GOD SAVES LOST CAUSES (5 OF 8)
Scripture: Acts 9:1-19
This content is part of a series.
God Saves Lost Causes (5 of 8)
Series: Acts: The Gospel Gone Viral
Jonathan McLeod
Acts 9:1-19
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life (1 Tim. 1:16).
A LOST CAUSE?
Do you know someone whose conversion to faith in Jesus appears to be a lost cause? Maybe that person is a husband or wife, a son or a daughter, or a good friend. It seems like they will never accept the gospel. Maybe you think that you're that kind of person-that there's nothing that could happen that would ever cause you to give your life to Jesus.
The book of Acts tells the story of a person just like that. His conversion appeared to be a lost cause. He was the last person anyone expected to become a follower of Jesus. Yet by the grace of God that's exactly what happened.
[Read Acts 9:1-19 and 1 Timothy 1:12-17.]
THE PERSECUTOR BECOMES AN APOSTLE
Saul (also known as Paul) was someone who hated the gospel. He desperately wanted to stop the spread of the gospel-so much so that he became a persecutor of the church. He was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58) and ''approved of his execution'' (Acts 8:1). And he ''was ravaging [i.e., destroying] the church'' (Acts 8:3). ''Entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison'' (Acts 8:3).
In Acts 9, Saul is traveling to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus. But on his way to Damascus, he meets Jesus and is converted. In Saul's retelling of the story of his conversion in Acts 26, Jesus says to Saul, ''It is hard for you to kick against the goads'' (Acts 26:14). Saul had been resisting the gospel (like an ox kicking against the goads). But God can save anyone-even a person who appears to be incredibly resistant to the gospel.
Saul the persecutor-this lost cause-became an apostle. The one who had once wanted to destroy the church ...
Series: Acts: The Gospel Gone Viral
Jonathan McLeod
Acts 9:1-19
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life (1 Tim. 1:16).
A LOST CAUSE?
Do you know someone whose conversion to faith in Jesus appears to be a lost cause? Maybe that person is a husband or wife, a son or a daughter, or a good friend. It seems like they will never accept the gospel. Maybe you think that you're that kind of person-that there's nothing that could happen that would ever cause you to give your life to Jesus.
The book of Acts tells the story of a person just like that. His conversion appeared to be a lost cause. He was the last person anyone expected to become a follower of Jesus. Yet by the grace of God that's exactly what happened.
[Read Acts 9:1-19 and 1 Timothy 1:12-17.]
THE PERSECUTOR BECOMES AN APOSTLE
Saul (also known as Paul) was someone who hated the gospel. He desperately wanted to stop the spread of the gospel-so much so that he became a persecutor of the church. He was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58) and ''approved of his execution'' (Acts 8:1). And he ''was ravaging [i.e., destroying] the church'' (Acts 8:3). ''Entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison'' (Acts 8:3).
In Acts 9, Saul is traveling to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus. But on his way to Damascus, he meets Jesus and is converted. In Saul's retelling of the story of his conversion in Acts 26, Jesus says to Saul, ''It is hard for you to kick against the goads'' (Acts 26:14). Saul had been resisting the gospel (like an ox kicking against the goads). But God can save anyone-even a person who appears to be incredibly resistant to the gospel.
Saul the persecutor-this lost cause-became an apostle. The one who had once wanted to destroy the church ...
There are 4641 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
