New Convert

Over the last few months, during the COVID experience, my wife Evie has gotten really

into home conversion.

She just loves to be able to go home and just sort of move things around so that it feels

like a new space.

And particularly in a time like COVID, where there's so many things that we realize we

don't have control of.

When we're stuck at home, perhaps more than we would like to be, there's something really

appealing about being able to experience some kind of change.

Evie is like a Tetris wizard with this.

Somehow, when we first got married, we had one bookcase.

Now we have three, and yet somehow our home feels more spacious.

So she is both gifted at this and a regular practitioner of it.

But there's something appealing, isn't it?

When we're at home, when we're stuck at home, knowing that there is a change that we can

experience, that we aren't just stuck the same, unable to change or do anything in a strange

season like this.

And so some kind of change is really appealing.

But other change can often be uncomfortable, perhaps even confronting.

I wonder what kind of thoughts and feelings come to mind, not when you think of home conversion,

but what about when you think about people being converted?

What kind of things come to mind?

Perhaps, and I think what's a common thought for our world and culture is that the thought

of people being converted can come across as mean or arrogant, perhaps even just narrow-minded.

Maybe even for some of us who are Christians, it can still be an uncomfortable thought.

The thought that there might be real cost to relationships, to friends and family, the fear

of rejection, the relational costs that can come when sharing the good news of Jesus.

But if people being converted is so uncomfortable, if our world thinks it is so uncomfortable, if we

feel uncomfortable about it, why do we bother doing it?

Why do we bother persevering for it?

I mean, why do we bother trying to convert people at all with the good news of Jesus,

if it just brings discomfort?

Well, as we come to our passage this morning in Acts 9,

we encounter one of the most famous conversion stories in the history of the world.

And as we actually walk through Saul's conversion account, how he goes from being an enemy of God

to a loved child of his, God wants to teach us three things about the nature of conversion,

three reasons why it is worth persevering in, and that it is a good and right thing that God

has put before us. So three things that God teaches us about the nature of conversion.

First of all, that conversion is uncomfortable.

Conversion is personal.

And that conversion is essential.

It is uncomfortable, it is personal, and it is essential.

So first of all, conversion is uncomfortable.

Now, as we look at Saul's mission at the start of Acts 9 here,

we see he is on a very specific mission.

In verse 1 and 2, it describes Saul as heading to Damascus,

breathing out murderous threats against God's people.

He has a very clear mission and purpose.

He wants to round up those of the way, those who follow Jesus at this time,

and he wants to have them rounded up, persecuted and imprisoned.

And he believes that he's doing this for God's good and his honor,

that these people are blasphemers, those who follow Jesus.

And yet in verse 3 and 4, as he sets out on this mission,

he experiences a radical encounter with Jesus,

which is described as Saul being knocked to the ground by a light from heaven,

and he hears a voice,

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

Now, clearly, clearly this is not the plan that Saul had set out for himself.

I mean, he's going to Damascus to confront the Christians,

those of the way,

and yet now he himself is being confronted by Jesus.

But conversion, it's an uncomfortable process.

You see, the very nature of conversion, the very idea of it,

says that it begins with God, God seeking us out,

rather than us seeking God.

Begins with God seeking us out, rather than us seeking God.

And it is no different with Saul.

You see, he's confident in his understanding of the truth.

I mean, he's a guy with vast knowledge of the Old Testament.

He's a guy of position and status.

He has great authority that he comes with as he heads to Damascus.

And he believes that he is honoring his God

as he seeks to crush this rebellious uprising of Christians.

And yet, what is his response?

In verse 5 and 6,

the only words that Saul says in his encounter with Jesus,

who are you, Lord?

See, for all his knowledge and confidence and his power and authority,

when he's confronted by the living God,

it reveals that he doesn't even know who he is.

He didn't even know the God that he thought he was serving.

And we see in verse 7 and 8 following this,

that Saul, having been confronted by this Jesus,

he's left blinded, he's now relying on his traveling companions,

simply just to guide him to the city that God has instructed him to go.

I mean, how disorientating that must have been for Saul.

