From Murderer to Missionary
Acts: Christ Builds His Church • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsThis message examines the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction:
Introduction:
Attention Getting:
Everyone has their favorite kind of story. For some it is action while for others, romance. Some are drawn to comedies while others embrace tragedies.
in our text today is a story of great transformation. Acts 9 is the 1st of three accounts of Saul’s conversion recorded by Luke.
Textual Segment:
Acts 9:1-19 is the account of Saul’s transformation on the road to Damascus. Saul sets out on a murderous mission to find “followers of the way” and arrest them so he can bring them back to Jerusalem to face trial. God had other plans. On that road, Jesus appeared by voice and in a blinding light and Saul is dramatically converted! Instead of arresting members of the church in Damascus, he joins them!
Relational Segment:
Every person who repents of their sins an believes in Jesus undergoes a similar transformation. As children of God, we are not what we once were and our future is changed!
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?”
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.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Let’s begin our study by looking at......
1. A Man on a Murderous Mission
1. A Man on a Murderous Mission
EX: Saul seeks to expand persecution:
(9:1-2)
He has plans to arrest Christians in Damascus
A. Saul’s Attitude
“Breathing threats and murder”
He is as furious as those who stoned Stephen. Remember what the text said in Acts 7?
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
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.
Saul is still in a murderous rampage and seeking to wipe out Christianity.
B. Saul’s Target
“disciples of the Lord”
Students of the Lord
Those who followed and taught His teachings.
“any who were of the Way”
the way of salvation
Jesus had said, “I am the way”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
This phrase is used many times in Acts
In Damascus
GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE: DAMASCUS
• Large commercial center of Syria
• One of the ten cities in region called “Decapolis” (Mark 5:20; 7:31)
• Contained a large Jewish population
• Located 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem
Gangel, K. O. (1998). Acts (Vol. 5, p. 136). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
C. Saul’s Scheme
Sought Letters
think of these as warrants authorizing him to seek out Christians and arrest them.
“Bring them bound to Jerusalem”
Why go to the trouble of tracking down Christians?
to seize Christians who had fled
To prevent the spread of Christianity to other major cities.
To keep Christians from causing trouble with Rome.
AP: Like Saul, we are traveling a destructive path before we are born again.
Dead in Sin
Walk around in the Darkness
IL:
2. A Marvelous Encounter
2. A Marvelous Encounter
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?”
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.
EX: God Interrupted Saul’s plans
A. The Lord Stopped Him
A light shone from Heaven
A voice spoke
B. The Lord Confronted Him
Why are you persecuting Me?
I am Jesus
C. The Lord Commanded Him
Go into Damascus and wait
AP: God’s plans always trump ours!
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Recognize that seeking and doing God’s will is the most important priority for us
Recognize that boasting and acting upon our plans is a futile exercise.
3. A Man on a Merciful Mission
3. A Man on a Merciful Mission
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.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
EX:
God sent Ananias to Saul
The Lord revealed His plan for Saul
Missionary to the Gentiles
Suffer much
God healed Saul
Ananias called him brother!
He accepted Saul
Based on God’s declaration, Ananias greeting him as a brother in Christ.
Scales fell off
His eyesight was restored.
These few days of blindness was just a foretaste of the suffering Paul would endure during his ministry.
Saul was baptized and joined the disciples.
imagine that scene!
The believers are gathered to share worship and Bible study.
In walks Saul and Ananias!
There had to panic at first.
Instead of arresting them, he joined them!
AP: Go where the Lord sends
Ananias sets a great example for us
He didn’t let fear stop him
He went were the Lord sent
He welcomed a new brother in spite of his past.
IL:
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
RS: In this passage, we have examined the conversion of Saul. God changed him from a persecutor of the church to a preacher of the gospel.
IS: God is in the transformation business. If you are His child, you have gone from darkness to light. He changed us and is still working on conforming us to the image of Jesus.