# Saul Of Tarsus: A Pharisee By Conviction, A Christian By Grace

An episode of [Messages by David Antwi](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1069725119), 3 May 2025, 1 h 00 min.

Audio: https://yetanothersermon.host/_/kc/media/mp3/69449.mp3

Saul Of Tarsus: A Pharisee By Conviction, A Christian By Grace Series: Book of Acts Pastor: David Antwi Date: 4th May 2025 Passage: Acts 9:1-9 ------------------- From zealous persecutor to passionate preacher: Explore the dramatic conversion of Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9 and discover how a life dedicated to eradicating Christianity was radically transformed by an encounter with Jesus. Unpack the significance of this pivotal moment and its lasting impact on the church.

## Transcript

[0:00] Thank you for tuning into this message by David Entry. Every true revival is a product of the strong preaching of God's word. May you receive a word from this message that will spark a revival in you.
[0:14] ! Acts chapter 9. I'm reading from verse 1 to verse 9.
[0:21] 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 synagogues, that if he found any in this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
[0:51] And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
[1:08] And he said, who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, it is I, Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
[1:19] And he trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what will 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.
[1:35] And the man which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
[1:44] And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man, but they led him by the hand and brought him unto Damascus.
[1:55] And he was there three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
[2:02] Here ends the reading of God's word.
[2:04] Please let's pray.
[2:05] Father, we thank you for the privilege of bringing us together, so you impact yourself and input yourself into us through the teaching of your word.
[2:16] We pray that as your word is taught, help us to seek Jesus.
[2:21] Give us an understanding heart.
[2:24] Give us circumcised ears.
[2:27] And give us sanctified hearts, so we'll be able to receive your word.
[2:32] We pray, reveal Jesus to us.
[2:35] As your word is taught, convict sin.
[2:38] Convict sin.
[2:41] Deliver the captives.
[2:43] Save the lost.
[2:44] Let the voice of your calling be made so clear in the ears of those you are calling.
[2:50] I pray in Jesus' name that as your word is taught, let healings happen.
[2:55] Let miracles happen.
[2:57] Let deliverance happen.
[2:59] Let blessings be released to the glory of your name.
[3:02] And let Jesus be seen.
[3:05] We thank you in Jesus' name.
[3:07] Amen.
[3:08] Hallelujah.
[3:09] Please be seated.
[3:10] So, the scripture said, Jesus said to his disciples that you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you.
[3:20] and that's after that one verse eight,
[3:23] Acts 1, eight, it said,
[3:24] you shall receive power
[3:25] after the Holy Ghost has come upon you
[3:27] and you shall be with mercy unto me.
[3:30] Then he tells them where,
[3:31] says in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria
[3:36] and to the uttermost parts of the world.
[3:40] That is so important.
[3:42] So we saw how the word of God
[3:45] was spreading in Jerusalem from Acts chapter two.
[3:50] Thousands go born again
[3:52] and in Acts chapter three,
[3:55] many more, there was a move in the temple
[3:57] and Acts chapter four tells us
[4:00] many more thousands go born again
[4:02] or came to know the Lord
[4:04] and God was adding to the church daily
[4:07] and in Acts, all in Jerusalem,
[4:11] in Acts chapter six,
[4:13] Bible says that their number was multiplied
[4:16] as the number multiplied in verse one
[4:19] and then verse seven,
[4:20] they increased greatly,
[4:22] they multiplied greatly daily.
[4:25] God was adding to the church.
[4:26] So the increase of the church
[4:28] was so radical that you couldn't deny it
[4:33] and then all that was happening in Jerusalem.
[4:37] Then in Acts chapter six,
[4:40] there emerged Stephen from verse eight
[4:43] and it was about Stephen.
[4:45] He was doing miracles in Jerusalem.
[4:48] Attention came on him
[4:49] and they managed,
[4:51] those people of the synagogue of the Libertines,
[4:54] they managed to get rid of him.
[4:56] So Acts chapter seven was primarily about Stephen
[5:01] and his execution in Jerusalem.
[5:04] And Acts chapter eight,
[5:05] as we saw in recent teachings,
[5:07] the word of God spread
[5:10] and made a cross over to Samaria.
[5:15] And there was a great move of God in Samaria
[5:17] and it didn't stop there.
[5:20] And as we had last week,
[5:23] in spite of the move
[5:24] and the crowds that were being changed,
[5:27] God sends the first missionary,
[5:30] Philip,
[5:31] to go and meet one person,
[5:33] Ethiopian eunuch,
[5:35] for the purposes of the message
[5:37] going outside of Samaria.
[5:39] All right.
[5:40] And so that's the first time
[5:41] the message gets to a Gentile person
[5:45] or somebody from Gentile territory.
[5:49] Now after that,
[5:50] Bible talks about how the spirit of God
[5:53] took Philip after the baptism
[5:55] in Acts chapter eight
[5:56] from verse 38 there.
[5:59] After he was baptized,
[6:00] the spirit took him
[6:01] and he was caught away by the spirit
[6:03] and he found himself somewhere
[6:05] called Azotus.
[6:08] And yeah,
[6:09] he found himself somewhere else.
[6:11] Then look at the next verse.
[6:13] The next verse says,
[6:15] then Saul.
[6:16] Now this is not the first time
[6:18] Saul was introduced.
[6:20] In Acts chapter seven,
[6:22] Saul was introduced
[6:23] just before the execution of 58.
[6:27] Acts chapter seven,
[6:28] verse 58,
[6:29] we see,
[6:30] and they cast him out of the city
[6:33] and stoned him
[6:34] and the witnesses laid their clothes
[6:36] at the feet of a young man
[6:40] named Saul.
[6:42] That was the first mention
[6:43] of this gentleman
[6:45] in the New Testament.
[6:46] And so that's the first time
[6:48] Saul was mentioned.
[6:50] Then he was introduced
[6:52] in Acts chapter seven
[6:53] and in Acts chapter eight,
[6:55] even though it was primarily
[6:56] about Philip,
[6:58] Saul was mentioned again
[7:00] in Acts chapter eight,
[7:01] verse three,
[7:02] that it says that
[7:03] as for Saul,
[7:05] this guy,
[7:05] as for him,
[7:06] oh,
[7:07] it looks like
[7:08] he was having fun.
[7:10] The best time,
[7:11] as for Saul,
[7:12] he made havoc
[7:13] of the church.
[7:15] As I told you,
[7:15] it was like a bull
[7:17] let loose in the fields
[7:19] and destroying crops.
[7:20] That's the word havoc there.
[7:23] Entering into every house
[7:24] and dragging men.
[7:25] So Saul was introduced
[7:27] there again.
[7:28] And the Bible focuses
[7:30] on Philip.
[7:33] So Saul seems,
[7:36] watch this,
[7:36] this is very important.
[7:37] He seemed to be instrumental
[7:40] in the execution
[7:41] of Stephen
[7:43] because he was overseen
[7:45] by all the soul.
[7:47] where was he
[7:48] keeping the clothes
[7:49] of the witnesses?
[7:51] He was the one
[7:52] overseeing it.
[7:54] But what gave him
[7:55] that audacity
[7:55] and that power,
[7:56] that influence?
[7:58] We'll find out
[7:58] in a minute.
[7:59] Then,
[8:01] Stephen dies.
[8:02] Then Philip,
[8:04] through this havoc,
[8:06] this young man soul,
[8:09] young man,
[8:11] it's good
[8:12] to do
[8:13] the work of God
[8:15] when you are young.
[8:15] don't wait
[8:17] to be old.
[8:19] I don't understand
[8:20] why people wait
[8:21] until retirement
[8:22] when no company
[8:23] wants to work with them.
[8:26] You say,
[8:26] okay, God,
[8:27] take me like that.
[8:30] So just in case
[8:31] you have plans
[8:32] to serve God fully
[8:35] and get involved more
[8:36] with God's will
[8:36] after retirement,
[8:38] I think you might
[8:38] be running late.
[8:41] God likes you
[8:42] in your prime.
[8:43] That's why
[8:43] he did not wait.
[8:44] All the disciples
[8:45] of Jesus,
[8:45] they were not old men.
[8:47] They were young people.
[8:49] So he got
[8:50] another young man
[8:51] with energy.
[8:52] To be young
[8:53] means you have
[8:53] a lot of energy.
[8:56] Energy.
[8:57] It takes a lot
[8:57] of energy
[8:58] to accomplish
[8:59] some things.
[9:00] Old men
[9:01] don't lead revolutions.
[9:03] It's young men
[9:04] and usually most revolutions
[9:06] are started
[9:06] in universities.
[9:09] Young people,
[9:10] young,
[9:11] young,
[9:11] in their late teens,
[9:12] early 20s.
[9:14] Yes.
[9:15] So if you want
[9:16] to do God's work,
[9:17] start from university days.
[9:20] I'll pray university
[9:21] like some of us.
[9:23] Start early.
[9:24] It gives you
[9:25] an advantage.
[9:27] So a young man
[9:30] called.
[9:30] So when you are young,
[9:32] you can do a lot
[9:33] for God.
[9:34] You can do a lot
[9:36] for humanity
[9:38] when you start early.
[9:41] I started,
[9:42] when I tell people,
[9:43] I've been doing
[9:44] full time.
[9:45] When I say full time,
[9:46] all I'm doing
[9:47] is the church work
[9:48] and God's work
[9:50] and nothing,
[9:50] no career,
[9:51] no job,
[9:52] nothing.
[9:53] full time
[9:54] since 1995.
[9:57] Since 1995.
[9:58] I started very early.
[10:01] 1995.
[10:02] So you are waiting
[10:03] to your later years.
[10:05] Look,
[10:05] you are already 42.
[10:08] Even the department,
[10:10] you are not serving properly.
[10:11] Some of you are leaders
[10:12] when you call me
[10:12] to you come.
[10:15] You,
[10:16] you don't realize
[10:17] that you've already
[10:18] wasted a lot
[10:19] of your youthful days
[10:20] chasing girls.
[10:22] chasing boys.
[10:23] Yes.
[10:25] No,
[10:25] don't think we are
[10:26] the same old.
[10:27] No,
[10:28] we are not the same.
[10:29] Some of us
[10:31] have got
[10:31] heavy youthful equity.
[10:34] When you were
[10:35] in the nightclub,
[10:36] some of us
[10:36] didn't even know
[10:37] nightclub existed.
[10:39] I'm telling you,
[10:39] I'm not saying
[10:40] that's why God uses it.
[10:41] But it plays a major role.
[10:42] That's why God calls
[10:43] Saul
[10:44] a young man,
[10:46] young lady.
[10:49] You don't have time
[10:50] because you came
[10:51] in a little late.
[10:52] After you have
[10:55] roamed all over
[10:56] the world,
[10:56] after you've done
[10:57] all kinds of things,
[10:58] and even if you
[10:59] didn't do anything,
[11:00] you didn't know Christ
[11:01] until you were
[11:02] over 30,
[11:03] over 40,
[11:03] over 50.
[11:05] You died.
[11:07] And if God
[11:08] is going to reward
[11:09] us in heaven
[11:09] based on what
[11:10] you have done
[11:10] in his world,
[11:11] then you can tell
[11:11] you don't have
[11:12] much time.
[11:13] It's likely
[11:13] you won't receive
[11:14] much reward
[11:14] in heaven.
[11:17] Unless you are
[11:17] not thinking
[11:18] eschatologically.
[11:18] the Christian
[11:21] life that is not
[11:22] lived in the light
[11:22] of his coming
[11:23] will be a very
[11:24] weak Christian
[11:25] life.
[11:26] I'll report it
[11:26] again.
[11:27] You can't live
[11:28] the Christian
[11:28] life effectively
[11:29] unless you live
[11:31] it in the light
[11:32] of his coming.
[11:33] Else you won't be
[11:33] able to do well.
[11:35] You won't be able
[11:35] to.
[11:35] That's why the
[11:36] early church kept
[11:37] emphasizing and putting
[11:38] emphasis,
[11:39] focusing on his
[11:41] coming.
[11:41] His coming.
[11:42] He said,
[11:43] I've fought a good
[11:44] fight.
[11:44] I've finished my
[11:45] race and I've
[11:46] kept the faith.
[11:47] verse 8 and he
[11:48] said in 2 Timothy
[11:49] chapter 4.
[11:50] He says that,
[11:51] now there is
[11:51] left for me a
[11:52] crown of
[11:53] righteousness which
[11:54] the righteous
[11:55] judge shall give
[11:56] unto me and
[11:57] not only me,
[11:58] those who
[11:59] love his
[12:00] appearing.
[12:02] They always
[12:03] spoke about
[12:04] the coming,
[12:04] the coming,
[12:05] the coming,
[12:06] the coming,
[12:07] the coming.
[12:07] It was the
[12:08] fuel for
[12:09] Christian life.
