DAMASCUS: THE CITY OF TRANSFORMATION

Project 1 and 99: An Evangelistic Campaign | Session 09

INTRODUCTION

The hymn "Amazing Grace" was written by John Newton in 1772. Newton's life was marked by
turmoil and sin from an early age. He was born in 1725 to a devout Christian mother, who died
when he was seven. After his mother's death, he went to sea with his father, eventually
becoming a sailor and a slave trader. During his years at sea, Newton lived a life of rebellion,
engaging in drinking, gambling, and immoral behavior. He even became involved in the
transatlantic slave trade, a profession that he later came to regret deeply.

A turning point came in 1748 when Newton’s ship encountered a erce storm o the coast of
Ireland. As the ship was on the verge of sinking, Newton cried out to God for mercy, recalling
the faith his mother had instilled in him. Miraculously, the ship was saved, and this experience
marked the beginning of his spiritual awakening. Over the following years, Newton gradually
turned his life around. He abandoned the slave trade, studied the Bible, and became a minister
in the Church of England. His newfound faith deeply in uenced his perspective, and he
became an advocate for abolition, speaking out against the slave trade.

In 1772, Newton penned the words "Amazing Grace" as a re ection of his journey from a life of
sin to one of faith. The hymn speaks of the grace of God that saved a wretch like him,
emphasizing themes of redemption, forgiveness, and transformation.

The most famous lines, "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me,"
encapsulate Newton's profound gratitude for the grace he received. The hymn has since
become one of the world’s most beloved and widely sung hymns, resonating with countless
individuals who nd solace in its message of hope and redemption.

Today, we study a man who met Jesus in Damascus: The City of Transformation.

SPOTLIGHT

Today, we start by learning about a man named Saul from Tarsus. He is a Jew and a Pharisee.
Let’s meet him in Jerusalem. But be careful—- this is not a good time to visit because he is
busy arresting people who talk about Jesus Christ and those who have been baptized. What is
all this commotion in Jerusalem about?

Acts 8:1-3 (NLT) says:

1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A
great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and
all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and
Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) 3 But
Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house,
dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

This shows Saul’s dedication to following the orders of the High Priest. Just a few days earlier,
a devoted follower of Jesus named Stephen was stoned to death. Saul was there to see it
happen, and he agreed with the execution (Acts 8:1).

Since meeting him now is risky, let’s read the scriptures about his life.

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 Now, Saul wanted to continue persecuting the followers of Jesus. He asked the High Priest for
letters to their friends in Damascus. This way, if he found any believers, whether men or
women, he could bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished (Acts 9:2; 22:5).
Saul was so eager to persecute Christians that he didn't want to waste any time. After getting
the letters, he set o for Damascus.

But before he could reach Damascus, something unexpected happened along the way. Acts
9:3 - 9 (NLT) says:
3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly
shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul!
Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go
into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but
saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he
was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there
blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

Unable to do anything because he was blind, Saul’s life was nally quiet for a moment. He
couldn’t move around to arrest Christians due to his condition. Because of this, he was stuck
and could only contemplate about his life. Now, he had all the time to re ect on himself in
solitude.

Acts of Apostles, page 118, says:

“These days of soul agony were to him as years. Again and again, he recalled, with
anguish of spirit, the part he had taken in the martyrdom of Stephen. With horror, he
thought of his guilt in allowing himself to be controlled by the malice and prejudice of
the priests and rulers, even when the face of Stephen had been lighted up with the
radiance of heaven. In sadness and brokenness of spirit, he recounted the many times
he had closed his eyes and ears against the most striking evidences and had
relentlessly urged on the persecution of the believers in Jesus of Nazareth.”

