WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:04.799 Well, last week we read a verse about a guy named Saul. 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:08.240 We kind of read right through it last week, Acts 8 3. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:12.560 But Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:16.559 He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:17.760 That was Acts 8. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:23.920 Now in Acts 7, just the chapter before that, two weeks ago, Acts 7.58, we also read right through this verse two weeks ago. 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:28.399 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:34.079 And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:46.560 So if you remember here in this Acts 7 story that we talked about two weeks ago, this was right when Stephen, this follower of Jesus, he's given this amazing sermon about Jesus being the way, the rescue. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:54.960 Not religious law or religious rules, but actually the fulfillment of the law and the Messiah. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:59.840 So the holders of all these rules, these religious authorities, this enraged them. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:02.880 And so they go to stone this guy, Stephen. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:16.000 Now, according to second century Jewish writing, the stoning came after a guilty trial, about 15 feet from the place of the stoning, they would demand the guy to say that he was guilty, to confess. 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:20.480 And then about six feet from the stoning, they would strip the guy of all his clothes. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:22.400 And then they would get up to the edge of a cliff. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:25.519 Usually the cliff was about twice the height of the guy's height. 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:31.439 So maybe about a 12 feet foot cliff there, and they'd push him off, naked guy, just falls right down, falls over. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:36.640 He'd have to roll over, they'd drop a huge stone on his chest. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:42.959 Now, if that didn't kill him, all the congregation comes up and they stone him. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:46.319 Just a great, loving, small group. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.120 People to join, good faith community. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:57.359 After they did this to Stephen, all the people, they lay their garments at this religious leader who's there, this guy named Saul. 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:03.439 So in Acts 9, Saul's on his way, the same guy, on his way to Damascus to arrest some Christians. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:10.719 He's going to round them up, he's going to bound them, rip them from their families, rip them from their homes, haul them back to Jerusalem, and put them in prison. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:17.199 But on his way to Damascus, suddenly he sees a bright light, a bright light shone above him. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:20.479 So Acts 9, 4 through 9, let me reread this passage. 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:23.199 And falling to the ground, he heard. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:28.159 Saul heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:29.919 And he said, Who are you, Lord? 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:32.479 And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:35.439 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what to do. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:40.319 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:44.719 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:52.560 So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus, and for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:03:00.400 Point number one is this we are blind to our blindness until God reveals our blindness to us. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:08.319 Everything has to begin with the unsolvable problem of human nature. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:18.479 Paul Zal, priest and author, he says this if your understanding of human nature is inaccurate, everything else collapses. 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:22.560 Nothing else will work if you don't see yourself clearly. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:24.319 Everything else collapses. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.719 We say it every week in our confessional prayer. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:34.240 We say, humanity, we are created beautiful in God's image, and yet there's an unsolvable problem. 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:36.879 We are self-oriented. 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.199 We are sinful, we're flawed. 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:40.800 Beautiful yet flawed. 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.000 We can never quite find our value, we can never quite get our acts together. 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:46.400 We never quite get over our guilt. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:51.599 No matter how good we get, no matter always not quite getting it together, never quite feel accepted. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:57.439 We can't solve the human nature problem without a breakthrough. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:01.039 We would call this God's grace, this breakthrough. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.599 One-way love is the way we like to say it. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:10.080 One-way love to us in Christ that pursues us in our horror and our helplessness. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.199 And if you've ever been there, wow. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:14.319 Right? 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:28.160 I mean, your grandfather shows up, you've been jailed from that DUI you haven't told anybody else about, and your grandfather shows up, he bails you out, and on the drive home, you're you're waiting for the lecture because you deserve the lecture, you know what the lecture is going to be. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:29.120 And he never lectures you. 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:31.360 He could have, he could have, he could have just let it rip. 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:32.879 He never lectures you. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:36.639 All he says is how much he loves you and he believes in you. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:42.399 He told you that in your horror, in your guilt, in your shame. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:45.360 And you know what happened? 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:57.120 If you ever had that happen to you, that kind of love into your horror, that kind of one-way love, your heart toward your grandfather or to whoever it was, is just endeared to him. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:03.120 Because you have experienced the breakthrough of one-way love to you. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:06.000 It's a breakthrough. 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:08.959 A light shown above you. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:13.839 For 18 years, Christy and I have been smooshed together in a queen-sized bed. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:16.399 Anybody else still smushed together in a queen-sized bed? 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:19.040 It was really sweet in those early years. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:21.120 Not lately. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:24.639 Just keep waking each other up. 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:26.560 Haven't slept well in years. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.399 So last year, Christy said, we gotta get a king bed. 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:32.160 We have to get a king bed. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:33.600 We're not even sleeping anymore. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:35.680 Like, we've gotta get it, we've gotta get a king bed. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:37.759 So I Googled that. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.639 That was not a number I was prepared to see. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.800 That mattress, that bed, I should be able to drive that to Florida. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:46.399 That's the kind of number that was. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:48.720 And so I'm like, no, like we're good. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.879 Let's just keep doing this not sleeping thing. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.000 Let's do that for a while. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:53.680 That'll be a great path forward. 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:55.680 But then I was talking to my friend Joe. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.600 And my friend Joe told me, he said, Man, we got a king bed. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.480 And it is roomy and it is wonderful. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.279 Apparently, you can just roll over whenever you want. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:07.439 That sounds, I was like, that's amazing. 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.040 I didn't think about that. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:12.319 And I saw the light when Joe told me that. 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:13.600 I saw the light. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:19.600 I first saw that I was wrong, and then I saw the goodness of the king bed. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.439 So we bought one this week. 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:23.120 And last night, I slept in it. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:24.240 Last night. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:27.279 I couldn't even see Christie over there. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.120 I just waved good night. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:33.360 It was awesome. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.959 I went to the bathroom in the middle of night because I'm old now and I do that. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:42.240 When I came back, I'd been having to be like a ninja into the I just kind of like cannonballed into the bed. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:43.680 Didn't have to worry about it. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:44.639 She never woke up. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:45.360 It was amazing. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.120 What an amazing night. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:52.639 Now, I could not be converted until I saw I was blind. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:57.040 I couldn't see something I needed until I saw I was wrong. 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:01.279 We are blind to our blindness until God's grace breaks in. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.160 For three days, Paul is in darkness. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:09.600 He has to come face to face with this unsolvable problem. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:10.879 It's just horrible. 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:12.720 I don't love that we have this problem. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:14.560 It's very frustrating. 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:16.240 But it's there. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:18.560 That we can't get our acts together. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.279 We can't overcome our sinful nature. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:22.959 We need forgiveness. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:25.199 We need acceptance from outside of ourselves. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:30.639 And Paul has to come face to face with his blindness, his inability, his anger, his self-righteousness, that inner weariness. 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:32.240 He says, Come face to face with all that. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.759 I would love to have a whole book by Paul just about those three days. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:39.920 And then we read this, Acts 9, starting verse 10. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:42.079 A bit of a read here, 10 through 19. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:45.120 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.639 The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:50.240 And he said, Here I am, Lord. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:54.000 And the Lord said to him, Rise and go to the street called straight. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:58.560 And at the house of Judas, look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:00.399 For behold, he is praying. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:06.720 And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might remain his sight. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:14.560 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:19.199 And here he has authority from chief priests to bind all who call on your name. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:30.480 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel, for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:43.440 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:48.159 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:52.639 Then he rose and was baptized, and taking food he was strengthened. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:57.039 Now, Saul is Paul, by the way, in case you didn't know that. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:58.159 Same guy. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:03.120 Actually, in Acts 13, Luke just begins to call him Paul, but it's the same name. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:05.279 It's not a name change like Simon became Peter. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:06.159 That was a name change. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:07.679 It's not a name change, it's the same name. 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:11.679 Paul and Saul, the same name, kind of like Henry and Hank, right? 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.440 John and Jack, you know, William and Bill, Saul and Paul. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.679 Same name just happens to be this little Bible study nugget. 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:18.559 Point number two. 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:24.159 Our conversion, our conversion is created by God's pursuit of us. 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:26.080 That's how we're converted. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:30.000 God was on a mission to woo Paul to himself. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:31.200 And he's with you as well. 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:33.759 That's the mission he's on with you in your heart. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:39.919 The word for this conversion, this word, it simply just means a change of position or direction. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.960 I was that, and now I'm this. 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:46.720 Right? 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:50.879 We love, us good Christians, love Ephesians 2, 8, and 9. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.519 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:55.200 Paul wrote this, by the way. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.000 For by grace you've been saved through faith. 00:09:58.240 --> 00:09:59.919 And this is not your own doing. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:03.360 That's amazing. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:06.799 It is the gift of God, not a result of works. 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:07.759 Isn't that amazing? 