The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to The Word Made Plain with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Tony is teaching a study in the book of Acts. Please open your Bibles to Acts chapter nine, verses one through five.

Tony Clark: Acts chapter nine, we’re going to be looking at verses one through five. Father, thank you so much for this great opportunity to study your word. And we pray, God, for your precious people, Lord, that our hearts would be ready to receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls. Lord, do a work in our hearts through the teaching of your word today, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Acts chapter nine, we’re going to be looking at verses one through five. The title of this message is "God Can Reach Anyone." This is part one of this message. Never say that person will never become a Christian. I say this because God can reach anyone with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is the subject of these verses.

The attention is about to go back onto Saul of Tarsus, who was the one everyone laid their clothes at his feet as they stoned Stephen, according to Acts 7 and verse 58. After this, he launched an attack against the church in Jerusalem, according to Acts 8:1. He even started dragging off men and women out of their homes and putting them in prison, according to Acts 8:3.

So now, let's see what happened to Saul. Look at what it says there in verses one and two. It says, "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem."

Now, in these verses, we see that Saul was so determined to get rid of the Christians that the very air he was breathing was filled with threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. The term "disciples" in verse one is being used to refer to all Christians at that time and not just to the original twelve.

The end of verse one says that Saul went to the high priest, who was Caiaphas, to ask that he give him letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus. Now, Damascus was 130 miles northeast of Jerusalem, which was a six-day journey at this time. But Saul heard that there were Christians there, and he was determined to go there. And if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Now, the normal route northeast to get there went through Samaria. Now, you remember in chapter eight, God had used Philip, and there was a great revival going on in Samaria at that time. And so this could have infuriated Saul even more. Now, we know that he was determined to destroy Christianity. However, Saul is alive and well today.

He is alive and well through extreme Muslims around the world who are determined to rid the world of Christianity and even the Jews and establish Sharia law. However, Saul is alive and well today through many of you who are determined to destroy an ex-spouse and they left you for someone else. And you're also holding the clothes of those stoning him or her in the courts. Every time they call to talk to the kids, you're in the background breathing threats and murder against them like Saul was doing here.

You're definitely asking for letters from the high priest in the courts, so to speak, to try to take them for all they are worth out of spite and vengeance. So Saul is alive and well today through many of you, and you didn't even know or realize it that you are Saul of Tarsus today.

I want to bring something else to your attention, and that is what the early Christians were called. They were called "the Way" in verse two. This term is used five times throughout the book of Acts, and it means that Christianity was more than a belief system or a set of opinions or doctrines. Following Jesus Christ for them was a way of living. It was a way of living, not just believing.

What is Christianity to you today? As you sit here today and claim to be a Christian today, what does that mean for you? Is it just a set of beliefs only? Is it something you do on Sunday whenever you have time? For these early believers, it was a way of life.

You hear me quote this all the time, Colossians 3:4. It says, "When Christ who is our life appears, so shall you appear with him in glory." And I always right afterwards just challenge us with: Is Christ your life? Is he your life? Meaning that not is he your eternal life. Is he your life today?

You wake up wondering, "Lord, what do you want from me today?" You go to sleep praying to him. You wake up reading about him. You want to live your life for Jesus Christ. Is Christ your life, or is he just something you do on a Sunday? It was for these early believers in the early church.

It was as if they were saying, "If Jesus is not the way you're going to live, then don't bother to try to follow the Way." A term that no doubt they got from Jesus in John 14 and verse 6, when Jesus described himself as "the way, the truth, and the life." Today these believers would have said, "Hey, are you about that Way?"

We're about that Way. What about you? How would you have answered them if they would have come to you and say, "Hey, are you about that Way?" How would you answer them? Well, what happened next? Look at verses three through five. It says, "As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' And he said, 'Who are you, Lord?' Then the Lord said to him, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'"

Now, in these verses, we see Saul still making his way to Damascus with letters in his possession from the high priest, which gave him legal rights under the Jewish law to arrest those who were of the Way and bring them bound back to Jerusalem and receive the same sentence that Stephen received, which was death by stoning.

And so as he was on his way, verse three says suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. We must realize that this event was unusual because God doesn't normally confront a person's life with a bright light and a voice from heaven. We know from Acts 26 and verse 13, Paul reveals that it was at midday or noon when the sun is at its brightest when this event took place.

But the heavenly light was brighter than the sun. God was going to use extraordinary means to reach this hardened religious leader. Maybe you're here and you know someone absolutely hardened to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe you work with them or are married to them. And the Lord has unique ways of breaking through to them and shining his light on them unexpectedly.

Oh, I say unexpectedly because verse three says suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. In other words, they were not expecting for God to invade their lives at this time, and Saul definitely wasn't expecting it. And so don't lose heart like Galatians 6:9 says. It says, "Don't grow weary in well doing, for in due season, you will reap if you don't lose heart."