[12:10] So you can't
[12:11] threaten them
[12:11] with death because
[12:12] they tell you
[12:13] that for me to
[12:14] live is Christ,
[12:16] to die is
[12:17] gain.
[12:17] they lived in
[12:18] anticipation of
[12:19] the second coming.
[12:20] They knew Christ
[12:21] was coming.
[12:22] They knew Christ
[12:23] was coming.
[12:23] You cannot live an
[12:24] effective Christian
[12:25] life if you don't
[12:26] focus on his
[12:27] coming.
[12:29] Those who love
[12:29] his appearing.
[12:31] Those who love
[12:31] his appearing.
[12:32] Hebrews chapter 9
[12:33] verse 28, he
[12:34] said he shall
[12:35] appear the second
[12:36] time.
[12:37] He shall appear
[12:38] the second time.
[12:39] He came the
[12:40] first time but he
[12:40] shall appear the
[12:41] second time.
[12:42] Titus chapter 2
[12:43] verse 14.
[12:44] He says that the
[12:45] blessed hope is the
[12:46] glorious appearing
[12:48] of our great God
[12:53] and Savior,
[12:54] Jesus Christ.
[12:55] That was their
[12:56] motive.
[12:56] That was what
[12:57] fueled all that
[12:58] they used to do.
[12:59] And every
[13:00] effective Christian
[13:01] is fueled by
[13:03] the second coming.
[13:05] Because material
[13:06] things on earth
[13:07] cannot be strong
[13:09] enough to fuel
[13:10] you unless those
[13:11] people who are
[13:11] trained to always
[13:12] be demon
[13:13] conscious.
[13:13] demons, demons,
[13:15] demons, demons,
[13:16] demons, demons.
[13:17] So what you are
[13:18] doing, the motivation
[13:19] behind your work in
[13:21] the Lord is you're
[13:22] afraid of devils
[13:23] because of the way
[13:24] they destroy people in
[13:25] your father's background.
[13:26] You don't want to be
[13:27] destroyed so you are
[13:27] trying just in case
[13:28] God.
[13:29] Please, that is not a
[13:30] good motivation.
[13:31] It's not a good
[13:32] motivation.
[13:33] Neither should the
[13:34] motivation be just
[13:35] maybe ask yourself,
[13:37] God, you'll get money
[13:38] on earth.
[13:38] You'll get, your
[13:39] things will work for
[13:40] you.
[13:41] It's not bad, but
[13:42] really it's so, it's
[13:43] so low.
[13:44] It's so low.
[13:45] The greatest
[13:46] motivation is, it's
[13:48] all I want to see
[13:49] him.
[13:49] Look upon his face.
[13:51] Dare to sing forever
[13:52] of his saving
[13:53] grace.
[13:53] On the streets of
[13:54] glory, let me lift
[13:55] my voice.
[13:56] All my cares are
[13:57] past.
[13:57] Home at last.
[13:58] Ever to rejoice.
[14:02] Those who love
[14:02] is appearing.
[14:03] I pray that God
[14:04] will help us all
[14:05] to love is appearing.
[14:06] So Saul was a
[14:09] young man who
[14:10] was very
[14:11] influential.
[14:12] And so you see
[14:13] in the chapter
[14:14] 8 verse 3 that
[14:15] he was very
[14:17] instrumental in
[14:18] the scattering
[14:19] of the church.
[14:20] So because of
[14:21] him, Philip
[14:22] ended up in
[14:23] Samaria.
[14:25] So you see, he
[14:26] was like a
[14:27] trigger.
[14:28] Through him,
[14:29] through his
[14:29] influence, Stephen
[14:31] died and Stephen's
[14:32] death was necessary
[14:33] for the church.
[14:34] And then through
[14:35] his causing
[14:36] havoc, Philip
[14:37] ended up in
[14:38] Samaria and
[14:39] Samaria got
[14:40] saved.
[14:41] As Jesus said.
[14:43] And then through
[14:43] that, after the
[14:44] salvation of
[14:45] Samaria, the
[14:46] Ethiopian eunuch,
[14:47] the uttermost
[14:48] part of the
[14:48] world.
[14:49] So now the
[14:50] Bible says, God
[14:51] said, now let's
[14:51] focus on this
[14:52] gentleman, Saul.
[14:54] So Acts chapter
[14:55] 9 verse 1
[14:57] starts with,
[14:58] then Saul.
[15:00] Whilst people
[15:01] were being
[15:02] saved in
[15:03] Azotus,
[15:05] this Saul,
[15:06] still,
[15:09] breathing threats
[15:10] and murder
[15:11] against the
[15:13] disciples of
[15:14] the Lord.
[15:14] His target
[15:15] was disciples.
[15:19] Yes.
[15:20] His target
[15:21] was the
[15:21] disciples of
[15:22] the Lord.
[15:23] If you are not
[15:23] a disciple, he
[15:24] doesn't have any
[15:24] business.
[15:25] His target, he
[15:27] was almost like
[15:28] Haman the
[15:29] Agagite.
[15:30] His target
[15:32] was to
[15:33] eradicate the
[15:34] Jews.
[15:36] The Haman
[15:37] in the book
[15:37] of Esther.
[15:38] The Agagite
[15:39] hated the
[15:40] Jews and he
[15:41] was so
[15:42] determined, he
[15:43] was so bent
[15:44] on you people,
[15:45] I will eradicate
[15:46] you.
[15:46] And that's what
[15:47] Saul was doing.
[15:48] His target
[15:49] was to put a
[15:50] stop to this
[15:51] thing called
[15:52] Christianity or
[15:53] this thing called
[15:53] the way.
[15:56] I have to put
[15:57] a stop to it.
[15:58] So that was
[15:59] his life ambition
[16:00] at that time.
[16:01] And he was
[16:02] young and he
[16:02] was influential.
[16:04] It's good to
[16:05] know about
[16:05] Saul.
[16:06] His original
[16:07] name is
[16:07] Saul.
[16:08] Bible says in
[16:09] Philippians
[16:09] chapter 3
[16:10] verse 4,
[16:12] he said he
[16:13] was a Hebrew
[16:14] though I might
[16:16] be verse 4,
[16:16] I might have
[16:17] confused verse
[16:17] 5, he said
[16:18] circumcised on
[16:20] the eighth day
[16:20] of the stock
[16:21] of Israel,
[16:23] of the tribe
[16:23] of, you
[16:24] remember there's
[16:25] another Benjamins
[16:25] called Saul,
[16:27] the one Saul
[16:29] in the Bible,
[16:30] the same line.
[16:31] So I mean,
[16:32] to be a
[16:33] Benjamite,
[16:33] you are proper
[16:34] Jew, he said
[16:35] a Hebrew
[16:36] of the Hebrews.
[16:38] Because those
[16:39] days there were
[16:39] some other
[16:40] Jews who were
[16:42] not really
[16:42] celebrated,
[16:43] especially those
[16:44] who were born
[16:44] around Asia
[16:45] and those,
[16:46] you know,
[16:46] the Jews
[16:47] scattered everywhere.
[16:47] So some of
[16:48] them were not
[16:49] celebrated by
[16:50] those in their
[16:51] motherland as
[16:51] authentic.
[16:52] But Saul said,
[16:53] me, I was a
[16:54] Hebrew of Hebrews.
[16:57] Concerning the
[16:58] law, I was
[16:59] not just
[16:59] obeying the
[17:00] law, I was
[17:00] a Pharisee.
[17:02] Pharisee is
[17:03] the sect with
[17:04] the higher
[17:04] level of
[17:05] adherence to
[17:06] the law,
[17:07] to the standard
[17:08] they've added,
[17:08] if the law
[17:09] was 10,
[17:10] they have
[17:10] added about
[17:10] 30 more.
[17:13] So they
[17:13] were that,
[17:14] that's why
[17:15] Pharisees were
[17:15] hypocrites,
[17:16] because even
[17:17] the law in
[17:18] itself, it was
[17:19] difficult to
[17:20] keep it.
[17:21] No human
[17:22] being could
[17:22] keep the law.
[17:23] That's why
[17:23] God told Moses,
[17:24] put it in the
[17:25] Ark of the
[17:26] Covenant,
[17:26] because it's
[17:27] not meant to
[17:27] be kept.
[17:28] Don't display
[17:29] it, hide it,
[17:29] just hide it.
[17:30] They must just
[17:31] know there's a
[17:31] law, but hide
[17:32] it.
[17:34] Yeah, in the
[17:35] Ark of the
[17:36] Covenant.
[17:36] You don't make
[17:38] laws and hide
[17:39] it in a box.
[17:40] You put it
[17:41] displayed so
[17:42] people can see.
[17:44] But the
[17:44] Pharisees have
[17:45] added their
[17:46] own.
[17:47] So if the
[17:47] Bible says,
[17:48] do not work
[17:49] on a Sabbath
[17:49] day, they
[17:50] said, don't
[17:51] even work at
[17:52] all.
[17:52] Or don't
[17:53] work more
[17:53] than a
[17:54] certain distance.
[17:55] Yeah.
[17:56] They said, if
[17:57] the Bible says
[17:57] don't work,
[17:58] they said, okay,
[17:58] even if you
[17:59] get out from
[17:59] the bed, don't
[18:00] take your
[18:00] bed sheet.
[18:01] It's working.
[18:03] So they've
[18:04] taken it far,
[18:06] which was not
[18:07] realistic.
[18:09] So Jesus told
[18:09] them that man
[18:11] was not made
[18:12] for the
[18:12] Sabbath, but
[18:13] the Sabbath
[18:13] was made
[18:14] for man.
[18:14] Why are you
[18:15] making the
[18:15] Sabbath rule
[18:16] the life of
[18:17] man?
[18:17] Jesus healed
[18:18] somebody on
[18:18] the Sabbath,
[18:19] and they said
[18:19] that, why are
[18:20] you healing
[18:21] somebody on
[18:21] the Sabbath?
[18:22] I think in
[18:23] Luke, the
[18:23] woman with
[18:24] the issue of
[18:25] the one who
[18:26] had bowed
[18:26] down, Luke
[18:27] chapter 13.
[18:28] And Jesus
[18:29] said, which
[18:29] of you having
[18:30] a sheep, which
[18:32] falls into the
[18:33] well on a
[18:33] Sabbath day, who
[18:34] says a
[18:34] Sabbath day, so I
[18:35] will leave my
[18:35] sheep.
[18:36] By the time you
[18:37] come, the next
[18:37] day is dead.
[18:40] Hypocrite.
[18:41] Does not each
[18:42] of you on the
[18:43] Sabbath lose
[18:44] your ox or
[18:45] donkey from the
[18:46] stall and lead
[18:47] it away to
[18:48] water it?
[18:48] The donkey
[18:50] doesn't know
[18:50] sir, but
[18:50] he has to
[18:51] eat.
[18:52] But they
[18:52] were very, and
[18:53] Paul said,
[18:54] concerning the
[18:55] law, me, I
[18:55] was not just a
[18:57] legalist, I
[18:58] was a
[18:59] Pharisee.
[19:00] That's a
[19:00] serious one.
[19:01] So Saul was
[19:03] such a unique
[19:05] person.
[19:05] Now let's
[19:05] explore, let's
[19:07] look a little
[19:07] bit into this
[19:08] character called
[19:09] Saul.
[19:11] In Acts
[19:11] chapter 9, it
[19:12] says that, and
[19:12] so, breathing
[19:13] out threatenings
[19:15] and slaughtered
[19:16] against the
[19:17] disciples of
[19:17] the Lord, went
[19:19] unto the
[19:19] high priest.
[19:21] Saul was a
[19:22] Jew by
[19:24] birth.
[19:25] He was a
[19:26] Pharisee by
[19:27] conviction.
[19:29] He was a
[19:29] Roman by
[19:30] citizenship.
[19:31] He was a
[19:32] Greek by
[19:32] education, and
[19:33] he was a
[19:34] Christian by
[19:34] grace.
[19:37] He wore
[19:38] quite a few
[19:38] hats.
[19:41] He became a
[19:42] missionary, a
[19:42] theologian, an
[19:43] evangelist, a
[19:44] teacher, a
[19:45] preacher, a
[19:46] pastor, a
[19:46] leader, a
[19:47] thinker, an
[19:48] organizer, a
[19:49] statesman, a
[19:50] fighter, and a
[19:51] lover at the
[19:51] same time.
[19:54] Saul of
[19:55] Tarsus.
[19:56] This man was a
[19:58] unique person in
[19:59] scripture.
[20:00] God used him to
[20:02] influence the
[20:03] church in a
[20:04] way that no
[20:06] other person
[20:06] was.
[20:07] Almost half of
[20:09] the New
[20:09] Testament, which
[20:11] is 27 books in
[20:12] the New
[20:12] Testament, almost
[20:14] half of it
[20:15] was penned by
[20:16] Paul.
