The Way of Conversion

Through out the Bible there are repeated moments of incredible conversion stories and calls to serves God. The is Rahab in the book of Joshua who hides the spies who come into Jericho. Her act of protecting was because she trusted in God's Sovereign control. Then the is the city of Nineveh in Jonah, when God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn them that if they do not repent they will be destroyed. Then there is the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzer, who stepped out on to the roof of his palace and overlooked his kingdom and proudly exalted in his conquests and his own might and power and God stuck him with lunacy and he lived off the land until God returned his mind to him and Nebuchadnezzer came to know God as the Most Holy Sovereign God. These are Old Testament conversion and there are many New Testament conversion and the most amazing one of them all is the one we will be looking at for the next few weeks. The conversion of Saul. Just like the conversion that happened in those Old Testament texts the conversion of Saul has the same elements, the grounding in glory, brokenness and confession. That is what we will see this morning as we begin looking at Saul's conversion, The say of Conversion is through Brokenness and Dependence.

The Way of Conversion is through Brokenness and Dependence

Let's look at Acts 9:1-9,

Acts 9:1–9 NASB95

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and 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?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

As we just looked in Acts 8 we found how the church spread across Samaria and Judea after Saul's fierce persecution of the church of God in Jerusalem. Saul's attack on the church was ruthless and vicious. Now in the same way that the apostles heard of the spread of the gospel through Samaria and Judea so did Saul and all those who opposed the growth of the church and the spread of the gospel message. The gospel had a positive effect and a negative effect on the church. The positive was its growth and even its scattering, the negative, which helped push the spread, was the vicious and merciless persecution of the church. In the beginning of chapter 8 we find that a great persecution began and it was lead by Saul and in verse 3 Luke tells us that "Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he put them in prison." Saul was savagely hunting down those who confessed to be believers in Christ. Now since the gospel message has spread and the church is springing up all over Judea and even in other areas outside Judea, Saul feels in order to put a stop to it he now has to travel to these location and put a stop to it once and for all.

The fact that the church he is going to is in Damascus helps to strengthen the argument this persecution is centered around the Hellenistic Jews not the Natural born Jews. The fact that the message spread to Damascus also goes to show how far the message spread. It is not only going throughout Judea and Samaria but now it is also spreading out of the region of Judea. It is just as Jesus told the apostles, they are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the other most parts of the earth. No matter how far the gospel spreads there will always be those who are against it and want it to be stopped. Saul is one of them. He had a deep hatred for the gospel message and for anyone who is a follower of the Way.

This is what the disciples were called do in large part to Jesus’ I am Statement in John 14.

John 14:1–6 NASB95

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 “And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Now Jesus will show Saul how and why this movement is called the Way.

Verse 1 tells us how much Saul hated them with the phrase, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He didn't just want these people to stop but he believed the only way to put a stop to it was to kill them. Now that is the a powerful way to stop something from spreading, kill those who belong to a religious group like this and it will put it to an end, especially if the leader of the group has already been killed. Saul wanted them out of the way but he had no power in and of himself to do this, so he receives permission from the high priest. Saul can't just go into Damascus and start arresting people so he needs the high priest to grant permission for him to have the synagogues backing. That is exactly what he receives. The letter gives Saul permission to not only arrest those belonging to the way but to bring them bound back to Jerusalem. They were to go before the counsel and stand trial in the same way Stephen did.

Conversion is Grounded in Jesus

Saul goes out to Damascus with the authority to bind up those who belong to the Way. As he is on the road riding or walking but more then likely riding on a horse, he is 'suddenly' struck by 'a light from heaven' which 'flashed around him.' This terrified Saul. It would terrify anyone. The light he saw, the light that flashed around him here is very reminiscent of the light that shines around the shepherds in Luke 2. This light is the all powerful glory of God. Verse 4 continues and says that Saul 'fell to the ground and heard a voice.' The voice was booming and the voice was clear and authoritative. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Very matter of fact and at the same time giving the idea that Saul is in trouble. Isn't that what parents do when their children do something wrong and they are in deep trouble. Repeat the name so the one who is in trouble knows it is them there is no mistaking who you are talking too. Saul is being called out and Saul has to answer for what he has done and what he is in the midst of doing.

