An Experience That Makes A Difference - Bro Jonathan Edwards 7-26-2024

That's God that he'll just.

Do.

You want to say, I'm thankful for the opportunity to

stand behind my pastor's pull kit. And so it's a

it's a real thing. And if you've never done it before,

you're not a preacher, you won't know quite of what

the experience is or what it's like for the just

the burden you carry behind it. And I want to say,

I'm thankful for the youth pastor we have, Brother Nathaniel,

the opportunity he's given us tonight. And I do want

to say, I love your Lord and I thank him

most of all for what he has done and this

service thus far.

And Brother Nathaniel, brother Jesse, they had a hold of it.

If they would have went on with it, and all

might could have got out from here and meet tonight.

But the Lord, I feel like he has given me something.

I've prayed about it and I've sawt the Lord about it.

And this is the only thing really that just over

and over again that he just laid on my heart

and stayed on my heart. And we'll be turning to

Acts chapter nine. If you have your Bibles, we'll be

reading several several verses the night we'll be jumping within

these two chapters, from the seventh chapter to the ninth chapter.

You got your bibles, if you would please stand for

the reading of the world. We'll start in Acts chapter nine,

Verse one.

It says, and Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter

against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the High

Priest and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogue,

that if he found any of this way, whether they

were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly

there's shine round about him, alive from heaven. And he

fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him,

Saul saw, why persecutest thou me?

And he said, who art out our Lord?

And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.

It is hard for THEE to kick against the Prince.

And he, trembling and astonished, said Lord, what wilt thou

have me to do?

And the Lord said unto him, arise and go into

the city, and it shall be told THEE what thou

must do. And the men of which journeyed with him

stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And

Saul arose from the earth. And when his eyes were open,

he saw no man. But when they led him by

the hand and brought him to Damascus, he was there

three days without sight.

Neither did eat nor drink.

You'll lift your hands, Gods, God, Yeah, God, the Lord

will help me just for a little bit. I don't

think I'll be too.

Long to night.

I would like to preach on an experience that will

make the difference. In the main portion of scripture we

read about the conversion of Saul to us today is

known as the Apostle Paul. And I hope and pray

that there's someone who will truly grasp in their heart

no matter. If you would tonight, before I get into

my foundation, if you would, if you get the concept

of what Paul's background was compared to what we know

him as now.

A lot of times we hear them talked about us.

He wrote so many of the New Testament books of

the Bible. We hear on talked about the Apostle Paul.

But he didn't start out that way. For if you

look into the history of that and at the laya foundation,

if you think about it. It's a prior to his conversion,

Saul was a very wicked man with a heart full

of hate towards the New Testament churches, along with the

saints that were held within his.

Mindset and bods, were to cause.

Thesetricians believers to face persecution.

And I'm going to go back at couple chapters to

the to the.

Seventh seventh chapter of Acts, and I hope this will open.

The eyes to anybody in here that might not be

too familiar with this.

That'll if it'll open your eyes on how how fool.

Of a man you would if you would he really was.

If you back up to the seventh chapter, starting in

the fifty fourth verse, this is talking about the stoning

of Stephen.

Right here it says when.

They heard these things, they were cut to the heart,

and they mashed on him with their teeth. But he,

being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stepfastly into.

Heaven all the glory of God.

And Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, behold,

I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man

standing on the right hand of God.

Then they tried out with the loud voice and stopped.

Their ears and ran upon him with one accord and

cast him out of the city.

And stone him.

With the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young

man's feet, and whose name was Saul. And we see

in the fifty verse fifty eighth first right there we

know Saul was present, because if you will.

He was the young man.

But he was one that would had part of that stone,

and even what he was just a wicked man and

evil man. And it goes on to say, and they

stone Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus received

my spirit.

And he kneeled down and pried with the.

Loud voice, Lord, laying on this sin to their charge.

When he said this, he fell asleep.