He's come with a purpose, he's going to persecute the Christians,

he's confronted by Jesus himself,

whom he realizes he does not know,

and now he's blinded.

He is a picture of humiliation.

He's been humbled,

his power,

his authority,

all that makes him who he is,

and now he can't even travel

without being guided by others.

You see, Saul's new reality,

when you experience that kind of radical change,

when it's that uncomfortable,

it forces you to think.

You're sort of jolted into trying to make sense of this new reality.

And that can be a really uncomfortable process.

I've got to be honest,

it was a really uncomfortable process for me in my own life.

I became a Christian midway through high school in January of 2010.

And prior to that point,

I was really sure that I had the good news of Jesus all figured out.

It was not for me.

And more so than that,

I had an older brother,

a really nice,

sort of actually annoyingly nice,

older brother,

who was a Christian,

and I just could not make sense of this guy.

Like, he was so nice,

so caring,

and if you've had anything to do with teenage boys,

those are not usually the words you would associate to them.

And I just couldn't understand him at all.

And that lack of understanding

created a lot of frustration.

From me to him,

I just could not make sense of him.

And so I took out that frustration

on other Christians.

You know,

other people who would be foolish enough

to believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be,

that he really was this Lord and Savior.

Now, just to clarify,

just in case people are watching at home,

when I say I sort of taunted and make fun of Christians,

it was not in the same sense as Saul.

I did not threaten anyone's life.

Just got to make that nice and clear.

But I was particularly rough

to one of my school chaplains.

I took a special kind of delight

in making his life difficult.

I liked to ask annoying and uncomfortable questions,

not for answers,

just to see him squirm.

I would have been a great friend

if you knew me in high school.

I hope you're getting that picture.

So as I was sharing life with this guy,

I would just continually try to sort of irritate him.

I would try to make him uncomfortable.

I'd try to make him think that his job

and his time and his efforts were wasted.

Until he actually,

well, he ended up having to quit his job.

He ended up having to quit his job.

And I like to think that I was involved in that process,

you know, that it was because of how annoying

I must have been.

It's always fun when families sit in

and hear this stuff as well.

Thinking about how annoying I must have been.

And as I saw him, quite literally,

finishing up his job,

I saw him carrying a box of his stuff

from his office to the car,

and I thought here was a chance

to get one last jab in,

you know, to really make him feel bad.

And so I went up to him

and sort of just tauntingly said,

where are you going, sir?

And I'll never forget what he said.

He looked at me,

and perhaps in a moment of weakness and frustration,

he said,

I have better things to do

than waste my time

on crappy little kids like you.

Now, to me at the time,

that really felt like a victory.

You know, it showed,

I showed this guy

for the ridiculous beliefs that he had.

You know, what a waste of his time

to go to a school

and share the good news of Jesus.

However,

over the following six months,

all of the things that I thought

made my life happy and meaningful,

playing football,

spending time with friends,

over the next six months,

I started to get quite sick,

and I had to stop playing football.

And that meant that I started

to see my friends less.

And it was really disorientating

to think how quickly

my life and the purpose

that I had from it

started to unravel.

All of a sudden,

my comfortable,

cruisy life,

I was stuck at home going,

who am I?

What is my life

without these things?

Where am I going to find

fulfillment?

And it was in this season

that very much

against my own wishes,

my parents sent me

to a Christian camp

that the same annoyingly kind

older brother was leading on.

This was particularly fun,

saying as my brother

sat there at the nine o'clock service.

He enjoyed it.

Now, when I went on this camp,

I had one goal in mind.

The only thing that I was focused on

was do not listen to the talks.

Don't humor them

by showing that you're interested in Jesus.

That'll just make them more keen.

And yet, over the course of the week,

there was one specific thought

that I just could not get out of my head,

no matter how hard I tried.

And it was a thought

that I tried to run from,

but it just kept piercing my mind.

I was reminded that,

what if I'm so stubborn

that I actually needed

to have something taken from me

to hear this message seriously?

What if I was so stubborn

that I needed to have something

taken from me

to hear this message seriously?

