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I don't know how closely you pay attention to
the headlines or the kind of current events that are going on in our
world but,
how many of you know the name James ***
Bulger? Anybody know that name? Alright, some of you
picked up on that. But it's been in the news quite a bit lately.
This is one of the most famous or infamous
organized crime bosses that we have seen
in a very very long time. I mean there's
epic kinda folklore surrounding this guy
who is from the South Boston area and obviously he's on trial
now or the trial is kind of ended but
you know he's been in the news because of him being in court.
and I started reading some on his life
and it was more sad than fascinating
I would imagine but as I read I found out that as a kid growing up in the
South Boston area
he was in quite a bit of trouble he was fighting a lot
and through that violence in fighting and kind of establishing himself in the
tough streets of South Boston
he ended up going to a juvenile detention center for a while and
then he got out but he began to get involved in more trouble
and eventually in 1956 he ended up for his first stint
in the federal penitentiary upon getting out you'd think okay maybe he's learned
his lesson but no he gets out and begins to
involve himself in the ways of organized crime
in the South Boston area and makes a pretty significant name for himself
and he kind of ran back and forth between a couple a different families and
apparently had a really good way of playing both sides
so much so that he was an FBI informant
and still involved in organized crime
he was kind of a both and scenario and manipulated those that were
helping him from an FBI standpoint where they thought he was helping them
he was manipulating everybody actually on every side it came out
and finally in the late 1990's
things started to catch up to him and he was on the run he had to take off
because everybody was on to him and was no longer safe
the FBI kind of said no we're turning on him and
all of the kind of law enforcement officials began to turn on him and say
we need to bring him and so he was on the run for
sixteen years this guy was on the run
and then in 2011 just a couple years ago they finally found him
and arrested him in Santa Monica, California
now what's interesting is that now he's
eighty three-years-old I've got a picture of him if you wanna see him
that's him, he's 83. he doesn't look overly intimidating
frankly, he just doesn't look overly intimidating
but don't be fooled because this guy
with his connections and with the power that he wields
and with the threats and actually acting out on those threats
it's amazing what kinda fear his name and his presence brings
in the life of a lot of people in fact
when he went to trial there were some people that were there that used to be
associates of his and they got into shouting matches and all that kind of
stuff some you may have seen that footage it was kind of interesting
seeing
an 83-year-old man and some of his associates in shouting matches
trying to decide who's the rat. you can't rat on a rat one of them said
you know so i mean that that was what was going on there just kind of that
that crime life: he was up brought up on 32 counts
of criminal charges was found guilty on 31
of 32 counts for racketeering
for extortion for money laundering
for weapons charges and then his complicity
in 11 murders. there's still some debate because they were actually 19 murders
that were pinned on him
and there's some debate about those other eight and most people think that
he was involved in them in some way or another
but his actual physical involvement or complicity
in 11 different murders. he's not a very intimidating person to look at
and the truth is is he kind of thought maybe that he was doing the right thing
in protecting South Boston he felt like he was ridding the streets of certain
elements and then keeping the streets clean
clean as he would describe him I guess
and maybe thought he was doing the right thing in fact there was even some
folklore around
the time that he was at his prime that he was some sort of social Robin Hood
when in fact he wasn't he was not a Robin Hood at all
he was a criminal and he was a killer
and people found that out pretty quickly and have found that out since the facts
have come out but he might have thought he was doing the right thing
even through his violence but clearly he wasn't
and at his trial he kind of came to a crossroads and you would think this
would be an interesting crossroads in his life, right?
after all of these basically his whole life lived
on the wrong side of the fence on the wrong side of the law
the wrong side of making the right choice all the sudden he here is
at his trial an 83 nearly
84-year-old man
who had a crossroads experience and could have chosen one path or another
the one path he could have chosen is simply this:
I'm 83 almost 84
can I not now just say I'm sorry
for everything that I've done and
give the families of the people that I helped to *** some sense of closure
by letting them know maybe where I stashed the bodies
or what I did with them or any of those things that's one option right
could have done that or he could have puffed up his chest
and he could have pridefully fought the system
and maybe try to make a decision to go that direction
it seems that he's chosen the latter not the former
I find it interesting because what I found him doing was asking questions
at a crossroad
and it's interesting that when we come to crossroads we ask questions and the
questions he was asking
were questions like this: how can I take some other people down either with me or
instead of me?
or how can I submit my legacy
as one of the great crime bosses in the history of the United States
and certainly one of the premier ones in South Boston? how can I submit my
legend status? those seem to be the questions that apparently he's asking
because
those questions lead to that particular direction that he's taking.
