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Show Often when we hear or Paul, we get only the scales falling offhis blinded of Saul's conversion to as far as tell the story eyes and his meeting with God's man Ananias. Yet, there is far more to the story than that. So I thought since were starting a new well to talk about that is our year, a man topic, what we we would do changing. Since is the evidence of a changed man? What are some of the signs of genuine change? How does a person behave who really changes? Notice that God started by working Saul's mind. Saul was a man with strange ideas before he changed. He 1 on thought he had a comer on God and that anybody called by a different name was wrong. He had warrants to shut down the houses of prayer where the people of "The Way" worshiped and to bring back the clientele in shackles and chains. He was ignorant of God's )Vay. and stumbled about own mind, sense. He walked irtdarkness of his too educated to have common Although he had legal orders to take action in Damascus, he did not know where he was going or who pmlft!Jt., along the way. He was.iriterrupted by God along the way. Wherever you are doing wrong, it is a good thing to be interrupted especially by God. meet Sometimes God allows sickness and disease to bring us to 2 our knees or grief to load us to cry out with or nothing on pain to shame to bow For God wants and put walk in sorrow or the us to pull heads. off the old new man so newness our cause us that man we can of life. He wants less than the best for all of us. Corinthians 5: 1 7) That's where (2 we can light for our pathway and a lamp Ao( J-I-1. -I-raN+.-' for our footsteps. 'J+ 1ot:LFurthermore, God had to changed find the a I\) Saul's will. Saul 1'11\, was a man ( ,JcJ, f1' of iron will and strong determination. He went with conviction and did not stop until God knocked him down. His had the will of a strongman and the commitment of ct Samson but the wisdom of a fool. He kicking against all the heaven and resisting God. was 3 forces of There and astonished, Saul turned his to God. "What wilt thou have trembling will me over to do?" he asked. The Lord answered, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." (Acts God told his to get up where he was headed and he 6) 9: and go on would get instructions there. We cannot stay where we please God. over have always been and We have to tum our wills to the Master of wisdom and yield knowing God. It!h(lJ;Jcrl{cAy =z Then, the man who really changes become a chosen vessel. God changed to that all his name from Saul to Paul. Ananias had heard about Saul but Saul and him he was expecting surprised when God told coming to town. In fact, was was not 4 (, Ananias complained, "Lord, I have many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at heard by Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call thy name." (Acts 9: 13-14) The Master responded to Ananias, "Go thy on way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." (Acts 9: 15- changed it will not be easy. Paul suffered labors abundantly, stripes above measure, was in prison frequently, 16) When we and faced death. Five times he whipped with was was 39 lashes. Three times he beaten with rods. Once he 5 was stoned. Three times he was shipwrecked. He spent a night and a day in the sea. He faced the perils of water, of robbers, countrymen, of heathens, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren, in weariness, in of his own painfulness, in watchings, in hunger, in thirst, in fastings, in cold, in nakedness, and even the churches did nothing to help. (2 Corinthians 11: 24-29) This Christian journey will be a crossing bearing journey. But those who bear the cross for the cause of Christ shall come victoriously. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his forth cross, and follow will save me. For whosoever his life shall lose it: and 6 whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall fine it. F or what is a man profited, ifhe shall his own gain the whole world, give (Matthew 16: soul? Or what shall exchange for his soul." 24-26) in 7 and lose a man |