Then he re ected on the encounter at the Damascus road. Acts of Apostles, page 115, says:
“In the glorious Being who stood before him he saw the Cruci ed One. Upon the soul of
the stricken Jew the image of the Savior's countenance was imprinted forever. The
words spoken struck home to his heart with appalling force. Into the darkened
chambers of his mind there poured a ood of light, revealing the ignorance and error of
his former life and his present need of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts of Apostles, page 119,

As Saul yielded himself fully to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he saw the
mistakes of his life and recognized the far-reaching claims of the law of God. He who
had been a proud Pharisee, con dent that he was justi ed by his good works, now
bowed before God with the humility and simplicity of a little child, confessing his own
unworthiness and pleading the merits of a cruci ed and risen Savior. Saul longed to
come into full harmony and communion with the Father and the Son; and in the
intensity of his desire for pardon and acceptance he o ered up fervent supplications to
the throne of grace.

After all the soul-searching and acknowledging his shortcomings fully, he was assured that he
was fully converted, and the Lord returned his sight. So he sent Ananias to see Saul.

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In Acts 9:17 - 19 (NLT):
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul,
the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain
your sight and be lled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from
Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward
he ate some food and regained his strength.

Acts of the Apostles, page 120, says:

The conversion of Saul is a striking evidence of the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit
to convict men of sin. He had verily believed that Jesus of Nazareth had disregarded
the law of God and had taught His disciples that it was of no e ect. But after his
conversion, Saul recognized Jesus as the one who had come into the world for the
express purpose of vindicating His Father's law. He was convinced that Jesus was the
originator of the entire Jewish system of sacri ces. He saw that at the cruci xion type
had met antitype, that Jesus had ful lled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the
Redeemer of Israel.

What a quick turnaround. Three days prior, he was the persecutor of the Christians. Now, he
became a follower of Jesus. As Acts of the Apostles, page 120, mentioned:
He was one whom Christ intended for a most important work, one who was to be a
“chosen vessel” unto Him.

Saul, who later became Paul, shows how God can transform lives.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Where in the world can we nd the City of Damascus?

An Overview of Damascus
Damascus is the capital city of Syria and is one of the oldest, continually inhabited
capital cities in the world. It is considered the 4th most holiest city in Islam. It is also
one of the cradles of Christianity. The Eastern & Oriental Orthodox churches in
Damascus trace their roots back to Paul and Peter.

Archeological evidence tells us that the earliest artifacts at Damascus date back to
3,000 BC which means that it was already a settlement even before the time of
Abraham. Inside the modern city of Damascus is the Old City, which UNESCO
designated as a World Heritage Site under the protection of the United Nations.

The reason why Damascus was always a thriving city was because of its strategic
location. The city is built on a plateau at the crossroads of trade routes from Africa and
Asia, linking the East and the West. The city is surrounded by irrigated farm lands where
vegetables, cereals, and citrus fruits have been farmed since ancient times.

Past and Present

Throughout the centuries, various empires captured and in uenced the city, including
the Hittites, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. Then Alexander the Great conquered
Damascus and introduced the Hellenic culture of the Greeks. When Rome expanded its
empire Damascus became a Roman province. After it was Christianized in the 4th
century, Damascus became an important military outpost of the Byzantine Empire and
grew in wealth and in uence.

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 During the Muslim conquest, Damascus fell under the Umayyad Caliphate and was
made its capital. The city was further Islamized when the Abbasid Caliphate came into
power, and it remains a strong Islamic city to this day.

Damascus is a city revered not just by Muslims but also by Christians. It was one of the
rst cities that embraced the Christian faith after the apostle Paul lived there for some
time. One of the oldest Christian churches is a small chapel converted from the house
mentioned in Acts 9:11, where Paul was healed by Ananias, who they claim was the
rst bishop of Damascus. Inside the magni cent Umayyad Mosque is a small Christian
chapel preserved because tradition has it that the head of John the Baptist is kept
there. John the Baptist is revered as a prophet in Islam. Over the centuries the
Christians in Damascus produced new theological thought, liturgical traditions, and
church leaders in the early church.

Despite the strong Muslim and Christian in uence, Damascus, under the Syrian
government, maintains a secular stance to promote religious tolerance. However, the
Syrian Jews are prohibited from contact with the Jews from Israel. This is because Syria
and Israel are locked in perpetual war with each other beginning in 1948 when the state
of Israel was established. The two countries have no economic, cultural, and diplomatic
ties. Hostilities between Syria and Israel continue to this day. In 2011, the Syrian civil
war broke out, and Damascus became a crucial battleground between government
loyalists and the opposition forces. The government recaptured the city in 2018, but the
civil war is still ongoing.

