Blinded by the Light
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | May 4, 2025
Click here to listen to the service
Read Acts 9:1 – 20 (NIV)
So, I have to be honest... as I thought about this text and the sermon title, I gave serious thought to just doing a sermon in song... starting with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band singing their 1976 classic, “Blinded by the Light,” and ending with the 1972 hit by Johnny Nash, “I Can See Clearly Now.”
But I thought better of it... I figured only one or two people would be excited in reminiscing over the music of my childhood... so instead, this morning, I want to invite us to delve just a little deeper into this story of Saul encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus as we focus on the subject BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.
As we look at our New Testament lesson, it starts with Saul being out for blood… he was on a personal mission to kill any and all believers in Christ he could get his hands on. But once he started out on this particular leg of his journey... he had an encounter with the Lord that would change the course of history.
Saul was literally BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.
Author Max Lucado describes it this way in his book, “The Applause of Heaven”
Read Acts 9:1 – 20 (NIV)
So, I have to be honest... as I thought about this text and the sermon title, I gave serious thought to just doing a sermon in song... starting with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band singing their 1976 classic, “Blinded by the Light,” and ending with the 1972 hit by Johnny Nash, “I Can See Clearly Now.”
But I thought better of it... I figured only one or two people would be excited in reminiscing over the music of my childhood... so instead, this morning, I want to invite us to delve just a little deeper into this story of Saul encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus as we focus on the subject BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.
As we look at our New Testament lesson, it starts with Saul being out for blood… he was on a personal mission to kill any and all believers in Christ he could get his hands on. But once he started out on this particular leg of his journey... he had an encounter with the Lord that would change the course of history.
Saul was literally BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.
Author Max Lucado describes it this way in his book, “The Applause of Heaven”
Before he encountered Christ, Paul had been somewhat of a hero among the Pharisees… Blue-blooded and wild-eyed, this young zealot was hellbent on keeping the Christians out. He marched through the countryside like a general demanding that backslidden Jews salute the flag of the motherland or kiss their family and hopes goodbye.
All this came to a halt, however, on the shoulder of a highway… That’s when someone slammed on the stadium lights, and he heard the voice. When he found whose voice it was, his jaw hit the ground, and his body followed. He braced himself for the worst. He knew it was all over… He prayed that death would be quick and painless.
But all he got was silence and the first of a lifetime of surprises.
He ended up bewildered and befuddled in a borrowed bedroom. God left him there a few days with scales on his eyes so thick that the only direction he could look was inside himself. And he didn’t like what he saw. He saw himself for what he really was – to use his own words, the worst of sinners.
… Alone in the room with his sins on his conscience and blood on his hands, he asked to be cleansed. … The legalist Saul was buried, and the liberator Paul was born. He was never the same afterwards. And neither was the world…
The message is gripping. Show a man his failures without Jesus and the result will be found in the roadside gutter. Give a man religion without reminding him of his filth, and the result will be arrogance in a three-piece suit. But get the two in the same heart – get sin to meet Savior and Savior to meet sin – and the result just might be another Pharisee turned preacher who sets the world on fire. (Lucado, 1999, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Just consider for a moment... who could have ever imagined that the chief persecutor of Christians would actually become a Christian himself?
And just to be clear, Paul (the persecutor formerly known as Saul) did not become just an average, run-of-the-mill, pew-sitting, inactive type of Christian. He was truly on fire for the Lord.
In fact, the zeal that Paul had for following Christ was infinitely greater than the zeal he had ever possessed in his quest to persecute Christians.
But there were certainly those who called Paul, a.k.a. Saul’s, new-found passion for Christ into question. However, God knew exactly who Saul was... as well as who He had destined Paul to be... and just as God knew the plans and purpose He had for Paul... God knows the plan and the purpose He has for each of us as well.
It was the Prophet Jeremiah who said it like this, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
We can rest assured that God does have a plan for each and every one of our lives. But just what that plan is, may not be immediately obvious to us or to anyone else, for that matter.
Have you ever run into someone that you may not have seen for quite some time, and they are amazed at how much your life has changed from what it was… way back when?
I know some of you have heard me share the story before of how several years ago, I was in line at BJs waiting to checkout when a gentleman said that he recognized me but could not remember from where. Unfortunately, in that moment, I did not recognize him and had no clue why he thought he knew me.
