THE RISEN JESUS CHANGES LIVES
April 30, 2006 - EASTER 3 - Acts 9:1-20
Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord, those who are called and chosen by our Savior Jesus Christ: God’s grace, mercy and peace:
Whether we realize it or not, for each and every one of us here today and for each and every believer throughout the world, a great change has taken place in our lives. It is just as great a change as explained in today’s text in the life of Saul. Saul, of course, later is called Paul. We look at his conversion as a great miracle when the Lord Jesus Christ changed his life. He has done the same for us. When we were born into this world, we are born as enemies of God. We were born with hatred toward God and his word in our hearts and in our lives. By God’s grace, he changes our life through baptism and by the power of his word. We are made God’s children. This change is dramatic. We may not always remember this great change at our baptism. For most of us, if not all of us, we are brought into God’s kingdom at a very, very young age.
This change is still just as dramatic as the change that takes place in Saul. The change is from darkness to the light. The change is from death to life. Jesus changes us from a child of Satan to a child of God. Scripture says, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). This living and enduring word of God is still alive today in our hearts and in our lives. We are going to study the simple fact that is often denied by people in this world: THE RISEN JESUS CHANGES LIVES.
Jesus changes lives by --
I. forgiving our past, and by,
II. directing our future.
I. FORGIVING OUR PAST
We are quite familiar with the apostle Paul. Today’s text calls him Saul today, because it indicates just how evil and wicked he was. The thoughts, the intentions, the attitude of his heart and life were very clear. Listen again how chapter 9 begins: "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. Saul went to the temple to get the arrest warrant from the high priest. This was no small task. He had to have some proof or some reason for an arrest. Saul said, "They followed the Way." Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Now it wasn’t like Saul was going to walk uptown or to the next town looking for people. Damascus was 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem. This is how intent Saul was. With twenty miles being approximately a day’s walk, it probably took seven or eight days for a one-way trip to Damascus from Jerusalem. There would be a few days to look for those blasphemers as Paul considered them. Then there would be the journey bringing them back. There is no way you and I would think this Saul would ever, ever change.
Saul had great plans. He goes and gets the letters, starts on his journey, but God’s plan, of course, is quite different from Saul’s plan. We are told: "As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground." He was wondering what was happening and said, "Who are you, Lord?" because the Lord had said to him: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Saul didn’t know who "me" was and asks, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord tells him very clearly: "I am Jesus, whom you have persecuted." Note here that once again we are given proof positive that Jesus was not in the tomb. Jesus did not die and stay dead; but he rose again. Now, he is alive and well and still doing his Father’s work. He is going to change this man’s life -- forever!
Our text tells us Saul gets up and the change is immediate. He can’t see. He is blind. "Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing." So he is taken into Damascus and he stays there. The Lord speaks to Ananias, one who is a follower of the Way. The Lord Jesus wants to send Ananias, his disciple, to help Saul. Ananias doesn’t want to go, because this was not the first time Saul was after the followers of the Way, those who followed Jesus. Listen to Ananias: "’Lord,’ Ananias answered, ’I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’" The followers of the Way are the ones who call on Jesus’ name. They were different from the Jewish people now. They were living in the New Testament time of grace. They were living in the faith of the power of God’s resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.
What does the Lord tell Ananias? He could say to him, "Don’t be scared" or "I’ll take care of you." Listen to this: "The Lord said to Ananias, ’Go! This man is my chosen instrument.’" All the people knew of the things Saul had done to believers in Jerusalem. Saul was gathering all of the followers of the Way and putting them into prison. When he ran out of those people so he thought, he was going to travel 150 miles one way to get more people to put into prison. Jesus says, "Go! He (Saul) is my chosen instrument." God is going to forgive Saul’s past.
