We are studying the book of Acts, verse by verse, and we have reached the place where Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee of Pharisees, a part of the great Sanhedrin, he is as full of hell and as full of hate at the time that we first meet him than any Muslim that hates us and is doing damage today. He had turned his back upon the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. and he was killing people, he was having people put in prison and doing all of this in the name of being a great man of God and he was a man of hell. There's something I want to make you aware of before we began over in the ninth chapter where we have arrived in our study. There were 12 tribes of Israel. One of the tribes was the tribe of Benjamin. This is important because Saul of Tarsus was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Now this is important for you and for me because of genetics, things have been placed inside of our fleshly nature that if we allow it to ferment and to grow, it can make us as evil as a human being can be. When Jacob was on his deathbed, He called his sons and told each of them their strength and their weaknesses. And the tribe of Benjamin only had a very vicious weakness that they had. And this could not be changed. They were born with this genetic. inclination. So are you. You have things that you have inherited from your Adamic nature that must be covered with the blood of Jesus and fermented with the love of God. He calls each of his sons in and he calls in Benjamin. In the book of Genesis, The 49th chapter, verse 27, here's what he tells the tribe of Benjamin that they must be constantly aware of and know that the love of God only can make a difference in their lives. Saul of Tarsus shows this inclination. I read to you verse 27. Benjamin, the tribe of Benjamin, shall raven as a wolf in the morning. He shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. Everyone in that tribe need to be aware of this genetic a damning, damnable nature that was inside of them and they need to be aware of it so they would not let it hurt people because the wolf was known not only to kill, but to tear to pieces. And that was in their nature. And the only way that could be changed, and we're gonna find that change has taken place here in the ninth chapter of the book of Acts. Think about, let God reveal to you anything in you, anything in me that would cause me to hurt people rather than help people. So love people rather than to despise them and even try to find their faults so I can cover up my own. This is a serious psychological problem that people have when they have something in them that they hate. but they want to cover that up so they try to find something evil in someone else and hurt them rather than deal with that which was in their nature. Now here the man Saul is on his way to Damascus. He's on his way there with certified plan papers from the high priest, not the high priest that was appointed by God in Jerusalem, but by the Roman emperor. And he has the legal right to kill people and to put them in prison because they believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and he hates them and he's trying to stop them. He even has Stephen the martyr killed and he rejoices at that. No one who says they know Jesus should ever rejoice at the hurt of another human being. We are not here to hurt. We are here to help and to bless no matter what people may be, we need to begin to pray for them. And I can tell you this, no matter how they respond to your prayers, your prayers will be in heaven and they'll be treasure in heaven. And there'll be condemnation against those who would not receive the truth. Now in the ninth chapter of Acts, we find that the former hate-filled, damnable Pharisee, Saul, has been knocked down by Almighty God on the road to Damascus. And he now has responded to Jesus And verse 10 starts this way. And there was a certain disciple in Damascus. Remember, Paul is blind. He's being led by the hand into the city of Damascus. And here in Damascus, there is a disciple of Jesus. He's a weak disciple, aren't we all? His name was Ananias. To him said the Lord in a vision. Now that word vision is important because the Bible said where there is no vision, the people perish. And the reason there is perishing going on, school shootings for example, is because this country basically Those who are running the show have no vision of what Almighty God and who He is. There are two mountains in the area of Shechem. There's the mountain of Gebolah and there is the mountain that is the Mount of Blessings. And today you may be walking in the valley Don't go to the Mount of Curse, but go to the Mount of Blessings. But he, Ananias, has a vision. And he really, his flesh doesn't like this vision because this vision tells him something he doesn't want. And he has this vision. And he said, and the Lord said to him, the Lord said to him, God is still talking to people today. We had a wonderful lady who spoke to the men yesterday and she had been fasting for 20 days waiting for God to give her a message. And 30 minutes before the 20 days was up, God gave her the scripture to speak to men. males and it says to them that I would men everywhere lift up holy hands. What makes your hands holy? Is there something in your hands that you need to get rid of because it's not good? It's not going to be a blessing to you. Is there someone you have something against? Is there someone that you can't have anything to do with? You hate them really. Get rid of everything in your hands that's not holy and let's all lift holy hands. without doubting to God. And this, as I said, she was such a blessing because everything she said was of the Lord. And I thank God for it. So this man has a vision and verse 12, And he saw this vision, and in it he saw himself putting his hand on this evil, damnable man, Saul of Tarsus, who God has knocked down and saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. And he put his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard many things of this man. How much evil. He is an evil man. You want me to go put my hand on an evil man? The man who has killed believers and put them in prison He hath done this to thy saints at Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from the high priest to bind all that call on thy name, Jesus. Thank God for these next words. I thank God for these words. Old Dr. J. Frank Norris, many of you are too young to have heard of him, but he had a sermon that would curl your hair. It's called, But God. But God. And so here it is in verse 15. Anna and I said, this man's out killing people who believe in Jesus. Verse 15, but the Lord said to him, go thy way for he, this evil damnable Saul of Tarsus is a chosen vessel. I've chosen him. I'm not through with him. He's a chosen vessel to me. I'm going to use this evil man to bear my name. And I think about Brother Phil there in Nazareth, going to the well where Mary had gone to draw water. And the angel appeared to her and said, to the Virgin Mary, you're gonna give birth to the Messiah and you'll call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins. He is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel. and I will show him how great things he must suffer. Suffering is a mystery that can be solved in only one way. Whatever suffering is coming into your life, believer, please, Ask that you might take that suffering that