KNOCKED DOWN FOR THE LORD
Acts 22:6-15
INTRODUCTION
DON’T LET YOUR GOOD LOOKS FOOL YOU
Saul was a bad man. He had it going on. He was from the right family. He
was from the right town. He had the right citizenship. He had the right
education. He had the right connections. He ran with the right crowd.
He was moving up in the Jewish rank. He had so much influence that people
followed him and people who were not in his crowd feared him.
I guess you could say in today's terms, He was a raciest. He hated "The Way",
Which later became known as the church. At his command, people of “The Way”
were thrown in jail and persecuted unto death.
It was Saul who was at the forefront of the persecution of the church. It was Saul
who stood by holding the coats of those who stoned Steven to death.
Did I tell you Saul was a Jew with Roman citizenship? He was taught by the
best teacher of the law. Saul was so well-versed in the law that he had his own
law library. He was a big dog. He was a Pharisee. He took
pride in his position and prestige. He was riding high in the Jewish social
circle. He believed that if there was a right, it was him and his thoughts.
But one day on his way to do harm to the members of “The Way”, the church
Saul met Jesus. All of us have had a Damascus Road Experience
KNOCKED DOWN TO BE LIFTED UP
V.22:6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
V:8 "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.
I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
Saul thought he knew the purpose of his life and was on a fast track to getting there.
You can be riding high one day and flat on your back the next day.
You can be doing your thing one day and not be able to do a thing the next day.
Saul thought he had a clear view of what his life would be like, but found out
that he was as blind as a bat.
Sometimes, God has to close a door to change your direction. Although he
had people of the Church killed, he thought he was right. He was trained to
think that way. His circle practiced the evil that he followed.
Sometimes to get you educated, God will put you in the wrong circle, so
you will know what wrong is.
Why did Saul accept the voice of Jesus so easily? He was trained in the
law, and recognized in the circle of Jews. Had fame and probably fortune.
Had position and authority. Why did He give that up at the voice of a
Jesus, he couldn't see?
I don’t know the answer to that question. But what I do know is God can
fix your mind so you do nothing but accept Him. God can fix your mind
so you will know that is the Lord speaking.
Maybe Saul (Paul) had heard Jesus speak before the crucifixion. Maybe
Saul (Paul) had heard Jesus speak so many times that His voice was
fixed in his memory.
Maybe the circumstances of this meeting were beyond anything the natural
man could do. The word was out that Jesus had been raised from the dead,
and this moment was the moment he came to believe in Jesus.
GOD HAS A MIRACLE JUST FOR YOU
According to verse 9, Saul's run dogs saw the light and heard the voice,
but understood nothing. Saul was the only one blinded by the light.
Saul was the only one affected by the Word of the Lord. Saul was the
only one that responded to Word.
The miracle was for Saul and not the rest of the Roman world. Has anyone
ever been in a situation that would have killed others, but left you
unharmed? It was your personal miracle. It was God talking to you
and not those around you. Have you ever said that IF IT HAD NOT
BEEN FOR THE LORD ON MY SIDE, I WOULD NOT HAVE
SURVIVED?
Have you ever had an event that changed your life forever? In the midst
of a crowd, God can speak directly to you and you only, It your
personal miracle.
Saul knew about the Lord, he just didn’t know the Lord. Saul knew the in’s
and out’s of the law, he just didn’t know the spirit of the law. Saul knew
how to use the law for judicial purposes, but didn't know the justice of Jesus.
Sometimes God will allow you to go down the wrong road until you
realize the wrong road is leading you nowhere. Saul was on a road
of destruction, but Jesus wanted him on the road of construction.
Saul was ready to tear down, but Jesus wanted him to build up.
God will pick a time and place for your conversion. Anybody remember when
you were blind and how you came to the light.
YOU CAN’T BE RIGHT IN YOURSELF, YOU NEED JESUS
Saul the big dog, had to be knocked down to a little dog to see Jesus.