This was the top of stuff you would find Saul into,

no matter if you went back in his back in

his day, probably grown up in his youth. I don't

know who was was, but he was probably one of

those boys if you would always into something, wouldn't to

persecute somebody. Let you see, if you want a brother

or a sister trying to live right for God, he

was one that was always wanting to persecute him, probably

making those slaight comments, hey, that there's them over there

walking them. But we're going to get into the conversion

of Saul. If you look right here at u before

we go on back to our text, if you look

in the eighth chapter right here, verse one and two says,

and Saul.

Was conceding him to his death.

And at that time there was a great persecution against

the church, which was that Jerusalem, and they were all

scattered abroad throughout the regions of jude in Samaria, except

the apostles and devout being carried Stephen to his burial

and made great limitation over him. There we found that

if Steven Soland already went to heaven, his spirits done

to send it up into heaven, and these men are

taking them to his burial plot if you would, however far.

It was away, it don't say, but they were about

to lay his body down or in the if wherever

it was in the sentence or the or in the ground.

But uh, it says in the third verse, backing up

a little bit before I go on to that, I

want to take my time here and share the burden

that got leg on my heart.

I believe Saul was.

If you would whenever they're carrying Steven's body out to

where he was about to be laid down.

Stephen, if you would the man of God that he was, he's.

Done going on.

But you got Paul over there. He's the one that's

over there.

Mocking and saying, you know what, there's another one down

right there, there's another one to be did he know

in his heart he's done went to heaven. But to

him it's just the Hey, he's done dead. That's another

one that I ain't gonna worry about.

Person cuton. I'm gonna go on and find somebody else.

And it says here in the third verse of the

eighth chapter as for Saul, he made a havoc.

Of the church entering in into every house, hay, when

men and women committed them to prison. And if you

was right there, the definition of habit is to caused

great damage, to call the infliction or punishment. That's what

pauls Von said was for probably many years.

If I can just get these people in the state.

Where they get in our mind that there's no there's

no reason listening for God. If I could as persecute

them more than more each day to day by day,

I could finally get and I could finally get.

If you want to tug on their line, Hey, we listen.

Truly this was sauce Go, that he could just destroy

what God trying to bring together and to send here holy.

Saint of God through a prison self for live and right.

We're looking back at the.

Ninth chapter, where a main portion of scripture is fair.

We find that saw As went to the high priest

and has desire of him.

Letters to Damascus to the sin of.

Goou, that if he found any of this way, whether

they were men or women, he might bring them bound

into Jerusalem. We see in the third verse right here.

I believe this is the beginning of the conversion of Saul,

right here where God up here to him and said

that he journeyed, And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus,

and suddenly they're shined shone round about him a lot

from heaven. God, there was God up here in assault

out there, And I believe that was God.

If you would have given him make now was his

last chance he would ever get.

If he wouldn't, if he wouldn't have changed, or maybe

God would have given him many many other times God

changed his life. But thankfully we know as this conversion

as it was one that he did take heed.

And God stalked him in his.

Tracks right here, he said, And he fell to the

earth and heard a voice sing unto him, Saul, Saul,

why persecutest thou me? And he said, who art thou Lord?

And the Lord said, I am Jesus, who now persecutest.

It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks,

and it's sad to see. But if you would, there's

churches all across the America. When you walk in there,

half the congregation is sauls when God's trying to convert

him into Paul, if he would, God's trying to make

a difference.

In their line.

God's trying, if you will, to make them somebody be used,

telling you.

Into somebody that could be changed. But if you would,

if you gotta be willing to you gotta be willing

to be changed.

You gotta be willing to make it be different than yourself.

There's a genuine experience.

That's what Saul found on that Damascus road that day,

a genuine experience that if you would have turned up

one and eighty degrees round, it changed him completely from

the path he was going he would go on the

devil's business that day doing a deed, forsaking if you would.

But there was a but there was somebody I'm in

heaven thing Jesus that was gonna give him one more chance. Saul,

if you'll.

