
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 nowhere else
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 in Scripture
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 except in relation
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 to Saul's conversion.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 All that we know
00:14:42 --> 00:14:42 of him
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 is that he was
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 a Christian
00:14:44 --> 00:14:44 in Damascus,
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 that he very clearly
00:14:47 --> 00:14:48 knew who Saul was
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 and his reputation,
00:14:50 --> 00:14:50 that he was not
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 good news for Christians,
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 that him coming
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 to Damascus
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 would spell trouble
00:14:55 --> 00:14:55 for him.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 But we also see him
00:14:59 --> 00:14:59 as a picture
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 of faithfulness.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 But if you think
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 about the very little
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 that we actually know
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 of Ananias here,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 it seems strange
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 that he would even
00:15:09 --> 00:15:09 be involved
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 in this story at all.
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 I mean,
00:15:12 --> 00:15:12 he doesn't seem
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 like the kind of
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 go-to guy
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 for someone like Saul,
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 of great power
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 and authority,
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 one who comes
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 to threaten
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 his very life.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 And so it feels
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 like a reasonable
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 question to ask,
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 why is Ananias
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 involved at all?
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 I mean,
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 Jesus has already
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 humbled Saul
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 to see who he is
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 and he's now
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 prayerfully seeking
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 God in his discomfort.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 Is it really necessary
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 for God to bring
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 Ananias into this?
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 It just seems like
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 an unnecessary obstacle
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 towards God's plan
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 and purposes here.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 And yet,
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 God consistently
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 shows us
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 that conversion
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 is personal,
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 that God delights
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 to work through
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 his people.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 And he delights
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 to work through
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 the weakness
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 and faithfulness
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 of his people.
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 You see,
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 there is something
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 just so profoundly
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 beautiful
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 and encouraging
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 about the picture
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 of Ananias' witness
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 here.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 And it's something
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 really encouraging
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 for us as Christians
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 to look at
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 and see
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 God's power
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 displayed
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 in his weakness.
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 Since it's the only time
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 that we get to encounter
00:16:26 --> 00:16:26 Ananias,
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 the only things
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 that we see,
00:16:30 --> 00:16:30 he's fearful
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 and he is faithful.
00:16:34 --> 00:16:34 Right?
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 We see that he's fearful
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 of encountering Saul
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 and yet,
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 when God confronts him
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 that Saul
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 is going to be
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 his chosen instrument,
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 his chosen mouthpiece
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 to proclaim
00:16:45 --> 00:16:45 the good news
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 of Jesus
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 to the nations,
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 he is willingly
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 obedient and faithful.
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 He goes
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 and meets with Saul
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 and he greets him
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 as brother.
00:16:57 --> 00:16:57 You see,
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 for someone
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 of no real significance
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 in human history,
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 God uses Ananias
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 in this defining moment
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 as he declares
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 that Saul
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 is going to be
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 his chosen instrument
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 for the nations
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 and yet ties
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 Ananias' faithful witness
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 to this incredible
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 world-changing encounter.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 And all we know
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 of Ananias,
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 a weak
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 but faithful servant.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 Do you remember
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 the faithful servants
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 and faithful witnesses
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 who have shared
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 Jesus with you?
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 Can you think
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 of those
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 that God may have
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 given you the privilege
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 of sharing Jesus with?
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 You see,
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 it could well be
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 that there is
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 no one else
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 who knows
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 of the witness
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 of the opportunity
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 that God gives you
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 to testify
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 to the good news
00:17:50 --> 00:17:50 of Jesus.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 It is likely
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 that none of us
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 will have the role
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 that Saul had
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 to be a mouthpiece
00:17:57 --> 00:17:57 to the nations.
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 But like Ananias,
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 God desires faithfulness.
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 He desires faithful witnesses
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 and he sees
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 your faithfulness.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 He delights
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 in the faithful witness
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 of his children.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 It's a little bit
00:18:15 --> 00:18:15 like a guy
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 named Mordecai Ham.
00:18:17 --> 00:18:17 Now,
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 that is just
00:18:19 --> 00:18:19 an outstanding name
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 and I feel like
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 I'm appreciating it more
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 at the 11 o'clock service
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 with Ham.
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 I feel like it's
00:18:23 --> 00:18:23 really close to lunch.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:24 Anyway,
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 could you just get
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 a quick show of hands?
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28 Does anyone know
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 who Mordecai Ham is?
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 Still no?
