Our Living Savior’s Power to Change Us

(Luke 24:1-10, Acts 9:19-20, 26-28, 31)

Learned men have said that Christianity rests upon two mighty pillars:

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

He has risen! (Luke 24:6)

How do we know? (1 Cor. 15:3-8)

What difference does it make?

Change Can and Does Happen

The conversion of Saul (Acts:9:1-31, 22:1-21, 26:8-18)

God seeks to get our attention

“suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Acts 9:3, 22:6, 26:13)

Compare: Amos 4:6-8.

From arrogance to fear & confusion

“… breathing threat and murder …” (Acts 9:1)

“Who are you Lord?” (Acts 9:5, 22:8, 26:15)

“… though his eyes were opened he could see nothing.” (Acts 9:8)

What are the goads that Saul kicked against? (Acts 26:14)

"Saul": "akuthropos"--angry visaged, i.e. gloomy or affecting a mournful appearance:-of a sad

countenance.

"Paul": "Paulos"--little one. From a derivative of the word "pauo" which means "to stop i.e
restrain, quit desist, come to and end"

The experience changed his heart and the name change was to be an outward testimony of this
to all. Rather than a ravenous, mighty wolf seeking to destroy Christians, he was now a meek,
little sheep of The Lord’s.

See also: The conversion of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

The conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48)
The turning of Ninevah (Jonah 3:1-5,10)
 John Newton was a slave trader who spent his life in debauchery and wickedness--a violent man, a
horrible sinner. But the same almighty Christ who saved Saul of Tarsus saved John Newton. He wrote
about that experience in the hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

Praying for Change

Prayer is an expression of faith that Jesus is alive and can turn thing around in our lives.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking
God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we
pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all
power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and
joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in
the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the
kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14

While very ill, John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, called to his wife and
said, “Read me that Scripture where I first cast my anchor.” After he listened to the beautiful prayer of
Jesus recorded in John 17, he seemed to forget his weakness. He began to pray, interceding earnestly
for his fellowmen. He prayed for the ungodly who had thus far rejected the gospel. He prayed for
those in his congregation whom he felt had a dislike for him. He pleaded in behalf of people who had
been recently converted. And he requested protection for the Lord's servants, many of whom were
facing persecution. As Knox prayed, his spirit went Home to be with the Lord. The man of whom
Mary, Queen of Scotland had said, “I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies,”
ministered through prayer until the moment of his death.