Introduction: One of the most prominent of people in the New Testament has to be the Apostle Paul. 

· He was an Apostle--sent out by Jesus to preach the Gospel.
· He is a main character in the book of Acts--He went on three well documented missionary journeys which established congregations in numerous cities throughout Asia Minor and portions of Europe.
· He was a prolific writer-13 of the 27 books of the New Testament are attributed to him.
· He was a theologian--he develops chief doctrines of the Christian faith with special emphasis on justification by faith, election, and the role of good works in the life of the Christian.


His fame continues to this day. Cities, churches, and other landmarks are named after him. It is only the illiterate Christian who does not at least know of him and his place in the Christian Church.

And yet, he wasn't always like that. Nor was he always held in high regard by the Christian community. In fact, at one time devout Christians trembled in fear of this man and the power that he had to ruin their lives.

Today, we review what Paul was like before his conversion, how Jesus stepped into his life to call him to be his Apostle, and what effect that Jesus' call of Paul had on him and the church. We will apply this important historical event then to our own lives and see that . . .

The Risen Savior Calls us to do His Will.

Context: Paul (then known as Saul) had been a persecutor of the Christian church. He had given approval to the stoning of the first martyr--Stephen. He now asked for legal documents to go 150 miles Northwest to Damascus to ferret out Christians and to bring them to Jerusalem in chains. St. Paul himself describes his former way of life in this narrative from Philippians 3:4-6: If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

As a result, he was one of the most feared men by those who were Christians. His singular purpose in life was to stop the spread of Christianity and if that meant traveling to Damascus and dragging Christians back to Jerusalem in chains, he was going to do it. He did not agree with the teaching of Jesus or those who believed that they were saved by following him. He believed that a person was right with God only by obeying the laws of God and the man made religious laws perfectly. He strove to do that himself and he disdained those who thought and acted differently.

Until one very special day. Jesus appeared to him in a bright light and spoke to him as Luke records for us. 
Note the significance of this event. The risen and ascended Lord came back to earth from heaven in order to speak to Paul. He called to him from a bright light and told him his plan. Paul would no longer be a persecutor of the Gospel but he would be God's chosen instrument to spread that Gospel beyond Israel.

As a result, Paul was converted. To convert means to "turn around". (To adapt to a new and different purpose.) Paul's beliefs were changed. As a result his purpose in life would change as well. We can think of no more dramatic turn around in a person's life than to go from someone who is openly hostile to Jesus to one who would give up everything in order to live for Jesus. Paul also describes this change in his life in Philippians: 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

This conversion also had a tremendous impact on the church. At first, some were skeptical of this new found faith in Jesus. Recall Ananias' questioning response when Jesus told him to go to Paul. It would be several years before Paul would actually begin his work in earnest. But after that time, he would go on those missionary journeys, establish churches, write letters which became books of the Bible. Not only did the Word of God which he spread influence countless people during his lifetime, that Word of God which the Holy Spirit inspired him to write is still read and believed to this day and is a foundation of our chief doctrines. All from what we too would consider to be the most unlikely of candidates.

This dramatic conversion of the persecutor Saul into the Apostle Paul is perhaps the highest example of what Jesus can do in a person's life. But he is not the only who was in need of conversion or who has had their life changed by Jesus.

We were all born with original sin and subsequently dead in sin, enemies of God, objects of his wrath, without true knowledge of God and aliens to his promises. Without the power of the Gospel we would have remained in our sins and in the futility of our thinking. Oh, we may have still been good citizens and perhaps upright people but we would have foolishly thought that God owed us something because of who we were or what we did. It is called the opinio legis. The wrong belief that we are worthy in God's eyes because of our ability to keep the law. That is exactly what Saul believed and it lead him to hate Jesus. That is because someone who depends on the law and what they have done does not believe that they need Jesus. They can save themselves. If that were true, then why did Jesus die? It would have been pointless. He should have just been a good teacher and one who could force people to obey the commandments.

We are not justified by the law. I don't care how often you come to church, how much money you give, how cheerful you are or how well you fulfill your responsibilities as a spouse, child, parent, worker, member of the church, etc. If you don't believe that Jesus died for all of your sins and that you are forgiven because he has paid for them, then you are still going to hell. Then any work you do for the church or any time you obey a command you only do so because you have to, because you might be disciplined if you don't, or because you are looking for some type of recognition. Living for Jesus is reduced to a ledger in which you only do this or that because you think it balances your sins. As a result, you either end up a Pharisee boasting "I fast twice a week, give a tenth of all I get, and thank God I'm not like others." or you end up a hardened hypocrite who only does what God requires when you feel like it or when you think you have to or someone is going to praise you for it.

Saul used to think like that. After his conversion these sinful attitudes and beliefs became foreign to him. Recall again his words to the Philippians. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Jesus has come to you who once was as law orientated and wrong as Saul. He didn't come in a bright light or speaking from heaven. He came in the Gospel in baptism, the Word of God, and also now in the Lord's supper. Through the law he says, "Why don't you think you need me? Why are you trying to justify yourself by what you do? Or why aren't you even trying to be right with God?" He calls on us to repent--to change our ways and to follow a new purpose in life. He forgives us and gives us a new righteousness that is through faith in him. He calls us to a new purpose. He leads us to live a life of thankfulness to the one who has saved us which is motivated by love and not by law.

Result in peoples lives? Christians will worship God whenever and wherever they can without being threatened to go to church or else. Christians will give generously to the church (even if it is in the black so to speak) without an appeal from the Pastor. Christians will read their Bibles without considering it to be a book report. Christians will come to clean the church, serve a meal, attend a Bible class without being shamed into it. Christians will pray spontaneously at all times without being told to. Christians will pepper their conversations with the name of Jesus not to curse or swear but to pray, praise, and give thanks. Christians will talk about the Savior even if they are told to shut up.

Why? Because God loves you so much that he gave Jesus to be your Savior. You are a forgiven child of God in spite of the way you used to be and the sins you still commit. 

I get frustrated sometimes. O.K. I get frustrated a lot. I look at numbers and observe the lives of members, and consider my own attitude at times. And they are not what they should be! My wife says that when it comes to games I'm too competitive. When it comes to what I want for the congregation I have that same burning desire that we should be the best that we can be to the glory of God. I'm frustrated because I'm not the best I can be and neither are you. I'm frustrated because I am sometimes at a loss as to what I can do to improve things. (And because certain members lay a guilt trip on me as to what I should be doing better because according to them, people are leaving our church because of me.) Well, maybe there is nothing I can do. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to stop Saul on the way to Damascus and convince him to follow Jesus instead. And maybe I can't convince you to change what you are doing. But Jesus can and does. By God's grace Saul listened to Jesus and we know what blessings that resulted in for him, for the early church, and for us. Jesus is calling you to follow him. Why not listen to him and see what further blessings you will enjoy? Amen.