Skip to content I HAVE to Pray for Them || Pastor Adam Mesa Apr 25 · 51 min ...more
April 25, 2024 · 51 min · Patria Sermons
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Adam Mesa is Lead Pastor of Patria Church and speaks to a congregation of 12,000 about how the gospel of Jesus Christ brings purpose to every life. Patria
492K followers
Pain and Gain: The Transformation of Saul 0:00 If you're ready to dig into the word today, we're in a series called Pain and Gain, talking about how a little bit of pain in our life, a little bit of pain in our faith, ultimately works out to a massive amount of gain0:10 when it comes to our relationship with God and when it comes to what God wants to do day. It's been sharing with us what pain and gain, especially last. Wow. He talked about sometimes the pain of even0:22 God getting in the mix, which chastise, will work to our gain. Sometimes,0:44 inside of that pain. And so if you have your Bibles, would you turn to Philippians chapter 1 verse 18 to 26? We're going to just read this. And we're going to spend the rest of the message today in Acts chapter0:56 9. Important because we're going to learn a little bit about the time that the apostle Paul gave his life to rise. And we're going to see that through his faith in Christ and through his1:07 conversion, we see that he had put others in pain. Be pain that would always circumvent him. But in the reality, he would see God's message and1:19 kingdom expand through his life, through that. And so we're going to see how Paul teaches us what it means to see God join me for standing1:31 for the honor of reading God's word today as we want to give God our full attention. Yes. And I will. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the1:43 spirit of Jesus, this will turn out for my As it is my your expectation and hope that I will not at all be a shame. But that with full courage now and always Christ1:55 will be honored in my body. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Why don't you say out loud, is gain? Is gain.2:07 There we go. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the 2. My desire is to depart and be with2:19 Christ, for that is far better. Awareness. I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in2:30 the so that in me you may have ample cause to glory Christ Jesus because of my2:43 draw a powerful passage that many people have quoted over the years, and many people will staple and hold this into their life. That statement2:57 what he's saying in that moment and that expression is to say that for every day that God gives me another, it will be a moment where I can live in the way that Jesus has called me to live. I can live to the fullest3:08 potential, the fullest potential, the fullest purpose, and the foolish commission that God has placed in my life. And he says, but ultimately, if 1 day I would pass, it would be such a game because then I get to be3:20 in the presence of Jesus who I have spent years following. Passionate verse and conviction to say, I should live my life as following Jesus, but should I lose3:32 my life? What a beautiful gain it is to be in God's presence. Well, now we know that to be a reality. But many times we forget when we read many times we forget when we read these passages who it is that's actually3:43 writing this. This is the Apostle. This is the individual that in our Bibles, it's consisted of 2 testaments, the Old Testament and the New Testament.3:55 Testament being everything after Christ. Well, in your Bible, in the New Testament, 2 thirds of the New Testament is written by this man, the Apostle Paul. Not 1 of the4:07 12 disciples that followed Jesus in his earthly ministry. It was actually the greatest murderer of their day who had killed killed more Christians than anyone else in his day because Paul was once a man named4:19 Saul. He used to hate the message of Jesus. He hated Christians. He hated the idea that Jesus would come and corrupt the4:31 Jewish faith with his teachings, and his message,4:44 so hate it. To a point that he becomes the writer of 2 thirds of the New Testament. Modern John Wick movies? You ever seen those movies before? The4:56 apostle Paul was John Wick before John Wick was John Wick. John Wick would have been scared to meet the Apostle Paul when he was. So was a5:08 He beheaded people, he hung people, he killed people, all for them following.5:22 JESUS was there as a religious figure, not just an individual who had So Jesus as a religious figure, the rule was if Rome condemned a religion and put it to death, that means that5:33 anyone can have approval from the judicial system. And if a religion was illegal, you could kill anyone who followed that religion. Local authority5:45 approval to kill Christians. And under Roam's protection, he was good to go. He'd kill whoever he wanted. And so how do you go from a person5:59 writing in the book of Philippians to live is to follow Christ, but to die is gain because they're not gonna be in the