is happening in your life and go to the cross and call upon the cross and associate yourself with the suffering of Jesus and that suffering that has been a curse and a damnable thing in your life. can become beautiful because you have become associated with the suffering of Christ. That is the height of faith. No greater faith can a human being have when suffering comes their way and they choose to go to the cross of Calvary and allow themselves to be associated with some of the suffering of Jesus. None of us will ever know all the suffering, but you can associate it with his suffering. He said, this man, Saul, is going to suffer. And he'll suffer what? For my name's sake. Let that sink in. Suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went his way, entered into the house, and put his hand on him. Did you know that you have power when you're saved in the hand? And there may be someone who is suffering beyond all explanation, and maybe it is your hand. that will reach out and touch them and make the difference. Believe that God can make your hands holy by the power of the Holy Spirit. He went his way and put his hands on this evil man who's been saved by the grace of God. And this must have been music, real music. to the ear of Saul. He said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, hath appeared unto thee in the way as thou came and hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled. be put under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul, you're going to receive the Pentecostal power. And immediately there fell from his eyes that had been scaled and he received his sight and he arose and he was baptized. He was buried in water. Did you baptize that lady yesterday? At what time? Can you, isn't that wonderful? That this lady came on a Saturday, came and Brother Phil had the privilege. What was the significance of that? That she believed that Jesus died on the cross, paid for her sins, was buried and rose again the third day. And when he had received meat, that is he now, he hadn't eaten for three days and he was strengthened. And then was Saul. See, he hasn't changed his name to the Greek name of Paul yet. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples at Damascus. And what did he do? And straightway, that simply means he didn't fool around going around in circles. He went straight to the point. Let's go straight to the point in our lives and get it right. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogue. This is a Jewish synagogue where there was a bunch of Jesus haters. And what did he preach? You mean nasty no good Jews? No, he preached these words. He preached that Jesus of Nazareth, the one who died on the cross and rose again and ascended to the right hand of God, that Jesus is the son of God. And all that heard him were amazed. It shocked them. that this one time Christ's hater had become a Christ's lover and said, is this not him that destroyed them that called on the name of Jesus in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound to the chief priest? But Saul increased. with more strength, and he confounded the Jews. Did you know that if we preach the straight, holy, spirit truth of Jesus, that it will confuse the devil's crowd? And they're confused right now, and they're unhappy, People that believe in Jesus, well, all they can do is kill my body because my spirit and your spirit is sealed until the day of redemption. He confused these unbelievers. He proved to them from the Bible that Christ was the Son of God. Now, after many days were fulfilled, the Jews in all these synagogues, and I'm telling you, the hatred the Muslims have for us is not to be compared to the hatred these Jews had for believers. I'm a supporter of Israel in every way, but I'm gonna tell the truth. This whole world is in the shape it's in terrorism-wise because they have not accepted Jesus of Nazareth as a nation. And they will, and when they do, peace will come to this earth, and not till then. But they laid in wait. These are people who are of the Bible. They know the whole Old Testament. They know the law of Moses. But Saul increased and these people decreased. But they, verse 24, but they're laying in wait. was known as Saul and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. These are supposed to be God's chosen people and they've got killing in their heart. And when the disciples, the believers, the believers took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket. Now think with me, what was this basket? It was what they put the garbage in, in the daytime inside the city of Jerusalem, and then at night they would, through a window, let the basket down so they could pick up the trash outside the city of Jerusalem. And this man of God now, he's had to be placed inside of a container full of putrid, filthy trash. But as they let him down, and I remember one of the sermons of Oral Roberts that I always remember, He said those people who had a hold of that rope had no idea what a precious treasure they had in their hand as they let it down. Did you know sometimes you have to get mixed up with the garbage to get saved from people who hate you? And I thank God today that the Apostle Paul, but that wasn't the first time that it happened. Back in the book of Joshua, you remember Rahab the prostitute? She was saved and she let the men of God down through a window just like they let the Apostle Paul down, the man who became the Apostle Paul. Did you know that sometimes the greatest treasure is in the midst of a bunch of garbage. God is able to take care of the garbage that you have to put up with in order to be able to get away from those who want to hurt you and kill you. Thank God today for the treasure in the midst of the trash. There's treasure there. Look for it and say, thank you, God, that I was let down out of danger with garbage all around me. But I did not let that stop me. from being the man, the woman, the boy, the girl that God intended for me to be. May God bless you as you are saved in the midst of the trash of this world. You can't get away from it because here, but God is able to save you in the midst of it. If anyone should need to accept Christ, you're invited to come. And then after the benediction, we'll be up here, Brother Phil and I, waiting if you need more time to talk to us. And if you should want to become a member of this congregation, Gloria Crosby is here and she'll help you get that information from you. Thank you. Thank you, God. for the treasure in the midst of the trash. In Jesus' name as we stand to sing. Let's all stand and sing without him. Without him I could do nothing. Without him I'd surely mail Without him I would be drifting Like a ship without a sail Without him, how lost I would be Lord, I tell you, I'm almost ready to do some holy dancing to think that God would take me out of the trash and make me a treasure. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Brother Phil will sing the last verse of this song, and that'll be the benediction. You're dismissed. If you wanna hear about Ezekiel, come back tonight. We'll try to preach to you a little bit. You're dismissed as he sings this a cappella. We're dismissed now. Without him I would be dying. Without him I'd be enslaved. Without Him, life would be hopeless. But with Jesus, thank God, I'm saved. Jesus, oh Jesus. Do you know him today? Do not turn him away. Oh Jesus, oh Jesus. Without him how lost I would be.