SUNDAY - JULY 6, 2025 "True Freedom" Acts 9:1-25

Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.

Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 am.

You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service.

We hope you enjoy.

God bless.

In Acts, chapter 9, this morning, as you turn there, you know, this weekend we celebrated Independence Day.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

On July, the 4th, 1776, our founding fathers gathered together and signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring our independence from Great Britain.

One of the most famous lines in that declaration is this we hold these truths to be self-evident.

That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now, when these words were penned, our country was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, because we had people running in it, and people aren't perfect Even to this day.

Our country is not perfect, but these are values, these are things that we are striving to attain.

These are characteristics that our founding fathers believed to be evidence as characteristics of people who are free Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.

Now, as we look at this today, though, I have to ask the question what really is freedom?

What is freedom Now?

Is freedom life, is it liberty?

Is it the pursuit of happiness?

And, as we look scripturally and in the Bible, you know, yeah, freedom is where we find life and freedom is liberty.

But is freedom the pursuit of happiness?

You know, according to scripture, I might have to contend against this, and that is a good thing for our, for a country that is free.

If we are free in a country, yes, we should be able to pursue happiness, but in our spiritual lives, is that is that?

Is that really freedom?

See, here's what I believe scripture teaches us is that we are created to bring glory to God, and it is impossible for us to do that when we are in sin.

And so freedom, I think, according to the Bible, is when God has freed us from our sins, and so now we can do what we were created to do, and so now we can do what we were created to do.

I think freedom in the Bible looks a lot less like independence and looks a lot more like complete dependence upon our Savior and on the one who created us, because that is, he has created us with a purpose and we could live in that purpose.

Peter says close to that in 1 Peter 2, verse 16.

1 Peter 2:16

In 1 Peter 2, verse 16, he writes Since it is written, you shall be holy.

1 Peter 2:16

No, that's chapter 1.

I'm in the wrong chapter.

Chapter 2.

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God Live as a people who are free, in service to God.

See, freedom is when we are freed from our bondage and our chains of sin, so we can live like we are supposed to live.

In our passage today in Acts, chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

What we're going to see is Saul, this persecutor of the church, was converted to become a follower of Christ.

He was converted to become a follower of Christ and in that he is going to find freedom.

And we'll continue.

Acts is so much about Saul who becomes Paul and we're going to see how that freedom lives in his life as we continue to study this book.

But he was converted in this passage today and for us, as we look at this passage, hopefully, we will see that conversion comes to all those who believe in Jesus and it's in that conversion that we find true freedom.

So our challenge today is this Believe in Jesus Christ, believe in him and find freedom.

So the question that we want to answer today is how was Saul converted?

Well, let's read this morning.

I know that your worship guides say through verse 25.

We're going to read some and we're going to skip some in that, but if you will stand with me, if you are able.

This morning we're going to read from Acts, chapter 9, starting in verse 1.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him 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.

Now, as he went on his way, he approached Damascus and suddenly a 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?

And he said who are you, lord?

And he 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.

Saul rose from the ground and although his eyes were open, he saw nothing.

So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus and for three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

Now skip down to the end of verse 19.

For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus and immediately he proclaimed in the synagogue saying he is the Son of God.

And all who heard him were amazed and said Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon his name, and has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?

Let's pray together.

God, we are so thankful.

We are thankful for your word that you have given us.

God, we are thankful for the call that you place on us.

God, I pray this morning, as we open your word, that through your word and by your word and through the movement of the holy spirit that you will change our lives for all eternity.

We love you, we praise you.

Jesus, it's in your name we pray.

Amen, you may be seated.

So again, the question comes to us how was saul converted?

Well, before we really get to Saul's conversion, we really kind of need to understand who Saul was.

Who was he?

We've seen Saul throughout Acts a few times already.

So who was he?

Well, the first thing that we see and that we understand about who Saul was is that he was an enemy.

He was an enemy of God.

We see it right there in verse 9.

He says but Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogue at Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem, any that belong to the way.

In the beginning, in the early church, many who were followers of Christ that's what they claimed.

They were followers of the way and we know that's followers of Jesus, because Jesus told them that what he was, the way, and so he was looking for believers.

He is seeking to round them up and we've seen Saul, it says he, still breathing threats.

We saw this in Saul.

We saw it in chapter 7, verse 58, where people who were going to stone Stephen laid their cloaks at the feet of Saul as they went through stones at Stephen.

We saw it also in chapter 8, verse 1, where it said and Saul approved of Stephen's execution.

We've seen Saul already going and persecuting the church and we know that through the persecution of the church he was persecuting Jesus himself.

And we know that because when Saul was the church, he was persecuting Jesus himself.

And we know that because when, when Saul was on this road to Damascus, jesus spoke to him and he said Saul, saul, why are you persecuting me?

