Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Saul and the Light - The Book of Acts

Transcript

Saul and the Light - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he fell to earth, and heard
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Acts 9.4 Thank you, Jesus, that through the life of Saul,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: I can declare that no one is outside the reach
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: of our loving Savior. Thank you, God, that you are
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: constantly reminding me that no matter how far I go,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: no matter how out of touch with you I seem,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: that at any given moment, you can and you will
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: do whatever is necessary to grab my attention, to bring
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: me back to you. Like Saul on his road to Damascus,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: when I am off track, remind me of who I am.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Speak to me with the same boldness that you spoke
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: to him, for I now understand that my purpose is
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: more important than my comfort. Let me carry the same
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: mindset into everyday life when I see others being ridiculed
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: by somebody because of who they used to be. Let
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: this story in Acts 9 serve as a reminder that
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: no one is outside of the grasp of your love.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: Continue to transform my heart, not only from the inside,
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: but do a mighty work so that it can be
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: seen on the outside as a tribute to who you
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: are and the power that you possess to turn a
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: life around. Thank you for restoring my sight so I
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: can see that there is more in store for me.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Stay tuned for the Bible in a Year, brought to
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: Saul and the Light. In our last story, Philip was
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: used to preach the gospel in Samaria. He preached in
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: the desert to an Ethiopian official and baptized him. Now
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: we peer into the dark heart of Saul. His corrupt
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: and evil mind was filled with hatred towards Jesus and
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: the church. Yet no man is immune to the loving
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: touch of Christ. No amount of hatred could ever darken
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: the light of God's Son.
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: Inspired by the book of Acts. We're so glad you
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: joined us on the Bible in a Year podcast today.
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: The Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach of
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to you each week
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: through the support of listeners just like you. Your support
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: today is so important that we want to thank you
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: for your gift by giving you a copy of my
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: book called The Jesus Book. It is a powerful guide
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: that shows how every book of the Bible points to
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Jesus and how his living word, the truth of God's word,
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: will transform your life. So to get a copy of
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: The Jesus Book, Simply go to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support. In
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: yesterday's episode, we heard how Saul's persecution of the church
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: had led to a great scattering of believers, a dispersion
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: of Christians. What the enemy meant for evil to stop
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: God's work in the world ultimately led to the message
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: of Jesus spreading far beyond Jerusalem and even beyond Israel itself.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: We heard how Philip shared the good news with an
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: Ethiopian man who then took the message of salvation with
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: him to the ends of the earth. Today we'll hear
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: how Saul, in the midst of his campaign to destroy
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: the church and the message of Jesus, encounters the very
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: one that he is persecuting. It is on the road
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: to Damascus. He will be physically blinded but have his
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: spiritual eyes open to the truth of who Jesus is
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: and there receive the highest calling of all, which is
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: to take the very message that he wanted to destroy
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: to the ends of the earth. Let's listen now to
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: today's reading.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: His every breath was filled with hatred and murder, filled
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: with zealous rage towards the church. Saul stood under the
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: torchlight in the courthouse. He watched as the temple judge
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: put pen to parchment. The words gave him complete authority
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: to drag any man, woman, or child into the city
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: streets and end them. The letters were his license to kill.
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: Saul took the letters and shoved them into his bag.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: He slung it over his shoulder and left the temple
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: in a fury. He mounted his horse and rode in
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: the night towards Damascus. There he would round up every
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: last Christian like cattle. He would put an end to
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: the life of Jesus once and for all. The darkness
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: was draped heavily over the skies as Saul rode. The
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: stars were hidden by thick clouds. Saul's heart was as
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: black as the night. He was hell-bent on destroying the
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. He despised their gospel. It was a
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: direct threat to everything he had built his life upon. Piety, holiness,
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: and perfection. These were Saul's goals. He desired power. He
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: desired holiness. He desired for God to approve of him
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: because of his actions, not some act of grace or mercy.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Saul wanted to earn God's love. Saul's horse rode violently
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: into the cold dark nothingness. The road ahead of him
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: was barely seen by a small torch Saul held in
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: his hand. Damascus was not too far away. All of
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: the sudden Saul's torch snuffed out and his horse stopped abruptly.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: With his light removed Saul could see nothing. The silent
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: and dark night was maddening. Saul breathed heavily trying to
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: restore the flames on his torch to no avail. Then
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: like the night was being pierced by a blade A
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: bright light cut through the blackness. The jagged light surrounded him.
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Saul's eyes could barely stand the brilliance around him. As
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: the light rushed forward, Saul was bucked off of his horse.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: He hit the ground with force, and his horse ran away.
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: A voice as clear as can be spoke through the light. Saul! Saul!
