passages of Scripture in which the Lord repeated someone's name is, each passage has a truth to convey, a very important truth. And the fact that the Lord spoke someone's name twice not only conveys the great want that he had in his heart for these various wants, but it also conveys the urgency of some truth. And each of these passages, I tell you, has a truth to convey, and we've been looking at these truths. Now today we come to Acts chapter 9, and there in that we have the Lord speaking to Saul of Tarsus. And he repeats his name, Saul, Saul. Why are you persecuting me? And here we have, ladies and gentlemen, the classic example, the supreme example of what we know as Christian conversion. And that's what we're dwelling upon today, this thing of conversion. We have here a call from heaven to Saul of Tarsus for him to change his direction, to change direction in life. And this is to me a very thrilling passage of Scripture because you find Saul of Tarsus at the beginning of this chapter headed in one way. And you find him, when this chapter ends, headed in a completely different way. And that's what conversion is, my friends. It's to do an about-face. It's to change direction. It's to stop going in the direction that you have been following and to follow a whole new direction. This is Christian conversion. And this is what we find here with Saul of Tarsus. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you this morning that you cannot afford to be casual or nonchalant about this passage of Scripture. You can't afford to take what we're doing here lightly this morning. Because the fact of the matter is, each and every one of us must be converted. There's a call that comes to heaven from even this day to each and every one of us saying, you must be converted. You must change life's direction. Now, I know this is not popular these days. I find that I'm often these days flying in the face of popular opinion. But I don't know exactly what that means. I guess I'll just have to fly in the face of popular opinion. It seems to be increasingly the case these days. I know it's not popular to say this, but I say what I'm about to say on the basis of the testimony of Scripture. The Bible tells us, ladies and gentlemen, that we all come into this life and we are by nature traveling in the wrong direction. I know that's not popular, even though there's evidence on every hand for this. People today deny it, they resist it. But this is the clear testimony of Scripture. We come into this world and we're headed by nature in the wrong direction. I can tell you that when you came into this world, you did so with a nature that was opposed to God and a nature that was headed away from God, from God's laws, from God's authority, from God's worship, from God's people, and on and on. The Bible has something else that's very unpopular these days. The Bible has something else to say that's not liked these days, and that is this. If we continue to follow the direction in which we're headed when we come into this world, we will eventually be separated from God forever. If you continue to follow that direction on which you're set when you come into this world, you will eventually be separated from God forever. Ladies and gentlemen, this direction on which we're set when we come into this world, this direction of being opposed to God, leads to destruction. Now, in order to enter heaven, in order to enter heaven then, there's got to be a change of direction. You've got to stop walking away from God and you've got to start walking to God. There's got to be an about face if you're to ever enter into heaven. Thank God we can change directions in this life. I'll tell you, there is good news in Christianity. We speak about the gospel here at Emanuel quite a bit, and the word gospel itself means good news. And ladies and gentlemen, the best news that that mortal ears can ever hear is this, we can change direction. We can change direction. And there are all kinds of examples of this in the Bible, and there are all kinds of examples often in human history, and there are many right here today who can testify to this and say, yes, I have had a change of direction. There was a time in my life whenever I was opposed to God, Indisposed to keep His commands, indisposed to worship Him. But now I find all of those things are no longer true, and I'm headed in a completely different direction. I now delight in God, delight in His worship, desire to keep His commands, and on and on we go. I tell you, there are all kinds of examples of conversion in the Bible, in human history, and yes, thank God, even today. I think back there in the Old Testament, and there's a terrible man named Manasseh, and he was king of Judah. And Manasseh was such an evil, evil man that he even sacrificed one of his sons to an idol. Now, my friends, I don't know that you can stoop lower than that, to take your own flesh and blood and slay your own flesh and blood in order to worship an idol god, a god of stone. That's what Manasseh did. And not only that, but the Bible tells us that Manasseh actually filled, this is how the Bible speaks of his reign, it says that he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. He was one vile, wicked man. The scum of the earth. I do not have words to adequately convey to you the wickedness of Manasseh. Now hang on to something. I'm about to shock you. Some of you still trying to recover from that lost hour. It looked like you need to be shocked. Maybe this will do it. I