A Turning Point in Life Acts 9:1-5, NIV Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged 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?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. Let us greet each other, saying, “Let us live for the glory of God.” I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “A Turning Point in Life,” based on Acts 9:1-5. Please repeat after me, “A Turning Point in Life. A Turning Point in Life.” There are twists and turns in everyone’s life. We have ups and downs. Sometimes, we have to climb uphill and at other times we go downhill. Sometimes we walk on a wide road, and other times we walk on a narrow, crooked road. Some people are very prosperous one day, but the very next day they lose everything and lose hope. As Christians, however, we should never lose hope, even when we are surrounded by hopelessness, problems, or difficulty, because God Almighty is with us. Our God is a God of reversion. God turns despair into hope. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Red Sea was in front of them. They felt hopeless. There was the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptians were pursuing them from behind. They could not go either forward or backward. They thought they were finished. God, however, turned their absolute hopelessness into absolute hope. God transcended their thoughts and parted the Red Sea. They crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians followed them into the sea, but the waters rolled back over them and their chariots and horsemen. Likewise, God turns all the hopelessness in our lives into His miracles and hope. People say that they are going through an economic recession these days. However, it will provide an opportunity for us. I pray that you will experience the blessing, miracles, and grace of God, making this time of despair a turning point in your life. Today’s Scripture describes how Paul the apostle, the greatest figure in the history of Christianity, met Jesus Christ after His ascension. 1. Saul persecuted Jesus (Acts 9:3-5). First, I want to speak about Saul who persecuted Jesus. Please repeat after me, “Saul persecuted Jesus.” Saul was a promising young man. He had everything. He had a good family background and good education. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees with a great zeal for God. He was recognized as a great future Jewish leader by the Sanhedrin Council. He indeed had a bright, promising future. He did not believe, however, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He thought Christians were heretics. When Stephen was martyred, he approved of his death, thinking Stephen deserved it. Acts 8:1 says, “And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” Saul was a leader who persecuted Christians, putting them in prison. Acts 8:3 says, “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” Saul was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. So he went to the high priest and asked him for letters so that he could take the Christians in Damascus as prisoners to Jerusalem. Acts 9:1-2 says, “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.” Saul took the high priest’s letter and was on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians there. There he met the Lord Jesus. Acts 9:3-5 says, “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?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.” Saul had a tremendous zeal for God, but he was blinded by his own zeal, unable to understand the will of God. He did not know that the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth. Being obsessed by his own zeal, and being enslaved to his prejudice, self-righteousness, and blind obedience, he persecuted Christians and put them in prison. He thought he was being faithful to God, but he was making such a huge mistake. Here is the fatal error that most heretics entrap themselves in. They say, “We have salvation for you. There is no salvation outside of our church. Listen to our founder. You will hear what you have never heard before. So, come to our church.” Such churches are heretical churches. They say that we only need to go to their church to be saved. Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved! If there is no salvation outside of their church, then why are there so many other churches? Are they Satan’s den? Those heretics stupefy their prey, brainwashing them with wrong doctrine. We need to guard ourselves against them. We must check whether they confess Jesus Christ as their Savior. We need to check whether or not the founder sits in Jesus’ place, claiming he is the way of salvation. They first lure you with free Bible studies. Then they brainwash you with their doctrine. Finally, they declare that their founder is the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. How can the founder be the Comforter, the Spirit? They are agents of Satan, tempting Christians. There is no other way to salvation except through Jesus. Do not believe when people say here is Jesus or there is Jesus. It is said that there are 38 self-appointed Jesus in Korea. Never be deceived by them. What error do they entrap themselves in? It is their self-righteousness, saying that only they are right, that only they can give salvation, and that only their founder knows the truth. These are some of the typical characteristics of heretics. Saul was exactly like that. He thought he was right, trusting his thoughts and judgments. That was the reason why he persecuted Christians. Then Jesus came to him and asked, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul had never met or persecuted Jesus. Since Christians are the body of Jesus Christ, persecuting the Church and Christians is the same as hurting and persecuting the Lord Jesus. If someone causes conflict, problems, and difficulty in the church, he is persecuting