An Encounter with God
A Sermon on Acts 9:4
Originally preached Oct. 31, 1954
Scripture
4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
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
- The intervention of God is essential for conversion. God deals with and addresses individuals in a personal way.
- There is an awareness that something is happening to you and you are being manipulated or surrounded in a new way.
- It becomes a personal concern and you become the object rather than the subject. You listen rather than speak.
- 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.
- 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.
- There is a trembling in terror at your condition and future destiny. You become concerned for your soul.
- 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.
- The preacher's role is to utter your name and make you aware of the facts and your position before God.
- Your name will be called by God either now or at the final judgment. You must respond to God's call.
Sermon Q&A
What Was the Experience of Saul's Conversion on the Damascus Road?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon transcript, here are key questions and answers about Saul's conversion experience:
How did God intervene in Saul's life on the Damascus road?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, God intervened suddenly and dramatically in Saul's life. The Scripture says, "As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven." This divine intervention is the first essential element of conversion - God takes the initiative. When someone is being converted, they become aware that something is happening to them, that they are "being dealt with" and "being surrounded" by God's presence.
What personal element was most significant in Saul's conversion?
The most significant personal element was that Saul was directly addressed by Christ: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" This marked a complete reversal in Saul's position - he went from being the subject (the one doing the investigating and persecuting) to being the object (the one being addressed and examined). Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christianity is "first and foremost personal" - it's not about detached religious opinions but about a direct, personal encounter with Christ.
How did Saul's attitude change during his conversion experience?
Saul went from being the eloquent speaker expressing his opinions about Christianity to becoming a silent listener. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that "for the first time, he himself, as a person, became directly related to these things." Saul realized that what truly mattered was not what he thought of Jesus, but what Jesus thought of him. This shift from critic to listener is essential in conversion.
What is conviction of sin, and how did Saul experience it?
Conviction of sin is realizing the enormity of one's sin in relation to God. Saul discovered that Jesus knew him personally and knew everything about his life. When Christ said, "Why persecutest thou me?", Saul realized he wasn't merely persecuting Christians but was persecuting Christ himself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that what makes sin truly sinful is not just that we do wrong things, but that "we do such things against God." This conviction led Saul to tremble with fear about his spiritual condition.
What was Saul's response to this divine encounter?
Saul's response was complete submission. He recognized Jesus as Lord and submitted to him by asking, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this is the moment when a person realizes they are helpless to save themselves and surrenders completely to Christ. Saul went from being the persecutor to becoming the apostle who proclaimed Christ, proving in Damascus "that this is the very Christ" and telling all to believe in him for salvation.
Why is personal address from God essential to true conversion?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that without this personal address from God, there is no true conversion. When God speaks to us individually, we realize He knows us completely - "All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." This divine personal encounter leads to conviction of sin, fear about our spiritual condition, and ultimately submission to Christ. Without hearing God speak our name, as it were, we remain detached critics rather than converted believers.
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.