THE RIGHT RESPONSE | PASTOR JAMAL HEGWOOD | FORWARD CITY CHURCH

What's up, Forward City? It is Pastor Jamal here, and I am so glad that you decided to tune in here to YouTube. Today, I have a message for you entitled The Right Response. Today, we're going to be talking about a few different things, but most importantly, Saul's conversion.

How could God take a man that was once a terrorist to the Christian community and make him one of the fathers of our belief? Well, we're going to talk through that today. and we're going to talk about how we are to respond when God chooses us. I hope you enjoy it.

Grab your notebook and your pen because notetakers are history makers. And also make sure that you like, share, and subscribe to this YouTube channel so you can stay updated on all things. All right, I'm done talking. Let's hop in to the word. Starting at the 10th verse, the New Living Translation.

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananas. The Lord spoke to him in a vision calling Ananas. Yes, Lord, he replied. The Lord said, go over to Straight Street to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.

I've shown him in a vision a man named Ananas coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again. But Lord, exclaimed Ananas, I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem. And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.

But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument." Can you underline that? Highlight in it in your Bible. My chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings as well as to the people of Israel. Father, I pray that you preach this word better than I ever could in Jesus name.

Amen. For all my notetakers on the way to your seat, the title of this message is the right response. The right response. God has already been moving in this room and I believe that the message today is one that is going to help you navigate through life. You all know Pastor Jamal is a nerd of many things.

Um, and I it could sometimes be pretty random. And this week in particular, uh, there was something called Artemis 2 that launched and sent four astronauts into space. Now, I know we have some, um, conspiracy theorists in the room, so just work with me. It's fine. They they traveled out around the moon and out into parts of space that no human eyes have seen.

This was our first time sending humans out that far into space since 1972. It's a long time. It got me curious about creation and the creature. So, I started to study. I started to Google. I started to chat a couple of facts about creation on Earth. Did you know this?

There are approximately 8.3 billion people right now alive walking on Earth. And you saying it's hard for you to find you a man. Baby, it's 8.3 billion. That's with a B. You just don't know. They the one for me, baby. Find another one. It's 8.3 billion people with a B. 71% of Earth's surface is water covered.

That is 370 quintilion gallons of water. It's a lot. Quintilion actually sounds like a name for somebody, but it's a real number. The planet we are walking on, it's a phenomena of creation. It's so amazing. It's so awesome. And the Bible says in Isaiah 66 that this thing is his foottool. >> What?

And then it says in 662, "My hands have made both heaven and earth, they and everything in them are mine." >> So not just the earth, but everything those astronauts saw out in the depths of space was made by the hands of our God. What astronomers call the observable universe is estimated to range from at least 100 billion to around 2 trillion galaxies.

Galaxies, y'all. Let let me tell you. Let me for context, let me help you. Earth is one planet within one solar system within one galaxy >> called the Milky Way. And they saying is two trillion galaxies. Y'all, astronomers estimate that within the entire universe, there may be up to one septillion stars.

Now, y'all didn't know. Write that down. Y'all learn something new. Y'all didn't know it go that high. Do you see this? 1 2 3 4 5 6 It's 24. I'm not going to count all of these. It's 24 zeros. >> One septilian. God, if it be your will today. >> I don't need a septillion. >> Hey.

Oh, glory. See, y'all don't know when to shout. I'm not asking for 24, but six or seven will do. Amen. Hallelujah. I had them PUT THIS UP HERE THOUGH BECAUSE WHAT OUR BRAINS CAN'T even fathom >> this. If you didn't believe it before, I hope you believe it now.

God is a really really big God. >> There are two really big theological terms that we we'll breeze through real quick to help you understand his bigness. The first is his omniscience. God knows everything. He knows what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. But but but he also knows every possibility, every variable, and every outcome because nothing has ever existed outside of God's awareness. >> There are no secrets with him. >> There's no details that escape his attention. >> He is never surprised by what shocks us.