[20:17] Paul was the
[20:18] secondary author.
[20:19] God is always the
[20:20] primary author, but
[20:21] he always used
[20:22] human agents.
[20:23] Out of the
[20:24] 27, 14 was
[20:26] God used him.
[20:29] Can you imagine?
[20:30] To the extent
[20:32] that he has had
[20:33] so much impact
[20:34] on Christianity,
[20:36] and anyone who
[20:38] is called a
[20:38] theologian, who
[20:39] are true
[20:39] Christian theologians,
[20:41] their influence
[20:42] has always come
[20:42] from Paul.
[20:44] All true
[20:44] Christian.
[20:45] For instance, it
[20:46] is said by
[20:49] scholars that
[20:50] St. Augustine,
[20:50] one of the
[20:51] greatest theologians
[20:52] of Christianity,
[20:54] years ago, he
[20:55] was influenced,
[20:56] or he discovered
[20:58] his theological
[20:58] calling by reading
[21:00] the book of
[21:01] Romans chapter
[21:01] 3.
[21:02] He read the
[21:03] Romans chapter
[21:04] 3, and we
[21:04] were like, oh,
[21:05] there's so much
[21:06] I didn't.
[21:07] Romans is so
[21:07] heavy, written by
[21:08] Paul.
[21:08] It's a legal
[21:09] document.
[21:10] In Romans,
[21:11] that's when we
[21:11] get to find
[21:12] out about our
[21:13] judicial redemption.
[21:15] Our redemption
[21:15] is not
[21:16] arbitrary.
[21:17] It's judicial.
[21:19] It's a legal
[21:20] issue.
[21:21] Our redemption
[21:22] is not maybe
[21:23] God felt, okay,
[21:24] arbitrary, or maybe
[21:25] whimsically,
[21:26] no.
[21:27] He went through
[21:28] the process, and
[21:29] Paul is showing
[21:29] you that when
[21:30] you are redeemed,
[21:31] it is legitimate
[21:33] according to the
[21:34] law of God and
[21:35] the law of man.
[21:37] Paul, and then
[21:38] Martin Luther.
[21:39] Some of you
[21:40] might be
[21:40] familiar of
[21:40] Martin Luther,
[21:41] the reformer,
[21:42] the one who
[21:43] started the
[21:44] reformation in
[21:45] the 17th, I
[21:46] think 17th
[21:47] century.
[21:48] Martin Luther
[21:48] also read
[21:50] Romans chapter
[21:52] 5.
[21:53] What sparked
[21:54] that revelation
[21:55] in him was
[21:56] reading Romans
[21:57] chapter 5, and
[21:57] he realized, ah,
[21:59] and John
[22:00] Wesley, he read
[22:02] Romans chapter
[22:02] 8, and that's
[22:04] what changed
[22:04] his life around.
[22:07] So he was
[22:07] going to read
[22:07] something, keep
[22:09] reading Romans.
[22:11] There's a lot
[22:11] inside there.
[22:13] So, and this
[22:14] was penned by
[22:15] Paul.
[22:16] God used
[22:17] Paul so much
[22:18] to have such
[22:18] a great influence
[22:19] in the church.
[22:21] Paul was a
[22:22] great man.
[22:23] Now, and
[22:25] when you look
[22:27] at Paul very
[22:28] carefully, as I
[22:28] said, he was a
[22:29] Jew in Acts
[22:30] chapter 21,
[22:31] verse 39, he
[22:34] said, I am a
[22:35] Jew.
[22:35] Paul, he
[22:38] said to the
[22:40] centurion or
[22:42] the guard, he
[22:43] said, Paul
[22:44] said, I am a
[22:45] Jew from
[22:45] Tarsus.
[22:46] Okay, Tarsus
[22:47] has been
[22:47] introduced here.
[22:48] Let's talk
[22:48] about Tarsus.
[22:49] Tarsus is in
[22:50] Cilicia, and he
[22:52] was a citizen of
[22:53] no small city.
[22:57] Tarsus had one
[22:58] of the finest
[22:59] universities in
[23:00] the days of
[23:01] Saul, and Tarsus
[23:02] sat in between
[23:04] at the northern
[23:05] border of Israel.
[23:06] So, after the
[23:07] northern border of
[23:08] Israel, it sat
[23:09] in between Asia
[23:12] minor in those
[23:12] days and Syria.
[23:14] In these
[23:14] modern days, Syria
[23:15] and Jordan.
[23:17] So, Tarsus is
[23:18] there.
[23:18] It was an old
[23:19] city, and it
[23:20] was a metropolitan
[23:22] bazin city, and
[23:24] it had one of the
[23:25] finest universities.
[23:26] Saul was born
[23:28] there and was
[23:29] schooled there.
[23:30] So, when it
[23:31] comes to his
[23:32] education, he
[23:33] had the Greek
[23:34] mindset.
[23:34] He was well
[23:35] educated, seriously
[23:37] educated, but you
[23:38] know what his
[23:38] parents did?
[23:39] His father, being a
[23:40] Pharisee, made
[23:42] sure that he
[23:43] wouldn't only have
[23:44] a Greek
[23:45] education.
[23:47] He sent him to
[23:48] Jerusalem, so he
[23:49] spent some of his
[23:50] upbringing days in
[23:51] Jerusalem.
[23:52] And Saul was
[23:54] born in Tarsus, a
[23:56] Roman city, okay,
[23:58] or is a Roman
[23:59] colony.
[24:00] So, if you are
[24:01] born there, you
[24:02] are automatically a
[24:02] Roman citizen.
[24:04] So, Saul was a
[24:05] Roman citizen.
[24:06] And to be a Roman
[24:07] citizen in those
[24:08] days, you had so
[24:09] many privileges,
[24:10] because it was the
[24:11] greatest nation in
[24:12] that time.
[24:13] So, to be a Roman
[24:13] citizen, it was
[24:14] very, you don't need
[24:16] visa to travel
[24:16] anywhere, you just
[24:17] go anywhere you
[24:18] want.
[24:20] And you cannot be
[24:21] arrested easily.
[24:22] If they arrest you,
[24:23] they must be, and
[24:24] they can't turn you
[24:25] into prison.
[24:25] That's why Paul, in
[24:27] Acts chapter 16,
[24:27] around from verse
[24:29] 33 there, he
[24:31] said, we being
[24:32] Romans, you beat
[24:33] us without a
[24:34] charge.
[24:35] Paul said to
[24:36] them, they have
[24:37] beaten us openly
[24:38] and condemned us,
[24:39] condemned Romans,
[24:41] and have thrown us
[24:42] into prison, and
[24:43] now they want us to
[24:44] come out secretly.
[24:46] He said, no, go
[24:47] and tell them to
[24:47] come and bring us
[24:48] out.
[24:49] Because they
[24:50] shouldn't have
[24:50] condemned us.
[24:51] We are Romans.
[24:52] And then the
[24:53] officers told the
[24:54] words to the
[24:54] magistrate, and
[24:55] they were afraid
[24:56] when they heard
[24:56] that the guys were
[24:57] Romans.
[24:59] We couldn't
[25:00] treat Romans
[25:00] like that.
[25:01] So for you to
[25:02] be a Roman in
[25:03] those days is
[25:03] better than
[25:03] even Americans
[25:04] or British
[25:05] in this
[25:05] issue.
[25:06] It was a
[25:07] powerful thing.
[25:09] So anyway, so
[25:10] he was a
[25:11] Roman, grew
[25:12] up, or was
[25:13] born in
[25:13] Tarsus.
[25:14] That's why it's
[25:14] called Paul of
[25:15] Tarsus.
[25:16] And Tarsus was
[25:17] in Cilicia.
[25:18] That's why he
[25:18] was always
[25:19] fellowshipping and
[25:20] worshipping with
[25:21] the synagogue of
[25:23] the Cilicians.
[25:23] Tarsus.
[25:24] And so Saul was
[25:26] born in
[25:27] Tarsus.
[25:27] Sent to
[25:28] Jerusalem because
[25:29] in those days,
[25:31] there was this
[25:31] great, the best
[25:33] rabbi ever.
[25:35] They used to
[25:36] have the familiar
[25:36] name for
[25:37] Rabban.
[25:38] Rabban.
[25:39] What was his
[25:39] name?
[25:40] Gamaliel.
[25:42] Gamaliel was
[25:43] the best.
[25:44] In fact, if you
[25:45] study under
[25:45] Gamaliel, everybody
[25:47] knows that you
[25:48] have been well
[25:49] taught and you
[25:49] are an authority.
[25:50] Gamaliel was
[25:52] so well revered
[25:53] and respected,
[25:54] they used to
[25:55] call him the
[25:56] beauty of the
[25:56] law.
[25:57] In other words,
[25:58] the law in his
[25:59] mouth, the law
[26:00] of Moses, when
[26:01] he begins to
[26:01] break it down,
[26:02] it's like, wow,
[26:04] this is so
[26:04] beautiful.
[26:05] The guy was a
[26:06] unique lecturer,
[26:08] unique teacher,
[26:09] and he had a
[26:09] school in Jerusalem
[26:10] and he was the
[26:11] one who advised
[26:12] the Sahindrin in
[26:13] Acts chapter 5
[26:14] from verse 34
[26:14] that we have to
[26:15] be careful,
[26:17] else we find
[26:18] ourselves fighting
[26:18] against God.
[26:20] And because he
[26:20] was so respected
[26:21] as he spoke,
[26:22] everybody listened.
[26:23] And Paul in
[26:24] Acts chapter 22
[26:25] verse 3, he
[26:27] said, I am
[26:28] indeed a Jew
[26:29] born in
[26:30] Tarsus of
[26:31] Cilicia, but
[26:32] brought up in
[26:34] this, talking
[26:34] about Jerusalem,
[26:35] in this city
[26:36] at the feet
[26:36] of Gamaliel.
[26:38] I was brought
[26:39] up at the feet
[26:40] of Gamaliel and
[26:41] taught according
[26:42] to the strictness
[26:43] of our father's
[26:44] law and was
[26:45] zealous towards
[26:46] God as you
[26:48] are all, as
[26:51] you are all
[26:52] today.
[26:52] I was zealous.
[26:54] That's what
[26:55] Paul's credentials.
[26:56] That's what Gamaliel
[26:57] taught me.
[26:58] And when anyone
[26:59] hears Gamaliel
[26:59] taught you.
[27:00] Now, theologians
[27:02] believe that
[27:03] Saul of Tarsus
[27:05] was born in
[27:06] Tarsus and he
[27:08] was raised because
[27:09] we saw here in
[27:09] Acts chapter 22
[27:10] verse 3, look at
[27:11] it again.
[27:12] He said, brought
[27:13] up in this city.
[27:14] So he was
[27:15] brought up in
[27:15] Jerusalem.
[27:16] But it's
[27:17] believed that he
[27:18] was sent back
[27:19] after he finished
[27:21] his education.
[27:22] He was sent
[27:23] back because if
[27:25] he had stayed in
[27:25] Jerusalem, he
[27:26] would have been
[27:27] potentially maybe
[27:28] the next to the
[27:29] high priest or
[27:30] some of those
[27:30] powerful people
[27:31] because of who
[27:33] taught him, because
[27:34] of his education.
[27:35] But it's believed
[27:36] that he was sent
[27:37] back.
[27:37] Some theologians
[27:38] believe he was
[27:38] sent back.
[27:39] Others also
[27:39] believe that it's
[27:40] possible while
[27:41] Jesus was there
[27:42] in those days, he
[27:42] was aware of
[27:43] Jesus.
[27:43] He must have
[27:44] probably heard
[27:45] about Jesus
[27:45] before his
[27:47] conversion or
[27:48] before the
[27:49] preaching of the
[27:49] apostles.
[27:50] So it's believed
[27:51] that Saul of
[27:51] Tarsus is like
[27:53] familiar with all
[27:54] those territories
[27:55] but it's believed
[27:55] he didn't grow
[27:56] up.
[27:56] So he grew up
[27:57] there but he
[27:58] left and went
[27:59] back to Tarsus
[28:01] to go and
[28:02] practice his
[28:03] religion and do
[28:04] his own things
[28:05] until he came
[28:06] to Jerusalem
[28:07] and when
[28:08] Stephen,
[28:11] Stephen had
[28:13] the discourse
[28:14] with them,
[28:15] he noticed
[28:15] something about
[28:16] Stephen and
[28:17] when he
[28:18] oversaw the
[28:19] education of
[28:19] Stephen, he
[28:20] chose to stay
[28:21] around to
[28:21] eradicate this
[28:22] thing called
[28:23] the way of
[28:25] the church.
[28:26] So he decided
[28:27] to stay, he
[28:28] won't go and
[28:29] he was creating
[28:29] problems and
[28:30] causing problems.
