Whereupon, as I went to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun shining around about me, and then was journeyed with me. When we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice, he said, saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecute this from me? It is hard for me to pick against me. I said, Who art thou, Lord? I said, I am Jesus, whom thou art with me. But rise and stand upon my feet, for I have appeared unto thee, for this purpose, to make me a minister, and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee. delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to night, from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coast of Judea, and then to the Gentile that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance. These causes, the Jews caught me in the temple, went about to kill me, having therefore obtained help of God. I continue unto this day. witnessing both the small and great, saying none other things than those which were prophets and Moses did say should come. I want to speak this morning on Saul's noble plea, or Paul, because before he was converted, he was Saul of Cossacks. Afterwards, he was Paul the Apostle. And it's quite a story. I don't suppose you have a more dynamic conversion. Here is God's direct intervention. Now, God, as a rule, uses means. You might say every conversion is relative. For instance, maybe someone gives you a track, and you read that track, or a loved one or a Christian witnesses to you about the Lord Jesus, and maybe he points you to Christ, or you go and hear the gospel preach. Maybe you learned it in the Sunday school, or you listened to a sermon, and the Spirit of God convicts you and you're brought to Christ. But in connection with the Apostle Paul, this was direct intervention. The Lord Jesus didn't use any instrumentality on this occasion. He intervened himself. It was a direct intervention. The Lord Jesus Christ stopped you without using any human channel. The Lord Jesus stopped this man on the Damascus Road and spoke to him direct and revealed himself unto him. It's very interesting to note what language the Lord Jesus used. Now I've had people ask, what language are we going to speak in heaven? What language do you think? Will it be English? Will it be Greek? Will it be German? Will it be Russian? What language will we speak? We're all going to speak one language, for the Bible plainly says he will make of one tongue all nations of the earth. Well, here is the language the Lord Jesus used from heaven. It's in verse fourteen. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecute us thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the earth. So evidently this is the language that we'll speak and use in heaven. The Hebrew language. I can't find any other language that we have used or here used in the glory. And so here is the Lord Jesus and he's speaking direct from heaven to the Apostle Paul. Now as to the Apostle, what was he? You'll find that in verses three and four. For verse four and five, my manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews, which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most strictest sect of our religion, I lived of Pharisees. Now there you have a little of the Apostle Paul's life. From his youth up he was very religious. He lived a Pharisee. The Pharisees were the chief opponents of the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ in his grace, he rebuked them, he exposed them, and he warned them of the woes that were coming upon the nation and upon them. And yet he patiently and graciously and sternly spoke to them to bring them to repentance and to bring them to themselves. He received and saved all who gave even some of these Pharisees, as we have in the case of Nicodemus and Saul. For Nicodemus in John chapter three was a parody, and he came to the Lord Jesus by night, and the Son of God with one stroke, he swept the foundation out from beneath the feet of that man, who was a very religious man. He was a preacher. He was a teacher. He was a ruler of the Jews. He was a Pharisee, a learn, educate, cultured, model Pharisee. Yet Jesus Christ said, you must be born again. There was a Pharisee that the Lord received graciously. You know today, and of course the Apostle Paul is another, as we see, the Lord Jesus received this Pharisee. All people are not hypocrites. It is true the Lord said time and time again that is concerning these Pharisees, woe be unto you, ye hypocrites, ye generation of vipers. What stern language, what searing language, what searching language the Son of God used when he addressed these Pharisees. But not all of them were different. Although he called the majority of them hypocrites time and time again, Some of them were sincere, some were earnest. But the tragedy is they were deceived and misled. I agree with you. There are lots of hypocrites in the religious world today. I would say that because of hypocrites in the church, more people have stopped going to church