presence of Christ? What kind of redemption story and salvation story does that look like?6:12 How can we relate to that today in the sense of where our sin and our past once was, and the beautiful work that God can do in our life, and trusting the process that God is placing in our life6:24 because he's working it out for your good, as the Bible says. So let's look at the life for a moment when Saul first met Jesus. And if you like taking notes, either marking up your Bible6:36 or putting notes in your phone, I think you'll enjoy today because we're gonna interact with the Bible a little bit today and learn some things. So I want you to see if you want to open your Bible, we can turn to ACTS6:45 chapter 9. Where our first read versus 1 to 9 and observe what happens when when when Eventually, Paul Saul's name would be changed to Paul.6:58 The name Paul means little man. The name Saul means to be desired. And so Saul is going to go from wanting to be desired to then God's going to say, I'm going to7:09 change your name to little man, to remind yourself of how humble you have to be in this walk and following me. You're going to go from being desired by your religion as the number 1 killer7:21 and inquisitor of Judaism for Christianity to the little man. It's what I'm gonna do in your life. So how does that happen? It says this, but Saul still breathing7:34 threats. Still, and the original languages and braiding threats isn't a total7:45 accurate term. We just don't really have a word for it. Other words, it's the idea that every time Saul took a breath, he hated Christians, even more7:57 so. It's the idea that if anyone has ever made you upset as the day goes on, you get madder and madder. Every time you breathe, you're just like, I just can't believe that that8:09 for I can't believe that interaction. I can And so it just continues to deepen in your heart, deepen in your desire. And so this idea is Saul is not getting better towards his affinity with Krishna. His Saul is not8:19 getting better towards his affinity with Christians. His every single minute and every single day that passes, his hate for Christians is growing deeper and deeper and deeper. And so we see, but Saul's still8:31 breathing his threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogue of Damascus. So he's in Tarsus, which is hometown. He8:43 gets the local religious rulers to write him an approval letter for the synagogues in Damascus, so that he can rage rampant war against the Christians in that city. And so it says, so that if8:55 he may found any belonging to the way, that's important. You'll notice that it says, if you found any belonging to those who follow Jesus. It does a say. It says,9:07 the way Well, Christians backed in because to call yourself a Christian or a Jesus follower is a pretty dangerous endeavor.9:23 And if the person did follow the way, and that comes from Jesus' statement, I am the way, the truth, and the lie.9:35 Yeah. The way. Or yes, I know. And safety about the glory of who God is and what God has done in their life.9:49 Nearest corner market. Did you know the way That's all I am. And it was a way of safety for them. And it was a way9:54 of safety for them. And it was a way of safety for them. And it was a way of safety for them. And it9:55 was a way of safety for them. And it was a way of and and to be as wise as serpents and soft as part of their wisdom. Not that they were scared to be Christians. It was just by being a Christian in immediate death. So10:06 they did want to live without persecution and spread the gospel. And so they called themselves the way. But the reason why that matters is because SAW choice. He asked for a letter to10:18 go after people who call themselves the way. In other words, Saul is saying, I know your little sly little tactics on how you're sharing about Jesus and inviting people to your house to talk about Jesus. And Saul's like,10:30 that's not working for me. I figured you guys out. I know how to find you guys. I know how to seek you guys out. And then it says he asked for people belonging to the way, then it says he's asking for approval10:42 men or women. Preached10:54 it. Men were the only ones who shared it publicly. Guilty for spreading any. But because Jesus brought women equal to the discipleship.11:05 And because Jesus desired women to preach the gospel and share the gospel. Women because they're spreading the gospel11:17 just as fast as the men as well. So he's like, let me I want I want them both. It's a big statement because that's the first time in their day anything like that would happen11:29 where women would hold that type of guilt for what they said. Many of us know if you were here for Easter, women weren't even allowed to testify in court, but now they're being held guilty for following Jesus.11:42 Their culture that people were not a fan of when he was bringing women to the discipleship level. It says that he might bring them down to Jerusalem. He wants to bring them to