Pastor Mark Lee
June 1, 2025
Ephesians 1:1
A Converted Zealot
Pastors sermon expounded on Paul's writing of the book of Ephesians along with the conversion of Saul from the book of Acts. Sermon media was not available, so we are placing here a readable document of the sermon.
A Converted Zealot
Today we are going to begin the book or letter to the Ephesians. The letter to the Ephesians was a letter of instruction written to the young Church in Ephesus by one of its founding fathers and a man who had been their lead pastor for 3 plus years and who has been involved with their spiritual growth and doctrinal belief for decades. This man’s name is the Apostle Paul and he is the human author of this Holy Spirit inspired book of the Bible.
Now today, we are going to meet Saul/Paul and learn about his spiritual journey. Where he came from and how he came to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It is very important for us to understand Paul’s story, his past, because without it we can miss the depths of his heart for the Jewish people and the gentile nations. We can miss why he endured such hardship with out giving up. Without knowing his past, we can miss Paul’s understanding of grace, God’s given grace that is totally undeserved but is a gift.
Last week we talked about how the Apostles met their end and were martyred for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul was martyred in Rome in 64-68 A.D. by beheading by Emperor Nero.
But before we look at his conversion, I want to give a brief rundown of Paul’s ministry and importance to us, the New Testament Church.
It is reported that Paul personally planted 7-9 churches and had influence and involvement with over 50 church planets in the Roman empire. Meaning that he wasn’t the first to bring the gospel there, but ministered to the congregations through visits, preaching, teaching and letters of instruction.
There is debate on how many missionary trips Paul took through the Roman providences. Scripture records 3, church history says up to 5.
History says Paul had involvement with all of the 7 churches listed in Revelations 2-3. Either planting them or just ministering to them.
Paul is accredited with authoring 13 or 14 books of the New Testament. The book of Hebrews being in question has no author that is universally recognized. Half of the book of Acts is about his public ministry. One of Paul’s discipled and mentee named Luke, wrote two more books of the New Testament. The Apostle Peter was even impressed with Paul’s deep understanding of scripture and how Paul could connect all the dots from the Old Testament with the New.
Many of Paul’s companions and students became Pastors of these forementioned churches, Timothy and Titus were probably the most famous and where we get the Pastoral Epistles.
Paul was accredited by many signs and wonders on his missionary trips. He caused blindness to fall on a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, healed a man who had been crippled from birth and cast out demons. Even his clothing was used in doing miracles of healing and casting out spirits. Paul even preached a kid to death or he preached so long the kid fell asleep and fell out of a 3rd story window and died. Paul went down, healed the kid, took him back upstairs and preached till dawn. Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake, Paul shook the snake off into a fire, the snaked died and Paul was not affected. So, when Paul taught about putting on the full armer of God, he knew from personal experience.
Paul also knew hardship and gives a list of things he endured. We find this list in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28
Side note, to consider, 2 Corinthians was written in 50’s A.D. and Paul did 10 plus more years of ministry. Meaning this list of suffering and hardship isn’t all that Paul endured for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So why did he do it, why did Paul have such passion, mercy and grace for the lost? Well, we have to know Paul’s whole story or the beginning of Paul’s story to understand that. So, now let’s turn to scripture and meet this Converted Zealot.
Paul gives a rundown of his early life in Acts 23:6
- The portion of this verse that I want to focus on is “My brothers, I am a Pharisees and the son of a Pharisees.”
- Turn the page back one chapter in Acts 22:3 Paul says “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cicilia , but brought up in this city, that’s Jerusalem. Under Gamaliel (Ga-mel-e-l) I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
- So, Paul is a Jew by birth, a Roman citizen by the location of his birth.
- His father, a Jew, was trained in the Pharisees philosophy of Old Testament scriptures and trained Saul, Paul’s Jewish name in the Pharisees view.
- Saul/Paul was also trained under Gamaliel, a member of the Sanhedrin of Israel who was highly respected by all.
- Saul unfortunately didn’t listen to Gamaliel advice which is given in Acts 5:29-40
- Gamaliel makes the profound statement that if the apostles message be of man and by man it will fail on its own, but if it be of God, then you will be fighting against God, Himself.