Turn around, I'll make you somebody I could use one day,

somebody that, Hey, you.

Might not be persecuting Christian bo What are you facing

the nine? What are you going through? What of those

hanits you can't get rid of? Hey, there's something I'm

feeling brod in here nine. I feel like there's somebody

in here to night. You got it up long enough. Hey, you,

like I said, you might not be if you want,

persecuting strut believer luck Saula. But what is going on

in your life? What's stopping you from getting a real

experience that God can make a difference in you? If

he let God make a difference in you, you can

make a difference in somebody. Ain't Saul is gone make

a difference, And he made a difference in how many

other people throughout.

The laws Peter God, Like I said, there's two different

kinds of experience.

There's a genuine experience. There's also a counterfeit experience him somebody.

I believe that the Lord, he just kept going, bringing

his name over in my mind, and we all know him.

Judas is scary. And if there's ever been a man

in the Bible that had a counterfeit experience, it was Judas.

He was one, if you would, that walked with God

on a daily basis.

He was one of the twelve.

But there was something inside he didn't have a real experience.

If you would, he knew when to say a man

whenever Jesus or Peater was out there preaching, he.

Knew when too. He knew when to get in with them,

if you would.

He probably laid in his hand right beside some of

them at no time when they went to sleep.

He went with journeys after what out on the mission field.

If there was something inside that he didn't really have

a real difference in his life.

There was something inside it if you would, that wasn't change.

There was something inside that he would rather have the

love Pa. There was something inside that. Hey, if you

would saw that at one point in time, he would

rather be out there doing the things in this world.

Jess had money out of his mind and more than.

Life than money or things of this world. Hey, when

they were money's passed away there, so gonna be at hey.

Ay for the Lord? Had you.

Praised pe to God in the sixth verse right here

in the ninth chapter, it says, and he trembling in a.

Stern, and said, Lord, what what they.

Would have me to do?

And the Lord said under him, arise.

And go into the city, and you shall be told

you what doubt must do after this conversion, issuing the

process of this conversion. But Sawstum faced the fact, Hey,

I'm gonna switch partners right here, and I'm gonna run

with Jesus.

And he asked, what will that have me to do?

Once you make up in your mind that I'm gonna

be changed, I'm not gonna be.

The same person. There'll be something inside of you if

you would that that, Lord, what will that have me

to do? God can use you once you're changed. God

can use you once you become a different person.

There was one point in time in my life.

I couldn't be used by God because I wasn't the

man in myself that I needed to be. I think

the Lord that February nine up there, February the fifth

that's what if you would.

I got the real experience in my heart. Yes, I

got saints prior, I got sanctified. I believe in that

same revival. But there was something. There's nothing like the

Holy goes. That's God's look. Man in this tenth tenth

verse right here.

Said and there was a certain disciple what Damascus themed Annius.

And to him said the Lord in a vision Annius.

And he said, behold, I am here, Lord. And the

Lord said, up too, him arising, going to the street

which is called straight.

And inquiring the house of Judas for one cast.

Saul of Tarsus. For behold he breath, and he seek.

He had seen in a vision a man named and

anis coming in and putting his hand on him, that

he might receive his sop ben An and Ice answered, Lord,

I have heard by many of this man how much

evil he had done to thy saints at Jerusalem. And

hereby he hath authority from the Chief priest to bind

all that on, to buy all that call on thy

name Ananius. This is still Psalm the Anonius. This is

still a man that's persecuted, that's persecuted the Church.

Because Saul had a name, if you would engraved in

the souls and the hearts of those people.

And a nis was a disciple, if you would somebody

that was play called, and no doubt chosen by God.

So he knew those time whenever they were rallying through

what he could probably dis earned the evil spirit off salt.

But this is what the Lord, this is what Jesus

had to say the fifteenth first he said, But the

Lord saith unto.

Him, this is red letters.

Right here, go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel,

unto me to bear my name before the gentiles.