than for any other reason. I meet them time and time and time again. You invite them to come to your service. Well, tune in the hypocrite. I live a better life than those who go to church. And that's the big stumbling block today, hypocrite. Men holding position in high belief. Just this week, the man who has a chair in this business is in the meeting this morning. But it wasn't him who told me, it was one of the men who worked. He said a certain preacher came in here, and he said he must use an awful lot of alcoholic aftershave lotion. He said, I sure smell. He smelled whiskey, a liquor off, whiskey, a preacher, well received in this cup. That's hypocrisy. Hypocrisy. And one could say many other things. Hypocrisy is a stumbling block to many getting saved. And oh, the woods are full of weak stewards, elders, and even preachers. Not living up to what they preach. Hippocrates. But thank God not all religious people are Hippocrates, although a lot of religious people are lost. Religious people go to church every Sunday, possibly every time the door opens. They go to church. They give a tithe of their income. They're people who are really sincere. They're really earnest. They're fully convinced they're doing right and they're going to heaven. But like the Apostle Paul and like Nicodemus, they've never been born again. They are sincere, but they're sincerely wrong. How sad and how tragic to see such people, deceived, misled? Well, here's one, the Apostle Paul and Seth, who was deceived and misled. Think of the Apostle Paul, some of the things concerning him. He trusted in sectarianism. He tells you that in verse five. After the straightest or strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. I selected, I chose the strictest branch of our denomination. I said, I lived a Pharisee. That was the Apostle Paul. He trusted in the fact that he was a Pharisee. He trusted in the fact that he was a member of this sect. He tells you that right here. Oh, the people today are trusting in the fact that they're Methodists. They're trusting in the fact they're Baptists. They're trusting in the fact they're Presbyterians. They're trusting in the fact they're some other religion, Episcopalian. Friend, I don't care if you're the most strictest member of that denomination. The Apostle Paul was just the same, and he had to be born again. It's not strictness. or adherence to some doctrine. No. It jitters Christ and Jesus Christ alone the saved. Paul says, I was one of the strictest sect of the Pharisees. I lived it. I lived it. And he did. I think one of the things that stumbles a lot of people today, I have talked to some, who ask them if they're born again, no, I'm not. But I'll tell you one thing. If anyone's in heaven, my mother's in heaven. My father's in heaven. Now they were Methodists. Or they were Baptists. Well, thank God for that. Because there were a lot of good, godly, old Methodists and Baptists. There's no question about that. There's nothing here. But we're living in another generation. A lot of the young people do not have what old grandmother had. And old grandfather had. They had just come up to the Sunday school and joined the church in their members. And if their parents or grandparents knew what was going on today in the very church where they remembered they'd turn over in their grave. But I've spoken to some of these people. Well, I'm happy to know that your parents are in heaven. But let me tell you one thing. They're not in heaven because they were baptized. They're not in heaven because they were Presbyterians or Methodists. They're in heaven because they trusted the blood of Christ. That's why they're in heaven. Christians first. That was their goal. It's only being born again and knowing Christ will take one to heaven. That's plainly taught in your Bible. Follow with us, very sectarian man, and he trusted him. He was a member of the church. In other words, he was very closely affiliated with the temple, while the Apostle Paul lived practically in the temple before his conversion. He would put it the head of his house in Pamela, although he wasn't a married man, but he had quarters of lilies. The Apostle Paul put the church above his gunning. How sad to see a man who was so sincere, full of good work, He said, I lived a Pharisee. He was proud of them. Christ says concerning the Pharisees in Matthew twenty-three, he says you'll come for sea and land to make one convert to your religion, make a church member, and when you've made him a church member, you've made him twofold more the child of hell than yourself. Jesus Christ said that. I didn't. Jesus Christ said in using so much energy and zeal to get a member to your church, you're making that person you've got into your church twofold more the child of hell than you are. How shearing, how searching the language of the Lord Jesus was. And if the thing of a person that we've gotten today, why will not leave a stone unturned, they go out and visit doors and everything else, try to get people