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[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ] ♪ There's a sweet, sweet spirit in this place ♪

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♪ And I know it's the spirit of the Lord ♪ ♪ There's a sweet expression in my face ♪ ♪ God is great ♪ ♪ And I know that it's the presence of the Lord ♪

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♪ Sing, Holy Spirit ♪ ♪ Sing, thou children ♪ ♪ Stay right here with us ♪ ♪ In the sweet of love ♪

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♪ When for his mercy ♪ ♪ He bends our hearts in prayer ♪ ♪ We'll never doubt his love ♪ ♪ And we'll give him our ♪

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♪ And we shall live this way ♪ ♪ Swing, holy spirit ♪ ♪ Swing and we'll go ♪ ♪ Stay right here with us ♪

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♪ In the spirit of love ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessed ♪ ♪ He has a heart to pray ♪ ♪ To love and love will go ♪

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♪ And be a memory mine ♪ ♪ And we shall be ♪ Amen. And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art

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"I am not thou, Lord, and the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." The subject is, my name is Saul,

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but you can call me Paul. This is a biographical sermon dealing with one of the most outstanding exponents of the Christian faith in the first century. It is a manner in which he may have greeted his contemporaries.

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The words, "My name is Saul, but you can call me Paul." Saul is a Hebrew name. It was given to him when he was born. For as a Jewish boy, he was circumcised on the eighth day and given the name Saul after

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the first king of Israel. He came from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, but he is best remembered by his Roman name, Paul.

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He was a citizen of three worlds. He was a citizen of the Jewish nation. He was a citizen of the Roman Empire. He was a citizen of the kingdom of God.

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That's why he could introduce himself by saying, "My name is Saul, but you can call me Paul." He was one who claimed not only citizenship on earth, but citizenship in heaven. He was born and read in Tarsus, the principal city in the fertile plains of Cilicia, which was situated on the River Cydnus.

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And he was exposed to Greek culture. He spoke the Greek language. He was acquainted with Greek thinking, Greek philosophy and practices. All of these were familiar to him as the speech and customs and beliefs of his Jewish forefathers.

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His parents were Roman citizens. Saul was born with the rank and privileges that were above those of the average Jew. As a Roman citizen, he had three names.

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Four name, a family name, and an additional name. But he is best known by his additional name. The name Saul means asked or requested.

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It means lent of the Lord. The name Saul is identified with an earthly kingdom. But the name Paul means little. It denotes the change from pride to humility.

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One who considered himself a prominent Pharisee came to the point in his life that he called himself the least of the apostles. My name is Saul, but you can call me Paul. The name Saul is identified with an earthly kingdom, but the name Paul is identified with a heavenly kingdom. So you see his name on his birth certificate

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was Saul but we call him Paul. Saul is an identification with the natural existence. The tribe of Benjamin, Jacob in blessing his sons called Benjamin a ravenous wolf. And although Saul grew up in a Hellenist environment, he lived as a Hebrew. He could speak the Hebrew language and he often addressed Hebrews in Aramaic and he

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he spoke to the Hellenists using his knowledge of the Greek language. He matriculated at the city of Jerusalem where he received his university training at the the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most prominent scholars of his day. And like a ravenous wolf, he pursued his studies, becoming a Pharisee. That means belonging to the company of the

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separated ones. He was a very sprupulous observer of the law. Well, you see the Pharisees were the innovators. They were the liberals. They were the initiators of change.

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They were the progressive party. The Pharisees were the liberals, I say, and the Sadducees were the conservatives. They were bent on maintaining the old-time religion, preserving the status quo. Saul of Tarshish became an ardent advocate of Phariseeism.

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Saul of Tarshish was a Pharisee of Pharisees and a Hebrew of Hebrews. He distinguished himself by his zest and zeal in promoting and protecting Judaism.

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Saul became a persecutor of the church. Those who became followers of the Christian faith were objects of his scorn and ridicule, and they became also prison victims.

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Saul was vigorous in targeting believers in Jerusalem. And when they scattered from Jerusalem, Saul followed. He went so far as to get credentials, which deputized him to go to Damascus

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and persecute all Christians he could find. Saul and his company were riding with lightning like speed on the highway to Damascus, when suddenly the spotlight of heaven focused on him.

