Our Stories Matter: An Encounter with Jesus--Saul's Story

 

I preached this sermon recently at a revival in Appomattox, VA, and I thought I'd share it with you all. 

Title: An Encounter with Jesus: Saul’s Story

Passage: Acts 9:1-9

Main Idea: Your story matters because an encounter with Jesus transforms ordinary, broken lives into powerful testimonies of His grace. An encounter with Jesus changes everything.

Introduction & Opening Illustration

Have you ever looked at a tangled ball of yarn? If you try to pull one loose thread, the whole thing often knots up tighter. Life can feel exactly like that. We look at our past mistakes, our broken relationships, and our current struggles, and we see a messy, tangled knot. We look at other people and think, “They have a beautiful tapestry. I just have a mess.” We start to believe the lie that our personal story doesn’t matter to God, or worse, that our story has disqualified us from being used by Him.

But the beauty of the Wesleyan tradition is the doctrine of transforming grace. John Wesley spoke deeply about the grace that chases us down before we even know we need God. God does not look at your tangled knot and see a lost cause. He sees a masterpiece in progress. Every single thread of your life matters to Him. Your story matters because your story is the canvas for His grace.

Today, we are looking at one of the most famous, messy, and dramatic stories in the entire Bible: the story of Saul of Tarsus and his encounter with Jesus. If anyone had a story that seemed completely unusable for the Kingdom of God, it was this man. Yet, an encounter with Jesus changed everything.

Today we will consider Acts 9:1-9, and note these three aspects of Saul’s story: the condition; the confrontation; the conclusion.

Remember, an encounter with Jesus changes everything. We all probably need regular encounters with Jesus. We need the change that a relationship with him brings. Read Acts 9:1-9.

Point 1) The Condition that Hinders (Acts 9:1-2)

The first thing to note is the condition of the person. What do you know about the life of Saul before Jesus? (Philippians 3:2-6) He was an accomplished man. He had reason for confidence. He was blameless according to the righteousness from the Law. He was a very religious person. No one could touch him in that area.

When the story begins, Saul is not looking for God. In spite of his religious beliefs, he was full of anger. Verse 1 says he was "breathing out threats and murder against the disciples." He was driven by anger, religious pride, and self-righteousness. He was on his way to Damascus to tear families apart. He was mad at the “heresy” of Christianity that had sprung up among his fellow Jews. He intended to wipe out this faith and destroy it completely. He thinks he is doing God a favor by destroying the church. Maybe instead of looking at his supposed “enemies” he should have been looking for God?

None of us come to God complete or whole. We all come broken. Some may seem better than others, but none of us is able to avoid the taint of sin. That is the situation in which we find Saul of Tarsus (soon to be Paul the Apostle).

Saul was the aggressor against the fledgling and newly born church. He got permission to go and arrest them so that he could put an end to them. We may never know what was driving his anger, but we know that he wanted to stop Christians.

His anger turned him into a “terrorist” against Christianity. Like some in our world today, he believed that those who disagreed with him should convert or die. Having them die was easier, so he pursued that option.

Saul was a sinner who resisted the truth and lived as an “enemy” of God (Romans 5:6-11). Saul stood against Christ. He was lost.

Religion without Jesus never saves. Many people today resemble Saul. Some are successful. Some are respectable. Some attend church faithfully. Yet without Christ, they remain spiritually lost.

Here the truth we all need to hear: God’s grace seeks us before we even seek him. Long before Saul was looking for Jesus, Jesus was pursuing Saul. Our stories matter because God begins writing before we ever realize He is holding the pen.

Never believe your past disqualifies you. Never assume someone else's past places them beyond God's reach. If God could save Saul, He can save anyone.

An encounter with Jesus exposes our condition. Such an encounter can also result in a change of our condition. The confrontation with Christ causes a change.

Point 2) The Confrontation that Transforms (Acts 9:3-6)

Once the condition is acknowledged, there is often a confrontation. The confrontation is between one who cannot save himself and the only One who can save. That is what happens to Saul.

Notice what happens in verse 3: "A light from heaven suddenly flashed around him."