I wonder how many things God wanted us to reap, but we lost heart and stopped asking in prayer concerning the salvation of someone we know. When I think of this subject, I'm reminded of Daniel in Daniel chapter 10. He provides an awesome example of this principle of not losing heart in prayer. He had been fasting and praying for 21 days.

And on the 21st day, the angel reached him and said in Daniel chapter 10 and verses 11 through 14, "Oh Daniel, greatly beloved by God." Said the first day that you set your heart to pray, I was sent with the answer, but I was hindered from reaching you. And once I got free, we know from the context that Michael the archangel had to come and help him out and free him to get the answer to Daniel. He says, "I'm here with the answer now."

What an amazing set of verses that gives us insights on prayer. The angel told Daniel that he was hindered from getting to him. Oh, this gives us a peak behind the scenes on what takes place when some of our prayers are delayed in getting answered. We don't realize that the spiritual realm is just as busy as the physical realm. There are things that are going on around us now spiritually that we have no clue about.

And we wonder why some prayers are hindered, some prayers are delayed in getting to us. Hey, these verses give us some insights on why that is true. Now, what if Daniel had stopped praying at day 10 and said, like we do, "Well, must not be God's will for this to happen or for that to happen." What if he had stopped praying at day 15? What if he had stopped praying at day 20?

He would have missed out on what God had for him. There are some people who have lost heart on praying for a spouse, a coworker, or a family member because you've been praying for their salvation for weeks, for months, or maybe even for years, and they have not come to Christ yet. Don't lose heart because God wants to see them saved.

In 2nd Peter 3:9, it says, "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." And this includes the people you're praying for. The reason why you’re constantly praying for them is because God wants to see them saved. This is why he has placed them on your heart. When you start to be burdened in prayer for someone's salvation, just know that God wants to see them saved too. This is why they are constantly on your heart.

So when that light shone around Saul, what happened next? Well, verse four says he fell to the ground. Oh, not in worship, but in fear. Then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Oh, the repetition of Saul's name is emphatic in the Greek language. It speaks of Saul being rebuked, intended to bring anguish of soul so he would realize how wrong he had been so that guilt would overwhelm him.

I'm amazed at how today people are trying to rid us of guilt. Guilt is a wonderful mechanism that God has given us. He’s given us this mechanism called guilt. You know why? Because we're guilty of something. That's why. And they want you to sit in somebody's chair or lay on someone's couch and rid you of the guilt. No, the guilt is good. It's to let you know that you're guilty of something. You've violated your conscience about something.

And that's why that mechanism is blinking in your life and saying, "You're guilty." It's because we're guilty of something. We are. That's why. And this is the reason why God mentioned Saul's name twice. Oh, you know that you're in trouble when God calls you twice. It's like when you were young and your mother called you by your full government name: "Anthony Dwayne Clark, come here right now!" Oh, I knew I was in trouble. She called me by my full government name.

Well, when God calls you twice, you know that you're in trouble or that he has something important to say to you. For example, "Abraham, Abraham," "Samuel, Samuel." And here, "Saul, Saul." Or it may be like God has something important to say to you like he said to Martha: "Martha, Martha, you're worried and troubled about many things." And so God also says things twice because most often we didn't get it the first time.

I said, turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter nine. Many husbands looked at their wives and said, "Now, what chapter?" Because we need to hear it twice. What blows me away is what God tells Saul in verse four. He says, "Why are you persecuting me?" In other words, Saul, in your persecution of Christians, you’re really doing it to me.

Oh, this is a great word for us being Christians. Whether you believe it or not, we're also called the bride of Christ, according to 2nd Corinthians 11 and verse 2. And the Lord doesn't take too kindly when someone mistreats his bride. And when they persecute you on the job for being a Christian, they're really doing it to Christ. He takes it personally, as any husband would.

On the other hand, be very careful when you come down on someone who loves Jesus Christ and may do things maybe a little bit differently. Because in doing so, you're coming down on the bride of Jesus Christ. And this is why Isaiah 54, verse 17, says, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." Please realize this truth whenever we come down on a pastor, a church, or believer who loves Jesus but does things maybe just a little differently. You have become a weapon formed against them and realize you will not prosper.

And there has been many, many who have become a weapon formed against me, this church, and they have not prospered. And I have been a weapon formed against people who have left here, and God had to remind me of these verses, and I hurried up and repented. Because I understand when I come down on the bride of Christ for some reason, I'm coming down on the bride of Christ and I have become a weapon formed against them and I will not prosper.

