Conversion

Conversion – What is conversion – And why should we worry about it

Webster defines conversion as something that’s converted from one use to another

• We take something that’s being used for one thing

• And we change it so that it can be used for a something else

• Something completely different from what it originally was intended to be used for

Now the 1st rule in the conversion process is that there has to be a need for the thing to be converted

• There has to be something wrong with it in the first place

• There has to be a need for the change

• Remember the old saying if it aint broke don’t fix it

• Numbers – Measurements – Currency This is gonna mess us up for a while

• Vans = conversions

• Furnaces= Gas to propane

• School bus = Campers

• Bottom line is that we’re making something new out of something old

This is what we see in today’s text

• Paul who is still Saul at this point is going through a conversion

• There’s a need for Saul to be converted – changed

Read Acts 9:1-9

Saul’s Conversion

9 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!

6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

Now the first thing we see

• Is that there is a huge difference between the Saul we see in verse 1

• And the Saul we see in verse 8

• One minute he’s storming up the road, determined to capture and imprison Christians.

• And the next he’s being led like a child by the hand into Damascus.

And what we see through this process is that

• God’s grace is often shown through powerful acts

• And what appears on the surface to be catastrophes.

• Believe it or not in life good things can come out of bad situations

And here we see here that there isn’t just one but two needs for conversion

• First we see Saul’s need for conversion

• He was Persecuting Christians

In verse 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

• Now The Way” (9:2) was what Christians were called before they were called Christians

• And what it meant was, “the way of salvation”

• (Followers of Jesus who was the Way of Salvation)

So here we see Saul traveling down the road and Jesus calls him out

• Jesus asks Saul the question, Why do you persecute Me?

• And what we need to understand is that Saul wasn’t tormenting Jesus Himself

• He was tormenting the followers of Jesus

• And The reason that this statement is so important

• Is because it shows the union,

• It shows the relationship between Jesus and His church.

By saying “Me” this gave Saul his first glimpse

• Of the relationship that we have in Christ.

• That we aren’t alone and He is always with us

But at the same time we need to understand that this conversion was personal

• That this encounter was all about Jesus and Saul – And Nobody Else

• We know this because in vs 7 it says

• 7 That the men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one!

But Saul had heard the voice of Jesus and

• And He’d seen Him as well

• He saw Him in the form of a light from heaven.

Saul needed to see Jesus because it assured his role as an Apostle