Immediate Obedience

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Welcome to church. Tell the person on your right

that you're glad they're here. Go ahead.

Tell them. tell it, tell it, tell the person on your left

that they're actually your favorite and say you matter,

just tell him you matter. I like that.

Wow, welcome to church, everybody.

My name is Jared. I've been here for several weeks

and I'm going to be here for several more.

But as we get in the summer here, we're kind of taking turns

with, who's up here leading from the table.

The that it's not a Pulpit. That's what we used to say.

You know what? I was growing up, the pulpit, we

don't have those anymore, they call this the countertop, that's

what they make, fun of me because I like it to be higher

and they don't they say it's not a table, it's countertop.

So we're preaching from the countertop today but don't worry

because we got Taylor Guthrie in the back and he's the real MVP

and I've never seen somebody follow better than Taylor.

Got three right there on the screen and speaking of speaking

of Taylor we're going to be in Acts chapter 9, verses 1 through

Acts 9:1–9

9 today. And he's going to have it up on

the screen for us and I'm so excited to dive in.

We're starting a new series and unfamiliar Road.

An unfamiliar road is, is where we're going to walk through the

conversion of Saul. The Apostle Paul who wrote the

majority of our New Testament, and he was encountered.

With almighty God on the Damascus Road, it was

unfamiliar. And we're going to look at just

how unfamiliar it was. And we're going to also look at

all that God is teaching us through it.

I'm so excited to jump into it with you all Oakwood.

We're grateful that you're with us to.

I know we got a lot of friends over there today.

A lot of friends here and there that are out on vacation and we

love you too. If you're watching online, we

love the ones. In the room just a little bit

more today, but that's okay. We still love you with a little

bit of love. And we're grateful that you're

all joining us today as we dig into this new series inside of

Acts chapter 9. We're going to find three very

Acts 9 · chapter mention

important questions that are asked.

The first one is asked by Jesus and then the other two are asked

by Saul and the last question is going to actually be found later

in the book. Kovacs.

But we know that he said it in this scene here in Acts chapter

Acts 9 · chapter mention

9 because he later told us about it.

In Acts chapter 22. I'll explain all of that later,

Acts 22 · chapter mention

but I just wanted to tell you. There's three very important

questions that we're going to unpack together today.

Let's look at Acts chapter 9. Starting in verse 1.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

But Saul still breathing threats and murder against the Disciples

of the Lord. Breathing threats and murder

against the Disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

and ask the high priest for letters to the synagogues at

Damascus. So that if he found any

belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound

to Jerusalem. And now as he went on his way,

he approached Damascus and suddenly light from Heaven Shone

around him and falling to the ground.

He heard a voice saying to him. Saul Saul, why are you

persecuting me? That's the first question.

And he responded, who are you, Lord?

And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, but

rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.

The men who were traveling with him, stood speechless, hearing

the voice, but seeing no one and saw Rose from the ground.

And although his eyes were open, he saw nothing.

He was blinded and so they let him by the hand and brought him

into Damascus. And for three days, he was

without sight and neither eight. Nor drank three days.

He was blinded. This light from heaven was

all-consuming and it fell on the the Caravan that was traveling

to Damascus. Saw was there and saw a fell

blind. This great man.

That the leader of the of the party here that a Pharisee of

Pharisees. Is now being led by the hand

into Damascus because he couldn't see.

Let's start with our first question that we're going to

look at today. And we find that question in

verse 4. Saul Saul, why are you

persecuting me when they would repeat a name twice?

They were adding emphasis in the Hebrew language.

This was a way to add emphasis but it's deeper than just

emphasis. It's also portraying intimate

knowledge, close knowledge. Saul Saul?

If you look in the Bible, you will find several times where

people's names are mentioned like the in this way, repeating

the name twice. If we go back to Mount Moriah

when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac on the

altar, as God told him to do, and he's got his, his blade in

the air. And he's about to do the act and

he hears a voice from heaven. And and what is the voice?

Say, first, Abraham, Abraham? We go to the burning bush scene,

with Moses when God is calling him from the burning bush

miraculous scene and and wouldn't, what is the voice?

What is the voice? That Moses?

Here's say first. The voice says Moses.

Moses Jesus on the cross, when he's hanging on the cross, which

he quotes Psalm 22, right? When he, when he says my father,

my father Why have you forsaken me?

This was a common way. To attribute, intimate.

Personal knowledge on a subject in the Hebrew tongue.

So God here, speaking from Heaven to saw, he says Saul so

he this is a personal touch from Heaven.

Saw I know you, I see you. I know what you're doing.

I know what you've done. I know what you're going to do

and I love you. Saul Saul?