Jerusalem because he wants to interrogate11:52 them. He wants to hold him accountable and ultimately in Jerusalem is where he could kill them best because that's where everything started. And it says, now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus.12:04 He's on a road. And suddenly a light from heaven shown around him and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, who12:16 are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you're persecuting, but rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do. The men who were traveling with12:28 him stood speechless hearing the voice, but seeing no 1. So the men that Saul is with can hear Jesus's voice, but12:40 they can't see him. That's an important point because only Jesus can open someone's eyes. So he's opened Paul's eyes, but he did not open the guys that were12:51 with him. He only allowed them to hear him, not see him. And so Saul can see him and hear him. The men with him can only hear him. Choose to then13:03 believe in their sight be open. And so we see that. Saul rose from the ground. And although his eyes were open, he saw nothing. So now because of Jesus's glory, because of13:15 Jesus's presence, he physically becomes blind, but his spirit is awake and alert and open. And so that's shows us in the expression13:27 that spiritually, your eyes can be opened, but that doesn't mean that naturally there's full deliverance in that moment. And so now as he is open and can see Jesus, his13:39 natural sight is gone.13:53 So So now he's beginning to start to kind of experience what Jesus experienced. It says for 3 days, he was without sight. He was completely blind for 3 days and he neither ate nor drank. So now Saul14:05 completely goes into a fast for 3 days, and he is just fully relying on Jesus at this moment. More than likely, he is fully reflecting on the years that he has spent killing hundreds14:17 and hundreds of Christians. You can only probably imagine in that moment the remorse, the brokenness, the effect of I can't believe I've been following and killing all of these people who truly have been following Jesus,14:29 and now I'm become a follower of Jesus. And so now, he sits in a home for 3 days without sight, with no food, and no water.14:41 First thing that we can see is we can see anyone and everyone who desires a relationship with God must have a moment of encounter with Jesus. Every person14:55 of encounter with Jesus. And your moment can happen in a church service like this, but your moment could also happen in a dorm room. It can happen in a break room at your job. It can happen in your kitchen counter, but15:07 everyone needs a moment where they see God clearly and they fully are ready. It says that Saul fell on his knees and he calls he immediately recognizes now Jesus as Lord. He says,15:19 Lord, who are you? And then Jesus says, I'm him. I'm the 1 you've been persecuting. And the reason why we don't know the rest of the conversation, because more than likely for Saul, that was now all he needed because he15:31 knew all of Christianity's tricks. He knew all of their statements. He knew what they had been preaching. So the moment Jesus now tells him, I'm the guy that you've been persecuting. Follow me.15:43 That's now all Saul needed. He was ready to follow Jesus. But everyone needs a Damascus road experience. Sometimes we're looking for a15:55 cookie cutter approach. Did this happen? Did that happen? How many times did you do this? What happened? We're looking for cookie cutter approaches when it comes to someone who meets Jesus, but people,16:18 so to the process that's so and so Recently, I was talking to a a young man in our church who's married and he has children. And he shared with me around, a couple weeks before Easter or maybe16:30 he was on Good Friday. He came16:31 he shared with me and he16:31 said for over and he said passionate atheist. Like like, totally not believing in God, not believing in anything about God. I knew all16:43 the science and I looked into all the stuff and church, but I've just I've never believed it. I never thought God was true. I definitely didn't think church was16:54 true. And he said over the past couple years, my wife has gotten saved and she started going to church just as a husband who wants to support. I said, Yeah, I'll go. And he goes, But every time I'd be in service, I don't17:06 believe this stuff. I don't think God's real. You know, Jesus was just a man. He's feeling those things the whole time. But every once in a while, he said he would For over 10 years, he would just ask God a simple17:18 prayer. God, if you are real, just show me. Tell me. Open my eyes. Anything. And he said, God never did anything. He said it wasn't until a couple months ago, he's at a conference17:30 that he's attending. And preaching anything fancy, was not talking about anything specific, but he said in that moment, God completely opened his eyes to who Jesus is. He said he17:41 fell on his knees and he began