This is the power of an encounter with Jesus. It interrupts us. Jesus confronts Saul as he is going about his everyday experience. Saul didn't schedule this meeting. He didn't sign up for a revival service. Jesus intercepted him on the dirt road of his own rebellion. Often Jesus confronts us in our mundane or normal surroundings. God is more than able to meet us right where we are! For many of us, our stories matter because Jesus chose to interrupt them.

You might be here today thinking you stumbled into this church by accident. You might feel like you are too far gone, too angry, or too broken. But the Holy Spirit is an expert at divine interruptions. Jesus meets us exactly where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.

Jesus confronts Saul miraculously—this seems to be a special case. There is a light from heaven—the glorified and risen Jesus reveals some of his glory. Saul falls to the ground—in the presence of a heavenly revelation, he gets low. He is humbled when Jesus is revealed. This is a divine encounter!

When Saul falls to the ground, Jesus asks a penetrating question: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

When we hurt others, or when we live in rebellion, Jesus takes it personally. But look at the immediate result of this encounter. The great, powerful, terrifying Saul gets up from the ground, opens his eyes, and he is completely blind. The man who rode into town as a conqueror needs to be led by the hand into Damascus. For three days, he sits in darkness, fasting and praying.

True transformation requires a season of vulnerability and surrender. Saul had to unlearn everything he thought he knew. His old story—the story of the zealous, self-made Pharisee—had to die so that a new story could begin. This is where the idea of consecration comes in. Holiness begins when we stop trying to lead ourselves by our own sight and allow Jesus to take us by the hand, even when we cannot see the next step.

Like all of us before we came to Christ, we cannot know God until God makes himself known to us. When Jesus confronts Saul, he is revealing himself. Jesus makes God known to Saul (John 1:18). The nature of this revelation no doubt convinced Saul that he was in the presence of God.

Most of us will not get a miraculous Damascus Road experience exactly like this one. We will not meet Jesus in a visionary experience. We will encounter him perhaps in a more mundane way. That doesn’t make the encounter any less significant. We encounter Jesus through the proclamation of his Truth. We humble ourselves in his presence. We listen to his direction. These are the same steps Saul experienced. Salvation requires revelation and response.

Jesus gives Saul a command—“Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Jesus acknowledges Saul’s willingness to submit by giving him something to do. How Saul responds makes the difference. How we respond will make a difference too! Has Jesus interrupted our plans? Have we had a confrontation that led to transformation?

Salvation for all of us is similar (without the bright lights probably). We are going about our everyday tasks, ignoring or even resisting God and being his enemies. Then God confronts us with his person and truth, and we are humbled. We want to know more and perhaps ask some questions, and God responds by calling us to obedience. So, how do we respond?

Faithful response to Christ leads to salvation. An encounter with Jesus poses a challenge. A confrontation with Jesus forces us to choose. Will we obey him or not? That brings us to our conclusion and the need for surrender.

Point 3) The Conclusion: Our Surrender (Acts 9:7-9)

The conclusion of our story reveals Saul’s response. In a similar way, our response to God will write the conclusion to our story of salvation. If we humble ourselves and obey God’s call to repent, salvation will come.

Let’s remember though, that not all who were present at the encounter/confrontation get the point (verse 7). This is true in our lives as well. When the story of salvation is told, it is not a guarantee that everyone present will be converted. It is possible to witness God’s divine grace and still miss the truth. These people heard the voice but did not apparently get the point.

Saul, on the other hand, understands that he has encountered the divine, that he has run into God, and he is dramatically changed. Though physically blinded, he nonetheless obeys—he obeys Jesus’ command even though his physical circumstances have made it difficult.

How often do we try to excuse ourselves from obedience due to physical circumstances? “I’m not gifted in evangelism” or “I can’t make disciples” or “I’m shy” or even “I don’t hang around non-Christians much.” Physical circumstances do NOT hinder obedience—only our wills can do that!

Though physically blinded, Saul is now spiritually focused—food and drink no longer matter, he wants to know this person Jesus (verse 10 reveals that Saul is praying while fasting). Saul obeyed Christ and focused on Christ. We should follow his example. Circumstances don’t matter, obedience alone matters.

