1. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Acts 9:1-30

2. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Today, we want to look at the greatest transformation story in the Bible
Perhaps this is the greatest transformation story in all Christian history

3. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
The transformation of Saul
into the Apostle named Paul

4. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Saul was born in the city of Tarsus, in the province of Cilicia, which is located near Antioch in Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey
He was the son of a very prominent and wealthy Jewish family
Because Cilicia was a Roman colony, Saul could claim Roman citizenship

5. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Saul was a bright child, and was sent off to Jerusalem to study under the noted Rabbi Gamaliel
He was instructed in all the laws and traditions of the Jewish faith, and was zealous for it

6. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
So, Saul was born a Jew, grew up a Pharisee, held Roman citizenship, and lived and studied in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus
Like other religious leaders he probably expected that the enthusiasm and teachings that marked Jesus’ followers would soon die out with His death

7. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
But that did not happen
Instead not only did the believer’s enthusiasm grow, so did their numbers, and so Saul took action and persecuted them, putting them either in prison or to death
It was at the stoning death of Stephen that we are first introduced to Saul as he held the garments of those throwing the stones

8. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Soon Saul found himself going from synagogue to synagogue punishing those who believed, until they began to leave Jerusalem, but this was not enough for him
He got letters from the chief priest and followed the believers wherever they went
And this is where our text today picks up the story as Saul was on the road to Damascus

9. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Saul was full of hatred and bitterness
He was on a mission, but not for God, nor was it a mission for mercy, rather it was a mission of punishment and pain
He was on a mission to confront and get rid of all those who followed Jesus, those he described as belonging to “The Way”

10. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Nothing on earth would or could change his mind, direction, or the challenge set before him
However, little did he know that while on this road to Damascus he would not confront the followers of Jesus, but rather Jesus would confront him

11. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Although he was not willing to change, he would be changed in ways greater than he could ever possibly imagine
He would not challenge the beliefs of Christians, but have his own belief and faith challenged

12. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Let’s look at the events in the context of three things:
Confrontation
Change
Challenge

13. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Confrontation
Traveling down the road to Damascus likely only intensified the situation in Saul’s mind
Damascus is about 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem, about a week’s journey on foot
Saul had plenty of time to set his mind and heart toward the confrontations that would take place

14. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Confrontation
Either these followers of Jesus would return to the Jewish faith, or they would be taken back as prisoners and convicted of the crime of blasphemy
A confrontation was inevitable
Instead of Saul being the confronter, he was the one confronted

15. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Confrontation
On the road from Damascus, a light from heaven confronted him
We know that this light that confronted Saul was nothing other than Jesus, because the voice that came from the light said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”, and when Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?”, the voice replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:4-5)

16. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Confrontation
What voice did he hear?
He heard the Voice that spoke in the dark and created light
He heard the Voice that spoke to Adam and Eve
He heard the Voice that spoke to Moses from out of the burning bush
He heard the Voice that spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

17. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Confrontation
What voice did he hear?
He heard the Voice that spoke to the prophets, and
He heard the Voice that cried out from the Cross, “It is finished.”

18. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Confrontation
All Saul could do was to bow his face to the ground and yield to the only true authority, the Lord Jesus Christ
Saul had reached the point where it was all about stopping to emphasize who he was, and start emphasizing who Jesus is
The same is true for us, and it will change everything

19. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
From physics, we learn of Newton’s law of motion, that everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it
Saul was not going to change unless Jesus confronted him, and once confronted, he changed

20. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
His name would change from Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle
Jesus whom he had hated was now the One that he adored and called Lord
He became a member of the very fellowship he had sworn to destroy
He changed from persecutor to being the one who would be persecuted

21. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
One of the most remarkable changes is that he became the most unpopular man on the face of the earth
The believers did not trust him, and
The Jews wanted to kill him

22. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
He was a different person
He was now a part of “The Way”, and regardless of the consequences, he went out and preached Jesus in the synagogues, increasing in faith and power
Saul was now Paul, the church’s first missionary starting churches wherever he went
And, he wrote nearly one third of the New Testament

23. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
How did this change take place?
It was by meeting Jesus, the True Living Word, and allowing His Word to come alive in his heart
We change in the same way by allowing Jesus Christ, the Living Word, to come alive in our hearts
Saul knew the Scriptures, top to bottom, but it did not change him because he never knew personally its Author

24. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
How did this change take place?
He was Jew, he knew the law, but he never allowed the law and the word to come alive within him
To Saul, it was merely a set of rules, a set of traditions to follow, but it was not something that was alive and breathing in his life

25. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
How did this change take place?
Saul met the Living Word, Jesus, and now the two (Scriptures and Author) became as one within him, and he was changed forever
There are people who say they believe in Jesus, but they rarely if ever open their Bibles

26. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
How did this change take place?
The Bible and the words written within are foreign to them and these people never stand out, there is no difference between them and the world, because they do not know God’s Word for their lives
We have had years of false and wrong information forced upon us through the educational system that denies the very existence of God

27. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Change
How did this change take place?
To counter this, we must allow God to change us from the inside out, which is what transformation change means
We need to replace the worldly wisdom with God’s wisdom, and we do that through the continual study of God’s Word

28. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Challenge
From that time forward Paul no longer challenged faith in Jesus, but instead allowed faith in Jesus to challenge his life
However, whenever we talk about the Damascus Road, Jesus and the Apostle Paul are our focus, but there was another disciple that is a lot like us, who stepped up to God’s Challenge to greater service

29. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Challenge
Ananias
God called Ananias
His response was, “Yes Lord, here I am.”
The Lord proceeded to tell him that Saul of Tarsus was at a house on the Street called Straight, praying
God wanted Ananias to go to Saul, lay hands on him, and pray that he would receive his sight

30. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Challenge
Ananias
How many of us would answer like my paraphrase of Ananias’
“God, are you sure of this? Saul just finished killing Stephen in Jerusalem and is putting believers in jail wherever he goes. And you want me to lay hands on him and pray. I lay hands on him and he is going to lay hands on me and not in a good way.”

31. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Challenge
Ananias
But God set Ananias straight because Saul was a chosen vessel to bear His name to the Gentile world, and he would suffer because of it
Acts 9:15 holds the key to the chapter, for it identifies not only the fact of God’s call, but its intended purpose

32. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Challenge
Ananias
One could argue that in one verse Luke has laid the foundation for everything he will tell us in the remaining chapters of the book
God Himself had changed the church’s strategy of evangelism, and that humble Christian by the name of Ananias knew it before Paul had the slightest inkling of what lay ahead in his life

33. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Challenge
Ananias
Ananias was called and challenged by God to greater service, just as God calls you and me
God is indeed faithful and will equip us with everything that we need to accomplish the challenge He has set for us

34. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
There are many today who may be walking down a road that leads away from Christ, a road leading to destruction
Jesus want to confront us with the light of His truth, and with the light of His presence
His desire is for all of us to quit kicking against the leadings of the Holy Spirit and come into the fullness of His light and presence

35. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Today as we conclude this presentation, is there something in your life that you would like to change?
God is in the life changing business
He will change you
Allow the light of Jesus to shine upon your life today, and allow God’s Word to come alive in your heart

36. Saul’s Dramatic Conversion
Will you allow
the light of Jesus
to shine in your life?