The Impact of an Experience

Acts 9:3-6
"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, SAul, why persecutest thou me? 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. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will thou have me to do?..."

Life is defined by moments. Scrapbooks, photo albums, diaries, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and even blogs like this one chronicle these moments. Ususally events, monuments, historical landmarks and even people can bring about the moments that impact you beyond today. I personally have witnessed great things, traveled to great places, and have had the privelege of meeting great people. And it was in these moments, where I as a young man was impacted and my life has been shaped around these moments. But in life there is one defining moment unlike any other; it's the only time in life, I have ever crossed the threshold of a moment to an experience! You see a moment can affect your life for a season; but an experience will affect your life for a lifetime! A moment will conform you, an experience will transform you! In life we can become content and even satisfied with these moments that have no enduring sustenance, or we can become driven to encounter an experience that will transform us into an entirely different person! 

Saul of Tarsus was a very intelligent and strong willed individual. He lived his life to the fullest, grabbed life by the horns so to speak. Early in his life Saul was driven by a desire to be something other than ordinary. He is recorded as being the young man holding the coats as Stephen was stoned. He is recorded as having sat at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the greatest Pharisees who ever lived. He is recorded as being a chief Pharisee; Saul was not about to settle for normality. This is what I believe was his driving force on that fateful road that evening. He wasn't driven by hatred or by malice, although those were the emotions of his spirit at the time. Saul was driven by a desire for something more than a fleeting moment. How many of us live our lives in vain, as we aimlessly pursue things to fill a void inside of our spirits, a void that was put there by God himself. Rather than turning to Him to fill that deep longing we mistakenly wreck our lives in pursuit of these passing moments that we believe will one day fulfill our lifes emptiness. 

God knew what Saul was after, it really wasn't about killing Christians, although that was the avenue he took, it was about doing something that would make a difference. Don't judge somebody by their misguided attempts to bring about change to outr world, we simply need to pray that Gold would pen their eyes to an experience that will transform them into a vessel God can use to impact the world with Gospel of Jesus Christ!!! So Jesus appears to Saul as a bright light, immediatley causing him to become blind.  And that familiar voice echoed from heaven saying, Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me? Imagine what Saul must have thought at this moment! And so in a bit of shock Saul responds to that voice by asking this question, who art thou Lord? And Jesus simply responds; I am Jesus whom thou persecutest! And after spending most of his life pursuing these fleeting moments and temporary fulfilments, Saul was now having for the first time in his life, and experience! This experience impacted Saul to such a degree, that he is known as the greatest Apostle who ever lived, his ministry single handedly brought revival to all of Asia. 2/3 of the New Testament was penned from the hands of Paul! But How do you know when you've been impacted like this? How do you know when what you fell at the altar call is more than another passing moment of emotionalism, and it's really something deeper? 

Philippians 3:12
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if tthat I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

The Apostle Paul explains to the Philippians church the defining factor in knowing the difference between a moment and an experience. After his experience on that road to Damascus, he explained his new perspective of life. He said my life no longer consists of what I can do to make a difference, my life is now consumed by trying to apprehend the very thing that has apprehended me! In other words Paul is saying I've been arrested by God! I no longer do what I do because I want to, I do what I do because I have to! I've been apprehended by an experience!! 

When you come face to face with Jesus, and experience him in this manner your life will never be the same! 

I'l never forget the day when I experienced God for the first time. I was struggling in my life, I had the Holy Ghost and I was baptized in Jesus name; but there was still something missing in my life. But that day at an altar, I saw him like never before, I was apprehended with a call of GOd that forever changed my life. I don't have the same friends I had before that day, I don't like the things i liked then, I don't do the things I did then; now my life is patterned after the one who I experienced! There is more to Christianity than emotion and knowledge, if your a "Christian" today and still feel like something is missing; then you need to pursue an experience! An experience can change your life for ever!! The impact of 1 experience with God will transform you into a brand new creature!