[28:32] Now, guess what
[28:33] happened?
[28:34] From the text we
[28:35] just read, the
[28:36] Bible says that
[28:37] he went,
[28:38] verse 1 again,
[28:40] and so, yet
[28:41] breathing out
[28:42] threatenings and
[28:43] slaughter against
[28:43] the disciples of
[28:47] the Lord.
[28:48] Permit me to
[28:48] comment on this.
[28:49] You see, that
[28:50] phrase, breathing
[28:51] out, okay,
[28:53] breathing out,
[28:54] originally it
[28:55] should actually
[28:56] sound like
[28:56] breathing in.
[28:58] Breathing out
[28:59] is like when a
[29:01] wild bull is
[29:03] angry, a
[29:04] dragon, something
[29:05] like that, you
[29:06] know.
[29:06] But when he
[29:08] said breathing in,
[29:08] it's like his
[29:10] breath.
[29:12] It's like his
[29:12] breath, still
[29:13] drawing his
[29:14] breath.
[29:15] Did you see
[29:15] that?
[29:16] Okay.
[29:17] Meanwhile, Saul
[29:18] still drawing his
[29:20] breath hard from
[29:22] threatening.
[29:23] That's how he
[29:24] lived.
[29:24] It became his
[29:25] lifestyle.
[29:27] His oxygen was
[29:28] to fight the
[29:28] church.
[29:31] So he was,
[29:32] he drew his
[29:33] breath from
[29:33] that.
[29:34] So if he
[29:34] didn't fight the
[29:35] church, he
[29:35] felt like he
[29:36] was dying.
[29:38] Yeah, yeah.
[29:39] That's how
[29:39] serious the guy
[29:40] was.
[29:41] So his
[29:42] life ambition
[29:43] and the
[29:44] purpose for
[29:45] his life was
[29:46] to make sure
[29:47] this thing
[29:47] called church
[29:48] is closed
[29:49] down.
[29:50] We have to
[29:50] stop it.
[29:51] So he
[29:52] managed to
[29:52] fight them
[29:53] in Jerusalem
[29:53] and news
[29:54] got to him
[29:54] that they
[29:56] were in
[29:56] Damascus.
[29:59] Many of
[29:59] them, because
[30:00] Damascus was
[30:00] another bazin
[30:01] city and a
[30:03] lot of Jews,
[30:04] in those days,
[30:04] many Jews
[30:05] used to live
[30:06] there.
[30:06] And Damascus
[30:07] is a very
[30:07] old, very
[30:11] old city,
[30:12] older than
[30:13] Abraham.
[30:15] Yeah, Damascus
[30:15] was there before
[30:16] the days of
[30:17] Abraham.
[30:17] So it was a
[30:18] very old city.
[30:19] And today we
[30:20] still have a
[30:20] Damascus.
[30:21] Jerusalem, the
[30:22] Jews were
[30:23] living there.
[30:24] And so when
[30:24] they were
[30:26] being threatened,
[30:27] Philip, are you
[30:28] here with me?
[30:28] Philip found
[30:29] himself in
[30:30] Samaria, but
[30:31] Jews really
[30:31] don't like the
[30:32] Samaritans.
[30:34] So Philip's own,
[30:35] it was really an
[30:36] inspiration.
[30:37] So many of
[30:37] them would not
[30:38] settle in Samaria
[30:39] because the
[30:39] Samaritans also
[30:40] didn't like the
[30:41] Jews.
[30:42] So they won't
[30:42] settle because you
[30:43] won't find good
[30:44] Samaritans there.
[30:44] So many of
[30:49] them went,
[30:50] their destination
[30:51] became Damascus.
[30:52] And so he
[30:53] said he went
[30:54] for letters
[30:55] from the high
[30:56] priest.
[30:56] Why the high
[30:57] priest?
[30:57] Because the
[30:58] high priest was
[30:58] the highest
[30:59] authority in the
[30:59] land at that
[31:00] time under the
[31:01] Roman rule.
[31:02] So the Roman
[31:03] authorities have
[31:04] given the high
[31:05] priest powers to
[31:07] rule.
[31:08] So to, amongst
[31:09] the Jews, the
[31:10] high priest, what
[31:10] the high priest
[31:11] said counted.
[31:12] So if you get
[31:13] letters from the
[31:14] high priest, it's
[31:14] like Caesar has
[31:15] given you a
[31:15] letter.
[31:16] So all Saul
[31:17] needed to be able
[31:18] to travel around,
[31:19] to go and do
[31:20] that in the
[31:20] synagogue was
[31:21] authorization from
[31:22] the high priest.
[31:23] So he went to
[31:24] the high priest.
[31:25] He went, look,
[31:25] look at the text
[31:26] again.
[31:27] And Saul, yet
[31:28] bringing out
[31:28] threatens and
[31:29] slaughter against
[31:30] the disciples of
[31:30] the Lord, went
[31:31] on to the high
[31:32] priest and
[31:33] desired of him
[31:35] letters to
[31:36] Damascus to
[31:37] the synagogues.
[31:39] Not synagogues.
[31:40] There were many
[31:40] synagogues.
[31:40] He said, I'm going
[31:41] to every one of
[31:42] them.
[31:42] And I'm sure
[31:45] he went with
[31:46] temple police and
[31:47] officers because
[31:48] to go and do
[31:48] this kind of
[31:49] thing, you
[31:49] need some
[31:51] officers with
[31:52] you.
[31:53] So he went
[31:54] to get the
[31:55] letter and
[31:56] then he was
[31:57] also given
[31:58] the permission
[31:59] to go.
[31:59] So the Bible
[32:00] says that, and
[32:01] he's had
[32:01] let us go to
[32:02] Damascus into
[32:03] the synagogue.
[32:04] Somebody say
[32:05] synagogue.
[32:06] In Luke
[32:07] chapter 12
[32:07] verse 11 and
[32:08] Luke chapter 21
[32:09] verse 12.
[32:10] Luke chapter 12
[32:11] verse 11.
[32:11] The Bible says
[32:12] that, now when
[32:13] they bring you
[32:14] to the synagogue,
[32:15] this is Jesus
[32:15] talking, and
[32:16] magistrates and
[32:17] authorities, do
[32:19] not worry about
[32:20] how or what you
[32:21] would answer and
[32:22] what you should.
[32:23] Jesus knew that
[32:24] they was going
[32:24] to come.
[32:25] And look at
[32:25] chapter 21
[32:26] verse 12.
[32:27] Luke chapter 21
[32:27] verse 12.
[32:28] It says that, but
[32:29] before all these
[32:30] things, this is
[32:31] Jesus talking to
[32:32] his disciples, they
[32:33] will lay hands
[32:34] on you and
[32:35] persecute you,
[32:36] delivering you up
[32:37] to the synagogues
[32:38] and prisons, you
[32:41] will be brought
[32:41] before kings and
[32:42] rulers for my
[32:44] name.
[32:45] Matthew chapter
[32:46] 10 verse 17.
[32:48] There's that.
[32:49] But beware of
[32:49] men, for they
[32:50] will deliver you
[32:51] up to councils
[32:52] and scourge you
[32:54] where?
[32:55] At the place of
[32:56] worship is where
[32:56] they will be
[32:57] beating you.
[33:01] Paul himself,
[33:03] you know, Paul
[33:04] himself in his
[33:05] testimony, he
[33:06] said in Acts
[33:07] chapter 22
[33:08] verse 19, he
[33:11] said that he
[33:12] went, so this
[33:13] Paul talking, I
[33:14] said, Lord, they
[33:15] know that in
[33:17] every synagogue I
[33:18] imprisoned and
[33:20] beat.
[33:23] This old guy,
[33:25] he was telling
[33:25] God.
[33:27] Many years after
[33:28] his conversion,
[33:29] God was telling
[33:29] him, leave the
[33:30] city.
[33:30] They want to
[33:31] kill you.
[33:31] He said, Paul,
[33:32] he told God, they
[33:33] know my record
[33:34] already.
[33:34] God told him,
[33:37] leave the city.
[33:39] But he didn't
[33:39] want to leave
[33:39] because he
[33:40] thought, God, the
[33:41] people know I was
[33:42] a wild guy and
[33:43] now I've changed.
[33:44] Yeah.
[33:45] He's saying that
[33:46] make haste and
[33:46] get out of
[33:47] Jerusalem quickly
[33:48] for they will
[33:49] not receive your
[33:49] testimony concerning
[33:50] me.
[33:51] Then the verse
[33:51] 19, he started
[33:52] advising God and
[33:53] he says that, so
[33:54] I said, Lord,
[33:56] they know that in
[33:58] every synagogue I
[33:59] imprisoned and
[34:00] beat those who
[34:00] believe in you.
[34:01] In Acts
[34:01] chapter 26,
[34:02] verse 11, Paul
[34:04] was also making
[34:05] mention, he
[34:06] said, I
[34:06] punished them
[34:07] often in every
[34:08] synagogue and
[34:09] compelled them to
[34:10] blaspheme and
[34:11] being exceedingly
[34:12] enraged against
[34:13] them, I
[34:14] persecuted them
[34:15] even to foreign
[34:16] cities.
[34:17] That was his
[34:18] life.
[34:19] He was breathing
[34:19] it.
[34:20] He persecuted
[34:21] them to foreign
[34:22] cities.
[34:24] He said, that's
[34:24] why I lived my
[34:26] life doing it.
[34:27] And this guy was
[34:28] a young man with
[34:29] a lot of passion,
[34:30] great education.
[34:31] He spoke Hebrew,
[34:33] he spoke Greek,
[34:34] and Greek education
[34:35] and Pharisaic
[34:36] education.
[34:37] He was top
[34:38] notch.
[34:40] He was top
[34:40] notch.
[34:41] And so he was
[34:41] so confident in
[34:42] himself.
[34:43] And he said,
[34:44] these guys, I
[34:44] don't like the
[34:45] things they are
[34:45] preaching, I'll
[34:46] get rid of them.
[34:47] And so he went
[34:48] from synagogue to
[34:49] synagogue and he
[34:50] got the letters to
[34:51] go into the
[34:51] synagogue so he
[34:53] can, whoever he
[34:54] found in the way,
[34:55] somebody say the
[34:56] way.
[34:57] Say it again, say
[34:58] the way.
[34:58] In those days,
[35:00] the Christianity
[35:00] was called the
[35:01] way.
[35:03] Jesus said, I'm
[35:03] the way, the
[35:04] truth.
[35:04] It's the way of
[35:06] life.
[35:06] It's the way of
[35:07] God.
[35:07] It's the way to
[35:08] know God.
[35:08] It's the way to
[35:09] enjoy life.
[35:10] That's Christianity.
[35:11] If you want to
[35:11] know God, it
[35:12] takes Christ.
[35:14] And in Acts
[35:14] chapter 18,
[35:15] verse 24 and
[35:17] 25, there was a
[35:19] guy called
[35:19] Apollos.
[35:21] Apollos.
[35:21] Now, a
[35:22] certain Jew
[35:22] named Apollos,
[35:23] born in
[35:24] Alexandria, another
[35:25] great city,
[35:26] Alexandria, and
[35:27] an eloquent man
[35:28] and mighty in
[35:29] the scriptures,
[35:30] came to
[35:31] Ephesus.
[35:31] Verse 25, this
[35:33] man had been
[35:34] instructed in the
[35:36] way of the
[35:37] Lord and been
[35:38] fervent in
[35:39] spirit.
[35:40] He spoke and
[35:41] taught accurately
[35:42] the things of
[35:42] the Lord, though
[35:43] he knew only the
[35:44] baptism of
[35:45] John.
[35:45] Now,
[35:46] the next
[35:47] verse,
[35:47] so he began to
[35:49] speak boldly in
[35:50] the synagogue.
[35:51] When Aquila and
[35:52] Priscilla heard
[35:53] him, they took
[35:54] him aside and
[35:55] explained to
[35:56] him the way
[35:57] of God more
[35:59] accurately.
[36:00] The way,
[36:01] Christianity was
[36:02] the way.
[36:02] In Acts chapter
[36:02] 19, verse 9,
[36:04] the Bible says
[36:05] that they spoke
[36:05] against the
[36:06] way, talking
[36:07] about the
[36:07] teachings and
[36:08] Christianity.
[36:09] But when some
[36:10] were hardened
[36:10] and did not
[36:11] believe, but
[36:12] spoke evil of
[36:14] their way,
[36:16] before the
[36:17] multitude.
[36:17] So Jesus is
[36:18] the way and
[36:18] the church was
[36:19] called the way
[36:19] as well.
[36:20] Look at
[36:20] the verse 23.
[36:22] Acts chapter
[36:22] 19, verse 23,
[36:24] it says that,
[36:24] and about
[36:26] that time,
[36:27] there arose
[36:27] great commotion
[36:29] about what?