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That light had brilliance brighter than the noonday sun. Saul was dazzled and blinded by the brightness of the heavenly light. Saul had been traveling in darkness.

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He did not understand what God was doing. He did not apprehend the nature of the kingdom of God. He did not know the meaning of being a citizen of that kingdom.

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But under the searchlight of heaven, Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice, a voice that he had never heard before, calling him by name saying Saul, Saul.

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And he answered, who are you Lord? And the voice said, I am Jesus. I am the one you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.

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But when you fight against me, you fight against the King and the Kingdom. When you fight against me, you fight against the Creator of the universe. When you fight against me, you fight against the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. When you fight against me, you fight against the citizens of the Kingdom of God.

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"You fight not only against the citizens of the kingdom of God, when you fight against me, you fight against yourself." So with trembling voice and shaking body, Saul said, "Lord, what will you have me to do?" And the Lord answered, "Arise,

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go into the city, and it will be told you what you are to do."

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The men with Saul were spellbound. They heard the voice, but they saw no man.

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Saul was blinded by the heavenly light, and when he arose,

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He arose, he was led into the city of Damascus. The Lord has strange ways of getting us to do what he wants us to do. He knows how to knock us down from our high horses

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and make us humble and willing servants. He knows how to get us off of the road that is, the road that is broad and leads to destruction. He knows how to get us off of that road

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and to get us on the straight and narrow way. So Saul was turned around through the Damascus road experience. Oh, he had been on crooked circle,

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but the Lord put him on straight street. The Lord sent him to brother Ananias, who counseled Saul and he was able to see. He was able to see himself.

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He was able to see God's purpose for his life. He was able to see where God was to lead him in a special ministry. So Saul went to synagogues and preached the good news.

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He went various places and he appeared that he had previously appeared as a persecutor, He came in a new way with a new purpose. He came as a new person,

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proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. And the Jews were astounded and confounded by the change that had occurred. They took steps to kill him.

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And he had to be let down over the wall in a basket in order to preserve his life. But Jesus Christ had a special mission for him. God has a special mission for every person he has created.

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So visited Jerusalem and he went there to acquaint himself with the leaders of the church and become acquainted with those who were at the headquarters.

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He was taken under the wing of Barnabas, who served as a reference and as an encourager. He was strong and effective, and because of that, they sought to kill him.

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But Barnabas and Saul worked together in the church. They worked together in the church at Antioch. The Holy Spirit led the church to set them apart as missionaries.

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And they went forth and preached. Oh, they went to many, many places. But at this stage, there was a change in emphasis and Saul, who had focused on Jewish faith

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Jewish Christians now is called Paul because he focuses his ministry on Gentile Christians. And so that's why as we look at his life you can say the words my name is Saul but you can call me Paul. That indicates a change that God has brought in his life. Oh what a wonderful change in his life has

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been wrong. Paul and Bonavus, oh they decide to take a missionary journey and then after that journey they decide to take another missionary journey and and returned to the churches that they had visited on the first trip.

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And there arose a dispute among them about whether or not they ought to take John Mark. And Bonibus takes John Mark with him and Paul goes on with Silas.

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But Paul distinguishes himself as a missionary. He distinguishes himself as one through whom God works, he was a channel of God's grace. Jewish Christians and Gentiles

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somehow were affected by his ministry. He was one in whom Christ worked in such a marvelous way. And there were those who found fault with his ministry. And they said that this man is short of stature,

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He's bald-headed, he's bow-legged, he's not impressive, listen to his sermons, and he speaks in a monologue, like he's in a monologue, or in a monotone, and they were theologically out of touch

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with what he was saying, but Paul somehow was steadfast in what he was doing, and he was prepared to live dangerously for Jesus Christ. So the critics continued in their way,

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but Paul somehow was steadfast, and he answered his critics. He said, "Who are they? "Are they Hebrews? "So am I.

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"Are they Israelites? "So am I. "Are they ministers of Christ? "So am I."