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:08.639 Wow. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:10.480 So that no one may boast. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:23.759 British pastor Martin Lloyd Jones, he explained it this way: Conversion is the first exercise of the new nature in ceasing from old forms of life and starting a new life. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:30.399 It is the first action of the regenerate soul in moving from something to something. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:41.039 So, if we kind of break this down, God's grace breaks the weary, stubborn, self-oriented, selfish will to see our need of help. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:45.840 That activity of God's grace through the Holy Spirit reveals our need of Christ. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:50.960 We can say it this way: regeneration, God's grace to us, we're getting technical. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:56.720 Regeneration is the implantation by the Holy Spirit of new life in the soul. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:57.919 That's regeneration. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:04.159 Conversion is the experience of that regeneration as repentance and faith. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:07.679 So maybe you were in a church and you prayed prayer. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:09.360 Maybe you even filled out a cart. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:12.080 Maybe you walked an aisle, maybe took your first communion. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:13.120 Fantastic. 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:15.039 I don't know what experience that was for you. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:15.519 Wonderful. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:16.000 Wonderful. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:17.200 That meant something to you. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:18.320 Wonderful. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:27.440 All of that experience was because of God's gracious regeneration in your soul. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.759 That's what enabled the conversion. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:34.000 This is the power of the gospel that breaks into our hearts. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:38.639 This is why we're not insecure and anxious Christians. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.720 It's because our conversion rests in our regeneration. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:47.600 And God just freely gives us forgiveness and freely gives us righteousness and this new life. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:12:04.080 Suddenly, under this one-way love, just like if your grandfather bailed you out for the DUI, and you're on the way home, and he just pours out love on you, your heart is endeared because you've been loved in your horror and in your shame and guilt. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.759 That's lavish. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:13.360 Paul writes this about conversion, 2 Corinthians 5.17. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.159 Therefore, if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:21.200 The old has passed away. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:23.360 Behold, the new has come. 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:30.639 It doesn't mean you're perfect, but it means there's a new self that's endeared to God and walking in a faith walk. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.559 Point number three is this conversion is the beginning of our faith walk. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:40.320 Resting in Christ and learning to walk in the new self. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:44.720 That's what a faith walk is resting in Christ and learning to walk in the new self. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.879 When Christy and I got married, her Nana and Granddaddy, I've showed you a picture of Nana and Granddaddy before. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:50.159 This is Nana and Granddaddy. 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:51.279 Sweet Nana and Granddaddy. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:52.720 They've passed away at this point. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:55.360 But they had this one-acre lot out in Launch. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:57.600 They live in this little ranch house, one-acre lot. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:59.120 They had a huge vegetable garden. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:03.440 They had just beds of flowers, amazing, amazing yard. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:07.600 We would drive out there when we were young and had nothing else to do. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:13.039 And we would just drive out there, they'd just give us buckets of flowers, and we'd come home and plant them. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:15.759 My favorite thing to get was a Linton Rose. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:17.759 Anybody have Linton Rose? 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:21.039 You're an old person like me and you actually know what that is, or you care. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.039 None of y'all care, apparently. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:24.320 So horror. 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.120 I knew it was a bad illustration when I wrote it, but I said, I'm just stick with it. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:28.559 I'm just really stick with it. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:34.879 Well, Thursday morning, I walk out my back door, and here's what I see. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:36.960 Just fire that. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:38.320 That's what I see. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:40.399 Highlight of my week. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:42.559 Linton rose. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.320 Popped right up out of the ground. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:46.480 It wasn't there before. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:50.879 Now, here's what a whole bed of Linton Rose looks like, just so you get an idea. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.919 That's a bed of Linton Rose as it develops and grows. 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.879 It's also called helleboral, in case you're wondering, that's free. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:58.639 I gave that to you for free. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.679 So Linton Rose arrives when spring arrives. 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:04.159 It's one of the first flowers to pop up. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:09.440 Right when all that death is turning to life, like it is right now outside. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.360 This flower leads the way. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:15.600 Now, of course, Linton Rose is named Lent. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:16.799 Lent is beginning. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:17.440 Even this week. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:19.440 Lent begins this week. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:22.240 And that Linton rose, it dies back during the winter. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:23.200 It stays a little green. 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:24.240 If you have it, you know what I'm talking about. 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:25.120 That's why we kind of like it. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.159 It stays green till it. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:27.679 But it slowly just dies back. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:29.279 You have to have that new growth. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:31.679 And then sure enough, springtime comes. 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:36.159 Springtime happens to it, and it is regenerated by the sun. 