From Persecutor to Pastor - Acts 9:1-22

Bruce Goettsche

Union Church of La Harpe Illinois

Acts • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago • Presented 21 years ago

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“From Persecutor to Preacher”

Acts 9:1-22

I went to a Christian College and while I was there I sang in the Concert Choir. In each of our concerts it was customary for several of the choir members to give their testimony. As President of the choir, I was a frequent speaker.

Because we were all Christians and had heard each other’s testimonies all the time, we began to be more “creative” in our testimony time. In fact, it got to the point where each choir member who spoke gave a little “sermonette”. I was guilty along with the others.

One afternoon our choir director stopped our rehearsal and said, “I’ve got a request for you. When it is testimony time I want you to follow a very simple format: tell them about your life before you met Christ (sparing the gory details); tell them what brought you to the point of decision, and then tell them how your life has changed. And don’t go beyond that!”

As I look back, I realize that old “Doc” had a great deal of wisdom. As the old sergeant Friday used to say, “Just the facts sir, just the facts.”

Doc understood the power of a personal testimony. There is nothing quite as powerful as telling your own experience of coming to Jesus Christ. Luke seems to have understood this concept quite clearly. In the book of Acts he tells the conversion story of Saul/Paul three different times. Luke understood that Paul’s conversion was one of the most powerful arguments for the truthfulness of the gospel.

This morning we are going to look at Paul’s testimony using the three simple points of my Choir Director.

WHERE HE WAS

We have already read that Saul was a highly educated Pharisee who was responsible for the persecution of Christians. It is possible that he was among the men who debated with Stephen. He witnessed his death of Stephen and seemed to be fueled by a red-hot fury. Later in Acts Paul tells us his mindset during this time, Acts 26:9-11

9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

Saul was relentless. In his mind, he was purifying the church. When we pick up his story in chapter 9, Saul has expanded his search and is heading 140 miles to the north to the city of Damascus. Damascus was a popular trade city so Saul may have wanted to wipe out the Christians from that city to keep the gospel from spreading any further.

Notice two things. First, Saul thought he was doing OK. He really believed God was pleased with him. I suspect many of Saul’s friends respected him as one who had a zeal for the Lord. I think it is safe to say that most people feel they are living their lives pretty well. They attend church, are nice to many people, throw a little money in the offering plate and compared to many of the people they know, they are quite decent. It’s possible that you are here today feeling pretty good about your spiritual life . . . just like Saul.

Second, Saul was actually fighting against the Lord. This is the case of all who resist the salvation God has provided. Most people are not as bold and hostile as Saul. Many feel somewhat indifferent. They seem to think that though they are not Christians, they are not enemies of God. They are wrong. Anyone who spurns the salvation God has provided stands against the Lord. It is a fool’s folly.

WHAT HAPPENED

The story is recorded for us in Acts,

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. (Acts 9:3-9)

Notice several things. First, Saul was not seeking salvation. In fact, just the opposite is true. Saul was seeking to destroy those who proclaimed a salvation by grace and apart from the law. Saul was not seeking salvation . . . God was seeking Saul. God is the initiator in this drama.

I know in my own case I was not seeking salvation because I believed I already had it. One day we were listening to our youth pastor talk about receiving Christ as Savior and Lord and it was like a light went on. Suddenly it made sense.

Second, Saul was confronted with his sin. Paul’s story is told two more times in chapters 22 and 26. In chapter 26 we learn that the bright light drove them all to the ground. The voice that spoke to Paul was in Aramaic and said “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (26:14)

A goad was a pointed stick that was used to spur an animal forward. If an animal kicked against the point of the stick they would be sorry. Kicking against the goad hurt no one but the one who was doing the kicking. Saul was resisting the Lord and attacking his people, but the only person he was hurting was himself.

It is possible that Saul actually saw Jesus. His followers didn’t see anything and they were not able to tell what the voice was saying. In Acts 26:16 Jesus tells Saul that the reason he appeared to him was to appoint him as a missionary to the Gentiles. In 1 Corinthians 15:8 Paul claims Jesus appeared to him (one of the conditions of apostleship).

Saul was confronted with his own obstinacy. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Saul to be told that he was persecuting the Lord? Saul, the fervent Pharisee was not serving God but attacking Him! We can only imagine how devastating this revelation was to him. Saul needed to see his sin. He needed to realize the horror of his actions before he could ever be open to the gospel.

This is true for every true believer. There must be an awareness of sin before there will ever be openness to our need for a Savior. We don’t like to talk about sin but we must. People must see that they have failed to meet God’s standard and consequently are in a need of help.

When Saul was attacking Christians, he was really attacking the Lord. We have here a sober reminder. When we attack another believer, we are attacking Jesus. When we speak against a member of the body of Christ we are speaking against Him. Jesus identifies with His people. Jesus told us that when we show love to each other we are showing love to Him.

Third, notice that God used an ordinary man as his messenger. Let’s not forget this man Ananias. This is the only time we read about this man in the Bible. Perhaps he was a well-known believer, perhaps not. I like to think that Ananias was someone ordinary like you and me.

Talk about faith! Ananias receives a vision from the Lord. He says

“Ananias, I have a job for you.”

“You name it Lord, I will be happy to obey”.

“I want you to go visit someone on Straight Street”.

“I’ll get right on it Lord” (and he began to put on his sandals.)

“I want you to go and ask for a man from Tarsus, named Saul.” (long pause)

“Excuse me?”

“A man from Tarsus named Saul.”

“The Saul? Lord, this guy does not have a very good reputation. Isn’t this the guy that is arresting and killing Christians?”

“That’s the guy.”

