Unstoppable New Life (Acts 9:19b-31; Gal 1:17-18)

Introduction Saul’s Conversion (Acts 9:1-19) Note his good intentions (from his point of view)

Acts 22 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

Acts 26 9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. 12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

Phil 3 If someone else thinks they have 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 righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage …

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Change and no change No change of location – Damascus No change of personality But radical change in Saul!

I. UNSTOPPABLE NEW DIRECTION Chronology of the life of Saul / Paul Galatians 117 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. 

Date Event AD 34 Damascus (conversion) AD 34-37 Arabia – Damascus AD 37 Jerusalem (thru Barnabas AD 37-46 Tarsus AD 46 Antioch (thru Barnabas) AD 46-57 Everywhere, Arrested in Jerusalem

I. UNSTOPPABLE NEW DIRECTION Don’t be impatient with yourself, God is not impatient with you. Let nothing stop you in your new direction!

II. UNSTOPPABLE NEW MESSAGE Acts 9 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

Matthew 16 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” | 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. Matthew 26 The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

II. UNSTOPPABLE NEW MESSAGE Acts 9 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

II. UNSTOPPABLE NEW MESSAGE This is more than a conversion story! Pressure from Jews Pressure from Rome

II. UNSTOPPABLE NEW MESSAGE It is the story of survival! AD 66-70 First Jewish War  Jerusalem destroyed AC 132-135 Second Jewish War  Syria Palaestina

III. UNSTOPPABLE NEW ASSOCIATIONS Changing associations is hard Saul’s total change of associations What is our response to people different from us?

Conclusion Unstoppable new direction in life Unstoppable new message Unstoppable new associations

Conclusion Redemption of Chuck Colson

“Redemption — it is an old word that hearkens back to a time when slaves could be bought by benefactors to be granted freedom; and when poor prisoners languishing helplessly in decrepit debtor’s jails could be released free and clear by someone gratuitously paying off their debts.

“Nowadays we tend to think of redemption as something we can do for ourselves, as in compensating for our failures by becoming more successful; or by overcoming our weaknesses through continuous self-improvement and self-control.” Ron Nickels (Prison Fellowship)