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Sermon #5489

An Encounter with God

A Sermon on Acts 9:4

Originally preached Oct. 31, 1954

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Scripture

Acts 9:4 ESV KJV
And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (ESV)

Sermon Description

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" With this question, the notorious persecutor Saul had a face to face encounter with Jesus. Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones recounts this divine confrontation that transformed an enemy of the cross into a child of God. When culture screams for autonomy from God, the grace of God rips away the mask of cultural Christianity. Now, as one who is forgiven and at peace with our Savior, the Christian learns to be silent, to listen and to submit to Christ’s will. No one is saved as a family or a nation, but only an individual can be spared from the wrath of God by the conviction of sin and the forgiveness of the Savior.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The intervention of God is essential for conversion. God deals with and addresses individuals in a personal way.
  2. There is an awareness that something is happening to you and you are being manipulated or surrounded in a new way.
  3. It becomes a personal concern and you become the object rather than the subject. You listen rather than speak.
  4. There is a realization that what matters is what God thinks of you rather than what you think of God. You become aware of God's judgment rather than expressing your own.
  5. There is a conviction of sin. You realize God knows you personally and knows all the details of your life. You see the enormity of your sin against God.
  6. There is a trembling in terror at your condition and future destiny. You become concerned for your soul.
  7. There is a recognition of Christ as Lord and a submission to Him. You surrender to Him in helplessness and ask what He wants you to do.
  8. The preacher's role is to utter your name and make you aware of the facts and your position before God.
  9. Your name will be called by God either now or at the final judgment. You must respond to God's call.

Face to Face with Christ

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.