THE IDEALIST

In a fever of excitement,
He jumped into the fight
To help the ‘poor down-trodden’
And save them from their plight.

But the ‘poor-down-trodden’ looked upon
His efforts, and they scorned.
And the multitude had passed on;
It was for ‘peace’ they all now mourned.

He committed himself to agitate
For ‘peace’ and end to war;
But ‘ecology’ was suddenly the thing;
He heard it more and more.

He earnestly sought out this and that,
‘Till he nearly lost his mind,
Looking for a cause he could ‘relate to’
And for his life, a purpose find.

But men, in fickle loyalty
From cause to cause did stray
Until at last, in desperation,
He finally stopped to pray.

Where unrest and uncertainty
Once played so great a part
In leading him from cause to cause,
The peace of Christ now filled his heart.

He’s committed now to service
In a cause that doesn’t change.
He seeks, not the plaudits of a changing world,
But ‘well done’ from the eternal King.

Fcc

No man has made the pages of history because he was satisfied with the status quo. Those who have left their mark are those who gave their energy to a ‘cause’. Many have allowed their cause to intrude into their rest. Elias Howe and his sewing machine; Isaac Newton and the apple. The tragedies are those misguided souls who waste their energy on questionable or plain wrong ‘causes’. Protestors and marches are not a good substitute for the Lord’s service.

Vv 1,2

Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

A. In his lost condition, Saul was dedicated to the task at hand, ie to destroy the young church.
Acts 26:9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

B. The public accepted his ‘cause’ as just.
1. He had letters- (arrest warrants) from the political authorities
2. He had the approval of the Jewish religion
Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Vv 3, 4
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

A. Christ desired something else from Saul. All his earnestness, dedication and sincerity were misdirected.

1. His sin was not in being active, but rather in being active in the wrong thing.

B. God has always called those who were busy at some task. Even if it was not the right task
1. Gideon was threshing grain.
Judgs. 6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

2. Amos was a herdsman and fig gatherer.
Amos 7:14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:
15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

3. David was just a lad tending sheep
I Sam 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

4. Peter and his brothers were fishermen
Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

5. Matthew was collecting taxes
Matt 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

6. Luke was a physician
Col 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

II Tim 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

I have never met a preacher worth his salt, who said, “ I wasn’t doing anything else, so I started preaching”

Vv 5,6
Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

A. He was saved and sought a purpose for his new life in the same breath.
B. God has a purpose for the life of everyone He saves.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Is there one who would dare to consider himself so worthless, that God would invest the blood of His Son in his salvation, send His Holy Spirit to give him assurance of it, and then have no purpose for that for which He had paid so great a price?

C. He acknowledges Jesus as Lord.
1. What will THOU have me to do?
He is no longer concerned with the Sanhedrin Court, the priest, the Pharisees, political expediency or social acceptance by his peers. Only Jesus matters now.

2. What will thou have me TO DO?
Peter - feed my sheep
Church - Go into all the world.
There was no place to rest for the priests in the Tabernacle
Adam was to tend the garden
Abraham was to leave his family and home, to settle a new land.
Even ‘worship’ is an ACTIVE verb!

Vv 20-22
Acts 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

A. Saul of Tarsus has found a REAL CAUSE. “This is the very Christ”
Imagine his thrill of discovery! He had studied about the promised Messiah all his life. He had heard and read all the prophecies. Now, he has actually met and talked with Him and He has saved his soul.

B. The change in a newly saved person usually confounds his old acquaintances.

C. they love to remind him of his old ways.

Vv 23,24
Acts 9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

A. Many of his own people weren’t at all pleased with the change in him.

B. But Paul found peace and pride in his new life.
II Cor 11:22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

C. Christ was pleased with his service

II Tim 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

D. Real and lasting results were obtained. As an apostle to the Gentiles, he laid the foundation for the mission work which reached even to us.

Proposition and Conclusion: Will You commit yourself to this cause?