One Born Out of Time: The Conversion of Paul

Paul’s background

This morning as we ponder what we know about Paul the Apostle, we know that he was an eloquent writer of many letters to churches, we also know that Paul was a dedicated traveling evangelist in synagogues and homes alike. Do we really think that he woke up one day and boom he was an evangelist? Today we are going to be taking a look at the life of Paul also known as Saul of Tarsus. Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee, he clearly stated he was a Hebrew of Hebrews in Philippians 3:5 ,and he was also a Jewish religious leader, (Pharisees believed in resurrection and in following legal traditions that was not set by the Bible but by the traditions of the fathers), Saul was commissioned by the High Priest giving him authority to persecute, and oppose the Christian movement of his days. Saul’s job was to seek out Christians and do everything that he possibly could do to suppress their teachings and arrest them on the spot to be taken to Jerusalem, to face uncertain things including death, Saul would often speak against them in the courts.

So today as we walk through this journey with Saul of Tarsus in the beginning portion of his life, at the time that the letter to the Corinthians he was Paul the great Apostle to the Gentiles. He begins to reflect on his life with Christ and without Christ and he speaks of great Theology to the Corinthians. Paul is reflecting on Jesus coming to him while he is still a vile man, we need to take a few moments to look back and reflect on our own lives before we knew Christ and the Spiritual veil was removed from our eyes.

Did you speak out against Christianity?

Did you laugh at and mock Christians?

What kind of vocabulary did you have at that time in darkness?

Where would I be today if God’s mercy, grace, and love had not pulled me out of the mirey clay?

Church I am telling you today it was certainly the gift of God through Jesus Christ that has brought you where you are today, He pulled us out of that mirey clay and the master potter has molded us into a beautiful work of art that you are today. We are children of the One true God just the same as Paul was changed.

Let us look at Paul’s walk down memory lane here in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:8–10

“8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

As we begin to look into the things during the time of the persecution of the Christians, in Acts 8:1-3 Luke describes after the death of Stephen that all of Jerusalem came under persecution and threat of death by Saul. We could progress on to see despite the brutal death of Stephen that God continued to redeeming many people, this includes people of any tongue or tribe. But, we are going to see how Saul is directly affected by Jesus, and how Saul’s life completely changes.

Acts 8:1–3

“1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

“3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”

We need to consider that in verse 1 of Acts 8 that Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen.

Vines Expository Dictionary defines consenting as, "to agree openly, to acknowledge outwardly, or fully" (intensive), is translated "consented.

I am certain that those around Saul at that time must have been taken back when they witnessed this behavior from Saul.

We can only imagine what was going on in the mind of Saul at this point in time. Maybe he took great pleasure in seeing the stoning of Stephen.

But, we must ask ourselves what would cause a person to have a strong desire to persecute and hurt those that are a child of God?

Acts 26:10

“10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.”

Needless to say all of the Christians during these days were so afraid of Saul even though Saul was short in stature, he was a whopping four foot six inches tall, Saul also stood hunkered over making him appear even shorter than he actually was. So we can clearly see from this description of Saul that God doesn’t call the qualified, God qualifies the called, God doesn’t use the ones that are perfect in every way, God uses the broken, and the troubled people to do the business of the father.

Why is this?

Church it is simply because the broken and the troubled people has some of the best testimonies. Testimonies, of what God has done in their own personal lives to turn them from the darkness into the light.

Let us look further into the life of Saul of Tarsus, we are coming into the time that Jesus came and met Saul where he was on the road to Damascus, and here in a moment we see the turning point of Saul’s life.

If you have your bibles turn to:

Acts 9:1–4

“1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?””

I believe at this moment Saul’s heart had to fall all the way down into his toenails, simply out of fear, wouldn’t your heart drop too? Think back to the day that Jesus was calling out your name, did you try to ignore Him? What was your plans at that time? Well Saul definitely had some plans ahead of him too, he was going with his letters, and chains to persecute and arrest Christians. Maybe, your plans was to go party and hangout with friends causing trouble and maybe some vandalism, I'm certain that you would only know that answer. Was Jesus saying to you (pick a name and say it twice) why is your heart so hard toward me, I have only loved you, protected you, and you still turn away. (say the name twice again) come unto me I will give you rest dear child. Can you remember? How did you feel once you listened to His voice?

