Newburg Christian Church

10-19-2008 Sermon

I've Got a Problem with Paul

Acts 9:1-19

The Book of Acts is a record of events that took place within the life of the first church and the actions of its most prominent leaders. It’s about what happened after Jesus returned to heaven. The first Christians faced people who wanted to run them out of town or worse. One of the men whose personal mission was to rid the world of Christians was Saul…who later became known as Paul.

Saul was a very religious man. He thought he knew all he needed to know about God. He strongly disagreed with the new revelations about God brought about by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. He saw it as his mission to shut down this Christian movement. The 9th chapter of Acts tells us what happened when Saul met the risen Jesus and a man named Ananias.

I’ve heard some truly amazing conversion stories, and I know many of you have too. I’ve talked with people whose cocaine addictions were destroying their lives and through a conversion experience came to faith in Jesus and walked away from their addictions. I’ve talked with people who lives have been damaged through physical or sexual abuse and found healing through a conversion experience. I’ve talked with people whose jobs consumed them but felt empty and found new life and purpose following a conversion experience.

Then there’s Paul. I’ve got a real problem with Paul. Actually, my problem with Paul is about his conversion experience. It is so over the top amazing that it’s difficult to really compare it to other experiences, especially our own. Some of you may have a dramatic conversion experience, for others it occurred over time, and for some belief in Jesus as the Christ was something you’ve learned since you were babies.

My own “conversion” came during a six week pastor’s class that culminated with my baptism when I was 12. I was raised in the church; my family was in church every Sunday and nearly every Wednesday evening. I can’t say my baptism had a great effect on my life; it was just part of my life growing up in the church. It sounds rather boring doesn’t it? It definitely is boring when I tell it like that.

Do you need a dramatic conversion story in order to talk about God? Are you like me sometimes and feel jealous of people whose conversion stories are exciting, it’s the dramatic effect those stories can have that catch our attention and we wish we had something exciting to talk about. So we tell people our story is “just sooo boring.” Not everyone has a story like Paul’s. Even though we may not have a dramatic conversion story to tell, we still have a lot to say about our own faith.

Maybe it’s not your conversion story that will rivet people in their seats and help them come to faith in Jesus as much as it is your story of faith. Can you think of specific times or experiences when you knew you were in the presence of something holy? These are not conversion experiences, they are faith experiences. Faith experiences are vitally important whether you had a dramatic conversion experience or were raised a believer. Faith experiences area a real life connection between you and God. What are your faith experiences?

Our 40 Days of Prayer and Faith Sharing book asked us to recall specific experiences; I wrote several and began to think of others. The point is, these are the experiences that tell me God is real…these are the experiences that tell me God is real. These are the experiences I rely on when someone asks me about my faith or someone needs to hear a word of comfort that grows out of my Christian faith experience. These experiences tell me why I choose to be Christian.

What difference does being a Christian make in your life? If someone was to ask that question, could you answer it? That’s one of the questions we are working to answer during our 40 Days of Prayer and Faith Sharing. I asked Marti Yonke that question this week, Marti do you have an answer this morning?

(Marti gives her answer)

That’s Marti’s answer, what is your answer? For people who have never been to church, people who have left the church, or who have been hurt by the church that’s a question they may well want answered. If a friend asked you why you’re a Christian could you give them an answer other than, “I don’t know, I’ve always been a Christian?” If you can’t answer the question are you sure you are a Christian? If you can’t answer the question are you sure about your relationship with Jesus? We can talk about a lot of things in our lives...vacation places, sports events, hobbies, and families…but can you talk about something as critically important as your faith?

Yes, you may consider your conversion experience to be boring, but your faith story is anything but boring. It is your experience with God. It is your experience in being a follower of Jesus. It is your experience with the presence of the Holy Spirit. How could any of these experiences be boring? If you believe your faith journey is boring maybe you should re-examine your faith. If you can’t see where God has been in your life then maybe you’ve been living your life without God, maybe you’ve been living your life knowing that Jesus died on the cross but never realizing why.

I’ve heard too many people complain that their story is not very exciting, uninteresting, or run of the mill. That’s because you are comparing your story with the stories of others. Your story is your own. It is your story, not mine, not Marti’s, and certainly not Paul’s. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and you have taken Him as your personal Lord and Savior, you have an exciting story to tell. If you’re unsure of your story, then practice telling it. Tell your story to yourself while doing laundry. Tell your story to yourself while mowing the grass. Tell your story yourself while driving. If you practice your story and ask God for the courage to tell it, opportunities will come your way. God will answer that prayer with a resounding, “Yes!”

Paul has a dramatic encounter with Jesus that lead to his transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian willing to be persecuted. Wow! The man really has some stories to tell, and they are told throughout the book of Acts. What does your book of Acts say? Are there accounts of the Holy Spirit at work in your book of Acts? Are there stories that keep your faith strong in your book of Acts? Are there faith experiences that could help someone else that can be found in your book of Acts?

If your book of Acts is filled with blank pages, today is the day you can start writing. Don’t compare yourself with Paul. Don’t compare yourself with other people and their dramatic conversion stories. Their stories are their own and you have your own story to tell. God will put you in a place and time where your story needs to be heard. God will not put you in a place where someone needs to hear someone else’s story; he will put you in a place where someone needs to hear your story. Your story is not boring to the person who needs to hear it. Your story is not boring, tell it.

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