Download didn`t want Jesus to be Lord

There are, apparently – at least from what I see as I gad about the internet- lots of folks who
consider Christianity [all religion] dangerous - something to be eliminated for the
betterment of society at large. Some examples from “comments sections” to make you
uncomfortable.
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I think religions are dangerous because they have blind faith. Like the couple in the news that
refused to take their son to the doctor and prayed for him to get better and the boy died.
Christianity - similarly to most other religions - potentially has the power to convince someone that
petrol bombing an abortion clinic is justified.
Because it’s irrational, and some of its practitioners are trying hard to spread the irrationality in
public places.
Because its preachments are wicked and evil. Because they can't be happy just believing in this
ludicrous fantasy They use their beliefs to stunt the progression of science, to stop certain people
from having the same freedoms as everyone else, force [their beliefs] on kids in school, etc.
It is fashionable to wax apocalyptic about the threat to humanity posed by the AIDS virus, “mad
cow” disease, and many others, but I think a case can be made that faith is one of the world’s
great evils, comparable to the smallpox virus but harder to eradicate.
-Richard Dawkins
We’re in a message series I’m calling Hostile Witness. We’re considering people and
groups in the NT who didn’t want Jesus to be Lord - his brothers, his hometown of
Nazareth, the Sadducees and Pharisees. Those comments come from folks who see
Christianity as dangerous. I think it’s safe to say none of them would embrace the
idea that “Jesus is Lord.” In fact, many will say, with a mix of pride and chagrin that
they thought so “once,” but then they “came to their senses.”
And there are probably a few in the lunatic fringe of the anti-religionists that wouldn’t
mind seeing as many “faithful followers of Jesus” eradicated as possible. [To his credit
early this year Dawkins conceded: "Christianity may actually be our best defense against aberrant
forms of religion that threaten the world," He has "mixed feelings" about the decline of
Christianity, because it might be "a bulwark against something worse."]
But while lots of people would like Christianity to curl up and die, it hasn’t. Despite the
many ways we’ve gotten it wrong in the last 2K years, giving folks reasons to want it
dead, it’s not. And while lots of people have tried to kill it because they thought it
dangerous to the well-being of their society we followers of Jesus are still here. as the
song says, “No turning back. No turning back.”
This morning’s hostile witness despised the faith you and I follow. He considered it an
offense and an affront to his entire society. With an obsessive violence he threw
himself into the effort to eradicate anyone who called Jesus Lord. He was an angry
attack dog for the High Priests, empowered to do lots of damage to the Jewish
blasphemers who followed Jesus of Nazareth.
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The internet comments from above came from people who identify as modern
Atheists. Our hostile witness was not an atheist but he saw the rise of the sect of
Christianity [The Way] as distinctly dangerous to his world- something to be obliterated
rather than tolerated. In his own words he said he, “ …tried to destroy it.” Nobody didn’t
want Jesus to be Lord more than Saul of Tarsus
So let’s talk about Saul.
A few years after Jesus was born [4bc?] Saul was born [5ad?]. His parents were Jews
living in the Greek cultural and intellectual center of Tarsus, the capitol of the province
of Cilicia [modern Turkey]. Antony and Agustus both gave Tarsus special privileges like:
freedom from taxation and Roman citizenship. So Saul’s parents and their children were
Roman citizens with all the privileges that implied.
In his childhood Saul’s family moved from Tarsus to Jerusalem [Acts 22:3].
As every Jewsh boy Saul began Torah school and his performance must have been
excellent, as we know he ultimately became a disciple of Rabbi Gamaliel [Acts 22:3].
Gamaliel was a highly respected leader in the Sanhedrin in the early first century- a
Pharisee. He was also the Grandson of one of the MOST renowned rabbi’s of all time
Hillel the elder. In Acts 5 Gamaliel urges the Sanhedrin not to kill Peter and John for
preaching about Jesus and resurrection 38 “…for if this plan or action is of men, it will be
overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found
fighting against God.” [Some Christian traditions say G. embraced the Way of Christ, that he and his son and
Nicodemus were baptized by Peter & John. Of course this is contested tradition.]
In his own words Saul was Phil. 3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe
of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 …as for legalistic righteousness,
faultless. He Acts 26:5… lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. And he was
22:3 …educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers. Being a disciple of the
Pharisee Gamaliel is indicative of Paul’s intellect and his devotion to and his
excellence in the study of the Torah and the Talmud. [Which we can see in his letters as he
so easily quotes the Pentateuch, prophets and psalms from memory.]