So I said who are you and the answer came I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

See, understand this.

That as Saul persecuted the church, he was persecuting.

See, understand this that as Saul persecuted the church, he was persecuting Jesus himself.

He was an enemy.

He was an enemy of the church.

He was an enemy of Jesus.

He was an enemy of God.

But what scripture teaches us Is that all those who oppose God Are enemies of God.

And you say, yeah, grant, that's right.

People who persecute no, no, no, don't misunderstand.

All those who are not followers of God are enemies of God.

Paul, formerly Saul, tells us in Romans 8, verses 7 and 8.

Romans 8:7

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law.

Indeed, it cannot.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You hear that.

Those whose mind is set on the flesh he's talking about those whose mind are set on things of this world, whose mind are set on what is going on here, whose mind is set on me, myself and I.

Those people whose minds are not set on God, who are not followers of God, are hostile people To God, aka enemies of God.

So, as we do not set our minds on Christ and set our minds on God, we become enemies of God.

Paul also tells us in Romans, chapter 5, verses 9 and 10.

Romans 5:9

He writes this Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Listen to verse 10.

For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.

Much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Do you hear that at the beginning of verse 10?

For while we were enemies.

As Paul writes this letter to the Romans, he's not just writing to people who are persecutors of the church.

He is writing to people who do not believe in the name of Jesus Christ, who have not trusted in him as their savior, who are not following and walking in the way.

They are enemies of God.

I know this sounds harsh and you say, grant, but listen, I'm not a persecutor of the church, I'm not persecuting Jesus, I'm not persecuting God.

I just don't believe in him.

I just haven't trusted.

I haven't given him my life.

How could Paul say this?

Paul says it because Jesus said it In Matthew, chapter 12.

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

Matthew, chapter 12, verse 30.

Matthew 12:30

Jesus says this Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Listen, we have to see.

In order to understand Paul's conversion and what God did in his life, we need to understand who Paul was.

He was an enemy of God and if we are going to understand conversion in our lives, we need to understand.

Maybe, hopefully, you understand who you were, but if not, you need to understand who you are.

If you have not trusted in Christ, if you have not believed in him, if your mind is not set on God and on the things of God, we are set on the flesh and we are hostile to God.

We are enemies of God.

We need to understand who we are.

But second, what we see here in the conversion of Saul is this he had an encounter with Jesus.

He had an encounter with Jesus and we see this all throughout Scripture.

Hopefully you've even seen that in your own life, that you have an encounter with Jesus.

Understand that, because we are enemies of God, this encounter takes place because Jesus comes and he meets us.

The first thing in this encounter with Jesus that we see in the life of Saul is that Jesus calls him by name.

Look down at verse 3.

He says this now.

As he went on his way to approach Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him and, falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me?

And he said to him who are you, lord?

He said I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

But don't miss that statement Right at the beginning, right there, he said what?

Saul, saul, why are you persecuting me?

Saul, saul, why are you persecuting me?

See, saul thought he was right in his persecution of the church.

He thought he was being zealous for God.

He would not have sought Jesus on his own.

Yet Jesus called him.

If you go back to Romans, chapter 5, we just read verses 9 and 10.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

But go back to verse 8.

Let's read verse 8, 9 and 10 then and see what Paul writes there.

He says this but God shows his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, christ died for us.

Since, therefore, we have been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.

Much more, now that we are reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Listen, while we were still sinners.

In and of ourselves, we're not going to choose God, but God calls us.

He knows our name and he calls us, as he talked about in John when he told the parable of the sheep.

The good shepherd knows his sheep by name and they know his voice.

Listen, he calls us.

What a comforting thought.

Paul even writes in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 9,.

1 Corinthians 1:9

He says this God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

See, god calls us.

He calls us because we are enemies of God.

He calls us because we are hostile against God.

He calls us because we are running away from God.

He calls us because we need him to call us.

He works in our lives, because we need him to work in our lives.

He calls us.

The second thing we see here in Paul's conviction, in Paul's conversion, is this he was convicted of his sins.

He underwent conviction.

We see it.

He says Saul, saul, why are you persecuting me?

And he says who are you?

Lord?

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Saul really goes quiet at that point.

He doesn't say much.

See, because, while Saul, at that moment we talked about Saul being an enemy of God, but he didn't recognize he was an enemy of God.

He didn't understand that he was opposed to God.

He thought he was being zealous for God by persecuting Christians.

He believed that Jesus was not the Christ, that he was leading people away from God, and so he thought he was being zealous for God, but in actuality he was an enemy of God and he didn't know it.

So when Jesus called him, conviction came upon him and he had to turn away, turn around and follow Christ.

Listen, conviction is good for us.

We need that conviction.

In John chapter 16, jesus told us that this is going to happen.

