We turn now to the ninth chapter of the book of Acts. Stephen, the first martyr, has just been stoned to death by a bunch of religious nuts, religious idiots. And these people who stoned Stephen to death are no different than the Islamic terrorists who are cutting people's head off today. Religion and religion only will make you an evil person. Stephen, as he breathed his last breath, he looked up and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He spoke these words as an evil, demon-filled, zealous, Judaistic person stood by holding the clothes of those who threw the rocks that killed this precious man. And what did he say as he looked up and saw Jesus? standing at the right hand of God. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. There are so many people who need to have that prayer prayed for them today. So many people in religion have no idea how damaging what they think is of God is of Satan. And so we find in the chapter that we are beginning to study today, the ninth chapter, Saul, a man who is so strong in the Sanhedrin of the Jews, he is breathing out threatening slaughters against the disciples of the Lord. and he goes to the high priest. Now the high priest on the Temple Mount was supposed to be appointed by God, but Israel had gone so far from God that the Roman emperor appointed the high priest, the man who had all the authority, both physically, emotional, and spiritual, And so this high priest, Saul is such a legalist that he goes to him and gets him to sign a document saying that Saul has the right to bring people from Damascus, Syria, bring them back to Jerusalem, put them in prison, and some of them be killed. He makes his way toward Damascus, the city that still exists today. As a matter of fact, it is full of evil and the ISIS group. We're not going to stop them. And why? Because the church of the living God is not interested in the founder Jesus Christ, but interested in only in some kind of a physical ability to be able to do something themselves. And so he gets this and he goes toward Damascus and Damascus is about 140 miles northeast of Jerusalem. And so in verse two, he desired of him, that is the high priest, letters to Damascus, to the synagogues. Synagogue came into existence during a time when Israel was in captivity in Babylon. And after that, they continued to grow and they were places, if there were 10 men, that would call together an assembly, then there would be a synagogue. And so there are synagogues, a number of them in Damascus. And if he found any of this way, did you know that when the church was first established and purchased by the blood of Jesus, the name that was given to that group of people who accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, they were known as the people of the way. And that came from the 14th chapter of John, when one of those who had walked with Jesus for three years, and Jesus had told them, I'm gonna go prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself. that where I am, there you may be also. And one of those disciples who had been with him all that time and heard him speak and seen the miracles said, Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way? And then Jesus spoke those words that are so familiar to many of us. Jesus said, and the way. And so, when Saul was wanting to describe those who followed Jesus of Nazareth, they were called the way. Whether they be men or women, that he might bring them bound, tie their hands together, Put what happens when police arrest you and make your hands go behind you and put handcuffs on you. Can you imagine, I can't, even though here it is in the Bible, how that anyone could be that evil and claim to be of God. But that's the way Saul was. And be very, very much aware of religious people because they can hurt you more than all of the agnostics and all those who are atheists and perverts. Someone who hates instead of loves because they believe they're right and everybody else is wrong. And as he saw, journeyed toward, he came near Damascus. He could see the walls of that great city. And suddenly, and I thank God when he has dealt with me suddenly. I mean, he came up, comes up and does something I have no idea what's going on. And he just shakes the living blank out of me. Yes. Suddenly, and may he have a lot of surprises for you and me in the rest of our lives. And may he come to you and me suddenly, and may we know this has to be God. And he journeyed to Damascus and suddenly, without any warning, there shined around him a light from heaven. If you were out in the opening and a lightning should come and be right in your face, it would be nothing compared to the light from heaven. And God has not quit dealing with people with his light. God is light and in him is no darkness at all. And he saw this great Pharisee, this great member of the great Sanhedrin of Jerusalem. He fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him, what a message. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You see, if anyone does anything to hurt a believer, you're not hurting that believer. You're doing it to the one who's the right hand of God, who died on the cross and arose again and is the right hand of God. You may think you're hurting me. I might think I'm hurting you, but you're not. It's much more serious than that. It is hurting our precious Lord and Savior. He's hurt enough. He hurt enough on the cross. Why should you, why should anyone continue to torture the one who the Bible says, for God so loved all of mankind. That's what the word world means there. That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever would put their trust in him, he would give them eternal life. Paul laying on the ground. His name becomes Paul later. It's still Saul now. It'll soon be changed. And he said, who art thou? Who is this that's speaking to me from heaven? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. And then he makes an illustration that's very, very severe. The King James Version, English translation. Is it hard for thee to kick against the pricks? What they would do, they would have one of those big, strong ox. They'd harness that ox up and hook it to some kind of a thing to pull. And that ox didn't like it. And it would try to get away. And so they would put certain kinds of things on the harness. And if that ox turned the wrong way and tried to go in the wrong direction, that, like a knife, would stick that animal. And it would get in shape and pull the load. He's saying, why do you keep hurting yourself like you are. Why are you kicking against me? I love you. I love you so much. Why do you keep trying to hurt me? I have heard enough. I have paid the price for your ticket to have eternal life. Why? Will you keep doing this to me? We need to come to the conclusion of who is Jesus and who isn't. And the devil doesn't need you to kick against him because God is the only one who can do anything with the devil. He is your enemy and God is your friend. And he, this is Paul, the man who became Paul, he still calls Saul because he's not finished yet with being converted. And he trembled and astonished and said, Lord, what will you have me to do? I'm ready. Now what do you want me to do? I'm not going to kick against you anymore. What do you want me to do? And the Lord said to him, get up, arise, and go into the city, go to Damascus, and it shall be totally what you must do. There are some things you have a choice. there's some things that God has not given you a choice. Find out when he says, this is my way. Find out and go that way, no matter what the price may be, because the end will be, I've fought a good fight. I've kept the faith. Henceforth it is laid for me a crown of righteousness, Not for me only, but all those that the Lord our God has called. And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. God was not talking to them. He was talking to Saul. And Saul arose from the earth. And when his eyes were opened, He saw no man. Oh, what a blessing it is when you've reached the place when you're in a great strait, when you're in great temptation and heartache and pain that you don't look to any human being, but you look directly to the one who's the right hand of God. So many times we think it's a human being that's our problem. and our problem is demonic. Think what's going on just in Houston. The city council and the mayor telling the preachers, you can't preach what you're preaching. We want to see your sermon outlines. And I say, if they won't mind, I've got it. right here. I'll send it. You can have it. I have warned you in the past. I don't know when it will happen, but for example, this property we have here that God has given us, it's been evaluated as being about $2 million worth of buildings and land. We don't pay any ad valorem tax on this property. But the day will come when we will be required to do that because you see when we join up with the government on any kind of tax exemption, Remember, the government doesn't give you exemption if it doesn't demand something in return. So I'm saying, let it come. It'll separate the sheep from the goats. And there's a time we have been, we're so blessed today. The freedom we have and the joy we have, but Satan is angry. And he's going to try to stop everything that gives glory to Jesus. And Saul arose from the earth and when his eyes were open, he saw no man. God didn't want him looking at any human being. He blinded him to every human being and everything. but they led him by the hand. Here is this great strong Pharisee, part of the Sanhedrin being led like a little baby toward the city of Damascus. And he was there three days without sight. He was blind and neither did he eat or drink. He couldn't drink anything. He couldn't eat anything. And there was a certain disciple, praise God, in Damascus. Now he was weak. He wasn't very strong. His name was Ananias. And to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias, and here's what he said, and this is what you need to say. When God begins to speak to you, and you'll know when it's God, Behold, I'm here, Lord. Here's this disciple in Damascus. And the Lord said to him, arise and go into the street, which is called straight. In the city of Damascus, most of the streets are crooked and they are circles. But there's one