the Lord Jesus. No matter what happens, we must be united with love in the church. We must understand, forgive, encourage, and help one another. We must establish a peaceful community in the Lord. Ephesians 4:1-3 says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” We must make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. Hallelujah! We are one in the Spirit. I thank God for our church, because Yoido Full Gospel Church has never been divided in its 50-year history, enjoying wonderful growth and development by the grace of God. The messages of Dr. Yonggi Cho have changed and united us in the Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit should continue until the Lord comes again. We must extend and spread the Holy Spirit movement of Yoido Full Gospel Church to revive Korea and the whole world until the Lord comes again. To achieve this, we must make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. We need to be united in the Lord. We must pray to God to unite us in our cell groups. We must also pray that all the church departments will be united and that all our members will be united. We must pray to God that He will help us to establish a community of love, forgiving, loving, understanding, and helping one another?not fighting or raising our voices over small things. Then God will pour out more grace upon us. 2. Jesus came in the light (Acts 9:3). Second, I want to speak about Jesus who came in the light. Please repeat after me, “Jesus came in the light.” Even though Saul persecuted Jesus, since God is full of love He had mercy on Saul and performed a wonderful work of salvation in him. Jesus, God himself, came to Saul and spoke to him. This is the love of God and the love of Jesus Christ. When we were still enemies of God, He sent His one and only Son Jesus to earth and sacrificed Him for us, thus opening the door to salvation. He reconciled us to himself through the love of Christ. Hallelujah! This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. The Lord comes to us. He comes to those who are hopeless, who are in utmost sorrow, who have problems, who are sick, and who are wandering in the midst of sin. Although we do not deserve forgiveness, He comes to us and saves us, making us precious children of God. Now that we have become the children of God by believing in Jesus, our lives should be filled with thanksgiving to God forever and ever. Jesus came to Saul in the light. Acts 9:3 says, “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” Jesus came to Saul in the strong light. The light was so strong that Saul fell from his horse and lost his eyesight. The Lord comes to us in the light while we are suffering in darkness. According to the first chapter of Genesis, the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was light. At that moment, light came into being to dissipate all darkness. Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” God said, “Let there be light.” As soon as we have light, it dissipates all darkness, hopelessness, and sorrow. Jesus Christ is the light of life for all people. Jesus comes to us and saves us from the darkness of despair, sorrow, worry, distress, anxiety, and negative thoughts. Jesus comes to us as the light of love and forgiveness. When He sheds His light on us, we will be healed and changed. We will become faithful children of God, living for His glory. Hymn No. 414 has the following confession, “Jesus comes with pow’r to gladden, When love shines in, Ev’ry life that woe can sadden, When love shines in. Love will teach us how to pray, Love will drive the gloom away, Turn our darkness into day, When love shines in.” Hallelujah! I pray that the love of Christ will shine in your lives. The light of His love will remove all darkness from your lives, filling them with the grace and blessing of the Lord. The Lord Jesus, who came in the light, spoke to Saul. Acts 9:4-5 says, “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 am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.” Saul realized that the one who came to him in the light was not an ordinary person. That was why Saul called him “Lord.” Saul asked, “Who are You, Lord?” The Lord replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Have you persecuted the Lord without realizing it? You will probably say that you do not remember. Did you have a fight with your husband or wife this morning? Then you persecuted the Lord Jesus. Did you have a fight with your brother or sister this morning? Then you persecuted the Lord Jesus. Did you speak rudely to other church members because they pushed you? Then you persecuted the Lord Jesus. I pray that you will not persecute the Lord Jesus any more. If we fail to treat other Christians with love, we are persecuting the Lord Jesus, even if it is not huge persecution. If we truly love our Lord Jesus, we must love other Christians as if they were our own brothers and sisters. The Lord Jesus comes to us as the light of life. John 1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Hallelujah! When we have the light of the Lord, we will have eternal life. At the same time, the Lord comes as the Word. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Hallelujah! The Word of God has great power. The whole Scripture, from the first chapter of Genesis until the final chapter of Revelation, is dipped in the blood of Jesus. When we read the Word, therefore, the blood of the Lord will be sprinkled within us. The Word will heal and forgive us, giving new strength and freedom to us. The power of darkness and the evil spirit will depart from us. We will be filled with peace from the Lord. The Word has life. The light of life will shed on us as we read the Word, filling us with joy, peace, healing, and forgiveness. I want you to meet the Lord Jesus who comes through the Word. I want you to experience the grace of salvation. 