John 16 · chapter mention

In John chapter 16, we go down to verse 8.

John 16 · chapter mention

Jesus has just told the disciples that he is going away and he is going to send another helper to come.

And in verse 8, he says this and when he comes, comes.

This is the holy spirit.

When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.

Concerning righteousness, because I go to the father and you will see me no longer.

Concerning Concerning judgment, because the ruler of the world is judged.

The Spirit comes.

Convicting of sin, because not because they have lived horrible lives.

You heard that right.

He doesn't come and convict the world of persecuting the church.

He doesn't come and convict the world of murder or convict the world of gossip or convict the world of persecuting the church.

He doesn't come and convict the world of murder or convict the world of gossip or convict the world of of all these things.

What does he come?

He comes and convicts the world of sin because they have not believed.

Because, see, when we believe in Jesus Christ, that God sent Jesus to come and to live a perfect life and to die on the cross and take upon himself the wrath of God that is deserved for us and then he caused Jesus to arise three days later those things, when we believe in those things, we find life and we find, hear, this freedom, and it's in that freedom, it is in that life.

But we only find that when we understand that we need rescuing.

It's really hard to save someone who's drowning when they don't know they need saving.

Conviction is good, but understand your conviction and conversion.

May not look like Saul's.

I don't know about you, but my experience.

When I trusted in Christ as my Savior, there was no great light in midday that caused me to fall to my knees.

And this big voice who said Grant Grant, I didn't have that.

See, what we find is the conversion of Saul is really it's the exception, not the rule.

It's not the normal, normal thing if there can be that.

See, for me it was more like the Ethiopian eunuch that we looked at in Acts, chapter 8.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

Now, listen, I know there were some signs, going along with the Ethiopian eunuch, that God told Philip to go down and he went down and Philip ran up.

And then I know, at the end, philip, god takes him.

But before that happens, here's what's happening with the eunuch.

He is riding down the road in his chariot reading scripture and a man comes up and says do you understand what you're reading?

And he says how can I, unless someone explains it to me?

So Philip gets in the chariot and they read from the book of Isaiah and Philip shares with him the good news about Jesus Christ.

And here's what happens he is called, he is convicted and he confesses and believes.

It wasn't this great light, it was.

Someone shared the gospel and he believed.

We see it also later.

We're going to look at it in Acts when we come to Acts, chapter 16,.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

There's a lady named Lydia In Acts, chapter 16,.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

Here's what happens Paul and Silas, they were going, and it says as they were going to the place of prayer, they were met by a slave girl.

Am I in the right?

No, I'm in the wrong, sorry, sorry.

Acts, chapter 16, verse 13.

Acts 16:13

I was in verse 16.

And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods who was a worshiper of God.

Hear this the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul and after she was baptized, and her household as well, and she urged us saying If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.

And she prevailed upon us.

Do you hear that the Lord opened her heart?

He called her to hear what Paul was saying and she recognized she needed a Savior and followed him.

See your conviction, your conversion.

So often I think, we see people who are looking for great signs and great wonders, when often it's just a still small voice of the spirit.

Paul was called.

He was convicted and finally he was called.

He was convicted and finally he was converted.

But what does that look like?

When I say he was converted, what does that mean?

When we talk about conversion and someone is converted to Christ, what are we talking about?

What does that look like?

What does that mean?

Well, for Saul, there are some certain things that we see in his life that indicate that he was converted.

We see, right there, at the end of him being called, he says in verse six Jesus told him, but rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.

And look at what Paul did, verse 7,.

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

So Saul rose from the ground.

Although his eyes were open, he saw nothing.

So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus, and for three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

What did Saul do after he was conversion?

He obeyed.

Jesus told him to do something and he did it.

He followed.

See, all of a sudden, saul was free.

He was running away from God, he was doing his own thing, he was an enemy of God.

And upon conversion here's what happens he stopped running from God and he began to obey God.

He was now freed to do what he was called to do, to live in obedience to the Spirit, and so Saul began to do those things.

Here's what happens it looks like at conversion we begin to obey God.

We don't continue to walk in our own way.

We don't continue to do the things that we want to do.

We don't continue to be driven by what we are on, by our own self-indulgences.

What happens is, all of a sudden, we turn and we begin to obey God.

Conversion begins by looking like obedience.

We also see his obedience later in this chapter when he is baptized.

In verse 18, it says Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight.

Then he rose and was baptized.

Now we know that baptism isn't a part of salvation, but we know that baptism as we have said the past couple weeks baptism shows that we are being loyal to our King, that we are part of the kingdom of God.

Jesus told us to do that and he did that.

We also see that he was, he was, he obeyed, but he was also filled with the spirit in verse 17.

So ananias departed and entered the house and, laying his hands on him, said Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is part of our conversion.

Now.

We've seen it happen.