I was hoping that maybe he would ask different questions
like how could I after a life lived this way how could I maybe make amends with
some people and give them some sense of closure
may be asking some of the right questions
you see this is what I want you to remember today and he's a good
illustration of it
at a crossroads we need to ask
the right questions you see at every crossroads experience we're going to be
asking questions it's a part of the nature being at a crossroads right
you gonna ask questions but you and I both know that asking questions
and asking the right questions could be two different things
we need to ask the right questions when we come to a crossroads
everyone comes to a crossroad experience
now *** Bulger's crossroads experience was pretty exceptional
this was a kind of a unique story in an exceptional circumstance
but every one of us whether in an exceptional circumstance or whether in a
typical circumstance
is coming to a crossroads or is in one
and we will in those scenarios ask lots
of questions and you have to ask the right ones
we're gonna see that illustrated today when we take a look at the passage of
Scripture that we're looking at its found in the book
Acts chapter 9 and I want to introduce you to
a really exceptional story and a particular man since I've got you
thinking about this idea of *** Bulger in the things that he's gone too
and the fact that even though he wasn't very physically intimidating
he intimidated lots of people and the person that I want to draw your
attention to today
is exactly the same not very physically intimidating at all but his name
sounded an alarm in the lives of so many people that it just scared em to hear
his name
just like when people in South Boston sometimes would hear Whitney
knows or ***'s coming they'd like be like ooh no
the same thing could be said about the person I'm gonna draw your attention
to
and like *** Bulger who was involved in all kinds of
violent behavior but thought maybe he was doing the right thing
so to the person I'm gonna introduce you to today
he was involved in a lot of violent behavior but thought
he was doing the right thing and the guy I want to introduce you to his name
is Saul. now to just give you a quick sense a background, Saul was
a Pharisee and Saul was very zealous for the things of God so to
speak
and the ways of the law of God the Torah
as a young man this guy was an incredibly promising
student much like *** Bulger was an incredibly promising
criminal boss at a young age Saul was an incredibly
promising student of the law who could become a religious leader in
Israel
in fact he studied under one of the one of the most
prominent and renowned rabbis of the time who sat on the Sanhedrin
in the time likely have Jesus
and certainly with the apostles named Gamaliel
and he had an interesting upbringing Saul did and I won't go into too much detail
but
he was a promising student and he grew into a man zealous for the law in fact when
Saul wrote later on
we find him kind of waxing autobiographical
in some of his writings and we get some insight into the nature of
what his background was in fact he says this
in Galatians chapter one he said for you heard of my previous way of life in Judaism
how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it
I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and
was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
so you can see that he's giving us some insight into the kind of person
that he was he noted in there and he goes on to talk about the fact that
in that zeal he persecuted the church
in that zeal. by the church I'm in this these people who are coming out
of this Jewish lifestyle who became followers of Jesus claiming that He was
the Messiah
that everything that the Old Testament covenant narrative
had been working its way toward now saw its fulfillment in Jesus
and all these people began following Jesus Christ and they were called people
of the way
the way of Jesus and he began saying to himself oh no I'm not
I'm not taking these blasphemers they're not gonna defile the religion that I
have so zealously guarded all my life
and he began to persecute them. in fact
he began to persecute them so severely that even
their being put to death was no big issue for him
you remember that after the death and resurrection of Jesus so many people
came to know Jesus
and were transformed by him and that original group we call the church
were
Jews right that were converted and became followers of the way
and there was one particular gentleman named Stephen do you remember him?