00:18:33 --> 00:18:33 Okay.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 I feel like you're cheating,
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 Evie,
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 since you're here
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 at the 9 o'clock service.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 Mordecai Ham
00:18:39 --> 00:18:42 was an American evangelist
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 in Kentucky
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 that lived over
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 100 years ago
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 and it would have seemed
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 laughable to him
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 that his name
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 would be mentioned
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 over a century later
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 on the other side
00:18:52 --> 00:18:52 of the world.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 And yet,
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 he is the man
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 that God worked through
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 to bring a certain
00:19:01 --> 00:19:01 Billy Graham
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 to a faith in Jesus.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 A man who became
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 a global mouthpiece
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 for the gospel
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 as many people
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 around the world
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12 heard the good news
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 of Jesus
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 were brought to their knees
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 as they realized
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 that he offered
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 life and forgiveness.
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 But if it wasn't
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 for Mordecai Ham's
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 faithful witness,
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 the gospel impact
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 around the world
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 would have been
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 so much poorer.
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 See,
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 we don't know
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 the names of people
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 like Mordecai Ham,
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 but God,
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 in his goodness,
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 intrinsically draws them
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 in to be part
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 of his plans
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 and purposes
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 for the kingdom
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 to go forward.
00:19:41 --> 00:19:41 And so,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 St. Paul's,
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 be encouraged
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 in your witness.
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 God does not demand
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 a global audience
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 for each of us,
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 but he does desire
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 us to be faithful
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 to those he places
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 around us.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 He does desire us
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 to testify
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 to the hope
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 that we have
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 in Jesus
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 in the hopes
00:20:01 --> 00:20:01 that they too
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 might be welcomed
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 into God's family.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 Because God's
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 primary method
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 of conversion
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 is personal.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 He uses weak,
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 fearful,
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 uncertain people
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 like Ananias,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 perhaps like you
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 and me,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 to proclaim
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 the good news
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 of Jesus
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 so that others
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 would be converted
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 and welcomed
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 into God's family.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:29 Now,
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 I want to just
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 take a step back
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 for a moment.
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 It could be
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 that what you've heard
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 so far today
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 is that conversion
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 is uncomfortable
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 and that conversion
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 is personal
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 in how God
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 works through
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 his people
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 to bring others
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 into his family.
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 But it's possible
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 that you can hear that
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 and it might just
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 make sense
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 of a really fascinating
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 story of how Saul
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 has gone from
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 persecutor
00:20:57 --> 00:20:59 of God's people
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 to all of a sudden
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 a proclaimer
00:21:00 --> 00:21:02 of Jesus.
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 Maybe it even
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 helps you make sense
00:21:04 --> 00:21:06 of some Christians
00:21:06 --> 00:21:06 that you know
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 in your life.
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 But all of us,
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 all of us
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 need to hear
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 the most offensive
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18 and the most
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 uncomfortable truth
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 that is revealed
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 to us
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 in Saul's conversion.
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 conversion.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 And that is
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 that conversion
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 is essential.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 It is essential
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 for everyone.
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 You see,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 as we read more
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 about Saul's journey
00:21:34 --> 00:21:36 as the mouthpiece
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 to proclaim Jesus,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 he reflects
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 on the meaning
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 and purpose
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 of his own
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 radical encounter
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 that's described
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 in Acts 9.
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 Later in the Bible,
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 in the book
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 of 1 Timothy,
00:21:48 --> 00:21:48 he reflects
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 not just on
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 what happened
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 to him,
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 but on what
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 God is revealing
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 about all people.
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 So I just want
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 to read to you
00:21:56 --> 00:21:56 two verses
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 from 1 Timothy.
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 It's from chapter 1,
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 verse 15 and 16.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 And this is what it says.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 It says,
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 here is a trustworthy
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 saying that deserves
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 full acceptance.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 Christ Jesus
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 came into the world
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 to save sinners
00:22:10 --> 00:22:12 of whom I am
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 the worst.
00:22:13 --> 00:22:15 but for this
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17 very reason
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19 I was shown
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19 mercy
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 so that in me,
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 the worst of sinners,
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 Christ Jesus
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 might display
00:22:23 --> 00:22:25 his immense patience
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 as an example
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 for those
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 who would believe
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 in him
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 and receive
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 eternal life.
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 You see,
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 Saul's story
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 reveals what is
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 both personally
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 true for him
00:22:36 --> 00:22:38 as an enemy
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 of God
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 as separated
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 from him
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 by his sin
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 but it also
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 describes a
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 universal picture
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 of humanity.
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 We are all
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 sinners
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 who need
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 a saviour
00:22:51 --> 00:22:54 and that Jesus
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 is that saviour,
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 the one who can
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 free us
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 from the guilt
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 and weight
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 of sin.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 But if Jesus
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 is Lord
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 and saviour,
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08 if he is Lord,
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 it means that
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 we need to be
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 willing to hear
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 uncomfortable things,
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 that he might
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 reveal
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 uncomfortable things
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 within us
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 for our own good.