weeping and crying because now he felt that he can he knows God is real. He know the work of Jesus is real. And he said, God just completely opened his eyes, completely opened his heart,17:53 and he immediately wept in that moment. And so as we were talking, he said, but I have to be honest. Second. And I said,18:05 God, for over a decade, I've been asking for this moment. What took you so long? And he said as he was angry for a moment, God then gave him peace and18:17 assured him and said, because I will send you to people who were like you. And it's your story that you knew all the facts and you did all the research, but it's your story of an encounter18:29 with me, a divine moment with me that opened your heart and opened your life that there will be people that grew up in church. There will be people who are always connected to church, but you'll meet people who have18:40 never known God, who have never been in a church, who've touted themselves as atheist, and it's your story. Your story that I will use to bring me glory in that moment.18:52 And so he said, I wasn't angry anymore because I know God gave me peace that this moment of deliverance and the story I have of the past will connect with someone else, and19:04 it'll be a testimony. That was Saul's life. God wanted to turn Saul's life into a testimony of God's goodness and his mercy. In the same way, I had a friend when I was in college. My friend19:16 in college, his father, was Egyptian and he grew up in Egypt. If you don't know much about Egypt, the way it works in Egypt is only if you're born into a Christian family.19:28 So Christians can't evangelize. Christians can't you can't convert. So you can't be a Muslim and then you can't convert to Christianity because it's a predominantly Muslim country. Basically, what it is is if19:40 you're born into a Christian household, that's okay. Even so much that when you're 2 or 3 years old, they tattoo a cross on your hand. So it signifies that you were raised in a Christian home. So now you could be a19:50 Christian in public. But you cannot share your faith and you cannot convert. Well, in in the seventies, my friend, his father, was in a village that was predominantly Muslim, but there were some20:02 Christians in that village. But mind you, he had never heard the gospel because his Christian neighbors weren't allowed to share the gospel. If they were, the entire community would turn them in right away and kill them.20:12 And if you converted from Islam, to Christianity, you would be put to death all the same. So for all intents and purposes, his father would never hear the message of Jesus other than what's written in the Quran. And the20:24 Quran merely just says Jesus is a prophet. Jesus is a messenger of God, but Jesus is not God. And they definitely don't believe the death and resurrection of Jesus. And so, the Quran is limited in the information about20:36 Jesus. And so he would never hear the true message And when20:48 Jesus appeared to him, Jesus began to give him the gospel and saying, I'm the 1 that you've been searching for. I did die on the cross. I did raise 3 days later. I am King of Kings and I am Lord of Lords. Would you21:00 follow me? And his father said yes. It's all a dream.21:03 It's just a dream. His father in the dream said yes, I will follow you. He said at that time,21:04 Jesus pulled out 2 things. He pulled out 2 things. He follow you. He said at that time, Jesus pulled out 2 things. He pulled out bread and he pulled out wine. Jesus taught him communion, because he had never heard21:14 communion before. And so Jesus begins to share with him. He says, this this wine represents my blood that was shed. This bread represents my body that was beaten for you. And so he gives the his dad in the dream a drink21:26 of the wine. And then the last thing is he asks is, Jesus tells his dad, open your mouth as I give you the bread. His dad, Jesus puts the bread in his mouth, his dad wakes up from his dream and has a21:38 hot piece of pita bread in his mouth. At that moment, his father wakes up, wakes his wife up, wakes his children up, shares the gospel with them, shares about the great great news that Jesus21:50 just saved him, Jesus just met him in a dream. And guess what? His wife immediately goes down to the local mosque and tells them that her husband converted to Christianity.22:04 Well, the mosque, everyone gets their knives and picks and they go to kill him. Just so happened that the Christian family nearby in the village hears that he gave his life to Christ and before the local22:16 villagers could come and put him to death, they go outside and they smuggle him in the night, they put him in a truck, and they take him to a local place. They hide him at a local church underground.22:28 They get him a visa and they send him to the United States. When he gets to the United States, he writes back to his wife and he says, I would love for you and my kids to join me here in the United States, and I would22:40 