And, from his writings, we know Saul was familiar with Greek writing styles, and Greek
methods of teaching, Greek religion, philosophy, often quoting it in his letters. One
writer calls him“…a "Hebrew of the Hebrews," yet at the same time a native Hellenist, and a
Roman citizen… He could argue with the Pharisees as a son of Abraham, … He could address the
Greeks in their own beautiful tongue and with the convincing force of their logic. Clothed with the
dignity and majesty of the Roman people, he could travel safely over the whole empire ……He had
Semitic fervor, Greek versatility, and Roman energy. “
He, himself, says he Gal. 1:14 … was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among
my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.
Saul was tenacious and driven and I’ll say competitive in his studies. If Saul was a hiker
he’d be the guy who runs to the top of the mountain. If he were a modern pastor he’d press on until
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he had the Mother-ship of all mega-churches. If Saul were a football fan he’d be the shirtless guy in
30-degree weather, in Seahawks green, full- body paint with a big blue 12 painted on his chest
screaming his head off. His intense zeal was the reason for Saul’s success in Judaism.
And he took all that zeal and applied it fervently against the dangerous sect called “The
Way” that had burst full-bloom just after last Passover and Pentecost. This heretical
sect threatened the foundations of his Judaism by saying God’s Messiah –some Galilean
named Jesus- had come and been crucified and was resurrected. Some said this Jesus
was Lord and God in the flesh- blasphemy. And others said this false god came to save
filthy gentiles as well as unclean Jews-more blasphemy. This lying, false heretical sect
had to be put down. And in this, our man Saul found his calling.
A man by the name of Stephen- a Jewish follower of Jesus, engaged in the important ministry
of feeding the hungry- was falsely accused and dragged before the Sanhedrin on charges
of blasphemy. Stephen defends himself with the history of Israel from Abraham to the
prophets. He accuses them of being stiff-necked and resisting the Holy Spirit and then
in the middle of the council he sees a vision: 7:56…“Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the
Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” They go nuts!
This was the last straw. They grabbed Stephen, drove him out of the city and set to
stoning him to death. Saul was there. It’s uncertain whether he was at the trial or not.
But he was an active and zealous participant in Stephen’s death. Those who’d heard
Steve’s “blasphemy” in court removed their cloaks so they wouldn’t become soiled, so
they could more easily kill a Jewish brother. And young Saul [24-40] watched over their
coats [Acts 7:58] and he was GLAD to see one of these blasphemers FINALLY getting
what he deserved. He was in eager and absolute agreement with the action!
He wasn’t alone. The stoning of Stephen roused the Jews of Jerusalem into an
intense persecution of anyone who claimed Jesus was Lord and resurrected from the
dead. The Apostles went underground in Jerusalem while thousands who’d become convinced of
Jesus resurrection and Lordship scattered- and in the process shared the gospel to incredible
success along the way [like Phiip ch8].
Devout, fervent, tenacious Saul –and those with him- were inspired to hunt down
Christians in Jerusalem, door to door and house after house, and take to prison any
apparent followers of Jesus- men or women- all with the official OK of the Jewish
legislative body [Acts 8:3].
Saul understood his duty to be to rid Israel of these followers of Jesus of Nazareth. He
was quite enthusiastic. In trying to help us understand the absolute detestation Saul
had for the Christians, Lk 9 tells us it was as if his every breath spoke a threat against
them, wanting them dead. In his own words he says I Gal. 1:13 … persecuted the church of
God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; The phrase ‘beyond measure” is a bit tame. It
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means excessively, violently. Saul was fanatically devoted to the destruction of
everyone within the Jesus movement.
In Acts 22:4 Luke records Paul as declaring: 4 “ I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and
putting both men and women into prisons. In Acts 26 Luke records Paul saying: When their
sentences came before the Sanhedrin he enthusiastically voted for their deaths [26:10].
He says he “often” punished them in the synagogues and tried to force them to
blaspheme- that is to curse Jesus Christ [26:11}. How do you force someone to curse the
God they love? Well you use threats and violence. [Jesus warned his disciples they would be
flogged in the synagogues [Matt 10:17] and the Talmud allowed for whippings administered by the synagogue as
legitimate punishment for blasphemy.]
And Saul accomplished all of this with the full knowledge and approval of the Chief
priests [26:10]. I’m sure they were delighted to make use of Saul’s conviction that he
should do everything possible against the Jesus movement [v9]. Luke – who knew
him and traveled with him- reports that Saul described himself as “furiously enraged”
at the Christians [26:11].
Having effectively squelched the church in Jerusalem Saul is, again, commissioned
by the chief priests to chase down the followers of Jesus who escaped the city. He’s
headed to Damascus and it’s largish Jewish population and his goal is capturing and
chaining up every man and woman that claims to be a Christ-follower and taking them
back to Jerusalem for prosecution.