You see, my conversion began

with this uncomfortable realization

that I am a proud and stubborn person.

And it was only through

having something taken from me

that I actually realized

how little I am,

how frail my life actually is.

And similarly with Saul's conversion,

it begins with a very uncomfortable reality

when he's confronted by the God

that he thought he was serving,

only to realize

he didn't know him at all,

only to lose his sight

to realize how frail his life was.

I wonder what kind of discomfort

God has been bringing about in your life,

perhaps during this COVID-19 season.

What have you been learning

through this uncomfortable season?

Could it be that God is using

this discomfort

to bring you

to a new perspective

on who Jesus is?

Could it be that this is a process

of your own conversion

as you come to a humbling realization

that your discomfort,

your own weakness,

your own lack of control,

your own frailty

is brought to the very surface?

You see, conversion

begins

as an uncomfortable process.

It is God

breaking into our life,

challenging our assumptions

and perspectives,

breaking down the illusions

of control

and the craving for comfort

that we create for ourselves.

It is uncomfortable.

But it isn't just uncomfortable.

You see, conversion

is also personal.

Have a look at the beginning

of Jesus' interaction

with Ananias with me.

It's in verse 10.

It says,

In Damascus,

there was a disciple

named Ananias.

The Lord called to him

in a vision.

Ananias!

Yes, Lord,

he answered.

Go to the house of Judas

on Straight Street

and ask for a man

from Tarsus

named Saul,

for he is praying.

In a vision,

he has seen a man

named Ananias

come and place hands

on him

to restore his sight.

Now,

we don't actually know

much about Ananias

except for this

particular encounter,

except for this

description in Acts.

In fact,

he's mentioned

nowhere else

in Scripture

except in relation

to Saul's conversion.

All that we know

of him

is that he was

a Christian

in Damascus,

that he very clearly

knew who Saul was

and his reputation,

that he was not

good news for Christians,

that him coming

to Damascus

would spell trouble

for him.

But we also see him

as a picture

of faithfulness.

But if you think

about the very little

that we actually know

of Ananias here,

it seems strange

that he would even

be involved

in this story at all.

I mean,

he doesn't seem

like the kind of

go-to guy

for someone like Saul,

of great power

and authority,

one who comes

to threaten

his very life.

And so it feels

like a reasonable

question to ask,

why is Ananias

involved at all?

I mean,

Jesus has already

humbled Saul

to see who he is

and he's now

prayerfully seeking

God in his discomfort.

Is it really necessary

for God to bring

Ananias into this?

It just seems like

an unnecessary obstacle

towards God's plan

and purposes here.

And yet,

God consistently

shows us

that conversion

is personal,

that God delights

to work through

his people.

And he delights

to work through

the weakness

and faithfulness

of his people.

You see,

there is something

just so profoundly

beautiful

and encouraging

about the picture

of Ananias' witness

here.

And it's something

really encouraging

for us as Christians

to look at

and see

God's power

displayed

in his weakness.

Since it's the only time

that we get to encounter

Ananias,

the only things

that we see,

he's fearful

and he is faithful.

Right?

We see that he's fearful

of encountering Saul

and yet,

when God confronts him

that Saul

is going to be

his chosen instrument,

his chosen mouthpiece

to proclaim

the good news

of Jesus

to the nations,

he is willingly

obedient and faithful.

He goes

and meets with Saul

and he greets him

as brother.

You see,

for someone

of no real significance

in human history,

God uses Ananias

in this defining moment

as he declares

that Saul

is going to be

his chosen instrument

for the nations

and yet ties

Ananias' faithful witness

to this incredible

world-changing encounter.

And all we know

of Ananias,

a weak

but faithful servant.

Do you remember

the faithful servants

and faithful witnesses

who have shared

Jesus with you?

Can you think

of those

that God may have

given you the privilege

of sharing Jesus with?

You see,

it could well be

that there is

no one else

who knows

of the witness

of the opportunity

that God gives you

to testify

to the good news

of Jesus.

It is likely

that none of us

will have the role

that Saul had

to be a mouthpiece

to the nations.

But like Ananias,

God desires faithfulness.

