Last week we began our summer series, Paul's Odyssey, which will cover the months of July, August, and September.
Our series deals with the life and missionary trips of the Apostle Paul.
The word odyssey means "a long and adventurous journey or experience."

Last week we looked at Paul's life before he became a Christian. Before he was a pastor and promoter of the Christian faith, he was Saul, a Pharisee and persecutor of anything associated with Jesus.
That was the prequel...the story before the story.

Something happened to Saul... a change took place.
Like the way a caterpillar changes into a butterfly, Saul/Paul has his own conversion.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Matthew 18:3

A religious, do-gooder, church goer isn't necessarily a Christian. There must be a change in your spirit, mind, heart, and lifestyle.
Just like a caterpillar, a person must die to who they are, before they can become who God wants them to be.

Here are some thoughts about change...the change in Saul's life and the change that Jesus says is necessary for entrance into heaven.

In the biblical sense, change or “spiritual conversion” means a turning—a spiritual turning away from sin in repentance and to Christ in faith. It is a dramatic turning away from one path in order to pursue an entirely new one. This change involves turning one’s back to the system of the world and its anti-God values. It involves a turning away from simple religion and self-righteousness. It involves a complete pivot, an about-face, in order to receive forgiveness, inherit a spiritual new birth, and to enter heaven.

Conversion also involves the idea of changing direction. A true spiritual conversion radically alters the direction of one’s life. It is not a partial change wherein one is able to straddle the fence between two worlds.
It is not a superficial turning, a mere rearranging of the outward façade of a person’s life. It is not reforming your habits and language, or adopting religious behavior.
Instead, genuine conversion occurs much deeper within the soul of a person. It is a decisive break with old patterns of sin and the world and the embracing of new life in Christ by faith.

Something happened to Saul; a change took place. It's called a conversion!

Christian belief; to be real, true, and authentic must demonstrate conversion which is evidenced by a change of life.
That's the beauty of the Gospel message. You don't have to stay the way you are or have been. YOUR PREQUEL CAN HAVE A SEQUEL.
Your life can be radically and completely changed...and if we call ourselves Christian, it should be!

Question: If you were on trial and accused of NOT being a Christian...what evidence would you offer-up to prove your relationship with Christ?

We can learn a lot about conversion from Acts 9:3-9.

First - Conversion is an act of God on our behalf.
Acts 9:3

Sin has corrupted every aspect of our lives.
We rebel against God's authority and serve our own will and desires.
But God worked on our behalf and allowed His Son to die for our sins.
The Lord is always seeking to call lost mankind to Himself.
Salvation is all about God making the effort on our behalf.

Second - Conversion is a humbling experience as we are convicted of sin and convinced we need a relationship with God.
Acts 9:4

The humbling may be physical, but for sure it is intellectual, emotional and volitional. Conversion can only take place when there is recognition of what we have done, who we are in God's eyes, and where we are destined to spend eternity.

Third - Conversion means we recognize the Lordship of Jesus.
Acts 9:5

The Lordship of Jesus means that we surrender our will to live according to His leading, through the Bible and through His Spirit.

Fourth - Conversion begins a lifetime of obedient service to the Lord.
Acts 9:6, 8

God has a purpose for each converted life. He desires to use us as His hands and mouth to a lost and separated world.

God saves people with a STORY, and creates for them a new STORY, so they can tell His STORY!