Sermons
January 10th, 2011 by Pastor Solley010911AM What Thou Must Do
Sub. Paul
Theme: Paul an example of what one must do.
Text: Acts 9:1-20
“What Thou Must Do” Acts 9:1-20
IntroductionI would like to bring a message this morning titled “What Thou Must Do” taken from Acts 9. Acts 9 is a familiar portion of Scripture in that we find recorded the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. – Acts 9:1-20 – As the account begins we see Saul trying to persecute the church of Jesus Christ, as it ends we see Paul preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. – Acts 9:20 – As the account begins we find Saul who was perhaps Satan’s greatest too in trying to destroy God’s church, as it ends we find Paul the greatest builder used by God in building His church in the New Testament. Here we see the change that is to take place in a person when they get saved. – Acts 9:6 – But there is something that is often overlooked in this account.
I. Jesus tells Paul to arise and go into the city and it would be told him what he “must do”: Acts 9:6 Jesus doesn’t say the things you should do, or could do, not even what I would like you to do, but “what thou must do.” – Acts 9:6
A. That is an interesting phrase in the Greek language which is very specific: When Jesus tells Paul to arise and go and it would be told him what he must do it means what he is being compelled to do. Something that he is being compelled to do by conviction from within or by circumstances from without.
1. In what is going to be set before him Paul will have no choice: Acts 9:15-16 This is what Paul must do. – Acts 9:16 Here we find the same word used in the same way as it is in verse 6. That which Paul must do.
2. In other words God had a path appointed for Paul to follow: Acts 22:10 The word appointed means determined, designated, established. God had a path appointed for Paul to follow.
3. The way the phrase is used points to the fact that Paul had no choice in this: Acts 9:6,16
B. It is not that Paul had no choice in following God’s path or not, but that Paul had no choice in choosing the Path: And one needs to be careful to make that distinction.
1. Paul did not have to get saved, or have to follow Christ’s command: Acts 9:4-6 Paul could have refused to answer the voice of Jesus Christ from heaven. Could have refused to go on to Damascus. Paul could have returned to Jerusalem.
2. But it would have been to his own detriment not to listen to Christ: In fact it would have been to his own damnation.
3. Paul did have a decision to make, but no choice in the matter:
II. Which brings us to the theme of the message this morning; things one must do: That which happened with the Apostle Paul is not an isolated case. God didn’t do this with Paul and no one else. In truth this applies to each and everyone of us.
A. Life is full of decisions, choices one must make: This is true from the very beginning and true all of our lives.
1. Some decisions, some choices are not very important at all: At times they are the ones we agonize over the most.
2. Some decisions, some choices get more important as one goes on in life:
3. And as one goes on the decisions and choices one make carry consequences: They carry a profound effect.
B. One thing for certain; God sets certain things before us, certain things one must do: We do have a decision as to obeying God or not but like Paul no choice in the matter.
PROP: I would like to consider this morning “what thou must do”. TS. For there is a path appointed for all of us.
Body
I. First, God has always been and always is clear about what He wants man to do: We may not get all the details at once but God has always been and always is cleat about what He wants man to do. – Acts 9:6,15-16 Paul did not get all these details on the Damascus road but as Paul began to obey, God was very clear in what He wanted Paul to do. That is always the case.
2.
A. In the Garden of Eden man was faced with a decision: Gen 2:16-17 And God was very clear in what he wanted man to do. There was no mistaking God’s command. – Gen 3:2-3 God’s intention for them was very clear.
1. So Adam and Eve had a decision to make: Gen 3:4-5 They did have a decision to make.
2. But they really had no choice in the matter: Gen 2:17 If they eat of that tree they would die. There is no choice here.
3. And the decision them made did have consequences: Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
B. In the wilderness Moses was faced with a decision: Num 20:7-11 And God is very clear in what He wants Moses to do. Gather the people, speak to the rock, and God would bring water out of the rock.