want to tell you that Manasseh was converted before he died. And he came to the knowledge of God. I don't know exactly what's going on in your life. I don't know what you've been involved in. It may be that you have great sin in your past. And I can tell you that the devil is very eager to say to you this morning, if you've got great sin and great failure in your past, it's impossible for you to enter into heaven. And God put the account of Manasseh in the Old Testament and the account of Saul of Tarsus in the New Testament. These are the two greatest examples of conversion in the Bible. And God put these two examples in the Bible, I think, so that no one should ever despair. My friends, it doesn't matter what is in your past. You can be converted. You can change direction. You don't have to perish. You don't have to follow the direction on which your feet were set when you came into this life. You can be saved. You can be forgiven. Is there better news anywhere? than this. You can be forgiven. You can enter into heaven. You remember our studies in the life of Jacob a few months ago. And here this man Jacob had stooped so low as to deceive his father and to cheat his brother, and he had to leave home because of his deception. But there, that first night away from home, he had a dream, and here's a ladder that comes down from heaven to earth, and God and the angels, the angels are ascending and descending the ladder, and God's standing above the ladder. And the message to Jacob was a glorious message. Jacob, despite your sin, despite your failure, heaven is still open to you. You can change direction. And Jacob did change direction. He was converted to God. I have hope for you today. If you're not a child of God, I tell you, God's offer of forgiveness is still there. He says, come to me and I'll forgive you. He says, you can change direction. Heaven is open to you. And I just hope as we look at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus this morning, that perhaps you will hear God speaking your name today. Perhaps you'll hear God calling you, repeating your name, conveying to you His warmth, the warmth of His heart for sinners, conveying to you the urgency of this situation. I hope that you will, as we look at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, hear heaven speak your name this day, and that you will come to faith in Jesus Christ, that you'll be converted, that you'll change directions this day. So we're examining here this business of conversion. Now, I have four things to say to you about Christian conversion, all right? Four things. Are you up for this today? Four things. Should I give you two now and we come back about two o'clock in the afternoon, I'll give you the other two then? Think you can handle this, this early in the morning? All right. I started talking about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, everybody said they could handle that, so here we go. First thing I want you to know about Christian conversion is this, it is a gracious thing. It's a gracious thing. We're thinking here about the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and we're thinking specifically about this fourth verse in which God calls Saul's name. Not only calls it, but repeats it, Saul, Saul. Actually, this is the risen Christ who's speaking here. Saul, Saul. And Christ repeats the name of Saul of Tarsus in order to bring this man to the saving knowledge of himself. Now, this to me is a marvelous thing. This is a surprising thing. You know about this man, Saul of Tarsus, don't you? That first verse is so very graphic. Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. We've already encountered him in the book of Acts. He was there consenting to the death of Stephen when Stephen, one of the original deacons, was stoned. Saul of Parsis was there to hold the coats of those who were stoned, and he was consenting to Stephen's death. I like better the old King James at this point. I have the new King James here in front of me. But it talks about Saul breathing out threats and slaughter against the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this was the man, Saul of Tarsus. And we might expect to read all right that heaven spoke his name. We wouldn't be surprised at all to read that God spoke from heaven and said, day, I'm bringing your murderous rage to an end, and I'm bringing you before my presence, and I'm casting you into hell." Wouldn't be surprising at all to read that, would it? I mean, here's this inveterate enemy of the church of Jesus Christ. Here's this man who's set on this murderous course, this man who's ready to take women and children and men into prison and take some of them to death. It wouldn't be at all surprising to read that God spoke from heaven and said, Saul, I'm bringing it all to an end today, and you're coming into judgment this day. But my friends, that's not what we read. We read that the Lord spoke from heaven, Saul, in order to bring Saul to faith. in Christ, this Christ whom he had been opposing. And my friends, I marvel at this. This is sheer grace. Sheer grace. Sheer grace. Now, you and I can easily marvel at what we read here about Saul of Tarsus. We have a hard time realizing that all of us who are saved are saved by grace. Now, hang on to something again. You are no more worthy to be saved than Saul of Tarsus was. No more worthy to be saved. No one's worthy to be saved. No one deserves God's favor. But my friends, the Bible says that all of us who are