Why are you persecuting me? You remember in first John in

this is love. Not that we have loved God, but

that he first, loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice

for our sins, saw wasn't looking for God at all.

He was going on his way, the opposite direction to murder

God's people. But this is our God even when

Saul was against Jesus, Jesus was still for Saul.

This is Grace. This is Mercy.

This is Love. This is undeserved

uncomprehensible Love as Saul was breathing out threats.

Full of rage towards God's people persecuting Christ's

body. And what does Jesus do?

If you ever thought, like, when I read sections like this, I get

into it. And I like, what stopped God

from raining. Down fire from heaven.

On saw in this moment and just wiping wiping the whole company

out. We've seen him, do it in, Sodom

and Gomorrah. We've seen the great flood come

and wipe away the Earth and Purge the Earth of wickedness.

We What stopped him from doing that, you know, he could have

saved the church by just knocking him out right there.

Look at First Timothy 1:12 through 16.

1 Timothy 1:12–16

This is Paul's account of his own life and what God had done

for him and I can't help but think that he had this very

scene in mind. When he wrote these words, I

thank God who has given me strength Christ.

Jesus, our lord because he judged me faithful appointing me

to his service though formerly. I was a blasphemer.

I was a persecutor and insolent opponent.

I was opposed to God. Paul said, but I received Mercy.

Maybe this is your story too. I was totally opposed to God,

but He showed me. Mercy, look at verse 14 and the

grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that

are in Christ. Jesus this saying is trust

worthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus

came into the world to save Sinners of whom.

I am the foremost. Paul said.

I might take some exception with that.

Some of you might be in here and say, well, Man killed anybody.

So maybe I'm not the foremost, but if I'm honest, most days I

feel like the foremost of sinners That I have received

Mercy. I didn't deserve it.

I didn't earn it. My path was leading to

destruction. Maybe this is your story too.

Why did God do this to, for Paul?

He tells us right here for this reason that in me, as the

foremost, Jesus Christ might display, his perfect patients,

as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal

life. Why did why did God show Palmer?

See, why did God show me, mercy? Why did God show you?

Mercy for this reason for others, to believe in him for.

Turtle life that they might see through the example of your life

and the transformation that God caused.

His perfect patience. His perfect patience towards me.

What is Mercy? You know, would it?

We talked about these words and we throw them around like, we

know what we're saying. Sometimes it's, these are church

words Mercy where it's not just a church word, but sometimes in

church, if you notice, we say words that we've heard for years

and expect everybody to really understand what it means, What

is Mercy? Let's pretend that you owe me.

$100. But you already spent it and you

don't have it to give to me and but I'm still owed a hundred

dollars if I forgive you, the hundred dollar debt.

I have lost 100 dollars. I can't make you a hundred

dollars richer with the hundred dollars that you owe me.

Without becoming a hundred dollars poorer myself.

She said, I'm saying it because if it's a real debt, it must be

paid. So if I show you Mercy, I must

pay the debt. That's why Christ died.

God didn't say forget it. God said, forgive it.

And he paid it. He went all the way to the point

of death and even death on a cross to pay for it himself.

That's the ultimate form of mercy and now we are alive to

tell the story. Of how he's Grace overflowed on

us and his patients was perfect. And he has given us eternal

life. But when you sink into this

reality and you really remember what he's done and how

undeserved you are of that, does it not produce a response of

just how can it be? How can it be that a sinner?

Like me can be pardoned and set free forgiven not having to earn

it anymore. How can it be?

The answer is Jesus. Paid It All.

That all who trust in him would be forgiven.

She saw was a giant of a man, not physically.

But stature like with the people reputation he was a giant of a

man. Like they looked up to, he was a

leader of leaders, a Pharisee of Pharisees and he believed that

he was absolutely right. He was proud of his Conquest, he

had great power and authority. The high priest gave him the

authority to if you see anybody belonging to the way.

Which is a Christian, you have the authority to persecute to

even kill. This great man.

Riding High. How quickly the Lord Jesus

brought him down. In from the ground, he asked a

very important question which is our second question that we're

looking at today. Who are you?

Lord. Who are you?

Lord find it in verse 5. Who are you?

This is the Gateway question. It said it's the beginning of

Paul's, Christian Journey, his conversion.

He did to ask who are you two? It's the gateway to knowing god.

And in this moment of humility, Paul has a desire to know God.

You know, it must begin with the desire, a willingness, a hunger.

Do you have a desire today? To know him.

I'm challenged by this this week, like do I desire to know

God or would I rather get to know something or someone else?

Acts 4:12 reminds us that there's only one name under

Acts 4:12

Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Only one name that the search is over.