He desires faithful witnesses

and he sees

your faithfulness.

He delights

in the faithful witness

of his children.

It's a little bit

like a guy

named Mordecai Ham.

Now,

that is just

an outstanding name

and I feel like

I'm appreciating it more

at the 11 o'clock service

with Ham.

I feel like it's

really close to lunch.

Anyway,

could you just get

a quick show of hands?

Does anyone know

who Mordecai Ham is?

Still no?

Okay.

I feel like you're cheating,

Evie,

since you're here

at the 9 o'clock service.

Mordecai Ham

was an American evangelist

in Kentucky

that lived over

100 years ago

and it would have seemed

laughable to him

that his name

would be mentioned

over a century later

on the other side

of the world.

And yet,

he is the man

that God worked through

to bring a certain

Billy Graham

to a faith in Jesus.

A man who became

a global mouthpiece

for the gospel

as many people

around the world

heard the good news

of Jesus

were brought to their knees

as they realized

that he offered

life and forgiveness.

But if it wasn't

for Mordecai Ham's

faithful witness,

the gospel impact

around the world

would have been

so much poorer.

See,

we don't know

the names of people

like Mordecai Ham,

but God,

in his goodness,

intrinsically draws them

in to be part

of his plans

and purposes

for the kingdom

to go forward.

And so,

St. Paul's,

be encouraged

in your witness.

God does not demand

a global audience

for each of us,

but he does desire

us to be faithful

to those he places

around us.

He does desire us

to testify

to the hope

that we have

in Jesus

in the hopes

that they too

might be welcomed

into God's family.

Because God's

primary method

of conversion

is personal.

He uses weak,

fearful,

uncertain people

like Ananias,

perhaps like you

and me,

to proclaim

the good news

of Jesus

so that others

would be converted

and welcomed

into God's family.

Now,

I want to just

take a step back

for a moment.

It could be

that what you've heard

so far today

is that conversion

is uncomfortable

and that conversion

is personal

in how God

works through

his people

to bring others

into his family.

But it's possible

that you can hear that

and it might just

make sense

of a really fascinating

story of how Saul

has gone from

persecutor

of God's people

to all of a sudden

a proclaimer

of Jesus.

Maybe it even

helps you make sense

of some Christians

that you know

in your life.

But all of us,

all of us

need to hear

the most offensive

and the most

uncomfortable truth

that is revealed

to us

in Saul's conversion.

conversion.

And that is

that conversion

is essential.

It is essential

for everyone.

You see,

as we read more

about Saul's journey

as the mouthpiece

to proclaim Jesus,

he reflects

on the meaning

and purpose

of his own

radical encounter

that's described

in Acts 9.

Later in the Bible,

in the book

of 1 Timothy,

he reflects

not just on

what happened

to him,

but on what

God is revealing

about all people.

So I just want

to read to you

two verses

from 1 Timothy.

It's from chapter 1,

verse 15 and 16.

And this is what it says.

It says,

here is a trustworthy

saying that deserves

full acceptance.

Christ Jesus

came into the world

to save sinners

of whom I am

the worst.

but for this

very reason

I was shown

mercy

so that in me,

the worst of sinners,

Christ Jesus

might display

his immense patience

as an example

for those

who would believe

in him

and receive

eternal life.

You see,

Saul's story

reveals what is

both personally

true for him

as an enemy

of God

as separated

from him

by his sin

but it also

describes a

universal picture

of humanity.

We are all

sinners

who need

a saviour

and that Jesus

is that saviour,

the one who can

free us

from the guilt

and weight

of sin.

But if Jesus

is Lord

and saviour,

if he is Lord,

it means that

we need to be

willing to hear

uncomfortable things,

that he might

reveal

uncomfortable things

within us

for our own good.

We might even

find uncomfortable

things that we

find uncomfortable

about him,

things that we

don't like.

But this is the

essential call

of conversion

and that what God

desires for everyone

in Jesus.

Not to choose

the things that you

like about Jesus

but to surrender

yourself to Jesus

so that you

might receive

forgiveness

and enjoy

new life

in his name.