members of their church. And he says you'll make them two full more, the child of tail, than yourself. Meaning you're not born again at all. You're working for a denomination. You're working for a church. You're not working for the Lord. If they were working for the Lord, wouldn't they do it fifty-two weeks in the year instead of one week or two? Certainly. They'd witness all year long, not just when the revival comes. That's what the Lord Jesus says. You'll compass, see, and land to make one proselyte, one convent, one new member. And when you have made it, you've lost just like you are. And again, the Apostle believed in and trusted in saying prayers. Yes, the Pharisees used to pray constantly. Jesus Christ says, you make long prayers. Long prayers. The Apostle Paul prayed long prayers. Another thing, he trusted in giving, tithing. The Pharisee, you remember over in Luke eighteen, he said, I give tithes of all that I possess. He even went beyond the demands of the law. The law demanded tithing on four things. But this Pharisee said, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Apostle Paul being a strict adherent to Phariseeism, wouldn't be outdone by that man. Paul says, I tied everything. He trusted in tithing. He trusted in fasting. God only demanded one annual fast, and that was on the Great Day of Atonement. But this man said, I fast twice in a week. I don't fast once in a year. I fast twice in a week. That's a hundred and four times a year. Imagine this Pharisee. Paul trusted in keeping the commandment. The Pharisees used to wear a little thing called phylactery. There's a little box made of skin, and it had portions of Bible and portions of the Old Testament scriptures. They wore it on their left arm, and they wore it on their forehead, going down the street. Suppose you saw someone going down the streets of Albany with the New Testament tied on their arm, and one stuck up here in the forehead. Lord, he was a one and not. He's crazy. He's a fanatic. Well, that's what a Pharisee did. They didn't care what people said or thought. They wore these phalactoies on their forehead and on their left arm. That's what Paul did. He trusted in that. Paul was separate from the world. For the word Pharisee means separate one. Paul was separate from the world. I'll tell you, he put a great moat between him and the world. He'd have nothing to do with the social world, the political world. He stood aloof from all that. He was a Pharisee. He trusted in that. I don't do this. I don't do that. I don't do the other thing. That was the Apostle Paul. And so here is this proud, strict Pharisee. He trusted in morality, outward morality, inward cleanliness, and honesty. Paul was a strict, zealous follower of the tradition of his father. What's good enough for my Father is good enough for me, said the Apostle. Bible distinctly says that, and he was proud of his accomplishments, but he was ignorant of God's salvation. He himself said, when he was convicted of his sin and truly converted to Jesus Christ, he said, God have mercy on me because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. He said, I was blinded. And with all my religion, I discovered I had nothing. God had mercy on me, for I did it ignorantly. God knew it. I did it ignorantly and unbelief. How sad and how tragic. There are so many millions of people just like that today. Paul's beautiful house crumbled. His self-righteousness turned to wretchedness. His pride. turned to pain, his morality turned to misery, his giving turned to groaning, his separation turned to sorrow, and he summed it all up with this. I but counted as dumb that I might have Christ. In other words, it's all lost. It's all empty. It's without foundation. Is there anyone here this morning who can compare with the Apostle Paul that I've described to you after the strictest sect I lived in. And yet he wasn't born again. He wasn't ready for heaven. But God saw the sincerity of this man. The Lord Jesus had his eye on him. You could say a lot more about the Apostle and his connection with Stephen's martyrdom. maybe that's some future occasion, that when they martyred Stephen, they laid Stephen's clothes down at the feet of Paul, Saul of Tarshish, and he gave consent unto his death. We would like to call him a murderer. With all his religion, he wasn't beyond giving consent and having people put to death who didn't agree with his religion. And don't forget the most bitter kind of prejudice and hatred is religious religious bitterness religious hatred so here is this apostle paul what happened to bring him to repentance that takes us to the ninth chapter of acts here is this proud man this strict man, this man who adheres to every jot and tittle of the law in the Old Testament scriptures, though he's jealous for his denomination, he's zealous. He'll go any place, he'll do anything for his church. With authority in his pocket, a letter from the chief priest to go to a surrounding city and apprehend any Christian, hail at the court and put