Oh, I think somebody needs to hear this today. Because there are many people who are very critical of pastors, very critical of churches, very critical of someone who does things a little differently and you have become a weapon formed against them and realize you will not prosper. I am amazed at how critical folks are of pastors and sermons and different things and they never went to a Bible school, never went to a seminary, never been anywhere. But they're very critical and can pick apart this and he. Just realize you’re a weapon formed against them. You will not prosper.

When you put your lips on the bride of Christ for some reason—now there are some who deserve it. There's some who just fooling around and they deserve it. However, just realize, just realize you better leave them in God's hands. Because when you think that you have become the court to convict them, you will not prosper. I'm talking to some people here. You won't prosper.

And you wonder why things are falling apart in your life right now because you're very critical, you're very critical of folks in the body of Christ. And you see them and you're like, "Them and him and boy I tell you." Just realize what you’re doing. No weapon formed against us going to prosper. I'm telling you. People do it to you, they will not prosper. You’re part of the body of Christ for those of you who are. You will not prosper. Trust me when I say this.

And I've seen this happen over and over and over again. Folks try to put their mouths on some pastor, some church because of something they didn't like or whatever little thing. You will not prosper. And you wonder why things are the way they are in your life and you're like, "What's going on?" You have put your mouth on the bride of Christ, and he takes that very seriously, like any husband would.

And God is speaking to some people now about this very issue. Keep your mouth off of the bride of Christ. When you do, you will not prosper. Trust me. That goes for me. It goes for any of you here. You will not prosper. Oh, God is speaking to some folks because you were just talking about people recently. That's why I always step back. I always step back when folks try to be critical of me about different things.

I step back and let God deal with them. And God usually deals with them. Because, hey, I'm not going to defend myself. If I defend myself, then God says, "Oh, you got it? Okay, I'm going to let you have it then." No, no, no, I'm telling you. God is speaking to some folks. You better get your mouth off of it. And if you have, you better apologize. You better repent. You better repent because you're not going to prosper.

Now, so here is Saul, stopped in his tracks by the bright light of the Lord, showing that God will stop that hardhearted person in your life as well. Trust me, God knows how to get folks' attention. He knows how to get their attention, no matter how hard their hearts may seem. Saul here became the great apostle Paul. God knows how to stop folks. He knows how to stop hardhearted people in their tracks.

Paul said he was the chief of sinners. He is saying that, "I am the chief. Anybody and everybody else falls under me." So if God stopped the chief of sinners in his tracks and saved him, then everyone else under that he can stop, no matter how hard their hearts may seem. It's an old saying: you throw a rock in a pack of dogs, the one that barked the loudest is the one you hit. Saul of Tarsus was hit, and God got a hold of him.

So as Saul is on the ground out of fear, he manages to say in verse five, "Who are you, Lord?" Then the Lord answers and identifies himself and say, "I am Jesus, whom you’re persecuting." And notice he says, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Or if you have an old King James, it says, "kick against the pricks."

Now, what are the goads? Now, goads were a sharp instrument placed in the back of plows because oxen would have the tendency of kicking back and injuring the owner. And when they kicked back, they would kick this sharp instrument and think twice about kicking back again. What the Lord was saying is that, Saul, it is hard for you to kick against the sharp instrument of your conscience poking and telling you that you are wrong in the way that you have been treating my people.

In other words, Saul, you know deep down inside that what you’re doing is not right. And this shows once again that the testimony of Stephen in Acts 7, verses 59 and 60, affected Saul deeply that he was kicking against his guilty conscience. Are you kicking against something God has told you to do and called you to do? Is your conscience pricking and sticking you about something?

Maybe it is to say you’re sorry to your spouse or to your children. Maybe it is an old friend you got into an argument with and you have not spoken to them in years. There’s folks here fooling around, got mad at each other or someone got mad at them and not even talking to them. Here at the church! Fooling around with that kind of stuff. Your conscience is pricking you about that, and you need to get it right.

You know who I’m talking to. Get it right. Stop fooling around with that. See somebody on one side of a room, or see somebody walking down the hallway and you’re not even trying—quit fooling around with that kind of stuff. Your conscience is pricking you. Or maybe you're hearing your conscience is pricking you about receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you've been fighting it.

You've been kicking against it. If this is you, then let today be the day you put an end to you kicking against the goads of your conscience by making that phone call, by saying, "I am sorry," or by receiving Jesus Christ. For Saul, his day came for him to make Jesus his Lord and Savior. What about you? Is today your day?

The Bible says today if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. That's why the Bible says today is the day of salvation because tomorrow isn't promised, yesterday is gone. I know you got plans, "Well, next week, I'm going to do so and so." You're not promised the next moment. Oh, we're hearing about the sudden death of all kind of folks just around here. You’re not guaranteed another moment. All you have is right now. As we were praying for you guys last night and I was praying for you this morning, all you have is today to get something right.

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