I once told a friend that perhaps he should stop coming to church.
He always got mad.
He came because his wife wanted to come but he was quick to tell you that he didn’t believe in any of it. And every time we got together he wanted to argue about why he couldn’t believe in something that could not be supported by science and sound intellect.
I told him that we could still be friends without talking about it. And I have to admit that I was beginning to conclude that he was totally immune to the grace and love of God. By this time we had known each other for several years.
I am glad that God didn’t wait on my faith before he did something in the life of my friend. God got a hold of him and turned his world upside down.
My friend has been a church-planting support pastor for a number of years now and has helped to start several churches.
It doesn’t always work out like that but it will always be true that God can change any person and call any person to a life of incredible service for his purpose.
This Sunday at the Gathering Church, we will look at the most famous conversion story in human history: the story of the church-destroyer Saul who is met by Jesus while on his way to Damascus. It is found in Acts 9.
Later in his life, Saul, now called Paul, says that one of the most important lessons we all should learn from his story is that God’s grace is so huge that the most unlikely candidate for God’s love becomes the best one of all.
It is always a good Sunday when we can so clearly see the love of God and the power of Jesus change a messed-up life and fill it up with God’s Spirit.