Isaiah 6:1–10 NASB95

1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ 10 “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

Saul knows he is in trouble and he knows where the message is coming from but what he doesn't know is who is the One who is speaking. In verse 5 we find that Saul responds with a question of his own, "who are you, Lord?" Saul doesn't know who is speaking to him but he knows this being is not only from heaven but that he is sent by God. I am sure Saul isn't expecting the answer he is about to receive. I mean sure Saul knows the Word of God and I am sure he has read about instances when angels have come and spoken to people but this isn't a common occurence. It isn't like these kinds of events happen ever other Friday night, no it isn't. Not only that but the voice says to Saul, "Why are you persecuting Me?" It should have been a dead give away the phrase "persecuting" but being spiritually blind means you can't see Jesus even when He is shinning in your face. That is what was happening with Saul here. Jesus is shinning in His face and he can't even see him. Jesus calls out to him and let's him know who it is Saul is persecuting. "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." That is exactly who Saul is persecuting as he is going after the church. The two are inseparable, if you persecute the church you persecute Jesus and if you persecute Jesus you are persecuting the church. In the same way husbands if a man insults your wife he is insulting you and vice versa. That also means wives don't belittle your husbands because the church would not belittle Christ and husband don't belittle your wives because Christ would never belittle the church. So when the church is persecuted, Jesus is persecuted and when Jesus is persecuted the church is persecuted. That is why it is so important to always point the church to Jesus. We individually are His bride, the church, we are corporately His bride, the church. So if the church isn't being directed to Christ and is being directed in man centered self seeking glory then the one who perpetuates that is not a Christ follower and the congregation he is preaching to is not Christ's church. Saul came across a rude and powerful awakening when Jesus' glory shone around Him. This was an awakening to the reality that his zeal was for the wrong purpose and against the very God he claimed to fear and love.

Notice to that Jesus calls Saul here but He doesn't disclose all to him in one fell swoop. Jesus has a plan for Saul but the plan will come in waves. The first wave is a change in Saul's zeal, it was to be a zeal for Jesus who is the Son of God and to serve God, not hunt down God's chosen people and bind them and even murder them. In verse 6 Jesus tells Saul, "But get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." There needs to be a time lapse. Time lapse in serving Jesus is usually important. Time lapse is always there for the benefit of the one who is called. Why the time lapse, simple it is for growth and strengthening. Saul needed this and so do we. When we are called by Jesus to be His servants we need time to grow. It doesn't matter how much you know and how much of the Scripture you might have had memorized we still need some time to align ourselves with Jesus and His plan for our lives.

1 Corinthians 15:3–11 NASB95

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit 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 did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Conversion comes through Brokenness

Those men who were with Saul traveling on the road who were his companions and who were of the same mind and zeal as Saul saw the flash of light and Saul fall to his knees and heard the voice of the Lord, but all that they would have heard is the noise which is like thunder but not understand what was said. It is also very possible that they didn't speak Hebrew well, because Luke writes later that Saul heard Jesus in the Hebrew dialect. So they heard and saw what was going on but understood none of it. The only thing they did understand is this was not natural and that is why they stood speechless. Their jaws were to the ground and there was no sound to come out. This was not an event that was surrounded with murmurs and carrying on it was blatantly obvious God was doing something and it frightened them.

Psalm 51:14–17 NASB95

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Then we see a wonderful illustration of what happens when Jesus calls us, man's dependents. Saul was a powerful man driven by hatred of those who he believed to be apostate. His zeal he interpreted as being righteous because these people were against the very God he loved. The problem was his zeal was in himself and he was very self-centered and he was ridding people because he feared the loss of his own power and prestige. Now with his sight removed from him, he has become dependent. His dependents is physically on the men who were with him who had to lead him about and bring him to Damascus. Now he was no longer leading the charge he was being lead. There is also the allusion that he became dependent spiritually as well.

Luke 18:9–14 NASB95

9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Conversion leads to Dependence

Verse 9 says, "And he was three days without sight, and neither ate not drank." Some would construe this is a sign of depression. He lost his sight so now he is depressed and won't eat or drink anything. That isn't what is going on, in fact it is a fast. This is a spiritual matter at this point. Saul has just experienced the most incredible calling of any of the apostles and his entire world is now turned upside down. For months he and the other religious leaders have done everything they can to put the stop to the spread of Jesus' name and the growth of the church. Now Saul has just seen Jesus and has heard the voice of Jesus asking why Saul is persecuting Him, attacking Him and His name and dragging off those that belong to Him and putting them to death. This is earth shattering.

Ephesians 2:8–10 NASB95

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.