to death. But on his way, on the Damascus Road. Jesus Christ shone from heaven. A beam of light came out of the blue, and the Apostle Paul stood there. It struck him to the ground. Never had he seen a light like that. In fact, he speaks of it as a light above the brightness of the sun. First, he tells his conversion three times in the Acts. First, he said, a light. The second time he tells his conversion, he says a great light. Here he says a light above the brightness of the sun. Now you can't look at the sun with your naked eye. Jesus Christ outshines the sun. Here was Jesus Christ like a spotlight shining right down on the apostle. He didn't take another step. He was smitten to the ground. So bright was that light Paul was stricken blind. Not in his blindness and darkness. He spoke low. What will thou have me to do? For that voice had said, Saul, Saul, why persecute us thou me? There are nine personal pronouns. In fact, if you go through this chapter and underline every personal pronoun, I will find twenty-four of them. But there are eight. that I want to single out, four in this chapter and four in the New Testament, eight personal pronouns that wrap up the life of the Apostle Paul. The first one is the one I have just mentioned. I saw in the way a light, verse thirteen. I saw in the way a light. This is conviction. I wonder if you have seen the light of truth. The light of the glorious gospel of Christ. when it seems as though a light, a ray, a beam of divine truth shone into your heart. That's conviction. Christ is the light of the world. This book is light. That's what brings people under conviction. It's this book. It's this book. Only this last week I heard an answer one on the newscast. The Ecumenical Council have come right out. Of course, I've known this for years. Anybody associated with Catholicism knows me. But they put tradition on the same platform, the same level as the Word of God. Friend, no tradition is to be in any way associated with this Blessed Word. Paul says, I was a strict adherent to the tradition of my fathers, and I can give you a text that explains that. In First Peter one and eighteen were not redeemed with such corruptible things as silver and gold by the precious blood of Christ, but we are redeemed from the tradition of our fathers. Not redeemed by silver or gold from the tradition of our fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ we are redeemed from the tradition of our fathers. It's not what my father believed. It's what does the Bible teach. Thank God that my mother and father believed the Bible. My parents were both saved before I was born. When I grew up, they told me the gospel. I didn't take their word for it solely. I looked in this book and thankful to say what my parent did teach me and tell me was according to life. And my parents so lived it that I thought there must be something to it. And I discovered that what I'd been told as a boy The old-fashioned gospel is right here in the book. Paul says, I saw the way of life. The second one is, I heard a voice speaking unto me, verse fourteen. I heard a voice. Saul, Saul, why persecutor saw me? Yes, where do I remember when the light, the divine truth, the shaft of the truth of God shone into my heart and exposed me. I saw myself in the light of that beam of truth, that I was a sinner. I was lost. I was helpless. I was undone. I couldn't save myself. My good works didn't count. I was just a poor, bankrupt sinner. That's what the light of divine truth revealed to me. Then I heard the voice. The voice of the Spirit through the Word. I heard a voice speaking unto me. Not with these ears. unless it was the voice of God to the preacher. And I heard that. It seemed as everything the preacher said went to my heart. It seemed to go right home to me. He was singling me out. That's the voice of the Son of God who is human instrument. I heard a voice speaking unto me. It's the voice of one who sees all, knows all, and can do all. It's the voice of Jesus Christ. What a voice it is. It's the voice of love. It's the voice of authority. It's the voice of power. It's the voice of majesty. The voice of the sound of many waters, you read in the book of Revelation. I heard a voice speaking unto me. The next thing, I was not disobedient, verse nineteen. I was not disobedient unto the heaven of Israel. If you have conviction in connection with the first pronoun, You have counsel in connection with the second I heard a voice. But here you have conversion. I was not disobedient. I was not disobedient. Paul said, I obeyed that voice. For when that voice said, Saul, Saul, why persecute us thou me? Medially said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? I obeyed that voice. This is conversion. And only when you believe the gospel, only when you accept the gospel, how you can learn. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that set me half everlasting life. You've got to believe me. He heard the voice all the way that he believed. He said, I was not disobedient. I obeyed that word. That's why some of you are not Christians here this morning. You know what we're saying is the truth. It's the Word of God. God has spoken to you, but you haven't yet obeyed. Remember those who are going to hell, the fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the lake with garnet the Tyron Prince of which is the second day of Revelation twenty-one eight. Fearful and unbelieving. those because of fear of their companions, fear of what others will say, they will not believe, but fearful and unbelieving shall have their part. Paul says, I was not. This will be. I obeyed. I obeyed the Lord. Next pronoun is, I continue unto this day, verse twenty-two. If you have conviction, connected with the first pronoun, delight, counsel connected with the second, the voice, conversion, connected with us, next, the third one, I was not disobedient. Here you have continuation. How wonderful. I continue under this day. I continue under this day. Having received help of God, I continue under this day. Isn't it wonderful? how he summarizes life. I saw the way of life. I heard a voice speaking unto me. I was not disobedient. I continue unto this day. Having received help of God, and it's only by the help of God he came to do. Having received help of God, he said, I continue unto this day. Jesus Christ is able, willing to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. the fifth one, he says, I know whom I have believed. You have to turn to Timothy, second Timothy, one twelve for that. And here you have his confidence. I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that, which I have committed unto him against that age. I know whom I have believed. How wonderful. Not I hope. I know it. I have divine authority for it. I know whom I have believed. The next one, he preached on a last Sunday, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Romans one, sixteen. Here's his confession. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. Yes, the Apostle Paul said, I am not ashamed of what happened to me. I am not ashamed of the one who changed me. I'm not ashamed of the message that came to me. Oh, no, I'm proud of it. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. You know, there's a lot of religion today that I'm ashamed of. I'm very much ashamed of that religion and that type of preaching that tells people if they're good. They try to live the best they can. If they affiliate with a church, pay their dues, they'll see it all right. The Lord will see them through it. I'm ashamed of that. It dishonors God. It belittles Jesus Christ. It breathes the Holy Spirit. It destroys him because it's a lie. Nowhere in your Bible can you find if a person lives good, does the best he can, joins the church, gives a tithe, and he's going to heaven. If that were true, why did Jesus Christ die on the cross? His sacrifice was a tragedy on this. when man could not save himself that Jesus Christ gave his life upon God. Paul says, but here's something I'm not ashamed of. I know what it did for me. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's the power of God on salvation. Friend, I'm not ashamed of that message. God only knows where Lester Wilson would have been this morning. If that message hadn't come to my heart, I'd like to be ashamed. God only knows the life I'd have lived prior to my going to hell and the gospel not saved. Because I'll tell you I had wild and worldly desires and intentions. I was going to set sail on life did he see. Be it a voyage short or long. I was making plans. I'll tell you the Son of God slapped me at the age of nineteen and how I praised him he did. Seeing he did so much for me, caused my life to be a little useful, to his glory, preaching to others, I'll tell you I'm not ashamed of a gospel that did that for me. And I've seen it do the same for hundreds of others. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. the power of God unto salvation to every one believer. Then he says in Galatians two twenty, another first was thrown out. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ living in me in the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself home. Paul says, nail me with my Lord to the cross. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, not I, Christ, live within me. The life which I now live in the flesh I live, and the faith of the Son of God loved me gave himself for me. And the final one I mention is, I am now ready. That's the final and the eighth personal pronoun that I'm bringing to your attention. Find in the fourth chapter or second Timothy. I think it's verse six. He says, I am now ready. The time of my departures at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up on me a crown of righteousness. It is the Lord the righteous judge. Forgive me at that day and not to me older. Of all then the lovers of God. Here you have in these eight personal pronouns I saw in the real light there is conviction. I heard a voice speaking unto me there is counsel. I was