and Stephen was the first martyr of the church in other words he
he died for the sake of the Gospel because he wouldn't back down on the
fact that the resurrected Jesus
is changing everything in the world and He is the promise
that Israel has been hoping for all this time and that the world has been longing
for
and listen to Saul's posture around the time of dealing with Stephen in Acts
chapter 7 the end of it and in the beginning of chapter 8 it says
while they were still owning him Stephen prayed "Lord Jesus receive my spirit" then
he fell on his knees and cried out Lord in a hold the set against them
and when he had said this he fell asleep and Saul
approved of their killing him on that day a great persecution broke out
against the church in Jerusalem
and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria
Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him but Saul
began to destroy the church going from house
to house he dragged off both men and women
and put them in prison. I mean you almost see
Saul sitting over the likes of Stephen and not having a physical hand in
killing him
but like a crime boss giving the nod like
take him out take him out
that's where Saul was and then Saul even physically got involved
he and his companions and were dragging people off house-to-house that were
claiming to follow
Jesus this is what was going on in the life of Saul but one day
Saul was headed to another town a town called Damascus
and when he was headed to that town he was headed there to be able to round up
some more Christians
some more of these people of the way because they had scattered and fleed from
him
from Jerusalem and we're running away cause
he was just after them trying to kill them and so he got some permission to be
able to go all the way to Damascus
and round some more people up and see some more people put in jail or put to
death and that's where we pick it up because Saul
is going to not only have a crossroads experience personally
but he's going to a crossroads town Damascus. Damascus was a place where
the crossroads of East and West met and now Saul
is headed to a crossroads town and is about to have a personal crossroads
experience pick it up with me in Acts chapter 9 verse number one
it says meanwhile Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against
the Lord's disciples
and he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so
that if he found
any there who belong to the way whether men or women
he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem
as he neared Damascus on his journey suddenly a light from heaven flashed
around him
he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him "Saul, Saul,
why do you persecute me?"
now whenever I read this I always am stunned number one people ask me
sometimes
Pastor Jerry what was the what was the the light from heaven that flashed
around him could you explain that to me?
of course I can explain to you it was a light from heaven that flashed around
him
right I don't know if he I mean I'm reading the same Bible you're reading right
I don't know if it was lightning I don't know if it was a demonstration at
the glory of the majesty of God
I have no idea what it was but I do know this: he fell to the ground when it
happened
and remember this wasn't happening at night this was happening in the time
where
the light of what transpired in the day so overwhelmed the reality of the
daylight
that he fell to the ground in the moment that this happened it was a significant
thing that happened to him
I don't know if he was on a horse that's why a lot of the artists like to depict
Saul falling off a horse
he could have been on a horse or a donkey I have no idea could've been walking
there's really no explanation in the text for us but it's interesting what Saul
does because he comes to a personal crossroads right he's just gonna get
he's annihilated by this light
falls to the ground what does he do when he falls to the ground
does he start screaming help help what am I supposed to do? no, no - do you know what you
do at a crossroads most the time?
you ask questions. that's what you do
you ask questions and that's exactly
what Saul did in fact, later on in the book of Acts
Saul is retelling the story in front of people he does it multiple times in the
book of Acts
and if I take you to one of those places you can stay an Acts 9 I'll show you
where I'm gonna go
but if if you see him in here him retell the story
you here come out of his mouth as he's retelling the story of what transpired
you hear two prominent questions that I don't want you to miss
he retells the story in Acts chapter 22
and here's what he says in Acts 22 verse number six
he says about noon (did you catch the time of day)
about noon as I came near Damascus suddenly a bright light from heaven
flashed around
I fell to the ground and I heard a voice say to me Saul Saul
why do you persecute me who are you Lord?
I asked I am Jesus of Nazareth with whom you are persecuting he replied
my companions saw the light but they did not understand the voice of him who was
speaking to me
what shall I do Lord, I asked
get up the Lord said and go into Damascus
there you'll be told all that you've been assigned to do so my companions led
me
by the hand into Damascus in because of the brilliant because the brilliance of
the light
had blinded me. now what a story right
he comes to this crossroad and the resurrected Jesus shows up in this
either flash of massive lightning that caused him to fall to the ground
or a light from heaven however we describe that
an he falls to the ground and a sound is heard by his companions though they
can't make it out
but he hears the voice of Jesus say Saul Saul
why do you persecute me and did you catch the two questions
here's what he says first "who are you
Lord" and sometimes I read that it almost feels comedic to me right
that he like somebody coming up to me and saying "who are you Jerry?"
um Jerry that's who I am right
he says who you are you Lord and then Jesus says I'm Jesus of Nazareth whom you are
persecuting
isn't it interesting that Jesus is already resurrected from the dead speaking to
him from a resurrected perspective but was equating
those who are followers of His with himself
that when you put to death people like Stephen when you card out these ladies
who are following after me
it is me you are persecuting Jesus says
and then listen to what Saul says: "what shall I do,
Lord?" if there's ever been two great questions
at a crossroads I think Saul sums them up very well for us
who are you Lord? what shall I do?
