God's Power to Change
Acts (To Be Continued...) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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please turn to Acts 9. chapter 9, verse 1.
Do you ever wrestle with the question—do people really change?
Can I really change?
every new year—some of us make new years resolutions...
— “I am going to work out and diet more…and lose 15 pounds...”
— “I am going to read more books…one book a month...”
— “I am going to take a risk and start that business I want to...”
we are in February now…of those Americans who make a resolution—what percentage of people who make it actually keep it...
only 9%. research says that 23% (so almost 1 in 4) quit their resolution by the end of the 1st week. and 43% (almost half by the end of January)
and there are many reasons for this…but all this suggests change is not easy.
and yet as we read the Bible—one of the foundational doctrines or truths—is that we need to change, and it is possible to change..but only through God.
this is what is called the doctrine of conversion—the beginning of the Christian journey...
Definition of Conversion: “turning” - a spiritual turning away from sin in repentance to Christ in faith.”
—idea of changing direction from myself to God
—from sin - to Jesus
--from the world and its values to Jesus and His values
—from legalistic religion to true faith and grace in Jesus
it involves a lot of changes...
—of mind
—of view
—affections
—of the will/desire
and then the process beyond conversion—is what theologians call sanctification—where I am over time become more like Jesus and grow in holiness.
today’s change we are exploring is conversion.
Acts 9:1–19 (NIV)
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
(map)
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Truths about Conversion:
1. God’s grace is available to the worst.
and....
2. God can change the hardest hearts.
I am doing 2 at once.
look at verses 1-2 again.
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
Saul would have been a brilliant man—probably had the OT memorized—knew it inside and out
Saul was extremely religious—zealous for the OT, the Jewish law…extremely zealous and passionate, devoted.
he event went to the Jewish high priest to get legal acceptance—
and he traveled about 150 miles to arrest and persecute Christians.
we learn earlier in Acts...
1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
and now he is depicted as a beast—breathing our murderous threats…
if anyone seemed like they deserved God’s wrath for all the horrible things they did—it was Paul…he was a religious terrorist...and yet God—through Christ confronts him, and offers him the gift of forgiveness, of new life, a new commission, identity and purpose, a new way—of turning from his past life, and everything He thought he knew to Jesus Christ.
it just goes to show—that no matter what you have done or failed to do, what you have said…you can be the worst sinner ever before God, and yet His grace reaches farther than our sin. He can still forgive you b/c of His grace—b/c Jesus lived the life we failed to live, died the death we deserved, and rose.
Paul says this about his conversion his change
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.
13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
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.
while Paul’s story is unique—everyone who comes to faith in Jesus—has this kind of moment—where they see that they have been living in rebellion against God…they are sinners before God. they are the worst..
and they start seeing Jesus—how glorious He is, how beautiful—that through Him i can be forgiven and made new—and everything makes sense. “Twas blind but now I see..” Paul is seeing for the first time spiritually!
so if you feel any of these things today—that’s a great sign—that’s a sign of God’s grace working on you, convicting you—that’s beautiful.
and at the same time—it goes to show that God is so powerful, that He can confront, He can even change the hardest of hearts.
even the most unreachable people we think—people we think would NEVER believe, this passage says “Don’t count them out...” “what’s impossible with man is possible with God..”
you may have a friend or a co-worker—who seems like they would never follow Christ…don’t count them out—God is powerful to change.
maybe you have a child or family member who turned their back on Christ—don’t count them out...
or broaden it to the world—maybe there is someone in our society or a politician or whomever you think is the worst person—they are not beyond the grace of God, nor the power of God to save.
God can take the worst persecutor and make them the most persecuted follower for Jesus.
Truth of Conversion
3. God changes us to know Him — or Jesus changes us to know Him
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
I am Jesus whom you are persecuting...
this must have been shocking to Paul…Paul believed in God, the OT…in his brain he was still waiting for a Messiah and Savior and King to come...
it couldn’t have been Jesus b/c Jesus died as a condemned criminal on a cross...
Messiahs don’t die naked and bleeding…Messiahs win...
and yet if this is Jesus—this means He is alive…If He is alive then God vindicated Him—raised Him from the death.
this means that the death He died on the cross---wasn’t for His sin—but for ours.
He is starting to connect all the rich OT symbolism that points to Jesus—the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices—it all points to Jesus...
but what startles me here—is Jesus tells Saul—you think you are persecuting just Christians—you are persecuting me.
when the church is persecuted and suffering, Jesus is persecuted and suffering.
when we hurt---Jesus hurts.
when we follow Jesus—we so identify with Him—and He also identifies with us.
it’s a little scary signing up to follow Jesus…it is...
you have to deny yourself…it’s not about me
it’s now all about Jesus…I am not in control but Jesus…sounds oppressive. that squashes my freedom
but consider this—when you sign up to follow Jesus—Scriptures uses this intensely relational language—that we are now “In Christ...” and “He is in me...” how is that possible—it is the most intimate possible relationship…where I follow Him, and He through His Spirit goes with me everywhere.