[36:31] The way.
[36:31] Great commotion
[36:32] about what?
[36:33] The way.
[36:34] The way was,
[36:36] Christianity was
[36:37] a source and
[36:38] a cause of a
[36:39] lot of tension
[36:40] because they
[36:41] hated the
[36:42] Christians.
[36:42] Acts chapter 22,
[36:43] verse 4,
[36:44] tells you the
[36:45] way.
[36:46] Acts chapter 22
[36:46] says that,
[36:47] I persecuted this
[36:49] way to the
[36:50] death.
[36:50] That's Saul.
[36:51] Saul said,
[36:52] I persecuted
[36:53] this way.
[36:54] I persecuted
[36:55] the church.
[36:56] I persecuted
[36:57] this way to
[36:58] the death.
[36:59] Binding and
[37:00] delivering into
[37:01] prison both
[37:02] men and
[37:03] women.
[37:04] In Acts chapter
[37:05] 24, let me
[37:06] just give you
[37:06] these two last
[37:07] scriptures.
[37:07] Acts chapter 24,
[37:08] verse 14,
[37:09] verse 14,
[37:10] it said,
[37:10] but this I
[37:11] confess to you
[37:12] that according
[37:13] to, okay,
[37:14] let's already
[37:15] other, let's
[37:15] go.
[37:16] But this I
[37:17] confess to you
[37:18] that according
[37:19] to the way
[37:19] which they
[37:20] call a set,
[37:22] so I
[37:22] worship the
[37:23] God of my
[37:24] fathers,
[37:25] believing all
[37:25] things which
[37:26] are written in
[37:27] the law and
[37:28] in the,
[37:29] according to
[37:30] the way,
[37:30] they call the
[37:31] way set,
[37:32] but that's
[37:32] how I'm
[37:32] serving the
[37:33] God of our
[37:34] fathers.
[37:35] And the
[37:35] verse 22,
[37:36] Acts 24,
[37:37] 22,
[37:38] but when
[37:39] Felix heard
[37:40] these things,
[37:41] having more
[37:41] accurate knowledge
[37:43] of,
[37:44] he was
[37:44] familiar for
[37:45] Felix,
[37:45] was the
[37:46] governor,
[37:46] he was
[37:46] familiar of
[37:47] the way.
[37:47] So,
[37:48] Christianity
[37:48] was called
[37:49] the way,
[37:51] the way to
[37:51] God,
[37:52] the way of
[37:52] life,
[37:53] the way of
[37:53] living a
[37:54] godly life,
[37:55] the way to
[37:55] live your
[37:55] life.
[37:56] So,
[37:56] it was
[37:57] called the
[37:57] way.
[37:58] back here,
[37:58] it says that,
[37:59] and desired
[37:59] letters that if
[38:01] he found any
[38:02] of this way,
[38:04] let's look at
[38:04] the Duke
[38:05] in James,
[38:05] please,
[38:06] and ask
[38:06] letters from
[38:07] him to the
[38:08] synagogues of
[38:09] Damascus,
[38:10] so that if he
[38:11] found any who
[38:12] were of the
[38:13] way,
[38:14] whether men
[38:15] or women,
[38:16] he might bring
[38:17] them bound to
[38:18] Jerusalem.
[38:19] The way,
[38:20] say,
[38:20] Christianity is
[38:21] the way.
[38:23] Say,
[38:23] Christianity is
[38:23] the way.
[38:25] The church is
[38:26] the way.
[38:28] Hallelujah.
[38:29] So,
[38:29] he said,
[38:30] he went for,
[38:31] and how would
[38:32] he know?
[38:32] He would go
[38:33] from synagogue
[38:35] to synagogue.
[38:36] How would he
[38:36] know they were
[38:37] Christians?
[38:38] But the way,
[38:39] not by the way
[38:40] they dress,
[38:41] because Christianity
[38:41] doesn't come with
[38:42] a dress code.
[38:44] Christianity,
[38:45] you can't even
[38:46] wear hijab.
[38:47] You can't wear
[38:48] hijab,
[38:49] you can't remove,
[38:50] it doesn't matter.
[38:51] You can't,
[38:52] you know,
[38:52] when I say dress
[38:53] code,
[38:53] you know what I
[38:53] mean?
[38:54] Yeah.
[38:55] Some of you
[38:56] think I'm
[38:57] talking about
[38:57] summer clothing.
[39:00] But that's
[39:01] why I can
[39:02] wear any
[39:03] normal clothes
[39:04] to church
[39:05] and preach.
[39:06] Please,
[39:06] those of you
[39:06] think you
[39:07] have to wear
[39:07] something special
[39:09] before your
[39:10] worship can be
[39:11] special.
[39:11] No,
[39:11] it's not
[39:12] Christian.
[39:12] You can wear
[39:13] what is normal,
[39:14] whatever is
[39:15] normal that
[39:16] you didn't fit
[39:17] to go into
[39:18] public.
[39:19] And you can
[39:19] wear it.
[39:20] That's why a
[39:21] lot of
[39:21] modern day
[39:21] pastors don't
[39:23] wear clerica.
[39:25] They don't
[39:25] wear regalia.
[39:27] They don't
[39:27] wear,
[39:27] if I somewhere
[39:28] just normal
[39:28] t-shirt.
[39:29] Yeah,
[39:30] that's not my
[39:30] style,
[39:31] but there's
[39:32] nothing wrong.
[39:34] Because Christianity
[39:34] doesn't come with
[39:35] a dress code.
[39:35] So if you go
[39:36] into a train,
[39:36] you will know
[39:37] who is a
[39:37] Christian.
[39:38] But many
[39:38] other religions,
[39:39] you can easily
[39:40] spot them out.
[39:40] because it
[39:42] all has to
[39:43] do with
[39:43] external,
[39:44] the stereo,
[39:45] how you
[39:45] do it.
[39:47] In Christianity,
[39:47] you can be
[39:48] anywhere and
[39:48] be praying.
[39:49] You can be
[39:49] on the
[39:50] plane and
[39:50] be praying.
[39:50] You can be
[39:51] on the
[39:51] executive
[39:51] chamber of
[39:52] release,
[39:53] that's
[39:53] washroom,
[39:54] and be
[39:54] praying.
[39:56] You can
[39:57] be in your
[40:00] kitchen and
[40:01] be praying.
[40:02] Yeah,
[40:03] you can be
[40:04] in your
[40:04] bed and
[40:05] be praying.
[40:07] You can
[40:07] pray anywhere.
[40:08] But some
[40:08] other
[40:09] religious,
[40:10] prayer,
[40:10] is not
[40:11] prayer until
[40:11] it fits
[40:12] into a
[40:13] setting
[40:13] mode.
[40:13] You have
[40:14] to face
[40:14] some place,
[40:15] you have
[40:15] to kneel,
[40:15] or you have
[40:16] to sit,
[40:16] you have
[40:17] to cross
[40:17] your legs.
[40:17] No,
[40:18] Christianity
[40:18] doesn't demand
[40:19] any of that.
[40:21] You don't
[40:21] have to walk
[40:22] and pray.
[40:22] You don't
[40:23] even have
[40:23] to close
[40:24] your eyes
[40:24] to pray.
[40:25] Christianity
[40:25] doesn't come
[40:26] with restrictions.
[40:27] It doesn't
[40:27] come with
[40:27] restrictions.
[40:28] That's very
[40:29] interesting.
[40:29] So when we
[40:30] go to
[40:30] prayer meeting,
[40:30] people are
[40:31] like,
[40:31] no,
[40:34] it is not
[40:34] necessary,
[40:35] but it doesn't
[40:36] spoil anything.
[40:38] Whatever makes
[40:39] you take,
[40:40] just do it.
[40:41] If walking,
[40:42] because some
[40:42] of you,
[40:42] if you don't
[40:43] walk,
[40:43] you will
[40:43] sleep.
[40:43] You,
[40:52] watch this,
[40:53] you don't
[40:53] need to go
[40:54] to Jerusalem
[40:55] before your
[40:55] Christian life
[40:56] can be solid.
[40:57] Years ago,
[40:58] a gentleman
[40:58] told me,
[40:59] I want to
[41:00] be baptized
[41:00] in the
[41:01] Jordan.
[41:01] It doesn't
[41:02] make any
[41:03] difference
[41:03] whether you're
[41:05] baptized in
[41:06] the Jordan
[41:06] or this
[41:08] one,
[41:09] Thames,
[41:10] Thames,
[41:11] or wherever.
[41:13] It doesn't
[41:16] matter.
[41:17] Look,
[41:18] I know why
[41:19] you're saying
[41:19] you've never
[41:19] been to
[41:20] Israel.
[41:20] That's why
[41:20] you're saying
[41:21] that.
[41:21] Yes,
[41:21] I've never
[41:22] been to
[41:22] Israel,
[41:23] but I
[41:23] think I'm
[41:23] producing more
[41:24] results than
[41:24] some of
[41:25] people who
[41:25] have gone
[41:25] to Israel.
[41:28] For God.
[41:30] I'm not
[41:30] saying going
[41:31] to Israel
[41:31] is nothing,
[41:33] but it's
[41:34] a nice
[41:34] tourist
[41:35] place to
[41:36] go.
[41:37] It's nice
[41:37] to go.
[41:38] Christianity
[41:40] is the
[41:41] religion that
[41:42] is not
[41:42] based on
[41:43] externals.
[41:45] Your
[41:45] haircut
[41:46] doesn't
[41:46] matter.
[41:47] What you
[41:47] wear doesn't
[41:48] matter.
[41:49] Where you
[41:49] sit doesn't
[41:50] matter.
[41:50] Where you
[41:50] live doesn't
[41:51] matter.
[41:52] What you
[41:52] eat doesn't
[41:53] matter.
[41:53] You can
[41:54] eat pork
[41:54] even if
[41:55] you want.
[41:56] You can
[41:56] eat snake.
[41:58] You can
[41:58] eat snake.
[42:00] Oh,
[42:00] yes.
[42:01] So,
[42:01] okay,
[42:02] the point I'm
[42:02] making here
[42:02] is that,
[42:03] so how
[42:03] would you
[42:04] identify the
[42:04] Christians?
[42:05] Since
[42:05] there's nothing
[42:06] exterior,
[42:06] I stand
[42:07] out to
[42:07] identify
[42:07] them.
[42:08] Bible
[42:08] says that
[42:09] in Acts
[42:10] chapter 9
[42:10] verse 14,
[42:12] when Ananias
[42:12] was telling
[42:13] God that,
[42:14] no,
[42:15] let's go
[42:15] back to,
[42:16] from God
[42:17] appeared,
[42:17] the Lord
[42:18] said,
[42:19] Ananias
[42:20] said,
[42:21] yeah,
[42:21] when God
[42:21] said go,
[42:22] he told God
[42:23] I've heard
[42:23] by many,
[42:24] this guy
[42:24] is,
[42:25] and he has
[42:26] come,
[42:26] verse 14
[42:26] I think,
[42:27] so,
[42:27] he's come
[42:27] to the,
[42:28] he has
[42:28] authority
[42:29] from the
[42:29] chief priest
[42:29] to bind
[42:30] all who,
[42:31] that's how
[42:32] you identify
[42:33] them.
[42:34] He looks
[42:34] for their
[42:35] calling.
[42:36] When they
[42:36] meet,
[42:37] you hear
[42:37] Lord Jesus,
[42:38] Lord Jesus,
[42:40] in their
[42:40] meetings,
[42:41] he will
[42:41] say,
[42:41] ah,
[42:41] they are
[42:42] there.
[42:43] That's how
[42:43] you identify,
[42:44] because you
[42:44] can't identify
[42:45] them externally,
[42:47] exterior,
[42:47] that's not
[42:47] exterior.
[42:49] And so,
[42:50] he was going,
[42:50] he went
[42:51] into the
[42:51] synagogue
[42:51] in Damascus
[42:53] to go and
[42:53] hunt them
[42:54] down so
[42:55] he can
[42:55] bring them.
[42:56] And as
[42:57] he journeyed,
[42:58] he came
[42:58] near Damascus
[42:59] and suddenly,
[43:01] and suddenly
[43:02] there shined
[43:03] around about
[43:04] him a light
[43:04] from heaven.
[43:06] And he fell
[43:07] to the earth
[43:07] and had
[43:08] a voice
[43:09] saying unto
[43:09] him,
[43:10] Saul,
[43:11] Saul,
[43:11] why persecuted
[43:12] thou me?
[43:13] Yes,
[43:14] suddenly,
[43:14] suddenly,
[43:15] from nowhere,
[43:16] he saw a
[43:16] light.
[43:16] According to
[43:17] Acts chapter
[43:17] 26,
[43:18] the light
[43:19] was brighter
[43:19] than the sun,
[43:20] no day sun,
[43:21] and it was
[43:21] at midday.
