“Encountering the Living Lord” 8-11-24

Overview

Encountering the Living Lord

Saul of Tarsus first appears in Scripture at the stoning of Stephen, where the witnesses laid their coats at his feet Acts 7:58. Saul and Paul are not two names marking before-and-after conversion; rather, "Saul" is his Hebrew name (shared with Israel's first king from the tribe of Benjamin), and "Paul" is his Roman name. He was a Roman citizen, a Hebrew of Hebrews, and a Pharisee thoroughly trained in both written and oral law. His zeal for the law and for the Lord drove him toward Damascus—the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and a commercial crossroads with a sizable Jewish population—armed with letters from the high priest authorizing the arrest of any belonging to "the Way" Acts 9:1–2. Luke describes him as "still breathing threats and murder," meaning his very breath in those days was spent persecuting the church.

On that road, at midday, a light brighter than the sun flashed around Saul and his companions, knocking them to the ground (Acts 9:3–7; Acts 26:13–14). The voice he heard was personal: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?... I am Jesus." In Paul's later retelling, Jesus adds, "It hurts you to kick against the goads." A goad is what prods one to action; Saul, who knew the Law and the Prophets inside and out, had been encountering the very Christ to whom all Scripture points—and resisting Him. The risen, glorified Lord—the same Christ revealed on the mount of transfiguration and to John in Revelation—commissioned His persecutor to open the eyes of others, "so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God" Acts 26:15–18. Blinded for three days, neither eating nor drinking, Saul sat with everything he had ever memorized and finally saw it: the law and the prophets pointing to the suffering Servant who bore all iniquity.

There is something instructive about Saul's resistance. A Pharisee's careful distance from the line of the law could become a way of keeping distance from God Himself—an assumed safety in our own righteousness, whether we locate it in our service, our prayers, our care for others, or our ability to point out the unrighteousness of others. The living Lord refuses to leave us at that safe distance. He meets us in His Word, where every page points us to Christ, and in the sacrament, where He says in effect, "I know your sin. You can't hide it from me. I love you and I forgive you." The bread and the cup are given for the forgiveness of sins—not because we are righteous, but because Christ is.

Paul himself testified to this grace when writing to Timothy: "I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord... even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence, but I received mercy... The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost" 1 Timothy 1:12–17. If Christ can use Paul, He can use you. It is His power that opens blind eyes, His mercy that overflows with faith and love, and His glory that sends us out from Word and table into the world to testify that we, too, have encountered the living Lord.

Transcript

Oftentimes, when one travels to the Middle East, they have a tour guide and it's wise to have 3s

a tour guide when you visit the Holy Land because they know the ends and the outs, the 11s

safe places and the not-so-safe places and their stock bull of really interesting information 16s

about the geography about the history and so having a tour guide when visiting the Middle 25s

East is a really wise decision. 32s

Today on our Sunday Drive, we are going to have a tour guide. 36s

I'm going to introduce him to you, the first place where we meet him is in the book of 41s

Acts in the seventh chapter. 46s

Right after Stephen has given this beautiful sermon defending the faiths, we read, then 48s

they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him and the witnesses laid their 58s

coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 64s

This is where we first meet our tour guide, Saul. 71s

Many of us know him better as Paul and we have a misconception that once he is converted 77s

to Christianity that Saul becomes Paul, but really Saul and Paul are interchangeable. 86s

Saul is the Hebrew name that this man had been given. 93s

It is part of the Benjamin Tribe and Saul was the first king of Israel who was also from 99s

the Benjamin Tribe, but the Greek name or the Roman name was Paul. 106s

When we refer to Saul or Paul from the New Testament, same guy, same name just a different 111s

name depending on the context, whether it is the Hebrew or the Roman name. 121s

So, so this is our tour guide and we first meet him as those who are telling Stephen as 128s

they lay their cloaks at his feet. 142s

This is who we are going to travel and our Sunday drive today with in two Syria on our 147s

way to Damascus. 155s

Now, Syria and Damascus in particular were very, very important places in Scripture. 157s

Damascus was really the oldest or continues to be the oldest inhabited city in the Middle 166s

East and of the world. 175s

It was a commercial center because it was right at the geographical crossroads between Asia 176s

and Africa. 185s

It was where Asia and Africa met and so it was a very important commercial and cultural 186s

center in its day and age. 194s

We know as we're getting to know our tour guide better, we know that Saul was a very 198s

educated man. 205s

He was a Roman citizen and he was also a Hebrew. 207s

He was raised in the Jewish faith, not only raised in the faith, but he had training as 212s

a barricy. 219s

He knew very well the law. 221s

He knew it inside and out he knew the written law, he knew the oral law and he would defend 225s

it. 234s

It was his zeal for the law, it was his zeal for the Lord that motivated him to travel 235s

to Damascus. 244s

He was motivated to travel to Damascus because he was motivated to persecute the church referred 246s

to as the way. 257s

This is where we meet Saul, but our first encounter with Saul is not our last. 261s