3. A change in Saul (Acts 9:8). What happened to Saul after he met the Lord Jesus? Third, I want to speak about the changes in Saul. Acts 9:8 says, “Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.” The light was so strong that Saul lost his eyesight. Even though he opened his eyes, he could not see anything. This describes our life in this era. Since people are blinded by their desires, they cannot see the mysteries of heaven. They cannot know Jesus the Savior. They are blinded by their stubbornness, prejudice, sin, debauchery, and unbelief. They cannot see the Lord of salvation. In the sixth chapter of Second Kings, Elisha was in Dothan. The king of Aram sent horses and chariots and a strong force there to capture Elisha.?The servant of Elisha got up and went out early the next morning. He saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. He ran back to Elisha and said, “Oh, my lord, what shall we do? The armies of Aram have surrounded us. We are in their hands. We are finished.” Then Elisha calmed him. 2 Kings 6:16-17 says, “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Hallelujah! The servant opened his spiritual eyes and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. When we open our spiritual eyes, we will see the heavenly horses and chariots of fire that will protect and deliver us from all evil power. I urge you to open your spiritual eyes. I urge you to have strong faith. We must pray to God to open our spiritual eyes in the year 2009?the eyes of faith and miracles. Let us not look at distressing situations, but focus on the Lord Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith, marching forward with faith. Howard Hughes was one of the wealthiest men in the world. He owned a movie studio and produced and directed movies. He designed and built several aircraft and flew them as an aviator. He owned TWA, an airline company. His even designed an airplane, the current Boeing 747. Although Howard Hughes was a wealthy man, he was obsessed by the fear of death. His death was pathetic. With his body guards, Hughes flew to and from places like Bahamas, Nicaragua, Canada, England, Las Vegas, and Mexico. At those places, he would stay in the penthouse of the most luxurious hotel in the area. He would close all the drapes of the penthouse, turning off all the lights, and stay alone inside. The body guards were keeping watch outside his door. He did not eat well, because he was afraid the food may have been poisoned. When he was in Mexico, he did not come out of his room for almost a week. The guards broke inside and saw that Hughes was dying. He was carried out on a stretcher, looking terrible. His hair was long and untidy, and he had long fingernails and toenails. He was so thin, crouching on the stretcher. He died in an airplane en route from the penthouse to a hospital. Do you know what he died from? He died from malnutrition. He left two billion dollars, but he died from malnutrition and drug overuse. He left two billion dollars. The tithe would be 200 million dollars. He could have spent less than one hundred dollars of his money and eaten as much as he wanted in a buffet restaurant and felt full and satisfied. However, he died of malnutrition. His life and death were pathetic. He whose spiritual eyes are open can live quite the opposite. We can find an example in Dr. Young Woo Kang. He came to our church several times, giving his testimony. When he was 13, he was hit by a football and lost his eyesight. Both of his parents soon died, leaving him as an orphan. His life seemed hopeless at that time, but he opened his spiritual eyes by believing in Jesus. It was the turning point in his life. He began to come to church and pray. He heard that a young pastor was leading a tent church in Bulgwangdong, and the sick were healed. He went to church and received prayer. Rev. Yonggi Cho later said that he had prayed for Dr. Kang many times. God worked differently, however. God sent his lifetime companion to him, Miss Suk. With her help and dedication, he overcame the hopelessness of being blind. He graduated from Yonsei University, went to the US, and received his PhD from the University of Pittsburg. He worked as a professor at Northeastern University in Illinois. Later, he was appointed vice chairman of the UN Council of Disability. In 2001, he served the people with disability as a policy advisor to the National Council on Disability at the US White House. A few days ago, I read an article in the newspaper, saying that his second son, Christopher Kang, was named special assistant to the new US president, Barack Obama, for legislative affairs. Let us give glory to God. The Kang family is a faithful Christian family and an abundantly blessed family. The father worked as a high official in the Republican government, and his son will serve the country as an important figure in the Democratic government, although their political parties are quite opposite. Christopher Kang used to work in the office of Senator Edward Kennedy and became a lawyer in 2001. At 29, he became the youngest legal advisor to a US Senator. Now he will be working in the White House. Dr. Kang’s first son, Jin-Sok Kang, is an ophthalmologist and a professor at Georgetown University. He once said, “Even though my father cannot see, he has eyes to see the future. His positive faith has planted dreams in my heart.” Hallelujah! Since Dr. Kang accepted the Lord Jesus in his heart, God has changed his life, raising him up in a glorious place. God has blessed him and his sons as well, with great grace and blessing. I urge you to open your spiritual eyes. When we open our spiritual eyes, God will perform His miracles. God will bless us. When we listen to the voice of the Lord and accept Him, that moment will become a turning point in our lives. Acts 9:4 says, “He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’” When he heard this voice, Saul surrendered himself to the Lord who came to him in the light. In order to be used as people of God, we must surrender ourselves. We must lower ourselves. We must take off our pride and arrogance. We must pray and fast before the Lord, saying, “Lord, I am nothing.” Saul was a proud man. However, after meeting with Jesus who came to him in the light, he surrendered. Acts 9:9 says, “For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” Jesus told Ananias, one of His disciples, about Saul. Acts 9:11 says, “The Lord told him (Ananias), ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.’ ” ? While Saul fasted and prayed with repentance for three days, the Lord sent Ananias to him to pray for him. When we cry out to the Lord in prayer, miracles will take place. What do we lack the most these days? We lack prayer. People do not pray. I am not talking about you, but about other people. Some people never pray except at mealtime. Their total prayertime is less than a minute a day, because they just close their eyes and say, “Hi, Lord Jesus,” and open their eyes. Such people cannot have the power of faith in their lives. They often fall and stumble, being easily hurt. Why? That is because they do not pray and, consequently, they are spiritually powerless. It is not too late. We have to change our life into a life of prayer. Pray to God with thanksgiving as soon as you wake up, “Father, thank You. Thank You for the new day. I want to walk with You throughout the day.” When Ananias prayed for Saul, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 9:17 says, “Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord?Jesus, 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.’” Verse 18 says, “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.” When Ananias placed his hands on Saul and prayed, Saul was filled with the Spirit and something like scales fell from his eyes. All the power of darkness fell off that had covered his eyes. Saul could see again. When he was filled with the Holy Spirit, God gave him a mission. God sent him to preach the Gospel. He traveled around Asia Minor and Europe three times on his missionary journeys, preaching, building churches, and leading many souls to the Lord. On his final journey to Rome, he was captured and beheaded by King Nero. His life was a beautiful, precious, and blessed one. Historians think Saul lived 60 years. He met Jesus when he was 30. For 30 years after meeting the Lord Jesus, he lived only for the Lord Jesus. He never married. He focused on Jesus alone, dedicating himself for the glory of the Lord and preaching the Gospel. He was martyred when Nero beheaded him. Since Paul’s blood of martyrdom soaked in the ground, in less than 300 years the Roman Empire became a Christian kingdom. When the Holy Spirit comes, such changes occur. When the Holy Spirit comes, our destinies will be changed. When the Holy Spirit comes, the glory of God will be manifested. I want to conclude today’s sermon by telling you a story about Rev. Kukil Choi. Rev. Choi wrote the book, Throwing Myself in Thunder. His parents were killed by the North Korean communists, because they were Christians. He came down to South Korea all by himself. He had a hard time living alone. One day he was accused of a crime he did not commit and was sent to prison. When he came out of prison, he had nowhere to go. He had no family and no one welcomed an ex-convict. He then actually committed a crime and went back to prison. He committed another crime and went to prison again. He went to prison 19 times. He was totally deserted from Korean society. He was filled with anger and hatred. To make things worse, he had tuberculosis and was vomiting blood. He was sent to a sanitarium in Masan. Christians came to the sanitarium, preaching the Gospel and taking care of the patients. A lady visited him, preaching the Gospel and helping him. At first he thought that Christians were hypocrites and liars doing their good deeds, so he rejected her help. Gradually, however, he became impressed by her dedication and love. He thought, I am a convicted criminal with tuberculosis. Who is this Jesus in their hearts? What makes them come and take care of me, someone who is vomiting blood and dying of tuberculosis? He became interested in Jesus. When he accepted Jesus as Savior, a miracle happened. God gave him a mission. He was completely changed the moment he believed in Jesus. He regained his health. He came out of prison earlier than scheduled. He married the lady who had led him to the Lord. He went to seminary and became a Christian minister. He is over 80 years old now. He organized “The Damascus Mission” to preach the Gospel to prisoners. He preaches the Gospel to prisoners, helping them start a new life. He sells his works of calligraphy to finance his ministry. When we believe in Jesus, miracles will take place. The moment we accept the Lord Jesus, He will provide a turning point in our life. When we accept the Lord Jesus, living centered on Him, He will take care of our lives. Let us ask the Lord in prayer, “Lord, come into my heart as the light and the Word. I want to dedicate my life to You.” When we dedicate our lives to the Lord, living for the glory of the Lord, unprecedented works of the Lord will be done in our lives. I pray that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will be witnesses for the Lord in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Let us pray. Our Father of infinite love, grace, and mercy, You said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Saul became a great servant of God by believing in Jesus and by receiving the Holy Spirit. Fill us with the Spirit so that we may dedicate the rest of our lives to You as Your servants. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.