love for you to receive Jesus. His wife writes him back and says, if you ever step foot in Egypt again, I will personally kill you myself. My friend's father went into the history books, and I22:52 and you can look him up 1 day. I'll give you his name. You can look into the history books. His father went into the history books as 1 of the greatest Christian Egyptian evangelists that converted more Muslims in Egypt23:02 than almost anyone else is history because of his passion for Jesus. His father was known as the Muslim evangelist23:17 States at a Christian church, he met my friend's mother and they got married here in the United States and they had 2 children. And God began to redeem something in his life.23:31 And since then, he's gone home to be with the Lord, but when he had a funeral, it was packed out with people that had given their life to Christ, who had heard his testimony, where met him in a dream. So whether Jesus23:42 meets you in a dream or he meets you in a church conference, wherever it is, God will do whatever he can to get your attention. Question is, will we submit ourselves to allow our eyes to be23:54 open to say, God, continue this work in my life. You see, we continue to see what happens if we keep reading. Here's 3 points I'm going to give you today. What happens now is we left off, Saul is blind.24:14 But here's the problem. He cannot be entrusted to any church leader because Saul has ravaged the Christian church.24:27 Saw.24:28 They would love to give him what he deserves. They would love to give an eye for an eye. And so God has to find a man named Ananias who he entrusts to pray for his healing, but Ananias24:41 knows who Saul is. He knows who he is. So look at this. If you're taking notes, here's the first 1. Saul needs to regain sight. This is a miracle that needs to take place. And God24:53 gives Ananias a signal. So there are times in our faith where God is desiring to heal us, deliver us. You need sight. But there's also times25:06 signal you to practice and live out your faith. To live it out. To not be in the background or not be in the sidelines. Look at what it says. It says this, speaking of Ananias, and the Lord said25:18 to him, this is to Ananias, rise and go to the street called straight. There's the signal. Ananias, you're gonna go to a straight street, not a crooked street, not25:30 a dirty street, not a jacked up street. In other words, he's saying the person I sent you to, they're on a straight road. It's not your place, Ananias, to decide whether this road is straight or not.25:42 There's a signal, there's a road called straight. SAW is on that. That's it. That's all I need you to know. I don't need you to investigate further. Sometimes we think we're God's inquisitors. Well, God, let me let me25:53 pull up their Instagram. Let me pull up their Facebook page. No. The signal is The Road's Called Straight. Okay? Start with that. And then he says, and at the House of Judas, look for a man of Tarsus named Saul,26:05 for behold, he will be praying. He's brave. And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come and lay his hands on him so that he may regain sight. You26:17 see, there's always a moment in our faith where God may give you a signal to pray for someone, or believe for someone, or teach someone that otherwise you want26:28 nothing to do with. In just a moment, Ananias is gonna be like, hold on. Time out, God. I know the guy you're talking about. It's almost like any26:40 guy but that guy. I'll pray for anybody but that person. And there will come times in our life where there will be that 1 or 2 people that you're saying, God, I will love26:52 everyone But because I know their history. I know their story. You have no idea how hard this is. You have no idea how much there comes a wreck with these people in27:04 God's day. There's a love them. I don't know if you've been there before. But I can27:16 think of it. As I was thinking about it, as I was thinking, I was thinking when I was preparing this message, I was thinking, Laura, I I was thinking, when I was praying this message, I was thinking, I was thinking, when27:25 I was praying this message, I was thinking, I was thinking, if anyone asked me for prayer, I'd, I'd, I'd, I'd, I'd, I'd have no problem praying for. I'd have no problem,27:41 church, I'd have no problem loving. And then I felt like God was like, oh, there's 1 person I could think of. That you'd have a tough time. Praying for that.27:55 I and then it came to me, and I was like, oh, yeah. Yeah. There there is 1 person that, it'd be it'd be I'd probably recommend them to Water of Life or Hillside if they if they ever28:07 came. About this guy, if I if I ever saw him. I think I'm good now, but about a year ago, I don't know that I would be. There was 1 time me and28:19 my family were coming home from a vacation and we were at LAX. How many of you guys know LAX alone is a place where God tests you in your character and your love for others? I mean, there's