If you would please open up your Bibles to the Book of Acts, the ninth chapter, if you're 271s

using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 111 in the New Testament 278s

where in the Book of Acts the ninth chapter. 286s

Beginning in verse 1, meanwhile Saul still breathing threats and murder against the 292s

disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues 299s

at Damascus so that if he found any who belonged to the way men or women, he might bring 306s

them bound to Jerusalem. 314s

This whole phraseology of breathing threats and murder, that meant that his very reason 317s

for drawing breaths in that moment of time was to go forth and to persecute the church. 325s

The church had been persecuted by him in Jerusalem and as it dispersed, they went to Damascus. 333s

Damascus had a large Jewish population and so there were many synagogues and so Paul 341s

demanded to go forth finding and seeking out those of the way those Jewish believers 348s

who had come to know that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah. 357s

And Paul didn't do this. 364s

He didn't do this without the authority first. 366s

He went and sought from the high priest. 370s

He went and sought the authority so he could march into Damascus with the peace of paper 374s

that gave him complete authority to arrest anyone without discretion that he chose 380s

man or woman and he could bind them and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial and very 389s

possibly for death. 398s

This was what motivated Saul and he believed that he was doing what was right. 402s

He was a Pharisee. 411s

He had the obligation to uphold the full law of the Lord and so in this righteousness that 413s

he found himself to be in the parathagal righteousness under the law he went for. 425s

He went for to arrest those in the blasphemous church. 434s

Look with me at verse 3. 443s

Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus suddenly a light from heaven flashed 445s

around him. 451s

He fell to the ground and heard of voice saying to him, 452s

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 457s

Why do you persecute me? 464s

Saul thought that he was doing right. 467s

Saul thought that he was following righteousness itself. 472s

And on his way to Damascus he is stopped suddenly by a blinding light in acts the 26 479s

chapter he gives his own personal account of this and he says, 488s

he says that it was at midday along the road, 495s

he saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun shining around him and his companions. 500s

Think about the sun at midday. 507s

Where is it directly above? 509s

You cannot hide from the heat of the sun, 513s

you cannot hide from the light of the sun and yet. 516s

And yet a light that was brighter than the sun surrounded him and his companions and they 521s

fell to the ground. 531s

They fell to the ground in verse 7 of chapter 9. 535s

It says the men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice, 539s

but saw no one. 544s

So while Saul was knocked to the ground by this blinding light and Saul heard this voice, 547s

speak to him. 556s

The men around him also saw the light. 558s

They were also knocked to the ground. 561s

They could not speak themselves. 563s

They heard of voice, but they could not understand the words, 565s

the conversation that took place was first Saul and the one who spoke to him. 571s

Back in verse 4, where the voice says Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 582s

He asked, who are you Lord? 594s

The reply came, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 597s

In chapter 26, Paul gives us again the personal account of this, where we read that the voice says, 606s

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 620s

It hurts you to kick against the goads. 624s

Now a gold, a gold is a term for something that motivates one into action or reaction. 630s

And here, with his initial motivation, Saul is going forth in order to persecute the church, 641s

but Jesus, as he stops Saul on his way, says, fighting against 650s

your goads is hurting you, which means that Jesus has been bringing forth 659s

nudges, he's been bringing forth motivation to Saul that would be in the favor of Christ. 669s

As a Pharisee, Saul knew the Old Testament, he knew the law, he knew the prophets inside and out, 683s

and in order to be able to persecute the church, the way he would have had to know 695s

what they were teaching and preaching and believing. So he had the full truth of God's word before him, 705s

and we know every time we open up the Old Testament, the law and the prophets, we are pointed directly 717s

to Christ. And so every time Saul opened, scripture every time he was in synagogue, 726s

the Lord was showing him himself. And so in verse or in chapter 26, when Jesus says, 738s

it hurts you to kick against the goads he is saying to Saul, you are hurting yourself by denying 748s

the very truth that is before you. You are denying me. Now I wonder, 757s

I wonder as Saul was on his way, as Saul was on his way to persecute the church that proclaimed 778s

Jesus as the son of God, the Messiah, I wonder if part part of him perhaps wanted the distance 791s

that he received from the law. If he wanted that distance of saying, this is the law, I can't 805s

cross this and on the other side of the law is God. And I think about that because I think about 816s

my own life and I think about the lives of most of us that there is an assumed safety 827s

in keeping our distance. There's an assumed safety that we know we know the line and we know 841s

want to get too close to the line either because God is just on that other side. And we know 855s

that that's too much. And so we want to stay on our side, on our side of our comfort in our own 868s

righteousness, wherever we attempt to find our own righteousness. If we find our righteousness in the way 879s

that we serve, if we find our righteousness in the amount that we pray, if we find our righteousness 891s

in how we care for or about others, if we find our righteousness in pointing out the unrighteousness 899s

of others. I think that there's a lot more in common that I have with Saul as he seek to persecute 908s

and encounters the unexpected and living Lord. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 926s