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 We might even
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 find uncomfortable
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 things that we
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 find uncomfortable
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 about him,
00:23:25 --> 00:23:25 things that we
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 don't like.
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 But this is the
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 essential call
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 of conversion
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 and that what God
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 desires for everyone
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 in Jesus.
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 Not to choose
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 the things that you
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 like about Jesus
00:23:37 --> 00:23:39 but to surrender
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 yourself to Jesus
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 so that you
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 might receive
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 forgiveness
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 and enjoy
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 new life
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 in his name.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 You see,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 what Saul's story
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 is not saying,
00:23:51 --> 00:23:53 it's not saying
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 that wicked
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 and evil
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 people like him
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 who actively
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 persecuted
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 and sought to
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 harm God
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 and his people,
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 that people like
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 them need
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 forgiveness.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 No,
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 what Saul's story
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 is saying
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 is so much
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 more deep,
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 so much more
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 profound,
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 so much more
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 hopeful than that.
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 You see,
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 it says that
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 even someone
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 like Saul,
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 even an enemy
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 of God,
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 someone who
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 actively sought
00:24:18 --> 00:24:20 to hurt his
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 people,
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 that even
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 someone like that
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 can find forgiveness
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 in Jesus.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 So that when you
00:24:27 --> 00:24:29 realize that you
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 need forgiveness,
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 you don't need to
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 fear or doubt
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 or worry
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 if you will
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 find it.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 That when you
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 ask for forgiveness
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 and life in Jesus,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 you can have
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 confidence that
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 it will be
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 given to you.
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 If you're someone
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 who already
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 follows Jesus,
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 is this what
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 your heart
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 yearns for?
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 Is this what
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 your heart
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 desires?
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 That God
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 would use you
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 and his people
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 as we are,
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 frail,
00:24:58 --> 00:24:58 weak,
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 uncertain,
00:24:59 --> 00:25:01 to welcome
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 in the sinner,
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 to welcome
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 in the outcast,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 to welcome
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 in the enemy,
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 realizing that
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 that was our
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 picture,
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 that was our
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 standing before
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 God,
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 but for Jesus.
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 Because
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 conversion,
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 conversion from
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 death to life,
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 from enemy
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 to family,
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 that is what
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 God's heart
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 beats for.
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 God is in
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 the business
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 of conversion,
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 of bringing
00:25:27 --> 00:25:29 people from
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 death and
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 separation
00:25:30 --> 00:25:32 into his
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 family to
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 enjoy life
00:25:33 --> 00:25:35 in Jesus'
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 name.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 So for
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 Saul,
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 he was led
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 through a
00:25:40 --> 00:25:40 series of
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 uncomfortable
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 moments
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 before he
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 was brought
00:25:44 --> 00:25:44 to his
00:25:44 --> 00:25:44 knees
00:25:44 --> 00:25:46 and saw
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 Jesus as
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 the Lord,
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 as the
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 only one
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 who could
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 save him
00:25:50 --> 00:25:50 from his
00:25:50 --> 00:25:50 sin.
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 For me,
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 it involved
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 a process
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 of uncomfortable
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 moments
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 moments
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 that ultimately
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 meant that
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 I sat
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 in an
00:25:59 --> 00:25:59 outdoor
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 gazebo
00:26:00 --> 00:26:00 with my
00:26:00 --> 00:26:00 brother
00:26:00 --> 00:26:02 confessing
00:26:02 --> 00:26:02 that Jesus
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 was Lord,
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 that he
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 was Lord
00:26:04 --> 00:26:04 of my
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 life,
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 and that
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 in that
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 moment,
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 what Jesus
00:26:08 --> 00:26:08 had accomplished
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 by his
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 victory over
00:26:10 --> 00:26:10 sin and
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 death at
00:26:11 --> 00:26:11 the cross,
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 it meant
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 that I
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 went into
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 that gazebo,
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 an enemy
00:26:15 --> 00:26:15 of God,
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 separated from
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 him because
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 of my sin,
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 and yet I
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 left there
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 as an
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 adopted,
00:26:21 --> 00:26:21 loved,
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 forgiven,
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 child of
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 his.
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 That is
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 the gospel.
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 But what
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 about you?
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 Maybe
00:26:32 --> 00:26:32 today is
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 your moment.
