170716 Chosen to Suffer

Saul had been present when Stephen was killed for his testimony concerning Jesus. He had even held the cloaks of the men who stoned Stephen to death. Saul, later called Paul, continued along that path until he had arrested most of the active followers of Christ in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Saul believed that he was doing the will of God by arresting and killing Christians. He went so far as to organize a search and destroy mission going to Damascus. Look at the words of Luke as he described what happened.

Acts 9:1-3 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

The Book of Acts continues the story found in the Gospel of Luke. In the first few chapters we see the beginning of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ disciples. Since we have often looked at those chapters we’re going to pick up with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. He was one of the leaders of the opposition to Christianity. As he traveled north from Jerusalem to Damascus he was met by the risen Lord Jesus.

Saul was so thoroughly indoctrinated with hate towards Christian believers that he was taken totally by surprise when confronted by Jesus himself. This encounter can encourage us to bear witness to Christ wherever we go. No one is beyond the power of God to bring them to salvation.

Also, this event warns us that there is an unseen world around us. It was just simply a matter of God drawing back the curtain and allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to appear in the sky above Paul and his cohorts. Saul was now looking into the realm that Stephen had seen. Stephen gave his life while asking that the men who stoned him should be forgiven. If anyone would be beyond salvation it would seem to be Saul who was so violently opposed to the followers of Christ.

Later, when Paul was telling the story in his trial before King Agrippa he tells us that…

He was interrogated by Jesus. Let’s look at the record in Acts 26:13-15. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

In recounting the story, before King Agrippa, Saul remembers a detail that had been left out of earlier accounts. But the one thing that is consistent in all the accounts is that in the midst of all that light it was the voice of Jesus that he heard. Jesus wanted him to see that by attacking his followers he was attacking Christ himself. Obviously, God had been pressuring him to turn from his path before that day. Here, he used the phrase “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” implying that God had been challenging him to turn aside. The goads mentioned here would be recognized by a person who drove a wagon being pulled by oxen. In order to keep the oxen from kicking the wagon apart the teamster would put sharpened sticks behind the oxen’s legs so that the animal would suffer pain when he tried to kick.

Obviously I don’t know exactly what these goads were in Saul’s life. But they were designed by God to make him conscious of the fact that in opposing the church he was opposing God. As Jesus spoke to him he was surrounded by light so bright that it drove him to the ground and then he heard a voice. The voice did not say, “Why are you persecuting the church?” The voice said “Why are you persecuting me?” Opposition to the followers of Christ would always be considered an attack on Christ himself!

As Paul continued his defense he reported that…

Jesus told him why he was called. Let’s continue reading Acts 26:16. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,

Having been struck to the ground by the bright light Paul is now instructed to stand up. Now our Lord Jesus explained why God chose Paul! Jesus’ appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus is later described as being the last appearance of Jesus to an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:8). It must’ve been an amazing experience for the persecutor of the church to be told that he was being appointed as a servant and a witness. All of those incidents of prodding that Saul experienced were designed to improve his witness. There would be other experiences when Christ would appear to Paul the Apostle.

The Bible reveals some of these experiences where Paul saw Christ. In Acts 18:8-9 Paul had come to a point in his life that he was experiencing fear. So during the night Jesus told him not to be afraid. He was told to go ahead speaking the truth no matter what men might say. God still had a purpose for Paul’s ministry in Corinth because Jesus had many in that city who were his people.

A second such experience happened in Acts 23:11, at that time he was the subject of persecution. The evidence is pretty clear that Paul expected to be killed in Jerusalem! And instead of being killed he was rescued by the Romans. During that long night in the Roman barracks Paul must’ve been searching for a good answer as to why he was still alive. So the Lord stood by and told him that he was not finished yet. Just as he had given testimony in Jerusalem he would give testimony also in Rome.

Those events are still in the future as Paul was listening to Jesus on the Damascus Road. He was not only struck down by Christ but Jesus had a plan for him in Damascus that was quite a lot different from his intentions…

Jesus prepared his reception. Let’s go back to Acts 9:10-12. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, ¹² and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

Let’s use our imaginations a little. Armed guards were marching north along the road to Damascus being led by Saul of Tarsus. Meanwhile, in Damascus, the word was being spread among the followers of Jesus that Saul was coming. Decisions were having to be made as to whether they would stay in Damascus and face the persecutors or, leave the city hoping to escape imprisonment and perhaps execution? Those agonizing questions were passing through the mind of one of the disciples of Jesus named Ananias. At just that time the Lord, who had met Saul on the road, came to Ananias in a vision. He called Ananias by name and instructed him to go to Saul with the encouragement that Saul was praying. In answer to Saul’s prayers he was given a vision of a man named Ananias coming to him and laying hands on him so that he can recover his sight.

The enemy of the church was practically helpless on Straight street and now Ananias was supposed to pray for his healing. When Saul’s sight was restored he would immediately see one of the targets of his persecution. That target was a very uneasy Ananias.

This called for courage. Let’s continue to read Acts 9:13-14. But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

Just in case Jesus did not know exactly what was going on Ananias explained things to him. This man, whom he was supposed to pray for, had done much evil to the church in Jerusalem. Maybe God didn’t know that? Of course, this was not news to the Lord. He not only knew about the persecution he knew about the plans he had for Saul when he became named Paul. The former persecutor of the church would now become his strongest advocate. He was a chosen instrument that would be fine tuned over the next years to carry the name of Jesus into the Gentile world, before the world’s rulers, and to the children of Israel.

He was to be…

A chosen instrument. Let’s look at Paul’s testimony to the Galatians 1:14-15. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

“Advancing in Judaism” was the way Paul described his life process. He was thinking that he was doing God’s work when he persecuted the church. Paul later could see that God had chosen him even before he was born. By God’s grace, at the proper time, he would be called to be a chosen instrument…

With a special purpose. Let’s return to the account in Acts 9:15-16. 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. ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

As Ananias was struggling with what to do the Lord told him to “Go”. God’s special purpose for Paul was not just to preach the gospel. His special purpose included suffering for the sake of the Name! God does not promise us an easy journey.

Centuries later Isaac Watts would pen a hymn that asked the question, “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?”

The second verse goes like this: Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

The answer is “NO”! Paul, along with every generation of believers must be…

Prepared to suffer for Christ’s sake. Paul himself described what his life was like in his letter to the Corinthians. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

How can I expand upon Paul’s own words? He certainly would have been one of those described in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. In every generation there have been persecution of those who live by faith. Certainly Paul was one of those of whom the world was not worthy! Day by day Paul had a constant pressure of anxiety for the churches! Perhaps the churches of today would be better off if such men and women suffered under anxiety for the condition of the churches.

Obedience to God is more important than avoiding suffering or even death. As Paul was going to Jerusalem for his last visit there he could say, “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). This level of conviction could make Paul able to go back into the city of Lystra after he had been stoned and left for dead. As he came to the end of his life he could say, “I have fought the good fight I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7). I pray that we will all be able to speak such words because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.