Can you prove it?

Acts 9:21–22 NIV

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 Messiah.

Introduction

Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future. Those words were penned over a hundred years ago by the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde 

Webster defines conversion as something that’s converted from one use to another

Remember the old saying if it aint broke don’t fix it

 Bottom line is that we’re making something new out of something old

God cant use us unless we have been converted, changed transformed

As we begin this message we need to look at this man named Saul. He was:

1)Very religious – blameless according to the Law of Moses, a Pharisee among Pharisees, very zealous for the faith of his fathers and absolutely convinced that he was doing the Will of God.

2)Rich Heritage – a Jew among Jews, born into the tribe of Benjamin

3)Well educated – Trained at the feet of Gamaliel, one of Israel’s greatest teachers of the day

4)Ambitious – advancing quickly up the ranks of the Pharisees and had ability, desire and talent far above his peers.

5)Full of bitterness and hatred – hated anything and anyone who could be a threat to the things that he believed, and those who would cause trouble for his people and those who opposed the teachings of the high priest and the Law of Moses. He hated those who preached and taught heresy against the Law that had led Israel for so many years.

6)A man of Loyalty – sought out the permission and approval of the High Priest before he acted

The world needs to see the proof.

Acts 9:22 “22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.”

The New International Version. Zondervan, 2011, p. Ac 9:22.

We must have an encounter with Jesus

1 Corinthians 9:1 “1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?”

Galatians 1:11–12 “11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”

We need the infilling of the Holy Spirit

Acts 9:17–18 NIV

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,

Allow God to transform you

Look at Acts 9:1 “1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest”

Now look at Acts 9:20 “20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 “6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Paul's conversion was also a work of sanctification

An old story tells about a little boy in Sunday school whose teacher asked what part he played in his salvation. He responded that his conversion had been partly God’s work and partly his own. An astounded and rather nervous teacher inquired about that strange answer until the boy replied, “I opposed God all I could, and he did the rest.” Such was the experience of Saul of Tarsus. Former rabbi. Former persecutor. Former agent of the high priest

Gangel, Kenneth O. Acts. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998, p. 142.

Realize we have a future in Christ

Our past does not define who we become in the future