[43:23] Now,
[43:23] it is believed
[43:24] by scholars
[43:26] that because
[43:27] of the
[43:27] temperature
[43:28] in those
[43:28] areas,
[43:29] usually it's
[43:30] not the best
[43:31] to travel
[43:32] at midday.
[43:33] People travel
[43:34] early morning
[43:35] or late.
[43:37] Yeah,
[43:37] people travel
[43:38] early morning
[43:38] or late.
[43:39] So when you
[43:40] go to some
[43:40] of those
[43:41] desert
[43:42] territories,
[43:44] typically,
[43:45] at midday,
[43:46] people don't
[43:46] do much
[43:46] because it's
[43:47] too hot.
[43:48] So why
[43:49] the agency?
[43:51] This guy
[43:51] couldn't wait.
[43:52] He would
[43:52] travel at
[43:53] midday.
[43:54] This guy
[43:55] wait,
[43:55] at least you
[43:56] wait for sun
[43:56] to set.
[43:58] Saul said,
[43:59] no,
[43:59] I hate
[43:59] these people
[44:00] so much.
[44:01] But he
[44:01] said,
[44:02] I hated
[44:02] them
[44:03] passionately.
[44:04] That's why
[44:05] he said
[44:05] himself in
[44:06] Acts 26.
[44:07] I just
[44:07] read it.
[44:08] I think
[44:09] verse 11
[44:09] again.
[44:09] Look at
[44:10] Acts 26
[44:10] verse 11.
[44:11] Acts 26
[44:12] verse 11.
[44:13] Synagogue
[44:13] !
[44:13] And being
[44:14] exceedingly
[44:15] enraged
[44:16] against them.
[44:17] That's how
[44:17] serious his
[44:18] hatred was
[44:19] for the
[44:19] Christians.
[44:21] He hated
[44:21] them
[44:22] passionately.
[44:23] And so
[44:24] he was
[44:24] going the
[44:25] noonday
[44:25] and the
[44:25] Bible says
[44:26] according to
[44:27] Acts 26.
[44:28] You see,
[44:30] the story
[44:31] of Saul's
[44:32] conversion
[44:33] is so
[44:34] powerful in
[44:34] scripture that
[44:35] it was
[44:36] repeated three
[44:37] times in
[44:38] one book.
[44:39] In Acts.
[44:40] It was said
[44:41] in Acts chapter
[44:42] 9 what we are
[44:42] studying.
[44:43] And the same
[44:43] story,
[44:44] maybe next week
[44:45] I'll read
[44:45] through that
[44:46] one.
[44:47] Even though
[44:47] we get there,
[44:48] I'll just
[44:48] read through
[44:48] it.
[44:49] It was the
[44:50] same story.
[44:50] Acts chapter
[44:51] 22 from
[44:52] verse 1 to
[44:52] 20.
[44:53] It was about
[44:54] Saul's
[44:54] call.
[44:54] This same
[44:55] story.
[44:55] In Acts
[44:56] chapter 26,
[44:57] it was
[44:57] repeated there
[44:58] from verse
[44:58] 8 to
[45:00] 19.
[45:01] It was
[45:01] repeated there
[45:02] from verse
[45:02] 8.
[45:02] And Paul
[45:03] himself spoke
[45:04] directly about
[45:05] his conversion
[45:06] experience five
[45:08] times.
[45:09] He himself
[45:10] referred to
[45:10] it five
[45:11] times and
[45:11] he implied
[45:12] it a dozen
[45:13] times.
[45:14] Said it
[45:14] different times
[45:15] about.
[45:15] That tells
[45:16] you how
[45:17] essential
[45:17] this chapter
[45:18] is.
[45:19] It's so
[45:20] important to
[45:20] Saul's
[45:21] conversion
[45:21] because Saul's
[45:22] conversion
[45:23] marked the
[45:23] journey of
[45:23] the new
[45:24] day of
[45:24] the church.
[45:25] So he
[45:25] went to
[45:26] seek authority
[45:27] or to go
[45:27] and look
[45:28] for them.
[45:28] And the
[45:28] Bible says
[45:28] that he
[45:29] saw a light
[45:30] at noonday.
[45:31] Let's look at
[45:32] chapter 26
[45:33] version.
[45:33] It says
[45:34] that at
[45:34] midday,
[45:36] O king,
[45:37] along the
[45:38] road I
[45:38] saw a
[45:39] light from
[45:40] heaven brighter
[45:41] than the
[45:42] sun.
[45:43] It's almost
[45:43] like an
[45:44] atomic bomb.
[45:46] Nothing
[45:46] brighter than
[45:47] a star in
[45:47] those days.
[45:48] And he
[45:49] saw a
[45:49] light.
[45:50] Midday,
[45:50] the sun is
[45:51] brightest.
[45:52] And he
[45:53] said, I
[45:53] saw another
[45:54] light from
[45:54] heaven.
[45:55] So that
[45:56] tells you
[45:56] the natural
[45:57] light is
[45:57] not the
[45:58] brightest
[45:58] thing on
[45:59] earth.
[46:00] There's
[46:00] another
[46:00] light,
[46:01] ghost
[46:01] light.
[46:02] He saw
[46:03] a light
[46:03] in heaven,
[46:04] brighter
[46:05] than the
[46:06] sun.
[46:06] It is in
[46:07] your Bible.
[46:08] Brighter
[46:08] than the
[46:09] sun.
[46:09] And
[46:09] shining
[46:10] around
[46:10] me and
[46:11] those who
[46:12] journey with
[46:12] me.
[46:13] If you
[46:13] are partaker
[46:14] of somebody
[46:15] fighting the
[46:15] church,
[46:16] you are
[46:16] also
[46:16] culpable.
[46:19] Those who
[46:19] journey with
[46:20] me.
[46:20] And I
[46:21] fell from
[46:22] my horse.
[46:23] So he
[46:23] wasn't
[46:24] alone.
[46:24] He was
[46:24] going with
[46:24] a convoy
[46:25] of officers.
[46:27] And when
[46:27] we all
[46:28] had fallen
[46:29] to the
[46:30] ground,
[46:30] I heard
[46:31] the voice
[46:31] speaking to
[46:32] me and
[46:32] saying in
[46:33] the Hebrew
[46:33] language,
[46:34] Saul,
[46:35] Saul,
[46:36] why are
[46:37] you
[46:37] persecuting
[46:39] me?
[46:40] Why are
[46:40] you
[46:40] persecuting
[46:41] me?
[46:42] Acts
[46:42] chapter 9
[46:43] again.
[46:43] It says
[46:44] that,
[46:44] and he
[46:45] said,
[46:45] I fell
[46:46] to the
[46:48] earth and
[46:48] heard a
[46:49] voice saying,
[46:49] Saul,
[46:50] Saul,
[46:51] why
[46:51] persecutors
[46:52] die of
[46:53] me?
[46:53] Why?
[46:54] Who is
[46:54] this
[46:55] me?
[46:56] The Bible
[46:56] tells us
[46:57] that he
[46:57] was breathing
[46:58] threats against
[46:59] the disciples.
[47:00] Verse 1.
[47:02] So it's the
[47:02] disciples he
[47:03] was dealing
[47:03] with.
[47:04] He didn't
[47:04] realize that
[47:05] there was
[47:06] somebody,
[47:06] a personality
[47:07] behind the
[47:08] disciples.
[47:09] He wasn't
[47:09] only the
[47:10] head of
[47:10] the body,
[47:11] but he
[47:11] was also
[47:12] the body
[47:12] he was
[47:13] persecuting.
[47:14] So Jesus
[47:15] spoke to
[47:16] him and
[47:16] said,
[47:16] listen,
[47:17] you are
[47:17] persecuting
[47:17] me.
[47:18] He said,
[47:18] how can I
[47:18] persecut?
[47:19] He said,
[47:19] it's me.
[47:19] When you
[47:20] touch the
[47:20] church,
[47:21] you have
[47:21] touched
[47:21] me.
[47:22] He says
[47:23] that whoever
[47:24] receives you,
[47:25] yeah,
[47:28] whoever
[47:28] receives you
[47:29] receives me.
[47:30] He says
[47:31] that,
[47:32] and he
[47:32] who receives
[47:33] you receives
[47:33] me,
[47:34] and he
[47:35] who receives
[47:36] me receives
[47:37] him who
[47:38] sent you.
[47:39] In
[47:39] Matthew 25,
[47:40] verse 40,
[47:41] again,
[47:42] he said,
[47:42] whatever you
[47:43] do to the
[47:43] list of
[47:43] these ones,
[47:44] talking about
[47:45] the Christians,
[47:46] anything you
[47:46] do for
[47:47] Christians,
[47:48] you have
[47:48] done it.
[47:49] And the
[47:49] king will
[47:50] answer and
[47:50] say to
[47:51] them,
[47:51] surely I
[47:52] say unto
[47:52] you,
[47:52] in as
[47:53] much as
[47:53] you did
[47:54] it to
[47:54] one of
[47:55] the least
[47:55] of my
[47:56] brethren,
[47:57] you did
[47:57] it to
[47:58] me.
[47:59] You
[47:59] slapped a
[48:00] Christian,
[48:00] you have
[48:00] slapped
[48:00] Jesus.
[48:02] You
[48:02] attack a
[48:03] Christian,
[48:04] you have
[48:04] attacked
[48:05] Jesus.
[48:06] That's
[48:06] what he's
[48:06] saying.
[48:07] So he
[48:07] said,
[48:08] Lord,
[48:09] when were
[48:10] you hungry
[48:10] and we
[48:10] fed you?
[48:11] When were
[48:12] you
[48:12] appreciative?
[48:12] He said,
[48:13] as long
[48:13] as you
[48:13] did it
[48:14] for one
[48:15] of these
[48:15] my
[48:16] brethren,
[48:16] you
[48:16] do it
[48:17] for me.
[48:17] So he
[48:17] appeared
[48:17] to
[48:18] Saul,
[48:18] he said,
[48:18] why are
[48:19] you
[48:19] persecuting
[48:21] me?
[48:21] Why are
[48:22] you
[48:22] persecuting
[48:23] me?
[48:24] And Saul
[48:24] said,
[48:24] excuse me,
[48:26] who are
[48:26] you?
[48:27] Who are
[48:28] you?
[48:29] I don't
[48:30] know you.
[48:31] I can't
[48:32] persecute you.
[48:33] Yeah.
[48:35] Why are
[48:36] you
[48:36] persecuting
[48:37] me?
[48:37] And then
[48:38] he said,
[48:39] who are
[48:40] you,
[48:40] Lord?
[48:40] And the
[48:41] Lord said,
[48:41] I am
[48:41] Jesus.
[48:43] So in
[48:44] the first,
[48:44] watch this.
[48:45] He said,
[48:46] why are you
[48:46] persecuting
[48:47] me?
[48:47] He said,
[48:47] why are you
[48:47] persecuting
[48:48] Jesus?
[48:49] He said,
[48:49] Jesus is
[48:50] the church.
[48:51] So you
[48:51] are persecuting
[48:52] me.
[48:52] He said,
[48:52] okay,
[48:53] who is
[48:53] this me?
[48:54] He said,
[48:54] I am
[48:54] Jesus.
[48:55] Are you
[48:55] equal to
[48:56] the church?
[48:56] Yes,
[48:57] I am.
[48:58] He said,
[48:59] I am
[48:59] Jesus.
[49:00] You are
[49:00] persecuting
[49:01] me.
[49:01] I am
[49:01] Jesus.
[49:02] You are
[49:02] persecuting
[49:02] the church.
[49:03] The church
[49:03] is Jesus.
[49:05] The way
[49:06] is Jesus.
[49:07] He said,
[49:08] I am
[49:08] Jesus,
[49:09] whom you
[49:10] are
[49:11] persecuting.
[49:12] And he
[49:12] said,
[49:13] let me
[49:13] end on
[49:13] this.
[49:14] It is
[49:14] hard for
[49:16] you to
[49:16] kick
[49:16] against
[49:17] the
[49:17] goats.
[49:18] Those
[49:19] days,
[49:20] if you
[49:20] are a
[49:21] shepherd
[49:21] and you
[49:22] have
[49:22] ox to
[49:23] keep
[49:23] them,
[49:24] or
[49:24] sometimes
[49:24] even
[49:24] horses
[49:25] to keep
[49:26] the
[49:27] beasts
[49:27] on a
[49:28] particular
[49:28] path,
[49:30] they
[49:30] install
[49:30] some
[49:30] things
[49:31] around
[49:31] the
[49:32] courage
[49:33] they
[49:34] are
[49:34] carrying,
[49:34] and it's
[49:35] like,
[49:35] with sharp
[49:36] edges,
[49:36] it's
[49:36] pricks.