Let us see a couple more verses recounting Jesus speaking to Saul with the previous illustration in mind.

Acts 22:7

“7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

Acts 26:14

“14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

This scripture is Saul's own testimony, he is sharing how Christ came tohimself and changed his lfe.

ow Saul was on the ground in great fear at this point, Saul cries out WHO IS THIS, LORD? And we read I am Jesus the one that you are coming against… Do you really think you can kick the goads/pricks?

This means that why do you do things that are worthless don’t you realize that you will never win against me, it’s a lose lose situation.

Can you remember a day when you tried and tried to do something in all of your power to try and over take a situation that had overwhelming odds to beat?

There is just no way that things work out on your own accord, most likely those things didnt competely workout the way you intended them to. When we try to work against the things we can not see we succumb to them. We need to fully rely on on Christ, leave all of these things at His feet, all things will surely be taken care of and worked out for our benefit.

Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Acts 9:5–12

“5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.

“12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

Transformed by Grace: The Power of a Second Chance

Bible Passage: Acts 22:6–16, Acts 26:12–18, 1 Timothy 1:12–16, Acts 11:25–26, Acts 9:1–19, 1 Corinthians 15:8–10

Summary: These passages illustrate the radical transformation of Saul of Tarsus from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Jesus Christ, emphasizing God's grace and mercy in calling unlikely individuals to service.

Application: This sermon helps Christians recognize that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. It encourages those who feel disqualified by their past to embrace the truth that God can use anyone for His purpose, providing hope to those struggling with guilt or shame over their life choices.

Teaching: The teaching of this sermon centers on the transformative power of God's grace. It highlights how God uses even the most unlikely candidates for His mission, demonstrating that our past does not define our future when we align with God's call.

How this passage could point to Christ: In these passages, Christ serves as the ultimate example of grace and redemption. His encounter with Saul on the road to Damascus reveals that God's purpose can triumph even in the most challenging situations, pointing to Christ's redemptive work in our lives as a pattern for our own transformations.

Big Idea: God’s grace transforms lives, offering hope and purpose to those willing to be changed by His calling.

Recommended Study: As you prepare, it may be beneficial to explore the socio-historical context of Saul's background and his radical transformation in your Logos library. Investigate the literary structure of Acts to understand how Luke portrays Saul's conversion across different accounts, as well as thematic correlations between Paul's letters and his conversion experiences. Additionally, consider examining the theological implications of grace in Paul’s writings, particularly in 1 Timothy, to enrich your understanding of the message of redemption.

1. Christ's Call Changes Lives

Acts 22:6–11

You could explore Saul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and how this divine intervention was the catalyst for his transformation. Highlight how Jesus personally calls us out of our past, offering a second chance. This exemplifies Christ's purposeful intervention in our lives, showing that transformative grace begins with a personal encounter with Jesus.

2. Community's Catalytic Role

Acts 22:12–16

Perhaps, focus on Ananias' role in Saul's transformation as an unlikely messenger of grace. Show how God uses ordinary people to fulfill His extraordinary purposes, encouraging believers to be open to His calling. This illustrates that everyone has a part in God's plan and can be instrumental in ushering others into a new life of grace.

3. Commissioned Through Conversion

Acts 26:12–18

Maybe, delve into Paul's recounting of his conversion before King Agrippa, emphasizing how his mission was defined by Christ. Discuss how grace not only transforms but also commissions us to share the hope we've found in Christ. This highlights the aspect of our call to spread Jesus' message of redemption to others, inspiring believers to live purpose-driven lives.

4. From Persecutor to Proclaimer

1 Timothy 1:12–16

You could draw upon Paul’s reflection on his past and God's grace, which serves as a testimony that no past is too dark for God's transforming light. This can offer hope to those burdened by past mistakes, reassuring them that God’s grace equips them to serve His purpose.

5. Comprehensive Conversion

Acts 9:1–19

Perhaps, examine the narrative of Saul's initial encounter and subsequent healing and baptism. This portion highlights the completeness of God’s transformation as Saul not only receives a new purpose but also a new community. Emphasize that God’s grace involves both personal change and integration into His community.

6. Grace-Powered Purpose

1 Corinthians 15:8–10

Maybe, focus on Paul's acknowledgment of his unworthiness and how God's grace enabled him to work harder than anyone else. This emphasizes that grace is not passive but propels us to new heights in serving God's kingdom.