We are in the first nine verses of the ninth chapter of Acts. The persecution of the church continues. However, this time the focal point is not Jerusalem, it is Damascus. That point is important because it was in the Roman province of Syria. Like Jerusalem, it boasted a large Jewish population. Saul has been given authority to look for Christians there. If found, they will be arrested and taken back to Jerusalem, where they will be imprisoned. The distance between Jerusalem and Damascus is approximately 180 miles. On foot, it would have taken Saul about a week to travel. That journey was made alone because he had limited contact with his guard. With every step, Saul was thinking. He may have been thinking about his future task, or he may have been thinking about his past regrets. I wonder how much time he spent thinking about the death of Stephen. Perhaps, all that thinking set the stage for what happened next?
As Saul approached Damascus, the unexpected happened. A bright light from heaven was focused on him. Instinctively, he fell to the ground and heard a voice. In the next few moments, two questions were asked. The first was asked by Jesus, himself, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” When you persecute or criticize the church, you are persecuting or criticizing Jesus. After all, the church is the bride of Christ. No one has ever seen an ugly bride. The second question came from Saul, “Who are you, Lord?” It was a question that was asked to fill the silence. He knew the answer. The man who ordered commands, suddenly was asking for direction. He was to go into Damascus and wait. He waited in complete darkness because his eyesight was taken away. He was in that state for three days, without food. Just like Jesus was dead for three days. It was the turning point in Saul’s life. Nothing would be the same again.
In this blog, I want to talk about three changes that took place in Saul’s life that day. They are the same changes you must make in your life if you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ. These points are not original. The came from United Methodist preacher James W. Moore (1938-2019). He was a graduate of the Methodist Theological School of Ohio. They are worth examining.
If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must have a new focus. That is what happened to Saul. In the first chapter of Mark is the story of Jesus calling his first disciples. It is a story of instant obedience. They instantly leave everything and follow Jesus. Mark does not give us any prior history the disciples had with Jesus, they just left. When I was young, it did not seem logical, or responsible. However, as I have grown older, I have grown to understand why they did it. I believe, they accepted Jesus’ invitation because they needed something new in their lives. Their lives had grown stale, and they hungered for change. You can say they wanted an adventure. Time reminded them that life in this world is limited. They wanted to leave this world a better place. Jesus offers his followers a new focus. If you are going to follow Jesus, then be prepared for a new focus. The temporary is no longer vital. Saul no longer was concerned about worldly success. The eternal suddenly becomes all consuming. How important is eternity to you?
It is interesting only John died of old age. Some believe he lived to be 100. The other eleven dyed as martyrs. Tradition tells us, Peter died in Rome. He was crucified upside down at his request. He was not worthy to die as Jesus died. Andrew was also crucified and died in present day Russia. James was stoned and clubbed to death in present day Syria. Thomas was in India where he was pierced through the side by four solders. Philip went to North Africa and was tortured. Bartholomew was martyred in Ethiopia. Simon the Zealot traveled to Persia and was killed for not worshipping the sun god. Just think about it. Eleven of the twelve died of unnatural causes for the Gospel. Not even one complained because their eyes were fixed on eternity. They had a new focus. Their eyes were fixed on eternity. Are you more concerned about the temporary? Are you more concerned about the eternal? Where are your eyes fixed? If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you better be prepared for a new focus. If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you better be prepared for a new future.
If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must have a new vision. Do you have someone in your life that will not let you forget the past? It may be a mother or a father. It may be a brother or a sister? It may be a friend. Is there someone in your life you hate seeing because they are constantly reminding you of your mistakes or failures? Maybe this is a better question, how much time do you spend resenting your past?
William Glasser (1925-2013) was an American psychiatrist who made his impact on the world of psychiatry. He has developed something called “reality therapy.” His approach is a little blunt, but it sounds good to me. While most of the fields of psychiatry spend a great amount of time untangling your past. For example, why you hate your mother and why you resent your brother. Reality therapy spends time on your future. It says you have the rest of your life to live, get over your past and do something with your future. Do you spend too much time in your past? Do you have someone in your life who spends too much time living in the past? Wouldn’t you like to tell them to get over it and start living today?
Jesus may have been the first reality therapist. He did not care about Saul’s past. He was not worried about what Saul had done. He was more concerned with what Saul could do. This is not an isolated case. Have you ever noticed how little time Jesus spent talking about the past? He is much more interested in his future. It was not just true of Saul. It was true of everyone. When he found the woman in the adulterous relationship, he forgives her and says, “Sin no more.” (John 8:11) When Nicodemus appeared on that dark night with the question Jesus told him to move forward in life. You must be born again. (John 3:3) In the parable of the prodigal son the young brother messed up but they father accepts him back and has a party. (Luke 15:11-31) Jesus is not interested in your past. The same is true for you. He is more interested in what you are going to do in the future then what you did in the past. When you learn to completely follow Jesus you can expect a new future. If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you better be prepared for a new focus. If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you better be prepared for a new future. If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then you better be prepared for a new lifestyle.
If you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then have a new lifestyle. In February of 2016 18-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson was arrested in in West Palm Beach, Florida for pretending to be a doctor. He impersonated an anesthesiologist at the St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was found guilty on 14 charges and served three and a half years in prison. I find that story interesting because the one thing people will not tolerate is a fraud. Our society values people who are genuine. It is especially true of the Christian community. Our society will not tolerate a hypocrite.
Our society is extremely critical of the church and our society is extremely critical of individual Christians. That means your world is watching you to see if you are a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. Four times in the New Testament says we are Christ’s ambassadors in this world. That means you are representing Jesus. What are you teaching your world about Jesus from your behavior? What are you teaching your world about Jesus from your attitudes or opinions? What are you teaching your world about Jesus from your words? Jesus loved everyone unconditionally. Jesus forgave everyone regularly. How are you doing serving as Christ’s ambassador in this world?
Let me ask you these two questions. You can consider them a test of your genuineness. What have you said about our new president in the last few days? What have you said about our former president in the last few days? Remember, you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ? Are you a follower who is embracing a new lifestyle, always forgiving, and always loving, or are you a leader who refuses to change? Jesus loved everyone. Jesus forgave regularly. The great reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) said it best, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” On this inauguration week, let me end with this patriotic story.
In 1789, an uncertain George Washington (1732-1799) was urged to seek the presidency of the United States by Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816). Morris was a man of great influence. He was a delegate from New York to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. From 1792-1794, he served as the Ambassador to France. From 1800-1803, he served as a United States Senator. He saw Washington as a natural leader. Morris wrote Washington these words: “No constitution is the same on paper and in life. The exercise of authority depends upon personal character. Your cool steady temper is needed to set the tone for a new government.”
Here is the good news for today! No one is asking you to be the president. (Aren’t you glad?) No one is even asking you to be a leader. The only thing I am going to ask you to do is be a follower. Follow Jesus and experience life as God intended from the very beginning. When you learn to follow Jesus, you will discover a new focus, a new future, and a new lifestyle. How much has the Gospel changed your life? So, let me ask you the question of the day one more time. Are you a leader? Are you a follower? Jesus is looking for followers.
Russ Adams 