Simply put, God never has to be informed >> because he never lacks information. >> The second big word, the second big word is omniresence. God is everywhere fully present. He He feels the universe in every part. But let me say this for some of y'all in here. Yet he is greater than the universe. >> They are not the same.

The universe is his creation, >> but the universe is not him. >> Hallelujah. >> Praise God. >> He's greater than the universe itself. So when believers suffer, we can be assured that we are not suffering alone. And when people run from God, they need to be assured that you can't outrun him >> because he is everywhere. >> He is a really, really big God.

And still >> in his bigness, he consciously decides to be intimate with his creation. That's why the scripture declares in JEREMIAH 29:11, "FOR I KNOW >> the plans I have for you." >> Not I'm guessing the plans I have for you. >> Now, we'll see about the plans I have for you, but I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.

They are plans for good and not for disaster to give you a hope and a future. And then in Deuteronomy 10, IT SAYS THIS, "LOOK, THE HIGHEST heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the object of his love and he chooses you." >> Do do you see the tension here?

The same God who owns the highest heaven still chooses people. The God who created the earth and everything IN IT STILL DESIRES DAILY TO LOVE PEOPLE. >> THE GOD WHO IS BIGGER THAN OUR COMPREHENSION IS STILL FAITHFUL ENOUGH TO BE personal in his choosing. >> Even though God is big and vast and all powerful and all knowing, he is still faithful enough to choose you.

And that brings us back to our original text today. In our text, we see this tension displayed. God in his vastness still making a choice. >> Our text takes us to a house on Straight Street. God has sent one of his disciples, Ananas, to this house to pray for a young man there named Saul.

Because as the scriptures say, let's go back to verse 15. Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings as well as to the people of Israel. GOD HAD CHOSEN SAUL. But what happens when God's choice makes you go I is you sure?

Because that was exactly >> how Ananas responded when he heard who was sitting in the house waiting for prayer. >> SAUL. SEE, YOU DON'T understand because we didn't read Acts 9:1. In Acts 9:1, it says, "Meanwan, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. >> With every breath, eager >> to kill. >> Not just kill, he eager. >> He excited.

He ready. He wake up with that on his mind. And you want >> me >> TO GO AND PRAY >> FOR HIM. >> OH, SEE, God knew what he was doing. And he know his children. Because he knew half of us in this room, we'll be like, "See, God, nah, nah, no, duh.

I do a lot with you, I do a lot for you." But that right there, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know about you sometimes, but sometimes I feel like saying, "Hey, uh, yeah. Uh, I love you with all your bigness and everything. Do you know what's going on down here?

BECAUSE SAUL WAS AN ACTUAL TERRORIST. >> LIKE THAT'S NOT SUGARCOATING IT. THIS MAN WAS A TERRORIST. THE BIBLE says that one of the apostles, Stephen, this is in Acts 7. Go back and read it when you have some time. Stephen was about to be stoned by an angry crowd of Jewish believers.

And this man, Saul, the one that God told Ananas to go pray for. SAUL WAS HOLDING FOLKS COATS AS THEY WAS GETTING READY TO STONE THE MAN. >> You mean to tell me Saul was like, "You you I got your coat for you." No, it's okay. Here. No.

Mm- No, I got it. I got it here. Take your ticket for when you come back so I don't get them mixed up. I mean, he choosing stones. Oh, this a good one. Here. This a Yeah. MHM. THIS MAN IS HOLDING PEOPLE COATS AND THEY ABOUT TO KILL SOMEBODY. >> And God said, "Yep, go pray.

Go pray for him. Go pray for him." The Bible tells us that he went Saul went to the to the to the high priest and got a permission slip >> to go around and arrest any man or woman who professed to be a follower of Jesus Christ. >> AND HIS GOAL, THE BIBLE SAY HIS GOAL WAS TO BRING THEM BACK IN CHAINS.

