What A Blind Man Saw

TEXTActs 9:8

INTRODUCTION:

A.      WHO IS THIS BLIND MAN?

          1.       From Tarsus, the famous capital of the Roman Province ( Acts 21:39 ).

          2.       A Jew who had been instructed at thee feet of Gamaliel ( Acts 22:3 ).

          3.       His conviction and zeal were unexcelled(Phil. 3:4-6).

          4.       He found Christ and sacrificed everything to be his disciple( Phil. 3:7-8 ).

          5.       We are talking about Saul of Tarsus, the apostle Paul.

B.      WHAT MOTIVATED SAUL TO GIVE UP ALL FOR JESUS?  WHAT DID THE

          BLIND MAN SEE?

I.      SAUL SAW JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD.

A.      BEFORE HIS CONVERSION, HE WAS A PERSECUTOR( 1 Cor. 15:9 ).

          1.       He persecuted it and made "havoc"( Gal. 1:13 ).

          2.       He got personal( Acts 8:3;  26:9-12;  1 Tim. 1:13 ).

          3.       He consented to the death of Stephen ( Acts 7:54--8:1 ).

B.      HE SAW JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD( Acts 22:6-10 ). 

What shall I do, Lord?

C.      SAUL WAS IN DARKNESS.  ALL MEN ARE IN SPIRITUAL DARKNESS

          WHILE IN SIN( Ephesians 5:8;  1:18;  Acts 26:16-18 ).

D.      JUST LIKE SAUL, WE MUST.

          1.       Recognize his authority ( Matt. 28:18;  Eph. 1:20-23 ).

          2.       Accept his perfect teaching ( John 6:63;  12:48 ).

          3.       Recognize the importance of his sacrifice ( Heb. 9:12, 14;  10:19-22 ).

C.      THE IMPORTANCE OF BELIEVING THIS( John 8:24; Rom. 5:1 ).

II      HE SAW HIMSELF AS RELIGIOUS SINNER.

A.      PAUL WAS A FALSE TEACHER.

          1.       Honest, zealous, of a good conscience( Acts 22:3; 23:1; Phil. 3:5-6 ).

          2.       He saw his religious error( Phil. 3:5-10; 1 Tim. 1:12-15 ).

          3.       He saw he had to give up his and his parents' religion:

                   a.       Did this cast a reflection on them?  Did he love them less?

                   b.       Who did he put first in his life ( Matt. 10:37 ).

          4.       Honesty demanded change. Dishonesty would have reflected upon his parents.

B.      SOME TODAY NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE( Matt. 7:21; 15:7-9, 13-14 ).

          1.       Christ came to make men religiously right, not religious.

          2.       Like Paul we are all sinners who need forgiveness( Rom. 3:23; Luke 18:13 ).

          3.       If I am not honest in my convictions I will never be truly happy( Matt.19:22 ).

          4.       I'll be in a state of ruin eternally( Matt. 16:26 ).

III.    HE SAW HE HAD A PART IN HIS OWN SALVATION.

A.      JESUS DIED FOR ALL MEN( Heb. 2:9;  2 Cor. 5:14-15 ).

B.      GOD'S GRACE HAS BROUGHT SALVATION TO ALL( Titus 2:11 ).

C.      NOT ALL ARE SAVED( Matt. 7:13-14 ).

D.      WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

          1.       Accepting God's grace is a matter of will( Rev. 22:17 ).

          2.       There are conditions that must be met( Heb. 5:8-9 )

          3.       Men choose to meet the conditions, or not to( Acts 13:46; 1 Pet 2:4 ).

          4.       Eternity hangs on the choice( 2 Cor. 5:10;  2 Thess. 1:7-9 ).

E.      OUR PLEA( 2 Cor. 5:20--6:2;  Acts 2:40 ).

IV.   HE SAW HE COULD NOT BE SAVED WITHOUT BAPTISM.

A.      Acts 9:6, 18; 22:16. HE WAS COMMANDED THE SAME THING OTHERS IN

          ACTS WERE( 2:38;  10:47-48 ).

B.      JUST SEEING THE TRUTH WAS NOT ENOUGH( 1 Pet. 1:22;  Jas. 1:24 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      THE APOSTLES, INCLUDING PAUL, SAW AND BELIEVED.

B.      THEIR TESTIMONY IS GIVEN THAT WE MIGHT BELIEVE( John20:30-31 ).

C.      FAITH FINDS FULFILLMENT IN OBEDIENCE.

Original sermon from Bible Truths Graphically Displayed, Jimmy Tuten, 1981