I suggested maybe it was from a church... after all I am a pastor and have been in my fair share of churches over the years. It seemed only natural that perhaps that was where he might have seen me.
But imagine my surprise (and actual embarrassment) when he said without the least bit of hesitation, “Oh no, it didn’t have anything to do with a church…” as if that was the most preposterous idea I could have suggested.
Eventually, he figured out that he actually knew me from my “groupie” days when a girlfriend and I followed her boyfriend’s band around – from club to club and city to city – going just about anywhere and everywhere between Cleveland and Youngstown and as far as McKeesport and Pittsburgh, PA.
Thank goodness I wasn’t out persecuting Christians or anything like that when the gentleman knew me way back when... but my life back then was still a far cry from walking out my call to ministry.
Interestingly enough, I ran into that same gentleman a second time... a year or two later... and he shared that since our last encounter he had gotten remarried, joined a church and was now involved with their music ministry.
It is truly amazing when we think about the ways in which God is able to turn our lives around and use us for His glory.
And even when we may have been BLINDED BY THE LIGHT of the world’s glitz and glamor... God can and will open our eyes to the truth of who God wants us to be.
Now, I am guessing that I am not the only person here who has a story like this to tell... but if by some strange chance I am the only one... the bottom line is that God does have a plan for each of our lives. And He has a phenomenal way of moving us from one stage of our lives to the next... we just have to remain open to His leading.
It is in Proverbs 16 (9) that we read, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Yet, how often do we find ourselves wanting to go down a certain path thinking that we know better and know which way we should go… only to find ourselves wandering in the wilderness, crying out for God to save us and show us the way?
You may recall that Jonah tried to go that route, and the results were not exactly what he bargained for. Jonah had made up his mind that he did not want to go to Nineveh and preach the word of repentance as God had directed him to do.
So, he set out in the opposite direction thinking he could get away from the plan that God had for him. But the fact of the matter is that you cannot outrun God... and you cannot hide from Him... no matter how hard you try... which is why Jonah ended up spending three days and nights sequestered inside the belly of a great fish.
Fortunately for Saul whose story is the focus of our New Testament lesson this morning... his three days of sequester were spent in much nicer accommodations than Jonah had. Nevertheless, Brother Saul wasn’t exactly relaxing at a spa at the Waldorf Astoria either.
The scriptures tell us that after he was BLINDED BY THE LIGHT... Saul did not eat or drink anything for the next three days. Not exactly what one might consider to be a dream getaway.
But over the course of those three days, God certainly got Saul’s attention... just as He had gotten Jonah’s. And while Jonah was clearly much more reluctant about proclaiming the word of repentance to the people than Saul/Paul was... the end result was the same. People turned their lives around and committed their lives to God.
Now, the three-day excursions that Saul and Jonah found themselves on remind me of the story of someone else who spent three days in a dark and isolated place… but when HE got up… let me just say the end result was nothing short of remarkable!
So, what lessons can we take away from all of this today?
First and foremost, God can use whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses and however He chooses.
Saul was probably one of the last people that folks could have imagined would become one of the biggest evangelists and most prolific writers in the New Testament. From chief of all sinners to chief of all Christians... Paul’s life clearly demonstrates how God can change hearts, change minds, and change lives in ways that exceed our wildest imaginations.
The reality is that it can be all too easy to get caught up in what someone’s past looks like (including our own) ...and that can cause us to lose sight of the future that God has in store.
And I will be the first to admit, looking back at where I was... I would never have imagined that God would have brought me to where I am today. But thankfully God knows best... and the good news is that no matter where we may have been or what me may have done… God’s grace and mercy continually pave the road toward a future filled with hope and promise.
Now, the second thing we can take from this text is that God will use some pretty drastic measures to get our attention if need be. News flash... God is calling us to commitment... not comfort... Just ask Saul and Jonah.
Neither spending three days fasting in the dark nor hanging out in the belly of a fish... sounds the least bit comfortable to me. But rest assured, while the journey may not always be easy, we have the Lord’s promise to be with us every step of the way… even when the road gets rocky.
I do need to let you in on a little secret... when we commit to follow God’s plan, there are bound to be skeptics and doubters and there are bound to be obstacles that we will encounter along the way.
In fact, as we look back at the text, it would appear that Ananias was more than a little skeptical and hesitant about Saul and going to find him.