We've seen the filling of the Spirit throughout Acts and almost every time it looks different, which tells us this that being filled with the Spirit we can't manipulate that.

There's not six steps that we can take and say if you do these things, then you're going to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

God is bigger than that.

He is not controlled by us.

But I am convinced, and I believe that through Scripture, that once we have been converted and we have trusted in Jesus, we have believed in Him, we become filled with the Spirit, and so obedience comes because we are filled with the Spirit and we begin to do the things that he leads us to do.

Finally, this morning, conversion looks like obedience.

Conversion looks like we are filled with the Spirit, but conversion frees us to do what we're called to do.

Remember back in Acts, chapter 1, verse 8.

Acts 1:8

Jesus told the disciples what they were to do.

But you shall be my witnesses when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

You will be my witness after the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

We see that happening in the life of Saul.

Look down in verse 20.

And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogue, saying he is the Son of God.

And all who heard him were amazed and said Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon his name?

And has he not come here for this purpose?

Purpose to bring them bound before the chief priests?

But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving, by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

Saul was now free to do what he was called to do bear witness to Jesus Christ.

But I don't want us to miss this little verse.

Next week we're going to come back and we're going to look at Ananias in this story, but I don't want you to miss this little verse, verse 15.

Because God came to Ananias and he said said hey, I want you to go to this guy named Saul.

And I said hold on, god, I've heard of him.

You sure about this?

Isn't he the one that's that's that's been sent here to arrest followers of the way.

God you sure about this?

In verse 15.

But the Lord said to him that's Ananias.

Go for he that he has saw is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

See, god had a purpose for Saul, but because Saul was in bondage to sin, because Saul was running away from God, because Saul was running away from God, because Saul was not free, he couldn't fulfill the purpose.

But after his conversion, after he believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, whom God sent to save us from our sins, after he was freed from sin, after he was freed from sin, after he was freed from death, he then had the freedom to do what he was created to do, and throughout the book of Acts we're going to find Paul doing those things.

Listen, I need you to hear me this morning.

If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, you are an enemy of God.

And you may say, grant, grant, no, I'm not Like, I'm not an enemy of God, I just haven't trusted him.

I don't believe that he is the Christ.

I'm not against God, I just don't believe in him.

Well then, guess what?

According to Scripture, you are against God and you are not free.

I think I've told you this, but I remember sharing the gospel with a cousin of mine one time and he said Grant, look, I know, I know that Jesus died for us.

I know those things, but I'm not ready to give my life because there's some things I want to do.

First, see, he thought doing the things he wanted to do was freedom.

It's not freedom, it's bondage to sin and yourself, bondage to sin and yourself.

Freedom is when you trust in Jesus Christ to do what the creator calls you to do.

Jesus came because you are an enemy of God, but while you were still a sinner.

I also hear people say this all the time Grant, when I get my life back on track, grant, when I get my life back on track, then I'll give it to Jesus.

No, you're not.

You need him while you're still sinners, and, as we've read already that, while we were still sinners, christ died for you.

If you've never trusted in Christ, this morning I pray that, as the Spirit opens your heart, as he moves your heart, hopefully, as he did with Lydia, you will believe that Jesus is the Christ and today find salvation.

But if you've done that, I pray that this morning you will understand what true freedom looks like.

True freedom, god, that you've been granted because you have trusted him as your savior.

True freedom comes when we're living what God has called us to do.

See, god made you, he wired you, he put you together.

Specifically, scripture tells us he knows every hair on your head.

He made you with purpose and he made you with things to do, and freedom is being able to do those things and living in those things that he created you to do.

Freedom is not just independence.

Freedom is dependence upon the creator, who created you with a purpose, and freedom is fulfilling that purpose.

This morning, if you are not, if life has just gotten too big and there's just too much going on and you are not living according to that purpose, I pray that this morning you will seek repentance and you will confess that before jesus, so he can forgive you and you can live with purpose.

I'm about to pray for us.

Mark and Ellen are going to come back up and we're going to sing a hymn of invitation.

We are inviting you, if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, to come.

I'd love to pray with you and pray for you If you have, but this morning you're not living in freedom.

Or maybe you're free but you're not living like you're free.

Maybe this morning you need to come and kneel at this altar.

Or I will pray for you If you're looking for a church home, we would love for you to come be part of DeSoto Heals.

However, god is leading you as we sing this hymn of invitation.

We invite you to come.

Let's pray together.

God, I thank you for today and I thank you for how you love us.

God.

You've done so much for us.

God, I come and pray that, as you are moving and working in this place, as you are calling people, god, that they will answer.

As you are leading people, as you have opened people's hearts to hear your message, that they will answer that call God, as you are moving and working here, give us the faith that we need to respond.

Jesus, it's in your name we pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at desotohillscom.