The Story of Paul’s Conversion: An Example for Us All Acts 9:1-9

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on October 2 and
October 9, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

The Story of Paul’s Conversion:
An Example for Us All
Acts 9:1-9

Introduction

•When you hear the words “Damascus Road Experience,” what typically comes to mind?

•Those of us raised in a church environment no doubt think of the conversion of Saul to become Paul the apostle

•But the phrase is used a lot today to mean a sudden and unexpected shift in someone’s position or values

•That certainly defines the experience in which the angry Saul of Tarsus becomes the missionary apostle Paul

•He changed from murderer to missionary

•He changed from a persecutor to an apostle

•But today I don’t want to focus only on the dramatic and divine change in Paul’s life, I also want to sketch for all of us what conversion looks like

•I want us to work through Paul’s story to see an example for us in our own conversion and for our lives today

•Let’s look at Acts 9:1-9, and note these three aspects of conversion

•The condition

•The confrontation

•The conclusion

•Remember, an encounter with Jesus changes everything

•We could all stand with regular encounters with Jesus

•We need the change that a relationship with him brings

•1. The Condition

•Acts 9:1-2—The first thing to note when talking about conversion is the condition of the person. None of us come to God complete or whole. We all come broken. Some may seem better than others, but none of us is able to avoid the taint of sin. That is the situation in which we find Saul (who will soon become Paul)

•What do you know about the life of Paul? (Philippians 3:2-6)

•Paul was an accomplished man/He had reason for a fleshly confidence

•He was circumcised on the eighth day

•He was a good Jew (a Hebrew of the Hebrews) from the prestigious tribe of Benjamin

•He was a Pharisee, zealous for the Law

•He was blameless according to the righteousness from the Law

•He was a very religious man

•No one could touch him in the area of religion

•Yet in spite of his religious beliefs, he was full of anger

•Paul breathed threats and murder against the early Christians

•He was a very angry young man, mad at the “heresy” of Christianity that had sprung up among his fellow Jews

•He even intended to wipe out this heretical faith and destroy them completely

•He had no use for false doctrine—he had a religious background but was full of hatred—he wanted to murder others—he was a sinner (1 John 3:10-18)

•Paul was the aggressor against the fledgling and newly born church

•He got permission to go and arrest them so that he can put an end to them

•Perhaps he was tired of hearing the story of Jesus, the story of redemption

•Perhaps his heart was heavy as the words of Christ were spoken

•Whatever was going on, Paul hated Christians

•Paul’s hatred turned him into the “terrorist” against Christianity

•Like some Muslims (and other religions too), he believed that those who disagreed with him should convert or die

•Having them die was easier, so he pursued that option

•He wanted to murder those who disagreed with him

•Paul was a sinner who resisted the truth and lived as an “enemy” of God (Romans 5:6-11)

•Like us, Paul stood against Christ. He was lost

•An encounter with Jesus exposes our condition

•Such an encounter can also result in a change of our condition

•The confrontation with Christ causes a change in us

•2. The Confrontation

•Acts 9:3-6—Once the person’s condition is acknowledged, the next aspect of conversion is the confrontation between the sinful person and the risen and exalted Jesus. The confrontation is between one who cannot save himself and the only One who can save. That is what happens to Paul

•Notice that Jesus confronts Paul as he is going about his everyday experience.

•Paul is doing what he would normally do

•Often Jesus confronts us in our mundane or normal surroundings

•We must remember that the revelation of God does not necessarily require special circumstances (like a special worship service, or complete quiet, or special music or technical expertise).

•God is more than able to meet us right where we are

•Jesus confronts Paul miraculously—this seems to be a special case

•Light from heaven—the glorified and risen Jesus reveals some of his glory

•Falls to the ground—in the presence of a heavenly revelation, Paul gets low

•Paul is humbled when Jesus is revealed

•This is a divine encounter!

•Most of us will not get a miraculous Damascus Road experience like Paul’s

•We will not meet Jesus in a visionary experience

•We will encounter him in a more mundane way

•That doesn’t make the encounter any less significant

•We go through some of the same steps nonetheless

•We encounter Jesus in his resurrected glory through the proclamation of his Truth

•We humble ourselves in his presence

•We listen for his direction

•These are the same steps Paul experienced

•Salvation requires revelation and response

•The Questions in this Encounter—notice that Jesus initiates the conversation by asking Paul a question (Questions are often a good way to start a conversation about conversion)

•Jesus confronts Paul with a question—why are you against me?

•Paul responds with a question—Who are you?