great great questions. now,
this is an exceptional circumstance if some of you are going you know what my
life is not exactly like Saul's I don't know that I've had a crossroads
experience the same exact way as he has
I get it - this is an exceptional story
I started by telling you an exceptional story of a particular person
this is also an exceptional story. I'm not suggesting
that your crossroads experience that this is a template for how that's going
to go
but what I am suggesting is this
that if we look at Saul's life and how this thing came about that if you and I
will pay close attention
that maybe there are a few right questions
we can ask when we are at our crossroads
some principles that actually cover the expanse
of time that from his time and in his circumstance would be just as
apparent and applicable in our circumstance
maybe we could ask for some right questions
at our crossroads that we learn from
Saul's crossroads. Let me see if I can do that
let me give you the very first one. The first right question to ask is this
at a crossroads what voice
do you listen to?
I find it interesting in this story and I want to read it to you again in chapter
nine I kind of recounted it in chapter 22 but
I wanna read it to you again in chapter nine beginning in verse number three it
says
as he neared Damascus on his journey suddenly a light from heaven flashed
around him
and he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him Saul Saul why do you
persecute me
who are you Lord Saul asked I'm Jesus
whom you are persecuting he replied now get up and go into the city and you'll be
told what you must
do the men traveling with Saul stood there speechless
they heard the sound but did not see anyone
Saul got up from the ground but then he opened his eyes indeed see nothing so
they led him by the hand in the Damascus in for three days he was blind and did not
eat or drink
anything. Isn't it interesting that at a crossroads
they are always voices that are speaking to us
we always hear voices when we are at a crossroads
my question and the right question to ask when you come to a crossroads
experience
of life of a decision that you've got to make and you could go this way or this
way in which ever
way you choose to go could change everything I ask you this question
what voice do you choose to listen to?
because everybody's listening to somebody
the question is who are you listening to and how do you make it out? I find it
interesting that Saul
hears the voice of Jesus loud and clear "Saul Saul why are you persecuting me"
but Saul wasn't alone he had companions with him and those companions didn't
make the voice out
they couldn't understand it was noise to them.
this has happened another time when God was speaking to Jesus
and there were people that said I heard thunder
they could make out the sound you know I find that there are a lot of people when
we are in Crossroads experiences
there's a lot of noise that goes on around us and our job is to be able to
clearly here
the voice of the Son of God
because He is always there at a crossroads
Jesus is always present at a crossroads
and He will always inevitably speak to us
you will have to pay attention you will have to press in and listen
but oftentimes His voice gets drowned out by
the noise that surround us. we ask
too many other people who maybe don't have the mindset of Christ
what we should do and we're listening to their voices louder than we are in
consulting the voice
of God who knows better than anyone
(I remember) and sometimes it can happen, by the way, it can happen in
really well meaning scenarios
by well-meaning people but they can't quite
lock in on the voice of Jesus
I remember when I first came to know Jesus I was between my sophomore and
junior year of college many have you heard my story
and I came and it was a radical transformation in my life
it wasn't exactly the same scenario that Paul had but it wasn't far removed
my life was transformed in an instant
like this I felt like the heavens parted and all the sudden the glory of God
shown down on me and I was
overwhelmed literally saying What
that's how I felt. what do you want me to do? I mean I felt like I was face to face with
Jesus and my life was transformed.
and it's interesting because that happened in the summertime
I was not in school I was a student at the University of Georgia
at the time between my sophomore and junior year and was at home
in the outskirts of metro Atlanta
and that's when I came to know Christ when I really came into an authentic
faith relationship with Him
it was interesting because there were so many people my age that had gone to
school with me and stuff
there were tons of people coming to Jesus I mean over a period of about a
six week time frame
in this one little College group
the group went from about 30 or 40 people
to over a hundred in about six weeks
all with people that were coming to know Jesus because people were getting saved
and then they were going and telling their friends it was just crazy what was
going on I was just kinda going
this is unbelievable and so a lot of those friends of mine were now
they were headed off they were gonna be headed off to a Christian college
and here's me going to the University of Georgia by the way not
a Christian college don't know if you knew that
but it's not and so I'm debating with myself do I now that I've been
transformed
do I need to go to a Christian school? is that what I'm supposed to do? am I supposed
to head that direction because
some of my friends they were going that direction out I kind of forgot to put
into play that's some of my friends didn't even start going to college yet
you know I'd already gone to two years in college they had even gone to college
they were just working and cutting up goofing off and blowing their minds on
*** and whatever else they were doing, right?
and now they got saved and like we're going to collegel but we're going to Christian college
I'm like okay so everybody's going to a Christian College am I supposed to do it?
