INTRODUCTION: Acts 9<\/p>\n
1. The conversion of Saul is given a great deal of space in the New Testament. This speaks to its importance.<\/p>\n
1) It shows us what conversion really means. How far do I go?<\/p>\n
2) It shows us that God is no respecter of persons in conversion. An apostle had to trust and obey just like you.<\/p>\n
3) It shows us that the proper response when one had sinned gravely is submission and not bemoaning that one has sinned too greatly to be saved.<\/p>\n
4) It introduces us to the man through whom we would be given so much of the New Testament.<\/p>\n
2. This cannot be a study of the life of Paul but must be limited to a study of the conversion of Saul.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
DISCUSSION:<\/p>\n
I. WHO WAS SAUL? ACTS 9:1-2<\/p>\n
1. A young man who kept the garments of those who stoned Stephen (Acts 7:58).<\/p>\n
1) “I gave my vote against them,” Acts 26:10 (ASV, ESV). Member of the council or Sanhedrin.<\/p>\n
2) “Exceedingly mad against them,” Acts 26:11. “In raging fury against them” (ESV). “Beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it,” Gal. 1:13.<\/p>\n
2. A man of position in Judaism (Php. 3:5-6; Gal. 1:14) and out of Judaism (Roman citizen, Acts 22:25-28).<\/p>\n
3. An educated man (Acts 22:3; 5:34).<\/p>\n
4. An unbeliever. Seems to have seen the miracles of and had disputed with Stephen (“of Cilicia” Acts 6:9; 22:3). If he was among these then it explains Acts 9:5, 26:14, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads).”<\/p>\n
5. Saul had dedicated himself to the eradication of Christianity. Perhaps he saw himself in the role of Phinehas at Baal-peor (Num. 25:1-11).<\/p>\n
1. Saul was, perhaps, within sight of the walls of Damascus when Jesus appeared to him.<\/p>\n
1) Only Saul saw the vision and heard the instructions of Jesus.<\/p>\n
2) His companions saw nothing and only heard the voice without understanding.<\/p>\n
2. The appearance of Jesus was not for the purpose of converting Saul miraculously. As he headed toward Damascus again he was still in his sins (Acts 22:16).<\/p>\n
3. It was for the purpose of qualifying Saul to do a particular work, i.e., the work of witness, Acts 22:14-15; 1:8, 22; 2:32.<\/p>\n
4. It must be pointed out that there is nothing in scripture that would lead us to believe that Saul’s conversion was miraculous, i.e., that God converted him.<\/p>\n
1) Jesus appeared to him and presented evidence of the risen Lord but Saul had to believe it.<\/p>\n
2) Jesus showed that Saul was wrong but Saul still had to repent.<\/p>\n
1. It is glorious to me to think that the terms of my conversion are precisely the same as Saul’s.<\/p>\n
2. From the first turning of the keys of the Kingdom (Acts 2) the terms of conversion have been:<\/p>\n
1) Hear the Gospel (Acts 2:14, 37, 41; Rom. 10:17).<\/p>\n
2) Believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:37).<\/p>\n
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38).<\/p>\n
4) Confess Christ before men (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10).<\/p>\n
5) Be baptized for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).<\/p>\n
6) Live faithfully unto death (Matt. 28:20; Rev. 2:10).<\/p>\n
3. Saul:<\/p>\n
1) Heard the Gospel from Stephen (Acts 6:8-10), Jesus (Gal. 1:11-12) and then from Ananias (Acts 22:12-16).<\/p>\n
2) Believed that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20).<\/p>\n
3) Repented of sins (John 3:8; Acts 9:20-21).<\/p>\n
4) Confessed Christ before men (Acts 22:16; 9:20).<\/p>\n
5) Baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 9:18).<\/p>\n
6) Lived faithfully unto death (Acts 9:23-25).<\/p>\n
1. Too many are converted, …sort of.<\/p>\n
1) It has become cliche to say “pew sitting Christians” and “Sunday Christians.”<\/p>\n
2) Many have “obeyed the Gospel” yet never assemble.<\/p>\n
3) Many have “repented” but continue in a lifestyle of sin.<\/p>\n
2. Saul shows us what conversion really is.<\/p>\n
1) He was willing to travel to persecute Christians. Now willing to travel to preach Christ to them.<\/p>\n
2) He was willing to have Christians beaten. He is now willing to be beaten for Christ.<\/p>\n
3) He gave his life to the defense of Judaism, now, for Christ.<\/p>\n
4) Straightway he preached Christ, Acts 9:20-22.<\/p>\n
5) Preached to Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea and to the Gentiles, Acts 26:20.<\/p>\n
6) The persecutor preaches the Faith, Gal. 1:23.<\/p>\n
7) Saul suffered for his faith, 2 Cor. 11:23-28; 2 Tim. 4:6-8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
INTRODUCTION: Acts 9 1. The conversion of Saul is given a great deal of space in the New Testament. This speaks to its importance. 1) It shows us what conversion really means. How far do I go? 2) It shows us that God is no respecter of persons in conversion. An apostle had to trust … Continue reading “The Conversion of Saul – Bible Outlines”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43944\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}