Saul thought he was somebody, but Jesus had to show him, he was nobody
The text says a 12 A.m. he had his sight. But a 12:01 he was blinded by the
light of Jesus. At 12Am he was about to do bad, but at 12:01 he couldn’t
do nothing
At 12 Am he was listening to himself. But at 12:01 he had to listen to Jesus.
At 12 Am he had his agenda, but at 12:01. Jesus gave him a new agenda
The Lord will meet you where you are. He meet you at home. He will meet you
on the street. He will meet you in the hospital, He will meet you in the courtroom.
He will meet you in the middle of your bad stuff.
I GOT ONE POINT, KNOW IT IS LORD WORKING IN YOUR LIFE
GOD HAS A WAY OF GETTING YOUR ATTENTION
Jesus met Saul in the middle of his evil selfish mission. A bright light from heaven
blinded him and knocked him to the ground. Saul knew the work of God when
it happened to him. Can you imagine a light brighter than the sunlight? The
Sun is shining, but there is a light brighter than the sun
He heard the word of the Lord. There was no doubt in his
mind that it was the Lord. Sometimes God got to shock you to your right mind.
Saul was out of his mind with rage but God shocked him into reality.
Saul knew it was a miracle because he heard the voice of Jesus but
his road dogs didn’t hear.
The Lord knows you by name. Jesus didn’t say. Hey boy, hey man, hey friend.
He said Hey Saul.
Probably the only way to get Saul’s attention was to blind him.
Once Jesus gets your attention, He will tell you what you are doing wrong.
To be sure, it is alright to ask who is speaking to you.
Jesus identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth. The same Jesus he had heard
teaching for 3 ½ years. The same Jesus he saw doing miracles. The same
Jesus, he, and his friends were crucified. The same Jesus he took down from the
cross and put into a tomb. The same Jesus the church said had been raised
from the dead. The same Jesus, Saul had refused to believe in.
Jesus was talking to him from heaven. That ought to get your undivided
attention. Saul blinded, could now see the Lord he had betrayed.
Saul, why are you persecuting me? You participated in killing one of my deacons, and
you own your way to kill my chosen. You know right from wrong, why are you doing
wrong? I educated you in the law. Why are you breaking the law? I showed you love
and compassion, Why are you hating on my people?
When you up one minute, and down the next minute, you ready to listen. Saul
flat on his back and blinded was ready to listen
THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THE LORD
There is a right response to the Lord. It's a foolish man who ignores the Lord.
When the Lord calls, mercy is at your door.
V:10 "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.
"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
Instead of being the leader, Saul had to be led. All of us have been led to Jesus
No one came on your own. Mamma may have led you. Daddy may have led you.
Some experience may have led you. The leading was God-directed.
When God knocks you down. You got to get up. You get up listening to God.
God has a mission for each of us. Someone may have led us to our Damascus
assignment. When you get up, get up on a mission for Jesus.
DAMASCUS, OUR TURNAROUND MOMENT
V:12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment, I was able to see him.
14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard
God will send someone to you who knows Him.
God will send someone who is respected in the church and the community
to give you His directions.
You will know it is from the Lord when it involves the work of the church.
You will know it is from the Lord when he sees you as a brother and not an enemy.
You will know it from the Lord when he brings the gifts of grace and mercy.
Saul received his sight, but it was a new sight of enlightenment. His old sight
was one of darkness. His new sight was focused on Jesus. His old sight was
focused on self. His old sight was his agenda. His new sight was God’s agenda.
His old sight was to look at the Word with a view of legalism. His new sight
was to look at the Word in the Spirit of the Lord. His old sight was about him,
his new sight was about Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior.
YOUR MISSION, A WITNESS FOR THE LORD
Acts 22:14-17
V:14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY THE LORD FOR THE LORD
LISTEN TO THE LORD
GET UP IMMEDIATELY
BE BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT
REPENT
CALL ON THE LORD
BE A WITNESS FOR THE LORD
START NEW FOR THE LORD
I GOT ONE POINT;
KNOW THAT THE LORD IS WORKING IN YOUR
LIFE
CLASS QUESTION
SHARE WITH THE CLASS YOUR DAMASCUS
MOMENT.
WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN YOU MET THE
LORD?
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