He cares so much about me—that when I hurt, when I suffer, He cares…He hurts, He suffers—especially for his persecuted people around the world. He is not unattached or emotional…I want to serve and follow a Jesus like that. who loves me and gave himself for me.
Saul/Paul was being confronted with the reality—that converting to Christ---is so attaching yourself to Christ. it crushed him—b/c his persecuting hurt Christ, and it encouraged Him—b/c now he would suffer for Christ, and Christ would suffer with Him.
He would be deeply attached to Christ now, and the same thing happens to us.
I would encourage you if you are thinking about following Christ, or sharing the good news of Jesus with others—this point is so important—conversion is all about knowing Jesus. we may have lots of problems and questions about the Christian faith, or the church—important—but it all comes back to Jesus—what we think about Him—and an invitation to follow Him—Christ in me, I in Christ.
4. Conversion — God changes us for a new family, dare I say “church family.” most of us think of the institution and organization of church, when I use it. which is important, not the most important thing, but important.
but consider this—look at how this man Ananias, a disciple of Jesus is used.
God shows up in a vision to Him.
Ananias is terrified to go to him.
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
but God says no he is my chosen instrument.
so he goes…probably in great fear...
but look at how he addresses Saul...
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
brother...
can you imagine how Saul would react to that? Saul came to persecute people like Ananias—now they are family in Christ? brothers in Christ?
Ananias probably had a hard time saying this—his enemy is now his brother...
all this is showing that when you turn from sin to God, you gain a new family.
you sometimes and often lose your old family—b/c they may want nothing to do with you now, b/c of your allegiance to Christ…but now—you gain a new family, a church family, with brothers and sisters all of us trying to follow Christ....together…and it’s a beautiful mess. key word mess. and key word beauty.
I think points 3 and 4—Saul gets Jesus, and Saul gets a new family—are what motivated him to write 1 Corinthians 12.
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Our conversion though individual, is not just individualistic… “It’s not just Jesus and me.” God has given us a new family...we are saved to a new family—to live out our faith, loving one another, one anothering...—and we see the beginnings of that here.
5. God changes us for a mission. (vs. 15-16)
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Saul had a unique call…God would use him to spread the Gospel, plant new churches, help oversee churches among both the Gentiles—and also to the Jews.
and he suffered immensely.
He got a new call, a new calling...
and while our call will look different than Sauls...
when we are converted—God changes us for a mission.
he calls us to love Him—with our heart, soul, mind, and strength… (worship)
and love our neighbor as ourselves...
he calls us to go and spread the Good news…and to make followers of Jesus—it doesn’t mean you will have to quit your job—no—use all your existing avenues and relationships—now. don’t waste them. You are in a unique place among unique people to share the good news.
but now, everything in life is injected with a sacred meaning…to go
i do all things now—whether preaching a sermon, changing a diaper, fixing a house…to the glory of God.
closing...
i mentioned the doctrine of conversion earlier —
Definition of Conversion: “turning” - a spiritual turning away from sin in repentance to Christ in faith.” it’s a deep change...
is it possible to change—yes—acc. to this passage b/c of the work of Jesus Christ, the power of God, the work of the Holy Spirit.
there is another term you need to be aware of called:
Regeneration —
regeneration/conversion 2 side of the same coin...
“God’s sovereign activity by the Holy Spirit in the soul of one who is spiritually dead in sin (like Saul.) In Regeneration, God implants new life in the soul—he changes hearts. he gives the gifts of repentance and faith.”
this focuses on God’s power—well didn’t he believe and choose? yes--
conversion is the human side of it—we respond in faith and repentance.
Regeneration is the cause—God first works, and conversion is the effect—we respond.
while this probably introduces all sorts of questions...
i think we see both regeneration—God’s sovereign saving activity
and conversion—Paul turning from sin.
I want to pray for 2 groups of people:
maybe you are like Paul—and have been resistant.
later on in Acts 26—when Paul tells this story again he says:
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
goads are like sharp sticks, cattle prods, to get an animal moving…this implies God has been poking and prodding Paul for a long time. and he was stubborn until he could resist no more. if you sense that you need to make things right with God, and know Jesus
close your eyes and bow your head...
confess
believe
surrender
and i want to pray for you all—think of one person right now, similar to Saul, who needs Jesus. who seems almost unreachable, unchangeable…would you take a moment and pray for them.