And God tells Ananas, who was, by the way, minding his own business. >> He didn't ask for that. >> He said, "Hey, dog." Yeah. Uh, >> I need you to go out of your way to pray >> for the persecutor. >> Not the persecuted, >> because it's easy to pray for the persecuted. >> But God says, "Uh-uh, I'm tapping you on the shoulder to go pray for the persecutor." >> I know we don't like this kind of talk, >> but if your prayer time is only filled covering people that you agree with, All right.

All right. They already talk about us too much. Let me not If your prayer time is only filled with politicians that you agree with. I'm not scared of you. With celebrities that you agree with, with people in your circle that you agree with, with co-workers that you agree with.

If your prayer time is only FILLED WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY doing what God called you to do. BECAUSE GOD TAPS ANANAS ON THE SHOULDER AND HE SAYS, "GO PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTOR." >> And watch this. ANANAS WAS A PART OF THE PERSECUTED. >> So God didn't ask an outsider to go pray. >> He asked one of the ones being persecuted >> to go and pray for the persecutor.

BUT BUT WHY WHY WOULD GOD DO THAT? >> WHY WOULD GOD ASK ANANAS to do something like that? It's simple. Cuz I know some of you in the room like that's just unfair. Why would God do that? Here's why. God always gives instructions from his perspective, >> not ours. >> And we don't we don't like this.

We don't like this because for us we see instructions through a finite lens >> which simply means we often misjudge God's directions because we humans are trying to interpret infinite big >> really big concepts of God with our limited understanding. See, from from from Ananas's perspective, Saul was a persecutor, a terrorist, EVIL, WICKED, DEPLORABLE, SICKENING, THE WORST OF THE WORST.

But from God's perspective, Saul was his chosen >> instrument. >> In our text, Ananas tried to push back with God and remind him of Saul's RESUME >> LIKE GOD DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW. AMEN. >> IS THAT NOT JUST LIKE US? >> But but God, you don't know what they did to me. >> YOU YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY DOING.

GOD, >> YOU YOU YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO LOOK. GOD, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE GOING TO SAY. THEY DON'T DESERVE THAT. BUT DO YOU? It's funny how we talk to God like he is not omnisient, >> all knowing. >> Can I give you a news splash?

Please write this down. If you don't get nothing else from this message, please write this down. You don't control who God chooses. >> God chooses who he wants, when he wants, how he wants because he is choosing from his perspective. It's so interesting when you look at the text because GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHY he chose Saul.

He wasn't guessing and he didn't mind telling Ananas. >> God says he's my CHOSEN INSTRUMENT TO TAKE MY MESSAGE TO THE Gentiles and to kings as well as to the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. GOD WASN'T GUESSING WHEN he called Saul. He knew exactly why he was calling him. Now, for some of us in the room, this is a blessing.

I'm one of those because when you know that God chose you, it don't matter what I did. It don't matter what you think. It don't matter what you say. It don't matter what you post. It don't matter what you understand or if you don't understand. At the end of the day, he chose me.

And I know a lot of people might have a lot to say because yeah, I did do that. Yeah, I was in that. And you might be curious as to, well, how they going to church now? how they get to preach now. Well, the the Jamal I knew used to do this.

The Jamaal Well, he ain't him no more. I MET A MAN THAT CHOSE ME FIRST AND I HAD an encounter WITH HIM. AND NOTHING YOU SAY OR DO CHANGES THE FACT THAT I'M CHOSEN. HE CHOSE ME BEFORE TIME BEGAN. HE CHOSE ME AS THE OBJECT OF HIS LOVE.

AND YOUR OPINION DOESN'T CHANGE THAT. >> He chose me. He chose this church. >> He chose my future. HE CH ALL. HE CHOSE ME. AND THIS this understanding helps us when God calls us and those around us. So you see when he calls you, there's something about the calling that you don't know yet. >> But that's when you lean on his bigness, >> his perspective, his ability to see beyond your comprehension.

It's like this. I remember uh growing up we used to take a trip down to Nashville, Tennessee every year. And the first time we did um it's about an 8 hour drive. My mother was sitting in the passenger seat and I was confused then but I understand now cuz she had a stack of printed out paper and two maps.