You see,

what Saul's story

is not saying,

it's not saying

that wicked

and evil

people like him

who actively

persecuted

and sought to

harm God

and his people,

that people like

them need

forgiveness.

No,

what Saul's story

is saying

is so much

more deep,

so much more

profound,

so much more

hopeful than that.

You see,

it says that

even someone

like Saul,

even an enemy

of God,

someone who

actively sought

to hurt his

people,

that even

someone like that

can find forgiveness

in Jesus.

So that when you

realize that you

need forgiveness,

you don't need to

fear or doubt

or worry

if you will

find it.

That when you

ask for forgiveness

and life in Jesus,

you can have

confidence that

it will be

given to you.

If you're someone

who already

follows Jesus,

is this what

your heart

yearns for?

Is this what

your heart

desires?

That God

would use you

and his people

as we are,

frail,

weak,

uncertain,

to welcome

in the sinner,

to welcome

in the outcast,

to welcome

in the enemy,

realizing that

that was our

picture,

that was our

standing before

God,

but for Jesus.

Because

conversion,

conversion from

death to life,

from enemy

to family,

that is what

God's heart

beats for.

God is in

the business

of conversion,

of bringing

people from

death and

separation

into his

family to

enjoy life

in Jesus'

name.

So for

Saul,

he was led

through a

series of

uncomfortable

moments

before he

was brought

to his

knees

and saw

Jesus as

the Lord,

as the

only one

who could

save him

from his

sin.

For me,

it involved

a process

of uncomfortable

moments

moments

that ultimately

meant that

I sat

in an

outdoor

gazebo

with my

brother

confessing

that Jesus

was Lord,

that he

was Lord

of my

life,

and that

in that

moment,

what Jesus

had accomplished

by his

victory over

sin and

death at

the cross,

it meant

that I

went into

that gazebo,

an enemy

of God,

separated from

him because

of my sin,

and yet I

left there

as an

adopted,

loved,

forgiven,

child of

his.

That is

the gospel.

But what

about you?

Maybe

today is

your moment.

Maybe

you've

turned up

today,

or you

are watching

online,

and you

know that

you are

not a

follower of

Jesus,

and you

felt

confronted

by this

uncomfortable

reality

that,

like Saul,

you are

an enemy

of God,

separated

by the

weight of

your own

sin,

and that

the Lord

Jesus is

the only

one who

can convert

you,

who can

change

you,

who can

bring you

in from

an enemy

and outsider

to a

forgiven and

loved family

member.

If that

is you,

then know

conversion

is essential,

but it is

also available.

You can

receive it

here and

now this

morning,

and God

rejoices when

a sinner

turns to

him to

trust in

Jesus as

their Lord

and Savior.

We're about

to sing a

song in a

moment,

and then

Adrian is

going to

lead us

through a

prayer of

repentance

and faith,

a prayer of

surrendering

oneself,

surrendering the

weight of

sin,

acknowledging

that it's a

weight that

we cannot

bear,

but rejoicing

that Jesus

bore that

weight when

he went

to the

cross,

that we

can have

confidence in

forgiveness,

because just

as Jesus

died to

sin,

he was

raised to

new life,

conquering sin

and death.

God brought

Saul to his

knees,

and having

spent several

days prayerfully

seeking God

in his

discomfort,

he was

welcomed into

the family in

a moment,

and it's a

beautiful picture

that's captured

by Ananias,

realizing that

Saul is an

enemy,

and yet when

Saul arrives in

front of him,

he greets him

as brother.

God in his

kindness,

in his

kindness,

may have

impressed the

uncomfortable

need that you

have for a

savior this

morning,

but this is

the gospel,

this is the

gospel,

you may have

entered here

this morning

only to be

confronted by

that uncomfortable

reality,

that you are

an enemy of

God,

that your sin

has separated

you from

him,

but you

could leave

here today

as family,

you could

leave here

today as

a forgiven,

loved,

and cherished

child of the

living God,

that is Jesus

promise to

you,

do you need

that gift?

,

will you wait

I want to

take care

Karen

yes

I want to

see it

I want to