Sermon – “Lord, What Do You Want Me to Do?”

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² 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.

³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

It’s morning my message is titled Lord. What do you want me to do. Many times we’ve probably ask ourselves that Norb What do you want me to do. Nor What’s my purpose. What’s your plan for me what do you want me to do Lord and just keep seeking if he hasn’t. Spoke that to you as a man named Saul. As that one day Lord what do you want me to do next when we preach and. It’s morning from Acts Chapter nine versus one through nine. Then Saul. Still breathing threats and murder against the disciples the Lord went to the high priest and as letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus. So that if he found any who were of the way. I like that of the way. You know the Church of the way. We are of the way. Found any who were of the way whether men or women. That he might bring them back down to Jerusalem. And as he journey 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. I am Jesus whom your persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against to go does. So he trembling and astonished said lord. What do you want me to do then the Lord said to him. Are Rising go into the city. And you will be told what you must do. And as the. And the man who journeyed with him stood speechless hearing a voice but seeing no one then so rose from the ground. And when he’s. And when his eyes were open he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was there three days without sight and neither A nor drink. They got at his bus and to the here and in the reading of His Holy Word that his prey. Gracious nor we do thank you and praise you for your presence we thank you door God for the mighty man who you’ve worked. So many wonderful things through the Word those who are willing to answer your call. If Allah God I just pray that we would have our ears open. Have our hearts open to you this morning Father that we receive the word that you have forced by the got it you would speak to us to your Holy Spirit. And you just bless us with your presence were not just glorified you father that US Lord fulfilled a purpose in the plans that you have for us in Jesus’ name amen. I don’t think anyone who has ever studied the Bible and have an understanding of the Apostle Paul or Saul. Whichever you want to calling. Would could question his passion for what he believed he even when he was still Saul before he became Paul. He was passionate. He was sold out for what he believed was the truth. He was completely sold out. He was ill us. So you know it’s. We need to look at some that we may not agree with. But we could respect their passion. We know that their passion about. Saul was passionate about what he believed. We need to be that passionate about serving our Lord Jesus Christ the King James version reads yet. Breathing out threatenings and slaughter. Against the disciples of the Lord. You know it’s getting the point across. Up to the very moment. Of this dramatic. Conversion. Up to the very moment that this great light shone around him. He was breathing out threatenings and murders against the disciples of the Lord. It was a passion it burned fiercely it within him up to that very moment. He was going to seek letters to get these people and drag them back to Jerusalem to cruelties with would solve inflicted upon the early church. Could be would be comparable to the cruelties that many Christians are experiencing today in Syria and Iraq. He invoked. Fear among the people. He abuse the Christians those who are of the way. So it’s very comparable to things are happening today in the world. If you’re a Christian in places like Syria and Iraq. You are beaten. Your forced out of your home. Even murdered. It’s horrible the things that are happening. So in truth you think about saw what he was known beforehand it’s very similar. I wouldn’t call him a terrorist but he he thought he was serving God. But he was greatly feared by the Christians. Paul later on in Acts Chapter twenty two admits his cruelties and acceptor twenty two verse four. Paul declares. And I persecuted this way unto the death. In they were in when they were put the death. He says I gave my voice. Which is his vote he gave his vote against them and I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blast fame. To the nod Jesus Christ. That’s what’s happening today in many parts of the world. You’re the Did not Christ or you’re going to be put to death. There are so many similarities in Syria since the start of the civil war in twenty eleven. They say that seven hundred thousand Christians have left Syria. That’s not count the ones who have been murdered. But seven hundred thousand have left. What began as a popular uprising. With demands for political change has increasingly developed into a jihad against the Syrian government. Islamic state. Have claimed parts of Syria further caliphate which is there is. Is there are Islamic state and other radical groups such as just hot and out in the surgery. Are also a great threat. Christians are frequently attacked. Abducted and killed. If they refused to denounce Christ. If they refused to blasting Christ to deny him and turned Islam. Yes it was different and Paul’s day. A little different but the Christians were still greatly persecuted. Murdered or brought to jail. Put in jail or forced to leave or flee to other towns. So was so zealous. He would go seeking them out into other towns. You know Damascus. Was and still is the capital of Syria. It was called the great highway between eastern and western between eastern and western Asia is about one hundred thirty miles northeast of Drusilla. And they claim that is perhaps the most ancient city in the world today. The mascot’s where Paul was heading that day. The city was one that a bound that with Jews and Gentiles process. To the Jewish faith. The message of Christ that had penetrated that city which is why Saul was seeking letters there. To go and squash. The followers of the way. In verse five he said. Who are YOU LORD Who are you Lord. The word lord here. The way it is use. Simply means no more then. Who are you sir. He won saying Lord as in he recognized him as a Lord Jesus Christ. But it was a sign of respect who are you sir. So it’s very evident this Saul did not know that it was a Lord speaking to him he didn’t know that it was Jesus. He did know is Jesus is still addressing him. He heard the voice of the man he heard himself address. But by whom the words were spoken. He did not know. So in his of in his confusion he naturally ask. Sir Who are you. And the Lord said. I am Jesus. I am