street, it's still there, about three miles from east to west, and it goes straight through the city. He said, I want you to go to that street. I'm not gonna have you go in circles anymore. I'm gonna give you a straight direction. And inquire in the house of Judas, and this is not Judas Iscariot, he's dead. For one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he prayeth three days without food or drink, and he is praying, speaking to God. And he seen a vision. A man named Ananias is coming in and putting his hand on him. that he might receive his sight. Okay, Ananias, I want you to go to that Christian killer and put your hand on him. Now, Ananias was human, just like you are. Don't ever forget it. You're not totally divine. You still have the Adamic nature that can only be overcome by the spirit. Then Ananias answered and said, Lord, I've heard he'd been hearing the wrong things. Even though they were right, they were not things he should dwell on. But he had, obviously, he was full of fear. Oh, this man saw. I have heard many things of this man. How much evil he hath done to the saints in Jerusalem, and he had. But you see, he should have forgotten about that and turned that over to God. If there are people trying to hurt you, you cannot win with people, but you can win with the power of God. And here he hath authority from the high priest. The word had gotten back to these people in Damascus that he had a signed warrant. be able to take anybody back he wanted to, to put them in prison or kill them. And he hath authority from the high priest to bind all that call on your name, the name of Jesus. But the Lord, but the Lord said unto him, go thy way, Ananias, for he saw is a chosen vessel. What? A man who had done the evil he had done? And God has predestined that he become a chosen vessel that God could fill and use with his love? For he is a chosen vessel unto me. He is to bear my name. before the Gentiles. He's going to speak to the Gentiles all over the Roman Empire. And he's gonna speak to kings. And he did. And the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And from that day, until the day that he was executed by the Roman government. He had nothing but heartache and sorrow and pain. One day God was so gracious to him that he allowed him to, God took his spirit out of his body and took him into heaven itself and showed him all the things that are right about heaven. And then he let him come back and the spirit went back into his body. And you see when that happens to someone, there's a great danger that they may become too full of themselves. I've been to heaven. I've seen things no one else has seen. Oh, I'm somebody special. And God said, uh-uh, I'm gonna take care of that, Paul. Now we don't know what it was, but God put a thorn in Paul's flesh. And whatever it was, all we know is it was a messenger from Satan. And Paul didn't want that thorn in his flesh. He wanted it removed. There's some things that I'd like to have removed, but God has chosen to leave them. like they are. And he said to Paul after Paul prayed through three great fervent seasons of prayer, he said, I'm not going to remove it, Paul, but here's what I'm going to do. My grace is sufficient for thee. I am going to give you the love of my being that'll be so strong that it'll overcome anything that Satan sends your way. You see, I'm leaving that thorn there because you would become real proud and haughty and talk about all the things that you've seen that no one else has seen. And you're going to get all involved in worshiping a vision of heaven rather than a vision of the cross. I think of Jesus as he hung on the cross and the first words he said after they had driven spikes the size of the things they put on the railroad ties to hold the rails down. They drove those spikes through his hand and his feet. And he suffered there on that cross. And the first words he said, and they are for me and they are for you. They are for whosoever will. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. There are so many things that we allow that we're so ignorant that we don't even know. that we are doing the will of the devil rather than the will of God. And so Jesus said, and I've accepted it, have you? Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And that forgiveness is yours and mine today for eternity as we stand and sing. Let's offer up when we see Christ. Life's trials will seem so small, when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase. So blameless, run the race. In a moment, the assembly will be dismissed, and then any of you who need more time, Brother Phil and I will be here to meet with you. This is what I want to say in case you're not here next Lord's Day. Paul did not stay in Damascus. You know why? Those people were not ready for him. So he goes to Arabia. I believe he went to Mount Sinai where the law was given because he still wanted to keep the law of Moses. And he, God taught him how the fact that the law of Moses had been 100% fulfilled and he could go now and preach freedom for you and me. You're free in the Lord. In Jesus' name we dismiss this assembly. In Jesus' name. Amen.