not disobedient. There's conversion. I continue unto this day. There's continuation. I know whom I have believed. There's confidence. I am not ashamed. There's my confession. I am crucified. There's my conviction. I am ready to go home to be with the Lord. There's my conscience. Eight words beginning with sin. Sums up the light of the Apostle Paul. I am now ready. I am now ready. I wonder if you're ready this morning. I'm now ready, I think, with that little story of a British sea captain who was uptown at the certain port. He was walking down the main street. Of that town, his attention was drawn to a little fellow, ragged, and he was pressing his nose and lips and chin against the grinal pain of a restaurant. The foot was doing this, and his hands went behind him, and he was twisting him as he was pressing his nose against the window. The captain, interesting, looked at him, interested in the little lad, looked at him. He could see why. Inside were two or three tables loaded with good things to eat, people eating. A little fellow likely was saw. The captain surprised a little chap. He said, Sonny, What are you looking at? The little fellow's shocked, turned around. Oh, sir, he said, I haven't had any heat from home. Captain says, well, he said, if you had your face washed and your hair combed, he said, I'd say you didn't get somebody to brush his hair back. He said, I'm ready, I don't know, sir. Captain kind of smiled. Well, he said, come on in. I don't know that's in and out. I'll take you. Took him in. He sat down to counter. The little fellow gulped down some fruit. Captain began asking some questions. Where's your mother? She danced. Where's your daddy? I haven't seen him since Mom died. Well, how'd you live? Well, I just did what I can. Poor little fellow been living out of garbage cans, sleeping in dark dens and everything. Through time, getting close to Captain had to go. He says, Sonny, you're only dressed up a little better and face washed and hair combed. He said, I'll take you on board ship with a little color. He busts his hair again. He said, I'm ready now, sir. Ready now. The captain was so touched by him that I'm hearing his story. He says, come on. I'll take you on board ship. But he did. The other members of the crew would say, who's this with him? He said, I don't know. He doesn't seem to have a name. I've asked him, and he doesn't have a name. He said, I'm going to call him ready now. I'll call him ready now. That's all he says. I'm ready now. Two days out to sea, little lad he took ship. The life you'd had to live was too much for a little frame. Ship's doctor was called in, salmon, he said, oh, the captain out of the cabin, he said, Captain, he's not going to make it. The little lad, he said, He said, he's terribly undernourished. City happens. And the captain heard that. He sat by his bed day and night. Finally at the end, Junior, a little fellow reached over and he patted the captain's hand. He said, Captain, I thank you for what you did for me. He says, you know, before my mummy went to heaven, she said, Sonny, I'm going to be with Jesus. and I want you to meet me there too. He said, Captain, I'm going to be with Jesus. Ronald E used to tell us that Jesus died first. He said, I'm going to be with Jesus. He said, Captain, will you meet me there? Big tears roll down the cheeks of the captain. He gripped the hand, the little pale hand, the little daddy, he said, I'm ready. I'm ready now. Right there the captain passed from death unto life. He accepted Christ and not long afterwards the little light fled. Sitting beside that corpse was his captain. Save. Save that little walk, please. Paul says, I am now there. time of my departure with Angler. He asked you, then, when you were ready, they were ready, went in, and the door was shut. Christ said, be also ready, for in the Son of Man coming. Lord, be also. Be also. Can you say this morning, I'm ready, ready to accept Christ, that my Savior, I've been postponing it, I've been putting it off too long, I'm ready now. Do you remember this? Man may go to heaven without health. He may go to heaven without wealth. A man may go to heaven without faith. He may go to heaven without a great name. He may go to heaven without learning. He may go to heaven without culture. He may go to heaven without duty. He may go to heaven without friends. He may go to heaven without being a church member. He may go to heaven without baptism. for they'll never, no, never go to heaven without Jesus Christ. You've got to have Christ if ever you're going to be in. I asked you this morning, do you have Christ when it is open? Now you're there. I trust you will. But yet, I'm ready now. I'm ready now. I'm ready now. I'm ready to settle. I'm ready to settle it. shap in righteousness. Our Father in heaven, name Lord Jesus, we have come to be a small one. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you for your service. Thank you, Lord Jesus. We will not be unable to have a forest farm at all. Thank you for the