saved are saved by the grace of God. By grace are you saved, Paul says. I tell you, conversion is a gracious thing. You remember the story of John Newton, that vile man who was a slave trader? Can you imagine anyone more vile than John Newton? Deliberately pressing people into slavery. I heard this morning as I was driving over to church a snippet on the radio about authorities discovering some kind of a prostitution ring in which women have been forced into this lifestyle by cruel, unscrupulous men. Can you imagine that? Is it possible to be that wicked? John Newton was a wicked man, a slave trader. John Newton was saved by the grace of God, and he knew it was by grace that he was saved. He knew he couldn't take one shred of credit for himself, so he wrote those lines, amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. was blind, but now I see. Oh, how John Newton exulted in the grace of God. And you and I have a hard time identifying with John Newton because we, many of us, feel like, well, I was a pretty good person all along. My friend, you were a judgment-deserving sinner, and God saved you. And grace ought to be amazing to you as well. amazing grace. Well, that's one thing. Conversion is a gracious thing. I tell you, when you come into the presence of God, you will realize the full weight of this, and you'll realize that you're standing there simply because God's showered grace upon you. You won't take one shred of credit. You won't say, well, I'm here partially by God's grace and partially by my own doing. No, you'll be struck with this, that you're there by the grace of Almighty God. Now let me come to a second thing. Conversion is not only a gracious thing, conversion is a personal thing. I'd like to press this upon you. Conversion is a personal thing. The risen Lord speaks here from heaven and He says, Saul, Saul. He doesn't say, to whom it may concern. There were others present on this occasion. Saul had a band of men with him. I don't doubt that what some in that band of men who accompanied Saul might have reflected on what they saw that day, what they heard that day, and might themselves have come to faith in Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that they all did. But what I want you to see is that God addressed Saul personally. The Lord Christ addressed Saul personally. Saul, Saul. Now, ladies and gentlemen, there are a lot of people who have mistaken notions about Christianity. And they fail to see this personal element. You don't get into heaven in families. You don't get into heaven, we don't go in by churches. We don't go in by nations. We only go in by, as individuals. Do you understand this? If you're to get in, you'll go in as an individual. You've got to deal with God. And He's got to deal with you. Personally. Individually. And I think some people today have the idea, well, you know, I'm part of a Christian family. My granddaddy, he was a Baptist preacher. My dad was a Sunday school teacher. Why, my family's been involved in church all down through the running centuries. It's not enough! Not enough. I will not get into heaven because I'm the son. of William Ellsworth, who was a God-fearing, God-honoring man. It's not enough. Some of us think we're going to go in because we're part of a church. I tell you, my friends, you can have your name on Immanuel Baptist Church roll and perish eternally. It's not enough to have your name on this roll. Some seem to think that they're in just because they're part of the United States of America. They've heard it said, America is a Christian nation. That is a debatable point, isn't it? America has a Christian heritage, thank God, but we're fleeing from that heritage increasingly with each passing day. But we'll not enter into heaven as part of the United States of America. The only way in is as an individual, an individual. And Saul of Tarsus that day learned this as God spoke to him, called his name. Conversion is a personal thing. Have you, have you heard heaven call your name? Have you personally come to grips with these issues? Have you personally come to see your sin? Have you personally come to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation? Have you personally received the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you resting upon Him today? It's a personal thing. That's the only way in. Now, let me say to you in the third place, I'm just trying to describe here for you Christian conversion. Conversion is an enlightening thing, an enlightening thing. I get the impression as I read the first couple of verses here that this Saul of Tarsus was one assured, confident fellow. That's putting it mildly. I tell you, Saul of Tarsus was one arrogant fellow. And he was sure of so many things. He was sure that Christianity was a farce, that it was a hoax. He knew that it was all built on the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, and he was sure that Jesus of Nazareth had not risen from that grave. He didn't know how that tomb came to be empty, but he was sure that it could not have been empty by virtue of resurrection. It had to be some other explanation. He was one arrogant fellow that day. He thought he knew the truth, thought he had the answers. He thought he was serving God by persecuting Christians. That's his own testimony later in Scripture. My friends, there on that Damascus road, when that light blinded him and he was knocked to the ground, he came to understand some things that he had not understood before. One thing he