If there's just one name. Do I desire to know him?

John 3:17 God did not send his son into the world to condemn

John 3:17

the world but in order that the world might be saved through

him. Do I desire to know him This is

the gateway to life. This question, who are you?

Lord John 17:3 Jesus prayed in the garden.

John 17:3

He said, in this is eternal life that they know you and Jesus

Christ, whom you have sent. He said, this is eternal life.

This is the gateway to life eternal knowing the one true

God. And Jesus Christ.

Whom you have sent do we want to know?

God. Look at what Paul wrote in

Philippians, 3, starting in verse 4, though.

I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh.

Also, if anyone else thinks, he has reason for confidence in the

flesh. I have more, you may say well

that sounds pretty prideful. That sounds pretty arrogant.

Paul He's making a point that in this life, all of the accolades

that were set before him he accomplished.

He climbed the ladder of success.

He gained Authority, he gained power.

He did what the world with the religious tradition taught him

to do. Circumcised on the eighth day of

the people of Israel of The Tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of

Hebrews as to the law a Pharisee, as to Zeal, a

persecutor of the church as to righteousness under the law

blameless. He's saying, I did it.

All right, I'm blameless. but, Whatever gain.

I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Whatever gain I had, I thought I was doing it.

Rightly I thought I was climbing the right ladder, I thought I

was earning my way to something more.

I that was told and I taught and I learned and I taught other

people to learn that, this was the way.

But whatever gain I had I counted as loss.

Why for the sake of Christ? Indeed, I count everything as

loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Jesus my Lord the surpassing worth of knowing, Who are you?

Lord this, where it all began. Who are you?

Jesus, who are you really? He's reminding us here.

That nothing can compare to the worth of knowing Christ as Lord.

This question was the beginning of Saul's conversion but he

didn't stop asking it. He continually search The Riches

of Christ, and this is why this question is so important for us

today as well, because it's not just the gateway to eternal

life. It, it's a question to be asked

daily. Who are you?

When we come to the Bible, who are you?

Because when we know who he is, the confidence that we have to

face life is entirely strengthened.

In Acts 22 Paul stood before the rulers in Jerusalem and shared

his testimony. And in this account, we find

that third question that I was telling you about in Acts 22

Acts 22:6

verse 6. The third and final question

that we'll look at today. Paul's talking about the same

experience that we read in Acts chapter 9, as I was on my way

Acts 9 · chapter mention

and Drew near to Damascus about noon, a great light from Heaven.

Suddenly Shone around me, fun fact, it was high noon that the

sun was at the highest point of the Middle Eastern sky and God's

light. Outshined it And I fell to the

ground and heard a voice saying to me Saul Saul, why are you

persecuting me and I answered who are you?

Lord and he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are

persecuting. Now those who are with me, saw

the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was

speaking to me. And I said, third question, what

shall I do? Lord.

What shall I do? In other words, what do you want

me to do? I love this question.

This is such a hard question for us to ask if we're honest.

What do you want me to do? Look at two things about this

question. The first thing is Paul's

willingness to obey is immediate Who are you?

Lord. I'm Jesus of Nazareth.

Whom you are persecuting. Conviction.

Fell on Saul and immediately. He says what do you want me to

do? Thomas a kempis in the imitation

of Christ said, this instant obedience is the only kind of

obedience there is delayed. Obedience is disobedience.

I thought about not putting that in there because I didn't really

like reading it to be honest. Delayed obedience.

His disobedience. I give me a day.

Give me a week to kind of get through some stuff and then I'll

do what I hear you telling me to do God.

Give me a day. Just give me some time.

I'll lay that down. I'll lay that down.

Once I get my feet under me a little more on this other thing

or maybe the other side of how we negotiate with him, if you'll

just give me then I'll never do again.

If you just give me that girl for the rest of my life, I will

never ever, ever say that four letter word ever again, you just

give her to me. Delayed obedience is

disobedience. Now here's the good news, God is

merciful and gracious through it all, and he's still leading us

on as we're delaying our obedience, but if you're like

me, you are constantly finding a way to sort of delay.

The obedient was that really God?

Who said, was that really what he told me to do?

His willingness to obey was immediate.

The second thing I want you to notice about this question is,

how Paul made it personal to him?

He said what must I do? Lord.

What shall I do? What do you want me to do?

You see it's really easy to ask for others?

What do you want us to do? I'll go tell them.

Paul didn't do that. He made it personal.

He said. I take responsibility for me.

And I'm willing to obey now. Real change happens when you

take responsibility. Saw looking into heaven.

He saw this bright light. He was blinded.

Jesus was there, and Jesus convicted him of his sins sauce.

All I know you. I love you.

