Our Obligatoin Series

Tell His Conversion Story!

Paul went to Damascus to persecute, and what did he end up doing?

Acts 9:20-22

At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

That is truly amazing. Paul didn’t wait for special training. Paul didn’t wait for a church to call. Paul went to the very people that he was hoping to kill and began to fight for the heart of his new king right before them.

How ironic is it that while he was among the people that he was hoping to kill, the Jews began a plot to kill him. After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him

You see, Paul knew that he was saved for a purpose. He was saved so that he could not only tell his story, but so that he could tell the story of his king.

Listen to what he wrote to Timothy.

1TI 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Now listen to this!

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Sounds like a man fighting for the heart of his king!

Paul was obligated because of the forgiveness he found in Christ.

Paul was obligated…

2. Because of the need of forgiveness in Christ.

The world that Paul lived in was controlled by the Roman Empire. The main god of the Roman Empire was Caesar. There were also other gods.

Also, there were great injustices being done against people who were not Romans citizens.

Remember, Paul wanted to go to Rome to preach the gospel of Christ. He wanted to got to the capital of the known world of the time and preach Christ.

He didn’t want to go there and talk about:

- Social injustices

- Roman Veterans being ignored

- Unfair treatment of non-citizens

- No, he wanted to go there and preach the gospel of Christ.

There was a deep need for the gospel of Christ to be preached.

All you have to do is to read on in the rest of Romans 1 and then in 2.

A. There was a need because the plain facts about the existence of God were being ignored.

Follow along as I read 1:18-25

You know, that have been times in my Christian life in which I have had some doubts. I really believe that everyone does. However, the thing I look to when I have those doubts is the creation of God.

The things that amaze me are the sun, the moon, the stars. It amazes me that these things are there for us day after day. Then there is the human body itself. How can anyone look at the complexity of the human body and not realize that there was a divine inspiration to it.