came to understand is that this thing of the resurrection of Jesus was not a hoax, it was not a farce, it was real. I tell you, from the time the soul left the back of that That horse on which he was riding until the time he hit the ground, there was a quick syllogism that went through his mind. It didn't take him long to come to this. He immediately saw the truth. He said, I have been saying that Jesus Christ could not possibly have risen from that grave, and yet this is the same Jesus Christ speaking to me. Therefore, I have been wrong. This Christ does live after all. And as we read other passages of Scripture, we find that Saul of Tarsus not only on this occasion heard the voice of the risen Christ, but he actually saw the risen Christ. He saw Him while all this was taking place. And he must have said to him, how could Jesus of Nazareth still be dead and I see him on this occasion? He became convinced that the resurrection of Jesus was a reality. He also became convinced of his own sinfulness. Here's the question the Lord put to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Saul thought he'd been persecuting Christians, but here the Lord Jesus puts things in proper perspective. He says, you've been persecuting me. And ladies and gentlemen, all sin is essentially against God. And so Christ is impressing upon Saul the depth, the enormity of his sinfulness. You are sinning against Me, Christ says. My friends, this is the problem with sin. It's a thumbing of our noses at the One who made us. and who sustains us, gives us the very air that we breathe. Sin is the creature thumbing his nose at the Creator. Saul came to understand sin. He came to understand the enormity of it. He came to understand his personal responsibility here and his personal failure. He'd been sinning against God. And as we look at this passage, we also see, I'm just talking about conversion being an enlightening thing, Saul also saw that His rejection of Christ was to his own detriment. Down there in verse 5, Jesus says to him, I'm Jesus whom you're persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goats. Do you understand what the imagery that is being used here? Back in those days, they'd have these little carts and they'd have an ox pull the cart. And some of these oxen didn't like pulling carts. And so, in order to register their displeasure, they'd kick. And when they'd kick, they'd jolt the cart. And so, people in those days would put little sharp goads at the front of the cart. And when the ox would kick the cart, he'd hit one of those sharp goads, and he'd learn, don't kick this cart. Because it's more painful to kick it than it is to pull it. You see? And what the Lord is saying here is, Saul of Tarsus, in rejecting me, you have just been bringing hurt upon yourself. Now listen, listen to me. My friend, if you reject Christ, you don't hurt Christ, but you bring irreparable harm to yourself. It's hard for you to kick against Jesus Christ. So hard, my friends, that you'll be separated from all that is good and glorious forever. It's hard to reject Christ. Now, here's a comical thing, and I'm about to wrap this up. Here's a comical thing. I go out and talk to people about Christ, and they talk about, well, it's hard to be a Christian, you know? Have to go to church. Hard to be a Christian. Have to obey the laws of God. Hard! Here's what's hard, my friends, is to reject Christ. That's hard. And to be separated forever from that which is good and glorious. Well, I don't have time to deal with this. Let me just give you the fourth one. I'm trying to describe for you Christian conversion. Christian conversion is a gracious thing. It's a personal thing. It's an enlightening thing. It brings us to understand truths we never understood before. And finally, it's a life-changing thing. A life-changing thing. I've already indicated this. This has been implicit in everything that I have said. Verse 5, Saul said, Who are you, Lord? And verse 6, he says, What do you want me to do? He now has a desire to serve God. You find later in this passage, he identifies himself with the people of God. He associates with them. He proclaims the Word of God. He has had a change. And everyone, everyone who is truly converted to Jesus Christ will not be the same as he was. He'll be changed. Now, my friends, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying if you're converted you're going to be perfect. No. God will take care of that later. You'll be perfected when this life is over and you finally come into His presence. But while you'll not be perfect, if you're converted, you will be changed. Because the Bible says, if anyone be in Christ, he's what? A new creature. Old things are passed away. All things are become new. I like what one fellow said. He said, I'm not what I ought to be, and I'm not what I'm going to be, but thank God I'm not what I used to be. That's Christianity. Not what I ought to be, not what I'm going to be. Someday God's going to complete the process, perfect me. But thank God I'm not what I used to be. I've had a change of direction. I've been converted. I'm a new creature in Christ. Do you hear heaven calling your name today? Unbelieving friend, do you hear Jesus speaking your name? Do you hear him calling you to change life's direction? Oh, listen, my friend. If Christ does not call your name in grace, He will someday call it in judgment. I trust and pray this day, if you're not a believer, that you'll be converted. Let's bow together for prayer.