something about28:31 LA. All airports are kind of a mess, but just LAX is just they can't see to get it right over there. It's always construction, always something going on. And so 1 day me28:43 and my family come home from a trip. We have my boys. I'm pushing my boys in a stroller. We're coming out of the terminal, and we have 1 of our friends, it happens to28:54 be we're at the last part where you can park before you have to get on the road. Either to the freeway or El Segundo Boulevard, anything like that. And so our friend is waiting to get in and there's a family29:07 in a car, in an SUV, and it's a it's a son and a daughter who's in their forties, and they're there to pick up their parents. And so they have their children in the back seat. And so this individual, as he's29:19 loading all of their luggage, he's basically treating it like Tetris. So how many of you guys know there are rules to terminals when you drop off and you pick up? You got like 90 seconds or less to29:31 figure it out. They get in and get out. Open the trunk, throw the bag in, get in the car, and let's go. We're now at this point for 10 minutes, and the29:42 guy's still unpacking and repacking because he wants to get it perfect for whatever reason. So we're 10 minutes waiting, and mind you, we cannot get in until these they either move up 5 feet29:54 or they leave. It's our only option. It's just packed that day. And then about the 12 minute mark, my wife, who's about 20 feet ahead of me, I'm right by this guy's car. He didn't know me and my wife are together. She's30:06 about 20 feet up. She's trying to hold spots every time a car leaves to try to fit in our friend getting in. And so in about the 12 minute mark, she goes, Excuse me, sir. Could you move up 5 feet so that we can get our30:17 car in? He turns around and he goes, Yeah. Just hold on. Almost almost done. Like an attitude. And I said, Okay. Well, let it pass. None of us like being here. We're cool. We're all short. It's30:29 alright. Okay. So then now, we're there about 20 minutes. He's still there. At this point, everyone's in the car. The son's in the car. The father who was30:41 going to be in the passenger seat, the grandfather, has now got his arms in the back seat window just talking to the grandchildren. They had like their iPads and toys, and he's just like messing with them, and they're30:52 just like talking. Waiting. My sons are kind of getting a little antsy now at this point. They're in the they're in the stroller. The guy has no idea we're together. I'm I'm about an arms length31:04 away from his father in this guy's car. So Ashley, just 1 more time, she says, excuse me sir, because everything's closed. The back the trunk's closed. The doors are closed. The grandfather's got his arms in31:16 the window. She says, excuse me sir, can you please give us 5 feet? The guy with all of his windows down, the sun down, he turns around and outside of the window, he says, will you31:28 shut the bleep up, you stupid bleep?31:32 Well,31:38 how many of you ladies know, my my wife, she just goes like this to me. Like, you you gonna let this guy31:50 talk to me like that? And I literally go, oh, no, he didn't. Because there's no good way out of this thing now, you know? And so I look at the guy and I32:02 said, buddy, that's my wife you're talking to right now. And he goes, I don't care. And I said, that's a real dangerous thing to say when your father isn't even in the car yet.32:14 And now his father's like, oh no. Oh no. This guy's gonna kill me. Cause I thought it was a really dumb move. Like, you're in your car, your dad's not. Like, it's not a smart thing to put in your risk your father that32:24 you The guy don't know me. You don't know if I'm crazy or not. Some days I am and some days I'm not. So I didn't even know what version he was gonna get in that moment. Dumb thing to32:36 do with your father. So now his dad's shaking the car handle and he's like, son, open the car, open the car, this guy's gonna kill me. Open the door. And so he's shaking the door handle, the son unlocks it, and the dad32:47 gets in the car. Problem. Just apologize to my wife. Just get out of the car and say sorry. He's like, I'm not doing and I was just like, man, you don't you don't even32:59 look intimidating. Let's not be the day. Let's just calm down. Like, just So now the guy has just doubled down. So the dad is really upset at how his son is acting. So the dad's like,33:10 son, just drive away. So now because I, you know, I speak for a living, so I'm pretty good with my words. So, so now, I don't ever use cuss words. I'll just use plain English to get my point across. And so33:22 I said, hey, why don't you just listen to your daddy? Okay? Oh, man. That got this guy triggered. I'm a grown man. I don't have to listen to my dad, blah blah blah. The dad's like, put33:34 it in drive. Let's go. And I said, yo, daddy's smart. Listen to your daddy right now. Oh, this dude is just he's now through the roof angry. He