Saul of Tarsus is the Grand Inquisitor, the Chief Priests attack dog. His Pharisaic
zeal powers his raging fury and his murderous threats against anyone claiming Jesus
as Lord or Messiah or God. He hates and despises and dismisses this Jesus as a
blasphemer, a rebel and a false prophet.
Until he meets him in person. And then things change.
Just outside Damascus and without any warning a light brighter than the sun at noon
engulfs Saul and his men. The shock and awe and pure presence of that light knocks
them all to the ground. A voice speaks right to Saul- it knows him and has a message for
him: Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Saul is one of the best young scholars of the scripture in all of Judaism, and the parts
of his mind that are still functioning KNOW from the scripture that the light and the
voice are all indications that this “experience” is a God-thing.
“Who are you, Lord” is the question of a scripturally literate Jew who knows he’s in
the presence of the Living God.
The voice answers: ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Jesus tells Saul to go into the city
and wait. And when Saul gets up he realizes he’s blind. And the “grand inquisitor” is
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led by the hand, stumbling, into Damascus. The Lord Jesus in a vision sends Ananias
to find Saul and, in another vision tells Saul of his coming. Ananias [for good reason]
questions Jesus saying: Lord, this guy did a lo of damage to your saints in Jerusalem and you
want me to go to him!?!? And the Lord says: Yes! He’s the one I’ve chosen.
When Ananias finds Saul he says: “ Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road
by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
In more ways than one Saul’s blindness disappeares. He was baptized… 20 and
immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” How does
this happen? How does Saul of Tarsus breathing threats and murder against the Lord’s
disciples become the man who says: Phil. 3: 8 …I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
Only by the loving hand of God. Bible Commentator James Montgomery Boice says of
Saul: “No man possessing such characteristics and engaged in zealous persecution of the church is
about to be converted by someone else or by human testimony. God himself must accomplish his
conversion.”
CS Lewis claimed a “seemingly firm belief in the in-existence of God.” Friendship with Tolkien and
reading GK Chesterton were helpful but it was “…the steady unrelenting approach of Him whom I so
earnestly desired not to meet,” that changed everything.
Lee Strobel- legal editor of the Chicago Tribune considered himself an atheist and thought the idea
of an all-loving, all-powerful God was stupid. His wife’s new faith led him to research Christianity’s
claims. After the most part of two years he concluded: “…in light of the torrent of evidence flowing in
the direction of the truth of Christianity, it would require more faith for me to maintain my atheism than
to become a Christian.
Alister McGrath was in 1971 an utterly convinced, aggressive atheist. God spoke to McGrath’s
intellect such that, "Atheism, I began to realize, rested on a less-than-satisfactory evidential basis."
He became a Christian intellectually. His heart and imagination were taken over some time later as
he sat on a hill overlooking Oxford reading Philippians: 8 …I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
Like Saul, nobody would have ever thought these men would ever call Jesus Lord.
But Jesus broke through every distraction and every defense; and all four of these men
became gifted and powerful advocates for the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
And you and I need to remember that Jesus, himself, can do the same thing in the
lives of our neighbors and friends and family members.
Jesus, himself is quite capable of making himself known and eliminating all doubt. Like
Lewis they may “earnestly desire not to meet Him, but His approach is unrelenting.
Like Francis Thompson’s poem:
THE HOUND OF HEAVEN
I fled Him down the nights and down the days;
I fled Hm down the arches of the years;
I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
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I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot precipitated,
Adown titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed after.
In the early 90’s singer Wayne Watson updated this idea writing:
There are pagans at the corners of creation
Making light of the salvation that we know
And with a small, narrow mind I give them over
To the passion of the Godless seed they sow
But, in truth, they have just as much potential
To be Godly and perfected by the Word
Cause no one in this world
Can slip beyond the reaches
Of the long arm of the Lord
Someone has said about Saul of Tarsus: “There was never a more notable antagonist of the
Christian Church.” Nobody didn’t want Jesus to be Lord more than Saul of Tarsus.
He is our hostile witness this morning because if God can reach fervent, angry, violent
Saul and transform him and use him to fill the world with the Kingdom of God, then NO
ONE IS BEYOND GOD’S REACH.
Not your children. Not your neighbors. Not your college friends or your FB friends, Not
even the “New Atheists” like Sam Harris, or Richard Dawkins,.
The fact is Jesus has a tendency to snatch up those we least expect. That’s why Saul
turned Paul quotes God’s own words from Isaiah 20 …“I was found by those who did not seek
me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” [Rom 10:20]
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