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 Maybe
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 you've
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 turned up
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 today,
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 or you
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 are watching
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 online,
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 and you
00:26:40 --> 00:26:40 know that
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 you are
00:26:41 --> 00:26:41 not a
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 follower of
00:26:42 --> 00:26:42 Jesus,
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 and you
00:26:44 --> 00:26:44 felt
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 confronted
00:26:45 --> 00:26:47 by this
00:26:47 --> 00:26:47 uncomfortable
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 reality
00:26:48 --> 00:26:50 that,
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 like Saul,
00:26:52 --> 00:26:52 you are
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 an enemy
00:26:53 --> 00:26:53 of God,
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 separated
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 by the
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 weight of
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 your own
00:26:57 --> 00:26:57 sin,
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 and that
00:26:59 --> 00:26:59 the Lord
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 Jesus is
00:27:00 --> 00:27:00 the only
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 one who
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 can convert
00:27:02 --> 00:27:02 you,
00:27:02 --> 00:27:02 who can
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 change
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 you,
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 who can
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 bring you
00:27:04 --> 00:27:04 in from
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 an enemy
00:27:05 --> 00:27:05 and outsider
00:27:05 --> 00:27:07 to a
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 forgiven and
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 loved family
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 member.
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 If that
00:27:11 --> 00:27:11 is you,
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 then know
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 conversion
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 is essential,
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 but it is
00:27:17 --> 00:27:19 also available.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 You can
00:27:20 --> 00:27:20 receive it
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 here and
00:27:21 --> 00:27:21 now this
00:27:21 --> 00:27:21 morning,
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 and God
00:27:23 --> 00:27:25 rejoices when
00:27:25 --> 00:27:25 a sinner
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 turns to
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 him to
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 trust in
00:27:28 --> 00:27:28 Jesus as
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 their Lord
00:27:29 --> 00:27:29 and Savior.
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 We're about
00:27:32 --> 00:27:32 to sing a
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 song in a
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 moment,
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 and then
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 Adrian is
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 going to
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35 lead us
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 through a
00:27:36 --> 00:27:36 prayer of
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 repentance
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 and faith,
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 a prayer of
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 surrendering
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 oneself,
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 surrendering the
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 weight of
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 sin,
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 acknowledging
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 that it's a
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 weight that
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 we cannot
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 bear,
00:27:48 --> 00:27:50 but rejoicing
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 that Jesus
00:27:51 --> 00:27:51 bore that
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 weight when
00:27:52 --> 00:27:52 he went
00:27:52 --> 00:27:52 to the
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 cross,
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 that we
00:27:54 --> 00:27:54 can have
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 confidence in
00:27:55 --> 00:27:55 forgiveness,
00:27:56 --> 00:27:56 because just
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 as Jesus
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 died to
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 sin,
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 he was
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 raised to
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00 new life,
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 conquering sin
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 and death.
00:28:02 --> 00:28:05 God brought
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 Saul to his
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 knees,
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 and having
00:28:08 --> 00:28:08 spent several
00:28:08 --> 00:28:10 days prayerfully
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 seeking God
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 in his
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 discomfort,
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 he was
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 welcomed into
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 the family in
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 a moment,
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 and it's a
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 beautiful picture
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 that's captured
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 by Ananias,
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 realizing that
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 Saul is an
00:28:22 --> 00:28:22 enemy,
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 and yet when
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 Saul arrives in
00:28:25 --> 00:28:25 front of him,
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 he greets him
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 as brother.
00:28:27 --> 00:28:31 God in his
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 kindness,
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 in his
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 kindness,
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 may have
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 impressed the
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 uncomfortable
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 need that you
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 have for a
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 savior this
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 morning,
00:28:40 --> 00:28:42 but this is
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 the gospel,
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 this is the
00:28:44 --> 00:28:44 gospel,
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 you may have
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 entered here
00:28:46 --> 00:28:46 this morning
00:28:46 --> 00:28:48 only to be
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 confronted by
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 that uncomfortable
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 reality,
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 that you are
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 an enemy of
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 God,
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 that your sin
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 has separated
00:28:56 --> 00:28:56 you from
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 him,
00:28:57 --> 00:29:00 but you
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 could leave
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 here today
00:29:01 --> 00:29:01 as family,
00:29:02 --> 00:29:02 you could
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 leave here
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 today as
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 a forgiven,
00:29:06 --> 00:29:06 loved,
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 and cherished
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 child of the
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 living God,
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 that is Jesus
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 promise to
00:29:11 --> 00:29:11 you,
00:29:12 --> 00:29:14 do you need
00:29:14 --> 00:29:14 that gift?
00:29:14 --> 00:29:16 ,
00:29:17 --> 00:29:30 will you wait
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 I want to
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 take care
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 Karen
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 yes
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 I want to
00:29:34 --> 00:29:34 see it
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 I want to