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: the voice said. Why are you persecuting me? Saul stood
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: to his feet, trying to see who dwelled behind the radiance.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: Who are you? he asked with panic in his voice.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: Who is speaking? The light danced in a hundred different
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: directions like a weaved tapestry. It is I, Jesus, the
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: one whom you have persecuted. Why are you kicking against
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: the goads? Why do you deny who I have called
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: you to be? The men who were following Saul could
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: hear the voice but could not see the bright light
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: dancing around Saul. They saw him on his knees, panicking
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: as he listened to the terrifying voice of Jesus. Saul
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: fell to his face and closed his eyes. Then the
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: light vanished. Silence returned to the dark night and flames
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: were restored to Saul's torch. However, Saul opened his eyes
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: to discover he was blind. Saul's companions led him by
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: the hand to Damascus. There he laid in bed for
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: three days, silently seeking answers from God. He neither ate
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: nor drank. He simply waited until God spoke to him
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: about what he had seen and heard. There was a
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: believer in Damascus named Ananias. He was an older man
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: and very attentive to the will and direction of God.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Early in the morning he sought the voice of Christ.
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: As he prayed, the silent prompting of God's Spirit spoke
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: to him. Rise, he said. Not too far from here
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: in the house of Judas there is a man named Saul.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: He is praying and seeking God. You must go to
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: him and tell him of me. Ananias shook his head. Lord,
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: I have heard of this man. He is the cause
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: of much evil to your people. His hands are stained
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: red with the blood of believers. Go, for I have
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: chosen him to carry my name and proclaim me to
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: the Gentiles. I will show him how much he will
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: do and suffer in my name, the Lord answered. So
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: Ananias packed a small bag and left for the home
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: where Saul was waiting. Saul was still shrouded in darkness.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: In the night, he closed his eyes and saw visions
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: of a man named Ananias. But all was a blur
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: to Saul. Everything was confusing. He did not know what
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: the Lord was doing. As Paul sat in darkness, his
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: heart began to soften. Saul heard the door creak open.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: Brother Saul, a voice said, I am Ananias. I have
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: been sent by Jesus to heal you. Saul's heart ached
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: when he heard the name of Jesus. The words of
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: the bright light still echoed in his mind. Tears fell
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: from Saul's blind eyes. Then as Ananias prayed over him,
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Saul began to regain his sight. It was as if
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: scales were peeling away. In that moment, Saul's heart was changed.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: He not only saw the daylight, but he saw the
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: light of Jesus. He understood in a moment all the
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: things he had done.
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: It was overwhelming.
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: After being baptized, Saul presented himself to some of the
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: disciples at Damascus. They were the ones he planned to
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: kidnap and kill. They watched as he entered the room
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: with his head held low. They were skeptical, but could
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: clearly see that something was different about him. Peter sat
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: among them. He was protective over the rest of the
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: disciples he did not want a wolf among sheep who
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: is Jesus he asked plainly there was a long pause
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: Saul's face was filled with anguish and regret he remembered
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: what he had done and what he had said there
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: was blood on his hands he is the son of
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: God Saul answered As he said these words, the entire
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: room gasped. They were amazed that Jesus had touched the
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: heart of someone so dark and so evil. Is this
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: not the man who watched as Stephan was stoned? Someone shouted.
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: He has probably come to kidnap us and bind us.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: But Saul remained with the disciples for a long while
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: and learned under them. He listened to their words. He
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: prayed with tenderness. Day by day, they watched this once
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: evil man turn into a minister of grace. Soon he
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: appeared in front of the Jews in Damascus and proclaimed
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: the truth of Jesus as the Christ. So much that
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: they plotted to kill him. So the apostles lowered him
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: down and sent him back to Jerusalem with Barnabas. Thus
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: began the epic journey of the suffering servant of Christ.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: The man who once sought the lives of Christians would
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: lay his life down daily for the advancement of the gospel.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: Saul's life would prove as a symbol to all those
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: who feel like they are too lost to come to God.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: He is proof that nobody is outside the reach of
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: a tender and loving Savior.
• 11:30
  Speaker 3: Saul is relentlessly pursuing the followers of Jesus, determined to
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: destroy once and for all this new movement, the Christian
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: faith that is threatening everything that he holds dear, all
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: of his traditions, all of his religions. Saul was zealous
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: for God, but he was misguided. He's still stuck in
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: the chains of legalism and good works, unable to understand
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: who Jesus is despite his years of studying the law
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: and prophets. So Saul asked the high priest for letters
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: to the temple in Damascus, authorizing him to round up
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: as many Christians as he could, people known as followers
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: of the way, and then to throw them in jail
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: or worse. but God had other plans. And in today's reading,
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: we hear how God went to supernatural lengths to reach
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: Saul and to stop him in his tracks. For there
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: on the road to Damascus, on his way to destroy
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: the church, Saul was blinded by the light of heaven.