Jesus. So it’s clear that there is a personal appearance of Jesus Christ. Now whether he he appeared in the bottle the form we don’t know. It was a great light. But it’s absolutely evident if it was just a glorious presence of his spear. But the Lord was present because a lowered spoke to him and Lord said. I am Jesus. So I am the one speaking to you saw. What an amazing conversion. Wow. The lord arrested his attention. That day. He got his attention. Saul was filled with a long arm. He was filled with alarm. In the Lord presented. The truth of himself to solve that day an X. twenty two verse eight. Were Paul was recounting his experience that happened in chapter nine. He recorded the expression. Were Jesus said I am Jesus of Nazareth. This decoration was suited especially to the harm to humble and mortify Saul. Because there can be no doubt that he had often the blasting the name of Jesus in the fact they came from Nazareth. Because he said. Where is it he says you know. No lost my place. The notion that the Messiah could come out of Nazareth. Paul disagreed with. And that is the Jesus as he was denouncing the last part of verse five seasons says to Saul It is hard for you to kick against the gives kids you know what a goat is big kids. I know there are some here is knows what a goat is. He’s used them. A goat is. They would take a piece of iron and and grind it down into a very short point. And put it in the end of a stick. And they would use that stick to prob the ox. To get the ox to go where they wanted them to go down at the farm when I was a young boy we didn’t have goads. We had battery operated well I guess we did have goods. But they were. They were battery operated go they had two prongs on the end. Put batteries him and it would shock home. She had hit the cows with the shocker to get them to go where you want to go so see they didn’t have batteries back then say use the pointy rod in the end of a stick to probe the problem where they wanted to the GO IN judges three thirty one. There was a man name. Sim Gar who killed six hundred men with an ox good. So you see you could also be used as a deadly weapon. Hard to kick against ago dicks pression to kick against a Godas derived from the action of a stubborn or unyielding ox and knocks it was so stubborn that it would kick against the goad. And whatever kick against the GO D. only thing it was going to do was harm itself. It wasn’t going to hurt that one it was holding the goad it was only going to harm itself. He would gain nothing but injury to itself. And it’s the same way. The same condition of every unrepentant sinner. Because it’s like kicking against a good because refusing to a to repent. Is only going to bring harm to oneself. If people wish to be happy they should cheerfully submit to the authority of God and not kick against a good. They should not rebel bent. Against God’s dealings. They should not complain against their creator. They should not resist the claims of their conscience by all this they only injure themselves. No matter resists God or his own conscience and be happy or can have peace. People and vice this temper in the following ways by Vala violating the plain laws of God by violating God’s Ten Commandments which is clearly reveals God’s moral character or by attempting to resist his claims or Bob refusing to do what their conscience requires or by attempting to free themselves from serious impressions in a large US by pursuing a course of Vice and wickedness against what they know to be right. Listen to that. Still salt still small voice. To tells you not to do something when you. You know it’s wrong. Anyway that we oppose God. Refusing to submit to his authority is kicking against a good first six in our passages to great turning point for six is a point where pride fell was replaced with humility is a point where wrong thinking was replaced with the truth is a place where a lost soul was saved. Because verse six is where it said. So he being so all trembling and astonished. Trembling because he was overcome with fear. Said Lord. What do you want me to do. That was the point of submission. That was the point of repentance. That is where Saul became Paul. Because he repented of the sin and said Lord what do you want me to do. Repentance is a process repentance means that we are that I hear. Means that I own responsibility for my part. And what it was and satisfactory. I except responsibility for my part in what is and what will be new behavior. Repentance his own responsibility for what was. Yes I was a center. Yes I did do those things. But I have repented. It is a reasonable action to repent. It’s not a matter of punishing ourselves. But it’s been sorry for what we’ve done that meeting our past mistakes. But knowing that we are forgiven. To through our Lord Jesus Christ’s until a person truly repents until a tourist person chill repents of their sins and surrenders their will. They will never say. Lord what do you want me to do until they do that they will not truly say Lord what do you want me to do. Why. Because will be more concerned about our own will all room ways. Our own purposes. So we need to truly repent and we need to truly surrender our will. That we might say Lord. What do you want me to do. Have you are used to will seeking. What you think what the Lord want you to do are you ready today to say Lord what do you want me to do. Because Paul cause in self a bondservant. We all know what a bondservant is I think a bondservant is one who willingly some minutes. To his master. He’s not held there. Against his will but he surrenders his will. That’s what a bondservant is. So are you ready ready to be a bondservant and say Lord what do you want me to do. I pray that the Lord would give me the passionate Saul had the passion in the zeal to do what the Lord has called me to do so not only say Lord. What do you want me to do but Lord give me a passionate hard to do what you want me to do in or give me passionate eyes to see that need. Because we need to have eyes to see the need to be aware of our surroundings be aware of those around us and we need to extend that. And of mercy. Is a said. We’ll find mercy. When we search out this word when we search out the Lord. We will find mercy. And when people come through those doors they need to find mercy in this church. Because we’re not the judge of those a come through the door. We’re the ones to extend that hand of mercy and that passion. He’s to judge a man not us who or what do you want me to do. I hope that question stays in your heart. Today and in the coming days and you’ll truly ask the Lord that you might want to come the day an asset. Who or what you want me to do. And surrender by self on to him amen.