And we'll find our verse down in verse 3 this morning in regards to our series on divine appointments. This morning we're going to be looking at this thought of a divine confrontation. A divine confrontation. Here in Acts chapter 9 verse 3 it says, And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. Father, we need your help this morning. We need your touch. Lord, I pray that you would just pour out your presence in our midst today. Lord, we're thankful for who you are, and we're thankful that you care for us. Lord, I ask that you just meet with us today, and we're thankful for the time together. In Jesus' name, amen. We're going to read several different verses as we get into this particular study. But as we encounter this particular text, we see this confrontation that Paul has, or Saul at this time, has with the Lord Jesus. I don't know about you, but in my life I generally like to avoid confrontation if I can. I don't know that confrontation is what everybody deems as enjoyable. I know some people really thrive off of it, but I'm not that kind of person. But the fact of the matter is, in the realm of Christianity, there will have to be a day that you have some confrontation with the Lord. There will be a day that He comes into your life and He will begin to confront you about who you are. Without that, we cannot have a hope of being saved. And without that, we cannot have a hope of being used. Paul here in this text, he is not a good guy. In fact, at this point in time, and I'm going to refer to him as Paul and Saul throughout this whole message, but he later becomes, his name is changed to Paul over in, I believe it's Acts 13. Saul here in this particular text is not what you would consider a good guy. There are some things about this character that is confronted here in Acts chapter 8 and Acts chapter 9. Go back to Acts chapter 8 and verse 1 and we'll look at some of Saul's character. Acts chapter 8 and verse 1 it says, And Saul was consenting unto his death, talking about the death of Stephen. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And the devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, now look at what it says. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house and hailing men and women, committed them to prison. Now back in Acts chapter 9 in verse 1, we see again this confrontation of Saul's character. 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 of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." And so now we see that Saul is a bad dude. He is in the church, he's of the religious hierarchy there, he is a Pharisee. that came from a Pharisee. His father was a Pharisee and he is a Pharisee. This guy is brought up around religion. But can I tell you something? Religion is no good to get you to God. Only Christ can do that. There's a lot of religion in our world today. There's a lot of people that claim religion as their savior, but it will not help them get to heaven. There's only one way we get to heaven. And that's through a confrontation with Christ. But in order to get to that point, we must know some things about this man named Saul. Now I've heard it said, When you talk to people you get all kinds of answers when you're trying to witness and trying to deal with folks about getting saved. There's all kinds of different responses that are there. A lot of times they might say something like this, I'm just too bad for God to love me. I'm too far gone. You ever heard that? I have heard many people have said things like that. Or maybe it is that when you were dealing with salvation, or if you're not saved, maybe your thought process is something like that. Lord, I've done way too much for you to ever love me. I think that's why God let us in on some of the characters of the Bible the way that he did. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. Saul was a great persecutor of the church. It goes to the character of man that in and of ourselves we are no good. There's not one single thing. Brother Brian was talking about it in class this morning. People say that man is inherently good. They've never read their scripture and they are not looking at the world. The Bible says there is none that doeth good. There's none that are righteous. There's not one single good person on this earth outside of those that have been helped by the Lord. They have nothing to offer. And we're revealed here about Saul's character. And I believe it just shows the grace, the extents of the grace of God. that he would look at somebody like Saul who has done nothing but try to harm the church. Saul, in our day, would be equivalent to him coming in with the police and arresting those of us that are meeting here because of what we're doing. That's exactly what Saul was doing. He was desiring to go to the churches that were meeting there in Damascus and he was going to bring them back, no matter whether they were women or men, he was going to bring them back to Jerusalem bound because he desired to persecute the church. Are you getting the picture that Saul is not a good guy yet? Yet this same guy later on writes 14 out of 27 New Testament books. It speaks to the depth of grace that God has. towards us and his love in our direction. How many times have I failed him? How many times have I walked away from him? How many times have I shook my fist in God's faith that he brought grace towards me when it was not deserved? In fact, that is the very definition of mercy and grace is something that is not deserved. Talking about the confrontation of his character In your life and in my life there's going to have to be a day if you're not saved that Christ is going to confront your character and who you are. And He's going to shine a light on where you have problems. After you're saved He does that too, but in a different way. I mentioned it last week, but in order to get saved we have to first Get lost. I have to understand that I have a need for a Savior. I cannot get to Him if I do not think I need Him. In fact, Christ says that in the New Testament. He says, I haven't come to heal those that need not a physician. I've come to heal the sick. In other words, I can't help somebody that don't want me. But in this text, Saul's character is revealed. And he begins to understand who he is in the realm of Christ here. His goal was to cause trouble and he was quite good at it. But Saul is about to be confronted. That's what it is there in verse 3 as we see this confrontation begin to take place. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, he is on his way to persecute the church. But Christ had a divine appointment waiting for Him on that road to Damascus. I don't know about you, but I'm glad God knows where I'm headed. I'm glad He knows how I'm going to get there and He can intercept me on the way. He's on His way to persecute the church and suddenly there shined around about Him a light from heaven. We not only see the confrontation of Saul's character, we see the confrontation here of Christ. After Saul's character is revealed, we see the revelation of his confronter. So what do you mean by that? Out of nowhere, Saul is minding his business going on to Damascus. He's going to persecute the church. He's desiring to do harm to the people of God. And out of nowhere, the light of God shines on Saul. And it's so bright that it is blinding. In fact, it's so bright that the men that are standing around him, they're like, I don't know what to do with this. But then Christ begins to speak to Saul. What I'm trying to get at this morning is that without the help of God I have no hope. But I'm thankful that I've got hope in Christ. I'm glad that he come where I was and he began to speak in my direction. Not only did he reveal his light here in this particular text, but he begins to have a conversation with Saul. It says in verse 4, And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And Saul says, He said, Who art thou, Lord? I thought that was interesting. He answered his own question. Interesting, isn't it? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. What's he talking about there? He's letting Saul know exactly who's doing the confronting. This isn't the apostles talking to him. This isn't some other thing talking to him. This is Jesus Christ that has confronted Saul. And he asks the question again, he answers it, he says, Lord, who is this speaking, Lord? But in the midst of it, Christ says, it's Jesus talking. And then he makes a statement there, he says, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he's dealing there with Saul's conversion. He's dealing there with Saul's conviction. And in a nutshell, from what I can gather as I was studying, Saul was fighting a losing battle and resisting the Lord. I see it so many times in the world we live in, people that will continually fight against God. I'm going to turn this off, Steve, if you want to unmute this mic here. I see it so often in the world in which we live, people that try to resist Christ on a regular basis. But can I tell you something? There will be a day that he leaves you alone. But I would not count on it for a joyous day. It's not a pleasure when Christ begins to leave you alone. I'm glad for a God that is pursuing. I'm glad for a God that is desiring to meet with me. And he was willing to chase Saul all the way to Damascus to get him. He is confronted here with Christ himself and Christ begins to speak to Saul on a personal level and reveal he isn't just fighting against people. Saul hasn't just been fighting against the church but Saul has been fighting against Christ. But what I want you to get this morning if you don't get anything else is in this revelation of who Christ is there's an opportunity to turn to Christ and follow after him. In the Bible I've noticed there are two responses that usually happen when people are confronted with Christ. You have the rich young ruler in the New Testament who is confronted with Christ. He is standing there, he is speaking with Christ face to face. Christ begins to confront him about his life. And it says in there that he turned and he went away sorrowful. But that's not what I see Saul doing in this text. In verse 6, You'll notice, and we'll get into it a little deeper here in a moment, but in verse 6, we don't see Saul running from the conversation with Christ. We don't see him running from the confrontation with Christ, but we see him ask the Lord, what will thou have me to do? There are two responses that we'll have today and if you're not saved and you're being confronted with Christ you'll have one of these two responses. You'll either run away or you'll run to him. I see it with seasoned Christians when God begins to ask them to do something. I've seen both responses. I have had both responses when Christ was confronting me about something in my life. God's telling you to do something, you'll have one of the two. You'll either run towards the calling or you'll run away from it. We can operate as that rich young ruler and turn and run away or we can do what Saul did and we can throw up our hands and say, Lord, what will you have me to do? That leads us to the third thought this morning. We see the confrontation of character, we see the confrontation of Christ, but there's a confrontation of a call. In verse 6 we see it, he asks the question, what wilt thou have me to do? I'm glad when we begin to ask the Lord what he wants us to do, he'll tell you. He's pretty specific here, isn't he? The Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. The men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 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 into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, neither did he eat or drink. There was a certain disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias, and he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for the one called Saul of Tarshish. For behold, he prayeth. and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered the Lord, I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call upon thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake. And Anais went his way and entered into the house, putting his hands on him, and said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately There fell from his eyes, as it had been scales, and he received his sight forthwith, and arose and was baptized. Now verse 20 gives us this. It says, Boy, he changed courses pretty quick, didn't he? He went from persecuting to preaching. Verse 20, it says, And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogue, that He is the Son of God. That same place He was going to persecute, He began to preach. It's such a shock to everybody that's there. I mean, Ananias talks about it. He says, Lord, are you sure about this guy? I mean, have you not heard his reputation? Have you not heard what he desires to do to the church here like he has done to the church at Jerusalem? Verse 