There is a small similarity between Saul’s conversion and that of the Ethiopian eunuch. They were both converted on a road.
One of the differences in these two conversion is that the Ethiopian eunuch was converted in a chariot, and Saul was converted laying on the ground.
It is a marvelous thing HOW GOD SAVES PEOPLE, and WHERE HE SAVES THEM.
When Saul gave his heart to the Lord, he became Paul, a devoted disciple of the Lord.
Let’s look at
I. THE DRAMATIC SALVATION OF PAUL
When the church was being persecuted, especially after the stoning of Stephen, the church went underground for obvious reasons.
Paul was a very devout Jew, and he felt as a Jew, that Christianity was a threat to everything he had been raised to believe was right.
And since the church had gone underground, the Bible tells us in verses 1-2, “ And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”
Let’s look at three things in this sermon concerning Paul’s conversion. We want to look at-
A. HIS HATRED
Look at verse 1, we read, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest.”
Look at the words “Breathing out”. This implies that he was really upset.
Have you ever seen anyone that was angry and they are breathing hard?
This is they way the apostle Paul was. Remember he was a devout Jew, and he saw these Christians as a real threat to Judaism.
He hunted down Christians the same way a hunter would hunt down animals.
He went to the high priest to get permission to hunt these Christians down, and to bring them to Jerusalem to be tried and executed.
We have looked at HIS HATRED, but let us also look at-
B. HIS HEART
Look at verse 2, we read, “And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”
Paul volunteered to give his time and energy to seek out these Christians.
He went to the high priest to get permission to seek them out in the places they were hiding, and bring them in for a trial so they can be executed.
Notice, he included everyone of them, MEN AND WOMEN.
But notice, in verse 2, Christianity is not pictured as a religion, but as a WAY.
Look at these words in verse 2, we read, “…that if he found any of THIS WAY.”
That is exactly what Christianity is, it is a WAY.
And Christ came along and agreed with that, and said, “I am the WAY!”
Look at:
• Acts 16:17 He is the way of salvation.
• Roman 3:17 He is way of peace.
• 2 Peter 2:2 He is the way of truth.
• 2 Peter 2:21 He is the way of righteousness.
Paul, at this point in his life, despised THIS WAY that Christians believe in.
But as he set out to destroy these Christians, the Lord had something else planned, look at-
C. HIS HOPE
He was granted permission to find these Christians and bring them in.
But as he was going to Damascus, something absolutely amazing happened in his life.
Look at verses 3-9. We read, “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 wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”
Paul, in his effort to destroy the Christian church, had no idea what was about to take place when God knocked him off that donkey.
Look at verses 5-6, “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 wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
IT WAS ON THAT DAMASCUS ROAD, THAT PAUL DISCOVERED HOW MUCH THE LORD LOVED HIM, AND WHAT HE HAD DONE FOR HIM.
Illus: In the 1993 hit film, “In the Line of Fire”, Clint Eastwood played Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan. Horrigan had protected the life of the President for more than three decades, but he was haunted by the memory of what had happened thirty years before.
Horrigan was a young agent assigned to President Kennedy on that fateful day in Dallas in 1963. When the assassin fired, Horrigan froze in shock. For thirty years afterward, he wrestled with the ultimate question for a Secret Service agent: “Can I take a bullet for the President?”
In the climax of the movie, Horrigan does what he had been unable to do earlier: he throws himself into the path of an assassin's bullet to save the chief executive. Secret Service agents are willing to do such a thing because they believe the President is so valuable to our country and the world, that he is worth dying for. Obviously they would not take a bullet for just anyone.
At Calvary the situation was reversed. The President of the Universe actually took a bullet for each of us. At the Cross, we see how valuable we are to God. (Douglas G. Pratt, Allison Park, Pennsylvania. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 2. )
Notice, the Bible says that the men who journeyed with Paul, “Stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. ”
WHY DID GOD ALLOW THEM TO HEAR WHAT WAS SAID?
Because God wanted witnesses to confirm what took place. If others are to believe that Paul had such a conversion, it must not be on his word alone. God allowed others to witness some of miraculous conversion, so they could validate what took place.
God would never ask us to accept something that is questionable.
For example, this is one of the problems with Mormonism. So much of it is based on what Joseph Smith claims took place, and it can not be proven.
Paul had a miraculous conversion.
We looked at THE DRAMATIC SALVATION OF PAUL, let us now look at-
II. THE DEVOTED SERVANT OF PAUL
Look at verses 10-22. We read, “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”
We do not know a lot about Ananias, but we do know this, when God wanted something very special done, He called on Ananias.
Paul had a reputation that was widespread for his making havoc of God’s church.
No doubt rumors began to float around about Paul’s conversion. After all, the men on the journey with him saw some of the miraculous things take place in his conversion.
But the way Ananias got the news of Paul’s conversion, was through the Lord speaking to him in a vision and telling him to go to Paul.
You can see that Ananias has some reservations about carrying out such an assignment. He said in verse, 13-14, “Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.”
But the Lord assured him that Paul was truly saved, and it would be safe for him to go to him.
Look at the loving way that Ananias introduced himself to this new convert. We read in verse 17, “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”
Notice, he placed his hands on him. Why? Probably because he was blind, and to make him aware of his presence.
But notice something else, when he spoke to him, he said, “Brother Saul”. He wanted him to know that he recognized that the Lord Jesus had marvelous saved him, and now he was a part of the family of God.
Then Paul let everyone to know what the Lord had done for him.
He went public, before those Jews he once stood with in opposing Christianity, and let them know that he had been converted.
WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?
Look at verse 22, we read, “But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”
All this came about because of what happened on the Damascus road, and when his devoted friend came and laid hands on him.
III. THE DEATH SENTENCE OF PAUL
Paul got off to a good start, but it wasn’t long before the honeymoon period was over with.
Look at verses 23-29. We read, “And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.”
In order to save Paul’s life, he was placed in a basket and lowered over the wall.
Paul who once chased Christians down, now was beginning to find out for himself what it is like to have someone to chase him.
God used some of his dedicated saints to save his life.
But notice, God used Barnabas also.
Ananias went to him to start with, but still there were others who were not convinced about Paul yet.
But God used Barnabas to convince them. Look at verse 27, we read, “But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
He was accepted by the brethren.
Look at verses 30-31. We read, “Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”
Conclusion:
Illus: On March 5, 1994, Deputy Sheriff Lloyd Prescott was teaching a class for police officers in the Salt Lake City Library. As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed a gunman herding 18 hostages into the next room. With a flash of insight, Prescott (dressed in street clothes) joined the group as the nineteenth hostage, followed them into the room, and shut the door. But when the gunman announced the order in which hostages would be executed, Prescott identified himself as a cop.
In the scuffle that followed, Prescott, in self-defense, fatally shot the armed man. The hostages were released unharmed.
God dressed himself in street clothes and entered our world, joining those who were held hostage to sin.
On the cross Jesus defeated Satan, and set us free from the power of sin. (Greg Asimakoupoulos, Concord, California. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.)
This is the message that Paul went everywhere preaching.
I. THE DRAMATIC SALVATION OF PAUL
II. THE DEVOTED SERVANT OF PAUL
III. THE DEATH SENTENCE OF PAUL