1. Moses is faced with a decision: To do it the way God commanded or to do it another way. And Moses did it another way.
a. Moses talked down to the people calling them rebels. – Num 20:10
b. Moses took credit for the miracle instead of giving glory to God. – Num 20:10
c. And Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. – Num 20:11
2. Moses made a decision but he really had no choice here: God wanted it done one way, Moses did it another.
3. And the decision he made did have consequences: Num 20:12
C. The nameless prophet of 1 Kings was faced with a decision: 1 Kings 13:6-10 God had sent him to Jeroboam with a message and then told him not to stop or turn aside in the land but to return at once to Judah.
1. This man was faced with a decision: 1 Kings 13:11-19 And this man knew what God had told him. – 1 Kings 13: 17
2. He made a decision but he really had no choice in the matter: He knew what God wanted and did the opposite.
3. The decision he made did have consequences: 1 Kings 13:23-24
D. The prophet Jonah was faced with a decision: Jonah 1:1-2 Jonah knew what God wanted him to do.
1. Jonah decided not to go: Jonah 1:3
2. But Jonah really had no choice in the matter:
3. The decision Jonah made had consequences: Jonah 1:17
E. The young man in Mark 10 was faced with a decision: Mark 10:17-21 He came to Jesus seeking eternal life and there was no doubt what Jesus told him to do. – Mark 10:21
1. Now he is face with a decision: Do what Jesus told him what to do or to ignore His commanded.
2. But he really had no choice in the matter:
3. And the decision he made did have consequences: Mark 10:22-23
F. The four fishermen of Matthew 4 were faced with a decision: Matt 4:18-22 They knew exactly what Jesus wanted.
1. They then were faced with a decision: Are they going to leave all and follow Jesus or continuing as they were.
2. But they really had no choice in the matter: If they were going to walk with Jesus they would have to follow Him.
3. And their decision did have consequences: Rev 21:14 The names of Peter, Andrew, James and John are there.
G. My point is that there are things we must do: God has always been and always is clear about what He wants man to do and there are things one must do. We have a decision to make but really no choice in the matter.
II. Second, there is a personal application we can make this morning for each of us in this sanctuary: Things that God makes very clear in what He wants us to do and we have decisions that we must make. We really have no choice in the matter but we do have decisions to make. And those decisions will have consequences.
A. We have a decision to make concerning salvation in Jesus Christ: John 3:3-7 That word “must” is the very same Greek word found in Acts 9:6 and God is very clear in what He wants man to do in regards to salvation.
3.
1. There is only one way to be saved, only one way to heaven: John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom 10:13; Eph2:8-9
2. So you are faced with a decision even today: Someone is faced with a decision this morning.
3. But you really have no choice in the matter: You can find none other name on which to call for salvation.
4. And the decision you make or have made will have consequences: Hell is as real as heaven.
B. We have a decision to make concerning our obedience to Christ in our daily walk: John 14:15 Noting specific is named here but this covers the commands of Jesus given to us in the New Testament.
1. It is not hard to see what Jesus commands in daily living: Eph 5:1-8 These things are clearly seen.
2. So we have decisions to make but really no choice in the matter:
3. It is not salvation that is at stake here but the blessings of God: James 1:25
4. And the decision we make will have consequences:
C. We have decisions to make concerning our fellowships: Eph 5:11-15 Some Christians become fools over who they choose to fellowship with.
1. We are faced with a decision: 2 Cor 6:16-17 We have no choice in his but we are faced with a decision.
2. And the decisions we make will have consequences: Many have been ruined by bad fellowships.
a. I have never seen a separated Christian walking with Jesus drawn into alcohol, drugs or tobacco.
b. But I have seen a lot of Christians walking in fellowship with the world drawn away from Christ.
3. The decisions we make have consequences:
D. Young people have a decision to make in who they date and marry: 2 Cor 6:14-15 This often gets a preacher in trouble for being old fashioned and out of touch, for being judgmental and narrow minded.