Saul asked, who are you Lord? And the reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, but get up 941s

and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do. I want to read again from chapter 948s

26, Paul's perspective of this encounter where the Lord answered, I am Jesus who you are persecuting, 957s

but get up and stand on your feet for I have appeared to you for this purpose to appoint you 967s

to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. 974s

I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you 984s

to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God 994s

so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 1001s

Saul, Saul who fought so hard again, Jesus is now being sent 1015s

to proclaim Jesus. He sent to proclaim and to open the eyes of those who have been blind. 1029s

When he himself was blinded by his own righteousness, was blinded by his own intent of threat and murder, 1045s

and instead he was stopped by the Lord, picking up in verse 8 of chapter 9, 1063s

Saul got up from the ground and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. 1074s

So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, 1081s

and neither ate nor drank. Saul who was leading the charge to destroy anyone who believed in Jesus. 1090s

He was now being led into the very city that he was ready to tear apart and by his grace, 1104s

the Lord blinded him. The Lord blinded him not from the Lord himself, but the Lord blinded 1119s

Saul in order to give him that time for his eyes to be opened and to know the truth of who Jesus 1129s

really was. We find the glorified Christ. We find the glorified Christ throughout 1139s

Scripture. We find him glorified upon the mountain when he is transfigured. We find him glorified 1151s

in revelation as he comes to John and delivers his word. It is the glorified Christ, the living 1161s

Lord that Saul encounters on that road to Damascus and his life is changed forever. 1174s

And for three days he gets to sit and meditate. He would know God's word. He would know the law 1186s

and the prophet and see had three days to run back in his mind all that he knew. 1202s

And in those three days his eyes, the closed were opened because he began to know the law 1214s

and the prophets for what they are. A pointing to Jesus Christ, 1230s

a pointing to the suffering servant who would take upon himself the transgressions of the world 1243s

who would bear upon himself all iniquity, all sickness, all disease. This, this, 1254s

was what Paul got to see while he was blind. 1270s

As we enter into our daily lives as we walk our road as we journey this side of heaven 1283s

while we sometimes try to keep our distance from that line because we want to keep our 1293s

distance from God because we know the holiness of God, the sovereignty of God, the might and the 1298s

power of God. We also encounter the living Lord. We encounter the living Lord through His word 1310s

and every time we open the Bible we are opening God's word for us. And just as saw, 1326s

knew the law, knew the prophet was pointed to Christ. Every time we open scripture or we hear 1337s

his word preached we are pointed to Christ and the purpose of that. As Jesus tells Saul is to open 1347s

our eyes so we may turn from darkness and see the light. We may turn from the power of Satan 1359s

and receive the forgiveness of sins and the place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ. 1371s

I'm not going to number my sins for you. We'd be here a long time. But I have them. 1385s

In my sin, I want to keep my sin to myself and I want to keep God at a distance. 1396s

But in His grace, in His word and through sacrament, the living Lord comes to us and says, 1405s

I know your sin. You can't hide it from me. I'm fully aware of it and I love you and I forgive you. 1414s

Every time we take that bread and drink that wine, take that body and the blood of Jesus Christ, 1429s

we are told that this is for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus promises the forgiveness of sin through 1438s

Him's cell. Not because of our righteousness, not because Saul was righteous, but because Christ Himself was righteous. 1453s

I remember when I was called into ministry and I questioned the Lord, 1470s

Lord, what are you doing? As I said, I'm not going to number my sins for you because we'd be here too long. 1478s

But I thought, if God can use Paul, certainly, certainly he can do something with me 1489s

and I tell you, if Paul can you or if God can use Paul, I promise you that he certainly, 1505s

certainly can do something with you because it is Him who works in and through you 1516s

and it is by His power that He sends us forth into the world after we have been 1527s

encountering Him through Word and sacrament. Paul wrote to Timothy, 1535s

He wrote of the change that was made and His thought of being used for the Lord. 1546s

He wrote, I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me 1557s

because He judged me faithful and appointed me to His service. Even though I was formerly a blasphemer, 1563s

a persecutor and a man of violence, but I received mercy because I had acted 1570s

ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that 1578s

are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the 1585s

world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost, but for that very reason I received mercy 1593s

so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience making me an example 1602s

to those who would come to believe in Him for eternal life, to the king of the ages immortal 1612s

invisible, the only God be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1619s