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:38.799 And a conversion occurs. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:42.480 That's the point of this whole thing that y'all don't even care about because y'all don't care about London Rose. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:43.600 That's the point. 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:46.879 Springtime happens to it. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:48.559 And a conversion occurs. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:49.919 New life comes. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:53.120 It's a beautiful image, a horrible illustration, beautiful image. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:58.720 The new self that we have, God's beloved child that we are in Christ. 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:04.879 It's amazing news if you're worn out at all, or tired, or beat down, or guilty. 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.919 That new life could come from outside of you, and you can be loved in that place. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:10.960 That's amazing news. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:14.960 Four implications of newness of life that we experience in Christ. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.240 These are just four I thought of this week. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:18.559 You might come up with four other ones this week. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.000 Here's four that jumped out at me this week. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:33.519 As we come alive to God's love for us, the guilt trip and the self-righteousness reports can cease as we are always forgiven and always righteous in Christ. 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:35.200 That's new life. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:47.759 As we come alive to God's love for us, number two, as we come alive to God's love for us, we know our true selves, not as our wallets, bodies, or trophies, but as God's beloved children. 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:58.639 Number three, as we come alive to God's love for us, we are liberated from performancism to live by the Spirit and freedom and love. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:03.120 Now think about this guy in Ananias in that Acts 9, before I say number four. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:04.879 We know about nothing about this guy. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.360 We don't get much information about this guy. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:09.360 What a story here. 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:11.519 This Christian in Damascus. 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:19.440 This terrorist, murderer shows up into his town who's looking for people like him. 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:20.480 Right? 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.480 He's looking to arrest people just like him. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.799 And then he's supposed to go to him. 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.159 Of course he's like, oh, hold on, like I've heard about that guy. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:33.279 I've heard about him. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.000 I don't want to go toward him. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:37.360 But he goes. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.559 Isn't that amazing? 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:40.960 That he goes toward the very man who's after him. 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.000 Ananias goes. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:43.120 Here's the last implication. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:52.399 As we come alive to God's love first, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in love and bravery, not fear and timidity. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.039 Darkness to sight, old to new, fear to love. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:01.840 So I mentioned Lent does begin this week, the season of Lent, not church season. 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:02.720 Maybe you've heard about it. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:10.000 This is the 40 days leading up to Good Friday, 40 or so days leading up to Easter resurrection Sunday. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.799 Wednesday, this Wednesday is known as Ash Wednesday. 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:18.799 Sometimes you see people walking around this Wednesday, you might see a little cross made of ashes on their forehead. 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:20.480 Maybe you'll do that. 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:27.279 Those ashes were historically taken from the palms from Palm Sunday the year before. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.319 Remember, Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:40.400 So all those palms taken the year before, it's celebrating that passage where Jesus comes into Jerusalem, everybody's waving the palms and saying hallelujah. 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:48.559 They would burn those palms historically, that celebration, burn them, take the ashes the next year, and use them for Ash Wednesday. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:53.359 It's a way to say all my earthly hallelujahs get burned up. 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:58.640 It's a way to say I'm still more weary and more fickle than I want to admit. 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.319 And I still need God's grace to me. 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:08.559 It's about us as mortals understanding, remembering from dust you come and dust you return. 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:13.039 Buried in Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness alive. 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:17.440 I'll close with this, Acts 9, 19 through 22. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:24.799 For some days he, Paul, was with the disciples at Damascus. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:30.240 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogue, saying, He is the Son of God. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:38.559 And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:43.200 And has he not come here for this purpose to bring them bound before the chief priests? 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:53.359 But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was Christ. 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:56.079 Darkness to sight. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:18:59.039 Old to new. 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:00.880 And fear to love. 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:02.160 Let's pray together. 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:07.359 God, thank you for your grace to us that disrupts and interrupts our lives. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:09.440 How much we need to be interrupted by you. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:15.680 We need to be pursued by you, that any of our pursuit would be rooted, grounded, secure in your pursuit of us. 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:22.799 We need to see our blindness this morning that we might be able to seek and be open to your help. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:28.559 Thank you for your lavish love to us that is so lavish and free. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:34.799 Help us to know our true identities in you. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:46.480 Help us to know and be free of guilt trips and self-righteousness reports and help us to be freed into courage, bravery, love, obedience, godliness. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:49.039 A life of honoring you. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:54.319 Not because we have to, but because our hearts have been endeared to you. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:56.480 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:19:56.720 --> 00:19:57.119 Amen.