We remember the comparison here. We might be tempted to say, "Well, we’re not as bad as Saul. We haven’t gone out and found those that don’t agree with Scripture and made their life miserable. We haven’t gone out of our way to put those who are opposed to Christ in the prison. We haven’t killed anyone or done all those bad things that Saul did." Yet, are we any different? Our sinful nature condemns us. The Lord reminds us that in our past there is sin upon sin upon sin, whether it is our sinful thoughts or words or actions. Each and every sin still condemns us. Scripture says anyone who knows what he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. Whoever breaks one law breaks them all. Miracle of miracles the Lord looks at us, and he doesn’t see us as sinners who cannot be forgiven. God sees us who are children redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Our loving Lord sees us as his possession, brought into his kingdom. Listen to this from Isaiah: "But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses. ’I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more’" (Isaiah 43:24b, 25). That is forgiveness. God forgives our past whether it was a sin we committed this morning or a sin we may have even committed at church or a sin from a year ago. He forgives our sins. This is hard for us to comprehend. In our human forgiveness we sometimes like to keep track of others’ sins and it can be hard for us to forget. God’s forgiveness is forgiving and forgetting.
Does that mean all the sins of the world are dismissed? It is absolutely true that Jesus died not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. BUT those who persist in sin must still pay the price. Those who want to reject God and follow their own way must still pay the price. They will not receive the benefit of Christ’s redemption. It is important to remember in our day and age and in our society people live their life in the present. They don’t care what they did in the past to anybody. Many look to the future as to how they can make their own heaven on earth. Sadly, more and more in our day and age, being part of God’s kingdom, makes very little difference to this world. All too many continue on their way and raise up for themselves their own gods and idols to worship. At times it can be one’s family or themselves or material things or power or prestige, and the list goes on. But what does the Lord say? If we are caught up in that and don’t seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, we too could lose our faith. He says in Exodus: "You shall not bow down to them or worship them (referring to false idols and false gods); for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5). If the father hates God, more than likely his children and his grandchildren will also hate God. Those who hate God will reap the result of their sinful actions. Their past is not forgiven or forgotten.
So again, we look at this miracle of the Risen Jesus changing Saul’s life. We think what a great miracle that is. We need to remember that this is the same wonderful miracle that takes place in our life. We are in the same category of Saul, because we are sinners. But thankfully, by God’s grace, purely and simply because of his divine love for us, he forgives our past. As believers we now know the difference between what God considers is right and wrong. We also have the opportunity and the blessed privilege to walk in that which is right and avoid that, which is wrong. The Lord reminds that we do not walk this path alone. God is with us. Listen to the Psalm writer pray: "Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD" (Psalm 25:6,7). We would say, "Lord, don’t remember our past. Lord, remember your love and mercy. Lord, help us to remember your love and mercy since Jesus has changed our lives and Saul’s life.
The risen Jesus, Savior of mankind, changed Saul’s life and has changed our life by forgiving our past and then directing our future. God does not just leave in the present, but gives us direction in our future.
II. DIRECTING OUR FUTURE
For Saul, what a change his life was going to take. He once was independent. What happens? The Lord speaks to him and strikes him blind. This miracle was for Saul’s benefit. We are told: "The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone." This was meant to have a powerful effect on Saul, the persecutor. He who once was independent now stands up. Saul is blind and cannot see. "So they led him by the hand into Damascus." We are not told whether he was at the end of this week’s travel or if at the beginning. The traveling companions may have had to lead him for a day or so.
Scripture tells us: "For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything." Saul could have been so upset he couldn’t eat or drink. Anyway, he could not see. But what did Saul know and what did he have to ponder? We know when one of our faculties is taken away we ponder the deep things of God. Saul certainly pondered the deep things of God. Saul certainly pondered his life and thought: "Here I have been gathering all these people in and putting them into prison." Jesus tells Saul those actions were not right and that he was actually persecuting Jesus. Saul pondered the fact that the Lord was going to give direction to his life. Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?" Jesus replied, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting...Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." There is going to be direction for Saul’s life. Saul was no longer going to go on his own merry way anymore. Saul was not going to follow what he wanted to do. Saul was no longer going to follow his sinful desires and persecute the Christian church anymore.
Saul listened to God’s direction. Ananias listened. The Lord says to Ananias, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying." Ananias says, "I don’t want to go." He knew all about Saul, but he listens anyway. The Lord continues saying to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Ananias goes and lays his hands on Saul, and Saul sees. As we read closely, we realize that it isn’t Ananias doing it. It is the Lord. The Lord had to convince Ananias to go. Ananias does go to Saul.