he he is so I don't have to listen to my dad. I'm my own33:46 man. I said, it don't seem like it. It don't seem like it. Do what your dad says. This dude is like, the dad puts the car in drive himself, reaches over, and the dad goes drive. The33:58 guy's starting to pull away, and he's like, I'm my own man. I'm like, don't seem like it while your daddy put your own car in drive. This dude is livid. Screaming like veins coming out. He's red.34:10 I'm as calm as a cucumber. Because I thought, man, why don't we just argue in a screen match? That's not impressive. I want to live in this guy's head for the next week. That's what I want to do. So in the moment he does34:22 that, and he drives away. And so I thought to myself, and then when I was praying this God was like, what if that guy came to the church the next day? Asked you to pray for him?34:34 I said, well Lord, I probably would, we'd probably need a conversation first to take place. I'd have to if he came to me and said, hey, buddy. I just got I just moved to California, and I just34:45 got in from LAX last night, and asked my friends about a local church, and, you know, we're just new to town. Would you just pray for us? I'd say, You flew in from LAX yesterday?34:59 You you drive a Dodge? Have you ever cussed at women before? Yeah. I'm gonna give you the address to a great church up the street35:11 that love to pray. I don't know. Honestly, it would challenge me in that moment. I don't know that I would be so loving. I don't know if that guy was like, oh, I'm sick right now. Would you pray for me? I'd be like, I35:22 know other people that would be great to pray for you. But I don't know that I would do that. Now, you may say, oh, Pastor Adam, you're just not a disciple of Jesus. No. I'm a disciple of Jesus, but I have a memory as35:34 well. And following Jesus is not just as easy as it seems. And there are times God will ask you to do something painful or to step out painfully. To do something painful or to step out35:45 painfully. God will give you a signal and the obedience Now honestly, as I reflect, if I met the guy again, I'd not think anything of it. But man, when it was fresh,35:57 oh, we would have had to have a conversation first. But God's command for Ananias is, you don't get to talk it out, Ananias. When you go see Saul, you're praying for healing. No conversation. So36:09 look look what Ananias does when he tells him about a man named Saul from Tarsus. He says this, with the few moments I have, we're going to start to close. Here's the point. We see that, Saul has sight or a36:21 past, and Ananias has a pretense. That's a reality. Saul does have a past. We all know it. We've all heard it now, And Ananias is gonna have a pretense. He has a working knowledge of what Saul has done. More than likely,36:32 he has a working assumption of what will happen when he encounters Saul. Now, if he found out Saul was blind, then he'd have the advantage. He could kill Saul and get even, and Saul would never be able to see him.36:42 Otherwise, he does have a pretense. And here's what it says. It says, but Ananias answered and said, Lord. I've heard many things about this man. I know about this guy and how much36:54 evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has the authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord said to him,37:06 go for he's a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake37:18 of my name. Saul too to continually37:30 remind him what it means to submit to God and the work of Jesus. Sin. Sometimes people say, I think God is just punishing for my past. No. No. No. No. No. There is a process of37:42 humility that God is gonna have to take every single person through. And 1 process of humility may be different for another process of humility. For a guy who killed hundreds of Christians before he met37:54 Jesus, God was gonna take him through the largest process of humility that at that time any disciple had gone through. Paul had been imprisoned multiple times. Paul had been beaten multiple38:05 times. Paul had people that were a pain in his flesh. Paul had, churches that were a pain in his flesh. Paul had had shipwrecks. Paul had been, multiple times, been threatened to death even to the point of38:17 death. God was continually showing Saul, this is what my church is going through every single day. He continually saw that Saul's heart was softened.38:29 Because for a man who heavily relied on his intellect, heavily relied on his ability as a religious leader, God was gonna say, none of that is gonna win people to Jesus. Your testimony and the story that God's38:41 doing in your life is gonna what? Win people to Jesus. The fact that you are 1 of the greatest murderers to the greatest follower, that's gonna say something to some people. And so for soShow more In this video 0:00 Pain and Gain: The Transformation of SaulComments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
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