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: This is the resurrected Christ himself. There on the ground,
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: Saul could see nothing but the glorious light of Christ
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: and the voice that came to him. This is Jesus
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: asking Paul why he Are you persecuting me? Jesus asked Saul,
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: why are you fighting against me and what I am
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: telling you to do? You see, though Saul did not
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: yet know it, God had a heavenly high calling and
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: purpose for him. God would not take away this man's
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: zeal or deep understanding of truth and scriptures. Rather, he
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: would fulfill the scriptures in the life of Saul and
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: he would become the great missionary of the church. So
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: after being knocked off his horse, Saul then blindly stands
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: to his feet, and already God is changing him, Jesus
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: is changing him, for when he opens his eyes, he
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: found that he could not see. Saul is now physically blind,
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: and for many years he had lived in spiritual darkness
• 13:28
  Speaker 3: and blindness, and had physical sight, but now the tables
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: are turned. God had begun to open his spiritual eyes,
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: but he is blind and helpless. His companions lead him
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: to Damascus where he stayed for three days, fasting and
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: drinking nothing. As Saul waited, not knowing what would come next,
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: God was working behind the scenes, as he always is.
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: He appeared in a vision to a believer in Damascus,
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: a man named Ananias, and God told him that he
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: was to go to Saul. Understandably, Ananias was concerned because
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: he had heard about Saul, how vicious he was, how
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: he was attacking Christians and attempting to destroy the church.
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: Did God really want Ananias to go talk to this man?
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: Notice that God did not chastise him or get angry
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: for his questions. He simply affirmed the command and explained
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: his purpose, saying in Acts 9 verses 15 and 16, Go,
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: for he, that is Saul, is a chosen instrument of
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and the
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: kings and the children of Israel. for I will show
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: him how much he must suffer for the sake of
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: my name. Ananias, what a great man, then obediently fulfilled
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: his calling and he went to Saul and he laid
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: hands on him and immediately he embraces him and calls
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: him brother. This man who was an enemy of the
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: church is now being called brother, a part of the
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: family of God. Don't miss the importance and the significance
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: of this. Not every one of us would have been
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: so quick to embrace Saul But Ananias, knowing that God
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: had a great purpose for this man and trusting in
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: God's will, welcomed Saul and prayed for him to receive
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: the Holy Spirit. In that instance, Saul's eyesight was restored,
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: the scales of his eyes fell, and he now sees again.
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: Saul was then baptized and immediately is transformed into a
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: force for the gospel, a fearless, faithful evangelist who would
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: spread the gospel, pointing others to Jesus everywhere he went.
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: The disciples were confounded and confused and a little uneasy,
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: but as they heard this man preach, as Saul witnessed
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: of the good news, they were sure now that he
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: is a changed man, and the murderer becomes a missionary.
• 15:52
  Speaker 3: Soon Saul returned to Jerusalem, but when he tried to
• 15:55
  Speaker 3: join the disciples there, again he was faced with some
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: fear and skepticism. But a man by the name of Barnabas,
• 16:02
  Speaker 3: just as Ananias had done, welcomed his new brother in Christ.
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: He stood up for Saul before the disciples, and then
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: Saul was accepted, joining those in Jerusalem, boldly preaching Christ
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: to all who would listen. It wouldn't be long that
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: Saul would face the same oppression and opposition and persecution
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: that he had brought to the church. Now he was
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: the hated and hunted one, but nothing would stop this man.
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: He was unstoppable. Saul is an incredible testimony to God's
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: power to redeem and change even the most lost and
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: hopeless person. Saul would carry God's grace to the ends
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: of the world, fueled by the power and the passion
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: of the Spirit within him, and both Jews and Gentiles
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: everywhere would believe the saving message of Christ, because the
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: man who hated Christians is now becoming the greatest Christian
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: who ever lived. Let's pray together. Dear God, thank you
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: for today's scripture. which reminds us of your great grace,
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: your amazing grace that can take us when we're going
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: the wrong direction and turn our lives around so that
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: we can become your followers. We know this is all
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: true because Jesus is alive, because you are risen, Lord,
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: and we follow you and trust in you and obey you.
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: And may we be bold in our witness, using our
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: own testimonies to tell the world who Jesus is. For
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: we pray in Christ's name, amen. Thank you for listening
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. And before we go,
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: I wanted to let you know that the Bible in
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: can only come to you each week through the support
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: of listeners like you. Your support today is so important
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: that we want to thank you for your gift by
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book.
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: This book is a powerful guide that shows how every
• 17:58
  Speaker 3: book in the Bible points to Christ and how you
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: can better read and understand the Bible and how God's
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: Word transforms our lives. So to get your copy of
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: the Jesus book, simply go to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support.