POWER POINTS

Let us go back to the story.

Three Power Points to remember today:

Power Point 1. Knowing God is not the same as knowing about God.
Power Point 2. Knowing God comes before serving God.
Power Point 3. No one is beyond God’s grace.

[Note: Power Points are inspired by truewaykids.com. See link for reference: https://truewaykids.com/sauls-
conversion-teen/#:~:text=The%20Bible%20says%2C%20“And%20he%20appointed%20twelve%20]

Power Point 1. Knowing God is not the same as knowing about God (Acts 9:4-5)

Saul heard a voice from Heaven saying, “Saul, why are you persecuting me”? I’m sure Saul
couldn’t believe his ears. He was shocked that he was ghting the One he thought he was
ghting for.

Knowing God is not the same as knowing about God. Knowing Him requires a relationship with
Him. Knowing His name or what He’s done is not enough.

When we don’t know God, we engage in wrong activities in the name of religion, ght for an
unjust cause, pursue the wrong purposes, and engage in harmful cultures and values.

The Bible says, “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). It is clear that Saul knew about God and probably knew a lot
about Jesus and His disciples, but Saul didn’t know Him personally.

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 Many people today have ideas and knowledge about God but lack a personal relationship with
Him. You can only really know Him once you invite Him into your life.

Power Point 2. Knowing God comes before serving God (Acts 9:5-6)

After Saul asks, “who are you, Lord?” He asks, “what do you want me to do?”

Before we can do any pleasing work for God, we must rst come to know Him. Only through a
relationship with God can we hope to serve Him in a way that pleases Him. We must seek Him
rst, and then our work will follow.

Some people work hard in the church, hoping to be rewarded with intimacy with God. God
expects that our works of service should ow from our passion and relationship with Him.

The Bible says, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might
(1) be with Him, and he might (2) send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14).

Our good works are not the cause of us knowing God but rather a result. It is God who
saves us and equips us for service. It is only when we know Him that we can truly serve Him.

Power Point 3. No one is beyond God’s grace (Acts 9:15)

In Acts 9:15, the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my
name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

Despite all the terrible things Saul did to the early church, he became God’s chosen instrument
to bring salvation to many generations of Gentiles and Jews.

This passage reminds us that no one is beyond God’s grace. No matter how lost you feel, how
far you’ve fallen, or how much you’ve messed up, God’s grace is always there for you. His
grace is enough to cover your sins, restore your relationship with Him, and use you in the
Kingdom.

We must never see anyone as a useless, forsaken, irredeemable, and lost cause. God might
use such a person to proclaim salvation to a nation. Another example is the Samaritan woman,
who had several husbands. When she met Jesus, she became an evangelist (John 4:28-29).
She brought a whole village to the Lord. Never give up on anyone God has not given up on.

Concluding Thoughts

Saul had done many terrible things to the early church. Many would have seen him as beyond
redemption, but God had an amazing plan for his life.

Do you think you’re a mess? Do you think someone is irredeemable? You might be surprised.
When we surrender our lives to Jesus, He completely changes us and gives us a new life – one
that is full of hope, purpose, and meaning. Your stories, pain, and frustrations can become
testimonies when you encounter His light. May we seek encounters with Jesus and be open to
His leading, just as Paul did. Remember, faith can transform us and impact the world around
us.

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UNDERSTANDING DEEPER
[This section is done through a Table Talk.]

What is your “Damascus” story with God that changed your perspective or direction in
life? Share your story.
How can we apply the lessons from Paul’s conversion to our lives today?

CONNECTING TO LIFE
[This section is done through a journaling activity.]

When have you felt delayed or as though your plans were put on hold? How might God
use that time to teach you patience, trust, or an eternal perspective?
Is there something in your life that you’ve had to give up or let go of recently? How might
that loss open you up to a new mission or purpose that God is preparing for you?

[End of Sermon]

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