And kings and the children of Israel. Hey, if you're

a chosen vessel, if you're willing to be different, if

you're willing to get a real experience, God could use you.

If you're willing to go had to become somebody, Oh

and the devil's partner.

If you're willing to become somebody that's fit for the

king's business and the devil's business.

If you're willing, had to give up the things that have.

Got you bound, had the Lord the seventeenth verses says,

and then and Ice went his way and entered into

the house, and putting all his hands on him and said,

brother Saul, the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto thee

in thy way, as thou camest hath sent me that

thou bidis received thy s.

This is what it said after that verse, and be

filled with the Holy Ghost. So I had experience.

If you want a new conversion on the Damascus row,

if you want salvation in his hard But in the

same chapter it wasn't. Many verses later he experienced the

baptism of the Holy Ghost. It don't take long when

you get serious. Brother Samon's got that testimony. I can

say it myself. Once I got serious, it didn't take.

Long, and the Lord filled me with the Holy Ghost.

Hey, those good life, the baptism of the Holy Ghost,

I think the Lord denied.

Hey, no, we don't have to be silent. If you will,

it can become, Paul, somebody that you can use, somebody

that if you would, If you're willing to be used,

you can't be used.

But we must have a willingness, we must have a desire,

if you would for a for a change in our lives.

Let's beat a god.

Than Jesus, think the Lord. He says in the eighteenth person.

Immediately there fell from his eyes, and it had being scaled,

and he received a sight for with and arose and

went and was baptized. And when he had received meat,

he was strengthen. Then was Saul certain days with the

disciples which were in Damascus.

He found, if you would, the brethren, that he was

meant to be with the whole entire time.

He went out on the devil's business to persecute people,

but he wind up finding a lot of the believers somebody,

if you would, that he could go out and minister

to somebody, that he could go out and win souls

with instead of persecuting souls.

Raised me to God.

And he said in the twentieth first and straightway he

preached Christ in the synagogues that he is a.

Son of God, that he is the son of God.

So he had the Damascus road experience with the conversion

in the in this first part of the chapter, and

he also in the I believe it is the in

the the fifteenth first where he got filled with the

Holy Ghost. And down here in the twentieth first he

went to preaching for God. If he had he went

from persecuting the Christians to preaching to the chore preaching

to people. If you would, that'll that maybe in the

same shape as him preaching the people that up that.

If you would that went out there in the world, maybe.

There's sup here tonight. If you would have I prayed

that you just get a hold of this and take

it home in your prayer cling we see time after time.

If you would people don't want to come to the

altars and pray, he Prid's no excuse if you wouldn't

the thing I tell you, that's no excuse, all right,

dear man.

If I'm pride tony them burning hell for an eternity,

there's nothing like a hell. That's why I be pleasing

for eternity. There's nothing like the tournament the nation of teeth.

But we've gotten some people's lives here, and to not

Lord in my gift?

Can I use for you?

Am I fit to be used for your kingdom? Can

you use me?

God?

And I have to say about it. If you've come

up here and pray, you would find now God does

have the use for you. God does there the belonging

in His kingdom for you. Pray over.

In Songs chapter fifty one, he says to the tenth Verse,

creating me a clean heart, O God, and they were

a right spirit within me.

A lot of people wanted to come to church and

if you would get a temporary cleaning of the heart,

and they still want to be used of God, and

they still want to be part of God's kingdom. But no,

it's all or nothing when it comes to God. Praise God.

It says, cast me all away from thy presence and taking.

Off thy Holy Spirit from me, restore me the joy.

Of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.

I believe Saul had a heart that was made clean

that day. I believe his desire, no doubt. He's set

out for it the devils, the devil's bidden. But at

the end of the day he had a heart that

was fure a heart that was made clean, a heart

that if you want to.

Be used by God.

We all we all have God hearts that can be

used by God, but not all of us clean enough

for God use. And I'm praying it's my I'm preaching

to myself tonight. I want to have an experience of Bylfe.

