Real Church Part 11 “An Unlikely Conversion”
Real Church – Part 11
An Unlikely Conversion
The closer we get to the first church, the closer we get to God’s ___________ and _____________ for the church.
What do you think of conversions like David Berkowitz?
_____________? __________________?
What you think of conversions like David Berkowitz indicates your __________________ and ________________ of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Saul was not a ____________ of Jesus or His _________________.
Acts 8:1-3
8 And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
On his way to put Jesus followers in ______________ Saul was miraculously set ____________.
Acts 9:3-6
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Big Idea: Conversions are by God’s ______________ and for God’s ______________.
Saul experiences the ______________ of God without any effort on his part.
If we add anything to conversion, we ___________ the ____________ of grace that God offers to us. Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Conversions are for God’s ______________.
Acts 9:6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Though conversion is not about works, a converted life is ________ ___________ works.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Though he didn’t have to work for his salvation, Saul was ready to __________ for God…..are you?
Anyone who is ______________ by the grace of God is ready and willing to ______________ for the glory of God.
A “wise” person once said, “__________________ determines ___________________”.
Conversions are by God’s _______________.
No one is beyond the ___________ of God’s grace.
Conversions are for God’s _________________.
How can one not be interested in ________________ the God who has ________________ him?