It's a hush in the room cuz y'all have no clue what that is. It's Map Quest, baby. It's Map Quest. You had to go tell it where you was going. print off >> the directions. And whoever was sitting in that passion, that's an important seat. And my mama, she would she would staple them based on state.

So once we crossed over Illinois, she put that one back and she pulled up Indiana. Once we got through there, she put that back and she flipping. She flipping. But then you also got to coordinate with the map. That right there will test a marriage. Okay. Map. AM I SUPPOSED TO GET OFF NOW OR NEXT?

WHICH ONE IS IT? YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHEN I'M RIGHT UP THERE. YOU GOT TO GIVE ME A TWO EXIT WARNING SO I CAN GET OVER. YOU AIN'T PAYING ATTENTION NOW. I told you BACK IN IN IN WYOMING, YOU GET TWO EXIT MORNING. I'M RIGHT UP ON IT, SHEILA.

YOU GOT TO YOU GOT TO GET OVER. It a test of marriage. Y'all see y'all ain't had to experience that. Waves be talking to you. Apple Maps be talking to you. Google Maps be talking to you. I grew up it was just arguing in the front seat. JUST GET OFF HERE.

Here's I could never be trusted with Map Quest. Don't I don't pay attention enough. Okay. But here's the reality. Most of us want God to map Quest our future. God, just let me print off every instruction >> so I can flip through and see what I want to do and what I don't want to do.

Oh, y'all don't want to talk to me. Let Let me be able to see where I can find a shortcut. Let me be ABLE TO SEE WHERE I can avoid some bad weather or some traffic. Let me be able to see where I can avoid some things. But here's the reality.

There are things in God's choosing that you're not aware of. >> This is important because sometimes God will choose you and then the very next thing he'll do is blind you. >> This is like me. You know, God chose me. I was 13. I preached my first message and and and I said, I'm going to be a powerful man of God.

I'm going to be the youngest uh pastor in the world. But I'm just going to start a church and everything. Everything was going to be so great and so beautiful. And I went to college and my first job in ministry was Yeah. So go take that garbage out in these clothes.

Um go grab some coffee and watch these kids. I said, "But God, you chose me. This ain't You didn't tell me. You didn't tell me this part. This is for every apostle and prophet who is too good to be in kid city or every elder and deacon who too good to park cars.

No, God chose you. But there is aspects to the choosing that you're not aware of. There's a journey that you're not aware of. But this is also important to the people who like to negotiate with God. >> The people that like to negotiate about what they called to do.

God chose you for a specific assignment, but he does not always hand you all the details at the beginning. >> Sometimes before he shows you more of the plan, he starts dealing with the parts of you that still cannot see clearly. >> And that is exactly what happens with Saul.

Before God unfolds the assignment, he deals with Saul's blindness. Because Saul WAS DEFINITELY CHOSEN, BUT he still wasn't seeing clearly. >> Here, here is a major tension in the text. Being chosen does not automatically mean you see clearly. >> And the reality is Saul was blind in the spirit long before God blinded him in the natural.

God didn't blind Saul to destroy him. >> He blinded Saul to show him what he had been living like all this time. >> HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, Y'ALL. SAUL THOUGHT HE WAS RIGHT. >> Come on, SIR. >> THAT UTTERING THREATS WITH EVERY BREATH, HE THOUGHT HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING. >> GETTING THAT PERMISSION SLIP.

HE THOUGHT HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING. PAUL thought as a DEVOUT AND EDUCATED JEWISH SCHOLAR, by the way, >> that he was defending God. >> Saul thought that he was serving the truth. >> But heaven interrupted him because even though Saul believed his intent was sincere, >> he still wasn't clear. >> What does that mean?

Your intent actually means nothing. >> Well, well, I didn't mean >> I didn't mean No, no, no. You might not have meant it, but you still caused it. This is why the Bible warns us. One of the scariest verses, Proverbs 14:12, it warns us there is a way, a path before each person. >> That seems right, but it ends in death.