21, it says, But all that heard him were amazed and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on the name in Jerusalem? and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the chief priest. Saul's reputation preceded him and they were prepared for the persecuting. They weren't ready for the preaching. But when Saul was converted we see that Christ was not satisfied to simply leave him sitting in the road. He had a purpose and a plan for his life. A divine call that would lead him all over the country and abroad spreading the gospel. He would eventually make it to Rome for that very sake. The same is true in mine and your life today. I see so many people that are Christians that are simply satisfied with sitting on a church pew. And God has so much more for us than that. He's got so much more for us to do than just come in and sit down. No, he's got a job for each one that calls on his name. It may not be in foreign countries or distant lands, but he has got something for us to do in our own church and in our own town and in our own community. God has called us to be a servant. That's what Saul became. He became a good servant. He was a good slave master to begin with. He was a good persecutor. But I sure am thankful that when God saved him, he became a great servant. That's how we ended up with most of the New Testament. It's from Saul's journeys and Saul's lessons. What I'm getting at this morning is If the Lord is confronting you, whether you're saved or whether you're lost this morning, if the Lord is confronting you, the best thing you can do is throw your hands up and say, what wilt thou have me to do? Because if not, the alternative is to run away sorrowful. And that's not a good outcome. I see so many that's only partially committed to God. So many that are content with where they're at with God. And we're not willing to go any further. Brother Brian was talking about it earlier this morning again. Sometimes we can get far too content with where we are. We don't want to go any other place. We don't want to do anything else. But Saul when he was confronted, He began to ask, Lord, what do you want me to do? There's people that you need to witness to. There's a life that you need to influence. There's an example you need to be in front of people. We've all got a job to do. We've all got things that God would have us to be a part of. And it all comes from a confrontation. Not a bad one, not a fightin' one, not one that's gonna land in yellin' and screamin', but just a confrontation of, Tom, I know where you're at. How about we do things my way? Here's what you are without me. There's a revelation of my character. I believe it was Charles Spurgeon that said something to this effect, if I don't butcher it too bad, don't think ill of people when they speak ill of you, for you are far worse than they can imagine you to be. That's me in a nutshell. If people really knew who Tom was, Tom's no good. Tom is lousy, dirty, rotten, low down, good for nothing. But I had a Damascus Road experience to where Christ came down to where I was. And He confronted me about my sin. He confronted me about my character. He began to speak of who He was. And I remember the day December 28, 2011, I had another confrontation, Brother White, sitting in my bed at my home when God began to call me to preach. That was not a confrontation I was ready for, nor I wanted. But thank God He called me from that confrontation. And He's given me a grand service to do. And He has a service for you to do. I don't know what that might be. Might be an encouraging word to the cashier at the Walmart or the Safeway. It might be a friendly gesture to somebody you encounter. Whatever it is, we've all got a job that God's given for us to do. But what are you going to do when you're confronted with Him? What are you going to do? I don't see any of these other men ever mentioned again that Saul is with on the road to Damascus. I don't see that they're mentioned anymore, but Saul desired to go where God would have. He turned all of his energy from trying to fight the church to trying to fight for the church. And Saul would eventually become Paul. He would be imprisoned, shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, ran out of town, and eventually beheaded. All because of this Damascus Road experience. What a grand thing it is to have a calling on our life. You want purpose? You'll find it in the Lord. You won't find purpose anywhere else. Not purpose that fulfills you anyway. What is the answer when he confronts you with who he is? Lord, what wilt thou have me do? Or will we go away sorrowful? Because we like our life the way it is. And we want it to stay the way it is. I would encourage you this morning as we get ready to close. Anybody that's walked with God very long, ask them. I can testify. There have been some hard days in following after the Lord. But the good ones have far outweighed the bad ones. And you're going to have a bad day if you're not following God anyway. It's just going to be much harder to get through it. But I can honestly say it's worth it to follow him. It's worth it to go the way God would have us to go. Stop trying to kick against the pricks and just do what he's asked you to do. Whether that's salvation, whether that's commitment to the Lord, whether that's a service in the church, whatever it is, just be sensitive and obedient to his calling. And you'll be surprised at just what the Lord can do in your heart and in those around you. because of that experience with Christ. Father, thank you for who you are. Lord, I'm thankful. I can say I've not always enjoyed the confronting of things in my life that's not good. In fact, there's very few times that I'm just jumping for joy when you bring up something that I'm not doing right or something that's wrong in my life. But Lord, I am so thankful that you desire to to correct and you desire to instruct and you desire to work. Lord, I pray for each one that's here. Lord, whatever their needs are in their heart and in their life, I pray that you'd do the work that needs to be done. And Lord, we're sure thankful for who you are and that you desire to meet with your people. And Lord, you're still in the saving business and you desire to save those that are lost. Thank you for your light, thank you for your voice and how it speaks and how it shines. Lord be with us in this invitation in Jesus name. Amen. As we stand, this altar is open if you need it this morning.