1. But young people have decisions to make: I met with a young man on Monday about Bible college, a young man I believed called and gifted for the ministry.
a. But his marriage is falling apart because he married a lost girl who has no desire for spiritual things at all. The closer he gets to the Lord the more it irritates her and the home is falling apart.
b. Through tears he said he has no one to blame but himself.
2. He made a decision but he really had no choice: God was proved right in the matter. – 2 Cor 6:15
3. The decisions young people make have consequences:
E. We have decisions to make concerning soul winning: Mark 16:15 What does God want us to do?
F. We have decisions to make concerning baptism: Acts 2:38 What does God want us to do?
G. We do have decisions to make but there are things we must do: We really have no choice in the matter.
III. Third, we need to come to that point in our lives that we realize we really have no choice: That we would be better off just deciding to do what God wants us to do, what we must do, that we really have no choice but to obey and quit fighting against the Lord. The apostle Paul came to that point early on in his Christian life.
A. One title that Paul gave to himself was that of a prisoner for Jesus Christ: Eph 3:1 And the apostle repeats this often.
Eph 4:1; 2 Tim 1:8; Philemon 1:1, 9 Paul saw himself as prisoner of Jesus Christ.
1. From the moment he was saved Paul saw himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ: When Jesus said to arise and go into the city to see “what thou must do” Paul knew he had no choice in the matter.
2. He did have a decision to make: To be saved, to obey.
3. But Paul gave his life to Jesus Christ and gave up choices: He would obey.
B. I wonder this morning; have you ever considered yourself a prisoner for Jesus Christ: Have you, have we arrived at that point in our lives that we realize we are prisoners for Jesus Christ? That there are things we must do? Are you a prisoner?
4.
IV. Fourth, the life of Paul in Christ took on all the characteristics of that of a prisoner: Characteristics that we are familiar with today. Characteristics of a common prisoner. Are you a prisoner today?
A. A prisoner is not free: Those in prison today, those even in the county jail are not free. They are bound to another, bound by another and they are no longer free, their lives are not their own.
1. There are set times for them to get up, to turn lights out, to eat, to exercise, to bath, to have visitors and so on: They are not free to decide those things, they have no choice.
2. And so it is for the prisoner of the Lord: Someone else binds us in what we do, where we go, what we look at, what we take into our bodies, who we fellowship with and so on.
3. We are all bound to something or someone: There is truth in that statement. We are all bound to something or someone.
a. Some people are bound to alcohol.
b. Some people are bound to tobacco.
c. Some people are bound to the TV.
4. Wouldn’t it be better to be a prisoner of the Lord?
5. A prisoner is not free:
B. A prisoner is under the care of another: Everything he has comes from someone else. He is under the care of another.
1. A prisoner is under the care of the state:
2. Wouldn’t it be better to be a prisoner of the Lord?
3. A prisoner is under the care of another:
C. A prisoner has no choice in what he does or does not do: It is all directed by someone else.
1. The prisoner can decide not to eat, exercise, or sleep: But he only hurts himself in that.
2. A prisoner can decide not to obey the rules: But he only hurts himself in that.
3. A prisoner has no choice in what he does or does not do:
4. Wouldn’t it be better to be a prisoner of the Lord?
V. In truth we are prisoners, all of us here this morning: Each one here today is a prisoner.
A. Satan are prisoners to Satan:
B. And some are prisoners to Jesus Christ:
C. Has your life taken on the characteristics of that of a prisoner:
1. He bought you with a precious price Christian: 1 Cor 6:19-20
2. Are you willing today to become His prisoner?
D. Are you willing to decide today to do what you must do?
Conclusion
There are things that we must do.
I. First, God has always been and always is clear about what He wants man to do:
II. Second, there is a personal application we can make this morning for each of us in this sanctuary:
III. Third, we need to come to that point in our lives that we realize we really have no choice:
IV. Fourth, the life of Paul in Christ took on all the characteristics of that of a prisoner:
V. In truth we are prisoners, all of us here this morning: Each one here today is a prisoner.