The scripture says that Saul's eyes were open, yet he was still blind. There is a way for you to walk around life with open eyes and still can't see anything. Yeah. >> And many of us, that's the way that we live. OUR EYES ARE WIDE OPEN AND WE THINK WE ARE HEADED DOWN THE RIGHT PATH, NOT KNOWING >> THAT WE'RE NOT seeing clearly. >> And this right here is where the text starts to get uncomfortable.

Because now we no longer talking about Saul. Now we we talking about each and every one of us who has ever been confident in something that God is trying to interrupt. >> Come on. >> Because write this down. What seems right to us is not always right before God. >> What does this look like?

Maybe the job let you go. Not because the devil is busy, >> but because that's where God knew you weren't supposed to be there in the first place and he had to interrupt because it seemed right. Maybe the plan failed because what made sense in your head was never God's will for your life.

It seemed right. Maybe the door closed because what looked like provision was actually a distraction. It seemed right. Maybe the friendship, Lord J, we going to be friends forever. We going to get married and we our kids going to play together. We going to have houses right next to each other.

Maybe that friendship started to fade because what was familiar was no longer healthy. It seemed right. And maybe we have bumped into why God blinded Saul in the first place. BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE SPENT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE BEING SURE THAT YOU WERE RIGHT, >> sometimes the mercy of God >> shows up as an interruption. >> What would it be if what you are living through right now is not an attack, but it's actually an interruption. >> Maybe it ain't that the devil is busy.

Maybe it's God trying to get YOUR ATTENTION. SOME OF US ARE SHOUTING OVER THE FACT THAT GOD CHOSE US while not noticing that the interruption is his way of getting us to see that his choosing demands a response. >> This entire story hangs on response. Saul is chosen but still has to surrender. >> Ananas is commanded but still has to obey.

But here's what matters most in all of this. The choosing means nothing without the response. >> See, see, see. God choosing you is one thing, but the right response IS ANOTHER. THE BIGNESS, THE VASTNESS OF GOD MEANS NOTHING TO THE PERSON who will not surrender to him. Saul was chosen, but he stayed blind until somebody obeyed. >> ANANAS HAD THE INSTRUCTION, but the miracle was waiting on his response. >> You pastor, what is the right response?

I want to make sure I respond well. What is the right response? It's simple. The right response is obedience. It is obeying. Pastor Jamal, my job just called and they about to start laying people off. Obey. What does God say? Pastor, my kids is just they're doing so much and I'm just so stressed.

Obey. >> Obey. >> What does God say? Pastor, there's so much going on in the world and so much craziness. What does God obey? >> The the the right response is obedience. But the key to obedience is surrender. Amen. >> You cannot properly obey if you do not understand how to surrender. >> Listen, you do not know what is on the other side of your right response.

I know for some of us in the room, this is a CRAZY CONCEPT LIKE OBEY. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT? WELL, if obedience is hard for you to understand, then I have to question your surrender. Israelite truly surrendered to God. >> And here is my request. Here's my question.

Here's my prayer for you. What would it look like if today you decided to just get off of your high horse >> instead of waiting for him to have to knock you down? >> What would it look like if you said, "YOU KNOW WHAT, GOD? I I surrender.

I surrender. Let me get off of this one. Because if you keep going down this path, he chose you. He wants you. He will send an interruption trying to get your attention. And what if you can avoid it by just saying, "Hey, I I surrender. I I'll get off right now.

What is it that you want me to do?" For some of us in the room like Ananas, the right response is obedience. Maybe there's an instruction. Maybe there's a name. Maybe there's a place. Maybe there's a thing God has already told you to do. And he is not asking you to fully understand it.

He's asking you to obey it. And for some of us, like Saul, the right response is surrender. Maybe God has been disrupting your plans, challenging your perspective, exposing what you couldn't see. Not to destroy you, but to bring you to a place where your only right response is to surrender.

Whether you're like Ananas in this season and need to obey or Saul and need to surrender, the right response is always yes, Lord. >> Here's the thing, because your right response is rarely about you. >> There is always people on the other side of your response. >> Really quickly, I want to read a scripture to you.