- Saul was zealous for the law of Moses, zealous for the Pharisees philosophy and did everything he could to stand opposed to the followers of Jesus Christ. Believing them to be a cult or a perversion of his faith.
- Acts 7 we read about the stoning of Steven and it says that Saul was standing there giving his approval. (Acts 8:1)
- Acts 8:3 says “But Saul began to destroy the Church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- Acts 9:1 Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the High Priest and asked for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to The Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- Saul hated the Apostles, hated the members of the Way. Didn’t care if you were a man or a woman. He wanted you destroyed by imprisonment or death.
- Saul, appointed himself as God’s weapon and went on a zealous crusade or quest for God to protect his people for this new heresy. Saul showed no mercy, no grace for his fellow countrymen. He persecuted all known by Jesus name.
So, what happened, how did Saul go from the great persecutor to the great Apostle of Jesus Christ?
- Well, he met the real Jesus, personally on his way to Damascus to carry out his hateful plan.
- Acts 9:3-9 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.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
- Can you imagine what was going through Paul’s mind. As he sits there blind, thirsty and hungry. Side note, Jesus said I AM the bread of life, I will give you living water, I Am the light of the world and restore the blind with sight. I don’t know if Saul was thinking that, but I can sure see it playing out. I wonder if Gamaliel words flooded back into his mind. If this be of God then you will be fighting against Almighty God.
- Saul was not only misguided about Jesus, but had become such an enemy of Jesus that Jesus left heaven and came down and confronted him.
- It’s one thing to be wrong it’s another to have the blood of the saints on your hands and head.
- What kind of punishment did Jesus have planned for him. Whatever it was, it was deserved.
- Would Jesus have him crucified, stoned or flogged to death? Saul knew that he was worthy of the greatest punishment that God had to offer.
- So, what did Jesus do? Jesus showed him grace, Jesus showed him mercy.
- The story continues with Jesus sending Ananias, a devoted follower of Jesus to Saul to pray over him to restore his sight.
Acts 9:17-19 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem - Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
- Why did Saul want to be baptized immediately?
- Baptism is an outward sign of an inward decision. I choose to be known as Jesus possession.
- Second, baptism symbolizes cleansing or washing away of sin.
- Saul sin ledger was long and had horrible offenses against God and his people.
- Saul wanted to be freed from the pain and guilt he felt. He knew what he deserved, he knew the pain he had caused and Jesus showed him grace and forgave him.
- Saul/Paul the Church planter, scripture writer, Apostle who performed miracles, personally knew the depths of Jesus forgiveness and God’s given grace more than most.
- Turn with me to Eph 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”
- The word apostle here simply means Jesus sent servant.
- Paul never saw himself as the greatest of Apostles, but rather as the greatest of all sinners. In Paul’s mind no one need more forgiveness and grace than he did.
- So, when he proclaimed that God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ was a free gift given to those who call upon the Lord, it was from first-hand experience
- As we study this letter, please don’t ever forget Paul’s story because Paul never did.
Folks, you may be here today thinking that you have a secret sin that Jesus could never forgive.
We might think, "Oh, He can forgive me for the everyday stuff, but my sin that no one knows about, hidden deep in my mind and deep in my past that deserves punishment, I can’t forgive myself for that sin, why would I believe Jesus could? Those are the sins that I would never recover from and the shame if they were found out.
We say to ourselves, "If you knew about my abortion, my use of pornography, or what I did in the war, my drug use, my drunkenness, my addiction, if you knew about me not waiting for marriage or that I was stepping out on my spouse, my gambling, the lies I have told, the people who hate me that I can’t blame, if you only knew.
Folks, Jesus knows, Jesus knew you and your worst sin and still went to the cross for me and you.
One of the hardest things there is to do is for you to forgive yourself and trust that Jesus forgives you because he says he does, because you are still disgusted by what you did.
That was Paul, and Jesus forgave him, showed him grace and then used him for Jesus plan and Jesus purpose.
If you are hanging on to anything, come to Jesus and be cleansed, come to Jesus and be forgiven.