However, the Lord said, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Or as it reads in the Message, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
“The hard suffering that goes with this job…” probably not what we would imagine someone putting on a recruitment poster to bring more followers to Christ... but it is the reality of what comes with the territory.
As Jesus said Himself in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
And in his letter to the Roman church, Paul wrote about the purpose of suffering. It is in Romans 5 that we read, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).
And in Romans 8:17, we read, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Paul goes on to say in the following verse, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In other words, things may be rough in the short term, but the long-term benefits will be spectacular.
Which brings us to the last point I want to highlight from our text this morning... which is that the benefits that come when we follow God’s plan are so much greater than what we could ever imagined.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (3:20), we read:
And just to be clear, Paul (the persecutor formerly known as Saul) did not become just an average, run-of-the-mill, pew-sitting, inactive type of Christian. He was truly on fire for the Lord.
In fact, the zeal that Paul had for following Christ was infinitely greater than the zeal he had ever possessed in his quest to persecute Christians.
But there were certainly those who called Paul, a.k.a. Saul’s, new-found passion for Christ into question. However, God knew exactly who Saul was... as well as who He had destined Paul to be... and just as God knew the plans and purpose He had for Paul... God knows the plan and the purpose He has for each of us as well.
It was the Prophet Jeremiah who said it like this, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
We can rest assured that God does have a plan for each and every one of our lives. But just what that plan is, may not be immediately obvious to us or to anyone else, for that matter.
Have you ever run into someone that you may not have seen for quite some time, and they are amazed at how much your life has changed from what it was… way back when?
I know some of you have heard me share the story before of how several years ago, I was in line at BJs waiting to checkout when a gentleman said that he recognized me but could not remember from where. Unfortunately, in that moment, I did not recognize him and had no clue why he thought he knew me.
I suggested maybe it was from a church... after all I am a pastor and have been in my fair share of churches over the years. It seemed only natural that perhaps that was where he might have seen me.
But imagine my surprise (and actual embarrassment) when he said without the least bit of hesitation, “Oh no, it didn’t have anything to do with a church…” as if that was the most preposterous idea I could have suggested.
Eventually, he figured out that he actually knew me from my “groupie” days when a girlfriend and I followed her boyfriend’s band around – from club to club and city to city – going just about anywhere and everywhere between Cleveland and Youngstown and as far as McKeesport and Pittsburgh, PA.
Thank goodness I wasn’t out persecuting Christians or anything like that when the gentleman knew me way back when... but my life back then was still a far cry from walking out my call to ministry.
Interestingly enough, I ran into that same gentleman a second time... a year or two later... and he shared that since our last encounter he had gotten remarried, joined a church and was now involved with their music ministry.
It is truly amazing when we think about the ways in which God is able to turn our lives around and use us for His glory.
And even when we may have been BLINDED BY THE LIGHT of the world’s glitz and glamor... God can and will open our eyes to the truth of who God wants us to be.
Now, I am guessing that I am not the only person here who has a story like this to tell... but if by some strange chance I am the only one... the bottom line is that God does have a plan for each of our lives. And He has a phenomenal way of moving us from one stage of our lives to the next... we just have to remain open to His leading.
It is in Proverbs 16 (9) that we read, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Yet, how often do we find ourselves wanting to go down a certain path thinking that we know better and know which way we should go… only to find ourselves wandering in the wilderness, crying out for God to save us and show us the way?
You may recall that Jonah tried to go that route, and the results were not exactly what he bargained for. Jonah had made up his mind that he did not want to go to Nineveh and preach the word of repentance as God had directed him to do.
So, he set out in the opposite direction thinking he could get away from the plan that God had for him. But the fact of the matter is that you cannot outrun God... and you cannot hide from Him... no matter how hard you try... which is why Jonah ended up spending three days and nights sequestered inside the belly of a great fish.
Fortunately for Saul whose story is the focus of our New Testament lesson this morning... his three days of sequester were spent in much nicer accommodations than Jonah had. Nevertheless, Brother Saul wasn’t exactly relaxing at a spa at the Waldorf Astoria either.
The scriptures tell us that after he was BLINDED BY THE LIGHT... Saul did not eat or drink anything for the next three days. Not exactly what one might consider to be a dream getaway.
But over the course of those three days, God certainly got Saul’s attention... just as He had gotten Jonah’s. And while Jonah was clearly much more reluctant about proclaiming the word of repentance to the people than Saul/Paul was... the end result was the same. People turned their lives around and committed their lives to God.