Acts 26 starting at the 16th verse. This is Paul talking to King Agria later on in Acts. And this is him summarizing his encounter with Jesus that we read before. This is him saying what JESUS SAID TO HIM. NOW GET TO YOUR feet for I have appeared to you to APPOINT YOU AS MY SERVANT and witness.

Tell people that you have seen me and tell them what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles. Watch this. To open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people who are set apart by faith in me. Saul, the man who was blinded, becomes the same man who God uses to open other people's eyes. THE SAME MAN WHO HAD TO BE blinded because he couldn't see clearly became the man God used to help others see.

That is what happens when the response is right. Maybe what you are going through right now is a sign of what you are supposed to pull people out of. As >> you're standing to your feet, I want to remind you of something really quickly I think we all learned as a child.

We've been talking about the right response, but the reality is it's not just responding right. It's also how you respond that matters as well. >> Any parents in the room? >> I didn't learn this until I had one of my own. It's something different between following an instruction with the right attitude and following one with the wrong attitude. >> Kanan has gotten to the stage in phase PT. where he learned bro.

Go clean your room, bro. Excuse me. Oh, Jesus. Y'all pray for your nephew. I say that to say though, the way we respond matters. >> God isn't looking for your begrudging or a sloppy respon here. Here, take it. >> Since you begging here, >> I you know, I don't want to do this God, but I'm going to go do it. >> Or you do it and you do it with attitude. >> Or you do it and you don't do it with your whole heart. >> The way you respond matters.

And today there are some of us who are headed down the wrong path. We're headed down the wrong road. And this is your interruption. God has sent an Ananas to say, "Hey, you're not seeing clearly and there is a way. His name is Jesus." If that's you, I'm going to count to three.

Hands are going to go up all over the room >> and all over the world watching online saying, "I need Jesus. I do not want to stay going down THIS PATH THAT SEEMS RIGHT, >> but I'm going to get to the end of it and see that it only ended in death. >> It seeming right means that it feels good. >> IT SEEMING RIGHT MEANS THAT IT DON'T FEEL WRONG, >> but it's dangerous.

Pastor M, how do I know if I'm on that wrong path? You are not submitted to Jesus's lordship. Well, what does that mean? Do you consider him in your decisions? Do you prioritize him over you? Are you submitted to his leadership? Have you received his finished work in your life?

If you are unsure of any of those answers, then this is for you. I'm going to count to three, and I know hands are going to go up saying, "Pastor Jamal, I I want Jesus." If that's you, one, I need Jesus. Two, I don't want to be the same.

Three. That's me. Come on. I see you. Come on. Come on. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you. Come on. I see you back there. I see y'all. Come on. I see you. I see you up in the balcony. Come on. Come on.

I see y'all here. It's a whole family right here. Come on. I see you. I see you up in the balcony. Come on. Come on. Forward city. Can we make some noise for these decisions? Come on. I see you right here. Listen. Keep that hand up. We're running to put something in your hand, a booklet in your hand.

And if someone raised their hand near you, can you just stretch your hand towards them? We're all going to repeat this prayer together. Repeat after me. Lord Jesus, >> Lord Jesus, >> thank you for this day. >> Thank you for this day. >> I believe >> I believe >> that you lived >> died >> and rose again. >> Just for me. >> Just for me. >> And today >> I repent of my sins. >> And accept you into my heart >> as my Lord and Savior.

And I believe that my life will never be the same in Jesus name. Amen. And amen. Can we make some noise for those decisions? Man, I hope you enjoyed that word. If you did, be sure to let me know in the comments. I probably will come back and watch them.

Uh, but also make sure that you share this to a friend. Don't be stingy with the word of God. Share this to a friend. And also make sure that you subscribe to the Forward City YouTube channel so that you can stay up to date on all things Forward City Church.

Remember your head here for city. We don't dismiss, but we make this declaration. Your past is gone. Your future awaits. Move forward. Love you. See you next week.