and I'm getting these well-meaning people saying oh man you're Jerry
that's what you're supposed to do that's what
what you need to do and I'm like I don't know I'm not sure I kinda started this
thing
you know of where I'm at and I don't know if I'm supposed to do it or not and I'm a
young believer I'm going somebody help me
and then somebody gave me some really great advice let Jesus help you
why don't you listen to what he's got to say and I'm like what does He have to say?
Did He tell you?
Did He tell you to tell me 'cause that would be awesome
I have people say that to me all the time as a pastor. They say Pastor, if God tells me anything
If God tells you anything about me please let me know. I'm like
okay he just told me to tell you
to leave me alone and stop being weird
so, yeah I'm trying to figure this thing out, right? What am I supposed
to do
The guy points to me and says why don't you read?
so I am reading and I'm actually reading the Bible
and I'm reading in 1st Corinthians and listen
listen to these words that I came upon nevertheless each person should
live is a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them
just as God has called them all this is the rule I lay down all the churches
was a man already circumcised when he was called? he should not become
uncircumcised. was a man uncircumcised
when he was called? then he should not be circumcised. circumcision is nothing and
uncircumcision is nothing I was reading this as a young believer going...okay
keeping God's commands is what counts
each person should remain in the situation they were in when God
called them. Were you a slave when you were called? don't let it trouble you although
if you can gain your freedom do so
for the one who was a slave when called to the faith in the Lord is the Lord's free
person
similarly the one who was free when called is Christ's slave
you were bought at a price; don't become slaves of human beings
brothers and sisters each person is responsible to God should remain in the
situation they were in
when God called them isn't it amazing how every time you come to a crossroads
Jesus will talk to you about what you need to do
but sometimes everything else becomes so loud that it gets lost in the noise and
so I realized at that moment hey, you know what?
God knew what he was doing God knew where I was at God knew what he was
doing and he was gonna
he was gonna bring me to faith in him between my sophomore and junior year of
college and I'm like okay what am I supposed to do now
what do you mean what you're supposed to do now you're supposed to live as a
believer in the situation that I had you in
because I knew where you were from the outset
so I did. I chose to listen to God I can't say that I've done that perfectly every
time in my life I haven't
that's why only tell you the good stuff (laughter)
so you won't think my pastor is a knucklehead
let me give you a second question to ask the first one is what voice do you
listen to at the crossroads a second one is
at a crossroads where is the Godsend?
now some of you are going okay I don't really know what that means exactly
well I'm going to illustrate it from Paul's story, Saul's story and then we're
gonna see
how that plays out look with me beginning in verse number ten
Paul's blind and he's going to damascus he had neither
drink anything and says in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias and the
Lord call to him in a vision
Ananias isn't it great how the Lord actually in a vision
when he's wanting to call you, He uses your name
and Ananias? Yes, Lord he answered the Lord told him go to the house of Judas on straight
Street
and ask for a man from Tarsus name saul for he is praying
in a vision he's seen a man named Ananias come and place hands on him to
restore sight
lord Ananias answered I've heard many reports about this man and all the harm
he is done to your holy people in Jerusalem
and he is come here with authority from the chief priest to arrest all who
call on your name
don't you love the fact that Ananias is letting God in on
I'm sorry or how I don't did you say Saul
you may not know this by
is awesome first 15 so the Lord said to Ananias
GO this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles in
their kings and to the people of Israel
I will show him how much he must suffer for my name then Ananias went to the
house and interdict
and placing his hands on Sol he said brother saw
the Lord Jesus who who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has
sent me
so that you may see again and be filled
with the Holy Spirit can you hear
how freaked out an ice is when God tells him what to do
I mean think about it this way think about
if you are living in the streets a South Boston and you're a follower of Jesus
in jesus said pay
there'd Bay J
Bay Candice K
Laura whoever right cause your day
fences I want you got a *** bolger's house
he sprayer ocean away your hands on him
I'm really my hands on his only chance on me
you have one of his goons lay his hands on me I'm gonna die you know
I think about how frightening that would be and a nice know who he was
he's like he's been sent here 4 a purpose
to arrest people like me to drag me out to get me killed my family and all that
stuff
Lord words says mmm
go I've chosen him as my instrument so he does
and egos any praise for
you on an ice was for Saul he was a godsend
ever that phrase before and you are a godsend he was a godsend
here's why saw was overwhelmed right he gets
basically he gets up
absolutely mowed down by the presence of the resurrected Jesus
and Jesus speaks to it I'm Jesus unnatural who your persecuting fees like