[49:37] So if
[49:37] you turn
[49:38] to where
[49:38] you are
[49:39] not
[49:39] supposed to,
[49:39] it pricks
[49:39] you and
[49:40] keeps you
[49:40] in check.
[49:41] But
[49:42] stubborn
[49:42] ones
[49:42] try to
[49:43] still
[49:43] kick
[49:44] the
[49:44] thing,
[49:44] and you
[49:45] can't
[49:45] because
[49:45] you are
[49:45] hurting
[49:45] yourself.
[49:47] And
[49:47] Jesus
[49:47] said,
[49:48] listen,
[49:48] why are
[49:48] you
[49:48] kicking
[49:49] against
[49:49] the
[49:49] people?
[49:49] What
[49:49] did he
[49:50] mean
[49:50] by
[49:50] that?
[49:50] It
[49:51] looks
[49:51] like
[49:51] Saul
[49:52] potentially
[49:53] must
[49:54] have
[49:54] been
[49:54] familiar
[49:54] !
[49:54] with
[49:55] the
[49:55] story
[50:01] who
[50:02] was
[50:02] crucified,
[50:03] who
[50:03] was
[50:03] gotten
[50:03] rid
[50:04] of.
[50:04] He
[50:05] must
[50:05] have
[50:05] been
[50:05] familiar
[50:05] with
[50:06] that.
[50:06] Then
[50:06] the
[50:06] apostles
[50:07] came
[50:07] on the
[50:08] scene,
[50:08] and they
[50:09] were
[50:09] preaching
[50:09] everywhere,
[50:10] and he
[50:10] was
[50:10] enraging
[50:11] and
[50:11] infuriating
[50:12] him.
[50:12] Then
[50:12] Stephen
[50:13] brings
[50:15] everything
[50:15] to life.
[50:16] So all
[50:16] along he
[50:17] was,
[50:18] listen,
[50:18] listen,
[50:19] I want
[50:20] to close
[50:20] on this.
[50:21] This is
[50:22] a guy,
[50:22] an intellectual,
[50:24] raised
[50:24] under
[50:25] Gamaliel,
[50:26] well
[50:26] educated,
[50:27] in the
[50:28] Jewish
[50:28] law and
[50:29] the
[50:29] rabbinic
[50:30] tradition.
[50:31] Taught
[50:32] by
[50:32] the
[50:32] rabbin
[50:32] himself.
[50:34] And he
[50:34] believed
[50:34] everything.
[50:35] And those
[50:35] days,
[50:36] they
[50:36] mastered
[50:37] the
[50:37] Old
[50:38] Testament
[50:38] back
[50:38] to
[50:39] recite
[50:40] it,
[50:40] memorize
[50:41] it,
[50:41] and they
[50:42] could
[50:42] recite
[50:42] it.
[50:42] They
[50:43] were
[50:43] authorities
[50:44] and some
[50:45] of them
[50:45] still do
[50:45] it.
[50:47] They
[50:47] recited
[50:47] back
[50:48] and
[50:48] forth.
[50:48] That's
[50:49] all
[50:49] their
[50:49] lives.
[50:50] And
[50:50] this
[50:50] guy
[50:50] was
[50:51] a
[50:51] master
[50:52] at
[50:52] it
[50:52] because
[50:52] he
[50:52] was
[50:52] taught
[50:53] by
[50:53] the
[50:53] master
[50:53] teacher
[50:53] himself.
[50:55] Suddenly
[50:55] these
[50:55] guys
[50:55] come
[50:56] and
[50:56] are
[50:57] telling
[50:57] me
[50:57] that
[50:57] he
[50:58] must
[50:59] have
[50:59] known
[50:59] about
[50:59] Messiah
[51:00] and
[51:00] that
[51:01] Jesus
[51:01] is
[51:01] the
[51:02] Messiah
[51:02] and
[51:02] all
[51:03] the
[51:03] things
[51:03] you
[51:03] guys
[51:03] are
[51:04] doing
[51:04] really
[51:05] and
[51:05] Stephen
[51:06] was
[51:06] trying
[51:06] to
[51:06] even
[51:07] tell
[51:07] him
[51:07] that
[51:07] every
[51:08] time
[51:08] God
[51:09] moved
[51:09] he
[51:09] moved
[51:10] outside
[51:10] of
[51:10] Jerusalem
[51:11] or
[51:11] outside
[51:11] of
[51:12] Palestine
[51:12] region
[51:12] when
[51:13] he
[51:13] was
[51:13] coming
[51:14] to
[51:14] call
[51:14] Abraham
[51:14] Abraham
[51:14] was
[51:15] not
[51:15] there
[51:15] when
[51:15] he
[51:15] wasn't
[51:16] in
[51:16] the
[51:16] promised
[51:16] land
[51:17] he
[51:17] was
[51:17] somewhere
[51:17] !
[51:17] He
[51:18] began
[51:19] !
[51:19] to
[51:19] show
[51:19] them
[51:19] from
[51:19] Stephen's
[51:20] teaching
[51:20] and
[51:21] you
[51:21] know
[51:21] what
[51:22] is
[51:22] ironic
[51:23] is
[51:23] Saul
[51:24] of
[51:24] Tarsus
[51:24] God
[51:25] waited
[51:25] for him
[51:25] to be
[51:25] away
[51:26] from
[51:26] Jerusalem
[51:27] he
[51:27] was
[51:27] out
[51:28] of
[51:28] the
[51:28] promised
[51:29] land
[51:29] he
[51:29] was
[51:29] near
[51:30] Damascus
[51:31] outside
[51:32] of
[51:32] the
[51:32] region
[51:32] God
[51:32] met
[51:33] him
[51:33] to
[51:33] let
[51:33] you
[51:33] know
[51:33] that
[51:34] God
[51:34] doesn't
[51:35] only
[51:35] work
[51:35] in
[51:36] the
[51:36] promised
[51:36] land
[51:36] he
[51:36] works
[51:36] other
[51:37] places
[51:37] as
[51:37] well
[51:37] that's
[51:39] why
[51:39] he
[51:40] came
[51:42] near
[51:42] to
[51:42] the
[51:43] !
[51:43] Damascus
[51:44] !
[51:44] And
[51:44] so
[51:45] he
[51:49] met
[51:49] Stephen
[51:50] and
[51:50] the
[51:51] way
[51:51] he
[51:51] saw
[51:51] Stephen's
[51:52] teaching
[51:53] rubbished
[51:54] everything
[51:54] he knew
[51:55] and he
[51:55] didn't
[51:55] want to
[51:55] accept
[51:56] it
[51:56] how
[51:56] many
[51:56] of
[51:56] you
[51:56] know
[51:57] sometimes
[51:57] people
[51:57] get
[51:58] very
[51:58] angry
[51:58] or
[51:59] you
[51:59] can
[51:59] get
[51:59] very
[51:59] angry
[52:00] when
[52:00] you
[52:01] know
[52:01] what
[52:01] the
[52:01] person
[52:02] is
[52:02] saying
[52:02] is
[52:02] as
[52:03] I'm
[52:03] treating
[52:03] it
[52:03] but
[52:04] you
[52:04] don't
[52:04] want
[52:04] to
[52:04] accept
[52:05] it
[52:05] it
[52:06] makes
[52:06] you
[52:06] more
[52:06] angry
[52:07] yeah
[52:07] when
[52:08] people
[52:08] are
[52:08] speaking
[52:09] the
[52:09] truth
[52:09] to
[52:09] your
[52:10] face
[52:10] and
[52:10] you
[52:10] don't
[52:10] want
[52:10] to
[52:10] accept
[52:11] it
[52:11] it's
[52:11] human
[52:12] to
[52:13] react
[52:13] with
[52:13] anger
[52:14] when
[52:15] you
[52:15] don't
[52:15] want
[52:15] to
[52:15] accept
[52:15] it
[52:15] that's
[52:16] why
[52:16] sometimes
[52:17] Christianity
[52:17] and the
[52:18] preaching
[52:18] of the
[52:18] gospel
[52:18] is
[52:18] treated
[52:19] the way
[52:19] it's
[52:19] treated
[52:20] in our
[52:20] generation
[52:20] they
[52:21] know
[52:21] it's
[52:21] the
[52:21] truth
[52:22] we
[52:22] don't
[52:22] have
[52:23] hatred
[52:23] and
[52:24] we
[52:24] are
[52:24] not
[52:24] bigots
[52:25] neither
[52:26] are we
[52:26] maggots
[52:27] so
[52:28] breathing
[52:30] out
[52:31] threats
[52:31] against
[52:32] them
[52:32] and he
[52:33] didn't
[52:33] want
[52:33] to
[52:33] accept
[52:34] what
[52:34] Stephen
[52:34] was
[52:34] teaching
[52:35] no
[52:36] no
[52:37] so he
[52:37] was
[52:37] rejecting
[52:38] it
[52:38] listen
[52:39] salvation
[52:40] doesn't
[52:40] just
[52:40] happen
[52:41] at
[52:41] once
[52:41] two
[52:42] things
[52:42] I
[52:42] want
[52:43] you
[52:43] to
[52:43] know
[52:43] Paul's
[52:44] conversion
[52:44] was a
[52:45] very
[52:45] unique
[52:45] one
[52:45] because
[52:47] no one
[52:48] ever in
[52:48] scripture
[52:49] was recorded
[52:49] to have
[52:50] met
[52:50] Jesus
[52:51] or been
[52:51] converted
[52:52] like that
[52:52] the rest
[52:53] of the
[52:53] conversion
[52:53] God
[52:54] has committed
[52:55] to us
[52:55] to preach
[52:55] the people
[52:56] he was
[52:57] the only
[52:57] one
[52:57] who's
[52:57] conversion
[52:58] God
[52:58] himself
[52:58] had to
[52:59] come
[52:59] down
[52:59] there's
[53:00] no other
[53:01] person
[53:01] in
[53:01] scripture
[53:01] like that
[53:02] because
[53:02] God
[53:03] doesn't
[53:03] take
[53:03] charge
[53:04] he's
[53:05] the
[53:05] master
[53:07] but in
[53:08] Saul's
[53:08] situation
[53:08] God
[53:09] himself
[53:09] said
[53:09] I'm
[53:09] coming
[53:10] down
[53:10] I'm
[53:11] coming
[53:11] down
[53:11] and he
[53:12] met
[53:12] Jesus
[53:12] so
[53:13] Saul
[53:13] was
[53:14] unique
[53:14] Saul
[53:15] was
[53:15] unique
[53:16] in that
[53:16] sense
[53:16] because
[53:17] of the
[53:17] assignment
[53:18] God
[53:18] had
[53:18] for
[53:19] his
[53:19] life
[53:19] and so
[53:20] he
[53:20] met
[53:21] Jesus
[53:21] on his
[53:22] way
[53:22] to
[53:22] Damascus
[53:23] Jesus
[53:23] what I
[53:24] said
[53:24] conversion
[53:26] is not
[53:27] at once
[53:27] most of
[53:27] the time
[53:28] do you
[53:28] know
[53:28] why
[53:29] because
[53:30] it
[53:30] wasn't
[53:31] just
[53:31] the
[53:32] appearing
[53:32] of
[53:32] Jesus
[53:33] Christ
[53:33] on
[53:33] that
[53:33] day
[53:33] he's
[53:34] been
[53:34] working
[53:34] on
[53:34] him
[53:37] some
[53:38] of
[53:38] you
[53:38] maybe
[53:38] your
[53:39] conversion
[53:39] one
[53:39] day
[53:40] you
[53:40] had
[53:40] a
[53:40] dream
[53:40] or
[53:41] something
[53:41] happened
[53:41] and you
[53:42] said
[53:42] oh
[53:42] I'll
[53:43] save
[53:43] Jesus
[53:43] no
[53:43] it
[53:44] didn't
[53:44] start
[53:44] from
[53:44] that
[53:44] day
[53:44] God
[53:45] must
[53:46] have
[53:46] been
[53:46] working
[53:46] on you
[53:47] for a
[53:47] long
[53:47] time
[53:48] God
[53:51] works
[53:51] on us
[53:51] for a
[53:52] long
[53:53] time
[53:54] before
[53:54] your
[53:54] boyfriend
[53:54] eventually
[53:55] broke
[53:55] your
[53:55] heart
[53:56] when he
[54:00] broke
[54:00] !