•Jesus gives Paul a chance to respond, and Paul wants to know who he is addressing

•There is a confrontation going on here, one that leads to conversion

•Like all of us before we came to Christ, we cannot know God until God makes himself known to us

•When Jesus confronts Paul, he is revealing himself to Paul

•Paul does not argue, he simply acknowledges the superiority of the one addressing him—Paul wants more information

•Jesus gives Paul the answer—I am Jesus—one thing this tells us is that when we do the work of God and receive mistreatment, Jesus suffers with us. That is, people are not attacking us only, they are taking on Jesus!

•Jesus gives Paul the answer—I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting

•Jesus makes himself known to Paul

•The nature of this revelation no doubt convinced Paul that he was in the presence of God

•Jesus then gives Paul a command—”Arise and go into the city, and you will be given more instructions”

•Jesus acknowledges Paul’s willingness to submit by giving Paul something to do

•How Paul responds makes the difference

•What will Paul do?

•Salvation for all of us is similar (without the bright lights probably)

•We are going about our everyday tasks, ignoring or even resisting God and being his enemies

•Then God confronts us with his person and truth, and we are humbled

•We want to know more and perhaps ask some questions, and God responds by calling us to obedience

•So, how do we respond?

•Faithful response to Christ leads to salvation

•An encounter with Jesus poses a challenge

•A confrontation with Jesus forces us to choose

•Will we obey him or not?

•3. The Conclusion

•Acts 9:7-9—The conclusion of our story reveals Paul’s response. In a similar way, our response to God will write the conclusion to our story of conversion. If we humble ourselves and obey God’s call to repent, salvation will come

•Let’s remember though, that not all who were present at the encounter/confrontation get the point or get salvation (verse 7)

•This is true in our lives as well

•When the story of salvation is told, it is not a guarantee that everyone present will be converted

•It is possible to witness God’s divine grace and still miss the truth

•These people heard the voice but did not apparently get the point

•Paul, on the other hand, understands that he has encountered the divine, that he has run into God, and he is dramatically changed

•He is physically blinded, but he nonetheless obeys—he obeys Jesus’ command even though his physical circumstances have made it difficult

•How often do we try to excuse ourselves from obedience due to physical circumstances?

•“I’m not gifted in evangelism” or “I can’t make disciples” or “I’m shy” or even “I don’t hang around non-Christians much”

•Physical circumstances do NOT hinder obedience—only our wills can do that!

•Though physically blinded, he is now spiritually focused—food and drink no longer matter, he wants to know this person Jesus (verse 10 reveals that Paul is praying while fasting)

•Paul obeyed Christ and focused on Christ

•We should follow his example

•Circumstances don’t matter, obedience alone matters

•So, what’s the rest of the story?

•Paul goes on to plant churches all over the Roman Empire

•He writes 13 letters (almost half of our New Testament)

•He becomes an example for all of us (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

•When a person is brought to Christ and becomes a follower of Christ, it is not for that individual’s good alone, it is for salvation for others

•Like Paul, our redemption is for the benefit of others as well

•Can others see the salvation of God in us?

•Do they want what they see?

•What kind of example are we?

•The conclusion to Paul’s story is written, but the story of salvation/redemption continues. What will the conclusion be?

•An encounter with Jesus changes our story

•Application

•We just admitted that the story doesn’t end with an individual’s conversion

•As important as a person’s salvation is, that is only the first part of the story

•So, how do we respond to this information? Seeing that Paul’s conversion story is in a sense an example or model for us all, how do we respond?

•First, check your condition. Are we followers of Christ or are we religious bigots looking to destroy all those who oppose us? What is our condition? Do we rely on our own strength and efforts, or are we confident in God’s plan of salvation? If we do not have a relationship with Jesus, that is the starting point. This week, focus on your relationship with Jesus. Like Paul, be willing to even give up some of the important things in life to pursue a knowledge of Jesus and his righteousness (Philippians 3:7ff)

•Second, humble yourself and obey God. What is it that God has asked of you that you have ignored? We must never allow anything to deflect us from obedience. When we refuse to obey Jesus, we are backing away from the recreating power of his redemption. As Oswald Chambers says, “It is a matter of indifference to God’s grace how abominable I am if I come to the light but woe be to me if I refuse the light.” (John 3:19-21). What was the last thing God told you to do? Leave here today, go and do it. Live in God’s light. Do not wait another minute to do the right thing

•Third, share with others the story of your encounter with God. Take time to let others know what God has done. Make a list of people you would like to see have an encounter with God, then begin to pray for them and seek an opportunity.

•An encounter with Jesus changes everything

•How has it changed you?

Thanks for reading!