Why are you persecuting me? And in that conviction, saw it

immediately owned his responsibility to obey.

This is a model for us. It's a challenging model

listening to the voice of God and when you hear it it produces

action. How many of you know, that you

don't have to, don't have to respond to raise your hand

because this this is hard, but you can quench his voice in your

life by continually either delaying or outright disobeying.

Gratifying the flesh, rather than walking by the spirit.

This is a model for us to obey and not only obey, but obey

immediately Look at his quote from David Platt, just to give

you one more, you know, devastating challenge, right

here. God beckons storm clouds and

they come he tells the wind to blow and the rain to fall and

they obey immediately he speaks to the mountains, you go there.

And he says, to the Seas, you stop here and they do it.

Everything and all creation responds in obedience to the

Stir until you get to you and me we have the audacity to look God

in the face and say no. Everything in Hawk the

mountains, listen. The oceans.

Have you seen what happened to that sub?

That was trying to look at the Titanic 15,000 feet below sea

level and the pressure. the strength of our oceans is no

match for God's voice, but we Have the audacity to look at him

who commands the sea. Nah.

It's not really going to work for me. or maybe I'll get to it,

but just let me make sure that this is you

Sometimes he speaks in a gentle voice.

In a still Small Voice, like we see in the Old Testament.

And he sometimes it's a whisper, its gentle, sometimes it's

through other people, sometimes it most of the time, it's

jumping out at us from this word and speaking.

Most of the time he doesn't speak like he did on the road to

Damascus. Most of the time he doesn't drop

his glory down in a bright light to Blind you in a moment and

turn you around and 180. But make no mistake, he's the

same God, no matter how he expresses himself.

And I wonder if sometimes we take for granted his mercy and

we forget that the god of the gentle whisper is the same God

that wiped out the Earth with a great flood.

Just thinking about this this week a lot.

I was thinking about my own life and my own obedience in my own

listening to God. I just got overwhelmed.

I just thought how how could God be so merciful To stoop down and

and nudge me from behind like almost with his hand on my

shoulder like a, like I would do with my son.

Come on, come on. Is this way?

Just keep going. Just take another step.

I have more for you. I know, it might hurt for now.

You might be challenging for now, but I'm here.

How could God be so more and the whole time?

I'm trying to do my own thing and he's just not Jared right

here, right here, Jarrod How could he be?

So merciful, not to just strike me down.

Have I taken his Mercy for granted.

If I taking his grace for granted, have I forgotten that

he's the same God of the road to Damascus?

We're going to spend a few moments here because I'm way

ahead of my clock. Ricky coach in Oakwood.

We're going to take a few moments here and I want us to

consider those three things that we talked about today.

We talked about him in the form of a question, but let me put

them in the form of a statement. Now, three things number one,

God's pursuing you If you're here, you're still breathing.

There's still a chance and his love is pursuing.

Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me Jared Jared?

Why are you continuing to go that way?

He's still pursuing number two, he wants you to know him.

You imagine that he wants you to know him as her we started

today. He wants you to know him and

number three, he wants your immediate obedience, he wants

your obedience but he wants it. Now. and I want us to take a few

moments to to really consider this together, not together, but

with God, Maybe it's in your chair.

Maybe it's in the psalter wherever you are in Oakwood,

wherever you need to get to consider these things.

Just you and God, maybe you need to go find somebody.

To talk to das questions with. pray with We're going to give

some time for that. Pastor Greg's there in Oakwood.

He's gonna take it from here, we love you all.

So very much have a great rest of your Sunday.

As we consider these three things, remember the questions

that's all asked and I want to encourage you today to ask these

questions as well. I want you to those two

questions that Saul asked. Don't forget, who are you?

Lord was the first one and the second one was, what do you want

me to do? Who are you?

Lord, show me. Who you are.

Reveal yourself to me? And then, what shall I do?

I'm going to get out of the way. I'm going to pray first.

I'm going to get out of the way and I want us all to consider

these things with God just alone with God.

Who are you show me who you are? What do you want me to do?

Help me to be courageous and step out in faith with how

you're leading. Father God in heaven.

We're here for you. We're here for you only.

We are overwhelmed by your mercy and your grace for us.

We do not deserve it, but still you love us.

And as we come before you got, as we open up our hearts, we

open up our minds. We open up our hands.

We asked you to show us more of who you are and we ask for you

to give us courage. To act on what you're doing and

what you're saying? Help us to be ambassadors for

you. Move the things out of the way

in our hearts. So that you can take your

rightful place as king as Lord. It's in Jesus name, we pray.

Amen. Thank you for listening to the

river. Bend Church podcast.

Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect you

can head over to our website Riverbend Church dot life.