[54:07] God
[54:12] has
[54:13] been
[54:13] working
[54:13] on him
[54:13] and
[54:13] he's
[54:14] kicking
[54:14] against
[54:14] the
[54:14] ghost
[54:14] he's
[54:15] kicking
[54:15] I don't
[54:15] want
[54:15] to
[54:15] I won't
[54:16] accept
[54:16] it
[54:16] I won't
[54:17] accept
[54:17] it
[54:17] I won't
[54:18] and so
[54:18] out of
[54:18] anger
[54:19] he was
[54:20] just
[54:20] going to
[54:21] kill
[54:21] them
[54:21] because
[54:21] he
[54:23] knows
[54:23] there
[54:23] was
[54:23] untreated
[54:24] it
[54:24] but
[54:24] he
[54:24] was
[54:26] kicking
[54:26] against
[54:27] the
[54:27] ghost
[54:27] he
[54:27] was
[54:27] kicking
[54:28] again
[54:28] Jesus
[54:28] said
[54:29] listen
[54:29] stop
[54:30] it
[54:30] it
[54:33] is
[54:33] hard
[54:34] to
[54:34] kick
[54:35] against
[54:35] the
[54:35] ghost
[54:36] !
[54:37] Saul
[54:38] Jesus
[54:39] the text
[54:40] doesn't
[54:40] necessarily
[54:41] say
[54:41] physically
[54:42] Jesus
[54:43] but
[54:43] we
[54:43] can
[54:44] tell
[54:44] from
[54:44] inferences
[54:45] when
[54:46] Ananias
[54:46] went to
[54:46] see
[54:47] Saul
[54:47] in
[54:48] Acts
[54:48] chapter 9
[54:49] verse 17
[54:49] he said
[54:50] Jesus
[54:50] Christ
[54:50] who
[54:51] appeared
[54:51] to you
[54:52] on your
[54:53] way
[54:53] coming
[54:53] to
[54:54] Damascus
[54:54] so
[54:55] laying
[54:55] on
[54:55] the
[54:55] Lord
[54:56] Jesus
[54:57] Christ
[54:57] who
[54:57] appeared
[54:58] to
[54:58] you
[54:58] so
[54:58] Saul
[54:59] actually
[54:59] saw
[55:00] Jesus
[55:00] because
[55:01] you
[55:01] cannot
[55:02] those days
[55:02] to be
[55:03] part of
[55:04] the
[55:04] apostle
[55:05] you
[55:06] must
[55:06] have
[55:06] been
[55:06] somebody
[55:07] who
[55:07] saw
[55:07] Jesus
[55:08] after
[55:08] the
[55:08] resurrection
[55:09] and
[55:10] so
[55:10] he
[55:10] saw
[55:11] look at
[55:11] verse
[55:11] 27
[55:12] Saul
[55:13] saw
[55:13] Jesus
[55:14] look at
[55:15] verse
[55:15] 27
[55:15] Barnabas
[55:16] took him
[55:17] and brought
[55:18] him to
[55:18] the
[55:18] apostles
[55:19] and declared
[55:19] to them
[55:20] how he
[55:21] had
[55:21] seen
[55:22] the
[55:22] Lord
[55:23] so
[55:24] he
[55:24] saw
[55:24] Jesus
[55:25] Saul
[55:26] saw
[55:26] in fact
[55:27] I like
[55:27] this one
[55:28] he
[55:28] himself
[55:29] after
[55:30] the
[55:30] resurrection
[55:30] he
[55:31] said
[55:32] Jesus
[55:32] Christ
[55:33] 1st
[55:33] Corinthians
[55:33] chapter
[55:34] 15
[55:35] verse 2
[55:35] he said
[55:36] I submit
[55:37] to you
[55:37] of first
[55:38] importance
[55:38] first of
[55:41] all
[55:41] he said
[55:42] I submit
[55:42] to you
[55:43] I preach
[55:43] to you
[55:44] he says
[55:44] that I
[55:44] deliver to
[55:45] you
[55:45] first of
[55:46] all
[55:47] that which
[55:47] I also
[55:48] received
[55:48] and then
[55:49] he began
[55:49] to sink
[55:50] his teeth
[55:50] into
[55:51] the
[55:52] resurrection
[55:52] the death
[55:53] burial
[55:53] and resurrection
[55:54] and he
[55:55] focused on
[55:56] the resurrection
[55:56] the rest
[55:56] of the
[55:57] chapter
[55:57] because the
[55:58] resurrection
[55:58] is the
[55:59] key
[55:59] stuff
[55:59] he
[56:00] focused
[56:00] on the
[56:00] resurrection
[56:01] and he
[56:01] told them
[56:02] that
[56:02] Jesus
[56:03] Christ
[56:03] was
[56:03] erected
[56:04] on the
[56:04] third
[56:04] day
[56:04] and he
[56:05] was
[56:05] seen
[56:05] by
[56:06] over
[56:06] 500
[56:06] people
[56:07] he
[56:08] was
[56:09] seen
[56:09] he said
[56:09] that
[56:10] after
[56:10] that
[56:10] he
[56:11] was
[56:11] seen
[56:11] let's
[56:12] go to
[56:12] the
[56:12] verse 5
[56:12] let's
[56:13] start
[56:13] from
[56:13] verse 5
[56:13] and he
[56:14] was
[56:14] seen
[56:14] by
[56:15] Cephas
[56:15] and then
[56:16] by
[56:16] the
[56:16] twelve
[56:16] then
[56:17] verse
[56:17] six
[56:18] after
[56:18] that
[56:18] he
[56:19] was
[56:19] seen
[56:19] by
[56:19] over
[56:20] 500
[56:20] people
[56:20] at
[56:21] once
[56:21] of whom
[56:22] the
[56:22] greater
[56:23] parts
[56:23] remain
[56:23] to
[56:24] the
[56:24] present
[56:24] but
[56:25] some
[56:25] are
[56:25] fallen
[56:26] asleep
[56:26] the
[56:27] next
[56:28] verse
[56:28] after
[56:28] that
[56:29] he
[56:29] was
[56:29] seen
[56:29] by
[56:30] James
[56:30] then
[56:30] by
[56:31] all
[56:31] the
[56:31] apostles
[56:32] now
[56:32] look
[56:32] at
[56:32] this
[56:33] one
[56:33] then
[56:34] last
[56:34] of
[56:34] all
[56:35] he
[56:35] was
[56:35] seen
[56:36] by
[56:36] me
[56:36] also
[56:37] as
[56:38] by
[56:38] one
[56:38] born
[56:39] out
[56:39] of
[56:39] I
[56:40] came
[56:40] in
[56:40] the
[56:41] wrong
[56:41] time
[56:41] when he
[56:41] had
[56:41] gone
[56:42] to
[56:42] heaven
[56:42] already
[56:42] I
[56:43] was
[56:43] born
[56:43] at
[56:44] the
[56:44] wrong
[56:44] time
[56:44] when he
[56:44] was
[56:44] on
[56:45] earth
[56:45] after
[56:45] the
[56:45] resurrection
[56:46] when he
[56:46] was
[56:47] showing
[56:47] himself
[56:47] to
[56:47] people
[56:48] I
[56:48] wasn't
[56:49] there
[56:49] I
[56:49] wasn't
[56:49] on
[56:49] the
[56:50] scene
[56:50] I
[56:50] came
[56:51] late
[56:51] after
[56:52] he
[56:52] ascended
[56:52] to
[56:53] heaven
[56:53] but
[56:53] I
[56:54] saw
[56:54] him
[56:54] too
[56:55] I
[56:55] saw
[56:55] him
[56:56] too
[56:56] I
[56:57] saw
[56:58] him
[56:58] too
[56:58] I
[56:59] saw
[56:59] him
[56:59] too
[57:00] he
[57:00] said
[57:00] arise
[57:01] for
[57:01] I
[57:01] have
[57:02] appeared
[57:02] to
[57:02] you
[57:02] for
[57:02] this
[57:03] purpose
[57:03] that
[57:07] I
[57:07] might
[57:07] reveal
[57:07] myself
[57:08] through
[57:08] you
[57:08] I
[57:09] might
[57:09] do
[57:09] some
[57:09] amazing
[57:10] things
[57:10] through
[57:10] you
[57:10] God
[57:11] appeared
[57:11] after
[57:12] the
[57:12] six
[57:12] verse
[57:13] !
[57:19] appeared
[57:19] to
[57:20] you
[57:20] for
[57:20] this
[57:20] purpose
[57:21] to
[57:21] make
[57:21] you
[57:21] a
[57:22] minister
[57:22] and
[57:23] a
[57:23] witness
[57:23] both
[57:24] of
[57:24] the
[57:24] things
[57:24] which
[57:25] you
[57:25] have
[57:25] seen
[57:26] and
[57:26] of
[57:26] the
[57:26] things
[57:27] which
[57:27] you
[57:27] will
[57:27] yet
[57:28] reveal
[57:29] to
[57:30] you
[57:30] he
[57:31] appeared
[57:31] to
[57:31] him
[57:32] so
[57:32] Saul
[57:33] saw
[57:34] Jesus
[57:34] and
[57:36] he
[57:36] met
[57:37] he
[57:37] saw
[57:37] a
[57:37] gentleman
[57:38] who
[57:39] was
[57:39] dying
[57:39] and
[57:40] when
[57:40] the
[57:40] man
[57:40] was
[57:41] about
[57:41] to
[57:41] die
[57:41] he
[57:42] said
[57:42] I
[57:43] see
[57:43] Jesus
[57:43] I
[57:44] see
[57:44] Jesus
[57:45] Saul
[57:45] was
[57:46] standing
[57:46] there
[57:46] and
[57:47] all
[57:47] the
[57:49] he
[57:51] saw
[57:52] someone
[57:52] the way
[57:53] the
[57:53] guy
[57:53] died
[57:53] no one
[57:54] has
[57:54] ever
[57:54] died
[57:54] like
[57:54] that
[57:55] this
[57:55] guy
[57:56] died
[57:56] with
[57:56] excitement
[57:57] they
[57:58] were
[57:58] stoning
[57:58] by
[57:58] die
[57:59] with
[58:00] joy
[58:00] because
[58:00] he
[58:01] has
[58:01] seen
[58:01] something
[58:01] better
[58:02] than
[58:02] anything
[58:03] that's
[58:03] why
[58:03] I
[58:03] told
[58:03] you
[58:04] there's
[58:04] no
[58:04] way
[58:05] you
[58:05] can
[58:05] live
[58:05] the
[58:05] Christian
[58:06] life
[58:06] effectively
[58:07] without
[58:07] focusing
[58:08] on
[58:08] meeting
[58:09] Jesus
[58:10] the
[58:11] reason
[58:12] why
[58:12] you
[58:12] are
[58:12] full
[58:13] of
[58:13] complaints
[58:13] and
[58:15] every
[58:15] time
[58:15] any
[58:16] little
[58:16] thing
[58:16] tips
[58:17] you
[58:17] over
[58:17] any
[58:18] little
[58:18] to
[58:18] down
[58:19] grace
[58:19] your
[58:19] commitment
[58:19] is
[58:20] because
[58:21] you
[58:21] are
[58:21] not
[58:22] eschatological
[58:22] in your
[58:24] approach
[58:24] and your
[58:25] pursuit
[58:25] of
[58:25] Christ
[58:26] in
[58:26] other
[58:26] words
[58:26] you
[58:27] are
[58:27] not
[58:27] serving
[58:27] him
[58:28] expecting
[58:29] to
[58:30] see
[58:31] him
[58:31] because
[58:32] when
[58:32] we
[58:33] see
[58:33] him
[58:33] it
[58:33] will
[58:33] all
[58:33] make
[58:34] sense
[58:34] it
[58:35] will
[58:35] all
[58:36] make
[58:36] sense
[58:36] our
[58:36] suffering
[58:37] our
[58:37] pain
[58:38] our
[58:38] sacrifice
[58:39] it
[58:39] will
[58:39] all
[58:40] make
[58:40] sense
[58:41] it
[58:42] will
[58:42] make
[58:42] sense
[58:43] Saul
[58:44] of
[58:45] Tarsus
[58:45] was a
[58:46] unique
[58:46] figure in
[58:47] the
[58:47] scripture
[58:47] brothers
[58:48] and sisters
[58:49] I present
[58:50] to you
[58:50] Saul
[58:51] of
[58:52] Tarsus
[58:52] hallelujah
[58:57] hallelujah
[59:00] thank you
[59:04] for listening
[59:05] to this
[59:05] message
[59:05] by David
[59:06] Entry
[59:06] we pray
[59:07] you have
[59:08] been
[59:08] revived
[59:08] towards
[59:08] God
[59:09] you can
[59:10] connect
[59:10] with David
[59:10] Entry
[59:11] on all
[59:12] relevant
[59:12] social media
[59:13] platforms
[59:13] including
[59:14] Instagram
[59:14] and LinkedIn
[59:15] you can also
[59:16] hear more
[59:17] messages from
[59:18] David Entry
[59:18] on all
[59:19] relevant
[59:19] streaming
[59:20] platforms
[59:20] and the
[59:21] Carish Church
[59:21] app
[59:21] don't forget
[59:22] to like
[59:23] and share
[59:23] the message
[59:24] be blessed
[59:25] voy

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