Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Home Sermons 2010 The path of conversion (Part 1 of 'The way of Joy')
 
The path of conversion (Part 1 of 'The way of Joy') PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

Acts 9:1-9

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. 4 And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; 6 but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." 11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, 19 and took food and was strengthened. For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

 Summary and Function



Summary: There are many people who go through life without Joy. They’re the people we never want to ask, “Hey, how’s it going?” because we don’t want to endure a long lament on what’s wrong with their lives. You may know people like this or you may have a tendency to be like this. If so, there’s good news!!! Jesus wants us to have joy. He wants us to experience a joy that is evident through the good and bad times. He wants us to enjoy life!!

The joy that Jesus wants us all to have is a free gift. We begin to receive this gift at conversion. When we repent of our sins and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, we begin to receive joy. Conversion is the beginning of the ‘Way of Joy’.  This is what happened to the Apostle Paul. Prior to his conversion he was spiritually blind. He didn’t know who Jesus was and this lead him to persecute Christians. After his conversion, however, he dedicated his life to spreading God’s love and his joy was complete.

If you are already a Christian, go to God and ask, “Where’s my Joy?” Don’t be afraid to talk to God about it. If you’re not yet a Christian, then now’s the time to repent (Repentance is a sincere desire to live a God centered life characterized by love rather than a sinful life characterized by selfishness and self-reliance.) and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. Receive the joy. God wants you to have it!!!

Purpose: To help the congregation to receive joy through faith in Jesus.

The Sermon

 I. Introduction: The many people with no joy

     1. People with no joy

  • They expect bad things to happen
  • They say, ‘If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.’
     3. I know someone who has almost no joy. She is always negative and downcast.
         She’s never happy and almost never smiles.
  • In every situation she sees the bad but never sees the good
  • Ask her. “How’s it going?” and she’ll always say, “Well, let me tell you….” For the next hour or two you get to hear about all her health, financial and relational problems.
  • This person has no joy in her life.

     3. Do you know someone like this? Do you have a tendency to be like this?

     4. We’ve all experienced periods of depression but it doesn’t have to become a
         normal part of our lives. There is good news:
  • God wants us to have joy!!!!
  • Jesus came so that we could have a joyful life. In John 10:10b Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
  • God wants us to enjoy life!!!!!

II. The joy God wants us to have

     1. Not simply being happy when things go well

     2. God’s joy is present during the good and bad times. It enables us to carry on in
          the midst of travesty.
     3. The great theologian, Virginia Wrenn, says, “Happiness is a condition of
          circumstances. Joy is a condition in spite of circumstances.”
     4. Joy is love’s strength and enables us to take loving action in the midst of
          adversity.

III. Joy begins with conversion

     1. It’s a free gift. We begin to receive it when we repent of our sins and trust Jesus
         as Savior and Lord.

     2. We see this in the life of the Apostle Paul

  • Prior to Paul’s conversion: He was a mean persecutor of Christians.
  • After Paul’s conversion: He experienced joy as he spread the good news about Jesus
  • In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul wrote, “…for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” This demonstrates the joy we can experience after conversion.

     3. How or why does conversion bring about joy?

IV. How or why does conversion bring about joy?

     1. Conversion takes away our spiritual blindness

     2. Spiritual blindness is believing something that is not true

  • Prior to conversion we believe things that simply are not true
  • After conversion the Holy Spirit begins to open our spiritual eyes and we begin to believe the truth
  • The false beliefs, prior to conversion, robs us of our joy.
     3. As a Juvenile Probation Officer, I knew a 17 year old girl with a long history of
         drug abuse and sexual exploitation.
  • Members of her family would constantly condemn her for her lifestyle, to include the times when multiple men took advantage of her while she was high on drugs.
  • For a long while she was spiritually blind because she believed that God did not love her and God could not forgive her. This was a lie from Satan. This lie robed her joy.
  • While she was in drug rehab I bought her a Bible. I visited her every week and told her God loves her and I was praying for her. During this time she was in the process of conversion. She was beginning to believe God loves her and she could receive God’s forgiveness.
  • She began to experience joy as her spiritual blindness was being taken away.

V. The Apostle Paul’s Spiritual Blindness

     1. If you recall, during his conversion experience, Paul was physically blind for three
         days: “Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see
         nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  And for
         three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:8-9)

     2. This physical blindness demonstrated his spiritual blindness

     3. Prior to conversion

  • He was spiritually blind because he didn’t know who Jesus was and this lead him to persecute Christians.
  • “And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;” (Acts 9:4-5)
  • Paul knew it was the Lord God appearing to him but he didn’t know to call him Jesus.  

     4. After conversion

  • His spiritual blindness was removed
  • “So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened. For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus.” (Acts 9:17-19)
  • Paul came to believe the truth that Jesus is Lord, God in the flesh. (In Titus 1:13 Paul refers to Jesus as ‘our great God and savior”)
  • As a result, Paul received joy.

VI. Do you want this Joy? Do you want your spiritual blindness removed?

     1. If you have not yet repented of your sins and placed your trust in Jesus, do so
         right now!!! The time is now!!
     2. If you are already a Christian, then continue your walk with Christ and receive the
         joy God wants you to have. 
 
Joomla Templates by Joomlashack