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He said, "I have given myself in imprisonments and countless floggings and I've been near death and five times I've received 40 lashes, save one from the Jews.

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And three times I've been beaten with rods and once I was stoned. And three times I've been shipwrecked and I've been spending a night and a day adrift at sea.

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and I've been on frequent journeys. I've been in dangers, seen and unseen, dangers of my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness,

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dangers all around. So he said, but first let me just talk about revelations from the Lord. You know, everybody who walks with the Lord

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ought to have some revelations. There ought to be some experiences that God has somehow worked with you and spoken to you and you have got a vision of God that has occurred in your life, not just one time. It didn't stop on the Damascus Road, but God spoke to him from time to time.

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He said, "I remember, I remember," he said, "I was caught up into the third heaven, "and I heard things that it is not common "for any man to hear, but somehow I heard,

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"and I talked with God, and I had a vision of his glory "that changed my life." And so this man, whose name was Saul, people came to call Paul, had a unique life,

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so much so that most of the books of the New Testament were written by him. Spent a great deal of his time in prison, but he was in a prison not as a prisoner.

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He didn't consider himself a prisoner of man, But he said, "I'm a prisoner of the Lord." Oh, he appeared before Felix while he was in prison. He looked upon these as opportunities

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to speak a word for God to those in high places. He appeared before Festus. He used that also as an opportunity. All of these things, he said, have

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happened to me for the furtherance of the gospel. So he was a prisoner. And I wondered some time ago when I had the privilege of going to Rome,

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and I was taken by the guide to a place that is called Paul's prison, St. Paul's prison. It was a dainty place, very dark place, A place where Paul is said to have spent so many days,

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even years, when he was there as a prisoner of the Lord. And sometimes God sends us to dark places. We have dark experiences, but somehow he comes to be with us in those places, and even in the midst

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of the darkness, we experience a heavenly light. And I hear him as he says, "I'm ready. "I'm ready to preach the gospel wherever I'm sent. "I'm ready."

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And so God used him in a glorious way, in a marvelous manner, so much so that Paul is looked upon as the great theologian of the Christian faith.

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But when I looked at the life of Paul from beginning to end, as we see him writing to Timothy, those last days of his life, stating the fact that he knows that his departure is at hand

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and it seems that after that, according to history, he was beheaded. And that seems to be like an ignoble end as we look at it from this side.

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But on the other side, we see the glory of life as we look across the years that was lived for Jesus Christ. And I thought-- I said, Paul, as I looked at his life, And I wanted to have an experience

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of being able to communicate with him to see what would he have me say. And it came back to me to tell them, tell the people today,

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tell them to think about whatsoever things are honest. Tell them to be concerned about whatever is just. Tell them to be concerned about living a life of purity. Tell them to focus on that which is lovely.

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Tell them to give themselves to that which is of good report. Tell them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Tell them to endure hardness as a good soldier.

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Tell them to run with patience the race that is set before them. "Tell them that my name is Saul, "but they can call me Paul.

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"For they are to be steadfast, immovable, "always abounding in the work of the Lord. "For as you know that your labor in the Lord "is not in vain."

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We come now to extend the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. The same Lord that arrested Paul on the Damascus Road is present today. He arrests us in the course of our journey, taps us on the shoulder, turns us around, sets us on a new course.

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We invite you to come as we extend the privilege to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. [ Music ] ♪ Father Jesus, I surrender ♪ ♪ All to Him I freely give ♪

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♪ I will ever love and trust Him ♪ ♪ In His presence, may He live ♪ ♪ I surrender all ♪ I surrender all.

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All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. All to thee, Jesus, I surrender, All the earth is thine, I vow.

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♪ Burning legends of the Savior ♪ ♪ Take me, Jesus, take me now ♪ ♪ Christ the Redeemer, Lord of all ♪ ♪ Christ the Redeemer, Lord of all ♪

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♪ All to Thee, my blessed Savior ♪ I surrender all All to Jesus I surrender

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Give me, Savior, holy life Let me feel your Holy Spirit Truly know that Now all is mine

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I surrender all. I surrender all. All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. [Music]

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