what do we do we want me to do he says you go to damascus
you ate there so as friends leaving there because you can't see
he's blinded by the light that shone he's not eating or drinking any spraying
I'm imagining his prayers to be something like this
ok dogs ok
old guard I'm
scared and I'm blind
and you've been talking to me and I don't know what to do
and you know so he that's where he's at
and he had that he has a vision it's a vision of a godsend
and a nice shows up to confirm
what she says had spoken to him
now I'm not saying that God does this in every single circumstance but I am
saying this
that at a crossroads the first thing you need to do is she needed decide
what voice are you listening to and then at the crossroads
start paying attention for the godsend
sure what you mean let's go back to my old station right I was debating as to
whether or not I was gonna go to the University of Georgia back to the
University Georgia go to Christian College right
young man I'm just pulling out one crossroads experience in my own life
and I was trying to decide which way to go and then and then I start reading
this and I realize you know what God wants me to go
back to the University of Georgia and live is a believer in the place that I
was called in all those kinds of things but I'm still nervous I'm still scared
and I've only got just a couple weeks before school starts
interestingly enough during that couple weeks time there were some more people
that came to faith in Jesus Christ
right there in our in our church that were armed roughly in our age group and
the one guy that I ran into he was a couple years younger than me but
I played baseball against him and I was kinda like wow
man what's going on his arm and my my life's been changed again my life to
Christ and I like that is awesome man
well just tell me about your life please tell me about it we get to be friends
and stuff and then he's asking me about stuff and
and I said no it's not long before we're gonna be gone you know I'm going back to
school in
in are you going off to school cuz he graduated and now he was headed off as a
freshman to
to school and he said yeah I'm going to school the site member on a new believer
I'm kinda nervous and I was like really
so where you going to school he said the University George and I was like what
me that's I that's where I go and it's still in my mind at this point
you know I'm thinking to myself I'm gonna be the only Christian on the
campus
I didn't know one I didn't hang around any
I think I'm gonna be the only Jesus following a whole campus in you know
and then down I'm like okay that's cool you know he's going but you know there's
thirty thousand students in Athens and you know all the freshmen live in dorms
and all that good stuff and I was in an apartment with the same dudes are used
to run around with and crazy with and all that stuff
and I looked and i said i I said oh well manual georgette awesome I said
you know that's where I'm gonna be too maybe we could find each other you know
at some point whatever insight
oh yeah okay so we gonna be livin he said well you know what
actually couldn't get into the dorms he said I'm live in an apartment complex I
said really
what apartment complex he said
Sussex Club Apartments he said that the pain it love it is
it's like a way of campus an hour
I live incessant
that that's where I live what apartment building are you in
he was an apartment building right across from me
got said I want you to go back
even though there were other voices saying different things jesus said I
want you to go back
and I went back and guess what he did he fit me a godsend
named David Hudson David had come to Christ was headed to the University of
Georgia
I didn't have a friend in the world in Jesus
when I was headed back and he put him right there with me
in an apartment complex way of campus and evolve 30,000 students that were
there
kiryas right here across from me who had just come to know Christ
right there God said
a godsend for me to confirm
what he had asked me to do he has a tendency to do that sometimes in lies a
young believers because Inc
we need that help on occasion I'm not talking about looking for psych by the
way
I'm not also talking about it has to be a person that's a godsend sometimes it's
a situation
because sometimes what your crossroads is your crossroads
is temptation you are standing at a crossroads
facing the temptation to go one way or or facing
the desire of got to go another way right anybody ever been to those
crossroads
those temptation crossroads God will send you a godsend
at those times listen what first Corinthians 10 first 13 says
no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind in god is
faithful
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear but when you are
tempted
he will also provide a way out
a godsend so that you can endure it
at every point that you are ever tempted listen closely
never use the excuse there was no way out there is always a way out for a
believer
always a way out when you come to a crossroads
look for the godsend
because there were always be a way out in the context of temptation
let me give you a third right question to ask not only what voice do you listen
to and where's the godsend
how about this question at a crossroads what do you do when the scales fall from
your eyes
what do you do then listen to
listen to the text of Scripture what happened after an ice came in verse
number eighty navarre text and chapter 9
this is immediately this is after and I sprayed foreign
immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see again
he got up and was baptized
and after taking some food he regains his strength
and Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus
and it once he began to preach
in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God
isn't it interesting that when the fail that when the scales
fell from Saul's our lives what did he do
here's what he did he obeyed at any cost
that's what he did with the scales fell from his eyes he determined to abate any
cost so you know he did the first thing he did
he got baptized a public demonstration
up his faith in Jesus Christ and then
what did he start doing he started preaching
where in the synagogue the place said he was coming to a rest all those people
that we're now followers of Jesus that were worshiping in the synagogues
the same place that he got letters a permission from jerusalem to come in
rows these people up
he is now preaching the message of the gospel
that he used to be persecuting
this is what's always doing because the gospel had for him
changed everything and now that the scales fell from his eyes he determined
he was going to obey
Lissa it's not always easy when the scales fall from your eyes it's not
always easy to abate
if I run back into the same scenario the same story I was telling you
Jesus told me pay now I want you to go back to school this is where I want you
to go even though you're kinda debating about
he sent me a godsend but guess what it was an easy because I wasn't living with
this guy
I was still living with the same guys that I was always living with and I had
to walk in and determine
that I am going to walk with Jesus no matter
what the cost all that I cannot cave
I'm going to walk with Jesus no matter what the cost it was their price to pay
for that you bet there was
was there some marking and some and some making fun of that went on
you bet there was was there some loneliness that went on you bet there
was
was there kinda some to spare on my part because I'm thinking man this is kinda
difficult this is kinda hard everybody's choosing to go this way
and you've called me to go this way this is not an easy road to walk
yes all those things were present so don't misunderstand
when the scales fall from your eyes after you've heard the voice of Jesus
and even if he confirms it with a godsend
it will not always be easy in fact jesus said that very clearly to Paul right cuz
an ice is safe
do you know who this guy is in in Jesus says to an ice
I don't know who this guy is you do that he's gonna be my instrument but I will
tell him myself how much he will have to suffer from my name
so he said I mean is
Saul who became Paul you understand some other trials that he went through right
listen to how he chronicles it in 2nd Corinthians chapter number eleven
here's what he says about himself five times I received from the Jews the forty
lashes -1
this did you catch that that means five times
five separate occasions in his life he was whipped
on the back 39 times
five separate occasions five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes
-1
three times I was beaten with rods once I was pelted with stones
three times I was shipwrecked I spent a night and day in the open sea
I've been constantly on the move I have been in danger from rivers in danger
from bandits in danger from fellow Jews in danger from gentiles in danger in the
city
in danger in the country in danger at sea and in danger from false believers
I have labor and toil that have often gone without sleep I have known hunger
and thirst and have often gone without food I have been cold and naked
this this is what Paul faced
and he determined but it was worth it
he chose to obey at any cost when the scales fell from his eyes
he recognized how much guarded in Christ
had done for him the gospel change
everything for him and he said come
hell or high water I am headed
in the direction that Jesus calls me
listen to what he said in Philippians chapter 3
he said if someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh
I've got more
I was circumcised on the eighth day of the people love is real love the tribe
Benjamin a Hebrew of Hebrews
in regard to the lawfare see as for zeal persecuting the church s for
righteousness based on the law of all this
but whatever or gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ
what is more I consider everything a loss because at the surpassing worth
what a great phrase other surpassing
worst of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake
I have lost all things I consider them
garbage that I may gain Christ can be found in him
not having a right just this is my own that comes from the law but that which
is through faith in Christ
the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith
I want to know Christ yes to know the power of His resurrection
and participation in his sufferings becoming like him in his death and so
somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead
not that I've already obtained all this or have already arrived at my goal but I
press on
to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me
brothers and sisters I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold a bit
but one thing I do forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called me heavenward
in Christ Jesus this
Paul says makes everything worth it
so when you come to a crossroads in your life
and you will and maybe you are
you need to ask not just any questions but the right ones
whose voices are you gonna listen to that a question
you gotta ask yourself where's the godsend in this
