The First Conversion

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC on February 4th, 2018

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^NRS Acts 9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" ⁵ He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." ⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. ¹⁰ Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." ¹¹ The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, ¹² and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." ¹³ But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; ¹⁶ I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." ¹⁷ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰ and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." ²¹ All who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?" ²² Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.

Three young boys had been playing at being ministers. Now you may remember back to your childhood and remember that being a boy meant often being competitive. So they began to argue about who was the greatest preacher among them. One of the boys said, I know how we can settle it. Let us baptize something this week and the best baptism is the best preacher. At the end of the week two of the boys met up at the appointed hour and began to share their experiences. The first boy said he had gone home and his little brother had come to Christ as he poured water over his head. The second boy said well I did better than that, I went home and preached to my dog and he came to Christ and I sprinkled water over his head. Well they waited and waited and the third boy never showed so they walked over to his house. His mother told them he was in bed but they could visit with him. When they arrived in his bedroom they found him bandaged from head to toe. What happened they asked? He said, well, I wanted to be the best preacher I could be so I preached and preached. Then I decided it was time to baptize so I filled the tub with water and grabbed the cat to baptize it in the water and the devil came out of him as I dunked him. The moral of this story is babies and dogs are children of God, but those cats, hmmmm.

Saul was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians. Saul was a devout Jew, brought up to believe that God was the center of his world. Saul was extremely zealous about the Lord’s work. So much so that maybe he got lost in the translation somewhere. Have you ever been doing something you thought was right only to later find out it was wrong? Paul thought that he was doing the work of the Lord. What he discovered instead was that he was persecuting God. Years ago a young lady was having an asthma attack. I had always been taught that when a person is having difficulty breathing that they need to breathe into a paper bag in order to stabilize their CO2. For an asthmatic, that is the worst thing to do. So in my ignorance I actually was not helping. So in a very simple sense, I can understand Saul doing what he thought was right and then I also understand what emotions one has when you discover that you were wrong. Fortunately in my case, no one got hurt. But Saul who is also called Paul was responsible for people’s lives. Last week we saw Saul sharing in the stoning of Stephen. 

On the road to Damascus he encounters God. When the light of God shined down upon him, surely he knew that something special was happening. When he heard the voice surely he knew that God was speaking to him but I suspect because of the message he was confused. Wouldn’t you be? Thinking you are working for God only to have God ask you why you are persecuting me. And it is that to which he responds. Who are you that I am persecuting you? Or it might be interpreted, why are you speaking to me. Haven’t you ever done something unwittingly and had someone let you know. At that moment when you think you are right you are confused as to why they are calling you out. And so it was with Saul.

Saul is convicted of his wrong doing by Jesus. I can imagine the moment he realizes that Jesus is who he said he was. Now he must deal with the emotions that not only was he wrong in his zealous persecute of the Christians, but now he carries the guilt of Stephen and the other martyrs that he was personally responsible for. Remember that Saul is at the least, an accessory to Stephen’s murder. Can’t you imagine the hurt and anguish that is going on inside of Saul at that moment? Maybe here is the real reason that he never uses his Hebrew given name. He is so ashamed of his Hebrew roots that he can no longer call himself by that name. Who knows for sure except Saul who is also Paul? In those days it was not uncommon for a Hebrew man to have a given name like Saul and a Roman name like Paul. So from this point on we never hear him use the name Saul again. But let us look closely at what happens to him. For three days he is blinded by the light of God who has convicted him. For three days he must depend on others to lead him. It tells us that he fasted, neither eating nor drinking. I wonder if you knew that you had upset God if your desire for redemption would be so great that you would almost feel like giving up your life for death. Judas did just that? Paul spends those three days in contemplation, reflection, fear and anxiety. What is God going to do with me? What will happen to me? Have I lost my eternal promise forever because of my foolishness? Would not these thoughts have been your thoughts? The scriptures tell us that Paul is converted at this moment and become one of, if not the most important disciple of Christianity. He will go from this experience and bring the message to millions, shaping the church that we know today. But it began with God calling him out.

This scripture is important to you and me. It is important because it reminds us that God can and will use even the most unlikely person to do the great works of God. Paul, a murder and a man who was persecuting the very people of God, becomes one of the greatest evangelists of all time. If God can use Paul in this way, imagine what he can do with you and me. But in order to use us, God may have to convict us. Have you been convicted of loving God beyond all else? But loving God is not enough is it? Paul loved God. There is something else that we need to understand. We live our lives today loving God but many of us are persecuting God at the same moment. When we deny God at our workplace or in our daily lives by doing the things we know that God does not want us to do. Many of us are living in the moment and living selfish lives that are all about us. We have heard the message of God’s love but we ignore it either because we think it is not for us or that we do not deserve. Or we know that what we are doing is wrong and we refuse to repent. Barbara Mandrell wrote a song many years ago titled if loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right. A song that outlined the sin and passion of an affair.

Maybe you think you will make your life right in time. The only thing that you must hope for is that there is enough time. Many people in the earliest days of the church refused to be baptized until near death because they did not want to have to live their lives in a right relationship with God thinking there is always time. I wonder how many of them are now looking toward heaven wishing they were there. I have also heard many young people tell me they are just not ready. Would you be ready to win the Publisher’s Clearing House if they knocked at your door? Sure you would. So why are you waiting for something infinitely more rewarding than that.

God can use us wherever we are. Our present lives are no obstacle to God. No matter where you are and no matter what you are doing right this moment, God can use us. Here is one of the most important messages you will ever hear. God loves you so much that no matter where you have been, no matter what you have done, God’s love can overcome it. God’s promise is not for those who have lived perfect lives only. In fact, most of us have messed up once or twice. Some of us more than that! Paul caused the followers of Jesus to be put to death, imprisoned, punished and abused. And yet, God called Paul to one of the greatest ministries we know. God is not concerned with your personal characteristics. Paul was a small man with a gravelly voice. He was passionate to the point of being abrasive. Yet, he reached thousands. Moses stuttered. David had a man murdered so he could have his wife. All of these are counted among the greats for God. So why not us? 

I want to ask you a question this morning. We are about to enter the season of Lent. Lent is a time to reflect on who we are, redefine who we want to be and shape our lives as Disciples of Christ. So ask yourselves today, is your promise of eternal life secure?  Have you been living your life as a good person, baptized, a church member and coming to church when it is convenient and yet walking the life of our culture and society? Do you really believe and work daily at being a Disciple of Christ? Have you surrendered to the power of the cross? During every waking moment is there a desire within you to live for Christ? Would you die for your faith? Do you leave time in your day to be in conversation with God and to be used by God? Are you in a position where if God called you could do what God is calling you to do in that moment? Are you willing to be used by God no matter what God may ask of you? Maybe you are like I used to be where the answer to most of these questions is maybe. Don’t be surprised if one day you get a wakeup call from God. But don’t wait. God is calling each of us today to be in right relationship with God because God loves us all. Saul was converted because God had greater plans for the world. What might God use you and me for?