The Conversion Of The Apostle Paul, Part 2 Series

Happy Mother’s Day to Cross Church family & to You. To those who gave birth this year to their 1st child, we celebrate with you. To those who lost a child this year, we mourn with you. To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day & wear the badge of food stains, we appreciate you. To those who experienced loss this year through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or a child that ran away, we grieve with you. To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with disappointment, we walk with you. To foster moms, mentor moms, & spiritual moms, we need you. To those who have warm & close relationships with your children, we celebrate with you. To those who have disappointment, heartache, & distance from your children, we wait with you. To those who lost their mothers this year, we grieve with you. To those who were encouraged to have an abortion, we cry with you. To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, & the overall testing of motherhood, thank you. To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year, we rejoice & grieve with you. And to those who are pregnant with new life, we anticipate with you. To all of you, we honor you.

“The gospel is not about your accomplishments as a mother; it’s about your position as God’s daughter.” J.D. Greear You are honored & received not because of what you have or haven’t done as a mother, but because of what God did to make you His own.

Sermon

For our 2nd week in a row, we look again at Saul who is known as Paul. Imagine had the early 1940s newspapers read, “Hitler converts to Judaism” & you get a sense of how powerful Paul’s life change happened. Today, I invite you to look again at the turning point in Saul’s life for it will also serve as a turning point in your life.

Today’s Scripture

“19b For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. 26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” (Acts 9:20–31)

It is hard to overstate the importance of Saul’s conversion. Other than Jesus’ resurrection, few things play such vital importance to your Christianity as Saul’s conversion.

1. Appreciate the Change

1.1 Feel the Tension

In your imagination, watch Paul sitting with the believers in Damascus (Acts 9:19b). Remember he came to this city to arrest them & lead them back in chains to Jerusalem. Watch how leery they are of him. Not yet sure if they can trust him, they sit a few feet away like an animal who isn’t sure it can trust you. You can cut the tension & suspicion in the air with a knife. From breathing out threats of murder to sitting together in peace over meals – the reversal is incredible. Who could predict Saul changing?!

1.2 Pray Saul Would Die

Imagine had you & I been alive at this time … imagine our prayers had we been among those early believers. “God would take this Saul out. Would you put him in a grave? He needs to drop dead.” Most of us who think, “If only he were dead, then we are allowed to worship & share Christ with freedom” But God does so much more! He takes Christianity’s greatest enemy & turns him around so he is Christianity’s greatest advocate.