and then you've got to ask yourself this question: what we're gonna do
when I see clearly when the scales have come off my eyes when we gonna do then
because what Paul did this he obeyed it any cost
so love you may be at a crossroads a faith
where you're asking yourself the question of whether or not I'm gonna
choose
to follow Jesus or I'm gonna choose
to keep doing things that I've been doing me ask you a question
whose voice you can listen to you listen to the voice in the world that tells you
that
to be accepted you have to perform
you listen to the voice the world tell you that to be beautiful you have to be
look a certain way we are you gonna listen to
the resurrected Jesus who died for the sins of people like you and me
and who says this if anyone calling my name
two's many as receive me a given right to become children of God
not based on their performance based on my goodness
whose voice you can listen to what about the godsend
by the way that person that brought you today
may be here for the first time and they just said hey man which it
would you come with me hey would you come with me maybe your gal or guy or
whatever your bra somebody with your
if you ever thought about this that maybe just maybe
day are a godsend in your life
that God brought them into your life
to invite you to this moment in that is a and me together
have now become a godsend to you communicating the message of the Gospel
that you can have new life
in Jesus ever thought about that
then let me ask you this question
if you willing to surrender yourself to Christ turn from your senate put your
faith in Jesus
know that he went to a cross to die for your sin that he rose from the dead
and that he still lives that the same resurrected Jesus
who has an indestructible life that talk to Sol
will still talk to you
if you wanna come to that place let me ask you this question what you gonna do
when he removes the scales from your eyes
you know beim access would cause us to
that's what he calls us to being in any cost
some view you might think the cost is too high
man what if he does to me what he did with I'll never
Saul said no cost is too high
his surpassing worth
is all that I'm concerned about so
we all have to ask questions at a crossroads and hopefully last the right
ones
now has with me for a moment before walking to the door
and we will in just a moment could I ask you this
you know what the response is if you're a believer in Jesus
you know what God's been speaking to you about in calling to you about about the
crossroads that you're facing or
one that you see upcoming and you know the questions that you need to ask
I'm just put him right in your lap
but if you're here you've never come to a place where you've been braced Jesus
Christ we've turned for mission prep placed your faith in Christ
with your in this rumor whether you're in it East Worship Center whether your
lockport campus where you watching online
if you wanna know what it means to turn from your sanity and put your faith and
trust in Jesus
and have him transform your life and have the resurrected Christ
leave in New in Leeds you
and forgive you have your CNN change you and you say to yourself you know what
Jerry I'm not sure that that's
ever happen in my life I'm not sure that that's something that's occurred for me
and I do want to know Christ I do want to have my life transformed
if thats units a jury would you pray for me
our heads about her eyes are closed in here and in all of our venues
and if you're in another venue I can see you anyway but would you be honest
enough to say hey that's me
in whatever venue you're watching it would you say hey that's me would you
just put your hand up and say that's me would you prefer me
I want I want to know Christ on the scales removed from my eyes and I'll
I want I want to come inside I mean forgive me in mice in which you just put
your hand up I wherever you're at
but I when you see it leave it out for just a few moments
as I look around in this room maybe in other rooms thanks
thanks I can see a even in the back over here thank you
if you're in the other venues thank you for that as well you can put your hands
down
those you the raise your hands could ask you to do something
that will take a slight bit of courage you can have to have a little bit of in
a nice discourage
at this moment would you when we dismiss I'm gonna pray
when we dismiss if you're on this campus
would you come by the Fireside Room it's clearly marked right on the atrium just
come by
be some pastors and prayer partners in there we want to talk to you for just a
few moments about what it means to know Jesus
which lets do that no tricks it's not a bait-and-switch
not signing up for stuff that you don't wanna be a part of none of those things
we want to help you but this needs to be your decision
I don't manipulate you in anything but if the Spirit God is asking you to do it
but I want you to do it if you're at
the lot for campus pastor johnson's gonna be able to meet you down front
and he's going to talk to you there and I want you to have the courage we
dismiss
to come and see 'em if you're online
I want you to click on that knowing Jesus by connect with us so that we can
connect with you
Father and trusting your spirit to do what only you can in our midst
and thanking you for the reality of the truth
you Lord Jesus the one who died for us in the one who has an indestructible
life to your resurrection
that you Lord Jesus change everything
and that you are worth every change
I pray you help us to believe that and act on that in Jesus name
Love you folks, have a great week