When Ananias gets there, he says, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. We always get back to this fact, time and again, the Lord Jesus in our text is alive. He is risen. That is the subliminal point in this section. Jesus is going to give direction to Saul. Ananias also listened and went to Saul. The Lord says, "I will show him (Saul) how much he must suffer for my name." From that moment on Saul could see, and what is his reaction? "He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength." Saul had not eaten or drank anything for three days, but what happened? Saul got up very hungry and thirsty but realized that he needed to be baptized. "He got up and was baptized." First things first. That is how the risen Jesus came into Saul’s life. God’s plans and directions would now be the future direction for Saul to follow. Saul would now take the direction of serving God and his kingdom and never looking back.
We are told: "Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God." You would think that as he goes to the church and preaches this message, it would be exactly what the people wanted to hear. As you continue reading, Paul is driven out. He who once persecuted is persecuted, driven out of Damascus. Saul goes back to Jerusalem and preaches the same message. He is driven out of Jerusalem. This persecution of Saul continues on for the next two missionary journeys. Wherever he goes to, the people say, "We don’t want to hear." Saul’s life was changed, and his future was given a direction.
We learn here very clearly that it is not up to us whether we want to believe or not. It is not up to us to earn our way into heaven. It is not up to us to figure out how to save ourselves. It is God’s choice, isn’t it? For those who teach that you must decide, they are absolutely positively wrong. Look at Saul. He was not going to find Christ. Saul was going to find those who followed Christ. Then what happened? God found him and changed his life. Saul had no direction at all in his life, but now was given faith in Jesus so that he could live by that very faith. Saul would now live a life of service with all glory and thanksgiving dedicated to the Lord. God chose him. God chose us. That is the most miraculous thing that has ever happened in our life and ever will. God has chosen us. We no longer sit in the darkness. We sit in God’s divine light. We are people who have received God’s mercy. Jesus himself said in John: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name" (John 15:16). If we wanted to understand Saul better: This afternoon, we could take three minutes instead of three days to close your eyes and just ponder the fact, "Why Lord, have you chosen me to have eternity?"
We don’t know. But we do know the reason our lives are changed is because Jesus has changed our life. Rather than not knowing what the future holds, you and I know that we are kept safe and secure in the hands of God. God says that none can take our faith from us. In Proverbs we are told: "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path" (Proverbs 23:18,19). The path of God! When Saul started out on his journey from Jerusalem to Damascus, 150 miles, he thought he was on the right path. But was he ever wrong! God directed him on the right path.
From time to time the Lord has to nudge us to get us back on the right path. Sometimes we are caught up in the ways of this world. We all fall into the philosophy of mankind, because we are human beings. We are trained from very early on--work hard, be a success and get lots of money. These standards of this world sometimes can easily become all too important to us. The standards of God are far more important and valuable than any standards of this world. We go off doing our own will just like Saul. We think we are going to do this and that according to what our society tells us rather than God’s direction. James chapter 4 starts out saying how man may plan to go to town and buy and sell and make money. You plan to store up wealth. God asks, "Are you? Can you? Will you?" Who knows? Honestly, we don’t know the detailed specifics in our futures. God knows. We could plan, but God’s plans are what will direct our future. "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ’If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that" (James 4:14,15). Hopefully, we remember to do that from time to time and say, "If it is The Lord’s will we will do this and that." We may forget that. This is a good reminder that certainly it is the Lord’s will whether we will do different things in this life. We are bold and have great confidence in God’s direction for our lives because the Lord’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, his ways higher than our ways.
Sometimes we think we know what is best for us in our lives. But it is really God who always knows what is best. What is best is to stay on that right path. What is best is to realize that even though Christianity might be attacked, even though people might try to deny the resurrection of Jesus, they cannot. Even though people go and persecute the church, what happens? God changed that. The risen Christ Jesus, our Savior, changes lives. Jesus has changed ours by showing us great mercy and forgiving our past and forgetting our sins. Now that God has changed the past, and is in control of our present and future, the next step we take is directed by God and his will. This is good, in fact, great. The prophet Jeremiah writes: "’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ’plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you’" (Jeremiah 29:11,12). We can always think how God pans to prosper us spiritually. Imagine that! God who made the heavens and the earth says, "I will listen to you", Imagine that! God says, "I will give you a hop and a future." The risen Jesus changes your life – now and forever. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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Easter 3 readings: ACTS 4:8-12; 1 JOHN 1:1-2:2; LUKE 24:36-49