Now, the three-day excursions that Saul and Jonah found themselves on remind me of the story of someone else who spent three days in a dark and isolated place… but when HE got up… let me just say the end result was nothing short of remarkable!
So, what lessons can we take away from all of this today?
First and foremost, God can use whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses and however He chooses.
Saul was probably one of the last people that folks could have imagined would become one of the biggest evangelists and most prolific writers in the New Testament. From chief of all sinners to chief of all Christians... Paul’s life clearly demonstrates how God can change hearts, change minds, and change lives in ways that exceed our wildest imaginations.
The reality is that it can be all too easy to get caught up in what someone’s past looks like (including our own) ...and that can cause us to lose sight of the future that God has in store.
And I will be the first to admit, looking back at where I was... I would never have imagined that God would have brought me to where I am today. But thankfully God knows best... and the good news is that no matter where we may have been or what me may have done… God’s grace and mercy continually pave the road toward a future filled with hope and promise.
Now, the second thing we can take from this text is that God will use some pretty drastic measures to get our attention if need be. News flash... God is calling us to commitment... not comfort... Just ask Saul and Jonah.
Neither spending three days fasting in the dark nor hanging out in the belly of a fish... sounds the least bit comfortable to me. But rest assured, while the journey may not always be easy, we have the Lord’s promise to be with us every step of the way… even when the road gets rocky.
I do need to let you in on a little secret... when we commit to follow God’s plan, there are bound to be skeptics and doubters and there are bound to be obstacles that we will encounter along the way.
In fact, as we look back at the text, it would appear that Ananias was more than a little skeptical and hesitant about Saul and going to find him.
However, the Lord said, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Or as it reads in the Message, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
“The hard suffering that goes with this job…” probably not what we would imagine someone putting on a recruitment poster to bring more followers to Christ... but it is the reality of what comes with the territory.
As Jesus said Himself in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
And in his letter to the Roman church, Paul wrote about the purpose of suffering. It is in Romans 5 that we read, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).
And in Romans 8:17, we read, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Paul goes on to say in the following verse, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In other words, things may be rough in the short term, but the long-term benefits will be spectacular.
Which brings us to the last point I want to highlight from our text this morning... which is that the benefits that come when we follow God’s plan are so much greater than what we could ever imagined.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (3:20), we read:
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (NKJV).
The truth is, when we place our faith in God and follow the plans that He has for us... the sky is the limit as to what He can and will do.
Back in the Gospel of Luke (5:4-6), we read about what occurred after Jesus had been teaching the people. Beginning at Luke 5:4, we read:
Back in the Gospel of Luke (5:4-6), we read about what occurred after Jesus had been teaching the people. Beginning at Luke 5:4, we read:
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
Simply put, when we stop focusing on our past failures... and take our eyes off of our own limited skills and abilities in the present moment... and trust that the Lord’s will shall be done no matter what the circumstances look like around us... the results will be nothing short of amazing.
Saul was literally BLINDED BY THE LIGHT... and that is when he placed his faith in the Lord... and as a result many, many, many people across centuries and generations have come to a saving knowledge of Christ that has come through the words of inspiration written by Paul that fill the New Testament.
There were doubters and detractors that took a long time to believe that Paul had turned his life around. And there may be some who doubted and may still doubt that we have turned our lives around as well…
But if and when they express their hesitations and reservations... we can share our story with them... and even our story was not as dramatic as Paul’s being BLINDED BY THE LIGHT of Christ... we can still share the Good News that we can see clearly now... and it’s all because of God’s amazing grace.
Amen.
[Hymn of Discipleship: Amazing Grace #546]
Back
Saul was literally BLINDED BY THE LIGHT... and that is when he placed his faith in the Lord... and as a result many, many, many people across centuries and generations have come to a saving knowledge of Christ that has come through the words of inspiration written by Paul that fill the New Testament.
There were doubters and detractors that took a long time to believe that Paul had turned his life around. And there may be some who doubted and may still doubt that we have turned our lives around as well…
But if and when they express their hesitations and reservations... we can share our story with them... and even our story was not as dramatic as Paul’s being BLINDED BY THE LIGHT of Christ... we can still share the Good News that we can see clearly now... and it’s all because of God’s amazing grace.
Amen.
[Hymn of Discipleship: Amazing Grace #546]