We get experiencing in the Holy Ghost, but don't let

your experience run dry and I'm thankful that we can

come into the House of God.

That's why I'm important enough to miss the House.

Of God, because this is where, if you will, we

get our experiences renewed.

That's where we, if you will, we come and get

our Holy Ghost. Iidration, as our pastor preach, you get

it at the house. And I'm thankful.

I drive the truck out on the road and the

Holy Ghost comes by there many many times.

And I'm thankful for the experience that I have encountered

outside of the church. But there's nothing like the experience

that we experience insigned the church. Praise God. How do

we thank you Lord? Thank you God, damn.

God to thankful for the word of God. Tonight the

men could we stand? They will just for me to leave.

Let's get ready to make it all to you now.

And I thank God for the word that went forth.

I want us to take a moment. They've been to

let the words sink in and not let it just

breeze over us. And then I was praying to night,

spent about an hour in prayer and seeking God, asking

to help us in the service.

They've been not taking it lightly.

The word that God brought to mind was a superficial

I began to pray along those lines.

Lord, don't let us have a superficial experience.

And I believe we can't have an experience with God

that changes our lives forever, even if we must start

as David. The latter part of that that chapter chapter

fifty one said, or thou desires not sacrifice, else would

I give it thou delightest not in burnt offer. The

sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken

a broken.

And a contract herd, Oh God, they will not despise.

Amen.

For those that have a superficial experience with God a man.

You know, if you've been amen, God's reach for you tonight. Amen,

I couldn't tell you of all the splendors a man

of living for God. I couldn't described to you the

wonderful Amen joys of living for God even adequately.

Enough to tell you, Amen, just how good it is

a man.

So if you're that person denied, I want to give

you an opportunity to be honest with God a man,

and find a place to pray and let God work

in your life. And Man, we want to give you

a chance, Amen, to acknowledge what God has said denied. Amen.

I believe we all can pray a man. I know

we all can find a greater experience than God.

Amen.

Even as Christians, we can go deeper in God and

have been fine. They've in a deeper relationship with our Savior.

Maybe if but the brother had a burden tonight for

someone Amen, that maybe needs to amen to get a

true relationship.

And then the direction God, let me a man about.

A superprecial experience.

A man, I want you to have a supernatural experience.

Even if you can get rid of.

The superficion and have the supernatural.

I mean, if you have a connection with a God,

the man that would never leave you born for sake.

You mean all right this, come and pray tonight.

Amen, I beg gay man, call me Amen, while the

church is come and let's pray to night. Let's pour

out our hearts to God. And let's be honest. If

you man, praise God. Let's not give a sacrifice the Lord.

I'll do this, the Lord of the life and death.

Remember, I'm praying that we would all have that honest heart.

Man, if we would give a man among the.

Health unto God.

Oh go hold anything that the licens and the sacrifices

of God.

Are groven spirit. He g in a contract part of

God down bill back the south. Let's pray to not

let God who.

Suported all the worker will county all my county a.

County on.

Oo?

My county on John?

Oh, but he was a siding. We're a county on

shoot aby down to rule suported a county.

Go home you.

We have the Lord SAIDs think we are a giant

your tea. You must reach my guys hospool.

For me.

I'll see you to go back discuss just recome street

here you meeting.

Yes, we have.

A county, go.

Will a county?

Old Joe?

Who I counting?

A jo? Oo?

But he was the same, who want to count you?

Wan?

He answer? Who still I count on?

Three days half gone by? Lord, we're and still I

can't see And here comes about the room.

Lord he's a talking to me. He's sit the poor

the lord of the scuy Si me indpan your wet

my county at all?

I don't know.

We county on came.

Will I county it all till now? Oh, like he was,

will I county.

You ajuday like it's not me, so.

The world.

About the county.

All I'll send you to the chain times, I will

send you around.

Are you the suffer? Until I call you home, usually

the desert. The ship read at SCE, but keep riding

on for re chain will the gospel for me