God often does His deepest work after He humbles us. Those three silent days became the turning point of Saul's life. Sometimes God slows us down before He sends us out. Sometimes He empties us before He fills us. Transformation is more than forgiveness. It is surrender. God isn't merely interested in changing where we spend eternity. He wants to change who we are.

Ask God: What pride needs to die? What habit needs to surrender? What relationship needs healing?

So, what’s the rest of the story? Saul goes on to plant churches all over the Roman Empire. He writes 13 letters (almost half of our New Testament). He becomes an example for all of us (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

When a person is brought to Christ and becomes a follower of Jesus, it is not for that individual’s good alone, it is for the benefit of others as well. Can others see the grace of God in us? Do they want what they see? What kind of example are we?

The conclusion to Saul’s story is written, but the story of salvation/redemption continues.  What will the conclusion be? An encounter with Jesus changes our story.

Application

How do we respond to this information? 

First, check your condition. Own your own raw story. Stop hiding the messy parts of your life. Saul never hid his past; he later wrote openly about being the "chief of sinners." God cannot heal the fictional version of yourself you present to others; he only heals the real you. What is our condition? Do we rely on our own strength and efforts, or are we confident in God? If we do not have a relationship with Jesus, that is the starting point. This week, focus on your relationship with Jesus. Be willing to even give up some of the important things in life to pursue a knowledge of Jesus and his righteousness (Philippians 3:7ff).

Second, look for divine interruptions. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to stop, pray, or change direction today, do not resist. Yield your schedule to the interrupting grace of God. Leave room in your schedule for God's plans.

Third, humble yourself and obey God. Ask: What is it that God has asked of you that you have ignored? We must never allow anything to deflect us from obedience. When we refuse to obey Jesus, we are backing away from the recreating power of his redemption. As Oswald Chambers says, “It is a matter of indifference to God’s grace how abominable I am if I come to the light, but woe be to me if I refuse the light.” (John 3:19-21). What was the last thing God told you to do? Leave here today, go and do it. Live in God’s light. Do not wait another minute to do the right thing.

Fourth, share your God story with others. People may argue with your theology, but they cannot deny your story. Take time to let others know what God has done. Make a list of people you would like to see have an encounter with God, then begin to pray for them and seek an opportunity.

An encounter with Jesus changes everything. How has it changed you?

Closing Story

Years ago, a minister was walking through a gritty downtown neighborhood when he noticed a local artisan who made beautiful stained-glass windows. In the back courtyard of the shop, there was a large dumpster filled with discarded, broken shards of colored glass. They were sharp, jagged, and seemingly useless.

The minister asked the artisan, "What do you do with all that garbage?"

The artisan smiled and said, "That isn't garbage. Those are my favorite pieces. You see, a brand-new sheet of glass is uniform and predictable. But when I take these broken, shattered pieces, wash them, and carefully fit them into the lead framing, the light hits the jagged edges in unique ways. The broken pieces create the most breathtaking mosaic."

That is what Jesus did for Saul. That is what He wants to do for you. He takes the shattered fragments of our choices, our hurts, and our failures, and He frames them with His grace. When the light of Christ shines through a redeemed life, the result is a beautiful holy mosaic. Your story matters because the world needs to see the light shining through your unique, redeemed pieces. God does not throw away broken people. He turns them into living testimonies of His grace.

Altar Call

Saul’s story shifted on a dirt road because he surrendered to the voice of Jesus. For three days he prayed in the dark, waiting for a touch of grace. You don't have to wait three days. The altar is open right now. Today, Jesus is stepping into your story.

Perhaps you are here and you feel like Saul before the light hit him—running, tired, angry, or breathing out stress and anxiety. You need a radical encounter with Jesus today. Perhaps you feel like Saul in the dark room—blinded by your circumstances, unsure of the next step, needing someone to pray over you so the scales can fall from your eyes.

Whatever your story is, it matters to Him. I invite you to come. Step out from your seat, come down these aisles, and kneel or stand at this altar. Let us lay our tangled threads before the Master Weaver. Let us give him the broken shards of life to make his Masterpiece of grace.

Come and encounter Jesus. Come and be transformed by his grace.