To his credit, Ananias went to Straight Street and when he met Saul he addressed him as, “Brother Saul”. Ananias believed that God could change even someone like Saul. Ananias explained the gospel more fully, and Saul was baptized as a new believer. Paul’s eyesight was restored and he had a new heart and passion in his life.

HOW HE IS CHANGED

Our text tells us,

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 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.

We are told that Paul immediately began to preach in the synagogues. At first Saul would have been welcomed as a hero. Here was the zealous Jew who was seeking to get rid of those Jesus followers. How shocked they must have been to hear his testimony that Jesus really was the long awaited Messiah. Consider the change that took place in Saul

· The man who had killed Christians now had become a Christian

· The man who sought to wipe out Christianity was now promoting it

· The man who had persecuted others for following Jesus was now persecuted for following Jesus.

· The man who attacked the church now became it’s chief defender

· The man who was filled with so much hate was now transformed and showed his love to those who were lost.

· The man who trusted the law for salvation now proclaimed God’s grace

Paul gave up his power, prestige and influence. He gave up his position as one who could make a handsome living as a teacher of Jewish law. He was no longer welcomed by those who used to admire him and call him their friend. He gave up his comforts and his safety. Paul was dogged wherever he went with the threat of persecution and death.

Jesus is in the change business. Those who turn to Christ are changed because they have a new heart. They see things differently, their standard for behavior is raised, and they seek God’s glory rather than their own. The unchanged Christian is a contradiction in terms. The change may not be as dramatic as the change that took place in Paul, but there should be change nonetheless.

CONCLUSIONS

The conversion of the Apostle Paul is one of the greatest stories in Christian history. From his story there are some important lessons for us.

First, God is the pursuer, not the one pursued. Oftentimes we paint a much different picture. We seem to indicate that people are searching for God but they cannot find Him. They are looking but He is hiding. In truth, the non-believer is not seeking God, He is seeking them.

Jesus said, “He has come to seek and to save those who are lost” He also taught us that “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled me.” (John 6:64). God is the initiator in our relationship. It is the Lord who has put people in your way to preach the truth to you. It is God who is pulling at your heart and captivating your mind. You do not seek Him . . . He seeks you.

Paul himself told us, “while we were still sinners (when we had no interest in him) God showed his love for us by sending Christ to die for us.” The Lord is reaching out to you my friend! The Lord’s hand is extended. He has made the first move. He has extended an invitation and it is up to you whether to receive it or not. God has not turned away from you, you have turned away from Him! If you want to have eternal life as a member of the family of God you must stop running from God and receive the forgiveness, love and new life He longs to give you.

Never write anyone off. Of all the people that seemed hopeless, Saul would have led the list. History is filled with people who seemed hopelessly lost who were transformed by the power of God’s grace. Many of the very people we call saints today were once people as stained as Saul.

Alice Cooper, who reveled in his image as one of the most decadent rock stars of the '70s and once claimed to be an incarnated witch, has changed his tune. Cooper, a preacher's son whose birth name is Vincent Furier, now plays golf with singer Glen Campbell and theologian R.C. Sproul and has taught a Sunday school class, according to World magazine. When Cooper sings now, the lyrics point to Christ.

Murderers, prostitutes, gang leaders, drug addicts and many others have come to the Lord to the delightful surprise of their friends and family. Don’t give up praying for your lost family members and friends. Continue to seek the opportunity to share the message of salvation with them. If God can change Saul . . . He can change anyone.

We must give thought to our own story. Where are you in your relationship with God? Are you living your life indifferent to the things of God? Is your Christianity superficial? Perhaps like Saul you are zealous in serving the church but you have never addressed the issue of your own heart and soul.

Have you reached a point in your life where you stopped running and taken a good look in the mirror? Have you seen the spiritual void in your life? Have you examined the evidence for Jesus and taken God at His Word?

Don’t you wonder how Saul responded to the gospel message presented by Ananias? I imagine Saul devastated by his past life. I imagine many tears as Ananias explained the way of grace. As Ananias told Saul about the life and teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus I think Saul wondered how he could have missed the message.

When Ananias told Saul that Jesus died in our place, for our sin and that God offers us forgiveness and a new beginning through what Christ has done, I imagine Saul shook his head. “that may be true for some, but it couldn’t be true for me. I killed Christians. I pursued and tortured his followers. God’s grace could never be extended to me!”

Perhaps Ananias shared his own story of faith. Perhaps he talked about Peter’s denial or the doubt of Thomas. Maybe he told the story of Matthew the former tax-colletor turned disciple. Ananias assured Saul that Christ’s rich sacrifice was sufficient even for one such as he.

How long did it take for Saul to understand that forgiveness really was possible? How many times did Ananias have to go over the notion that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned? However many times it took, the message got through and Saul was made new.

Perhaps the whole idea seems incredible to you as well. You have made mistakes. You have done horrible things. Perhaps you leave a trail of ruined lives or blown opportunities behind you. Even so, God offers you a new beginning. Jesus paid for your past when He died on the cross. His blood was shed for your sin. The Bible is clear, if you will trust Him, if you will put your confidence in His work on the cross and let Him lead your life in the present, you too can be made new. You won’t be perfect but you’ll be walking with God rather than running from Him.

If you have never made such a commitment to Christ, will you do so today? In an act of honest faith turn to the Lord and say something like this:

Lord Jesus, I have run from you. I have ignored your love and spurned your commands. I have been trusting my own goodness rather than your grace. Today I turn to you. I put my confidence in what you did for me. Please change my heart. Cleanse me from the wicked rebellion that runs so deep. Place your spirit within me and make me new. Help me to follow you all the days of my life so that I, like Paul might become one of your followers. Begin your work in me. Amen.

If in your heart you pray a prayer similar to that one you will have eternal life. The Bible tells us that “whosoever believes has eternal life.” If you have sincerely believed you like Paul will be able to say, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”

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